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Chapter Text

Buck would never understand why some people thought red lights didn’t apply to them. Some naive part of him was always surprised when they got called to yet another collision caused by an idiot running a red light and crashing into something.

This one had thankfully ended well and been easy enough to work through as even if getting the last victim out of their car had still required the Jaws of Life, there had been surprisingly few big injuries.

As Buck finished putting their tools away, he noticed that while Chimney was still busy examining their last victim, it sounded like he wasn’t hurt badly.

He would most likely send him to the hospital for a checkup, considering the seriousness of the accident, but from what Buck was hearing, he was as fine as one could be in such a situation.

“What’s your name, sir?” Chimney asked.

“Peter, Peter Buckley,” the man answered, still shaking from the shock of the accident.

“Buckley? Hey Buck, I didn’t know you had more family than Maddie in town?” Chimney called out to Buck.

“What do you mean? I don’t,” Buck answered, puzzled while making his way towards them.

“Well, our patient is called a Buckley like you.”

“Chim, you do realize that Buckley isn’t really a rare last name, right? The odds that this man is related to me when we are currently in LA, I grew up in Pennsylvania, and my parents were originally from New Hampshire aren’t really in favor of us being related.” He turned towards their patient to soften his words. “Not that I don’t want to be related to you, sir. I’m sure you’re a great person.”

Peter returned his smile before answering with a chuckle, “Oh, don’t worry! I love my family, but they are enough on their own that I’m not looking for random strangers to add to the mix. Especially since they can be somewhat of an acquired taste. The funny thing, though, is that my dad is also originally from New Hampshire.”

“See? I told you I was onto something, Buck!” Chimney said vindictively.

“Chim, please. That still doesn’t mean anything. It’s not like New Hampshire is that small,” Buck reiterated with a sigh before offering his hand to Peter, “Even so, I’m glad to meet another Buckley, sir. My name is Evan, but everyone calls me Buck.”

“Glad to meet you too. And thank you for getting me out of that,” Peter said, pointing out the wreck of his car. “I’m very glad my boyfriend insisted on me renting a newer car rather than a cheaper model because I can’t imagine how I would have survived in my old one.”

“A solid car with good airbags did help. You’re going to have a massive bruise due to your belt, but your injuries could have been much worse without it,” Chimney said as he finished his examination. “Now, I’m not noticing anything serious, but I would strongly recommend that we take you to the hospital to check if there isn’t any internal bleeding or other invisible wounds.”

Before Peter could say anything, they heard and saw a man screaming his name in a panicked voice running towards them before he was stopped by the police officers cordoning the scene.

“Anyone you know?” Chim asked their patient.

“That’s my boyfriend Nick! He must have been out of his mind. We were on a Bluetooth call when that car ran into mine, and I didn’t think to tell him I’m alright,” Peter answered, eyes focused on his boyfriend and already halfway to standing up and running toward him.

After ensuring that Chim was getting Peter to sit back down, Buck went to get the officers to let Nick the boyfriend on the scene and escort him back to the ambulance.

“Peter, are you okay?” The man asked, grabbing Peter’s shoulders as he came to a stop in front of him and looked him over. “I just heard this big crash before the call dropped suddenly. I rushed to where you said you last were, but I couldn’t help but think of all that could have happened. I’m so relieved to see you.”

“I’m okay, Nick,” Peter reassured him gently, “A little banged up, but nothing serious.”

“He really is okay, but I do still recommend that we take him to the hospital. This wasn’t a small accident, and we don’t know there aren’t hidden injuries,” Chim interrupted.

“Do I absolutely need to?” Peter asked before rushing to add, “Not that I don’t trust your assessment! But we’re currently in the process of moving to New Hampshire, and such a big expense is something we could do without since my insurance isn’t going to make it easy to get any kind of reimbursement.”

“Babe, don’t worry about the expense. Your health is more important,” Nick insisted.

“You don’t need to since you aren’t in immediate danger. But it would be my recommendation that you be seen by a doctor as soon as possible.”

Peter exchanged a look with Nick before asking. “What if Nick takes me? You came with your car, love, right?”

To which Nick nodded and pointed out. “Yes, it’s parked just over there.”

“If he can take you, I would feel more comfortable letting you go,” Chim agreed.

“Then let’s do it this way,” Peter said assuredly.

“Buck, if Cap doesn’t need you for anything, do you mind escorting them to their car while I tidy things up with the ambulance? Mr. Buckley was still shaking badly just a few minutes ago, sir.”

“No problem, Chim. We’re just really waiting for you and Hen to finish, so I’m happy to help.” Buck said easily.

Nick hovered over Peter while he stood up, and they moved away from the ambulance.

“What happened?” Nick asked, the worry evident in his voice and his eyes roaming over Peter’s body as if to check he really was alright to walk.

“A car ran the red light and crashed into mine. But I’m alright, thanks to those nice firefighters,” Peter answered reassuringly, drawing his boyfriend to a stop to leave a soft kiss on his lips and lace their fingers together before starting to walk again. “Plus, you know what? I got to meet another Buckley!”

“Really?” Nick asked, surprised.

“Yes, really. I’m Evan Buckley, at your service,” Buck answered mirthfully.

“That’s a fun coincidence!” Nick chuckled.

“Right? I’ve never met another Buckley in LA before. It was surprising to learn that the man who saved me had the same last name as I do.”

“Same for me, to be honest, except for the being saved part,” Buck said, “Hey, I don’t normally do this, but I admit that I’m curious about the coincidence. Would you mind if we exchanged phone numbers? I wonder if we do have relatives in common somewhere down the line, and I would be interested in looking it up and discussing it with you.”

“Oh, sure! I would love to figure that out as well!” Peter agreed excitedly before taking his phone out of the inner pocket of his coat and holding it out. “Here, since my phone miraculously survived, you can just add your number, and I will text you so you have mine.”

Buck took the phone and did as asked. Only a few seconds after giving it back, he heard the sound of a new incoming message from his own phone just as they reached the police cordon, and Bobby’s voice called out for him on his radio.

So, after saying goodbye to Nick and Peter, he hurried back to the truck, promising to text soon.

***

It had been a relief to Buck when he received Peter’s text, as he had been second-guessing his decision to ask to exchange numbers over the last few days. For once, even discussing it with Eddie had not been enough to assuage his nervousness.

His friend’s opinion was that it wasn’t worth worrying over as, if Peter regretted agreeing, he would either say so when Buck reached out or just straight-up ghost him, so Buck should just get it over with. But Buck hadn’t been able to let go of the idea that he may have taken advantage of Peter’s shock after his accident and had hesitated for days about how to word that first text.

But Peter’s first very positive and outgoing message had put an end to his worries. The update about his health had also been very welcomed since, even if they were supposed to leave things behind them once they left a scene, Buck had never been good at it.

One thing leading to another, they had started exchanging more and more texts as they got to know each other and tried to figure out a time to meet and talk. The difficulties they had encountered with that had surprised them both despite how predictable it should have been, as Buck’s schedule was always a little crazy and the logistics of moving across the country made Peter’s just as complicated.

One thing they had silently agreed on, though, was to wait for that coffee date to really get into the subject of their potential familial connection.

Buck couldn’t speak for Peter, of course, but as lovely as the other man seemed, getting to know each other before sharing personal details and potential familial trauma, had seemed like a good idea.

Moreover, it also felt like a conversation that would be better had in person than over the phone considering Buck’s own very complicated relationships with his family.

It definitely wasn’t a choice that Buck regretted as his multiple interactions with Peter had allowed them to slowly get to know each other, and Buck already felt very close to him.

Peter’s love for plants and his enthusiasm for his future nursery were particularly infectious and made for lively conversations. But Peter was also always happy to encourage Buck’s own passion for his job or any random things he got interested in.

As a result, their conversations could continue over days. So much so that some of Buck’s coworkers had started teasing him about having found a new lover, and his many attempts to convince them that Peter already had a partner had failed until Chimney had confirmed that Nick did exist.

Though Buck could have done without his teammate countering with the fact that Buck wouldn’t dare cheat on his romance with Eddie as it had given those rumors a second wind.

Yes, he and Eddie spent quite a lot of time together, be it on or off shift. But, it wasn’t anyone’s business but theirs.

