#which is kind of insane for a stream of conciousness post

[anxiousalienwriter]

I just had this thought as I'm writing that like what if Bobby taught Buck how to make like authentic Philly cheesesteaks? Because yeah, his time in Pennsylvania wasn't the best, his home didn't actually feel like a home. But Maddie did. And sure those drives from Hershey to Philly were long, but they were also some of the greatest drives of his life. It's what made him fall in love with driving. Talking to his sister, singing along to the radio with her. Having the open road in front of them and getting to think they were running away together, starting anew. They couldn't go all the time but that's what made it special. Walking around historic Philly, getting authentic cheesesteaks, and getting to see the bigger world, even if it was still just Pennsylvania. The drives home weren't as great. He kept knowing exactly where they were going, even though he tried to forget it. Focus on the warmth of now rather than the cold that awaited him. But every time his mood would dip too low, right around the halfway point. They'd stop and get whoopie pies. And it was enough. To know his sister cared about him, enough to try to keep his moods up as much as she could. Coming home was hard. Being home was harder. But those trips with Maddie helped to make it bearable. Survivable.

He tells bobby about this, one quiet evening. Both of them unable to sleep, Buck reminiscing on the past as he reflects on what he's built in LA. Buck forgets about it. Moves on. But bobby doesn't. He researches. He looks up how to make an authentic philly cheesesteak. He looks up how to make authentic specifically Pennsylvanian whoopie pies (he learns about the controversy surrounding the origin and thinks Buck would be proud.) He can't know exactly what it tastes like, of course. So he consults Maddie. She taste tests for him, working with him to perfect the recipes to what she remembers. And then finally, bobby presents Buck with his authentic philly cheesesteak and Pennsylvanian whoopie pies and Buck is instantly taken back to those long car rides. To those exciting trips. To those escapes and hints at freedom.

Bobby and Buck proceed to cry and laugh and share even more stories over the food. Bobby writes down the recipes, memorizes them until he can make them by heart. He passes them down to Buck, their own little family recipe book growing. The people who give you their food give you their heart, love is stored in the kitchen, etc etc.

And then eddie makes them for dinner when he proposes to Buck. He doesn't know what to make at first. But he does know how much Buck loves Bobby's cheesesteak and pies. Eddie knows that Buck knows how to make them, but for some reason he never does. Instead, he lets himself be pleasantly surprised every time Bobby whips them up. So eddie talks to bobby and maddie since Eddie knows the story. Of course he does. And these are as much their recipes as they are Buck's. So he gets their blessing to learn and use their recipes, practices with them for weeks to get the taste just right.

For the second (or third, or fourth, or millionth) time in Buck's life, he cries over Philly cheesesteaks and whoopie pies. But this time he also gets to kiss and say yes to the love of his life.