Work Text:
Buck had no idea what to expect when Tommy told him that they were going away for the weekend and that he had to pack a bag, but he certainly didn't think he would find himself at LAX airport, staring at the departure board and trying to guess where they're headed to.
“Give me a hint, please!” Buck asks petulantly, earning an eye-roll from his boyfriend.
“I already told you, we're not leaving the States,” Tommy replies, bumping his shoulder. “And flight time is less than five hours.”
“That still leaves me too many options!” Buck insists, staring at the board again. “Texas, Louisiana, Illinois.”
“Nope,” Tommy winks at him, far too pleased with himself for Buck's liking. “Try again, baby.”
“Florida? Or maybe Washington? I mentioned that I'd like to visit Seattle once…”
“Maybe next time I'll fly you to Seattle but nope, that's not our destination,” Tommy replies, placing a kiss on Buck's cheek. “Let's go,” he adds, grabbing their suitcases.
“Wait–” Buck protests, following him. “I– I wasn’t looking at flights about to board, I thought we had more time!”
Tommy chuckles, winking at him again. “You'll find out in a bit,” he soothes, guiding them through the crowd, towards the gate.
“Atlanta!” Buck exclaims as soon as they get in line. “I– Wow, I didn't see this coming. I feel like I'm missing something.”
“Well, that's how a surprise works,” Tommy teases, curling an arm around his shoulders. “I promise, you'll love it.”
“I love you,” Buck replies like the sap he is, appreciating the soft, dopey smile blossoming on Tommy's lips.
Once they're on board, Buck settles with his head on Tommy's shoulder and before he knows it he's drifting off, lulled by his boyfriend’s breath and the lazy patterns Tommy's thumb is tracing onto the back of his hand.
“Babe, we're landing.”
Buck groans, burrowing himself further into Tommy's neck. “I was having a nice dream.”
Tommy chuckles, pressing a kiss to his head. “I can't believe you slept through the whole flight.”
“It's not my fault, we spent the day cleaning the house and packing and I didn't have time to take a nap,” Buck laments, pulling back to pout at Tommy, silently demanding a kiss.
Tommy indulges him, holding him until they have to get off the plane. “Welcome to Atlanta, baby. Are you ready to explore the city with me?”
“Yeah, I'll follow you anywhere,” Buck says sincerely, walking through the airport and then outside, admiring the sky, painted in orange and purple hues as it welcomes the dawn of a new day.
While they wait for a taxi, Buck wonders what Tommy has planned for them. He's itching to google what to do in Atlanta, Georgia, but he doesn't want to ruin his surprise and Tommy's plans.
The hotel Tommy booked is really nice and their room is big and cozy, with a king-size bed that looks very comfortable and inviting. Buck's already thinking about what he wants to do to Tommy on that giant bed, on those pristine white sheets.
“I know what you're thinking,” Tommy whispers in his ear, hugging him from behind. “We’ll have plenty of time for that tonight, I promise. Now, though, we only have time for a quick shower and a nap before breakfast.”
“Oh, that's a real bummer,” Buck says lasciviously, interlacing their hands. “I can't wait to know what you've planned for us.”
Tommy kisses his cheek softly but Buck turns around and deepens the kiss, fingers carding through the short hair at his nape.
“Babe, seriously, you know I'd kiss you all the time but I have the whole day planned,” Tommy whispers, pulling back and chuckling when Buck chases after him, licking into his mouth again.
“Fuck, that's so hot,” Buck comments, brushing their noses together.
“What?”
“You, all methodical and practical, organizing a whole weekend trip for our second anniversary,” Buck clarifies, beaming at him. “I'm so lucky.”
Tommy flushes, pressing a kiss to the tip on Buck's nose, then steps back completely and takes care of their backpacks while Buck freshens up a bit.
Once Buck is back, Tommy uses the bathroom as well and takes a minute to look at himself in the mirror, thinking about his plan, about the dazzling, ecstatic smile he hopes to put on his boyfriend's face, about the wonderful, intense two years together they're celebrating today.
They snuggle on the bed, taking a nap while the city wakes up, then order room service for breakfast and feed each other, indulging in some sloppy kisses that taste like bacon and coffee.
“Ready to go?” Tommy asks once the trays are empty and they're back on their feet, dressed in comfortable clothes.
