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The Christmas season was in full swing and Eddie was at the most dreaded place of all; The Mall. The swarming crowds like wasps, the parking lots that resembled the shitty mobile game ads on his cell, interminable Christmas music pumped through the air and the near constant threat of giant bouquets of poinsettias just falling and crushing you from out of nowhere all made for a hectic and nerve wracking experience. He was just glad he had Hen along with him.
They’d decided to brave the last minute shopping rush together because they both had kids and a day off. He’s considered asking Buck to come along, but he figured he didn’t need to subject Buck to this. No, this was the punishment for both having a child and not doing your Christmas shopping early and he knew it.
“So, how much you have left?” Eddie turned to Hen who was tapping at her phone, squinting to read a list.
Hen looked up, eyes blinking for a moment before they refocused on Eddie with a soft smile. “I think...” she paused, double checking before raising her fist in triumph, “I’m finished.”
Eddie’s face fell. “No! You can’t be done yet Hen, that means I’m left alone to go to...” Eddie stops, thinks for a moment, “the Lego store and Build a Bear by myself?”
A smirk crosses her face and she pats Eddie on the shoulder. “Listen, Karen did most of our shopping, she just left me the worst of it. And the only thing left on Denny’s list is that crazy new action figure everyone is going nuts for.”
A stream of curses fell from Eddie’s lips, half Spanish, half English, none that intelligible as he nearly dropped his bag from swinging his arm. “I can’t believe it, Chris wants that too and it’s been old out everywhere. Are you giving up on it?”
A mournful nod. “Listen, there’s exactly one store supposed to be getting a new shipment in today and frankly, Denny is young enough to believe Santa just forgot it which means I don’t have to deal with that.” Hen raises a finger towards a store across the way. There’s a fountain and a giant Christmas tree between their position and the other storefront, but it’s still clearly visible that people are having actual fistfights over a toy at the store, workers who are surely not making enough to deal with this tomfoolery are scurrying about trying to calm the customers or at least get mall security on the phone.
Eddie shudders at the mere thought of trying to brave that, he’s been to war zones and he doesn’t want to enter another, even if its only over an action figure inside a store decorated in rainbows, unicorns and toy trucks.
“Yeah, I’ve got Chris quite a lot of things already. And frankly he’s happy with just about anything as long as Buck’s there, which he promised he would be.” The new topic makes Hen’s smirk grow wider and she tilts her head down, peering at him above her glasses. “What?”
“Nothing. Just wondering when the joint Diaz-Buckley Christmas is going to become just the Diaz Christmas.”
“Hen, stop, Buck… He’s a great guy, and yeah he loves my kid which is about he best thing I could ask for in a partner-”
“And you have the hots for him...”
“Anyway, yes Buck is… Buck means a lot to me, but that’s not all there is to this kind of thing. Besides, I don’t want to push anything when he’s as important to both of us as he is. Losing Buck would destroy Chris and he can’t have that happen again, not after Shannon. So I’ll just suck it up and ignore any more than friendly feelings I might have towards Buck.”
“You two really are stupid and masochistic.” Hen shakes her head, seeing a text from Karen and smiling in a way that makes Eddie’s heart hurt. “Well, my other half is calling me to get home. So I think you’re going to have to finish this yourself, unless you want to call in your better half that is.”
Eddie scoffs. “As if Buck is the better half of us.”
“You said ‘us,’ not me.” Hen laughs as Eddie sputters, trying to backtrack all while she’s already bustling down the corridor. “See you later lover boy!”
Eddie rolls his eyes, they trail back over to the toy store when he hears a triumphant shout come from that direction. He can’t really see what’s happening beyond the mall rent a cops finally arriving on the scene. There seems to be some people gathered near the front and part of him thinks maybe he should go check that no one got injured, but another part says Hen had no problem leaving and she’s the real medic, and he still has shit to do anyway.
In the end he decides to take his chances finishing the rest of his stops, finding a simple Lego set for Chris at the Lego store and a firefighter outfit at Build a Bear that Chris’ favorite plush will surely appreciate.
15 minutes earlier.
