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One of the vouchers in Buck’s advent calendar that Christopher set up is for a trip to the local ski resort. Christopher had heard that Buck had used to ski when he was little but hadn’t done it for a while and he had wanted to do something that made new memories. Eddie’s never skied, but he’s willing to give it a go. Christopher wants to come and watch, with Abuela, in the cafe overlooking the slope and drink hot chocolate. That’s all he says, anyway, but Eddie caught him looking at the cafe menu and drooling all over the phone screen at the sight of the cakes so he’s sure that he’s planning on persuading Abuela to have at least three cakes whilst they watch. Buck almost cries when he opens that day, and Eddie knows that he’ll never say no to Christopher wanting hot chocolate and cake and so he gives in graciously. After all, if Christopher ends up on a massive sugar high, he now has Buck to help deal with it. They plan to stay overnight at Mammoth Mountain and then be home in time for Christopher to prepare for school the following day and so Eddie finds them a little chalet hut that the four of them can share, two bedrooms for Abuela and Christopher and then a large one for him and Buck, accessible with no steps and rails installed. It’s worth it to see how large Buck’s eyes get as they drive to the mountain, seeing the snow on the tops and the clear blue sky making everything glitter.
They hire skis and equipment and leave Christopher and Abuela in the cafe. Abuela is already buying their first mug of hot chocolate and Christopher has - fake reluctantly- decided that to help out the owners he should try one of their chocolate brownies, and they’re sitting by the window with paper and crayons and books spread out over the table. Eddie kisses them both goodbye, gets to watch as Christopher hugs Buck tightly and Abuela kisses his cheek because he’s now a part of their family, even if he still has a few days to wait until he can make it official. And then Buck’s hand is in his, his blue eyes sparkling in the bright light as he pulls Eddie out into the snow.
“I thought we could start on the nursery slopes,” Buck suggests, his lips stretched into such a beautiful smile that Eddie has to stop and kiss it off them, laughing when he slips on the icy surface and falls further into Buck’s arms. “Then if you’re up for it, we can try an easy run.”
“What about you?” Eddie asks, and if he pretends he can’t stand up on the snow so he can cling harder to Buck and hug him tighter, then that’s no one's business but his own. “Don’t you want to try one of the harder runs?”
“Nah,” Buck says, happy and content as he kisses Eddie’s nose and then lips, radiant like how the sun is glittering off the snow. “I’m happy to be with you, wherever we go is fine by me.”
Buck holds onto his hand as they make their first runs down the slope, in a snow plough shape to help Eddie keep his footing and develop his confidence. Then he skis backwards down, in front of Eddie so they can go faster, and if they end up tangled together in a hug at the bottom of the slope then Eddie can be forgiven for kissing him surely? After all, he needs a celebration, he’s just skied for the first time and he can’t help it if Buck looks so beautiful, so happy and so proud, can he? He’s just human after all. They then ski next to each other, Buck keeping a close eye on him in case he wobbles and holding out a supporting hand if it looks like he’s going to fall. Eddie makes it down in one piece.
“Lunch?” Buck suggests when Eddie flings himself into Buck’s arms and kisses him over and over again, keeping things light because of the kids around but unable to resist him. He’s glorious like this, confident, in his element, and Eddie loves him so much it’s like a physical ache. “And then maybe this afternoon, a proper run? We can go slow and I’ll be by your side.”
“Yeah,” Eddie agrees, stealing a last kiss under the pretense of warming his lips up. He knows he’ll follow Buck anywhere, his trust in him unrivaled by anyone he’s ever met.
They return to the cafe, to find that Christopher has drawn pictures of the three of them in the snow and Abuela has read half of her book. There’s only two mugs and one plate on the table, empty, but Eddie’s sure there’s been others. They have grilled sandwiches and soup for lunch, and then afterwards, Buck winks at Eddie and takes Christopher outside. He’s so attentive, making sure Christopher is ok on the snow, before the pair of them start to make a snowman. Christopher is laughing, even if Eddie can’t hear him, he can see the way he throws his head back and laughs and he catches the look on Abuela’s face when he turns towards her.
“He loves you both so much,” she says, her face knowing.
“We love him too.”
“When are you making an honest man of him then?”
Eddie swallows, thinks of the present he has in Christopher’s room for the end of advent. “Chris and I have a plan. I asked Maddie the other week if I could ask him to marry me and she cried. Said she could think of nothing better for him. So yeah, it’s going to happen and happen soon.”
“Good, I’m glad,” Abuela says and she squeezes Eddie’s arm, her eyes happy and alight. “You deserve happiness, Eddito, and so does he, and the three of you make each other so happy.”
“Thank you,” he murmurs, and kisses her cheek lightly.
“Go and join them, I’m fine here watching,” she suggests and waves him off when he tries to protest that she’ll be alone.
When he slips out of the door, both Buck and Christopher turn to him and he’s never had anyone look as happy to see him as they do. Their faces break into matching grins, lighting up as he gets closer and then they both hug him, their noses cold. He laughs and kisses them both, Christopher on the forehead and Buck on the lips. “What are we doing and where do you want me?” he asks and Christopher tugs his hand as he pulls him to where they’ve made the snowman’s body.
The three of them giggle as they finish shaping the body, as Buck and Christopher roll the head and Eddie helps Buck to get it in place. Christopher unwinds his scarf and gives it to the snowman, tying it around the snow neck. Buck hunts for stones for eyes and mouth and nose and they put them in place. Then Eddie grabs his phone and takes photos, of Buck and Christopher with their creation and then a selfie of the three of them. He snaps a few, and turns his head at the last to press a kiss against Buck’s cheek. It’s his favourite photo of the lot, Christopher grinning and happy in front of the snowman, Buck’s eyes shut and a look of pure happiness on his face and Eddie completely enamored with both of them. It’s beautiful and it’s them.
Christopher returns to the warmth of the cafe, for another hot chocolate and cake, and Buck takes Eddie down one of the easy slopes, slow and gentle as he helps him. It’s when they’re halfway down that Eddie has his epiphany. He knows he loves Buck, he knows he wants to marry him. But he’s never truly realised just how integral Buck has become to his and Christopher’s lives until he’s next to him, his nose red and his cheeks flushed and his eyes laughing. He’s never felt like this about anyone, never had anyone that he would do anything for and that he knows would do anything for both him and his son.
“Are you ok?” Buck asks quizzically as they wait for the gondolas to take them back to the cafe so they can join Abuela and Christopher for a hot drink themselves.
“I love you,” is all Eddie says, knowing it doesn’t encapsulate exactly how strongly he feels for Buck in that moment in time. And yet, Buck beams at him like he’s just made his entire universe and then kisses him. It’s full of so much love, of promises of forever and love and adoration.
“I love you too,” Buck says, like he’s not fundamentally changed every atom in Eddie’s body by loving them both in the unconditional way he does.
Eddie lets their fingers tangle together as they sit on the chair and plans to make sure Buck knows just how wonderful he is and how he’s never going to be alone again for the rest of their lives.