Archive of Our Own ^beta

There was something particularly special about leaving his office for the last time for the year that deeply fueled Bdubs’ already merry holiday spirit. It wouldn't be until after the new year that he'd be seen in the office again, and if he were lucky, he wouldn’t have to give his job a thought at all. 

Bdubs knew himself too well to know that was definitely a lie. Especially considering his Christmas plans.

Still, he enjoyed the cold air and gentle fall of snow as he walked through the city. A bitter chill swept past his face, and he did his best to tuck himself further into his white, puffy coat. The sun was starting to slip away, and it was only a little past three in the afternoon. Since he knew he wasn’t going to be around for the holidays, he liked to take his time walking around to bask in the atmosphere before it all disappeared. Every store, bakery, restaurant, and whatnot he passed was playing some form of holiday or winter music. His Christmas shopping had been done and wrapped for a while, but he couldn’t help but let his eyes wander to the various displays, especially as he passed by department stores. 

He was briefly distracted, however, by his phone ringing. Bdubs pulled off the black glove over his right hand before fishing it out of his pocket. “Tango! Hey!” He cheerfully greeted once he brought it to his ear. His friend and business partner didn’t need to be in the office, so he hadn’t had a proper chance to speak with him all day.

“Hey man! You’re on your way home now, yeah?” 

“Sure am!” Bdubs slowed his pace, though he was sure to keep to the right of the sidewalk to give plenty of room to anybody who was in a hurry. Or didn’t want to be stuck behind him. “And Doc and I will see you guys later tonight for your holiday party!” 

Like most companies, Big Eye Designs always hosted a party as both an early Christmas celebration and to wrap up their year.  Though it was never an office party, rather something that Tango threw. In the early years of the company, it was just in his apartment. But as they expanded, he started renting venue halls for it. Bdubs had missed the past few due to his previous relationship, and admittedly, the guilt was still eating away at him.

“Awesome! You said you were baking a… tiramisu? I’m so excited for it! And to see you two, of course!” Tango’s excitement was thankfully contagious enough to keep his spirits from dropping.

His smile grew. “Yup! A pumpkin tiramisu! More fall than winter, but still!” He elaborated. 

“Well, I can’t wait to see you guys! Happy start to your vacation, by the way!” Tango was never upset at him for the years past. Bdubs was beyond grateful to have two of the most understanding and kind friends to be his business partners.

Having still been glancing at window displays, Bdubs stopped in his tracks outside a particular clothing store. He caught his reflection in the glass, and his smile softened. “Thanks, you too, y’know! Anyways, I’ll see you real soon!”

After hanging up, he stepped into the store to buy what he saw.

-

Despite having texted his boyfriend that he was on his way home, Bdubs was still surprised when he started to put his key in the front door, and it was opened for him. His shoulders raised, and a big smile returned to his face as Doc greeted him.

“Welcome home!” As Bdubs stepped through the entrance, a hand stretched around him to touch the small of his back and guide him closer. Doc kissed his temple, his face much warmer compared to how cold Bdubs’ exposed skin was.

Squeezing the handle of his briefcase, Bdubs pressed his free hand to Doc’s chest as he kissed him. “Happy to be home,” he murmured, engraving the words into his lips before taking off his shoes. The door was closed and locked, and Doc helped him with his coat. 

Doc pressed his lips to the back of his hair before following him into the living room. “How was work? Did closing up with your last client of the year go well?”

He noticed there were two glasses of water on the coffee table. It was no surprise, as every time Doc either beat him home or stayed home, that was a part of his routine. Closer to him was a glass two-thirds full, so he scooched down to be near the full glass still beading with condensation. He kept his briefcase at his feet as he began recounting his day at work. “So first off, you were absolutely correct, and I shouldn’t have doubted my work. The clients loved the shade of blue I picked for them, so being impatient with their indecision ended up working out! Oh, and that weird chair I decided to get rid of? They were actually all for it! I think it helped that I replaced it with something more practical. ‘Cause like, unique furniture that’s more like an art piece or a statement is totally fine, but when it’s one of the only places to sit in your living room, and you don’t have enough seats to compensate for the whole family, then it’s just ridiculous,” he excitedly recounted, finally pausing to take a sip of his water. 

As he spoke, Doc was facing him, leaning against the couch with an arm resting over the top. Bdubs leaned back to let the back of his head rest against his arm and matched the stupid big smile on Doc’s face. “Did you burn it like you threatened?” He teased.

He laughed. “Nah, that would be such a waste! I asked around the office, and it turns out one of the security guards actually had a matching loveseat from that collection! She said she has, like, an art room in her house and everything from the furniture to vases to clocks are art pieces in it!” 

Doc hummed and leaned forward, touching Bdubs’ glass to ensure it was steady before kissing him. “That’s really cool. You’re really cool,” he murmured, before kissing him again. Bdubs let Doc help him move his glass back to the table. His hand had become cold and wet, but that didn’t stop him from grabbing onto the space between his boyfriend’s neck and shoulder and keeping him close to keep kissing him. 

The attention and affection were not new for Doc’s behavior, but were new for Bdubs when it came to a relationship. They had been dating for almost a year, and he was still blown away by what others would consider the standard. Though he couldn’t help but wonder if Doc was aware of the date. It had been around that time just a year earlier that Bdubs discovered he had been cheated on, which became the final straw that had him break off not only his engagement, but his relationship of two and a half years.

Even after he and Doc started dating, he still needed time to cope with it all. It took time, an ever-patient boyfriend, and a skilled therapist, of course, to get him to where he was. He no longer recalled peeking into his fiancé’s office with a sense of dread and nausea. He rarely thought of it at all. Besides, he couldn’t be happier to be where he was. Doc was everything he wanted. Everything he needed.

Their lips slowly moved against each other as Doc’s free hand moved to his hip. They kept gently tugging at each other, but neither moved to get even closer. Bdubs kicked his briefcase, and the memory from his purchase popped into his head.

He pushed against Doc’s shoulder and leaned back from his affection. “Oh! That’s right! I bought you something on my way home!” As he picked up his briefcase, he continued. “I was thinking of saving it for Christmas, but I’d rather you have it now!”

Doc frowned. “What? No fair! I don’t have anything to give you right now in return!” He protested, but Bdubs just smiled.

“I don’t care! I don’t need a gift from you! Besides, it was a spur of the moment kinda thing! And it’s small too, don’t worry.” He pulled out the gift the employees wrapped for him and handed it over. He eagerly waited, his smile growing as Doc carefully peeled back the wrapping and opened the thin box.

