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“-and a Happy New Year!”
The last notes of Buck and Tommy’s voices faded, though their blinding smiles stayed on their faces. Going caroling had been Buck’s idea. After actually going to karaoke trivia with Tommy, and subsequently realizing that he had an amazing voice, actually, (“Evan, I sound like a drowning cat.”) Buck had sprung the idea on him the moment Halloween had ended. Tommy had shot it down at first, but after Buck had let the puppy dog eyes play and told him it would be for charity, he had quickly caved.
“Thank you for listening,” Buck said, holding out the donation box he’d carried around all day. “We’re collecting for Claws & Paws Animal Shelter, and were wondering-”
“You assault my ears like that, and then expect money? Pah!” the elderly lady they’d sung to exclaimed, and unceremoniously slammed the door shut, the gust of wind it created strong enough to make the pom-pom at the end of Buck’s Santa hat sway a little.
He flinched just the slightest bit at the sound, his jaw going slack. What the fuck? Who did shit like this?! Who just slammed the door in the faces of carolers for charity?!
“Hey, can you believe-!”
Full of righteous indignation, he spun on his heel, fully expecting Tommy to be as perplexed and furious as he himself was. But he wasn’t. Not even a flicker. Instead, Tommy’s bottom lip was caught between his teeth, his shoulders shaking with barely contained laughter, the reindeer antlers perched on his head wobbling with every tremor.
“I’m sorry, you think this is funny?”
Tommy tried, truly, to hold it together, but as soon as Buck’s voice hit that incredulous pitch, the dam broke. His laughter came out in a loud burst, echoing through the quiet neighborhood, the Christmas lights from every house bathing the street and driveways in an explosion of colors. He doubled over, clutching at his knees for support.
“Tommy!” Buck protested, his cheeks flushing as red as his Santa hat. “That was so rude! We’re collecting donations for animals and she just-!” he started wildly gesturing toward the woman’s door. “Who does that?!”
“I—” Tommy wheezed, holding up a finger to try and stop Buck’s tirade, though it was a futile effort. “I know! I know it was rude, but—” He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. “I half-expected her to yell out ‘Bah, humbug!’ or something, not gonna lie!”
Buck folded his arms over his chest, glaring at Tommy as he straightened up, still grinning like a kid who’d just witnessed a pie to the face. “Oh, so now you’re just making jokes about it? Great, I’ll add that to the list of how seriously you’re taking this very important charitable mission.”
“Evan,” Tommy managed between lingering chuckles, “I am taking it seriously, okay? But you gotta admit”—he waved a hand toward the offending door—“it’s like something out of a Christmas Special on Netflix or something. You, me, the singing, the door slamming? It’s classic.”
“It’s not classic! It’s mean!” Buck huffed, his brow furrowing deeply. “I don’t get why you’re not as mad as I am that she’s ruining this!”
Tommy’s grin softened, and he stepped closer, pulling Buck in by the hips for a small kiss. Almost forgetting that he was still pissed, Buck melted into Tommy’s embrace and more than welcomed his lips on his. Almost instinctively, he reached up to tangle his fingers in Tommy’s short curls, the rest of his lingering rage melting away like snow in Spring.
“Baby,” Tommy said gently after pulling away, his and Buck’s foreheads still resting against one another, “we’re doing this for the shelter, not for us. If someone doesn’t want to donate or hear us sing, that’s on them. We’ve got a whole street full of doors to knock on. One rude lady isn’t gonna ruin this.”
Buck sighed, leaning into Tommy’s reassuring warmth and resting his head on Tommy’s shoulder. “You’re right. I just... Why did she have to be so cruel? Especially when it’s Christmas! It’s supposed to be about love and kindness!”
“I get it,” Tommy said, brushing a thumb over Buck’s cheek, causing a faint blush to appear in its trail. “And that’s why I love you. You care so much it hurts when people don’t care back. But don’t let one…sour note… ruin our… song… or something.”
Buck blinked, a beat of silence ringing between them before he chuckled weakly, shaking his head. “How do you always do that?”
“Do what?”
“Say stuff that’s both cheesy and weirdly profound.”
Tommy grinned. “It’s a gift.”
“Well, you can wrap it up and put it under the tree for all I care,” Buck teased, stepping out of Tommy’s arms but still holding onto his hand. “We’ve got a shelter to raise money for!”
“That’s the spirit, Santa Buckley.”
“Don’t push it.”
🎅🏻🎄🎅🏻🎄🎅🏻🎄🎅🏻🎄🎅🏻🎄🎅🏻🎄🎅🏻🎄🎅🏻🎄
“-Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, you’ll go down in history!”
Thankfully, things had looked up after Grandma Scrooge (as Buck had begun calling her), and most people were not only positively elated by his and Tommy’s (in Buck’s opinion frankly amazing) singing, but also happily donated for the shelter. Buck felt validated. He’d always believe that humanity was inherently good, and no amount of Grandma Scrooge would ever change that.
