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Eddie knows this Christmas is special for Buck and he’s trying to do everything he can to make the other man have the best time. It’s their first together, the first since they’d admitted how they felt about each other and he wants Buck to know how much he’s adored in every single minute of the season. He knows about Buck’s past, his goddamn awful parents that Eddie just wants to scream at sometimes, about how he’s never really enjoyed a family Christmas ever before. So he’s determined that this year is going to be different.
It helps that Christopher is both super excited about Christmas and having Buck as part of their family and he’s on board with whatever wacky idea both of them come up with.
“I think we should get Buck a special advent calendar,” Christopher announces one day, mid November. “So that if he’s not with us in the morning, he can still be with us… does that make sense, Dad?”
“Yeah,” Eddie breathes out, and gets a quick hug in before Christopher pulls a face and tries to move away, now he’s older he doesn’t like hugging as much as he did before and it still pains Eddie to think he won’t get even that much longer. “I think that’s a brilliant idea, Christopher. What do you want to get for him?”
“I don’t want to buy him just a boring one from the shops,” Christopher says, rolling his eyes like Eddie’s stupid for even considering they’d just go out and buy something impersonal and manufactured. “We’ve got to make him something special.”
Eddie loves his son, and he loves Buck, but more than that he loves the relationship between Christopher and Buck. That’s why he nods and they make plans to go out the next day to get the things they’ll need for the awesome advent calendar whilst Buck is visiting Maddie and Jee-Yun and so won’t be aware of what they’re planning.
Christopher finds a traditional wooden calendar, with boxes they can fill with their own presents and he’s over the moon with the idea of finding things that show Buck just how much he means to him. Eddie may sneak a second calendar, when Christopher isn’t looking, with a vague idea of filling it with adult things that he wants to explore with Buck. It can be their little secret, he’ll buy things online where Christopher can’t see what he’s getting, even if he’s not sure how he’ll cope through December with the ideas he’s now having.
“Are you ill, dad, you look a little red,” Christopher asks suspiciously when Eddie catches him up, and that’s enough to make him think appropriate thoughts again, until he can be alone and really think about what Buck will make of his special calendar.
“I’m fine, mijo, let’s get your calendar sorted,” he deflects Christopher’s concern and luckily he’s so excited about what he’s planning that he doesn’t ask Eddie anymore questions. Instead he starts to pick things he knows Buck will like, hot chocolate spoons, his favourite chips, a movie voucher good for one Diaz evening, a lavender candle, some bath salts, a book on volcanoes, are amongst the things Christopher picks.
He tilts his head to the side, “maybe I can make Buck some things too, a picture, a poem, a story, do you think he’d like that?”
“I’m sure he’ll love everything,” Eddie says and he knows Buck will, he can barely wait to see the look on his face when he realises just what Christopher has planned for him.
They buy wrapping paper and ribbon for bows and Eddie knows he’ll have to google how to make presents look good because Christopher won’t let him get away with his usual shoddy wrapping techniques. He usually just puts things in gift bags or boxes and shrugs off any attempt to get him to wrap, but this will be different.
“Dad,” Christopher asks when they’re having a break, for juice and coffee and cake, licking his lips at the large slab of chocolate cake that Eddie places in front of him. “Is Buck going to be with us forever?”
“Do you want that?”
“Yes,” Christopher looks serious, even though his eyes are alight. “I want that so much. I’m so happy when Buck’s around and you are too, you smile and laugh so much more and I like it when you’re happy. So, yeah, I’d like Buck to stay with us forever.”
God, his kid is amazing, Eddie’s always known that, but right now, in the mall with chocolate cake smeared around his mouth, he knows he’s the luckiest man alive. “Well, if you insist, maybe I should ask him to stay around forever.”
“I have an idea…” Christopher looks innocent, and Eddie knows he’s picked that up from Buck and he’s suddenly scared. Because anyone looking that innocent means trouble. He’s sure.
After their snack break, Christopher leads him to a different section of the mall with a grin on his little face. He makes Eddie stand outside one of the shops, both of them gazing into the window. “This can be the last day of my calendar,” he suggests, pointing out one of the items on display. “We can do it together, show Buck just what we want. What do you think, Dad?”
It’s perfect, Eddie thinks as he looks at the display and then at the excited face of his scheming son. It’s perfect, his life is perfect and he has the best son and boyfriend. He couldn’t be happier. “Did you plan this all along?” he asks, ruffling Christopher’s hair, trying to deflect from the overwhelming feeling bubbling in his chest.
“Maybe,” Christopher giggles, looking at Eddie in the window and winking at him. “Do you think it’s a good plan?”
“I do,” Eddie admits, “and I think you’re the best wingman I could ever ask for. Are you sure, me hijacking your calendar like this?”
“It’s not hijacking,” Christopher points out, rolling his eyes. “When I want it just as much as you.”
“Let’s do it then,” Eddie grins and Christopher cheers loudly and pulls Eddie into the shop.
Later on, he looks at the last present, turning it in his hands before placing it in Christopher’s drawer for the next few weeks for safe keeping.
God, he’s so excited, he doesn’t know how he’s going to wait through the entire advent season.
Buck cries when Christopher presents the calendar to him on the first of December, choked beyond belief when he sees the picture Christopher has drawn for him for his first gift. He’s got 24 days to wait, as Buck promises not to look at anything in advance and then buries his face into Eddie’s neck when Christopher leaves the kitchen. “I love your kid,” he whispers, and Eddie strokes down his back and thinks about how much he loves Buck and how he’s going to feel every single morning during this month.
“Our kid,” he corrects, and feels the way Buck’s breath hitches against his throat again. “And we love you too, Evan. Happy advent.”