What he pulled out was a cream colored, cable-knit cashmere sweater with a wide, but high collar and circled windows at the shoulders. Bdubs clapped his hands together and touched his lip at the seam of his fingers. “Do you like it? I uh- I saw it on my way home in the window, and I thought that maybe you’d um, like to wear something like it?”

Gently setting the sweater down in the box on his lap, Doc leaned forward, cupping his face and pulling him in to firmly kiss his forehead. “I love it, Bdubs,” he gushed. “I’ll wear it tonight and bring it with me when we go visit Mom!” It not only warmed Bdubs to hear how much he liked it, but that Doc referred to Bdubs’ mom as his own as well. 

Gift set aside, Doc pulled Bdubs into a tight embrace against his chest. He laughed as the creeper tugged at his leg and complied by framing Doc’s lap with his legs. “How about you, though?” Bdubs asked, caressing the sides of his neck. “You get much writing done today?”

After publishing his first novel, Doc was offered an office space at Wels’ publishing company. It was something he did often for authors he worked with, and Doc was eager to have a space outside of the apartment to work, it seemed. 

His partner was smiling, but his eyes seemed elsewhere. “Not um, not quite. I think I was too preoccupied thinking about our holiday. Wels is going to want to see some pages soon, though.” Once his book was proven to be a bestseller, he had begun to work on the second back in March. Though no matter how much Bdubs pestered, he wasn’t allowed to read even a paragraph. 

“Well, I think a step away from it will help ya! And I can’t wait to read it!” He encouraged, kissing his cheek. Doc melted under him and pulled him in one more time for a hug. Bdubs pressed light kisses to the metal panels that made the left side of his neck. He hoped Doc understood that there was nothing to worry about. That Bdubs’ day couldn’t be better, and that he would be able to finish his book in no time.

Pulling back, Bdubs fixed Doc’s hair. “Alright, you go get that shirt in the wash, and I’ll start on dinner, yeah?” He offered.

Doc lifted Bdubs off his lap and tossed him to the other couch cushion. “Oh, I don’t think so! You’re staying right here, and I’m making dinner,” he declared, standing up with a big smile.

“Well, what am I supposed to do then?” Bdubs crossed his arms, but it was hard to hide his matching grin.

“We’ll make your pumpkin tiramisu recipe together, so there’s that, right?” Doc pointed out. He looked at the new sweater once more before finding the tag to rip off. 

Bdubs hummed, hugging his knees and leaning back into the couch. “Mom’s recipe,” he corrected. “But yeah, alright. I’ll sit here lookin’ pretty until then. Unless I’m allowed to set the table?”

Pursing his lips, Doc studied him for a moment. “I’ll allow it.”

Rolling his eyes, Bdubs scoffed. He grabbed a ball of tissue paper and tried to throw it at him, but it gently floated to the ground.

-

Despite the bright smile on his face, Doc knew the guilt was slowly gnawing away at Bdubs’ mood. He was well aware that Bdubs hadn’t been able to make that event in years due to Scar guilting him into staying home. His hand was on Doc’s lower back, his fingers curling into the new, white sweater. 

Bdubs was wearing a white button-up coated in silver and gold sparkles. His slacks were a shade of forest green so dark it was like another shade of black, like Doc’s pants.

He touched his back and leaned towards him. “I look good in this sweater, don’t I?” He whispered in his ear.

That seemed to do the trick of snapping Bdubs out of his spiral. He cracked a real, genuine smile and looked at him. “Oh. Very good,” he teased before capturing his lips in a kiss. The sweater hugged his body, and despite the thick material, it felt extremely flattering.

Doc hummed, stealing a second kiss before letting him pull away. They had been admiring the decorations when Tango’s husband, Mumbo, approached them. He had a plate of food, including a half-eaten slice of the tiramisu they brought.

“You two are incredible bakers,” he immediately complimented. “Very glad you're both here!”

When Bdubs laughed, it eased Doc's mind. “Oh, so you only want us here for the food we offer?” He teased.

Mumbo giggled with him. “Exactly! Not like you’re my husband's business partner or anything. You’re only allowed here for your baking and nothing else!”

“Then surely that means you're paying us, right?” Doc butted in with a lopsided grin. 

The other pressed his lips to a thin smile. “Ah. I fear that wasn't in our budget!” 

Bdubs touched Doc's arm, a mischievous grin forming on his face. “You know, I've heard that Mumbo couldn't put your book down when it was released,” he revealed. 

The other's face turned beet red. “N-No! I mean- Bdubs!” He let out a frustrated sigh, but his smile stayed. “I mean, who didn't? It was fantastic!”

His face grew warm. “Oh! Thank you! I’m glad you liked it so much!” He had met fans of his work every so often, but he was far from getting used to the feeling of being praised so much. He made a mental note to add Mumbo to a list of people he wanted to send a copy of the next book once it was out. 

They talked for maybe a few minutes about work and holiday plans when Tango found them. “Hey, guys!” He cheerfully greeted before kissing his husband’s cheek. “Mind if I steal Bdubs for a minute?”

With a warm smile, Mumbo took his hand and kissed his knuckles. “Fine by me!” Tango moved to Bdubs’ side, wrapping a hand around his arm.

“He’s all yours,” Doc chuckled.

“I guess we’ll be right back!” Bdubs grinned before Tango led him off. They didn’t go too far, just away enough to be out of earshot. 

Doc’s curiosity left him staring at them. “What’s that all about?”

Mumbo shrugged. “Ah, who knows. Something work-related, maybe?” 

Although he prodded Mumbo to keep talking about his work - he designed and led construction on vaults, mainly for banks and sometimes casinos - he kept glancing over at their respective partners. They were standing close, whispering and grinning in each other’s ears. Bdubs kept pursing his lips, but the corners of his mouth were so far upturned it wasn’t suppressing anything other than the teeth in his smile.

That was his guilty expression. 

Well, more like he was hiding something expression. 

He trusted Bdubs more than anybody in his life. He knew whatever they were talking about wasn’t anything bad. But he wasn’t sure it was anything work-related.

“Y’know, I might have to bug you at a later date again about this stuff,” Doc admitted. 

Mumbo chuckled and scratched the back of his head. “I’d be honored, actually!”

The music quietly blanketing the background of the party was gradually raised as a sweet and slow holiday song began to play. A hand touched his waist and Doc realized Bdubs was back.

“Care to dance?” His boyfriend asked, squeezing his waist.

He pushed back Bdubs’ hair. “I don’t see why not,” he teased. Doc let himself be dragged to the dance floor and let Bdubs guide his hands. One was placed on Bdubs’ shoulder, the other clasping a hand. Bdubs’ free hand was on his waist, firmly holding him close.

