sevensoulmates

[sevensoulmates]

#I'm not a fan of non-canonical nicknames #so no ed/eds or ev #I rarely if ever even have Eddie call Buck Evan in fics #same with Bucky for Chris tho I do admit I was a perpetrator of that in fics back when I joined the fandom for the very first time #but not anymore #also no spanish terms of endearment #fuck no english terms of endearment either #I know I'm boring but for me they only call each other Buck and Eddie #no baby babe honey sweetie love nothing #but I am just a pet name hater in general so #buddie #911 abc

[sevensoulmates]

Okay hear me out. It's the way Chim actually did not have to be a part of the basketball scenes in 7x04. Chim represents a platonic person in Buck's life, someone who is not the object of Buck's affection therefore safe to ask to bring him to basketball. But...why not Eddie?

Eddie is supposedly Buck's best platonic friend. If he really only wanted to get Tommy's attention he could've gone up to Eddie and been like "hey can I come to basketball with you this Thursday?" And Eddie would've been confused true, but Buck could've made up an excuse and Eddie would've believed him. Then, during the actual basketball game instead of having Buck be all up on Eddie, have Eddie be in Chim's place being confused as to why Buck is all aggressively up on TOMMY. Then, as a medic, he could've taken Chim's place to take care of Tommy. Then at the end when Buck apologizes and realizes he's attracted to Tommy, it could've been akin to a boy "pulling a girls pigtails" going too far.

The fact that the episode PURPOSELY wants its audience to be confused as to whether Buck wants Tommy or Eddie is FUCKING MASSIVE. The fact that the implication is so blatantly and explicitly there that Eddie COULD be the object of Buck's affection, but oh also maybe it could be Tommy???? Or not?? Or maybe Eddie?? Or maybe it's Tommy?? Like they didn't NEED to imply ANYTHING about Eddie. It could've totally been framed solely around Tommy.

The fact that the show put the thought explicitly in the audiences head that the person Buck wants romantically COULD be Eddie...means it's already true on some level. It's massive foreshadowing, and a huge indicator of Eddie being Buck's endgame and a large part of why this episode already made them canon to me.

#911 abc #911 meta #buddie #buddie meta #911 analysis #speculation #7x04 buck bothered and bewildered

[sevensoulmates]

It's interesting to me how Christopher was so present in Buck's journey to his queer awakening, despite not appearing in the episode at all. Buck, Bothered & Bewildered was told exclusively from Buck's POV, and Christopher was everywhere. Even though we didn't see him once.

Eddie needing a babysitter so he could hang out with Tommy. Chris spending time with Tommy. Chris telling Buck how cool Tommy is. Tommy — basically still a stranger — reassuring Buck of his singular place Christopher's life.

And season 7 started with Buck and Chris in a very pointed, decidedly parental way. Interesting how they're weaving this all together.

#the Christopher of it all was one of the most fascinating parts of the episode #because if the goal was to make the episode 100% about buck and his feelings for Tommy there was no need to bring in Chris #eddie being present still makes sense because he provides a 'rival' #but Christopher? #Christopher is Buck's son and they have a beautiful relationship separate from eddie #but Christopher is inherently a part of Eddie and can never truly be disconnected from him #so even though I do truly believe that Buck did have some romantic feelings/attraction for tommy #if nothing else proved the bulk of this episode was about eddie bringing in the Christopher aspect did at least for me #ESPECIALLY if you remember that Christopher has long since been established as a central metaphor for Eddie's heart #AND also used a distancer by Eddie #'do you know much Chris misses you?' 'Chris loves you' 'Chris needs you' etc #so Buck specifically worrying that Tommy has stolen Christopher (Eddie's heart) and then the reassurance by Tommy that Chris(Eddie's heart) #would not stop talking about Buck and that Chris (Eddie's heart) would DEFINITELY have something to say if Tommy tried to replace Buck #the fact that Christopher isnt even physically present makes his presence feel all the more pointed #anyway I love and adore this episode #911 abc #buddie #buddifer #Buck & Christopher

[sevensoulmates]

It’s Not a Plot Hole, It’s Foreshadowing

vs.

It’s Not a Plot Hole, It’s Just Something That They Opted Not to Spoon-feed You Because It Would Be Obvious If You Thought About It For 20 Seconds

vs.

