Work Text:
Really Buck shouldn’t have expected more from any of them, not even Maddie. Of course none of them would have thought that they shouldn’t have brought this to his workplace this way. But the way that Hen, Eddie and Bobby stood by him the second they sensed that this was going to go south warms him. He’s trying his best to ignore the way it feels having his parents, Maddie and Chim come at him this way, dragging him through this in front of his new family, in his second safest place. Ambushing him this way was not something that he expected and it hurts all the more… That they chose to do this somewhere he had felt was safe…
“I stand by what we told you the first time you asked this. You made it so difficult. Made it nearly impossible for us. What did you expect from us?” Margaret says tiredly, seemingly not even reading the room before opening her mouth.
“You’re right… I was foolish..” he responds brokenly, shrinking in on himself, doing his best to make himself small, despite being the largest in the room by far, hoping that his true family won’t think less of him for it.
“No! Fuck that shit. You want to know what you should have done? Let me educate you on exactly what you should have done. Love your son, treat him like a goddamn person and love him without him needing to damn near kill himself to get any of your attention! Don’t be so fucking aborbed in yourselves and realize that you still had two other fucking children who needed you. I understand that losing a child, especially the way that you guys did, was horrible, but that does not excuse you from leaving your two very much alive children to fend for themselves. You should have loved your children with all that you had, even with the loss of Daniel…” Eddie yells at the Buckley parents, no longer able to sit by and watch them undo all of the progress their son has made.
“Excuse you! What makes you think you have the right to speak to us that way? Telling us what we should have done?” Margaret asks, voice dripping with disgust.
“I’m a father, and your son is the most beautiful and amazing human I have ever met. He has done for my son what you couldn’t do with the children that you fucking chose to have. Easily accepting my son into his heart and life so completely, loving our son with everything inside of him. Never hesitating to do anything and everything to care for our son ever since we were lucky enough to come into each other’s life. I have no fucking idea how Buck turned out anywhere near as good as he did with you as influences. Even Maddie fucking failed him. But still he came out with a goddamn heart of gold and loyalty in spades.” Eddie answers easily , not holding himself back nearly as much as Buck would prefer.
“You don’t understand. He’s always made it so difficult to love him… Always made it impossible for us to…” Margaret says plainly, acting like that’s not the craziest thing that Eddie has ever heard.
“You are so incredibly wrong. Loving him is as easy and mindless as breathing and just as important. You guys are the problems here, not him. We all love him and wouldn’t change a single goddamn thing about it. He is loved so deeply by more people right this moment than you ever have been or could be.” Eddie responds angrily, slamming his hands down on the table, standing up like it’ll get it through their thick skulls how wrong they are.
“That might be your experience, but there are more people on our side of belief than on yours, isn’t there?” Margaret says coldly, eyes boring into both Buck and Eddie, riling Eddie up even more than he already was.
“Eds, it isn’t worth it. Just… I’m not worth this…” he says brokenly, needing Eddie to realize this is futile and not worth wasting his breath.
“That’s where you’re wrong, Mi Vida, you are worth so much more than you know. This isn’t about them, I’m not doing this so that they truly realize how much they have failed. This is about someone finally standing up for you against them, this is about you finally seeing that you are not and have never been the fucking problem. Because you are the most amazing person I have ever met and I can’t stand by while they fucking tear you down, not anymore. I’ve tried but I can’t do that anymore. So I will continue fighting them every time because you fucking deserve so much better than the bullshit that they give you. Now please just let me do this. Let me do what I know you want to do against my parents to yours, you should understand the way this feels, so let me do this.” Eddie says passionately, begging Buck with his eyes to allow him to do this, to let him be his sword and shield when he can no longer fight against the onslaught of cruel barbed words from people who should have loved him.
“Okay, Eds, I trust you.” he responds quietly, trying to ignore the term of endearment that Eddie used, not even slightly ready to touch that, especially not with an audience.
