Chapter Text
Buck had awoken something in Eddie. Sure, sex was okay before, but nothing like this.
They wake up at midnight and Eddie gets an amazing, if someone was sloppy and lazy, half asleep blow job from Buck. Better than any blow job he’s ever had.
Three hours later, they’re both awake again, Buck sucking on Eddie’s chest while his fingers perform magic on his ass. Eddie comes from the sensation alone, never even having his dick touched once.
Which leads to now, 6 am and Eddie is sitting on Buck’s lap, getting fucked within and inch of his life.
“That’s it, just like that,” Buck says, leaning forward and kissing Eddie’s shoulder, his hands still on his hips guiding Eddie up and down at a steady pace.
“Fuck-“ Eddie groans, bitting down on Buck’s shoulder to keep from making too much noise. “I’m so close.”
“Me too,” Buck says before pulling Eddie into another feverish kiss. “Reach between and grab your dick.”
Eddie does as he’s told, something he’s come to realize he enjoys, a lot, and strokes himself in time with Buck’s thrusts, both of them coming quickly afterwards.
Buck pulls out of Eddie but they stay there, tangled in each other, breathing heavy. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Eds. So much.”
Eddie isn’t usually one to wrap his Christmas presents. He’s more of a “nice box or bag” kind of guy—quick, easy, and no tape required. But this year, Buck had insisted on wrapping everything. Eddie had agreed, mostly because Buck seemed genuinely excited about the idea, and Eddie figured it wouldn’t be much of a hassle. After all, Buck had two functional wrists at the time and had confidently declared he’d handle the wrapping for both of them—except for his own gifts, of course.
That was before Buck’s ice skating accident, which left him sporting a cast and strict orders from the doctor not to overexert himself. Now, instead of Buck breezing through their wrapping duties, Eddie is stuck being the designated wrapper while Buck tries to teach him how to do it properly from the couch.
And it’s going about as well as you might expect.
“Okay, no, no, no—stop right there,” Buck says, holding up his good hand like a referee calling a foul. “You can’t just crush the paper down like that. It’s supposed to be smooth and flat, Eddie.”
Eddie glares at the mangled sheet of wrapping paper spread across the coffee table, one edge jagged from his less-than-graceful attempt at cutting it. “It’s not supposed to be perfect, Buck. It’s wrapping paper. It’s gonna get torn off in two seconds.”
“Yeah, but it’s about the presentation!” Buck protests, leaning forward despite his doctor’s orders to stay still. “Here, let me—”
“Sit back,” Eddie orders, pointing a finger at him. “You’re on the injured list, remember? No unnecessary movements.”
”I think wrapping presents the correct way is a perfectly necessary movement.” Buck grumbles and Eddie gives him a pointed look.
Buck grumbles but complies, slumping back against the couch cushions. “Fine. But at least fold the edges neatly. No one likes sloppy corners.”
“I don’t think Denny is going to care if his new LEGO set has sloppy corners,” Eddie mutters under his breath, carefully folding one side of the paper over the box. It’s not exactly neat, but it’s close enough. Probably.
Buck groans. “You’re missing the point! Wrapping gifts is about showing you care. It’s, like, a love language.”
Eddie pauses, his hands hovering over the roll of tape. He glances over at Buck, whose face is flushed—not from the heat of the fire crackling in the nearby fireplace, but from his stubborn determination to turn this into a teachable moment. “You’re ridiculous, you know that?” Eddie says, though there’s no real bite in his words. If anything, he sounds a little amused.
“And yet you love me anyway,” Buck shoots back with a grin.
“Yeah, well, your charm is wearing thin,” Eddie says, but he can’t stop the corners of his mouth from twitching upward. He grabs the tape dispenser and tears off a piece, slapping it onto the paper with more force than necessary. “There. One beautifully wrapped gift, courtesy of Eddie Diaz.”