Doc chuckled as they danced around, any worries easily slipping away. His hand slid to the side of his neck, curling around his nape as he leaned in to kiss him. His boyfriend hummed against his lips, flexing his grip on his waist.

“I do really love this shirt on you,” Bdubs murmured.

He laughed, pressing their foreheads together before kissing him again. “I feel like this was more of a gift for yourself than for me!” A part of him was still thinking about Tango and Mumbo. He wasn’t jealous that they were married, but he couldn’t quite shake the question. Every once in a while, ever since Bdubs came back into his life, he wondered where they would have been if they had never lost touch. If he were a braver kid and defied his parents sooner, confessed to Bdubs sooner. 

Would they have been married already? For how long? Would he have finished his book sooner, and would he have been on the third or fourth instead of the second? 

Bdubs kissed his cheek. “Mm, I won’t entirely deny it.” Laughing, he pulled him into a hug, wrapping his arms around his shoulders. He once again reminded himself that there was no point in dwelling on the ‘what ifs’ of their past.

They were together. He felt beyond lucky that Bdubs wanted to buy him things that he thought he’d look good in. He was happy to be brought to company parties and introduced as his partner, his boyfriend. 

Bdubs’ stomach growled, and he pried himself free of Doc’s embrace. “I think it’s about time we raid that food table,” he declared, taking his hand once more. He was already leading him away before he could agree. Though, of course, Doc was eager to eat as well.

-

Suitcases were waiting by the door that night as the couple retired to bed. Doc was lying on his back, staring at the ceiling. His partner was beside him, lying on his side, slowly and soothingly rubbing his arm. 

“Hey, Doc?” Bdubs whispered, his concerned tone worrying him.

Shifting, Doc turned to face him and match his position. Bdubs pulled his hands away, and Doc realized he was frowning. “What’s wrong?” He murmured.

“Are you sure you’re okay with going home tomorrow? We don’t know if your parents will be there, and if you’re unsure about running into them, Mom would understand. We don’t have to go,” he rambled, picking at the sheets.

Doc sighed into a small smile. “Hey, don’t worry about me. I’m more than happy to go home. I think last year was just a one-off visit for them in the winter, anyway. But even if they’re there, even if we run into them, I’ll be just fine. They cut me off already anyway, so they’ve got nothing over me.” He reached over to touch his cheek. Bdubs closed his eyes, turning his face into his hand.

“Alright,” he murmured. “I refuse to not worry about you, though.” Huffing, Doc pulled him into his chest, pressing his smile to the top of his head. A hand danced up and down his bare side, lips brushing metal plating. “If anything,” he whispered. “I’m so unbelievably excited to go.”

Bdubs hummed as he squeezed him. “I can’t believe it’s been practically a year since we were reunited and then started dating,” he pointed out. 

“It’ll be two years before you know it,” he softly teased, carding a hand through his hair.

“Don’t get too ahead of yourself, now.” Bdubs leaned back to look at him, flashing a devious grin. Rolling his eyes, Doc chuckled and gently pushed against his head to bring him back in.

He readjusted the blanket to cover Bdubs’ shoulders. “Go to sleep already, won’t you?” He loved listening to Bdubs laugh.

And when he fell asleep, Doc loved listening to his steady breathing. 

“Ah, here’s yours!” Bdubs grabbed the handle of Doc's suitcase, pulling it off the rotating conveyor belt. Doc clicked the button to raise the bar and kissed Bdubs’ cheek.

“Thanks, Bee. Now, to find Mom…” His voice trailed off as the two slowly walked their bags towards the crowd of people waiting for family and friends. The airport was always so crowded during the holiday season. His gaze finally settled on a woman waving her arm as high as she could, with a smile as big as Bdubs’. “There she is!”

The moment they got close enough to her, an arm hooked around their necks, pulling the couple into a hug. “My boys are home!” She cheered as she squeezed them.

Chuckling, Doc touched her back as he leaned down into her hug. “Thanks again for letting me stay with you.” Bdubs touched his hand over Gem’s back.

“What? Of course! Doc, you’ve been family since you and Bdubs first met- you’re always welcome at my house,” she declared, finally releasing them. Doc’s cheeks ached from his wide smile as he watched her expression melt as she touched Bdubs’ cheek. He wondered if she was also reminded of what happened a year ago, and how different Bdubs was when he arrived then. 

Bdubs tightly hugged her. “I’m okay,” he murmured, despite Gem saying nothing. “I’m happy, honest.”

With a soft exhale, she stepped back. “Good. Now let’s get you boys settled at the house. I have a fresh batch of gingerbread cookies in desperate need of eating!”

“Gladly,” Bdubs sighed. 

Although they didn’t bring much, they still packed their suitcases into the bed of Gem’s truck. Doc climbed into the backseat, whereas his boyfriend sat up front. 

For once, the drive into town was full of comfort and excitement, rather than the overwhelming feeling of heartache and mourning what he could’ve had.

However, the warm feeling didn’t last.

They drove past his street, and instead of passing by a familiar, quiet house, he was slapped in the face with a sign planted in the front lawn.

A ‘For Sale’ sign, with a large sticker plastered on top that shouted ‘SOLD’.

His stomach dropped. 

The house he grew up in was never home. Especially not with his parents there. But he was still attached to the place. In his head, that was his anchor to the town, to Bdubs. It was the reason he was able to find him again. His parents keeping the house despite moving was all he could hold onto when he felt it was impossible to reach out to his old friend. The house did nothing wrong. His bedroom was his haven that he would occasionally sneak Bdubs into. On days when his parents were out, he relished the freedom of wandering around without fear of being somewhere he wasn’t allowed.

He didn’t expect it to hurt so much to understand he would never get that again. 

Even when his parents cut him off shortly after last Christmas, he held onto hope that he’d find his way back into that house. But that would never happen.

Besides, he didn’t need that as his anchor. That was what Bdubs was for. What Gem and Honeybee were for.

As they passed his childhood home, he touched the top corner of Bdubs’ seat and leaned forward. “Gem, my parents sold the house?” He hoped she’d have some kind of answer. 

She glanced at him briefly before refocusing on the road. Much to his dismay, she seemed just as shocked as he was. “Did they? I mean, I heard rumors floating around the cafe, but I wasn’t sure if it was true or not,” she admitted with a shrug. He felt Bdubs touch his hand and let him pull it down into his lap. “I never brought it up when you boys called because I wasn’t sure. Now I wish I had checked for myself sooner. I’m sorry, Doc.”