It May Be a Plot Hole, But It Still Works In Terms of the Story’s Themes and Character Logic

vs.

Okay, It Is a Plot Hole, What Are You Going to Do, Cry about It?

#a daily struggle to remind people of this

[sevensoulmates]

i think i’m dying. you’re always dying.

eddie diaz as the martyrdom of saint sebastian

#oh??? this is so interesting #idk who st. sebastian is but the street saying hes a gay saint??? here for it #this is why I keep coming back to this fandom #for interesting shit like this #911 abc #eddie diaz

[sevensoulmates]

evan 'buck' buckley with his diaz boys through the years "I'm the guy that always wants to fix everything."

+ when are we going to pick up this loose thread?

#the dad who stepped up and the dad who stepped in #love these pair of fathers #911 abc #buddie

[sevensoulmates]

#considering I end up taking the day's after 911 off anyway #and buddie hasn't happened yet #when it does I'm gonna need at least 2 business days off #one just to process #and the next to process and write #911 abc #buddie

[sevensoulmates]

eddie allowing QUEER PEOPLE to REMOVE his COSTUME

#OHHHHHHHHHHH #the fucking SYMBOLISM #OH my GOD #911 abc #eddie diaz

[sevensoulmates]

eddie sweetie we will get you out of the closet i promise

#OH??? #they partying with drag queens??? #mayhaps they're crashing an LGBT party of some sort??????? #I'm fucking HERE for it #911 abc #buddie #eddie said fuck out my way when you see me I'm running with the LGBT

[sevensoulmates]

If you smoke and eat 7 bars of chocolate, who are you suggesting should be a bigger artist?

#muna #ethel cain #the midnight #sleep token #dayseeker #troye sivan should be selling out stadiums #and dare I say it....BTS is already big but they deserve to be bigger #sorry not sorry

[sevensoulmates]

#my name has been misspelled/ mispronounced every day for majority of my life so at this point i am used to it and simply do not care anymore #every now and then I laugh at certain renditions and add it to my repertoire

[sevensoulmates]

today’s ao3 experience

#oh good lord #tea #and if I said anything below 25k words inherently cannot be considered slow burn what then #*dodges tomatoes* #even then I'm side-eyeing #slow burn isnt quality slow burn unless its 50k #or more

[sevensoulmates]

Fighting has been an important narrative vehicle for Eddie’s character over the years. It’s always about his deep emotional life, Big Feelings, and the stuff he won’t or can’t even look at, consciously approach and/or deal with out loud. Eddie’s cage fighting arc in season 3 was all about him wrestling with grief and feelings of inadequacy as a husband and father. That arc was also wrapped up in Eddie’s feelings of abandonment brought on by Buck’s lawsuit against the LAFD.

The OG Kitchen Scene in 309 was monumental for so many reasons. Eddie and Buck had a vulnerable and intimate conversation about everything that happened and they repaired the rift caused by Buck leaving Eddie (and Chris) in their time of need. But the wild part that we ALL talk about TO THIS DAY was the sexually charged ‘wanna go for the title’ flirtation that Buck (King!) delivered right to Eddie’s face. The belt buckle grab. Eddie’s smirk and later averted gaze. The phallic beer bottles. All of it. My Beloved.

Now in season 7 we have a (healthier and more emotionally available/mature) return to that same internal fight symbolism via Eddie’s 704 Vegas Unification Fight trip with Tommy and his Muay Thai sparring with Tommy. I wrote a meta about some of this last week.

Before Eddie can go for the title with Buck, he’s got to win his fight/sparring matches with Tommy. Right now he and Tommy are going ‘toe to toe’ as Eddie said in 704. It’s a draw between them at the moment. But Eddie has to actually win the symbolic match/fight by taking Tommy’s title aka unequivocally claim his own queer identity and then go get his man.

Eddie is clicking with Tommy and jet-setting to Vegas with Tommy, playing sports with Tommy and sparring with Tommy because, in terms of Eddie’s character arc, Tommy has something Eddie needs! It’s the queer identity piece. It’s gotta be. The show has already established that they’re basically the same person, with the main noticeable difference being that Tommy is an out gay man who knows that part of himself well. Eddie doesn’t fully know the shape and nuance of his own queerness yet. But he will. And when he sorts it out for himself. He’ll be able to return to Buck’s dimly lit (romantic af) kitchen and ‘go for the title’.