Buck leans over to inspect the package, his eyebrows furrowing in mock disapproval. “I’d give it… a seven out of ten.”
Eddie rolls his eyes. “You’re lucky I don’t make you wrap the rest with your teeth.”
Buck laughs, the sound warm and bright in the cozy living room. “Don’t tempt me. I’d probably do a better job.”
“Yeah, sure,” Eddie says, grabbing another box and a fresh sheet of wrapping paper. “Let’s see how long it takes before you start criticizing this one.”
As Eddie fumbles with the paper and Buck offers increasingly unhelpful advice, Christopher wanders in from the kitchen, holding a mug of hot cocoa. He takes one look at the chaotic scene—the scraps of wrapping paper littering the floor, the roll of tape stuck to Eddie’s sleeve, Buck gesturing wildly with his good hand—and shakes his head with a smile.
“You guys need help?” he asks, setting his mug down on the table.
“Please,” Eddie says immediately, tossing the tape to Christopher. “Save me.”
Buck gasps in mock offense. “Hey, I’m teaching him valuable life skills here!”
Christopher grins, picking up a roll of wrapping paper. “Yeah, sure. Valuable life skills. Like how to not tape yourself to the present.”
Eddie groans, but he can’t help but laugh along with Christopher and Buck as they dive back into the wrapping chaos together.
“Okay, seriously, we have to be at Maddie and Chim’s house in an hour and a half. I’m pretty sure I still have bags left over from last year. Let’s just use those!” Eddie declares in frustration, tossing down the half-wrapped princess carriage for Jee-Yun.
It’s been less than ten minutes since he started attempting to wrestle with the odd-shaped toy, and already, his patience is wearing thin.
“You would deny my niece the pure, unfiltered joy of ripping into wrapping paper just because you want to give up?” Buck fake gasps, clutching his chest with dramatic flair.
Eddie glares at him, gripping the scissors a little tighter, wishing he had something less sharp—but just as throwable—within reach. He settles for a withering look instead. “I will make you sleep on the couch tonight.”
Buck grins, unbothered, and plops down beside him. “Oh, come on. Wrapping gifts is supposed to be fun! Look at it this way, every badly wrapped gift builds character.”
“Or raises questions about how I survived the last 30 Christmases,” Eddie mutters.
“Give it here, Dad,” Christopher interjects from his spot at the coffee table. Eddie hesitates for a second, then hands over the gift, relieved to pass on the burden.
In what feels like mere seconds, Chris wraps the awkward present with impressive skill, folding the paper neatly and taping it with precision. Eddie stares, flabbergasted.
“See? Easy,” Chris says with a satisfied smile, placing the now-wrapped gift to the side. “Why don’t you go get dressed? Buck and I can handle the rest.”
Eddie glances down at himself, confused. “I am dressed.”
Chris raises an eyebrow—a look so eerily Buck-like that Eddie wonders if there’s some blood relation he doesn’t know about. “That’s what you’re wearing?”
“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” Eddie asks, frowning as he looks down at his plain gray sweater and jeans.
“There’s nothing wrong with it,” Buck chimes in, leaning back on his hands as his eyes scan Eddie from head to toe. A mischievous glint flickers in his gaze. “It just doesn’t scream Christmas.”
Eddie narrows his eyes at him. “What, you want me to wear one of those ridiculous sweaters with a reindeer or lights on it?”
“I mean, if the sweater fits,” Buck teases.
Chris grins, jumping in. “Or a Santa hat. You’d look great in a Santa hat.”
“You two are impossible,” Eddie groans, throwing his hands up as he stands.
“We’re festive,” Buck corrects.
“And right,” Chris adds, smirking in triumph.
Eddie sighs as he heads toward his bedroom. “Fine. But if I hear even one joke about how I look, I’m returning your presents.”
“We wouldn’t dare!” Buck calls after him, though his laughter suggests otherwise.
Chris chuckles and picks up another gift to wrap. “You know he’s not going to wear the Santa hat, right?”