“Yay!” the little girl (Buck figured she was around six or seven) who stood in the doorway with her father cheered, her tiny hands barely visible beyond a blur with how fast she was clapping. “Anchor! Anchor!”
Buck blinked, his Santa hat tilted slightly from where he’d instinctively crouched down to be at eye level with the girl. “Anchor?” he repeated, sharing a quick, puzzled glance with Tommy, who shrugged, his reindeer antlers wobbling.
The little girl’s father chuckled warmly and reached down to ruffle her hair. “I think Sadie means encore,” he explained with a wink. “Don’t you, kid? You wanna hear another one?”
Sadie’s eyes widened, and she nodded so vigorously her pigtails bounced. “Yes! Another one! Pleeeease!”
Buck’s face lit up like the Christmas lights strung along the porch behind them. He glanced at Tommy, who gave a half-grin and an exaggerated shrug as if to say, Well, who are we to deny a request from a superfan?
“Alright,” Buck said, straightening his Santa hat and clearing his throat with theatrical flair. “One more song, just for you, Sadie.”
Tommy leaned closer and muttered, “Make it good, or she might start throwing tomatoes.”
Buck snorted, elbowing him lightly before launching into a boisterous rendition of Jingle Bells. Tommy quickly joined in, his voice harmonizing perfectly with Buck’s. Sadie clapped along, her grin as bright as the star on a Christmas tree, while her father chuckled and nodded in rhythm.
As the song ended with an exaggerated flourish—Buck down on one knee, his arms spread as far as they could and Tommy bowing low enough that his nose almost touched the ground—Sadie burst into giggles, her tiny hands thundering in applause.
“You guys are so good!” she squealed. “Like, better than TV people good!”
“Well, you hear that?” Buck said, beaming as he turned to Tommy. “We’re officially better than TV people.”
“High praise,” Tommy agreed, eyes twinkling. “Guess we’ll have to put ‘professional carolers’ on our resumes.”
Sadie’s dad fished a bill out of his wallet and dropped it into the donation box with a smile. “Thanks for making her night. And thanks for doing this—it’s a great cause.”
“Thank you,” Buck said earnestly. “Every bit helps keep those animals warm and fed.”
The dad nodded, and Sadie waved energetically as they closed the door. Buck and Tommy turned to head down the driveway, but Buck paused halfway, glancing back toward the house.
“You know,” he mused, “maybe this whole thing is like a Netflix Christmas special.”
Tommy raised an eyebrow. “Oh? How so?”
Buck gestured dramatically. “We’ve got the grumpy villain, the precocious kid with a heart of gold, the two unlikely, yet very handsome heroes spreading cheer—” He turned to Tommy, a mischievous glint in his eye. “All that’s missing is the romantic subplot.”
Tommy stopped, looking pointedly at the hand Buck had slipped into his own. “I’m sorry, what exactly do you think this is?”
Buck laughed, his cheeks flushing pink as he twirled Tommy into a hug and connected their lips. The kiss was chaste, and sweet, almost like the hot chocolate Tommy always insisted they drink while watching all his favorite Christmas movies, but Buck savored every second of it just the same as if it was a more passionate, fiery one. “Why, thank you for asking!” he said after pulling back, rubbing their noses together. “We are not a subplot! We are the dashing protagonist in a Santa hat, and the love of his life wearing reindeer antlers.”
Tommy smirked, his arm loosely draped around Buck’s shoulders as they made their way down the driveway. “Love of his life, huh? That’s a bold claim.”
“Not bold, dramatic,” Buck replied with a wink, his hand sliding into the backpocket of Tommy’s jeans. “As Netflix Christmas Movies tend to be.”
Tommy chuckled and shook his head, the sound a symphony rivaling any of Tchaikovsky’s pieces that frequently made their way through the Holidays to Buck’s ears. He leaned into Tommy, resting his head on his boyfriend’s shoulder, to bask in his shoulder, which Tommy instantly rewarded with a kiss to Buck’s hair.
“So what you’re saying is that I’m the manic pixie dream guy you’re leaving your neglectful boyfriend for, right?”
“No, I’m the overworked businessman from the city who tries to buy your bakery for a big chain, only for you to show me the magic of Christmas!”
“...do we bang in the bakery?”
“Obviously, why else would it even be there?”
🎅🏻🎄🎅🏻🎄🎅🏻🎄🎅🏻🎄🎅🏻🎄🎅🏻🎄🎅🏻🎄🎅🏻🎄
“We’ve got a good amount today!” Evan exclaimed as they walked off the driveway of yet another house they’d sung for. He weighed the donation box in his hands, and nodded, a satisfied smile creeping onto his face. “How about we stop for today and hit Altadena tomorrow? Christmas Tree Lane is the perfect place, right?”