Bonus Point #1 - Buck didn’t really know his own queerness either until Tommy kissed him in 704. Buck did in fact ‘go for the title’ but with Tommy four seasons later instead of with the love of his life Eddie. It’ll happen though. It’s been foretold!

Bonus Point #2 - The Kitchen as a setting in 911 is so damn perfect and unhinged. Buck’s kitchen is where the ‘go for the title’ challenge was originally issued and where romantic/flirtatious encounters happened. Eddie’s kitchen is mostly where messes are made. (Honestly I’m just thinking about the Ana break up here.) I think Buddie will eventually find themselves in Buck’s kitchen again, both fully ready for what they mean/are to each other and what they can be together. They will get their kiss. Their unification bout. I also think we’ll finally come full circle with the mess in Eddie’s kitchen and Buddie will clean it up together…as a newly minted couple.

Yeah. Underlying sexual tension is the definition of Buddie at this point. It’s only gotten louder and more textual via Tommy’s introduction. The fight (especially for Eddie) continues. The Buddie tension won’t be ‘underlying’ forever tho. Just. Let ‘em cook. For now.

#eddie and his literal and metaphorical fighting #fighting his demons physically when he can't fight them internally #the way he's grown over the years and the fighting metaphor has shifted along with it #and not even mentioning how physical fighting is a way to get closer physically to men but still maintain a hetero excuse #a way to excuse male-male touch without having to dig too deep on why he craves the touch even if its painful and results in getting hurt #and then to see the metaphor gets resolved once eddie gives up the fight and allows himself to touch a man gently with love and desire #gooOOOOODDDDDDDuh #911 abc #buddie #eddie diaz

[sevensoulmates]

another thing re: nobody else is doing it like eddie. in a lot of ways buck's response to eddie in 2x01 is a warped, backwards version of the way buck always responds to people he finds cool and competent and skilled and charming. it's only because eddie stepped onto buck's territory that he postured; in another world, buck would have been all over eddie from the get-go. as it stands in 2x01 he's needling eddie over his war stories, he's watching eddie's Super Cool Workout, he's craning his head to see just how attractive eddie can be. 2x01 is buck's hero worship of eddie, just the ugly version.

to be honest, i don't think buck ever stopped seeing eddie like that. i mean, even in 7x04 he's gushing to tommy about him. the difference is that eddie's the first person buck has admired like that who's actually genuinely respected him as a fully-formed adult capable of making his own choices, not just some stupid, reckless tantrum-throwing kid who needed to be scolded. bobby tells buck he doesn't have to get in the ambulance. eddie just tells buck he'll see him in there. eddie's a stupid-hot competent skilled charming war hero who's inviting buck to stand with him and trusting buck and buck has literally never had that.

and then eddie! never! stops! buck thinks eddie's the best thing since sliced bread, his best friend. and eddie just... accepts all his love and gives it right back. eddie is never condescending or patronizing or paternalistic and he doesn't see buck as a nuisance. not only is eddie super cool and capable, he treats buck like he's capable too (not super cool)! so buck has spent the last six years like, being obsessed with this guy, and it's not the first time he's been obsessed with a shiny new someone, but eddie is... literally obsessed with him back. that's SPECIAL.

#*banging my fists on the table**smashing my head through a wall* #eddie offered buck mutual respect mutual obsession and most of all mutual trust #exhibit 12 million on why they're the best partner for each other #buddie #911 abc

[sevensoulmates]

buck + eddie | the man who can't be moved

#JEEsus Christ #fantastic edit #fuck me #911 abc #buddie

[sevensoulmates]

I’ve noticed a lot of people talking about this, including you, and I just had to ask about it because I’m feeling a bit confused. Buddie has been very physically distance ever since eddie got shot, is this a positive thing or?

Well, first of all, "positive" is entirely subjective and up to you. Only you can decide if you like something or not.

Now, if by "positive," you mean indicative of Buck and Eddie's love story? My opinion is yes.