“Oh and I’m going to pause my rant about them to say something to you fucking two as well. Maddie I know you love Buck, I don’t doubt that, but you are also a right bitch for expecting him to just take that shit in stride. You were the only person he trusted completely for most of his life and to find out that you were keeping something that big a secret the entire time is of course going to fuck him up. You turned his entire world upside down and then expected him to just pretend to be okay with all of it. You never gave him even a minute to sit with what it meant or how he felt, you just expected him to be normal with you. Like what the fuck is wrong with you? And fucking Chim, man, what the fuck? I know that Maddie is the mother of your soon to be child and you love her, but you should have fucking done better, done more, after she fucking told you. You never should have told the goddamn bomber about it just because you couldn’t handle keeping it a secret. We’re supposed to be a family, the 118, we’re supposed to be a family and you failed us. In failing Buck you failed us just the same. You two never would have even gotten to this point if it wasn’t for Buck so fuck you both for hurting him this way and deciding to ambush him here with his goddamn parents. You both should have given him time when he asked for it, but no you just had to keep pushing like you guys had any fucking right to… None of you had any fucking right to pull this shit here, striding into his workplace to ambush him with what you guys want is fucking disgusting. I knew that the parents fucking sucked, but Maddie and Chim, you two, we all expected better from. I thought you were better people than this, but it’s clear that I thought too highly of you. Because this shit you’re doing? That’s not good person behavior, that’s not loving family behavior. What it is though is disgusting and disappointing. Buck has done so much for you both, and this bullshit is what you give him in return? This is done, Maddie and Buckley seniors get the fuck out of here. I’d tell Chim to get the fuck out too if he didn’t work here, but that’s not my place. But you three can fucking leave, right now.” Eddie rants angrily, progressively getting more frustrated the more he thinks about it, ushering the three Buckley down the stairs, refusing to give them even an inch of wiggle room.
“Eddie, what the fuck?” Chim calls out, once Eddie has the trio downstairs and on their way out.
“You don’t get to fucking ask questions man, I meant it when I said that I’d kick your ass out of here too if I didn’t have to get Bobby to back me on it. What you did might honestly be the worst of the four of you. So quite frankly you can shut the fuck up and give Buck the space he deserves.” Eddie says angrily, getting a little too in Chim’s face for Buck’s comfort, who pulls Eddie back, not letting things escalate further.
“I agree with Eddie on this, Chim, I’m disappointed in you and how you handled this.” Hen says sadly, standing closer to Buck and Eddie to show her support even against her best friend.
“Cap?” Chim asks quietly, looking for some reprieve from the onslaught of disappointment.
“I think you should head home, Chim. Maybe take a few days, work B shift instead. Buck’s as good as my son and I can’t be impartial here, so switch shifts for a bit and we’ll talk again later, alright?” Bobby says firmly, standing with the others, laying a hand on Buck’s shoulder in a show of support.
“You’re being serious right now?” Chim asks incredulously, looking shocked beyond belief.
“Yes, you brought it here, you made the choice to allow this to happen at work, so face the consequences of your own actions. It didn’t have to come to this, I wouldn’t have done this if you didn’t essentially bring it into my house. But you did all of this, while on the clock, so it’s my business and call now.” Bobby states plainly, not backing down from his decision, standing firm by Buck’s side, full of support and love like a father should.
Chim looks between the four of them, before nodding his head and walking down the stairs. He’s not sure how he got so lucky to have these three on his side this way, but fuck is he grateful. Waiting until he’s sure that Chim isn’t waiting to catch him while he’s weak, knowing that he has to break down before he can move forward. The second he’s confident that Chim isn’t just lurking, he breaks, crumbling in on himself, sobs wrecking his body. The three of them just hold him through it, being the pillars of strength that he needs them to be at this moment without hesitation. And he’s never felt more loved than he does shattering apart safely in their arms.
He’s so incredibly fucking lucky to have these people in his life to love and support him. Honestly he never expected that this is how things would play out when this all started. But he genuinely couldn’t be more grateful for the family he has been able to build around him. Truly he feels like the luckiest person in the world surrounded by some of the family he’s made. It might not be all of them, but he can still feel the other ones even without them here with them. They’re all so close to his heart that he never truly feels alone anymore, they’ve burrowed into his heart and made a home there.
Everything feels so much less bad with his family by his side, the words not hurting as much as they would have if he was alone. He’s honestly rather glad that they decided to do this here, so that his family could be there with him. Could hold him through the fallout from it all. He smiles softly when he hears the angry stride of Athena heading their way, telling him that Bobby had to have told her what was happening. She sounds ready to fight, it’s not often that she gets like this for him, but he’s grateful every time.
“Oh sweetheart.” Athena says sadly, catching sight of them.
It takes her no time at all to join in on the hug, acting as another pillar of strength for him. Probably the strongest one if he’s being honest with himself. There’s something about Athena that just… Absolves him while also holding him accountable for his shit. They stay tightly wrapped together like that until the alarm blares, forcing them into action. He pulls himself back together under the protective eyes of his family and smiles gratefully at them.