As things were, they were both happy with the current state of their relationship, and Buck wasn’t interested in taking any risks with his chosen family at the moment. Especially when Eddie came with the wonderful addition that Christopher was.

This was another point that had brought Peter and him closer, as the other man was very close to his own family, especially his niblings. Buck had enjoyed hearing about some of the shenanigans they got up to. The tale of how some of Peter’s family had conspired to get Nick and him together was particularly charming.

In the end, even if they discovered that they didn’t share any distant blood relations, Buck felt blessed to have acquired a good friend from this experience. And he also had an even better appreciation for modern technologies as it would otherwise be a lot more complicated to keep in touch once Peter and Nick had completely moved to New Hampshire.

***

“Hey, Buck!”

“Hey, Peter! I’m so glad we managed to finally find a date that worked,” Buck said as he stood up from the park bench where they had agreed to meet to accept Peter’s greeting hug.

“Me too! It has been a long time coming. Sorry for all those times I had to cancel on you.”

“Don’t worry about it. My schedule was just as hectic and problematic as yours. Besides, I can imagine how complicated it is to move across states from the traveling I did before settling in LA.”

“Oh my god, it’s a pain, isn’t it?” Peter groaned. “I’m just thankful my sister can oversee things in Bridgewater. I don’t know how it would have worked without her.”

“You seemed to have things well on hand in our messages, so I think you would have been fine. Maybe just a bit more frazzled and stressed,” Buck teased.

“Don’t joke about this,” Peter said as he lightly slapped Buck’s arm. “Believe me, you don’t want to see me really frazzled. Even Nick struggles to handle me when I get like that.”

“How is he anyway? And do you want to go to someplace in particular?”

“He is good. One thing I love about him is how easily he adapts to changes,” Peter answered with a smitten smile, “and he is already acquiring quite the reputation as a reliable Tasker in Bridgewater, so everything is going well. As for a place, do you mind if we just walk around for a while? I admit that I’m in dear need of some outside time. I’ve had way too many meetings in offices the last few days.”

“Not at all! I’m not one to refuse a walk on such a beautiful day.”

“Great! I’m trying to soak all the Californian sun I can before leaving. I love my hometown and don’t regret my decision, but I will miss the weather and the sun.”

“Winters will certainly be harsher, but I think you’ll be grateful when summer comes again, and you won’t have as many heat waves as we get.”

“True. Very very true. And I’m looking forward to some real snow! The boys have already recruited Nick to help them win the next snowman competition against the twins. It’s gonna be fun.” Peter’s smile was contagious, and Buck could feel a similar one appear on his face. He would have to see if he could convince the Diazes to go somewhere with snow this winter, as Christopher was sure to love it.

“The boys are your nephews, right?”

“Yes, they are my sister Ashleigh’s sons and the current youngest kids, which the twins, my teenage nieces from my sister Lisa, often lord over them. But all four are a great bunch and quick to help each other when needed.”

“From what you’ve told me, that’s pretty on par for your family.”

“It is! They can be a bit overbearing as a whole, but they mean well, and I love them to death. What about you and your sister? Are you close too?”

“We were when I was a child. But she’s a lot older than me, and we grew apart when she left for college. She’s been in LA for a while, but it’s just not the same after all those years without any real communication between us.” Buck shrugged. He was happy to have Maddie back in his life, but keeping her mostly at arm’s length had also felt like the right choice after all the years she had ignored him, even if learning about Doug had helped him understand her choice a bit better.

“Nick kinda is in the same boat as you. He is an only child and was very close to one of his cousins growing up, but they lost contact when his family moved away.”

“Families are complicated,” Buck sighed.

“They definitely are,” Peter agreed as they continued walking in comfortable silence for a while, both lost in their thoughts.

It was only as they reached the end of the park and were about to head out towards one of the cafés that Buck spoke again, “Hey, did you get the chance to ask your dad if he knew anything about your extended family like you wanted to?”

“Oh yes! Just a couple days ago, actually! His parents died a while ago, before I was born, in fact, and they were both only children, but he told me that I technically have an uncle Philip and even some older cousins. He wouldn’t tell me more about them on the phone though, said it was complicated and something better discussed in person if I really wanted to know.” Peter frowned. “Apparently, they fought pretty badly a long time ago, and his brother decided to move and cut all contact with my family, which is why I don’t remember them.”

“What did you say your uncle’s name was?” Buck asked, disbelieving what his own ears had told him.

“Philip, why?”

“Because my dad’s name is Philip. It could be too little of a coincidence to mean anything, but my dad and yours are both from New Hampshire, and you said that your uncle had children older than you, which both Maddie and I are, even if just slightly for me.”

“I wonder if my dad misremembered my potential cousins’ age. I mean, it has to be a possibility as they haven’t talked in at least what? 30 years? But I’m definitely going to question him more on the subject once Nick and I are settled in New Hampshire in a couple weeks. I mean, how great would it be if we were cousins?”

Peter’s enthusiasm at the idea of them being family made Buck smile, as he wouldn’t mind it either. “More nice family is always good. I’ll try to speak to Maddie too. Maybe she remembers something from that time.”

“That’s a plan! How do you feel about getting that coffee now? I admit our walk made me hungry, and this place smells great.”

“You’ve got good taste. I’ve taken Christopher to this one before, and they have some awesome pastries.”

As they settled inside the cafe, the conversation switched back to sharing some of the children’s shenanigans as Peter’s niblings seemed to be just as bad as Chris, maybe worse only just because they had siblings.

But as much as Buck enjoyed talking about his little sunshine of a boy, he also couldn’t stop thinking about the uncle Philip that Peter had mentioned. It just seemed like too much of a coincidence, even with all the common points they had found.

But Buck knew his parents had moved when he was just a baby, and fighting with family badly enough to cut all contact with them for years seemed like something they would do.

***

“Dad, do you have a minute?” Peter asked as he came into the living room.

“Of course. What is it?” Harold said.

“Well, remember when I asked you if we had more family? I wondered if you would be willing to revisit that conversation now that I’m settled at home. Would you be willing to tell me more about my uncle Philip? and my cousins?”

Harold sighed, closing his newspaper and putting it down on the coffee table. “You don’t start with the easy question, do you, son?”

“I didn’t want to take you by surprise, but I figured there wasn’t any easy way to broach the subject, considering what you told me over the phone,” Peter explained as he sat down next to his father. “I just… I got curious and wondered what could have happened to make you mention them only once in several decades when you and Mom raised us with such strong family values.”

“You’re right that it’s not an easy subject, but I have no reason to hide the truth from you. Especially since what happened with Philip is a big part of why Carole and I decided to insist so much on the importance of family with you and your sisters,” Harold sighed again. “See, we used to see each other often as they lived in Concord, just a couple towns over, until just before we learned about you. Their move was caused by a profound disagreement between us that was the reason we’ve been estranged all these years and why you’ve never met your cousins. Though, to be honest, I’m not sure your sisters remember them either since they were still pretty young.”

“They never mentioned them to me, so chances are they don’t.” Peter shrugged. “How many were there?”

“Philip and Margaret had three children, Maddie, Daniel, and Evan. But Daniel was sadly diagnosed with leukemia, and despite all the treatments they tried, he died when he was 8. Shortly after that, they moved to Pennsylvania.”

“So the disagreement was related to his death?”

“Not exactly. It was due to Evan and Maddie, and more accurately to how Margaret, and Philip to a lesser part, were with them.” Harold paused for a second, clearly pondering how to word his thoughts. “There came a point where Daniel’s doctors told them his only chance was a bone marrow transplantation. But, tragically, testing revealed that no one in the family was a match, so Margaret and Philip decided to resort to conceiving a savior child.”

“Wait. You mean Evan, right? He was their savior child?”

Harold nodded. “Yes, I don’t hold it against them. I’ve never had as I don’t know that your mother and I wouldn’t have made the same choice if it had been Lisa, Ashleigh, or you in Daniel’s bed.” Peter grabbed his father’s hands into his, rubbing his thumb against the back of his hands, causing a sad smile to appear on Harold’s face. “I’m fine, son. It was a long time ago.”

“Just the thought of something like this happening to Simon or Sam breaks my heart. I can’t imagine how you must have felt.”

