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Most days Eddie was just glad to get home and hold Christopher in his arms. Other days, like today when the whole gruelling twenty-four-hour shift he had been hoisting, heaving and pushing himself to his absolute limit, he needed Christopher’s small arms fastening around his neck, so he could finally begin to relax.
Tonight, Eddie’s bone-tired, but still looking forward to seeing Christopher’s bright smile. Then, he would like to face plant on his bed and sleep for at least ten hours straight.
Christopher is standing at the dining room table, working away on something messy when he and Buck arrive.
”Daddy, Buck, you're home!” Christopher says, full of joy and excitement. Eddie picks him up, tightly wrapping his arms around him, burying his face in Chris’s blonde curls.
”Hey, I missed you so much today, buddy.”
Christopher pulls back to look at him, grinning, ”I missed you too, dad.”
These cuddles used to last longer, but now Eddie gets to share them with Buck.
Eddie had been conscious from day one, that Buck didn't feel like he had much going on outside of work since Abby left. Then the earthquake happened, and Buck had driven him to get Christopher and drop them home. Only, when they arrived, Eddie could sense that Buck hadn't wanted to leave, so he invited him in.
The next lousy shift happened only a week later. After it, Eddie had slapped the bonnet of his truck and told Buck to get in, and it had been second nature ever since. Some nights Buck would stay for dinner, others he’d be so tired he slept on the couch.
Eddie grins, tired but content as Buck lifts Christopher into his arms with ease and holds onto him tight, eyes falling closed as he bumps their foreheads together.
”How are my two favourite helicopter parents?” Carla teases from the kitchen.
Christopher wriggles, and Buck sets him back down and follows his nose into the kitchen.
”Lasagne?” Carla asks as Eddie hears Buck’s stomach’s rumble.
”Yes, please,” Buck replies enthusiastically, giving Carla a peck on the cheek, ”You’re the bomb!”
They both serve themselves huge slices, and make their way through to the couch, seeing as though Christopher is hogging the dining room.
Buck is scraping the fork across his plate, trying to get every morsel when Christopher calls them into the dining area.
Christopher beams at them both and explains that he has a project for school. He must think and create something to show his family visually.
”Cool!” Buck exclaims no sign he’s faking his enthusiasm even though he’s probably as exhausted as Eddie. ”What are you thinking? Do you want me to help?”
”No,” Christopher says abruptly, drawing their attention to a piece of modelling clay flattened out on the other side of the table. ”We need to squish our hands into that, and then paint the hand-prints, ” he reports with glee.
He grabs Eddie and drags him closer.
”Dad, you put your right hand here. Then I put mine next to it here! See?”
Eddie grins down at Christopher, ”Do we do the squishing now, Buddy?”
Christopher frowns at him. ”No, Silly, Buck has to put his hand on the other side of mine.”
Eddie looks up at Buck, who looks like he’s trying to swallow down dry muesli, and he feels his eyes get a bit damp around the edges.
”Eddie?” Buck asks, voice small and unsure.
Eddie holds out his other hand, and tries not to cry, though he’s almost certain Buck’s eyes look a little shiny too. Buck grabs his hand and takes his place next to Christopher. Eddie gives his hand a gentle squeeze and nods.
Buck clears his throat, ”Now, are we ready to squish?”
”YEAH!” they all cheer, pressing their palms into the clay together; a perfect little family of three hands appears, ready to be painted and displayed at school.
A tear slides down Buck’s cheek, and Eddie drops Buck's hand so he can wrap an arm around him, and pull him closer, Christopher sandwiched between them and ignoring them in favour of choosing his paint colour.
Eddie wants to say something paramount to what he’s feeling for Buck at this very moment, but words fail him.
Buck smiles at him softly and huffs a shy laugh, which is when Eddie spots the lasagne remnants at the edge of his mouth. That full delicious mouth.
Without thinking, Eddie licks his thumb and rubs at the sauce. Thumb dragging over those smooth pink lips, and somehow he’s close enough that Buck’s nose rubs against his. Buck’s breathing hitches as Eddie’s shakes out of him. Buck is so close now, and Eddie is so gone for this man-
Carla fake coughs from the lounge room door, looking from the hand-prints to the very cosy exchange in front of her, like she’d known this was going to happen all along.
”Chris baby, you can do the painting tomorrow. How about we get you ready for bed, and if you're quick I'll read you two chapters of Harry Potter tonight?”
”Okay,” Christopher grumbles, turning to Eddie and Buck. ”No painting without me!”
Eddie looks amused, and Buck puts his hands up, innocently, ”Wouldn't dream of it, buddy.”
The second Carla and Christopher are out of sight, Buck’s hands are in his hair, as he uses his chest to press Eddie against the nearest wall. Eddie’s thumb is back dragging slowly over Buck’s lower lip, as his tongue flicks out to wet his own.
”Staying?” Eddie whispers as he presses a gentle kiss to the side of Buck’s mouth.
Buck rolls his hips against him, his fingers now gently pulling at his hair as Buck’s mouth covers his, so very gently at first. Soft kisses that make his mind hum, drawing out into passionate exploratory kisses that pull uninhibited moans from him, and make his hips search out Buck’s for friction.
Somewhere outside of them, he can hear somebody talking. He pulls back a second and hears Carla’s voice, loud enough that they would make it out from Christopher's bedroom, ’The End.’ And another not so subtle cough.
Eddie pushes Buck away playfully with a little hip thrust, and Buck pouts, rearranging his pants slightly.
They pass Carla in the hallway, and she gives them an eyebrow waggle which he imagines has something to do with how his hair looks after having Buck’s hands in it.
Christopher is sitting up, waiting for them to tuck him in. He squishes them both and slaps playful kisses to their noses.
”Night, Chris,” Buck says, glowing with affection. Buck takes Eddie’s hand in his.
"Sweet dreams buddy," Eddie wishes, watching Chris take in their linked hands.
Christopher smiles and closes his eyes.