“Without a doubt,” Buck replies with a grin, reaching for the tape.
Eddie can tell that Buck is nervous about being in a room full of his chosen family with his parents, which is why Eddie gave in so easily to the ugly Christmas sweater suggestion from him. It’s just a regular black crewneck, but it’s got the classic tacky sweater pattern. The centerpiece? Santa’s reindeer pulling a fire engine instead of a sleigh. He thinks he might have gotten it as a White Elephant gift last year.
“Why do your parents call you Evan?” Chris asks from the back seat, his curious tone cutting through the quiet drive.
“They don’t really like nicknames,” Buck explains, his voice light but strained.
“But they call Maddie, Maddie,” Christopher points out matter-of-factly.
“Maddie is her full name,” Buck sighs, glancing at Eddie with a tired smile.
Chris pauses for a moment, then shakes his head decisively. “Okay, well, I’m not calling you Evan. That’s just weird.”
Eddie chuckles, reaching over to rest a steadying hand on Buck’s knee as they approach Maddie and Chim’s house. “For the record, I know I’m supposed to respect my elders, but I really don’t like your parents, Buck.”
Buck laughs, his tension easing slightly. “Trust me, kid, I barely tolerate them myself. Good thing we only have to see them once in a blue moon.”
As Eddie pulls the truck into the driveway, he scans the scene like it’s a mission, making sure they have a clear path for a quick getaway—just in case. He knows how overwhelming this kind of gathering can be for Buck, especially with his parents in the mix.
Eddie steps out, opening the door for Chris before circling around to grab the pile of presents they’d brought along. He hands a few to Buck, who looks at them like they’re both a burden and a lifeline.
From the looks of things, they’re the last to arrive. Eddie has a sneaking suspicion Buck might’ve “accidentally” told him the wrong time to cut down on his exposure to his parents.
The door flies open before they even reach it, Maddie practically pulling Buck inside. “Thank God you’re here! Mom is criticizing everything,” she groans, throwing her arms around her younger brother.
Eddie exchanges a knowing look with Buck before leaning down to Chris. “Why don’t you go find Denny and see what he’s up to?” he suggests. Chris nods, eager to escape the grown-up drama.
Eddie drops the presents he’s carrying by the tree and heads toward the kitchen, where Hen, Karen, and Chim are standing with drinks in hand.
“Hey, guys,” Eddie greets them warmly, hugging each one before grabbing one of the pre-poured cocktails. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas!” Chimney says with a grin, then raises an eyebrow. “But you’re late.”
Eddie smirks, taking a sip of his drink. “Don’t blame me. Pretty sure Buck had some strategic time adjustments to limit his parental exposure.”
“You mean he told you the wrong time on purpose?” Hen snickers, leaning against the counter. “Smart move. His mom’s been in rare form tonight. Critiquing everything from the food to Chim’s Christmas lights.”
“Hey, my lights are a work of art!” Chim protests.
Eddie shakes his head, his eyes drifting toward Buck, who is currently being fussed over by Maddie and trying to avoid his mother’s sharp gaze.
“Yeah, well, it looks like he’s gonna need all the backup he can get tonight,” Eddie says. “Good thing he’s got us.”
“Always,” Karen agrees, raising her glass. “To chosen family.”
“To chosen family,” Eddie echoes, clinking his glass with theirs before taking another sip and mentally preparing to step in if Buck needs rescuing.
“So, Edward.” Margaret tries to make small talk.
“My name’s not Edward.” Eddie says, taking a sip of his drink.
“Well, then what is Eddie short for? Surely that’s not your legal name.”
“It’s just Eddie,” He smirks, watching her face scrunch up.
“So, anyway.” She says, shaking her head. “What does your son think about all of this?”
“The Christmas party? I’m pretty sure any teenager likes being somewhere with free food and an unlimited dessert.” Eddie knows that’s not what she meant, but he’s getting a kick out of messing with her.