Athena kisses his forehead before ushering all of them to the fire engine and ambulance. Easily and effectively they go through the rest of their shift. Working together practically just as well without Chim as they do with him. He and Eddie rotate which one of them goes with Hen whenever necessary but otherwise it’s pretty much business as usual. Working with his team is very much helping with the emotions still swirling around inside of him.
Though it’ll get even better after shift when he and Eddie are going to spend the next 36 hours predominantly with Chris. Because honestly if he had to pick a favorite family member to be around when hurting, it’d be that beautiful boy. Chris has a way of making things feel okay and him feel like he matters, genuinely matters. He feels his safest with Chris and Eddie, their home feeling more like home than anything else he knows or has ever known. He’s so grateful for the way that they have fallen so easily into being a family, maybe the truest one that he’s ever known.
“Buck, you ready to go?” Eddie asks breaking Buck out of his thoughts, bringing him back to the present.
“Yeah, just give me a second then we can go. I wanna… I’ll just be a second okay?” he responds softly, eyes searching out the firehouse for his captain and Hen.
“Sure thing, Buck…” Eddie says easily, clapping a hand over Buck’s shoulder as the man walks away from him.
“Cap, Hen, I just wanted to say thank you for sticking by me that way earlier. Eddie I wasn’t surprised by, not really, but you guys I was kind of. I need you to know that I appreciate you and I love you guys, you’re family, tell Athena the same for me please? Just thank you so much, okay? Eddie and I have plans with Christopher so I gotta go, but seriously thank you.” he says honestly, stopping in front of Hen and Bobby, needing them to know.
“No worries, Buckaroo, we all love you. You don’t have to thank us for that, that’s what family is for. Enjoy your time with Chris, I know how much you love that kid, nearly as much as you love his father.” Hen says teasingly, but everything about her radiates affection.
“We’re here for you, kiddo. We love you, of course we’re going to be here for you when you need us. I’ll tell Athena, go have fun with your Diaz boys, and I’ll see you in two days.” Bobby says warmly, squeezing Buck’s shoulder.
“You guys suck, I love you, I’m leaving before you embarrass me anymore.” he says affectionately, trying to ignore the flush across his cheeks and walking away from the two chuckling pot stirrers.
He easily grabs his bag before heading out to the truck where Eddie is waiting for him. Leaning against the passenger side like he already knows that Buck is going to want to drive. God Eddie is so fucking good, just literally the best thing that could have ever happened to him. Eddie looks over, catching him staring at him and merely smiles in response, waving him over. Easily he pulls Eddie into a tight hug, breathing him in for a moment before taking the keys from him and heading to the driver’s side.
“Do you need us to stop for groceries or do you have enough for me to be able to cook at least dinner and breakfast?” he asks teasingly, already aware that Eddie always wants to do the groceries together whenever possible.
“You already know the answer to that. But in case you really don’t. We should probably swing by the store, you know how the three of us can eat.” Eddie says sarcastically, rolling his eyes but Buck can see the small barely there smile and flush across the man’s cheeks.
“Anything for you, Eds.” he says seriously, before starting the truck.
He and Eddie have always been fairly affectionate, sometimes a little bit too familiar for some people’s tastes but that’s just how they’ve always been. He’s seeing it in a new light though, he can’t help it, not after Eddie called him his life in Spanish like it was nothing. Maybe all the teasing that the team has done isn’t just about him like he thought, Eddie might feel the same way. He’s almost confident enough to say that it’s a definite, the way Eddie reaches out for him only makes that seem even more likely.
Smiling secretly to himself he allows Eddie to hold his hand, something they haven’t done before but feels as natural as breathing. Eddie keeps their hands zipped together the entire drive to the store, releasing only when he absolutely has to. The pout on Eddie’s face as they get out makes him feel bold and honestly kind of powerful. Grabbing a cart, he boxes Eddie in between him and the cart they are pushing. Immediately Eddie relaxes into him, not even hesitating at all. He can’t even imagine the picture they make, but it feels so comfortable that he’s not sure he even cares.
Easily they go about their shopping like nothing is out of the ordinary. Getting everything they’re likely to need for the next week and maybe a few fun additions just to make them feel better. It’s not long before they’ve got everything they need and he’s reluctant to go to check out. Knowing that they’ll have to separate when they do makes him not quite ready to leave. Looking around for an excuse to wait, a bouquet catches his eye, gardenias and baby’s breaths filling his mind with an idea, possibly a reckless one but so worth it if it goes well.