“It made my peace with what happened. Everything that could be done to save Daniel was tried, and there was nothing else any of us could have done. The only thing I regret is what happened when the cells didn’t graft properly, and Daniel relapsed. We tried our best to support his family, but Margaret withdrew completely from the rest of us, and only Philip could reach her anymore. It brought on a lot of fights between us, as your mom and I felt that Maddie and Evan were getting neglected in the process. In the beginning, we didn’t say much, if anything, since the grief of losing a child is so devastating, and we focused on just being there when they needed us. But after a while, we couldn’t just hold our peace anymore, and we had to speak up when we noticed how much Maddie wasn’t given the space and support to deal with her own grief and how fast she was being forced to grow as a consequence.”

“What do you mean?” Peter frowned. “How old was Maddie then?”

“Around ten years old, I think. But your mom would be able to tell with more certainty than me, she kept all the photo albums of that time, and I’m sure she would be glad to show you.”

“I don’t know that I want to get Mom into the nostalgia train again,” Peter said, sharing a knowing chuckle with his dad, “but I admit that I’m curious about my cousins. From what you said, Evan would be just a bit older than me. Having someone in the family, I could commiserate with about growing up surrounded by girls would be nice.”

“Well, you have less of a difference with your sisters than Evan with his, so I don’t know how much your experiences would compare. Especially with how Margaret and Philip seemed so determined to ignore that their children needed help too. We tried to change that, but considering how huge our last fight with Margaret and Philip was and how they just doubled down on their choices just before the move, I don’t expect that anything changed in a good way.”

“Maybe the scenery change helped them?” Peter suggested.

“I would be very surprised if that had happened. Not since one of the reasons they moved several states away to Pennsylvania was because Philip felt like taking Margaret away from what reminded them of Daniel would help. But in my opinion, that was doomed to failure from the start, as they would have never had Evan if it hadn’t been their last chance to save Daniel. They had always said they were very happy that they had managed to have a girl and a boy in only two pregnancies and didn’t have to go through that again. So I don’t see how poor Evan could have been anything but a reminder of his dead brother for them. Which means that all the move did was take all of them away from any support system they had. I just wished we had been able to convince them to change their minds and stay.”

Peter could hear the regret in his father’s voice, which made him simultaneously wish that Buck was and wasn’t his cousin Evan.

On the one hand, Buck had done well for himself, which would reassure his dad about his nephew’s fate.

But, on the other hand, Buck didn’t have the easiest childhood from the little he told Peter, even if he hadn’t been abused, and he was inclined to think it meant his dad’s supposition had been right and that Buck had grown into the shadow of his dead brother.

A dead brother he didn’t even seem to know about, as he had never mentioned any other sibling than Maddie.

***

“Hey, love,” Nick greeted as he entered the room and approached the couch Peter was sitting on.

“Hey, how was your day?” Peter answered, raising his head to get his usual kiss from his boyfriend and smiling against Nick’s lips as his silent demand was satisfied.

“Pretty good. How about yours? Did you get to have that discussion with Harold?”

“Everything went well on my side as well. And yes, I talked with Dad. And also with Mom when she came home. She is the one who gave me those albums,” Peter answered, holding up the photo album that was open on his knees and drawing his boyfriend’s attention to the others spread on the coffee table.

“So what was the verdict? Is Buck your cousin?” Nick asked as he returned from hanging his coat up and sat beside him.

“I’m not certain yet, but chances are that he is. I won’t be able to confirm without talking about it with him though. And that would mean telling him about things I don’t know are my place to speak about.” Peter sighed, looking down at the birthday party pictures on his lap.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Please? I would really welcome some advice. The situation is way more complicated than I expected, and I haven’t been able to make up my mind about what I should do.”

Peter spent the next minutes explaining what he had learned from his father to Nick, hoping that his usually very down-to-earth boyfriend would help him resolve his dilemma.

“So, you see what my issue is now? Buck never mentioned a brother to me, so I suspect that if he really is my cousin, he has no idea of the events surrounding his birth or even of Daniel’s existence. Is it really my place to tell him about it?”

“I think the first thing you should do is to check that his birthday and his sister’s match with what your mom wrote on her photo albums to take away any doubt left,” Nick answered, pointing out the dates and names written under some of the pictures. “Then, if he confirms those, I think you should tell him. He deserves to know.”

“But is it really something one can tell by phone? I have no idea when we will meet in person next, and I don’t know how long I’ll be able to keep this to myself. It’s just too big.”

“Well, he told you he was estranged from his parents and that his relationship with his sister wasn’t the best. I think if you don’t tell him, chances are he will never know about it, or if he discovers it, it will be by accident. Wouldn’t you prefer to learn something like this from someone you trust? Besides, even if it’s on the phone, you can still make sure that he isn’t alone when you tell him. That way, you know he will have support to deal with the news.”

“Mmm… That could work. I know he spends a lot of his downtime with Eddie and his son and considers them family. So if I timed my call when he is at their house, but Christopher isn’t there or busy, it could work,” Peter thought out loud. “Thanks, love,” he added, leaving a tender kiss on his boyfriend’s lips before settling into his arms for some cuddle time, “You’re always the best at making things make more sense.”

“My pleasure,” Nick smiled, leaving another kiss on his hair as he more than willingly wrapped his arms around Peter.

Chapter Text

When Buck had seen Peter’s name on his phone, he had expected him to want to catch him up on some random everyday life events like new shenanigans from his niblings, something that happened with his store, or the latest meddling from his mother.

After all, it had been how most of their conversations had gone for the last couple of months as his friend had made it his mission to cheer Buck up and take his mind off things on every occasion he could.

Buck had been very thankful for it, as life had undoubtedly thrown him some curveballs between the truck bombing and the tsunami just recently, and Peter’s optimism had been a crucial part of his recovery.

Which was why he certainly hadn’t expected this phone call to unsettle him so much that he had stayed stunned, rooted in place, staring at his silent phone without seeing it until Eddie, worried about his lack of reaction to his calls, approached and put his hand on his shoulder.

“Buck? Buck, are you okay?”

“I… I don’t know…” Buck answered hesitantly. “Actually, no, I’m not okay. Peter just reframed my whole childhood, and I really, really didn’t expect it, even if some things make a lot more sense now.”

“Right. What do you want to do? Talk it out or ignore it and go join Chris at Abuela’s?” Eddie offered, making Buck snort.

“Are you really pimping your son out to allow me to avoid dealing with my family issues?”

“If it works.” Eddie shrugged. “Also, I know how complicated your relationship with your parents is, so I would totally get it if you wanted to hide from something related to them for a while. Besides, it’s not like Christopher wouldn’t enjoy it if we joined them. As much as he loves spending time with Abuela, I think he may like spending time with you even more. Though you’re not allowed to tell her that.”

“Like I would do that! Chris would just deny everything and get us both in trouble.” Buck laughed.

“I can’t dispute that fact. He does have everyone wrapped around his little finger.” Eddie said, his face just as cheerful as Buck’s.

“Thankfully, he has a great dad to teach him not to abuse it. And I guess I should also lead by example and talk about what bothers me rather than repress my feelings about this stupid situation.”

“Like I believe you would do anything else after all the energy you invested into convincing me therapy would help Christopher with his fears of losing one of us after the truck bombing. And, since you got to use the excuse of setting a good example to get me to go as well, it’s only fair that you have to suffer the consequences of it now as, to quote you, ‘letting our parents influence us with bigoted and outdated views is not good adulting’.”

“Hey! You can’t deny that it was energy well spent! Who knows what kind of stupid things we would have gotten into otherwise,” Buck joked.

“Oh, I’m not denying it. It was one of the best things you ever convinced me to do,” Eddie said. “But back to the matter at hand, what did Peter tell you that shook you up so much?”

“Well, it appears that Peter is actually my cousin on our fathers’ side and that I now have an answer as to why my parents try to spend as little time with me as possible,” Buck explained with a very monotone voice, watching Eddie’s eyes widen more and more as he went on. “I had an older brother Daniel I’ve never heard about who died from leukemia when I was a baby, and I was their last attempt to save him. Except it failed, and they were left with a baby they hadn’t really wanted.”