“No,” she sighs. “I mean, what does he think about your relationship with my son?”
“His name was on the top of the list for the betting pool on how long it would take for us to get together, I’d say he’s pretty okay with it.”
“You don’t think a boy his age needs a mother?” Margaret asks and Eddie wonders how Buck ever became the man he is today, cause it sure as hell wasn’t from her guiding hand.
“Chris had a mother, and she died. He’s been doing pretty okay since then, so no, I don’t think he needs a mother.”
Eddie finishes his drink and set the empty cup in Margret’s hand, patting it once before walking away.
Eddie walks back into the living room, spotting Buck standing near the tree, a soft smile playing on his lips as he watches Christopher, Mara, Jee and Denny compare their piles of unwrapped presents. The warmth radiating from Buck’s expression makes Eddie’s chest tighten in the best way.
“Hey,” Buck says softly when Eddie approaches. “How’d it go with my mom?”
Eddie shrugs, slipping an arm around Buck’s waist. “We had a… spirited conversation. Don’t worry, though—I held my ground.”
Buck chuckles, leaning into Eddie’s side. “I’m impressed you lasted as long as you did. She can be relentless.”
Eddie presses a kiss to Buck’s temple, his voice low. “She doesn’t bother me, Buck. She doesn’t get to define us—or how happy we are.”
Buck tilts his head up, eyes bright despite the lingering tension in his posture. “You’re way too good to me, you know that?”
“Yeah, well, you’re worth it,” Eddie replies, his tone casual but the sentiment unmistakably sincere.
Before Buck can respond, Maddie appears with two glasses of champagne, handing one to each of them. “To surviving Margaret Buckley,” she toasts with a wry smile.
“To surviving Margaret,” Eddie agrees, clinking his glass with hers, now realizing hers is probably apple juice and not champagne.
“And to this guy,” Maddie adds, nodding at Buck. “Because no matter how hard Mom tries, she can’t dim the light you bring to all of us.”
Buck’s cheeks flush as Eddie squeezes his side. “Hear that?” Eddie teases. “You’re the life of the party, even with a bum wrist.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Buck mutters, though his smile says he’s more touched than he’s letting on.
They all raise their glasses, taking a sip before Buck pulls Eddie toward the couch. “Come on,” he says. “Let’s open some presents. Chris is already ahead of us.”
Eddie wakes up the next morning, his limbs all tangled up in Buck’s but he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Good morning,” Buck says, squeezing Eddie’s and kissing the top of his head. “Merry Christmas!”
Eddie turns his head to kiss the middle of Buck’s chest. “Merry Christmas.”
“Ready to go watch Chris unwrap the ten million presents we ended up buying him?” Buck chuckles, remembering how they had to stay up well into the middle of the night to wrap the presents for Chris, not realizing how many they’d bought between the two of them.
“Well, he only has Christmas as a 14 year old once,” Eddie shrugs and sits up. “Might as well make the most of it.”
There’s a knock at the door and Eddie chuckles, pulling Buck up into a sitting position.
“Are you guys coming, or am I opening all these amazingly wrapped presents myself?”
“Just a second!” Eddie yells back, grabbing a t-shirt out of his dresser and throwing it on before tossing another one to Buck.
“Come on, our kid is waiting.”
The living room was a cozy mess of torn wrapping paper, empty boxes, and ribbons strewn across the floor. Chris was sitting cross-legged in front of the tree, carefully examining the instruction manual for the new Marvel LEGO set Eddie had been sure would take him weeks to finish. Buck was sprawled on the couch, his injured wrist resting in his lap as he sipped hot cocoa from a festive mug, a soft smile on his face.
Eddie glanced between them, his chest tightening with a mix of nerves and excitement. He reached behind the couch, pulling out one last small, neatly wrapped gift. For once, he’d taken the time to make sure it was wrapped perfectly—no jagged edges or wrinkled paper.