“What are you doing, Mi Vida?” Eddie asks softly, sounding possibly more relaxed than Buck has ever heard him before.
“You’ll see soon, baby, I’ll explain later.” he responds easily, grabbing the bouquet, setting it carefully in their cart, ignoring the way the pet name slipped easily off his tongue.
Steeling himself for what comes next he heads to the checkout lanes, stepping into the shortest line hoping that they can get out of here quickly. Since he would really like to get on with the rest of his day and spend time with his boys the way they had planned. He can feel the eyes on them but he refuses to let it upset him or make him feel self conscious, unashamed of the picture they make. No longer wanting to ignore what is truly between them because Eddie is worth the risk and he refuses to continue acting like he isn’t. Shaking that away for the moment he sees that they’re next in line, walking them forward when it’s their turn.
“You guys are a beautiful couple.” The cashier says before either man can move.
“Thank you.” he says before Eddie can think too much about it and respond.
He can feel the look that Eddie is giving him but he focuses on unloading the cart, not willing to have this conversation here. They’ll talk about it at home like rational people where there are essentially no witnesses just in case. Once everything is out he walks them and their cart forwards. Easily handing Eddie his card to pay since it’s his turn, while he steps around to go to the front of the cart to begin reloading the cart. It doesn’t take long for them to get all the way through the checkout, falling back into position like they hadn’t separated at all.
“You didn’t correct her…” Eddie says softly, sounding fairly unsure.
“We’ll have the conversation soon, baby, I’m not having this conversation in a grocery store parking lot.” he says honestly, knowing that Eddie isn’t going to be upset with him for this.
Eddie just nods and helps load their groceries into the truck before settling into the passenger’s seat. Sighing softly he walks the cart back to the others before heading back to the truck. Hopping in he starts the engine and sets off towards home. Reaching out he hopes that Eddie will be willing to hold hands again, having enjoyed the comfort of it. Butterflies that are swarming around his stomach calm when Eddie laces their fingers together once more.
Smiling to himself he drives them home, excited to see Chris after the chaos of the day. Refusing to allow himself to be nervous for the conversation that’s also waiting for them when they get there, since he’s pretty confident that it’ll be okay. Even if Eddie doesn’t feel the same he truly believes that they’ll be okay. Focusing on the road as best he can he continues on their way home, feeling a little extra cautious, things seeming more fragile than ever.
It doesn’t take them too long to get home leading to them separating once more. Bringing the groceries inside together easily as always. Working around each other they put everything they got away, other than the bouquet that he got. Easily trimming the ends and removing the packaging before placing them in a vase, setting them on the table despite his slight fear. They should let Chris know that they’re home but waiting until Carla leaves with her knowing eyes looking at the bouquet. Once she kisses both of their cheeks she leaves and they head to Chris’ room, drawing attention to themselves.
“Dads!!! I missed you guys.” Chris cheers, clearly very excited about them getting home.
“We missed you too, Mijo, we’re gonna cook dinner and then come back and get you, okay?” Eddie says calmly, realizing that Buck is too shocked to respond at the moment.
“We definitely missed you, Superman. And don’t you worry I won’t actually let your dad cook anything.” he says as calmly as he can, winking at Chris who just giggles and ushers them away.
They leave Chris’ room and Eddie all but drags him into the kitchen. Once they’re in the kitchen Eddie leans against the counter with fake casualness. He smiles softly before boxing Eddie in between him and the counter, feeling bold.
“Did Chris just call me dad also?” he asks softly, eyes wide.
“Of course he did, he does it a lot of the time when you’re not here. I’m surprised this is the first time you’ve heard him call you that honestly. You’ve been a father to him since you came into our lives.” Eddie says easily, like it’s not kind of breaking Buck’s brain to hear.
“Holy shit, I love that child so much.” he responds softly, touched that they both consider him another father to Chris, feeling very humbled and loved.
“He loves you just as much I’m sure of it. Am I allowed to ask about the flowers now? Or are you going to make me wait longer?” Eddie asks teasingly but the look in his eyes shows that he needs to know sooner rather than later.
“Well it’s a love confession, in flower language, duh.” he says like it’s the only reasonable explanation.
“What?” Eddie asks breathlessly, eyes wide, seemingly shocked by the response.
