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Athena and Bobby’s house was alive with the warmth of Christmas. The smell of roasted turkey filled the air, mingling with the scent of cinnamon candles and the crackling fireplace. Laughter echoed as kids darted between the adults, dodging under legs and nearly toppling the carefully arranged buffet on the dining table.
Chris was at the center of it all, keeping pace with Denny, Harry and Jee-Yun, his crutches barely slowing him down. Every so often, he glanced toward Eddie and Buck, who were standing together near the tree, sipping cocoa and watching the chaos unfold.
“You think Jee’s gonna knock over the ornaments first, or is it Harry?” Buck asked, grinning.
“My money’s on both,” Eddie replied, nudging him lightly with his shoulder.
Nearby, Hen, Chimney and Karen were deep in conversation with Athena about holiday traditions. At one point, Hen’s eyes darted toward Eddie and Buck, a mischievous glint forming. She tapped Chim on the arm, whispering something that made him laugh loud enough to draw attention.
“What’s so funny?” Athena asked, crossing her arms with a smirk.
“Oh, just a little holiday fun,” Hen said, pulling a sprig of mistletoe from her pocket. “Now, watch and learn.”
She strode across the room, waving the mistletoe in the air. “Hey, Buck! Eddie! Catch!”
Buck instinctively reached out, catching the mistletoe, but before he could process what was happening, Hen grinned and called out, “You know what that means!”
Eddie blinked at the sprig in Buck’s hand, then at Hen, who was already laughing. “Seriously?”
“It’s tradition,” Karen chimed in, smirking. “You wouldn’t want to upset the Christmas gods, would you?”
Buck glanced at Eddie, his cheeks already flushed. “Uh…”
Eddie shook his head, a small, knowing smile playing on his lips. “What do you think, Buck? Wanna make Hen’s day?”
Buck’s eyes darted nervously around the room, but when they landed on Eddie, his shoulders relaxed. “Why not?”
The room went quiet as Eddie leaned in, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to Buck’s lips. Cheers and applause erupted, led by Hen and Chimney’s enthusiastic hollering.
Chris grinned from where he was sitting on the floor with Jee-Yun. “Told you!” he said loudly, causing the adults to laugh even harder.
When Eddie and Buck finally pulled apart, still blushing, Bobby stepped forward with a warm smile. “So, I guess this is the official announcement?”
Eddie wrapped an arm around Buck’s shoulders, holding him close. “Yeah. Buck and I have been together for a while now.”
Buck added, “We weren’t exactly hiding it… but we weren’t sure when to bring it up.”
Bobby’s face softened and he clapped a hand on Buck’s shoulder. “You already told me, so I’ll just say what I did then—I’m proud of you, son.”
Buck’s eyes glistened and he nodded. “Thanks, Bobby.”
Athena stepped in next, her expression full of warmth. “You two make a good team. And it’s clear you’re both happy. That’s what matters.”
Hen crossed her arms, smirking. “About time. The rest of us have been waiting for this moment forever.”
Chimney nodded in agreement. “Seriously. There were bets. Karen and I are a little richer now, thanks to you two.”
Karen rolled her eyes but smiled. “We’re happy for you. Truly.”
Chris walked up then, his grin practically glowing. “I already knew and I think it’s awesome!”
Eddie crouched to meet his son’s eye level. “You sure you’re okay with it, mijo?”
Chris nodded so enthusiastically his glasses nearly fell off. “Duh, Dad. Buck’s family. He always has been.”
Buck knelt beside Eddie, ruffling Chris’s hair. “Thanks, buddy. That means a lot.”
Hen raised her glass. “To Buck and Eddie! Finally making it official and giving us all the best Christmas surprise.”
“To Buck and Eddie!” everyone echoed, raising their glasses in cheers.
As the night carried on, the laughter and warmth of family surrounded them. Buck and Eddie sat together on the couch, Chris leaning happily against them and for the first time, they felt like everything had fallen perfectly into place.
“Merry Christmas, Eds,” Buck whispered, pressing a kiss to Eddie’s temple.
Eddie smiled, holding Buck’s hand tightly in his. “Merry Christmas, Ev. Couldn’t ask for a better one.”
The house was finally quiet as the night wound down. Most of the guests had gone home and the lingering ones had retired to their rooms for the night. Eddie and Buck were staying in the guest room at Athena and Bobby’s, Chris tucked away in another room down the hall.
As they settled into bed, Eddie stretched out on his side, his head propped up on his hand as he watched Buck climb in beside him. Buck flopped onto his back, letting out a satisfied sigh.
“That was… a lot,” Buck said, turning his head to look at Eddie, a soft smile tugging at his lips.
Eddie chuckled. “Yeah, it was. But a good kind of a lot.”
Buck rolled onto his side to face him, their faces just inches apart. “I can’t believe Hen actually pulled out mistletoe. Of course she did.”
“Are you mad about it?” Eddie asked, his tone teasing but his eyes searching Buck’s face.