“With you? Always,” Buck replies, wearing his sunglasses and reaching his hand out.
It's been two years but Tommy melts every single time Buck does that, every single time they hold hands, even if it's just for a short walk out of the room and towards the elevator.
Buck happily follows Tommy through the busy roads in downtown Atlanta, looking around and curiously taking in the nice buildings. They pass by a huge park and Tommy promises that they'll spend some time exploring it later, so Buck squeezes his hand and smiles, delighted when Tommy announces that they're close to their destination.
“Close your eyes.”
“Seriously?” Buck chuckles, shaking his head in disbelief.
“What? Don't you trust me?” Tommy replies, tilting his head and pouting.
Buck presses a kiss to his lips and closes his eyes in a silent response to Tommy's question. He giggles when Tommy curls an arm around his waist and guides him around the corner, and he wonders how they look from the outside. Probably a bit silly, probably a bit dorky, but definitely a lot in love.
“Okay, baby,” Tommy says, halting them both to a stop. “You can open your eyes now.”
Buck cracks his eyes open, squinting at the sun, and his jaw falls to the floor as he takes in the sight in front of him: the largest aquarium in the United States, a place that it’s always been on his bucket list. He’s pretty sure he has never mentioned that to his boyfriend but apparently his rambles on marine life had been a big clue. “Oh my God, Tommy!” He whispers, completely in awe. “You– You brought me to Atlanta to visit the aquarium?”
Tommy nods, beaming at him. “Yeah, we have the whole day to explore the exhibits and I’ve also booked a few activities.”
“Thanks, baby. I’m speechless,” Buck admits, ducking his head. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” Tommy says, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Come on, are you ready to guide me through the wonders of the ocean?”
Buck nods, feeling a bit overwhelmed as they get in and find themselves immediately surrounded by different shades of blue and a lot of marine species, swimming in the giant tanks. The place is enormous and it offers an immersive view of the ocean life: fish, mammals, reptiles, wonderful creatures that they both observe with rapt attention.
“Wow, those look scary. Cute, but scary,” Tommy comments, taking a step back as giant jellyfish come closer to the glass.
“Are you afraid of jellyfish, Kinard?” Buck inquires, arching an eyebrow.
“Nope, I just don’t want their tentacles anywhere near me and I’m glad there’s thick glass separating us,” Tommy replies nonchalantly, ignoring Buck’s not-so-subtle giggle.
As they walk around the different exhibits, hand in hand, Buck tells Tommy everything he knows about jellyfish and it goes on like that for every new animal they meet. For every exhibit they walk in, Buck has at least ten facts to share and Tommy’s pretty sure that he could be hired as an aquarium guide, his knowledge and passion visible from the moon.
Tommy loves listening to him and he also feels very proud when he notices that people nearby stop to listen to Buck as well.
“What?” Buck asks, cutting himself off mid-ramble. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Tommy blushes, shrugging. “Uh– like what?”
“Like you want to climb me like a tree,” Buck replies, speaking into his ear.
“You’re so hot and smart and passionate, honey, you can’t blame me.”
Buck smirks, his cheeks turning pink as he lets Tommy drag him to the sharks exhibit.
“I know sharks are your favorites so take your time, baby,” Tommy says, smiling as he meets Buck’s wide, sparkling eyes.
“There are so many,” Buck comments, in awe, glancing around and above them. “Look at those whale sharks! They’re so cute, Tommy!”
Tommy’s not a fan of sharks - he finds them intimidating and watching Jaws at eight probably didn’t help - but Buck loves them so he’s more than happy to indulge him and spend an hour in the exhibit, walking around and listening to his boyfriend ranting about sharks.
“Babe, we can come back later but we have to go now, I booked you an activity,” Tommy announces, holding back a smile as Buck steps closer to the glass, looking like he’s trying to get into the tank.
“Are we feeding the sharks? I’ve always wanted to do that!”
“No, you’re going to swim with them and the rays,” Tommy says, grinning as Buck’s eyes widen in disbelief.
“What? Can people swim with sharks here? Oh my God, Tommy– I– Did you really book such a wonderful, unique experience for me?”
Tommy cradles his boyfriend’s face, bringing their foreheads together. “Yeah, I’d do anything to see you happy, honey.”
