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Buck closes the door softly, gently hangs up his keys and jacket, takes his shoes off without making a sound, and only then does he walk further inside.
His shift ended up lasting 40 minutes longer than expected due to a call they received half an hour before they were due to leave. It’s now 09:15 p.m., so he’s officially late for bedtime and the routine leading up to it.
Huffing in annoyance because he hates with a passion missing all these moments, he tip-toes to Seb’s room, wanting to kiss him at least goodnight even if he’s asleep.
When he is near his room, though, Buck's eyebrows go up when he sees the light coming from the ajar door and hears the soft and lovely murmurs of the two people he loves more than anyone in the world.
The furrow in his eyebrows and tension in his shoulders leave him completely when he peeks inside.
The sight that greets him melts his heart and brings tears of happiness to his eyes. He still can’t believe that this is his life, that he gets to have all of this. Not only does he have the unconditional love of a wonderful man who makes Buck fall in love with him every single day, but he also has a family. He has a son who they love so much, who brightens their lives every day, and who has created in them a sense of devotion they’d never experienced before.
Tommy is lying down on Seb’s bed, his feet and part of his lower legs sticking out of it, and little five-year-old Seb is cuddled up on his side, his head resting on Tommy’s chest. Seb keeps blinking, clearly trying to stay awake, as Tommy reads him a bedtime story.
Buck pays attention to what Tommy is saying and smiles as he recognizes the story.
“I have discovered that the bees are now definitely suspicious,” Tommy reads, adding inflection to his voice and acting out the scene a bit.
Winnie-the-Pooh, Buck thinks. Seb is completely obsessed with Winnie-the-Pooh, always asking to watch the movies, always picking that book for them to read, and wanting toys of all the characters.
Noticing that Tommy and Seb are snuggled up underneath the white and purple blanket that Tommy knitted for Seb, Buck steps back from the door and as quickly as he can without making a sound, goes to look for the green and white knitted blanket Tommy made for him.
Tommy began knitting after being injured during a call, which forced him to spend months on bed rest. When he started to feel completely restless after one month, Buck helped him brainstorm hobbies that would keep him occupied without risking further strain on his injury. Tommy eventually decided to try knitting and he took it like a duck to water. Soon, the two of them sitting side by side on the couch or the bed, Tommy knitting away while Buck gets lost in one of his deep research spirals on his laptop, became a familiar sight.
After they met Sebastian, a two-and-a-half-year-old with two of his front teeth missing and the sweetest smile in the world, it was love at first sight for both of them. His adoption process was long and torturous. There were moments when they thought they would not get to take him home with them. Refusing to be negative about it and needing to do something with all his anxiety, Tommy knitted Seb a blanket with his favorite color for him to use whenever he wanted it.
The first time Seb stepped foot in his bedroom and Tommy gave him the blanket, he hugged it to his chest, exclaiming that it was ‘soft and pwety’ and since then refuses to sleep without it. Tommy might have cried in Buck’s arms later in their bedroom but that will stay between them forever.
Buck approaches the bedroom with the blanket in his arms, hearing Tommy continuing with the story.
“So, while you walked up and down and wondered if it would rain, Winnie-the-Pooh sang this song…” Tommy reads, and Buck can hear the smile in his voice.
Knowing this part from memory, Buck steps inside and joins in singing the song, "How sweet to be a Cloud, floating in the blue! Every little cloud always sings aloud. How sweet to be a Cloud floating in the blue! It makes him very proud to be a little cloud!”
“Daddy!” Seb yells, sitting down and opening his arms for a hug.
“Hi, baby boy!” Buck beams at him and kneels on the bed to put his arms around him in a tight hug.
“Well, now he will not fall asleep at all,” Tommy says, dryly, but when Buck looks at him from Seb’s shoulder he is smiling.
“Sorry,” Buck says anyway, letting go of Seb. “But… why isn’t he asleep yet? Did bedtime run late?”
“We was waiting for you!” Seb announces.
“Were you?” Buck asks in a singsong manner before starting to tickle him.
Seb’s laughter fills the room and Buck feels weightless and just full of love.
“Papa, save me!”
“I shall do so, my Prince Sebastian!” Tommy says firmly before tickling Buck.
“No! That’s cheating! Stop!” Buck laughs.
“Leave Prince Sebastian alone and I shall stop,” Tommy chuckles.
“Alright, alright, I give up, I give up!” Buck yells, raising his hand and stopping his tickling.
Tommy stops too and they all fall down on the bed, catching their breaths, a few chuckles escaping each of their throats.
