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Buck couldn’t help but smile as he watched Christopher on Santa's lap. Anytime Buck looked at the little boy he just couldn't help but feel so lucky and overcome with happiness just for merely being in his presence, Chris just had that effect on everyone, a little ray of sunshine so bright you just couldn't help but bask in its warmth.
He turned to Eddie and asked, "What do you think he is asking for this year?"
The brunet just shrugged and smiled, "beats me, I've been trying to get it out of him for weeks but he won't budge, keeps saying that Santa will take care of it."
Buck couldn't help but let out a little chuckle, "Well we better figure it out before next week."
Eddie nodded and stood up noticing that Christopher was done and making his way toward the pair. "Speaking of next week, my Abuela wants to know if you will be joining us for dinner on Christmas Eve, I told her I wasn't sure if you were going to spend it with Maddie."
Buck nodded, "Yeah I'll check in with her, maybe I can do both."
"Dad! Buck! I was with Santa!" Christopher came up to them as fast as he could. Buck smiled as Eddie picked him up and started talking to him, mostly just to try and discover what Chris asked for. He couldn't help but look around and remember the last time they'd been here when the kind lady had complimented him on his 'adorable son' She of course hadn't known that the two firefighters weren't together then but now things were different, and Christopher had really felt like his, despite the fact that him and Eddie weren't married yet his brain supplied as he felt the weight on his left ring finger.
Eddie's voice broke him out of his thoughts "Hey Ev you coming?" Buck smiled and caught up with them. Walking with feelings of happiness and love filling him completely.
---
Christmas Eve was tomorrow and Buck could literally feel the desperation rolling off of Eddie from the passenger seat. They had tried everything to figure out what Chris wanted, they had talked to his teachers, friends, and Eddie had even resorted to bribing Chris with treats in exchange for the coveted secret, he still wouldn't tell anyone. They had taken him to different toy stores and tried to gauge his reaction with different items, and still nothing.
"Hey don't worry we still have time to figure it out before the big day, and you've already gotten Christopher tons of toys that I'm sure he's gonna love." Buck tries to reason.
"Yeah, but every year he always has one big thing that he really really wants, and I just want to make sure he gets it. I don't want him to be disappointed."
Buck gives him a sympathetic smile god I love this man. "Chris loves you he won't ever be disappointing, and we are going to do our very best to make sure he gets his big gift."
"Thanks Ev, I don't know what I'd do without you"
---
Buck heard his phone chime, no doubt that it was Eddie asking where he was, but he was on a mission. He had the drawing folded up in his pocket ever since he'd seen it under Chris's pillow earlier that day. Of course he felt bad, but it wasn't like he was actively snooping for it , he was only looking for the blanket Chris had asked for before the movie they were watching started. His jaw had hurt from grinning so wide but he couldn't help it as he saw the picture of the three of them accompanied by a little brown puppy standing on the lines of green he knew was supposed to be grass. So naturally he had spent the day looking for places that were open on Christmas Eve that had puppies up for adoption. He had pretty much given up by the time 6 rolled around and he was due at Maddie's for dinner, but by some Christmas miracle his sister had actually known someone from a shelter that had a little puppy who had been rescued from an abusive owner that Maddie had answered the call for. So he cut dinner short and drove to the address she gave him. Which led him to where he was right now which was standing in the small animal shelter waiting for the woman to bring out the only puppy that hadn't been adopted yet.
"Here he is," she carried the little brown thing in her arms, "you should know that this dog is disabled and only has three legs, if you want a different one I have a few that are going to be dropped off the day after tomorrow." Buck stopped listening the moment he saw the face of the puppy and he fell in love instantly.
"No this one is perfect," he said grabbing the dog,"Hi, what's your name?" He looked at the tag "Cinnamon, do you want to come home and be apart of our family." The lick he received seemed like a resounding yes.
---
After signing all of the paper work and paying the adoption fee's Buck dropped of the puppy with Maddie before going over to Eddie's Abuelas for dessert, albeit a little late.
He knocked on the door and was greeted by Christopher hugging him. He smiled,"hey bud sorry I'm late, dinner with aunt Maddie took a little longer than I thought."