Tommy nodded, shoving his hands into his pockets to keep them warm. The chill of the December night was starting to seep through his jacket, but he couldn’t help but grin as he watched Evan’s enthusiasm bubble over. Even after hours of caroling, he looked like he had enough energy to run a marathon, a trait of his that Tommy loved as much as it frustrated him sometimes. It was part of that unbeatable Golden Retriever personality (Hen and Howie’s words, not his) that had drawn Tommy in from basically the moment they met.
“Christmas Tree Lane?” Tommy asked, rubbing his chin to feign skepticism. “Yeah, people there are probably in the holiday spirit. We’re probably gonna have some steep competition, though.”
Evan raised an eyebrow at him. “Not competition, kindred spirits! Other carolers who collect donations for causes they’re passionate about, just like us!”
Tommy’s grin softened into a fond smile. Of course Evan thought about not just their cause, but about other’s as well. He was competitive, sure, but not when it came to charity. Tommy felt a familiar warmth start in his chest, the same one that always seemed to take over when Evan showed just how unabashedly compassionate he was. Not for the first time, it hit Tommy that he was in love with Evan, which used to terrify him. Now, though, it filled him with hope that this was it, that he had found his person, that this was his life for the rest of time.
“Besides,” Evan now added, his voice dropping and his lips curling into a conspiratorial smile, “Christmas Tree Lane is super romantic.”
Tommy raised an eyebrow with a low hum. “Romantic, huh? You’re planning on using the charity gig as an excuse to make out under the lights?”
Evan shrugged with an innocent smile that didn’t fool Tommy for a second. “What’s Christmas without a little romance? Besides, I’m sure Claws & Paws would approve.”
Tommy laughed, shaking his head. “You’re unbelievable.”
Evan leaned in and pressed a kiss to Tommy’s cheek. “You love it.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Tommy said, his grin softening into something more genuine. “I really do.”
They made their way back to Tommy’s truck, the donation box settled on Evan’s lap as Tommy started the engine. Evan absentmindedly hummed a Christmas tune, tapping his fingers on the dashboard, and Tommy couldn’t help but watch him out of the corner of his eye. The way Evan’s face lit up when he talked about the animals they were helping, the way his energy seemed to warm even the coldest night more than any fireplace ever could…it was impossible not to fall deeper and deeper in love with him.
As they pulled onto the main road, Tommy reached over and gave Evan’s knee a squeeze. “Hey.”
Evan turned, his face still glowing from the love and support people had shown them tonight. “What’s up?”
“I just want you to know,” Tommy said, his voice quieter now, “that you’re kind of amazing.”
Evan blinked, caught off guard by Tommy’s sudden show of sincerity. “Me? What about you? You’re the one who agreed to do this with me, antlers and all.”
Tommy chuckled. “Yeah, but this is your thing. You’ve got this huge heart, and you’re out here doing something about it. Most people wouldn’t.”
Evan’s cheeks flushed, and he looked down, suddenly shy. “Nah, I’m sure they would,” he mumbled. “I’m not special.”
Tommy smiled, moving his hand off Evan’s knee to grab his hand. “Most people wouldn’t,” he reiterated, giving Evan’s hand a gentle squeeze. Evan looked up at him, his eyes shining like a pair of sapphires. “And even if they did, you’d still be special, Evan. Special to me.”
Evan’s breath hitched, and Tommy could see the faintest hint of tears glistening in the stunning blue of his irises, but he quickly wiped them away with his sleeve. “Damn, you…uh, you sure are sappy tonight.”
A soft chuckle rang from Tommy’s throat, and he brought Evan’s hand up to his lips to quickly brush a kiss to his knuckles. “I’m just feeling the Christmas spirit, sweetheart. Thanks to you.”
The rest of the drive passed in comfortable silence, the kind that came easily between them. When they finally pulled up to his house, Tommy killed the engine but didn’t move to get out right away. Instead, he turned to Evan, his eyes serious.
“Tomorrow,” he said, “we’re gonna make it the best night yet. For the animals, for Christmas… and for us.”
The smile Evan gave him was soft and small, but to Tommy, it might’ve been the most precious treasure on the planet, even rivaling the Crown Jewels themselves. “Deal. But only if we share a huge cup of hot chocolate after.”
“Obviously,” Tommy replied, leaning over to steal a quick kiss. “With extra extra marshmallows, even.”
Evan laughed as he climbed out of the car, Tommy following shortly after. As they made their way inside, Tommy felt a warmth that had nothing to do with the heater or the lingering taste of their kiss. He had to make sure tomorrow would be magical as could be, just for Evan. After all, Christmas was about love, joy, and making memories with the people you cared about most. The people that made life worth living.
And if a few kisses under the lights of Christmas Tree Lane happened to be part of that? Well, that was just the marshmallows in the hot chocolate.