"Is that my present?" Taylor and Christopher family feels
The last Christmas Taylor spent with Buck was drowned out by his best friend leaving while she picked up Buck’s broken pieces. It wasn’t bad by any means—she got to spend it with someone she loved, after all—but as Christmas started nearing closer, she felt like she had to make sure it was perfect.
The only way it would be perfect was if Buck was able to spend it with the people he loved most in this world; Eddie and Christopher.
Of course, even if it was just her, Buck would be overjoyed, but Taylor always strived for perfection—and maybe she wanted to spend the holiday with the Diaz boys just as much.
She had already planned out the day to be just that; breakfast at the Grant-Nash household so Buck could see his pseudo-parents and siblings, lunch with Maddie and Chimney so he could spend time with his sister and niece, and then dinner with her at their new home. What Buck didn’t know was that dinner wasn’t just between the two of them.
They pulled into their driveway and just as Taylor had asked, Eddie’s car was nowhere to be seen. Taylor sensed disappointment in the way Buck sighed and slid his phone into his pocket. She knew that Eddie had been busy throughout the day and had barely had time to text Buck in between preparing for their night together but she hoped it would all be worth it in the end.
“Ready to head in?” Taylor asked, grinning at Buck with the widest smile she could. He seemed to relax at her joy and nodded before they both got out of the car. “You okay, Buckley? I thought you would end this day happy considering who we spent it with,” Taylor asked.
“I am. It was a great day, Tay, I just—” Buck sighed again as he played with the keys in his pocket, “I thought that I’d be able to see them, you know?” He didn’t have to say who he was missing for Taylor to make the connection instantly.
“They’ve really got you wrapped around their little fingers, huh?” Taylor commented. There was no heat in her voice. In fact, there was more fondness than even she thought she could muster.
“All of you do,” Buck reassured.
Taylor could say the same, in all reality. Sure, she had fallen in love with Buck first but it wasn’t long after Buck and Eddie realized what they were to each other that she really understood what that could mean for her. She was starting to love the Diazes just as much as she did Buck even if she was hard pressed to admit it.
Luckily, Eddie had made his affections for both of them clear and with Buck’s careful maneuvering—for the first time in his life—the three of them found themselves in a comfortable and fulfilling relationship built on honesty, trust, and love. She knew how deeply the two men cared for each other and she was glad that she was part of even a fraction of their devotion to one another.
“Why don’t you quit moping, then, and open the door,” Taylor said, hoping it didn’t come out as unkind as the words sounded.
Buck let out a small chuckle and unlocked the door, pushing it open only for the excited cry of his name to resonate through the air. It was unmistakably Christopher and Buck lit up like the Christmas tree behind the kid.
“Chris! Eddie! What are you—? Did you—?” Buck’s eyes darted back and forth from Eddie to Taylor before landing on Christopher who was holding his arms up for an infamous Buckley hug.
“You think we’d miss out on our first Christmas all together?” Eddie asked. Buck was busy with Christopher so he walked over and placed a gentle peck to Taylor’s lips, still unsure about public displays of affection in front of his son. Taylor patted his cheek softly and wandered to the Christmas tree to leave the three of them together.
She watched on as Buck wrapped his arms around Eddie’s waist, practically lifting him off of the ground with his embrace. Eddie held him back just as tightly, breathing in Buck’s presence like he always did when they hugged. She loved watching them together. The love they had for each other was so blatantly obvious and the purest she had ever seen.
They stood a while longer in each other’s arms, foreheads pressed together as Buck seemed to hold back tears at whatever Eddie was whispering to him. Christopher took that moment to break away from them and wander to the Christmas tree, picking up a small box wrapped messily in ribbon. He moved to Taylor and leaned against her knees, holding out the gift excitedly.
She stuttered for a moment before asking, “Is that my present?” Christopher nodded enthusiastically. “Did you wrap this yourself?”
“I didn’t want my dads getting any credit,” Christopher said easily. Taylor laughed and stroked at Christopher’s curls gently.
“Thank you, buddy. This is— unexpected,” she whispered, willing the tears that had spouted to her eyes to hide away once more.
“Dad says gifts are how you show people you love that they’re important,” Christopher explained. Taylor couldn’t stop one of the tears from escaping down her cheek. She went to scrub it away, but Buck’s thumb was already there. He had one hand laced in Eddie’s and he gestured with the other, urging Taylor to open her gift.
“I will, I will,” Taylor said with another giggle, “but I feel like I don’t need one. I’ve got everything I need right here.”