“Jeez… I don’t know what I expected, but it certainly wasn’t this. Is Peter really certain you’re related, and that this Daniel was your brother?”

“His mother keeps very detailed photo albums with dates, names, and places. She gave him the ones with pictures of his cousins, and the names and dates match for both Maddie and me. It was the first thing he asked me in addition to my parents’ names before he got into anything else. It all fits exactly with what his dad told him, and it explains too much. You know what they always say, the simplest explanation is usually the best one.”

“Neither you nor Maddie ever mentioned another brother, though, even a dead one.” Eddie frowned.

“That’s because I had no idea I had one!” Buck exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. “I can’t believe Maddie never told me about him!”

“Maybe she didn’t know how?” Eddie raised his hands to stop Buck’s defensive rebuke. “Hear me out. I’m not defending her choice to hide such a secret from you, but from what you’ve told me, your mother was the one setting all the rules in your childhood home, and Maddie left for college as soon as she could. So, if he died when you were a baby, maybe she didn’t know how to talk to you about him at first, and then she got into the habit of not talking about him and figured your parents would tell you?”

“Mmm… I guess you could be right. But I’m definitely gonna ask her for some explanation. Because she should have fucking known that our parents wouldn’t tell me. They were never good at communicating with either of us and even less at answering my questions.”

***

As much as it made his nieces tease him and some people frown to hear a Christmas song in September, his ringtone always made Peter smile as it reminded him of how he and Nick finally got together.

“Hey, Buck. How are you?” Peter answered as he shushed the twins and left the living room to go talk on the empty porch.

“I’m good. PT is kicking my ass, but I’m used to it even if I hadn’t missed it,” Buck grumbled.

“That’s what you get for being a hero during a tsunami while already recovering from a disastrous injury,” Peter teased. “Hopefully, you will be done with it soon, though. Isn’t your requalifying test in a few days?”

“It is. It’s scheduled for next Tuesday, and if all goes well, which it should, my first shift will be on Thursday. But I’ll keep going to PT for a while to make sure that my leg is adapting to work as expected.”

“That makes sense. Better be safe than sorry with a job like yours.”

“Yep,” Buck agreed before pausing for a second, “Hey, do you remember those pictures you mentioned when you told me about Daniel?”

“The ones of you and your siblings? Of course!”

“I know you’re busy, so this is absolutely not urgent, but would you mind sending me copies of them? I haven’t got any pictures of me as a child, and Chris got curious after looking through some of his father’s for a project he had to do for school, so you know...”

Peter could clearly visualize how Buck had to have shrugged while saying this and laughed as he answered, “You’re weak and love to indulge that child?”

“You would be too, if you were subject to that much cuteness! Besides, he is perfectly aware of his weapons and how to use them appropriately!”

“Oh, you don’t have to convince me! Nick is just as bad with Simon and Sam,” Peter said as they shared another laugh. “But yes, I would be more than happy to send you the pictures. I’m just not sure when I’ll be able to get them all to you with how busy it is right now with people trying to get their gardens and plants ready for the winter.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Buck immediately reassured him. “As I said, it’s really not urgent. It’s part me indulging my and Chris’ curiosity and part me hoping it would help Maddie open up a bit more about that part of our lives. But I’m really not sure she is ready for that right now anyway, so don’t feel like it should be a priority or something.”

“Hey, we’re cousins! And even if that wasn’t enough, you helped me figure out the safety issues with my store despite how awful the process and paperwork were. I think taking the time to scan some pictures and send them is more than a fair exchange.”

“Peter, you know-” Buck tried to explain.

“Yes, Mr. “You don’t owe me anything”, I’m well aware that you didn’t do it to get any kind of compensation. But a relationship has to have give and take, and I’m happy to be in the giver position,” Peter said gently while noticing his mom passing her head through the door to check on him and waving to her that he would be back inside shortly. “Besides, I just had an idea to make it easier. If you’re alright with her knowing about you, I would like to ask my mom to help. I’ve told you before how family-focused she can be, and it would definitely be a project she would enjoy and do with pleasure.”

“Your family doesn’t know about me?” Buck asked, the frown audible in his voice.

“Yes and no? I mean, I think my dad has suspected since I started asking questions, but I didn’t want to confirm anything to him or Mom until we were reasonably sure that we are cousins. And I also wanted to make sure that you were comfortable with the idea of them knowing. I’ve told you how involved in everyone’s life my family can get, and I know without a doubt that they will want to meet you and behave just the same with you once they are aware I found our “lost” cousin Evan. So I wanted to be certain that you were ready for that.”

Buck’s soft “Oh” broke Peter’s heart a little and made him both angry at his absent aunt and uncle and determined to finally show him what family was really supposed to be about.

“So, are you okay with Mom knowing? Because once she knows, we’ll have hit the point of no return, with everyone in the family soon following, and chances are good that most of those busybodies will want to get to know the handsome and kind firefighter that’s now part of the family?” Peter teased.

“I don’t think they can be any worse meddlers than my teammates at work.” Buck chuckled. “I love them, but god, do they always want to know everything about everyone. So, I think I can handle your family reaching out, especially since you’re all on the other side of the States.”

***

As he went back inside after finishing his conversation with Buck, Peter noticed that the twins had escaped upstairs while he was on the phone, leaving him with a small window to talk with his mother alone before everyone arrived for Sunday lunch.

“Did your conversation go well? You were outside for quite some time,” Carole asked from where she was working on putting together today’s dessert.

“I was talking with Buck. My firefighter friend?”

“Oh! The one from LA?” Carole paused and frowned at him. “You aren’t hiding anything from Nick, are you?”

“Mom!” Peter called out, shocked this could even cross her mind. “You know I love Nick to death, and anyway, I can’t believe you would suggest something like that!”

“I know, I know,” she placated, “but you have to admit the way you spend so much time talking with that man while refusing to tell us anything is unusual.”

“There’s a good reason for that, but even if there wasn’t, just because I moved back here doesn’t mean you get to know everything in my life, Mom. I still need and deserve my privacy.”

“Sorry, sorry. You’re right. I’m just so glad to have you back, and I don’t want to miss anything of your life anymore.”

“I’m here to stay, Mom. Especially now that Nick moved back with me and helped me get my perfect dream store,” Peter said, momentarily losing himself in the memories of the last Christmas and how it had led to the best months of his life.

“I’m so happy you and Nick got together,” Carole sighed wistfully. “He is so nice and just perfect for you.”

“I’m never going to disagree on that. But back to the matter at hand, I wanted to ask you something.”

“Do tell?”

“You know how I asked Dad about his brother Philip, and you lent me the photo albums from before they decided to leave?” Carole nodded as Peter continued, “Would you mind scanning the ones with Maddie, Daniel, and Evan for me? I would do it myself, but I’m not sure when I’ll have the time to do it, and I would prefer not to let it wait for too long.”

“Of course, I’ll do it. But why do you want those rather than the pictures of you and your sisters?” His mother frowned.

“Because they aren’t for me,” Peter answered apologetically, rubbing the back of his head with one hand as he took a breath and continued, “They are for Buck. Because Buck isn’t his actual birth name, just a nickname he adopted as his own. His official name is Evan Buckley.”

His mother dropped the spoon she had been using to scoop the batter into each cup, eyes and mouth wide open.

“Surprise? I found my cousin by literal accident?”

“Peter Brian Buckley! What do you mean you found your cousin???”

“Exactly what I said. One of Buck’s coworkers mentioned how funny it was that we had the same last name, and we got curious about it. So we exchanged numbers, but as we got to know each other, there were just too many coincidences. It’s why I asked Dad about his brother and also why I borrowed the albums. I needed to check with Buck that everything really matched before telling him about Daniel since he had never mentioned having a brother before.”

“Oh, poor soul!” Carole lamented. “We knew. We knew Margaret and Philip weren’t in their right mind when they left, but I can’t believe they never told him.”

“Yeah, that wasn’t a fun convo for him,” Peter admitted sadly. “But I think it shed light on some things he had always wondered about, and now that he has the opportunity, he would like to know more about Daniel and better understand what happened. Hence why he asked me about the pictures.”