"That's okay, we waited for you," came Eddie's voice standing in the doorway. Buck lifted Chris and smiled at Eddie, giving him a quick kiss.
“Yeah we didn’t want you to miss the pie!” Chris grinned at Buck. He smiled back and greeted the rest of Eddie’s extended family including and aunt and cousin he had yet to meet. The rest of the evening was spent with Buck’s favorite boys and celebrating the holiday with family.
At the end of the night Buck helped Eddie load their sleeping child into Eddie’s car. “I couldn’t figure out what he wanted,” Eddie whispered despite the car door being closed. He smiled sadly, “I know that it isn’t all about the presents, and that he would be happy with everything he’s getting but still.”
Buck slipped his left hand into Eddie’s and used his right to tilt the mans chin up so they were looking face to face. “I figured it out, that's why I was late. I was picking him up.” Buck smiled widely.
“Him? What? Evan what are you talking about? What did Chris want?” Buck loved Eddie’s confused look ‘he is so adorable.’ Buck pulled the picture out of his pocket and handed it to Eddie, watching as he unfolded it. “A puppy? Chris wants a puppy? Wait. You bought him a puppy?”
Buck was unsure for a moment Maybe I overstepped. “Look I know I probably should have asked first but I wanted to make sure I could find one in time, and I didn’t want you to stress or be disappointed if we couldn’t. I already cleared it with my landlord so if you don’t want Cinnamon at the house, he can stay with me and Chris can come over and see him, but you just kept saying that you wanted to make sure Chris got his big present and I-” Buck was cut off abruptly by Eddie who had pulled him into a fierce kiss. Buck melted into Eddie’s body instantly letting Eddie’s mouth take control.
Eventually both men pulled away for air still having their foreheads rest against each other, “Cinnamon?” Eddie questioned with a small laugh.
Buck grinned, ”Yeah, he is at Mads, she and Chim are going to bring him by tomorrow before Chris wakes up if that’s ok?”
“Its perfect. You are perfect Evan Buckley.”
They both drove back to Eddie’s in their own cars, and after putting Christopher in his own room Buck and Eddie curled up in bed next to each other content and happy.
---
The next morning Buck was brought to consciousness when he heard his phone chime.
Maddie: We’re outside with Cinnamon, I don’t want to knock and wake Chris up.
‘Be out in a minute’ Buck replied, and began gently shaking Eddie, “Good morning love, Merry Christmas.”
“Mmmh Merry Christmas Mi amor” Eddie replied blearily.
Buck gave him a small kiss before rolling over and out of the bed to pull on a shirt, “Maddie is here, she’s waiting outside.” This seemed to wake Eddie up and he immediately began pulling on his own clothes.
“Good, I can’t wait to meet the little cinnamon roll.”
Eddie of course also fell in love the moment he saw the brown baby puppy and proceed to coo and pet him incessantly. “Thanks you guys have a good christmas, we’ll see you tonight” Buck said as he shut the door, turning to his fiance.
“As much as I love this dog do you think Christopher is ready for a pet?” Eddie questioned as he held Cinnamon.
“We are here to help him and besides it shouldn’t be too hard, he isn’t very fast.” Buck replied gesturing at the three legged sweetheart. Eddie grinned at the response.
They began to set up the puppy bed and food dish that Maddie had brought over with her. Where she got it Buck wasn’t sure. They had just finished some last minute wrapping when they heard the sound of Christopeher’s alarm clock. Instantly they gently placed Cinnamon into the lidless box the had pulled out and put a little red ribbon loosely around his head.
“DADDY! BUCKY! IT’S CHRISTMAS!” Chris’s voice called down the hall. Buck smiled at Eddie and they both went to the little boy.
“Yes it is bud, Merry Christmas” Eddie hugged him and Buck kissed him on the forehead.”Ready to see the present that Santa brought you?”
“RUFF RUFF”
“A PUPPY!” Chris ran towards the box, “LOOK DADS IT’S A PUPPY”
Buck felt tears begin to form at the declaration. “Merry Christmas kiddo.” And together the couple stood arms around each other as they watched their son play with his present, smiling and happy. Best Christmas Ever.