He squeezed Bdubs’ hand and shook his head. “No, it’s okay, don’t worry about it,” he insisted, pushing out a smile. 

On the bright side, that meant he wasn’t going to run into his parents. Whether he sold the house or not, he didn’t think they would be showing around the area in the first place. If he saw them again, they’d probably just ignore him anyway. 

Doc finally looked at Bdubs, who didn’t seem too convinced. Concern was pressed into his face as he squeezed his hand back. “I’m fine,” he urged. 

Before he could lean back and free his hand, Bdubs kissed his knuckles before letting go.

-

Planting their suitcases in Bdubs’ bedroom, Doc sighed as he wrapped his arms around his torso from behind him and hooked his chin over his shoulder. 

“Are you still thinking about your parents’ house?” Bdubs whispered, touching the back of his hands.

He turned to kiss his cheek. “No, just how happy I am to be here with you,” he murmured. He gently swayed side to side, pulling Bdubs with him.

His boyfriend hummed, leaning against him. “We should unpack a bit before we go eat those cookies. Because once we’re downstairs, Mom is gonna find a way to get us over to Honeybee, and before we know it, we’ll be too tired tonight to unpack.” 

Doc chuckled and squeezed him. “Works for me.” He buried his face into the side of his neck. 

“If you want to talk about it, Doc,” Bdubs softly began. 

“I’m right where I want to be,” he murmured into his skin, squeezing him. When Bdubs exhaled a disgruntled sigh, he eased up so he could turn around. “But, I’m just- I didn’t think it’d be this… hard. To know that house, as I know it, is already gone.” Pursing his lips, Bdubs took his hands and guided him to the bed so they could sit.

He took Doc’s hands into his lap. “You grew up there. Of course it’s going to hurt. And, Doc, I know better than anybody how hard the beginning of the year was for you,” he gently pointed out. 

Frowning, he tightly squeezed his hands. The beginning of the year was a struggle for both of them, but what made it easier was that they had each other. Doc had to grapple with the fact that his parents truly wanted nothing more to do with him, and Bdubs still had lingering grief for what Scar had put him through. 

However, as the spring had brightened into summer, they had realized they were happier than ever. 

“Well, you know I always considered here to be home to me over anywhere else,” he softly reminded him, squeezing Bdubs’ hands.

Bdubs pulled him in to let their sides press together. Doc took the invitation to lean his head on his shoulder. “I know, but you’re still allowed to be sentimental. And you’ve got some good memories tied to the place.” His hand reached across to touch Doc’s jaw. As a thumb hypnotically rubbed back and forth on his face, Bdubs exhaled a light chuckle. “Like when we would sneak me into your bedroom, because we were just really good friends and there was nothing else between us.”

His smile grew as his eyes fluttered shut. “I was just thinking about that. We’re kinda the biggest idiots, huh?” Humming, Bdubs continued to stroke his cheek and switched the subject.

“Well, remember instead what you brought up a few months ago? That, at some point, maybe we should look into getting a place around here? I’m not saying we should go house hunting right now, but I still think that’s a great idea.” Doc thought it’d be nice to have a house in their hometown, considering how much they liked visiting. It would mean less worry for Gem to have the extra food and space for them, and more opportunity to show up spontaneously. He didn’t want to move out of the city they were in, per se, but he liked having another option. 

He nodded, his hair rubbing against Bdubs’ neck. “Yeah, yeah,” he sighed. “And hey- I promise I won’t bring down our vacation the rest of the time. I really am fine.”

Bdubs pulled him down to lie on the bed. He hugged him fiercely against his chest. “If you’re upset- if you continue to be upset, that’s totally okay. I’d be more than happy to spend our vacation cheerin’ you up.” Doc exhaled into his body, slowly wrapping an arm around him. 

Genuine happiness was overwhelming him. To be there, with Bdubs, to hold him, and to be able to express his feelings without any hesitation, he wasn’t sure he could ever stay sad for too long. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Bdubs hummed. But then, his boyfriend began to laugh. “Y’know, this was a bad idea. Now I don’t wanna get up!”

He giggled and began to slowly rub his thumb in circles. “Well, a few minutes wouldn’t kill us. I’m sure Mom understands.”

Fingers combed through his hair. “I think she's relieved how different I am, emotionally, this year,” he murmured. “I know you are too.”

Biting his lip, Doc slowly squeezed him tighter. “I can't help it. I'm sure it's selfish, but I'm glad that you're much happier with me here,” he admitted. 

Lips pressed to the top of his head. “It's not selfish,” Bdubs chuckled, but he slowly pulled away. Doc reluctantly freed him and watched as his partner sat up. 

As much as he wanted to stay in the bedroom overflowing with memories of soft affection they would both excuse as platonic, and long conversations about every little thought or question, there was no longer any need for Doc to dwell in the past.

He followed Bdubs off the bed and helped him open their suitcases. 

-

Doc never felt any less comforted by the smell of coffee and baked goods when stepping into Honeybee. Bdubs was delegated to the window, as the paint celebrating both the winter season and Honeybee's 30th anniversary needed a touch-up. 

He, on the other hand, was brought into the kitchen. Gem stood at the head of one of the stainless steel islands, with Doc to her right. With a booming thud, her recipe book was dropped between them on the countertop. It was a three-ring binder stuffed with laminated pages, each holding two recipes. There were dividers for different sections, and colorful tabs representing a system that only she fully comprehended. 

“I think I’ve picked out too many dishes to make for the party on the twenty-third, so I need help narrowing down,” she explained, flipping to pages marked with a yellow tab and taking them out of the binder. 

Doc couldn’t stop himself from laughing. “The party is five days away, and you don’t have your menu together?” He teased. Scoffing, she lightly smacked his arm. 

“I do too! I just think I should cut a few! Now, you gonna help me or what?” 

He eagerly nodded. “I’ll help, I’ll help!” Doc laughed. 

As she flipped through each bookmarked recipe, Gem would explain why she liked it, whether it was because it was in season, was almost as old as the restaurant, an old customer favorite, or something else. She would also include why she would consider cutting it. 

Doc took his role extremely seriously, pondering each dish as it was shown to him. He did recognize most, if not all of them. He asked how many she was looking to cut, and she admitted that, realistically, cutting three to five would unfortunately make the most sense. 

Five eliminations later - one type of cheesecake, two pies, a three tired lemon cake and one scone - Gem closed her recipe book with a big smile. “I knew I could count on ya!” She cheered. “Now, didn’t you and Bdubs just bake something? His pumpkin tiramisu, right?”

He pursed his lips. “Bdubs said it was your recipe,” he slowly objected. 