“Well, I will obviously get him those pictures as soon as possible. I should even have the time to take care of it by next weekend. But for now, I want to know more about him! He works in LA as a firefighter, right? Is he well? Do Margaret and Philip, or Maddie live near him? Does he have any other family?”

“Mom!” Peter interrupted her with a laugh. “I’m more than welcome to tell you about Buck, but you need to give me time to answer before asking another question. And I think you need to stir the potatoes if you don’t want them to burn.”

Carole jumped and looked at the pans behind her, immediately taking action to save the food as she waved at her son to begin explaining, which Peter was more than happy to do.

Around half an hour later, everyone started to arrive, and the usual small talk was all that happened for a while. But soon after they had settled at the table and started eating, Peter could feel his mom’s impatience overflowing, so he wasn’t surprised when only a couple minutes later, she gave in and dropped the bomb.

Said bomb immediately started some very spirited discussions of who exactly their cousin was and why none of them had known about him before. So spirited in fact that Peter was thankful when his family’s focus switched to his dad when Harold mentioned that he was the one who had first told him about their uncle Philip’s existence.

Peter had been glad for the reprieve as, even knowing that his family meant well and with Nick’s supporting hand on his thigh, it had been stressful to be the subject of so many questions at once.

In the end, though, he ended up slipping outside again after his mother, backed by everyone present, insisted that meeting Buck as soon as possible was a priority, so Peter absolutely needed to call him back immediately to arrange things with him.

As he waited for Buck to pick up, he couldn’t help but laugh at his niblings crushed against the windows watching him eagerly.

“Peter? I didn’t expect you to call back so soon. Is something wrong?”

“Everything’s fine, don’t worry,” Peter hurried to reassure Buck, turning his back to the front of the house to avoid being distracted by the shenanigans going inside. “It’s just that I talked to Mom like I said, and, as I expected, it turned into a whole family thing.”

“What do you mean?”

“Apparently, being deprived of a nephew/cousin for so long isn’t acceptable, so they want to meet you as soon as possible. And since I made the mistake of saying that you actually had at least a week off for Christmas this year, I’ve been tasked with asking you if you have anything planned for it and, if not, to tell you that you’re more than welcome to spend the holidays with us.”

“Wait? What? Why would they want to do that?” Buck asked, flabbergasted.

“Because you’re family, and they are dying to meet you. Count yourself lucky that you are in LA, or you would have been invited to the Sunday family lunch next week.” Peter chuckled. “But since you’re so far away, Mom had to make some concessions considering the organizational issues.”

“But why Christmas? It seems like a time you wouldn’t want a stranger to intrude.”

“First, you wouldn’t be a stranger. You are my friend and an actual part of our family, even if we didn’t know about it until recently,” Peter said firmly. “As for Christmas, did I never mention Mom’s obsession with it? It’s her favorite time of the year, and the more people she has to inflict her cheerfulness and Christmas spirit on, the better for her. Which means that I would personally be grateful to have one more person to dilute her attention.”

Buck laughed before answering, “Okay, that sounds both delightful and frightening.”

“That’s exactly what it is. See, you already fit in!”

“I would love to meet you all, but I had already planned to spend Christmas with Eddie and Christopher, and I can’t just cancel on them like that.”

“Right. About that,” Peter interceded. “Mom anticipated this hiccup and said you’re more than welcome to bring your family, aka the handsome brunet and his adorable child, with you. In fact, I think she expects it as she would love to have another ‘grandchild’ to dote on and is counting on you to provide that for her since Nick and I are pretty happy with only Emmett for now.”

“What do you mean your Mom anticipated it? How did she know who I was going to spend Christmas with?”

“Buck, have you looked at your private Insta recently?” Peter laughed.

“You know how regularly I post, Peter.”

“No, I mean, have you looked at it as a whole? You know what? Just humor me and look at it now.”

“Mmm, why not. Let me put you on speaker,” Buck finished absently.

Peter waited patiently for his reaction. He knew what Buck would see as his mother had drawn his attention to it only a few hours ago: most of Buck’s publications were of Eddie and Christopher. Even the ones they weren’t in contained some mentions of them in the tags or comments. As a result, even a stranger had to immediately realize how close the three of them were.

“Alright, I see how your Mom got to that conclusion.” Buck chuckled after a couple of minutes of silence. “I’m so used to only people I know having access to that account that I don’t curtail what I post like I do with my public account, and I hadn’t realized the impression it could give.”

“That’s fair. Now, what should I tell my mom?” Peter said.

“Well, I’ll ask Eddie, but I can’t guarantee anything. I promised Chris I would spend Christmas with them, so if Eddie or him aren’t up for it, I will have to visit another time.”

“I can certainly understand that since I wouldn’t want to spend the holidays without Nick either.”

“Oh, I meant to ask earlier, but how is he doing? And is the store still growing as expected?” A smile grew on Peter’s face as he started telling Buck all about how his favorite human and his ‘baby’ were doing. If there was one topic he was always more than happy to discuss, it was one of those.

***

“So, remember how you encouraged me to call Peter to get copies of those pictures?” Buck asked as they put away the groceries after their run to the store.

“Yes?” Eddie encouraged.

“Well, I called yesterday, which led to Peter talking with his family, and now I need to ask you how attached you are to spending Christmas in California?”

“How… attached? I’m going to need an explanation, Buck. Why would we spend Christmas anywhere but California? Especially since I really don’t care about going to El Paso to spend time with my sister’s future in-laws, and Abuela is planning to spend it with Pepa’s family this year.”

“Peter apparently wasn’t joking about his family being ‘extra’. From what he told me, they got really excited upon learning about me and want me to come to spend Christmas with them.”

“That’s great! You should definitely go. A full family Christmas is something everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime, and you know you’ll have allies in Peter and Nick there,” Eddie encouraged him. “I still don’t get your question, though. Chris and I were looking forward to spending Christmas with you, but it’s no trouble for us to celebrate on our own this year.”

“I know, but I also know that, even if he would understand, Chris would be really disappointed since I promised him to be there. Also, don’t tell me you haven’t noticed he has already started making plans about what we should do during our time off.”

Eddie chuckled. “Oh, no, I noticed alright. But he already knows that life can’t always go the way he wants, so he will be able to adapt to being Buck-less for a week.”

“What if he doesn’t have to?” Buck suggested.

“Go ahead,” Eddie said, intrigued.

“If you both came with me, none of us would have to be without the others. Because I really wanted us three to spend Christmas together too.”

“Buck,” Eddie interrupted, ”It’s not that I don’t want to, god knows I’ve been dead curious about your newfound family as well, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable imposing on strangers like that. Especially during such a hectic time as Christmas.”

“I know, Eds, I usually wouldn’t be either. But this invitation isn’t even really from me. According to Peter, one look at my personal Insta was enough for his mom to decide that I should bring my family along. I hadn’t realized, but you and Chris have kinda taken over my wall. Which, considering how much time we spend together, isn’t that surprising,” Buck concluded with a light-hearted chuckle.

“Well, you’re a great person, and since my kid impressed on you too, there wasn’t any way I wasn’t keeping you,” Eddie teased.

“I was happy to be kept,” Buck affectionately answered as they shared a smile. “But anyway, Peter was clear that you two were more than welcome to come along. And I admit that I wouldn’t be against having the support.”

Before Eddie could answer, Christopher joined them in the kitchen. “Where do you need us to go with you, Buck? Cause we’re going, right, Dad? We can’t leave Buck alone if he needs support!”

“I’m not sure yet, champ.”

“But why?” Chris complained curiously.

“Even if we were invited, it’s still pretty far away, and I’d have to see if we can afford it,” Eddie explained.

“Is it farther away than Grandma and Grandpa’s?”

“A lot farther away. Buck’s cousins live on the other side of the country, in New Hampshire, near New York.”

“Oh…”

Before Christopher could come up with more questions, Buck half choked with laughter, “Oh my god! I can’t believe them.”

“What is it?” Eddie asked.

“Well, Peter’s mom has been prodding him for my answer since we talked last week, even though he told her I hadn’t decided yet, so he finally gave in and agreed to pass on her arguments as to why all three of us should come.”

“Which are?”

“Are you sure you want to know? If they are enough to convince you or Chris, you won’t be able to hold it against me,” Buck said, half-joking.