“Hey, Buck,” Eddie said, his voice just a little too casual. “There’s one more gift.”
Buck looked up, surprised. “What? I thought we finished unwrapping everything.”
“Not everything,” Eddie said, stepping closer and handing the package to Buck.
Buck raised an eyebrow as he set his mug down and carefully took the gift. “What is this? Did you get me socks?” he teased, though there was a curious glint in his eyes.
“Just open it,” Eddie said, sitting down next to him.
Chris paused his LEGO assembly, watching them with quiet interest.
Buck carefully tore into the wrapping paper, revealing a simple black folder. He glanced at Eddie, then back at the folder, flipping it open. His brow furrowed as his eyes scanned the contents, and then his breath caught.
“Eddie…” Buck’s voice was barely above a whisper as he stared at the adoption papers inside.
Eddie shifted closer, his voice steady but soft. “I’ve been thinking about this for a while. Chris loves you, Buck. You’re already a part of our family—you always have been. This just makes it official. If you want to, that is.”
Buck’s eyes shimmered, and he blinked rapidly, his free hand coming up to rub at his face. “Are you serious? You want me to adopt Chris?”
Eddie nodded, his own emotions threatening to bubble over. “I can’t think of anyone better. You’re already his Buck. This just makes it legal.”
Chris spoke up, his voice clear and confident. “You’re the best Buck ever. And hey, now, I can call you when I get in trouble at school instead of dad.”
That did it. Buck let out a shaky laugh as a tear slid down his cheek. He reached out, pulling Eddie into a tight hug before turning to Chris, who climbed onto the couch to hug him too.
“I don’t know what to say,” Buck said, his voice cracking as he held them both. “This is… This is everything.”
“You don’t have to say anything,” Eddie murmured. “Just say yes.”
“Yes,” Buck said immediately, his voice filled with conviction. “A thousand times, yes.”
Chris grinned, pulling back to look at them. “So, are you gonna sign it now?”
Buck laughed, wiping his face as he nodded. “Yeah, buddy. Let’s do it.”
Eddie grabbed a pen from the coffee table, handing it to Buck, who signed his name with his good hand, his smile so wide it almost hurt. When he finished, he set the pen down and looked at Eddie and Chris, his heart so full he thought it might burst.
Buck sat back, his eyes moving between the two of them, and then something shifted. “Eddie, I—” He stopped, laughing shakily. “Okay, this might be the cocoa talking, but I need to say this. You’ve just given me the greatest gift anyone’s ever given me. And… I want to give you something back.”
Eddie raised an eyebrow, confused. “Buck, you don’t have to—”
“Just let me finish,” Buck said, his words coming in a rush. “I know we’ve only been together for a couple of weeks, and I don’t have a ring or anything, but I don’t need more time to know how I feel about you. I’ve known for a while now, even before we were officially… us.” He paused, taking a deep breath. “Eddie, I want forever with you. And Chris. So… will you marry me?”
The room fell silent, the weight of Buck’s words settling over them. Eddie blinked, completely floored. “Are you—” He stopped himself, shaking his head in disbelief. “You’re serious?”
Buck nodded, his expression unwavering. “Completely. I know it’s soon, and I don’t want to freak you out, but—”
Eddie cut him off by leaning in and kissing him, soft and slow. When he pulled back, there was a spark in his eyes that made Buck’s heart skip a beat. “You really don’t do things halfway, do you?” Eddie murmured, his voice thick with emotion.
Buck shrugged, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. “Not when it comes to you.”
Eddie laughed, the sound breaking the tension and filling the room with warmth. “Yes,” he said simply, the word carrying all the weight of his love and certainty. “Of course I’ll marry you.”
Chris let out an excited whoop, launching himself at them for another hug. “Best Christmas ever!” he exclaimed.
Buck laughed, holding them both close, his heart full to bursting. “Yeah, buddy. Best Christmas ever.”