“Alright Buckley, you can do this. Come on, get hype, get ready, you got this. YOU GOT THIS!” Buck shouts, slapping his face, nearly smearing the eye black he’d spread beneath his eyes. There’s a yell to quiet down from someone in the stall behind him and Buck laughs, turning back to the large bathroom mirror and giving himself one last mental pep talk before heading out into the mall.
At their Santa visit Buck had overheard the gist of what Chris wanted and knew there was one thing Eddie definitely hadn’t gotten, mostly just because almost no one was able to. The new toy was all the rage, which meant it was overpriced, hard to get and would likely be forgotten about as soon as the Christmas craze bottomed out, but for the moment every kid was just waiting for Christmas morning to find it under the tree. And Buck was not going to entertain the idea that Chris might be even remotely disappointed on Christmas. He loved that kid, and sure, he might also love that kid’s dad way more than a best friend should but it was really all about Christopher right now.
He’d called around on every off hour, every spare moment between shifts, searching high and low for this toy. Chris had made them watch Jingle All The Way last week and frankly Buck felt like he was on the verge of going all Arnold on somebody if he didn’t find this thing. It was practically the holy grail at this point and Buck was the last Templar riding into battle.
Ride of the Valkyries may not have actually been playing, it was probably some overplayed Christmas song, but in Buck’s mind that’s what he heard as he marched towards the toy store that was supposed to be getting a shipment in. They didn’t allow lining up, and not everyone knew it was coming in, but the moment Buck walked in he noticed how few children were in the store in comparison to how many shifty looking adults stood clutching some random toy, eyes darting around the store.
This was going to be a bloodbath. It was a good thing he came prepared.
He kept his eyes sharp, he’d been in the store a few times to map it out, find the best escape route, the quickest path to the register that had no blind spots where he might get ambushed by some terrified step father trying to get his kid to call him dad for once or a frazzled mom of 4 that was about to go feral.
Buck wove through the store, grabbing some random action figure and clutching it gently, not wanting to damage the merchandise, but needing to feign interest for a few more minutes at least. His gaze settled on a lanky teenager that was glancing at the clock and then to the back room door.
Mission status: Target Acquired.
The kid never got out of Buck’s line of sight, tailing him as he fussed with some toys and tried to halfheartedly reshelve a row of dolls that was going to be a mess in a few minutes anyway. Buck took the moment he had to pull a large toy into the middle of an aisle he’d seen a few people close to, figuring even a minor inconvenience could buy him the precious few seconds he needed to extract the payload and get what he needed.
As if on cue the worker slipped into the back and Buck heard the squeaks, thuds and clacks of shoes on the reflective tile floor as they made their way like animals to a watering hole. Or more accurately, like buzzards to a carcass. The poor guy was barely out of the room before the idiots descended upon him.
Luckily Buck had figured this was going to happen, he knew there were two toys being put out. He was waiting for the first worker to head back, because he figured they’d bring the lest popular one out first. Sure enough he let his eyes search out another worker that was coming from the front with a cart with boxes they’d been hiding under the counter. Slowly he started to amble sideways, before another dad caught his eye, gazes locked on one another, turning to the cart in unison before returning.
Then Buck was off, dashing across the store, hurdling an entire bike in one go. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the guy stumble over a rubber chicken that made a godawful noise that alerted the frenzied and now near murderous parents that had just realized their boxes did not have what they were looking for that the real hunt was on. The stampede followed them like bulls in Barcelona and Buck slid on his knees past the cart, grabbing one of the toys off the top and dove behind a rack of board games to wait out the storm.
At the first opening he darted out, doing a roll to get into a runner’s positions before sprinting to the checkout. His route was perfect, he just didn’t expect one of the guy’s standing in the aisle was biding his time and right as Buck got near him he spun on his heels and tackled him like his legs were on hydraulics. The toy went soaring straight up into the air and thankfully Buck’s superior size and physical training had him taking the hit in stride and recovering just in time to catch the toy without any serious damage to him or it. “Yes!” He shouted, the victorious battle cry reverberating through the shelves.
Turning to the man he gave him a nod. “Nice try, but I got a kid waiting for this at home.” Buck didn’t stop to consider he’d pretty much just said Chris was his kid and that the Diaz household was where he felt at home, he was too busy dashing towards the checkout line.