“Mad? No.” Buck grinned. “Just surprised. I mean, I thought we’d eventually tell everyone, but I didn’t expect it to happen with half of the 118 and their families watching us kiss in the middle of a Christmas party.”
Eddie laughed softly, brushing his fingers along Buck’s arm. “Well, it worked out, didn’t it? Everyone was happy for us. Chris especially.”
“Yeah,” Buck said, his smile softening. “I loved seeing how excited he was. And Bobby… when he called me ‘son’ again…” Buck trailed off, his voice thick with emotion.
Eddie reached out, cupping Buck’s face. “He loves you, Buck. We all do.”
Buck leaned into Eddie’s hand, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them again. “I just… I never thought I’d have this, you know? You. Chris. This whole family. It’s more than I ever dreamed of.”
Eddie’s expression grew serious as he shifted closer, their foreheads nearly touching. “You deserve it, Buck. You’ve been there for me and Chris through everything. You’re not just part of our family—you’re the best part.”
Buck’s eyes glistened and he laughed softly, trying to lighten the moment. “You’re gonna make me cry, Diaz.”
Eddie smirked. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”
Buck let out a breathy laugh, shaking his head. “You’re impossible.”
“I’m yours, though,” Eddie said quietly, his voice full of sincerity.
Buck’s breath hitched and he leaned in, kissing Eddie softly. “And I’m yours.”
They lay there in comfortable silence for a while, their hands tangled together under the covers. Finally, Buck broke the quiet.
“So… what do you think Chim meant when he said there were bets?”
Eddie groaned, burying his face in the pillow. “I don’t even want to know.”
Buck laughed, pulling Eddie closer until his head rested against his chest. “Guess we’re gonna have to deal with that when we get back to the firehouse.”
Eddie’s voice was muffled but playful. “If Chimney starts teasing, I’m blaming you.”
“You kissed me first!” Buck protested, grinning.
“Yeah and you didn’t complain,” Eddie shot back, his tone light and affectionate.
Buck pressed a kiss to the top of Eddie’s head, his voice softening. “Never. I’d never complain about you.”
Eddie looked up at him, his heart full. “I love you, mi amore.”
Buck smiled, his eyes full of love. “I love you too, Eds.”
They drifted off to sleep like that, wrapped in each other’s arms, knowing they had nothing to hide anymore and everything to look forward to.
The house was silent except for the faint creak of the floorboards and the occasional rustle of blankets. Eddie and Buck had been dozing off when the soft sound of crutches tapping against the floor broke through the quiet.
Eddie stirred first, blinking sleepily as Chris appeared in the doorway, his hair sticking up in all directions. “Mijo? What’s wrong?”
Chris shifted on his crutches, looking at them with wide, sleepy eyes. “I couldn’t sleep. Can I stay with you guys?”
“Of course, buddy,” Buck said immediately, sitting up to make space. Eddie moved over, patting the mattress as Chris carefully climbed in between them, settling snugly under the covers.
Chris yawned, his head resting on Eddie’s shoulder as he blinked up at Buck, his voice drowsy but curious. “Buck?”
“Yeah, kiddo?” Buck asked softly, brushing a hand over Chris’s messy curls.
Chris’s words came out slow, like he was fighting to stay awake. “Can you adopt me now? Like, officially? So you can be my dad too?”
Buck froze, his breath catching in his throat as he looked over Chris’s head to Eddie. Eddie’s eyes were wide, glistening with unshed tears, his hand instinctively tightening around Chris’s shoulder.
“Chris…” Eddie started, his voice thick with emotion.
Chris shifted, snuggling closer to Eddie as his eyes drifted closed. “We can talk about it in the morning, right?”
Eddie swallowed hard, his voice barely a whisper. “Yeah, mijo. We’ll talk about it in the morning.”
Within moments, Chris’s breathing evened out and Eddie and Buck realized he’d fallen back asleep. Buck was still staring at Eddie, his own eyes glassy with tears. “Eddie…”
Eddie reached across Chris, his hand finding Buck’s. “I know,” he said, his voice breaking. “I wasn’t expecting that.”
Buck let out a shaky laugh, wiping at his eyes with his free hand. “Eds… I can’t even—” He trailed off, emotion choking his words. “You’d really be okay with that?”
Eddie nodded, his own tears slipping free. “You’ve been a dad to him in every way that matters, Buck. He loves you so much. And so do I.”
Buck tightened his grip on Eddie’s hand, his tears falling silently as he glanced down at Chris, who was snuggled between them, completely at peace. “I love him so much, Eds. I didn’t think I could feel like this about anyone, but you and Chris… you’re my whole world.”
Eddie leaned over Chris, brushing his lips softly against Buck’s. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow, okay? Together.”
Buck nodded, his heart full as he whispered, “Okay.”
Chris shifted slightly in his sleep, mumbling something unintelligible and both men couldn’t help but laugh quietly through their tears.
As Chris settled again, Eddie and Buck lay there, holding hands over Chris’s sleeping form, letting the weight of his words sink in. The future suddenly felt brighter, more certain and impossibly full of love.