He tips Eddie’s chin to make direct eye contact, finally allowing all of his feelings for the beautiful man in front of him to show themselves to the man himself, not just everyone around them.
“I got you the flowers so you had a physical reminder of my love confession. They tell you how much I love you without me even needing to say it. I’m in love with you and I felt like it was about time that you know that, baby, I should have told you sooner, but I was scared. But honestly I’m tired of being afraid, of not being able to tell you how much I fucking love you. So this is me standing before you finally telling you that I’m irrevocably in love with you and have been since before you took that goddamn grenade out of that man’s leg.” he says honestly, no longer willing to hide any of it from Eddie, knowing that the man deserves to know all of it.
“Since before the grenade? My first day?! But you were…” Eddie starts questioning but stops at the slightly hysterical chuckle that leaves Buck’s throat.
“I was an asshole to you I will admit, I was feeling a lot of things and I was intimidated by you. Which I’m sorry about, how abrasive I was in the beginning, you didn’t deserve that. I felt threatened because you got along with everyone so easily and I was so sure that you were going to replace me. But you, there was something about you from the beginning that just captivated me and being in that ambulance with you while you were pulling a live grenade out of a dude’s leg was all I needed to acknowledge what that feeling was. It’s kind of hard to ignore the way you stole my heart when I was doing everything to distract myself from the danger we were in. I was so stupidly gone on you essentially since we locked eyes, like seriously I was a goner. It only grew with time, as we grew closer it only got stronger, my love for you. It’s nothing I’ve ever felt or even seen before. You Chris and this house feel more like home than anything ever has in my entire life.” he says honestly, wry smile on his face.
“You love me?” Eddie asks softly, seemingly not quite sure that this conversation is happening.
“Yes I do. More than anything. I’m so helplessly in love with you. Like I want to marry and spend the rest of my life with you kind of love. The Mitchell and Thomas kind of love.” he says seriously, needing Eddie to understand the depth of his feelings.
“You’re the only person I’d be willing to marry, the only person I could trust enough to make that kind of commitment after how poorly it went the first time…” Eddie near whispers, eyes averted as much as possible with the position they are in.
“Baby…” he breathes out, not expecting that response at all.
“I love you, it took me a while to realize it, but I love you and have for a while. I didn’t know until much more recently but my feelings for you existed from the beginning. I just didn’t understand that then.” Eddie confesses softly, eyes meeting Buck’s showing nothing other than love.
“I’m sorry I treated you so poorly when we met but I’m so glad that it somehow still led us here, to this moment in your kitchen full of so much love.” he says honestly, heart hurting a little because of the way he had treated Eddie.
“I’m going to tell you a secret, okay? But I fucking was so aroused by you that day, the way you were able to just tower over me despite only being a few inches taller than me. I had never been attracted to another man before, not really, but honestly I wanted you to pin me to the wall and fuck me that day. It only got worse after we dealt with the grenade together and you fucking praised me. For a long time I thought it was just that I was attracted to you.. Until the well and the only reason I was able to keep fighting was thoughts of you and Christopher. I also may have done something drastic after that event that I never told you about… I may have written that Chris would go to you when I died into my will as soon as I possibly could.” Eddie confesses, throwing Buck for a loop.
He can’t help himself, not really, giving into his desire. Grabbing Eddie's thighs he pulls the man up, setting in on the counter purely because he doesn’t trust that they won’t push too far too soon if he holds him against himself. Meeting the wide aroused eyes he smirks before finally kissing the love of his life for the first time. Swallowing the moan that Eddie can’t hold back, loving the way that Eddie is reacting to him. Keeping a tight grip on his self control he savors the kiss for a few more moments before pulling away.
“Mi Vida, please?” Eddie begs nearly shattering all of Buck’s self control.
“Later, baby, I have to cook dinner. Your… Our son thinks we’re already cooking so I can’t wait any longer. We also shouldn’t rush this. We have time.” he says as firmly as he can force himself to, needing to be the rational one for once.
“Why are you being the rational one?” Eddie whines, pouting, causing Buck to close his eyes, not willing to cave.
“Baby, I… Honestly because upsetting Chris feels like it could break the bond he and I have… Like logically I know now that he loves me nearly as much as he loves you, but I’m not like confident about it yet.” he says honestly, not willing to hide things from Eddie.
