Life taught me two things today. Tomorrow is never promised, hell the next hour is never promised. And, never take things for granted..
-Evan Buckley
"Buck.." Eleanor knocked on the bathroom door. There was no answer. "Are you okay?" She waited a few more moments before opening the door and slipping in.
Buck was sitting on the floor of the shower, water running over him. A mixture of dirt and blood swirled around the drain. He sat with his knees up, arms rested on his knees. He stared at the wall, off into space.
"Buck.." He turned to her, bloodshot eyes, and beat up face. The sorrow and worry was heavy in his eyes.
Eleanor moved closer to the shower, opening the curtain a little more, and knelt next to the side. She grabbed the shampoo from the holder. Buck got the hint and turned a little more so that she had a better angle. His head fell back slightly as she massaged the shampoo into his hair, making sure to get all the dirt and blood that was stuck deep down. She rinsed out the shampoo and repeated the process with the conditioner. After rinsing that out she grabbed the body wash.
"El.." Buck whispered as he looked into her eyes. Eleanor looked back at him, giving him her full attention. "I love you."
She smiled and reached her hand up to caress his cheek. "I love you, Buck."
Buck reached for her, pulling her a little closer to him. He reached for the hem of her shirt, tugging it off and tossing it to the side. She was still in her gross, blood-stained scrubs. She turned so he could unclasp her bra before she finished undressing. After she was done she turned to face him again. Buck grabbed her hands and pulled her into the shower with him. He did the same for her that she'd done for him. She leaned against him slightly as he washed her hair. Hands mingled and tangled as they washed each other.
Buck leaned down, his lips inches from hers. "Thank you.. for everything that you do for me."
"Thank you for loving me even when I was a broken mess," Eleanor whispered back. Buck smiled against her lips.
"Eleanor Ivy Blair.." they stared into each other's eyes intensely. "You make me feel like I've never had my heart broken." Eleanor smiled and pressed her lips to his as she leaned against him. They both needed a distraction from the events of the day. Their lips moved in sync, never detaching as Buck turned them and pressed her against the wall. He pulled away and whispered breathlessly, "Marry me." More of a statement than a question.
Eleanor's eyes grew and her jaw dropped slightly. "Are you serious?"
"Extremely." Eleanor stared up at him for a moment, speechless. "Unless you don't.."
"No, no, no. Of course, I do." Buck smiled and kissed her again.
"I can do a way better proposal, I swear. I just couldn't wait any longer to ask you. There have so many moments where I wanted to but it didn't seem right. I was gonna take Christopher with me today to pick out a ring but.."
"Maybe you can take him tomorrow."
"I doubt Eddie is ever gonna let me watch him again."
"I'm sure he will." Eleanor had talked to Eddie after everything settled down and he knew Christopher was okay. Even without talking to him though, Eleanor knew he didn't blame Buck for what happened.
Eleanor and Buck finished up in the shower. Buck got out first and went to get dressed then order food. Eleanor wore a permanent smile as she walked to the closet and skimmed through for some pajamas. Strong arms wrapped around her waist from behind. She tilted her head to the side as Buck trailed soft kisses from her shoulder to her ear. Buck's hands wandered as he continued kissing his soft trail.
"Don't you have to go get the food?" Eleanor giggled as his breath tickled her skin.
"Nope, delivery. And we've got half an hour," Buck smiled seductively. Eleanor turned so that she was facing him and let her towel drop at her feet. Buck wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. Then the front door opened and a familiar voice spoke. Buck quickly pushed Eleanor behind him, making sure she was covered.
"Ohh.. I am so sorry. Ew, I didn't mean to interrupt."
"Maddie, it's two in the morning. And does anyone knock?"
"I know, I know. I'm sorry, I just wanted to check on you. I know you had a long day and I just couldn't wait any longer to hear from you. I tried calling and texting."
Eleanor peered over Buck's shoulder to if it was safe to move yet. Maddie got the hint, turned, and closed her eyes so that Eleanor could move to the other side of the room and get dressed. Buck threw Eleanor an apologetic look over his shoulder before heading downstairs to talk to Maddie. Eleanor quickly walked to the closet and threw on one of Buck's shirts and a pair of shorts before joining them in the kitchen.
"I'm sorry again." Maddie gave them both an apologetic look. "Chim told me to wait but my nerves were getting the best of me."
Buck and Eleanor shared a look before Eleanor went to the fridge and grabbed a few waters. She handed one to Buck and one to Maddie. Maddie smiled a thank you in response. They chatted for a few more minutes before Maddie left.
Buck and Eleanor retreated into the living room. Eleanor sat at the edge of the couch and Buck curled up next to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and laid his head on her chest. Eleanor rested one arm across his back and ran her fingers through his hair with her other. Buck moaned softly as she massaged his head.