Skidding to a stop he got his wallet out and slid his card just in time to hear a crash as the others began to openly brawl on the other side of the store that opened out towards the mall. He had to smirk, shaking his head at the outrageousness going on behind him. Taking his bag he walked off smiling, paying no heed to the chaos erupting behind him as the mall security arrived to arrest some people who were definitely going on the naughty list.
Eddie had invited Buck over for Noche Buena, or at least the part he was spending with just him and Chris after leaving his Abuela’s house. They were watching a movie while competing to see who could build the gingerbread house when Eddie leaned over to Buck.
“Not that I’m not proud but how is he beating us?” Eddie asked in a hushed tone.
Buck raised his eyebrows from where he was intensely concentrating on getting his roof not to slide off for the third time, tongue hanging out. “He’s been good at this, didn’t you see the ones we did last year?”
Eddie remembered it fondly, the little play-date with Denny and how sweet Buck looked with Chris. How Eddie knew now that must have been the same day Buck got the idea for the party after seeing how heartbroken Chris was not to have either his dad or his Buck to spend Christmas with.
“Yeah, but I guess, I don’t know I figured you had helped when I wasn’t looking.”
Buck made a dismissive noise and huffed. “He doesn’t need my help. Superman has got this, right bud!”
He leaned to give Chris a high five, except Chris had a tube of frosting in his hand and when their hands collided it squirted all over Buck’s Christmas sweater.
“Shi-take mushrooms,” Buck quickly corrected, staring at his shirt and pouting. His eyes turned to Eddie and the man had to catch his breath because of how beautiful Buck looked up close, even when feigning being distraught. “I was doing so well I hadn’t gotten any on me and then this little rascally elf makes me look like a Jackson Pollack.”
“Who?” Chris asked, giggling as he watched Buck.
“A painter that couldn’t hold a candle to your impromptu frosting masterpiece bud.” Buck smiled before standing and looking towards the hallway. “Can I go put this in the wash and maybe, uh, borrow something to wear in the meantime?”
Eddie nodded, standing up and sitting his own frosting down carefully so as not to cause any more mess. “Yeah let’s go, you alright to finish up in here Chris?”
Without looking up Chris just said “I’ll be in here making the best gingerbread house don’t mind me.”
Eddie and Buck both burst out laughing at that, taking turns ruffling the boy’s hair as they headed out of the living room. When they got near the laundry Buck pulled the sweater over his head and it got stuck for a moment. Eddie’s eyes were so full of Buck, lingering gaze drinking in every patch of skin and ink that it took him a moment to realize Buck was speaking.
“Eddie please help me before this eats my face! I’m gonna get frosting in my eye!”
“Shit, yeah sorry,” Eddie said, grabbing the offending shirt and yanking it off before tossing it in the wash. He dutifully cast his gaze elsewhere, fiddling with the controls of the washing machine to give himself something to do.
“Get lost for a minute there?” Buck asked, and there was a playful, almost teasing smirk on his lips.
Eddie rolled his eyes, trying not to think about Buck being half naked in his laundry room. “Just wondering what I have that’s going to fit those wide ass Dorito shoulders.”
Buck makes an affronted squawking sound before laughing. “You know what I’m going to take that because it reminds me of Captain America who is also Dorito shaped and very easy on the eyes.”
Buck and Eddie seem to notice what he’s said at the same moment, but when Eddie expects Buck to take it back or tack on something to explain he just chuckles, blushing a bit and glancing back at Eddie from beneath his lashes.
“So, shirt?”
“Right,” Eddie says, because its all he can get out as he thinks about Buck dressed as Captain America and this is so not the time for that mental image. He’ll wrap it up and save it for later when he can tear the packaging off and enjoy that mental present.
They head to his bedroom, the sounds of Christmas music and Christopher laughing drifting down the hallway. He rummages through his closet looking for something for Buck to wear and finds a Christmas Sweater his mother sent him years ago that he hasn’t worn in forever, but is stretched out enough to probably fit Buck well enough. It’s a festive green and only after he’s tossed it to Buck does he realize it says Diaz across the front on a sash around the Christmas tree on the front.
Quick hands catch it and pull it over his head fast, almost too fast Eddie thinks already missing the planes of Buck’s abs before he can suppress the thought. Of course then Eddie’s confronted with an even more dizzying sight, that of Buck in his sweater, with the Diaz named spelled out on his chest like a brand, a mark of ownership he wishes he could give.