“I mean honestly I’m just impressed that you know that he loves you as much as he loves me now, I figured it would take longer for you to accept that even as an objective fact.” Eddie says honestly, chuckling softly.
“You and Chris are special circumstances, I’ve never felt the way that I typically feel around people around you guys. So it’s not the same as if it was May saying that she felt like I was her brother since Bobby and Athena have kinda adopted me as theirs. It’s different with the two of you, I’ve never quite felt anything like the way you two make me feel. Like the safety and home you guys radiate is still shocking to me. I’ve barely questioned that I have a place in your hearts and family, more just what that place is allowed to be, you know?” he says openly, willing to put all of his cards down on the table, trusting Eddie with them all.
“You can’t just say that shit, Buck. My heart can’t handle it.” Eddie says choked up in a way that Buck truly couldn’t have expected.
“I’m just being honest, baby, you have a right to know everything. I want you to know everything. I trust you with all of me and I want you to never question that fact.” he says honestly, though he has mischief in his eyes, knowing that he can tease Eddie with this.
“No don’t you dare, you need to cook so we can have dinner with our son. You can tease me later if you must. But you’re right that we should, you know, get on with the cooking.” Eddie says rushed, eyes a little wide knowing what Buck is thinking easily.
“Okay, baby, sit there and look pretty while I cook. We’ll finish this once Chris is asleep.” he says teasingly, winking at his partner, before dropping a kiss on his lips.
Smiling after pulling away from Eddie, he starts collecting everything that he needs to be able to make dinner for them. Focus torn between his beautiful partner and what he’s doing, the way it often is whenever he’s around the man. Though he’s able to lose himself in cooking, loving the almost meditative experience of cooking in the Diaz kitchen. He can feel Eddie’s eyes locked on him, but he refuses to pay attention to it, enjoying the game a little too much.
He dances his way around the kitchen without thought, very comfortable and confident in the Diaz kitchen. Especially since he does spend most of his time cooking in it. Eddie is truly pretty helpless in the kitchen so he often has to step in so that his boys don’t starve. Part of him wishes he didn’t find it so endearing how bad at cooking his love truly is, but he can’t help loving that Eddie needs him. Honestly he loves feeling needed and his Diaz boys always make him needed in one way or another. Which he honestly loves so much about them.
Shaking off those thoughts for now he easily goes about finishing up dinner, his smile never leaving his lips. Feeling lighter than he has probably in his entire life he savors the quiet companionship and puts the finish touches on dinner. Helpless to resist, he stands in between Eddie’s legs once more, drawn to him like a moth to a flame. The look in his partner’s eyes warms him, wrapping around him like a comfortable blanket. Lost in the moment he can’t resist kissing Eddie once more, savoring the taste and feel of his lips, drinking him in as best he can.
“Does this mean Bucky is going to officially be my dad soon?” Chris practically cheers, causing the two men to jump apart.
Looking over at Eddie, he smiles softly before scooping up their son. Twirling him around in his arms for just a moment, before settling him in between the two of them. Caging Chris safely in between their arms, loving having both of his Diaz boys close the way he’s wanted for so long.
“Honestly between you and me, I don’t think it’s going to take very long for me to ask your father to marry me, so sooner rather than later we can make it official.” he stage whispers, causing Chris to giggle and Eddie to look at him with the softest look he’s ever received.
Kissing Chris on his forehead and a chaste kiss to Eddie’s lips, he passes off their son. Before stepping away to set the table, trying not to melt under the Diaz boys’ gazes. The love surrounding them is more pronounced and in the open than ever before, leaving him feeling vulnerable in the best way. Once everything is laid out on the table he steals Chris back, setting him on his seat and brushing a kiss against his forehead. Before turning back to Eddie and because he can’t resist the temptation, also lifts Eddie off of the counter, wishing he could swallow the gasp that Eddie lets out at the action he merely winks.
The two of them walk over to the table, easily settling into their typical dinner habits. Both of them listening to Chirs recount his day with soft loving smiles helplessly plastered over their lips. Honestly just so enthralled with their son’s stories, affection clear to see in their faces. Dinner goes by both seemingly slower and quicker than normal, but soon he and Eddie are placing the dishes in the sink to clean later. Since all they want to do is cuddle with their son on the couch and watch a movie. So they just save the dishes for either after the movie or in the morning, wanting the easy comfort of their son after the day that they have had.