Eddie’s head tilt and raised eyebrow made clear what he thought of that, so Buck laughed and turned his phone towards them, showing them a picture of a big family house buried under snow and Christmas lights.

“The first one is a white Christmas, as shown from this photo they took last year.”

“Oh, that looks so cool! We’ve never had snow for Christmas,” Chris exclaimed.

Buck’s answer to Eddie’s sigh at his son’s enthusiastic reaction was to send his friend a huge and shameless smile before getting to Peter’s next text.

“The second bonus of Christmas in Bridgewater seems to be Peter’s niblings, Simon and Sam, who are respectively 10 and 8, and whom Carole thinks Christopher would get along great with.”

“Dad! They have a dog that looks just like Emmett!” Chris pointed out excitedly, looking at Eddie for a second as if making sure he had seen it before he focused back on the picture.

“You want to know why their dog looks like Emmett, Superman?” Buck asked, waiting for Christopher’s eager nod to continue. “Well, that’s because he isn’t exactly their dog. He is actually Nick’s. And guess who Nick is?” Buck asked, deliberately avoiding looking at Eddie, who had to know where this was going as they had talked about it before.

“Isn’t he your friend Peter’s boyfriend?” Christopher frowned.

“He is. But he is also Nick Addams, the author of ‘Saving Emmett’. So his Emmett, the Emmett in the picture, is the real Emmett of the book,” Buck said nonchalantly, perfectly aware of the bomb he had just dropped and that Eddie had now lost any chance of refusing to come with them. And the man was definitely aware of it, as Buck could see him sigh and rub his face with his hand.

“Really??!! Dad! That’s my favorite book!”

“I know, Chris. Believe me, I know.”

“Can we go, Dad? Please? Getting to meet the real Emmett would be the best present ever!” Christopher asked, jumping in place and his arms flailing around in excitement.

“I can’t promise you anything right now, kiddo. I’ll have to discuss some details with Buck first. Would you mind playing in your room while I do that?”

“Of course!” Chris answered, giving both his dad then Buck a short hug before leaving the kitchen.

“You know this is unfair, right? Using my kid against me?”

“I’m fully aware of it, Eds, but I have no regrets. I even warned you ahead of time!” Buck laughed. “Also, I wouldn’t have taken that risk if I hadn’t researched that we could afford it before broaching the subject with you. It’s early enough that tickets won’t be too expensive yet and I even have enough miles to easily use them for Christopher’s. Which means that we only have our own tickets to worry about.”

“Buck…” Eddie sighed.

“I know. You don’t like charity,” Buck agreed. “But this isn’t charity. It’s me doing my part to allow your kid, which I love like my own, as you well know, to experience something he wouldn’t otherwise. So just count it as a Christmas present.”

Thankfully for Buck’s nerves, Eddie’s deliberating stare soon melted into a fond smile as the other man shook his head and came closer to draw Buck into a tight hug.

“I have no idea what we did to deserve you, but I’ll always be glad that we get to have you in our life.”

“Just as I am to have you both in mine,” Buck answered as he tightened his own arms around Eddie to prolong the embrace.

A moment later, once he felt Eddie relax, Buck loosened his own hold and pulled away to ask cheekily, “So, I can text Peter that all three of us will come?”

“Yes, you can, you idiot.” Eddie snorted before heading towards the door with a teasing, “And in the meantime, I’ll tell my spoiled child that he once again gets what he wants!”

“Chris is spoiled just as much as he deserves!” Buck called out behind him with a laugh.

Chapter Text

Peter had been taken by surprise at how fast the last of fall had gone by. Part of it could be that he hadn’t experienced the season’s change in New Hampshire in years and had been surprised by how fast winter had set in.

But another part of him was also pretty sure that his mother’s excitement about the holidays had been part of it. Christmas Carole had appeared very early and in extra exuberant mode this year since, according to her, Buck’s first Christmas with them had to make up for all the ones he had ‘missed’.

While it hadn’t been a walk in the park, he was happy to have managed to curb some of her more extravagant ideas with his sisters’ and Nick’s help. He was pretty confident that Buck and Eddie wouldn’t have thanked her for completely redecorating the guest room in red and green tinsel, buying dozens of gifts for Christopher, or making all three of them a different sign to greet them each morning.

Thankfully, their efforts were coming to an end as the three Californians had finally arrived, and Peter had gone to greet them with his dad and help them bring their luggage inside.

As they went up the porch towards the door, Harold having gone ahead to open it, Peter could hear his nephews calling out excitedly, “They’re here! Mom! They’re here!”

“Boys, calm down!” Ashleigh, Peter’s sister, asked with a laugh. “We need to let them come in before assaulting them. No need to be so impatient, they are staying for a while!”

“But, Mom! We want to meet Christopher!” Sam said.

“And you will, sweetie. Once they’ve had some time to settle down a bit and we’ve eaten, as I’m sure they are just as hungry as you were complaining about ten minutes ago. Now, move out of the way. You know Christopher may be using his crutches, and if so, he doesn’t need to have to slalom around you two as well.”

From the corner of his eyes, Peter saw Buck and Eddie exchange a glance, their shoulders relaxing somewhat, and he smiled, happy to see that this first meeting of their families was starting under favorable auspices.

He was even happier when his impression was confirmed, and the initial introductions flew by in joyful chaos, as did the small tour of the house Peter’s parents took Buck and his Diazes on before they all sat down at the table to eat.

To no one’s surprise, Simon, Sam, and Christopher had also immediately become thick as thieves and had asked permission to leave the table to play together as soon as their plates were empty.

That had been hours ago, and even though everyone had been done eating for a while, they were all still around the table, quietly talking together while keeping an ear out for the children. Even his mother had finally sat back down with them after cleaning the dishes, which had made Buck relax as well.

His cousin had tried to help, but Carole had been adamant that, as a guest, he was to enjoy his time in her home and not do anything. For a guy as used to doing things himself and helping others as Buck was, it had been a struggle, but Eddie’s hand on his shoulder and the gentle shake of his head had seemed enough to convince him that it wasn’t worth the fight.

The twins hadn’t been as lucky and had been recruited to help, but it had also given them an excuse to settle on the kitchen barstools, seemingly focused on their phones.

This shouldn’t have been anything unusual, but they were behaving just strangely enough that Peter was getting suspicious. Knowing them, the looks and whisperings he had been witnessing since they left the table had little chance of not having ulterior motives.

“So, girls, what are you two up to? Anything I can join in?” He asked as he stopped on his way back from the restroom and leaned on his elbows on the other side of the kitchen counter, making both of them jump in place.

“Uncle Peter! Don’t do that!” Sofia whisper-shouted.

“And why shouldn’t I? Are my favorite nieces hiding something?” Peter teased.

“We are your only nieces,” Daniela stated in her habitual unimpressed teenager tone.

“That doesn’t mean you aren’t my favorites,” Peter smiled and shrugged nonchalantly before resting his hand on his folded hands. “Now, what are you up to? I want to know all the gossip!”

After another exchange of looks and nods, Daniela admitted, “Well, we have another project, thanks to you, so we’re working on it.”

“Another project? What do you mean?” Peter frowned.

Both girls looked at him incredulously before raising an eyebrow and gesturing toward the table in concert.

“I still don’t get your point?”

“Oh, come on! You have to have noticed!” “They’re just as bad as you and Nick!” Daniela and Sophia said simultaneously.

“Buck and Eddie? You haven’t even known them for a day!” Peter asked, bewildered. “We want them to like our family! There’s no need to already be doing this kind of craziness!”

“Uncle Peter,” Daniela said, very self-assuredly, “We know what we’re doing. After all, weren’t we and Grandad the first to notice how much you and Nick loved each other? the ones who managed to make you realize it.”

“Besides, have you really looked at them?” Sophia took over just as confidently. “They have been all over each other since they got here. Don’t tell me that ‘just friends’ really lean into each other’s body space quite this way! Or look at each other so intimately!”

“And the smiles!!” Daniela pointed out, Sophia nodding along. “Those aren’t ‘we are friends’ smiles. They are ‘I love you stupid’ smiles!”