Gem wrinkled her nose. “What? Well, I mean, I have a basic tiramisu, yes, but he built on it. It’s his own recipe.”

Frowning, Doc picked at one of the discarded yellow tabs. “I don’t understand why he’d be so insistent,” he muttered.

“Hey, you’re the one dating him. And his best friend. Of all people, you’d be the one to figure it out,” she pointed out. Although she didn’t give him much time to consider it, as she was already ushering him out of the kitchen. 

His aforementioned boyfriend had finished the retouching and was securing the lids back on the paint cans. Upon seeing Doc and Gem, a bright smile bloomed on his face, and he stood up. “Done already? What’s next?” He cheerfully asked.

“What’s next,” Gem echoed. “Is for you two to get outta here and enjoy the day! The party is pretty much ready to go, and you two are meant to be on vacation!”

Bdubs moved closer to Doc, sliding a hand across his lower back. “Are you sure you don’t need me to pick up some shifts again?” He worried.

She shook her head. “I only had you working so much last year because you needed it. This year, if you want to help me open, you can, but I seriously don’t expect you to work much, if at all. Now go have fun! I demand it!” Laughing with Bdubs, Doc slung an arm over his shoulders and squeezed him against his side. 

“Well, if you insist!” Doc joked. Bdubs’ hand slid up the back of his jacket. 

“I guess we’ll see you back at the house later, then!” He added, his fingers slowly digging into Doc’s coat as he leaned against him. 

-

When they stepped outside, Bdubs guided Doc’s arm off his shoulders in favor of lacing their fingers together. “So, what should we do?” Doc prompted. “Do we want to check out the ice rink?”

Bdubs scoffed, though his smile was still wide. “Neither of us have stepped foot on ice since last year, and we both know how well that went.”

His boyfriend hummed and swung their hands. “I wouldn’t mind breaking your fall again,” he commented, his words distant, as if they were meant to be for himself and not spoken out loud.

Despite not having a proper plan, they started wandering down the street anyway. Bdubs’ chest tightened as he found himself thinking back on their previous year. Faint laughter replayed in his mind alongside the feeling of arms holding him tight against Doc’s chest, where matching, heavy breaths and rapid heartbeats bounced against each other. 

“How about we take a walk through the park? I know there’s going to be more snow tomorrow, but I kinda wanna see it now,” he admitted, pulling himself back to the present. 

Doc squeezed his hand and cheerfully agreed. 

They could go ice skating again, just later.

It didn’t take them long to reach the park.

As they wandered through, passing by faces both familiar and unknown, Bdubs tried to clear his mind. He wasn’t still hung up on ice skating; rather, his gift for Doc kept drifting back into the forefront of his mind. 

Was he going to like it? Would he even want it? What if it wasn’t ready in time?

“You alright?” Words murmured in his ear with lips brushing against hair and skin eased his mind, even if it was for just a moment.

“Hm? Oh, yeah! Just thinking about work is all.” He brushed off Doc’s concerns with an easy lie and rolled back his shoulders. When they found themselves at a crossroads, Bdubs took charge and led them down the path to their left. It was surrounded by tall trees, slowly looming over, creating a canopy.

Leftovers from the previous snowfall sprinkled down on them, creating the illusion of new snow. It was a serene silence that the city could never have.

And Bdubs decided to break it. “So, I know you’ve been super secretive about it, but can you tell me anything about your new book?” He light-heartedly poked. He wasn’t expecting anything, but he figured it wouldn’t hurt to tease him.

Sure enough, Doc shook his head. “Nope, not saying a thing!” He smugly declared.

“Then I guess I’ll have to buy the first copy,” he decided, swinging their hands again.

Just as Doc started to dive into his usual protest of insisting that he was going to give Bdubs a copy, he spotted someone down the path. 

“Hey Pearl!” He called out, wildly waving his free hand and putting a halt to Doc’s speech. 

Despite the stool behind her, she was standing in front of it, on the edge of the path, with an easel in front of her. She had a paint palette in one hand, a small brush in the other. An assortment of paint tubes was on the small ledge in front of her large canvas, and a canvas bag and backpack were hogging her seat.

“Oh, hey guys! When did you two get here? Today?” She guessed when they got closer.

Doc nodded and explained how they were just helping Gem with preparations, whilst Bdubs admired her work in progress. 

“Speaking of events, I don’t know if you guys were told, but the pub got a dance floor in the summer! They’re bringing it out tomorrow night for a Christmas Couple’s dance. I know it’s last-minute, but I figured you two would be interested,” Pearl explained, twirling the brush in her hand.

“That does sound fun!” Doc excitedly agreed. Bdubs nodded, but he was still focused on the painting.

“I can’t stop staring at this! Pearl, I feel like I’m lookin’ at glass!” He kept looking from the landscape she was working on to her view. The path cut across the foreground of the canvas, and behind it was the ensemble of balsam fir trees blanketed in snow.

She laughed. “You’re exaggerating! I’m literally stylizing the trees!” She teased. “But thank you anyways!”

“Well, they’re fantastic!” Doc chimed in. “Have you been selling your paintings?” She hesitated before shaking her head. 

“No… not- not yet. So far, it’s just the art supplies. But I’ve been considering it.”

“Well, if you do, I think your art would be great in our apartment!” Bdubs felt so happy hearing Doc refer to the apartment as their place.

Pearl’s eyes widened, and it finally occurred to him that neither remembered to actively share that information with their hometown friends. “Wait, you two are living together? That’s so cool!”

“Yeah, he moved in with me early into the new year,” Bdubs proudly explained with a nod.

She shared a knowing smile that only Bdubs could understand. “Well, I do hope it’s not too late to provide a housewarming gift.” 

Laughing, he let go of Doc’s hand in favor of touching his lower back. As much as he loved catching up with old friends, he wanted to give Pearl her space to work, and besides, they eventually needed to find their way back home and finish unpacking.

-

The going back home part didn’t happen for another hour and a half. The couple had let themselves get lost in the beauty of the park. Though, as lost as two people who had followed every trail more than a hundred times could get. 

But once they finally made their way back to the house, Bdubs eagerly welcomed the warmth of being inside. 

Before they had left for Honeybee, the couple had pulled out some bare essentials - bathroom supplies, chargers, laptops - but other than that, everything was still in their suitcases. Although they could live out of them for the time they were visiting, Bdubs figured it’d be easier to just empty them. 

“So, you got enough closet space to spare?” Doc teased as he pulled out his folded shirts. He was kneeling on the ground, adjacent to the bed.