Buck surges forward and kisses him. It’s brief and chaste but he hopes it conveys everything he feels for him. “You make me so happy, Tommy. I– Thank you, for everything. This is one of the best days of my life.”
A staff member shows them where to go for the scheduled activity and then Tommy’s on his own for a little bit, his heart growing two sizes as he thinks about his boyfriend surrounded by sharks, making a dream come true.
“Tommy!” Buck shouts, drawing his attention and throwing himself between his arms. His eyes are shining with awe and gratitude, and the smile on his face could lighten the whole world. “It was amazing, I– I swam with whale sharks! They’re adorable!”
Tommy hugs him and kisses his temple, his cheekbone, the corner of his mouth. “I’m glad you had fun, baby. I wish I could’ve seen you.”
“They took a picture, we can get it at the souvenir shop when we’re done,” Buck says, thrilled and ecstatic. “It was one of the best experiences of my life and it’s thanks to you, I– I love you so much.”
“Life with you is the best experience of my life,” Tommy whispers, emotional all of a sudden, overwhelmed by the intensity of his feelings for the man in his arms. He clears his throat, pulling back and smiling softly. “Ready to feed the sharks now? Then it’s our turn to have lunch, there’s a cafeteria next to the penguin exhibit.”
“Yeah, let’s go!” Buck says excitedly, delighted like a kid on Christmas day.
They spend a few more hours wandering around the aquarium, taking a lot of pictures and creating new memories together. They take their time exploring the place far and wide, taking a break at the cafeteria before the last exhibit.
Buck’s in awe as he glances around, stepping closer to the glass and smiling as a penguin plunges into the water. He’s distracted and focused on the animals so Tommy decides it’s the perfect moment, the one he was waiting for since they left Los Angeles.
Quietly, he gets down on one knee and waits for Buck to turn around, his heart hammering into his chest. It's a matter of seconds but Tommy feels the time stretching and stretching, and tries to ignore the eyes he can feel on him. They don't have a big audience but they're not alone in the exhibit either.
“Penguins are so cute!” Buck says giddily, retrieving his phone from his back pocket. “Babe, would you take a pict–” The words fizzle out on his tongue as he turns around and sees Tommy kneeling on the floor, a blue, velvet box in his hand. “Tommy–”
“When you first smiled at me, all flushed and adorable, I thought that I'd like to see that gorgeous smile every day for the rest of my life. I've always been a hopeless romantic but I thought that love at first sight only existed in the movies. I was wrong, I was so wrong. You came into my life and changed everything I thought I knew. We're meant to be, Evan. You're my person, you're the man I want to grow old with. You once told me that penguins mate for life and I think that's what happened to us as well. We drifted apart for a while but we got back together because together it's where we belong. My heart has always been yours, honey.” Tommy pauses, clearing his throat and grabbing Buck's hand, squeezing gently. “The past two years have been the best and most intense of my life. I don't know what the future will bring us but I know I want you to be by my side forever, I want to create memories with you for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?”
They're both crying by the time Tommy asks the most important question of his life but the smiles on their faces are dazzling and full of love.
“Yes, yes, yes, of course I'll marry you,” Buck says excitedly, bouncing on the balls of his feet before he drags Tommy up and throws himself into his arms. “I love you so much.”
Tommy holds him and peppers kisses wherever he can reach, then sneaks the hand holding the velvet box between them and nudges Buck's chest. “May I put the ring on my future husband's finger?”
Buck pulls back with a beaming smile, holding his hand out and staring in awe as Tommy slides the ring on his finger. “Wow, it's perfect.”
“Perfect like the man wearing it,” Tommy whispers, bringing Buck's hand to his lips to kiss just above the ring. “I can't wait to marry you.”
“Me too,” Buck says, then kisses the corner of Tommy's mouth and smiles. “We’re engaged, babe. Oh my God, we are engaged!” He exclaims giddily, looking at the ring on his finger and then at his fiancé, eyes filling with tears all over again.
Little Evan could never imagine that this would be what his life would look like, he could never imagine that one day a man with a gorgeous scrunchy smile and a cleft chin would come into his life and give everything he’d always wanted. He wishes he could go back in time and tell that little boy that one day he’ll be happy, that one he’ll find someone who would love him anyway, someone who would want to spend the rest of their life with him.