“First, stop it with the air quotes if you want to stay discrete.” Peter sighed. “Second, I’m not saying I disagree with what you’re saying. Just that I’m not sure this is the time and place.”

Peter already had his suspicions before Buck and Eddie came to Bridgewater, so he knew what the twins were seeing. The two men didn’t seem to notice, but there were clear signs of their closeness in how they interacted and leaned into each other.

Eddie filling his glass and Buck’s without asking.

Buck’s acceptance of it and the soft brush, almost caress-like, of his hand on Eddie’s arm as if to thank him while he continued talking.

Buck’s enamored smile as he watched Eddie talk about Christopher and the way he himself talked about both Diazes.

Their casual ending of each other’s sentences as if they had been together for years…

All of it just reminded Peter of how similarly Nick and he often interacted.

Even more so when Eddie said something that made Buck burst out laughing and almost spit his drink on the table. Which only caused Eddie to smugly look at him while putting an arm over the back of Buck’s chair as the other man answered something quietly before doubling back in laughter and hiding his face into Eddie’s shoulder.

Sofia and Daniela's “See” looks were so loud that Peter knew he had lost this fight. Besides, he could see the poetry and appeal in succeeding in getting them to admit their love for each other the way it had happened for him and Nick.

“Just promise me you won’t do anything without talking to Nick or me,” he yielded before straightening up to return to the table.

***

“Can you tell me why I agreed to do this again?” Nick murmured, tilting his head toward Peter.

“Because we like Eddie and Buck and want to make sure the twins don’t go overboard. And because you love me,” Peter added, his hand cupping Nick’s face to turn it fully and press their lips together.

But they were soon interrupted by Sofia’s imperious “Uncle Peter, as cute as you two are, we aren’t here for that!” and they separated, resting their forehead together as they chuckled.

“Yeah, I want to know why we are in Grandma’s craft room when we could be playing Legos,” Simon asked, Sam and Christopher nodding beside him.

“We are here, dear cousin, because we saw something we require your help with,” Sofia explained.

“What would you need our help for?” Chris frowned. “You’re older than us, almost adults even!”

“Well, teamwork makes the dream work. And this may require quite a bit of effort since they haven’t managed to figure it out on their own,” Daniela took over. “But thankfully, we’ve got some experience with this kind of situation, thanks to Peter and Nick here, so it shouldn’t be too much trouble.”

“Dani, you still haven’t told us what you need us for!” Sam complained.

“It’s quite simple. We need to help Eddie and Buck realize they are in love. And, Chris, since you know them best, we want to ask you what you think would work or not,” she said.

“I’m all for that plan! I’ve been trying for months, but it’s like they don’t even understand what I’m trying to do.” was Christopher’s immediate enthusiastic reaction. “I even asked my therapist about it, but he said I should be patient and give them time. And also to not get my hopes too high because what I wanted may never happen.”

“Your therapist was right. It’s usually best to keep out of those situations as there may be some factors we don’t know and why we insisted that you all had adult supervision if you wanted to try this. We don’t want to push Eddie or Buck too far and get the opposite of what we actually want,” Peter said, making eye contact with each of the children to check that they understood how serious he was.

“All the better for everyone to chimp in with their ideas. The more options we have, the more chances,” Daniela concluded.

“But no blind dates!” Nick intervened.

“Ugh, no. Who do you take us for? Grandma?” Sofia groaned, making Peter and Nick laugh and share fond smiles. That blind date may have been a bit ill-thought, but it was one of the best things that had happened to them, and Carole could have chosen someone a lot worse than James, who they had, in fact, kept in touch and become friends with.

“I have an idea! What if they went on a date with Uncle Peter and Uncle Nick? Maybe it could inspire them?” Sam piped up.

“A double date? You may have something here, little cousin,” Sofia said, turning to Nick to ask expectantly. “You’ll do it, of course, right?”

Nick put his hands up in defense and laughed. “I’m never against going on a date with Peter. But I don’t know that it will quite work how you want it to as we’ve had lunch out with them in LA before.”

“Maybe it will, maybe it won’t.” Daniela shrugged. “A lunch out isn’t exactly the same as a real dinner date, so I think it’s still worth a try. If you made sure to bump up your usual overly smitten-with-each-other behavior, it should be enough. Have they gone on proper dates with another couple before, Chris?”

“I don’t think so,” the boy answered, his eyes squinting in thought and his finger on his lips, “When they go out, it’s mostly to bring food back home or because they’re going with Bobby, Hen, Chimney, and the others. And I know neither Buck nor Dad have been on a date of their own for a while since I overheard them talking about how annoying dating was and how they were happy not to bother with it for the moment!”

“Perfect! So that’s our first action. What else?” Sofia asked.

“What about making it so they have to sleep in the same bed? You know? Like you did to Uncle Peter and Nick?” Simon suggested.

“I knew you did that on purpose!” Peter accused.

“Of course, you knew. It’s not like we were being very subtle,” Daniela dismissed nonchalantly with a handwave.

“I don’t know how you did it last time, but I don’t think making Dad and Buck sleep in the same bed would help,” Christopher said. “They already do it all the time when they are too tired at home. I often find them cuddled together on the couch or on Dad’s bed when I wake up before them.”

Peter sent a look to Nick, squeezing the hand he had been softly stroking with his thumb since Nick had laid it down on his thigh earlier. If the kids’ scheming didn’t work, one of them really needed to have a talk with Eddie and Buck.

Their ease with each other could be purely platonic of course, but when one took all the signs into account, it really didn’t point in that direction.

***

Even though Buck had trusted Peter enough to use Christopher to compel Eddie into agreeing to come with him to meet his newfound family, he had never dreamed of his two families fitting so well together.

Not only had all the New Hampshire Buckleys been so welcoming and accepting that he had gotten whiplash from it the first two days, but one could have never guessed from their behavior that Christopher and Eddie weren’t actually related to them.

Oh, the lot could definitely be a bunch of meddling busybodies, just as Peter had warned him, but it was clearly meant with good intentions, and they were pretty good at respecting boundaries, so it was hard to really be mad at them for it.

Being the focus of so much attention did get tiring though, so Buck was glad to have been able to escape for a bit of quiet time in the living room with his morning's drink of choice, a gingerbread latte that Carole had insisted he needed to try.

Not that she had needed to insist that much, as she and Harold had some great coffee recipes as well as one Christmas coffee blend that he had fallen in love with. So much so, in fact, that he was determined to ask them for the ingredients to be able to make his own at home, as it was much too delicious to be left only for Christmas time and visits here.

In the meantime, he was happy to be snuggled sideway on the couch, both legs folded up in front of him, breathing in his drink, lost in thoughts, as he watched the boys play in the snow in the front yard.

“Well, look who made himself comfy. I like your setup,” Eddie said as he entered the living room and followed Buck’s silent invitation to sit facing him on the other side of the couch after taking off his mandatory Christmas sleepers.

“It’s a great place to watch the kids while doing some quiet thinking,” Buck smiled at him.

“And what kind of thinking are you doing?”

“Just, you know, wondering what kind of life I would have had if my parents hadn’t severed all contact with Harold and Carole,” Buck admitted pensively. “But at the same time, I’m glad they did since I’m not sure I would have become a firefighter in LA otherwise. And without that, I don’t know that I would have met you and Christopher.”

“Who knows? It could have still happened. Peter ended up in LA for quite a few years after all, so you could have too.” Eddie shrugged with a smile.

“True,” Buck chuckled. “I do wonder what motivated him to go so far from his family with how close they all are, though.”

“It could be just that, them being so close. Needing some distance from them could be understandable, even with how well-meaning they are. God knows I love my parents, but distance really helped me keep liking them. Peter could have felt something similar. Or he just had an opportunity and wanted to explore the world. You won’t know unless you ask him.”

“Do you think you’ll ever move back to Texas?” Buck asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence as they observed Christopher, Simon, and Sam switch from their snowball fight to building a snowman.

“Mmm, I don’t know. A lot of my family still live there, so the possibility is here. But right now, our life is in LA, and there would have to be imperious circumstances for me to make that decision and tear us away from our home,” Eddie answered, nudging Buck’s feet with his. “What about you? Any thought of moving here?”