Bdubs dramatically sighed as he scooped up his assortment of shirts, pants, and underwear. “I suppose there’s enough room. I should know- lived in there for a bit,” he joked, dropping his pile on his bed to organize and refold pants that had fallen out of order and sort shirts to be hung. 

From behind him, Doc laughed. “You and me both.”

The space was divided between them, and as the last pair of pants was placed on the shelf above and the shirt on the right hanger, Bdubs turned to his boyfriend.

He placed a hand on his abdomen, and in return, Doc touched his side.

But, before Bdubs could say anything, Doc’s phone rang. 

He frowned, but pulled it out. “Oh, it’s Wels. I should take this.” Although he squeezed Bdubs’ waist, he pulled away and stepped away from him. “Afternoon, Wels,” he greeted. “Progress is good, yeah.” He slowly wandered to the other side of Bdubs’ room. “I- Well, I can’t yet. I mean, I want to finish a full draft first.” Bdubs felt like he was intruding, but Doc would’ve stepped out if he didn’t want him to hear. Instead, he stayed in the entrance to his closet, watching him. “I-I know, Wels, but-” He sighed, bracing his free hand on the windowsill and hunching. “No, I know, I understand. Just- oh- yes, by then. Definitely.” His fingers pressed against the wood, his head lowering. “You too, man.” 

When he hung up, Doc slid his phone into his back pocket, but he didn’t move. Cautiously, Bdubs joined him, fingers grazing his organic arm. Muscles relaxed, and he wrapped his hand around his bicep. “Do you… wanna talk about it?” He softly asked. 

The other took a deep breath. “It’s okay. Wels just wants to see my progress with the sequel, and it’s not quite done, and I’d rather give him a completed draft instead of unfinished pages,” he explained, standing up straight and turning to look at him. He was smiling, but the crease in his brows didn’t ease up. 

“Why can’t you just show him, like, the first half?” He suggested, pursing his lips and running his fingers down his arm to find his hand. 

Doc shook. “I-I can’t. Because, by the time I finish writing the whole thing, what if I want to go back and change them? I kept tweaking whole chapters when I wrote the first one so it would, like, have a smoother flow. What if- what if the whole plot, or something major, gets changed? I just think it’d cause unnecessary frustration on Wels’ end.”

He was rambling, and to Bdubs, it sounded like he was spiraling. In response, he firmly squeezed his hand and used his other hand to clasp it. 

“Hey, hey, it’s okay!” Bdubs urged. “I’m sure he’ll understand if you just warn him that it may change. Wels probably just cares about seeing some kind of progress, so he doesn’t, like, have to worry or to get a feel for what to expect or something!” Admittedly, he didn’t know much about the publishing world. Doc had explained the basics back when his first book was going through the process, but he knew there was more that he wasn’t aware of. 

“I’ve told him I’m working on it, though.”

“Doc, you’re overthinking this. Everything is okay, whatever you have written is great!”

“You’re just saying that. Besides, he gave me a few days anyway.”

“A few days that you can’t use because you’re on vacation? And not writing?”

His boyfriend pursed his lips and looked away. “A little more wouldn’t hurt,” he protested.

Bdubs huffed. “You don’t need this extra stress! It won’t hurt to send Wels what you have; he knows this is a first draft. Something is better tha-”

“I’m not sharing anything! Just drop it, okay?” Doc suddenly snapped, ripping his hand free and stepping back. 

Bdubs jumped, his hands hastily retreating towards his chest, and his eyes widened. He thought he managed to piss Doc off for the first time, but he wasn’t angry.

He looked anxious. 

His tight-lipped frown and furrowed brows softened the more he stared at Bdubs. A hand covered his mouth, the other started to rise from his side, but retraced. “Oh, Bdubs, I’m- I’m sorry I snapped. I shouldn’t have- it wasn’t-” Closing his eyes, a heavy breath pushed from his body, the hand at his mouth dragged down his whole face and pushed back his hair. “Sorry.”

Bdubs dared to close the gap between them. He brushed his cheek with a curled finger. “It’s okay. I’m sorry for being so pushy. You’re clearly stressed, and I should’ve been more focused on calming you down. Not making it worse,” he murmured. 

Touching his wrist, Doc slowly pulled his arm down so his hand could meet his chest. “No, you’re not allowed to apologize,” he countered. He couldn’t help but laugh in response, his other hand coming up to gently push underneath his collarbone. “I’m serious, Bdubs. It’s not your responsibility to calm me down. Everything you said was reasonable and made sense. It’s not your fault I’m so stubborn.”

He wanted to point out that even if he was speaking to some truth, it was still stressing Doc out, and he felt awful for it. But that would lead to more arguing, and Bdubs would rather let his boyfriend win that one than go around in mental circles. 

Bdubs wrapped his arms around Doc’s neck and pulled him in for a hug. He didn’t understand why he was being stubborn, and maybe he wasn’t meant to get it. Doc was looking for support, not a solution, so he’d shut his mouth and be just that. His boyfriend tightly hugged him, leaning his head against him. 

“Let’s finish unpacking,” Bdubs whispered.

“Good idea,” Doc exhaled, lips pressing to his shoulder before letting go.

The next morning at Honeybee, Doc watched from his usual spot as Bdubs brewed up a fresh pot of coffee and served other customers at the counter with a signature, bright smile. 

Guilt was still eating away at his stomach for snapping at him. 

“And a cup of coffee for the handsome man,” Bdubs declared, placing the white, ceramic mug in front of him.

He cracked a smile before taking a cautious sip of the hot coffee. “I bet you say that to every customer.”

His boyfriend hummed. “Maybe,” he teased.

Gem popped out of the kitchen with a dish of freshly baked banana and chocolate chip muffins. “So, what’re the plans for today?” She quipped as she placed them in the display case. Though when she saw Doc’s lonely cup of coffee, she plucked one and placed it on a small plate for him.

“No, it’s okay. I ate before we left, remember?” He insisted, pushing the plate away.

She pushed it back. “A bowl of cereal, sure. I know you like banana bread. Eat that,” she light-heartedly demanded with a warm smile.

Matching her grin, he began to carefully peel away the large cupcake liner. He didn’t get to make it far into his sheepish admission of wanting to try ice skating again when Bdubs’ phone began to ring. 

Bdubs raised an eyebrow, fishing it out from his pocket. But as he checked, his brows raised and he bit his lip. “S-Sorry, one sec,” he muttered, disappearing into the kitchen as he pressed his phone to his ear.

It was hard not to stare after him. Was that how Bdubs felt when Doc got the call from Wels? Unsure of what was happening, anxious by his expression, yet practically powerless in the moment to fix it? He understood why Bdubs was pushing for a way to fix it.