Easily going about setting up a movie they settle Chris in between them and just lose themselves a little in the bubble of affection surrounding them. Enjoying the ease in which they show affection, something that neither man had gotten all that much of growing up. So they will do everything that they can to give their son the life that he deserves, not wanting him to suffer in any way that they did. Needing to make sure that Chris never has to doubt that he is loved, that he is the most important person to both of them. To make sure that their son knows that it’s okay to be vulnerable, that he doesn’t have to ‘be a man’ like Eddie was forced to be.
The most important thing that they want Chris to know is that he’s so goddamn loved and he never has to beg them for attention the way that they had to growing up. That they will always have his back and he never has to feel the way either of them felt damn near their entire lives. Chris is never going to have to question either of his fathers’ loves, that’d never be something they were willing to allow. The last thing that they want is Chris having to suffer the way that they did, to feel unworthy of love like they do well at least did. So they will endeavor to never make Chris feel like he has to ask them for their attention, freely giving it to him the way he deserves.
Loving Christopher is the easiest thing that they have ever done, and they make sure that Chris knows that, that he never has to wonder. He has, before he even knew that he was allowed, loved Chris like a son and treated him as such. Helpless to resist the adorable boy that stole his heart from the moment that he saw him. He’s never felt more lucky than when Eddie and Chris accepted him as he was and allowed him to be close to them. They have been such an amazing part of his life since they met and he can’t ever show them how truly grateful he is for that. But man does he want to try everything he can to make sure that they never ever question their places in his life and heart.
“Bucky?” Chris says quietly, breaking Buck out of his thoughts.
“Yeah, buddy?” he responds softly, affection lacing his tone helplessly.
“Thank you for loving us…” Chris says tiredly, melting Buck’s heart.
Pulling Chris tighter against him, he kisses the boy’s forehead, a little too overwhelmed to respond immediately. Feeling vulnerable, raw and rather choked up, he has to take a few breaths before he can even think about responding. God he loves this child more than life itself.
“There is nothing I would rather do, loving you two is my favorite thing in the world. I will always love you guys and there is no reason to thank me for that, this is what family is about. We’ve been family for a long time now and nothing will ever change that, okay?” he says passionately, needing both of his boys to understand how much he means those words.
Chris just nuzzles closer and Eddie pulls the both of them further into his embrace. They quietly continue to watch the movie, just enjoying the closeness and love surrounding them. Nothing has ever felt quite this right to him, but damn is he grateful for it. He’s so unbelievably grateful for the way that these boys, his boys, have so readily accepted him into their lives, like there was always a place for him. Something he’s never had the pleasure of feeling before, but something he’s quite sure he’ll never be without again. This, in this beautiful moment, is family, true family in a way that he never knew it could even be.
“Come on, Mijo, we should get you to bed.” Eddie says quietly when the movie finishes.
“Both of you?” Chris slurs out, mostly asleep already.
“Of course, Superman, now let’s get you ready for bed.” he responds easily, more than willing to join in if that’s what Chris wants tonight.
They quickly and efficiently get Chris ready for bed together, despite the way that Chris is mostly asleep giving them very little help. Chuckling softly the two of them herd their son to bed, tucking him in and taking turns kissing his forehead. He’s asleep before they can even think about trying to read him a story the way they normally would. They both stand staring at him for a while, feeling an overwhelming affection for their son. Soft smiles shared and ever so slowly they drag themselves away from their son, letting him rest in peace despite the reluctance they feel leaving him right now.
Heading back into the kitchen they go through the process of washing the dishes together, easily, silently, enjoying each other’s company. Working together just as easily as always, maybe, just maybe, a little easier than typical if he’s being honest with himself. No holding back like they both had tried to before, ignoring the true depth of their relationship for as long as they did. It feels far more freeing than he was expecting, no longer having to hold back any of what he feels for the man beside him. It may have taken them years to get to this point, but man was the wait worth it, for nothing else than the easy comfort they feel together.
Putting the last plate away they turn their attention back to each other, sharing a smile full of all the feelings that they have for each other. Kissing Eddie quickly he drags the man to get ready for bed, knowing that they have got to get some sleep, after the day that they have had. With an ease born from years of closeness they get ready for bed, working around each other easily despite the close quarters. Soon their teeth are brushed and they head to Eddie’s bed without discussion.
“Goodnight, Mi Vida.” Eddie whispers, laying down.
“Goodnight, baby.” he responds softly, joining him in bed.
It takes them almost a startlingly short amount of time to fall asleep wrapped around each other, savoring each other’s presence in a new way.