“Now, he will definitely have trouble falling asleep,” Tommy says, quietly.
“We’ll just have to read him another bedtime story!” Buck replies, smiling at Seb who nods enthusiastically.
Picking up the green and white blanket that fell on the floor, Tommy looks at him and with a smile says, “I have an idea.”
Buck carries Seb, snuggled all up in his purple blanket, to their bedroom, while Tommy turns off the light and closes the door.
Seb is gently and playfully tossed onto the center of their bed, which causes him to giggle in the most endearing and adorable way ever. Buck settles down on his left side and Tommy lies down on his other side, carefully spreading Buck’s green blanket so that the three of them are bundled up together under its warmth and softness.
“Now, which story would you like us to read to you?” Buck asks Seb while carding his fingers through his dark brown hair.
“The story of the two knights!” Seb replies, moving his body excitedly.
Tommy and Buck share a look and a smile before Tommy says, “Ok, the story of the two knights it is.”
Buck gets comfortable, resting his head on the pillow and wrapping one of his arms around Seb’s stomach, knowing that Tommy loves to tell this particular story.
“Once upon a time,” Tommy begins in a dramatic voice. “There was a group of knights that needed some help with rescuing their King Robert and Queen Athena. The knights, named Evan, Edmundo, Henrietta, and Howard, traveled from the 118 Kingdom to the Kingdom of Harbor in search of someone brave and courageous to help them.”
“And they find the bravevest, yes, papa?” Seb asks, nodding.
“That they did, sweet boy, that they did,” Tommy answers softly before continuing with his special acting voice. “In the wonderful Kingdom of Harbor…”
Buck rolls his eyes and chuckles.
“They find the person they were looking for.”
“Knight Thomas!” Seb says, loudly, taking one of his arms out of the blankets and raising it as if it had a sword.
“That’s right!” Tommy continues, watching fondly as Buck grabs Seb’s arm and holds his hand. “Knight Thomas, the most courageous of them all, immediately offers to help them find their King and Queen. Especially after noticing how important they are to Knight Evan, to whom Knight Thomas wants to see smile and make happy.”
Hiding a smile in Seb’s hair, Buck stretches his arm and squeezes Tommy’s hand.
“But not everyone at Harbor was happy with that decision, not wanting to take the risk and fearing the worst. So, without anyone knowing it, Knight Thomas and the other Knights ride one of the big dragons of the Kingdom and go in search of the royals.”
“A golden dragon?” Seb asks, voice soft, and Buck knows that it won’t be long until he falls asleep, thankfully.
“Yes, a gold dragon,” Tommy replies, smiling and caressing Seb’s cheek. “The knights fly through heavy storms and they fight some evil forces and just when they think all hope is lost, they see them… the King and Queen!”
Seb blinks his eyes, nodding sleepily.
“While Knight Thomas makes sure to lead the dragon where they need to, the other knights jump in to save the royals,” Tommy carries on, voice growing quiet and quiet. “He’s scared for Knight Evan but soon realizes he is a wonderful and brave knight.”
Buck looks as Tommy continues telling Seb the story of how they met and he can’t help but fall in love all over again. Their love has gone through so much and has grown so big that Buck knows that whatever might come their way, they will get through it together.
They are a family now, and Tommy is such a great dad, so loving, patient, and strict when he needs to. Looking at him now, Buck knows that it’s time to have the talk about adopting a new kid, make their family bigger.
“Knight Thomas kisses Knight Evan’s hand and promises to always be there if he ever needs him. Knight Evan, brave and cheeky as he is, gives Knight Thomas a kiss on the cheek and declares that they are meant to be.”
Tommy gazes at Buck with a smirk, knowing that in this tale he skips several parts of their relationship but it does have the same ending.
“And after that, they fly into the sunset together and live happily ever after.”
Sharing a smile, they both carefully move and lean in for a short and sweet kiss.
“Well, he’s asleep, alright,” Buck whispers, kissing Seb’s forehead.
“It always works like a charm,” Tommy chuckles lowly.
Buck nods and then says, “I love you!”
“I love you too,” Tommy replies, as always. “Goodnight?”
“Yes, goodnight!”
“Sweet dreams, baby boy,” Tommy whispers to Seb, passing his hand through the top of his head. “Sweet dreams, love,” he says to Buck.
“Sweet dreams, sweetheart,” Buck blows him a kiss with a wink and then whispers the sentiment back to Seb.
Turning off the light, Buck closes his eyes, knowing that he will sleep peacefully with his family by his side.