If only it were that easy.

He bought himself a couple of days, but it was just a couple of days to stall. To prolong the inevitable.

“I’m sure it’s nothing serious,” Gem quietly assured. Doc just nodded.

Although he couldn’t hear what he was saying, he knew Bdubs’ frustrated tone anywhere.

When he returned, he was already untying the back of his apron. He wasn’t even looking at Doc- just Gem. “Mom, I gotta go. It’s-”

She helped him pull the apron off over his head. “Got it. I didn’t think they’d-”

“But they do, because of course they do.”

“Don’t worry, it’s okay, just go.” She spoke with the same tone as she did with Doc, except with more confidence. Gem ruffled his hair, making him crack a smile before he walked around the counter. 

He quickly pecked Doc’s cheek. “I gotta go,” he hastily repeated, fleeting touches of his hand on Doc’s shoulder. 

“Wait, where? What’s wrong?” He asked, grabbing his wrist when his hand pulled away.

“I’ll see you later, okay?”

Frowning, he watched Bdubs hurry out of the cafe. Once he was out of sight down the street, he looked back at Gem, silently asking for answers.

“Don’t worry too much about it. You know how he gets with his work stuff,” she dismissively replied, folding up Bdubs’ apron. Doc couldn’t help but scoff as he drank more of his coffee. Typical of Bdubs to be a hypocrite- telling him to take a break from writing while somehow finding more work for himself at the same time. Even after their little fight the day before, the nerve to go disappear for work? 

He was under the impression that he could pester him about it whenever he came back, but by the end of the hour, Gem suggested he either wait for him at home or get some shopping done.

Although he was long done with gift shopping, Doc didn’t exactly want to sit in an empty house. So he settled with wandering into downtown, admiring the shops decorated for the holidays, and occasionally popping into one to catch up with familiar faces or peek at merchandise. Much to his dismay, the few texts he shot to Bdubs were left unread. A part of him hoped they’d bump into each other, but that never happened. 

When lunch time rolled around, and his stomach began to growl, he debated returning to Honeybee to eat. 

But if Bdubs was there, wouldn’t Mom tell him to reach out to me?

There was a nice restaurant that primarily served different kinds of soup. That would work just fine for him instead.

After sending Bdubs yet another text letting him know he’d be heading back to the house, he officially gave up.

He’s probably still upset at me for yelling at him. If he wanted space, though, wouldn’t he tell me? 

Before he knew it, he was back at the house. 

He really did hate the quiet. It reminded him too much of his old home. 

Something was thrown on the TV to fill the silence. 

Slumping against the couch, he sighed, his phone lying on his chest. 

The sun set an hour before he got any sort of notification. 

Doc didn’t let his phone ring past the first note before he answered. 

“I’m so sorry!” Bdubs professed the moment he answered. “I didn’t mean to ignore you all day, I swear. I got so caught up in everything that I-”

Spinning up from the couch, he turned the television off. “Hey, hey, calm down!” As hurt as Doc felt, he hated the desperation in his voice. He was just relieved that Bdubs wasn’t mad at him.

Hearing his boyfriend take a deep breath, he took one as well. “I’ll be back at the house in a few- on my way now, actually. Would you want to go to the pub for dinner? Maybe test out that new dance floor?” Bdubs suggested. 

A smile twitched at the corners of his mouth. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

-

Bdubs had one arm hooked under Doc’s, lightly clinging to his shoulder where he rested his cheek. His other hand was clasped with Doc’s, who had his free hand on his waist. Slow, festive music played as they danced around after eating a nice dinner together. Although his boyfriend spoke positively about his day whilst they ate, Bdubs could still practically feel how upset he was. 

Why did he have to keep making things worse?

His shoulders hunched when he heard Doc take a breath before speaking. He was expecting to be scolded or lectured or something for leaving him alone all day. It was the least he deserved. “I’m sorry again for yelling at you last night. I shouldn’t have taken my anger out on you,” Doc murmured, squeezing his hand and waist. 

It’s okay, really,” he insisted. “I was being too pushy. You had every right to shout at me.” Bdubs rubbed his shoulder, hoping to help ease him.

Doc held Bdubs tighter. “No, that’s not true. It’s not- it isn’t- you-” Doc protested, but he let out a disgruntled sigh, cutting himself off. 

It bothered Bdubs that he didn’t know what more to say to help ease him, but he was too nervous to push further again.

To be fair, he also wanted to apologize again. It wasn’t his intention to ignore Doc all day, it just… happened. But when he initially got home, Doc stopped him from his rambling apologies. He even told him that going to dinner would make up for it all. It didn’t feel like it, though.

On top of that, he wanted to promise that it wouldn’t happen again, but he was afraid it would.

Doc’s chest and shoulders began to bounce as he laughed. A smile broke free on Bdubs’ face. “What’s so funny?” He asked.

“Oh, nothing. Just our friends trying to embarrass us,” he whispered, kissing his temple. Bdubs raised his head, pressing against the side of his neck as they danced around. Once he caught sight of their high school friends talking, laughing, and Wels and Joe mimicking them dancing, his smile widened. “Can I tell you a secret?” Doc continued. “Although I don’t want our vacation to end sooner, I want it to be Christmas tomorrow. I just wanna give you your gifts already.”

Bdubs finally laughed. “Me too. But I guess we just gotta wait!” He was determined to contain his excitement for Christmas. As anxious as he was over his big gift for Doc, and if he’d even like it or not, he still couldn’t wait for the day to come.

“Are you still working tomorrow? Maybe we could attempt ice skating?” His stomach ached from how nervous but hopeful Doc sounded.

He leaned his head back to meet his boyfriend’s gaze with a warm smile. “We’ll be so much better this time around.” Bdubs kissed him when he started laughing again. “Seriously, I’m so sorry for leaving you alone all day. Next time I’ll make sure to at least text you back,” he quietly added.

Doc moved Bdubs’ arms to wrap around his neck. “I told you it’s okay. It was just the day- we can move on. If I can’t spend the rest of vacation worrying, then neither can you.” He hugged Bdubs close and firmly kissed him. 

“Alright, alright,” Bdubs murmured against his lips, his eyes fluttering shut. 

Everything should be sorted out now, so we should be back on schedule. So they shouldn’t need me for a full day again.

Although Doc seemed content, Bdubs had a feeling he’d be questioned later. Which, again, was only fair.

And he was right. 

It was that night, while they were getting ready to turn in for the night. 

