A Small Town Christmas AU for @lesbianbuck for the @911giftexchange! Here is the accompanying soundtrack!
WIllow Springs, VA. Pretty as a postcard and all dressed for for Christmas.
Eddie Diaz is just trying to get through the holidays in one piece. It's his first year as a single father and he's determined to make sure Christopher has the best Christmas possible. Add to that the fact that he's taken over the running of his Abuela's bookstore and the organization of his late wife's annual holiday charity auction, and Eddie is beginning to feel in over his head. Abuela tells him he's pushing too hard, he needs to asking for help, and for goodness sake please don't try to put those lights up by yourself. Eddie's fine. He's totally got this.
Evan Buckley isn't feeling very festive this year. He's new in town, missing his sister and his friends in LA, but certain he couldn't stay there any longer. Still healing from a bad breakup, he'd needed a change, and the Willow Springs fire department had been hiring. Usually he's all about the trappings of Christmas, cookies and lights and carols, but it's hard to celebrate when you're a thousand miles from your family. When his station responds to a call (The bookstore on Main, a man has fallen ladder while hanging Christmas lights, RA unit requested), Evan has no idea his life is about to be changed forever.
Eddie feels like such an idiot. Now he's behind on all the holiday things he needs to do AND he's down one arm, and on top of that he can't stop thinking about the breathtakingly beautiful firefighter who'd helped pick his uncoordinated ass up off the sidewalk. When Evan (call me Buck), comes by the next day to see how he's doing Eddie feels like maybe they've known each other all their lives. They talk a little and Eddie can't stop himself from beginning to confide in Buck, there's something about him that makes Eddie think he can trust this man to an alarming degree. Or maybe its just that Eddie keeps getting lost in his ridiculously blue eyes. Either way, when Buck offers to help him make this Christmas a success Eddie agrees without thinking twice.
Maybe there is still some Christmas magic waiting to be found, and maybe home is closer than either Eddie or Buck knows.