“Nah, my life is in LA too,” Buck assured, taking advantage of Eddie’s nudge to tuck his feet under his. “I’m happy I came to visit, but I’m even happier that you and Chris came along, as I think I would have been lost without you. They are just so different from what my mother and father were growing up that to think that Harold and my father are actual brothers seems unbelievable sometimes. For example, if I had brought a man home, he would have never been as accepted as Nick is.”

“They are homophobic?” Eddie frowned.

“They would tell you that they aren’t, but they had their expectations, and me being gay or bi was never a possibility in their minds. So I chose to keep the peace and only brought women home. By the time I had lost any care for their opinions, I had already decided to run away, so I never got to see their reactions to me bringing a man home. While I don’t believe they would have thrown me out or anything, I wouldn’t have expected any kind of warm welcome from them, and it’s just another difference with how Carole and Harold are. Because I could definitely see myself presenting a man to them.”

“And do you have anyone in mind?” Eddie asked, his voice strangely hoarse.

“Not really. I’m happy enough with how things currently are,” Buck said. “Besides, their welcome of you already exceeded all my expectations, and you’re one of the most important persons in my life. I don’t see how they could top that.”

Buck could see that he had somehow surprised Eddie with that, but before he could answer or react in any meaningful way, the front door opened, and Simon called out for them, “Buck! Eddie! We need help to get our snowman’s head on top of his body!”

It seemed like the kids had decided that the two adults spying on them through the window had had enough quiet time and needed to be back on duty. Children playing in the snow waited for no one!

***

Christmas day had gone by and it had been just as Buck had imagined, full of cheerful exclamations, excitement, laughter, and love.

Per Peter’s insistent instructions, Buck and Eddie had only brought one small gift for each of the children. They had initially argued about it, but Peter had been adamant that the whole family considered their visit already enough of a gift for the adults, especially with how late the invitation had been decided and how expensive the travel was.

So after getting the guarantee that the lack of gifts would be mutual, they had relented, only deciding to circumvent the decision a bit by bringing a small LA ornament for Harold and Carole as a thank you for hosting them during their stay.

Buck didn’t know why it hadn’t crossed their minds that Christopher would be exempt from the no-gift rule since he was a child, though. The boy had been quite spoiled, even if the other Buckleys had thankfully made sure it was things that wouldn’t take too much room in their luggage or be too heavy.

All in all, this had really been a celebration like Buck was only used to seeing in movies, especially as he was usually working on Christmas day, and knowing that they were going back to LA in a couple of days was a bit bittersweet.

Flying to New Hampshire for the holidays with Eddie and Christopher had been one of Buck’s best decisions of late, but he hadn’t expected it to cause the resurgence of some thoughts he had been avoiding for a while.

In addition to the scenery change, everyone’s insistence on him and Eddie exploring Bridgewater and the surrounding area to “enjoy their break to the fullest” had indeed not been without consequences. Not when they had also often insisted on Christopher staying with Simon and Sam, leaving Buck and Eddie to spend most of their “well-deserved adult” time alone together.

Buck had been perfectly happy with his relationship with Eddie, but witnessing how Peter and Nick were together and how very similar yet slightly different it was to how he and Eddie were had made Buck yearn to experience the same thing.

He had never been self-conscious about his relationship with Eddie before, but now, after days of being in such close proximity - aggravated by the fact that everyone seemed to have decided they needed to sit next to one another as much as possible - every little touch felt somehow daring and so filled with potential that Buck almost couldn’t deal with it.

Still, he was determined to make the most of the time they had left in Bridgewater, so he was currently headed towards Christopher’s room to get his Diazes and hopefully convince them to build yet another snowman with him.

The front yard was already home to what was starting to be an army of those, but Buck knew that neither Harold nor Carole would care. On the contrary, they had been encouraging it all week, even suggesting that some snowdogs or snowcats wouldn’t go amiss.

A smile appeared on Buck's face as he came up the stairs and heard Eddie’s and Christopher’s voices coming from the open bedroom. However, he decided to hang back out for a bit when he realized Christopher was talking about Shannon. It wasn’t something that came easily for the boy, and Buck didn’t want to stop him in his tracks if he had found the courage to do it.

“Dad, do you think Mom would mind that I’ve been having so much fun with you and Buck and Simon and Sam and everyone?”

“Why would she? You know she wanted you happy more than anything,” Eddie reassured him immediately. “That she can’t be here in person anymore would never change that.”

“I don’t know.” The wobbliness of Chris’ voice made Buck want to come out to hug him. “It’s just that people always say you should spend time with your family for Christmas, but I don’t really want to if Buck isn’t with us.”

“Hey, kiddo, nobody but us gets to say who is part of our family. You and I are the only ones who get to make that decision, so if you and I both feel like Buck is a part of our family, then he is, and that’s it.”

When a moment had passed without him hearing anything else, Buck decided it was safe to come in.

Just as he reached the door and noticed Eddie and Christopher hugging on the bed, Chris spoke again, his head still tucked into Eddie’s shoulder, “Dad, you know how you told me that Buck would be my parent if something ever happened to you? Why can’t he be my second dad now already?”

A small gasp escaped Buck before he could stop it, making Eddie and Christopher turn their heads toward him.

“So I guess you heard that?” Eddie, some apprehension visible on his face.

“I’m not quite sure I understood right, though. You made me Chris’ guardian if you died? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Would it reassure you to know that it was a recent change?” Eddie asked as he turned fully on the bed, one arm still over his son’s shoulder, squeezing it gently to reassure him. “Remember Christopher’s classmate, Tanya? I was talking to her mother one day, and she mentioned how hard filling and getting the paperwork approved had been but how relieved she was to be done and to have the assurance that her parents would never be allowed to have custody of Tanya and her brothers. It struck something in me, and I knew I had to make sure that Chris would be left with you and not with my parents if anything ever happened to me. So I guess it was another win for therapy managing to make me more self-aware.”

“But why didn’t you tell me?” Buck insisted. “It can’t be because you were afraid I would reject it, can it?”

“Of course not!” Eddie immediately denied as he stood up and came closer to Buck, who was still only a few feet inside the room. “I know how much you love Chris. I’ve known for a long time. And even if I didn’t, the tsunami proved it without any room for doubt.”

Buck turned his eyes to the side, still unable to accept Eddie’s gratitude for what happened during the tsunami despite how much he had discussed it with his therapist.

It was only when he felt Eddie’s hand on his cheek, gently turning his head back, that Buck accepted to look at him again.

“The only reason I didn’t tell you was that I didn’t want you to feel obligated to change anything in how we are together. You’re already one of my best friends and my best ally and partner where Christopher’s care is concerned. I was happy to content myself with that.”

“And you aren’t anymore?” Buck breathed softly, unsure what to believe.

“Well, if that’s all you’re ready to give us, I’ll happily take it. But the last few days have made me hope we could have more? That I could have more?” Eddie asked, his eyes not letting go of Buck’s and his thumb absently rubbing against Buck’s jaw.

“I would never deny you anything if I have the capacity to give it to you,” Buck admitted. “So if you’re ready for more, I’m ready for more as well.”

As they leaned slowly towards each other, Buck letting Eddie’s hand guide him, his own hand having come up to cup the other man’s neck, Christopher reminded them that they weren’t alone in the room when he whisper-shouted, “Dad! You forgot the important part! You need to tell him ‘I love you’! It’s important!”

“Well, if it’s important, I better do it,” Eddie snorted before his voice gained back its seriousness, “I love you, Evan Buckley. More than I thought I ever could,” and he finally locked their lips together.

Buck allowed himself to forget their surroundings, surrendering himself to the feel of Eddie’s lips against his and the way their breaths melded as they kissed, only reluctantly letting go when the other man went to pull away.

“I love you too, you know. Love you so much,” Buck whispered as they rested their heads together.

“So, that means I get to have Buck as another dad straightaway, right?” Christopher asked as he lost his patience and came to their sides, holding on to their legs and looking up at them with eyes full of happiness and hope.

“I guess you can have a late Christmas present and get a Buck-shaped dad this year,” Eddie answered with a chuckle as he drew them both into a proper three-way hug, making Buck tear up and hide his smile into the boy’s soft and curly hair.

Coming to Bridgewater was definitely the best decision he could have ever made.