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Buck’s never really had anyone, a family of his own, at Christmas before. Sure, he’s had girlfriends, people that maybe at the time he’d thought may have been the one, but the relationships had always petered out. Now he knows why, because his heart always belonged to the two people who had turned his life around.
So this year, he plans to make this the best Christmas ever. He’s in love, he’s loved dearly and he’s excited and nervous in equal measures to make sure he won’t mess things up.
“You’d never,” Eddie tells him, presses the words into his skin when they’re lying curled around each other in bed. “You’re perfect to me, Buck, and Christopher adores you. We just want you with us this year.”
But there’s traditions that Buck has, ones that he’d never thought he’d be able to share with anyone other than his lonely kitchen in his loft apartment, and so the first day in December sees him turning up at Eddie’s, with his arms full of grocery bags.
He knocks, for the first time in ages because he can’t get his key out, and has the pleasure of seeing the look on Eddie’s face when he sees all the bags Buck’s holding. “What’s this?” he asks suspiciously as he lets Buck inside the house, stealing a kiss when he takes some of the bags to help.
“I thought Christopher may like to make Christmas cookies with me?” Buck asks, and he’s so nervous as he speaks, worrying at the cuffs of his jacket, because what if he’s overstepped, what if Eddie doesn’t want him around? “I used to make them with my grandparents and I’ve never had anyone to teach the recipe to and I'd love to share it with you guys but if not it's fine, I’ll…
“Evan,” Eddie stops his rambling by means of leaning in and kissing him quiet. “We’d love to learn. I mean, Christopher may be better than me, but please, we want to.”
So Buck ends up in the kitchen, an apron around his waist, a super excited Christopher on a chair next to him also decked out in an apron. His face is serious as he looks over the ingredients on the counter, his hug warm as he snuggles into Buck for a quick hug. Eddie’s sitting at the kitchen table and Buck can’t see his face properly, but he can feel the weight of his gaze on the back of his neck as he watches the pair of them. It’s everything Buck’s ever wanted in his life and he now has it and he can’t believe how things have turned out for him, in love with his best friend with the most incredible son.
Christopher listens carefully as Buck explains the method and they work seamlessly together, the best team ever. He gives Eddie the icing to make, with lemon juice instead of water, because surely he can’t mess that up, and he and Christopher start on the main part of the work. They mix butter, sugar and honey together, Christopher starting with the spoon and then when his hand gets tired, Buck helps, laughing when Christopher smears some of the mixture onto his cheeks with a cheeky grin on his face. They add the egg a bit at a time, Christopher sticking his tongue out as he concentrates and then Buck beats the flour, cinnamon and spices in whilst Christopher adds it slowly.
He’s almost overwhelmed with happiness, at the way Christopher is so careful and interested in what they’re doing, how he can still feel Eddie’s fond gaze on the back of his neck, how this is just what he’s always wanted, his people to share this time of year with. It’s even better when he hears the scrape of Eddie’s chair on the floor and then feels his arms slide around his waist as he looks over Buck’s shoulder at the ball of dough they are now kneading. He presses a kiss to Buck’s cheek, licking the mixture off it and smiling so Buck can feel his lips curving against his skin and he thinks this must be what pure joy feels like.
The three of them roll out the mixture and Christopher chooses the shapes to make the biscuits in, trees, stars and holly leaves are his choices. Buck makes a candle shape because that’s what he always did when he was younger and Eddie never lets go of him.
They only take 15 minutes to bake but then they need to cool before being iced so Christopher leaves them alone, to go and read and chill out for a bit and Buck has to put up with being gently pressed against the counters and kissed slowly, until the familiar smell of spices fill the air as the biscuits cook. Eddie steals one when he gets them out of the oven, despite them being so hot that he burns his tongue and Buck laughs at the look on his face as he eats it, the way his eyes shut in pleasure.
“These are amazing,” he breathes as he kisses Buck again and he gets to taste the sweet and spice mix on someone’s tongue for the first time.
Christopher helps them to ice the cooled biscuits and they look incredible when they’re ready, some boxed up for them to eat, some for the 118, the rest for Christopher’s school friends. But the nicest thing for Buck has been the sheer adoration rolling in waves off Eddie, the soft kisses, the press of his hand against Buck’s back, the closeness.
“Thanks for doing this,” he says later when they’re washing up, again standing so close he can feel the warmth of Eddie in his very soul.
“You’re ours now,” Eddie says, almost casually, like he’s not taking Buck’s heart out of his chest, rearranging it and settling it back in place filled with so much love that he’s not even sure how he’s going to breathe. He has a hand rubbing over Buck’s hip gently, his eyes so soft and fond as he gazes over at Buck like he’s everything in the world that Eddie needs. “And making holiday traditions is something that I want us to do. Baking these is a great way to start.”
Buck inhales sharply and then forgets the cleaning in order to kiss Eddie senseless, something he approves of if the noise he makes into Buck’s mouth and the way his hand curls under the hem of Buck’s shirt is any indication.
And this, making the biscuits but making more traditions, including kissing and being kissed by the love of his life whilst their kid is happy watching tv in the next room, is the nicest memory of the advent season that Buck thinks he’ll ever make.