"5 feet apart so it's not gay" is a meme in the world for a reason. It's an old, homophobic, hack trope in film and tv to intentionally use homoerotic tension between two attractive men in the subtext. "Sexual" tension that they have zero intention of actually resolving romantically — everyone understands that it would be absurd, a joke even, to consider actually allowing a romantic connection between these hot guys.

Alongside the sly allusions and homoerotic tension, a requirement is physical distance. So everyone can be crystal clear this is NOT gay. The only time they are allowed physical proximity is if they are fighting — literally enacting violence against each other. There are too many examples of this in the media to even begin to name. It's everywhere.

With Buck and Eddie, 911 ignored this playbook from the beginning, which is delightful.

From Eddie's first episode — literally the very first one — Buck and Eddie established an instant physical connection that we have not seen either of them show with anyone else. The "Personal Space? I Don't Know Her" meme launched episode one. I mean, hello?!?

@milenadaniels catalogues the delightful absurdity of Buck and Eddie's first episode here.

But then, oh then, things got really interesting. Because Buck and Eddie's story became a love story. We as a fandom simply do not have a blueprint for this, and it can be really confusing!

So, the "5 feet apart because it's not gay" cynicism actually doesn't have a place with Buck and Eddie at all. In fact, it's entirely flipped on its head, where physical distance is intentionally used to frame their deepening emotional connection and the progress of their love story. Because even while they continue to casually ignore personal space on the job, Buck and Eddie's most emotionally charged scenes frame their bodies with a pointed physical space between them:

And their most sexually charged scene started at a distinct physical distance:

...a physical distance that Buck very pointedly, almost but not quite, took steps to close:

So, my take on all this is that the first few phases of their love story were about their deepening emotional connection and emotional intimacy, including the intimacy of their family unit with Christopher.

But the last, terrifying, life-altering horizon is their physical connection and sexual intimacy. So their notable physical distance during emotionally charged scenes — which really ramped up in S4 and continues into S5 — is an indicator of their struggle with this last horizon: their romantic connection. Maybe ironically, the witholding of physical intimacy just further emphasizes the love story.

It's not lost on me that these two men who have not hesitated to be quite tactile with each other since they met — who are each other's person, who provide comfort to each other again and again — have not hugged on screen in almost two years. Because when they hug next? The sheer intimacy, the intensity of the romantic charge will be unmistakable. They are ratcheting up the tension, building towards something. And for what it's worth, I'm convinced it's coming soon.

#the absence is a presence #we knew but maybe we didn't know exactly how literal #they said you won't let us do this? we will make the absence of the acknowledgement of this romance #so palpable and pointed that it will exist as negative space #and it continues. it was so loud in in another life #prev YESSS #Eddie's pointed physical absence in In Another Life was SO POINTED #I love this kind of meta #911 abc #buddie

[sevensoulmates]

something about how the word rushed is suddenly used now that the finish line is finally hopefully in sight and sure maybe it stems from this unsettling feeling of what happens once i get what i want and a slight fear of missing the chase or worrying about it reaching a stalemate but there's also something about how you can tell a lovestory from beginning to end in just over three minutes or less than a hundred words without it feeling rushed or contrived or people pleasing and something about how this particular story is a story that's been told over the course of six seasons where circumstances and outer forces and not right now have continously been added and added and added until it felt like it was a completely different story all together but it was still there underneath it all like a small seed pressed into earth just waiting for the right moment to arrive so it could grow and unfurl and turn into this beautiful colourful thing it was always destined to be and somehow i don't think any part of that story feels rushed at all

#I mean I think it's like. You don't want them to rush the way that things play out once they pull the trigger #(which I fully believe they have pulled the trigger) #but yeah like imagine if after buck told eddie he broke up with natalia eddie had just been like #oh let me text marisol it's over real quick and then let's kiss because I love you #I think we can agree that would've felt rushed #so not rushed as in 'they're not there yet the feelings need to be More' #but rushed as in 'I want this final stretch of this loooong well-built and delayed arc to unfold properly at the right pace #and hit all the proper beats and honor this part of the story' if that makes sense? #exactly prev you absolutely get it! #there is trepidation and a fear of what happens next but at the same time I think most of us just want this final arc #to be well paced with explicit build up that's not just crumbs but legitimate beats with no plausible deniability #just like any other romance gets #well said everyone #911 abc #buddie