He must be staring because Buck looks down at the sweater and notices the words before flushing. “Is this a loan? Or can I keep it?”
“The sweater?” Eddie asks, not sure why he even does because surely Buck can’t mean…
“That too.”
The way Buck says it leaves no room for misinterpretation. They’re usually on the same wavelength, easy to figure out what the other is thinking and this is just another of those times. Eddie meets his eyes and then drops them to Buck’s lips, sees Buck do the same because he takes longer to drag his eyes back up.
“Thank fucking God this is mutual I literally thought I was going to die if I kept up this best bros thing any longer.” Buck breaks the silence, barging headfirst into things as usual and Eddie can’t do anything but grip his sweater, fingers curling over his name and dragging Buck into a kiss.
It’s soft and warm, Buck tasting of frosting and gumdrops, all Christmas innocence except for the sinful way Buck’s tongue coils around his own and massages it until Eddie moans. Their hands are just starting to gain enough confidence to explore when Christopher shouts that he’s finished from the living room and they jump apart.
“Later?” Eddie asks, more uncertain than usual, his voice husky even from just the one impassioned kiss.
“Later.” Buck cups his cheek and gives him one slow, lingering kiss, soft and gentle like the first snow of the year, before pulling back and heading back.
He can hear Chris squeal in delight, probably from seeing Buck in the Diaz sweater and Eddie just shakes his head. No matter what happens now, this was the best present he could have gotten, just spending the night with his boys. And now he knew there was hope, hope that maybe one day he could give Buck the gift that sweater had put in his head and that he’d accept.
The rest of the night went as normal, except now when Eddie shot glances at Buck he didn’t have to hide it, and he noticed Buck doing the same. The got Chris to bed, and Buck helped put out the gifts, artfully arranging them and stealing one of the cookies to eat. Eddie kisses him again in front of the tree, with only the lights from it illuminating the house.
They trailed back towards Eddie’s bedroom, Eddie quietly whispering, “just sleep, tonight,” as they made there way into the room.
Buck smiled, squeezing his hand a bit tighter. “I know. Buck 2.0 remember, I can keep it in my pants.” Eddie chuckles. “Even if I really wanna get in yours Eddie.”
Eddie groans at that, smacking Buck’s arm and kissing him again. They get lost in it for a moment and before he knows it they’re shirtless and making out on the bed dry humping like teenagers. “You were saying?”
“No fair when you kissed me.”
“Well you were being too cute.”
“You think its cute when I’m horny?”
Eddie pushes Buck’s face away, laughing as he disentangles himself and heads for the bathroom. He pokes his head back out. “Yes, I do.”
“Knew it!” Buck crows proudly, following Eddie and getting ready for bed.
After that they manage to keep their hands to themselves, changing into matching sleep pants and trying to suppress their laughter when they notice. Eddie watches Buck fall asleep, afraid to touch him because he knows he won’t want to stop, but also because he likes this moment as it is, peaceful, intimate, new. When he goes to bed that night it’s the first time in years that he’s excited to see the face staring back at him when he wakes up.
The next morning arrives not with the perfect rays of sun slowly tugging them towards consciousness or soft morning cuddles, but an almost unholy shriek of joy from Christopher that has them both bolting upright in bed fore being smothered by a flailing, screaming child. Eddie blinks awake, turning to give Buck a grin that says “welcome to fatherhood” before grabbing his son and maneuvering him between the two of them to lay.
“Morning mijo.”
“Merry Christmas Dad, Merry Christmas Bucky!” Chris excitedly swings his head between them, full of youthful exuberance and practically vibrating with glee and Christmas cheer.
“Merry Christmas superman,” Buck says, his voice deeper in the mornings and he notes with a raised eyebrow the way Eddie’s eyes go dark as he hears it. Wonders if Eddie’s imagining just how else he could get his voice to sound that rough. But then Chris is rocking on the bed, excitedly talking about Santa and Christmas trees and presents and all his lascivious thoughts are drowned out by a more wholesome kind of excitement.
“Come on dad let’s go!!!” Chris says and they relent, getting up out of bed, Eddie carrying Chris out to the living room and setting him down in front of the presents. He’d gotten to open one last night for Noche Buena but they’d saved the rest for today and Chris was almost foaming at the mouth to dive into the pile that had grown suspiciously after he’d went to bed, both from “Santa” and Eddie and Buck adding a few more.
“We might have overdone it...” Eddie says from his place next to Buck on the couch, their bare arms brushing against one another, his pinky slowly working it’s way to link with Buck’s and making the younger man’s heart palpitate.
“Nah, he won’t get spoiled, he’s too good. Besides, he deserves it.” Buck’s careful with his words, but there’s nothing but genuine affection behind his voice, his eyes meeting Eddie’s and sharing a soft smile.
Now that there’s something between him and Eddie, however undefined and unexplored it might be yet, he feels more confident in everything, doesn’t feel as bad about the way he already thinks of Chris as his kid. He loves that boy, and he loves Eddie, and he hopes he can be a part of their family forever. They watch Chris open presents, Eddie eventually going and making them some hot cocoa and grabbing their sweaters from last night to put on before coming back to see the last few presents.
Chris has enjoyed everything he’s gotten, running over to say thank you to his dad and Buck whenever he opened one explicitly from them, but when he gets to the last present, that happens to be from Buck, everything seems to go quiet.
Buck’s been waiting for this, shooting glances at Eddie and Chris watching for when this one would show up and it’s finally happening. He watches Chris tear open the wrapping paper, a wintry firetruck scene he’d special ordered online to wrap Chris’ presents in, and the way Chris’ eyes go wide first in shock and surprise, then he starts actually crying with joy and yelling makes Buck’s heart nearly beat out of his chest with affection.
“Yesssss! Bucky you found it!!! Thank you, thankyouthankyouthankyou!” The words come spilling out of the little boy’s mouth, slurring together as he runs and hugs Buck’s knee who lifts him into his lap.
“Wanna show your dad what you got?” He asks, turning to Eddie who seems just as shocked.
“It’s the toy I wanted! I was a little worried Santa didn’t hear, me, but then I thought I already got my biggest wish so maybe that took up all my Christmas Wishes but then Bucky got it for me!” Chris hands the toy to Eddie, smile a dazzlingly bright star and Eddie coughs.
“How did you?” Eddie asks, eyes turned towards Buck. He knew exactly how hard this was to get, Buck was certain of that.
Buck just smiled, shrugging his shoulders. “I wasn’t going to let his Christmas wish go unfulfilled was I?”
Chris hugs Buck and cuddles him for a moment, whispering “I love you papa Buck...” Before crawling back down onto the floor to open his toy and play with it.
“P-papa Buck?” Buck repeats, his lip wobbling and eyes getting a bit misty as he stares between Chris and a dumbfounded Eddie.
Chris looks up, curious expression on his face as he tilts his head. “Is that okay? I just thought… Since Santa made my other wish come true that it was okay if I called you that.” He looks so sincere, almost a bit scared or shy that Buck wants to just drag him into his arms and never let go. Never let either of them go.
“What wish Mijo?” Eddie asks, thankfully since Buck’s kind of speechless right now.
A smile brightens Christopher’s face. “For you and Bucky to finally be together, so we can be a family for real! And Santa came through, I knew he would! You are together right?”
Eddie and Buck look between each other, to where their hands are, unbeknownst to even them, clasped together on the seat of the couch between them, to the shirt that proudly says Diaz on it that Buck’s wearing, to the way they both flush at Chris calling them a family, talking about them being together and having even wished for it. And in that moment everything seems to finally click into place, the last piece of assurance they needed.
“Yes mijo, we are. We’re a family.” Eddie says the words with confidence, smiling before leaning in and kissing Buck softly.
Buck feels like he wants to cry, from joy or from the sheer overwhelming roil of emotions he isn’t sure, but instead he just kisses back, fingers cupping Eddie’s cheek and drinking him in. He hears Chris make a noise of playful disgust and he kisses Eddie one more time before sticking out his tongue.
“You wished for this buddy, now you gotta deal with Papa Buck and Daddy kissing sometimes.”
Chris laughs, scrambling up to sit between them, hugging them both. “I can deal with that if it means I get to have both of you, forever.”
Eddie and Buck look to Chris, then over his head at each other, both mouthing “forever” to one another before having their first of many family hugs.