Bdubs sat on the side of his bed, watching Doc dry off and find his pajamas to throw on. “What was the work thing you had today?” He lightly asked, using his towel to dry his hair.

“Oh! Well, as you know, we typically don’t work jobs at the end of the year, but we got a… particular- promising client, but it was cutting it close to the end of our working window. Luckily, we had a small team of employees available and willing, but there was some major miscommunication about what the client wanted, which is how I got involved,” he rambled off, hoping it didn’t sound too rehearsed.

Doc walked over to the bed, and Bdubs extended his arms to touch his hips. “Was the job in town or something?”

“No, but it was close enough that it was easier for me to go in person. The team knew I’d be in the area and I had the details of the job, so they knew to call me with any issues. I just didn’t expect an issue so big.” Doc’s towel rested around his neck as he leaned down to kiss his forehead.

Bdubs hummed and slowly rubbed his thumbs up and down. “Is everything back on track now, or do you have to go back again?” 

He wrapped his arms around Doc, pulling him closer. “Everything is back on track,” he echoed. “That’s it. I’m done. I swear.”

“I’m glad you helped them sort everything out,” Doc sighed with a gentle smile. He pushed back Bdubs’ hair, combing fingers through brunette strands. “And if they need you back, then I won’t be upset. You know I’m not upset with you, right?” Closing his eyes, Bdubs nodded.

Although it might not have been the smartest decision, Doc let Bdubs lead him onto the ice. Grabbing both of his hands, his boyfriend had the genius idea to skate backwards, pulling Doc forward. He kept glancing over Bdubs’ shoulder to make sure he wasn’t about to skate into someone. “I think we’re okay,” Doc nervously assumed, letting go of one of his hands so they could switch to be beside each other.

“See- we’re already doing better than last time!” He admired Bdubs’ confidence, though he wasn’t sure if it was real or not.

Somehow, Doc managed to relax. It helped to focus on the fact that they were together. Not just in the same room, but together.

There were parts of his previous visit home that Doc would rather forget. But there were some parts that he enjoyed looking back on.

The sound of laughter drew his focus over to another couple on the ice, notably far more skilled than them. They were circling each other, each taking turns jumping or doing as much as a double axel as if it were nothing. Local athletes on the ice were always fun to observe. To some, they may make them feel less talented, but for Doc, he loved having a free show of something so incredible.

“I could totally do that,” Bdubs whispered, nudging his arm.

Doc laughed. “Oh yeah? I bet you could,” he teased. He lifted his hand to kiss his knuckles red from the cold. 

However, Bdubs slipped his hand free and started to pick up speed. Doc hastily followed behind, so before his boyfriend could attempt to even just jump, he was able to reach forward and grab him by the waist. As Doc hugged him close, he lifted him off the ground. “Hey!” Bdubs squawked. 

“Careful, you’ll make me fall!” Doc laughed when Bdubs started flailing around. Though he suspected that was the goal, as Bdubs didn’t stop until he fell on his back. The wind was knocked out of him, and with the extra weight on top of him alongside his laughter, he found it hard to breathe. His back and head stung with sharp pain, but he was still smiling. It was worth it. 

Bdubs broke free from his hold and slid off of him to sit beside him. “Comfortable? Or does it hurt?” He teased as he ran a hand through Doc’s hair. He caught twinkles of concern in his eyes.

He took a couple deep breaths and flashed his partner a thumbs-up. “I kinda like it down here,” he joked. 

The other was kind enough to help him to his feet, though not without both of them close to falling again and grabbing the wall. Laughing, Bdubs kissed him. “It’s probably best if we keep it on the slower side, huh?” 

“And without trying to become the next top figure skater, hm?” He teased against his lips.

Although Bdubs scoffed, he took his hand and squeezed. 

As promised, they circled the rink at an easy, slow pace. Like in every other building, the ice rink was playing Christmas music. A blend of old classics and newer covers, and original songs. 

Bdubs’ phone rang, and he frowned. Doc could feel him not wanting to drop his hand- his fingers still lingering on his palm even when he dropped it to skate ahead and answer.

He elected to hang back to not eavesdrop, but judging by Bdubs’ expression, it was just work.

Thankfully, the call didn’t last long, and his boyfriend skated back to his side once again. “You tell people ‘don’t call me today’ and they do it anyway,” he whined, stuffing his phone away and leaning his head against Doc’s shoulder.

“Can’t help it when you’re so important,” he lightly pointed out, rubbing his back.

“I am important,” Bdubs agreed. 

-

On their walk back to Honeybee, Doc couldn’t stop smiling. It had started to snow when they left the ice rink, so they chose to take the long way back of walking around downtown, so they could enjoy the weather a little longer. Bdubs was hugging his robotic arm for warmth while going on and on about one time when a customer was giving Tango a hard time with their weirdly specific but vague requests. 

He kept wanting to stop and interrupt him by kissing him under a light post or in front of a shop door, but he held back. Besides, Bdubs’ stories were always entertaining.

And then he saw a familiar car parked up ahead. In front of one of the general goods shops. His feet rooted to the pavement, and Bdubs stopped talking, confused by his abrupt halt.

Doc’s smile fell as he watched his parents walk out of the store, and just his luck, his mother happened to glance his way as she opened the passenger door, and she stared back.

It had been almost a year since they last saw each other. 

Since they last spoke. 

Swallowing thickly, he freed his arm from Bdubs and found the strength to move his feet and approach her. His father stepped out of the driver’s side of the car, his expression as stern as his mother’s. 

“I saw you were selling the house,” he quietly started once his parents were standing together on the sidewalk.

“I always knew he’d be a bad influence on you,” his father coldly stated, his eyes snapping to Bdubs and ignoring his comment.

Doc’s fingers grazed over his boyfriend’s hand. “He’s not a bad influence,” he protested.

His mother crossed her arms and scoffed. “And yet after seeing him again, for the first time in years, suddenly you no longer want anything to do with us? You’d rather- run away with a boy you hardly know anymore instead of staying close to the people who raised you.”

“You’re lying to yourself! You know that wasn’t sudden! I would always insist that you leave your stupid company to someone else! It was never something I showed interest in!” He retaliated. His father held up a hand, and out of habit, he clamped his jaw shut.

“Enough,” he snapped. “We’re not arguing about this in public any longer like some- common- miscreants. You made your stance very clear when you walked out on us. When you abandoned us. You didn’t have to go so far and humiliate us by publishing whatever ridiculous story you wrote.” 

“It’s not ridiculous-”

“You threw away a promising future. A stable future,” his father continued, curling his hand to point a finger. “We worked so hard to raise you, and you were never grateful for the privileges we provided. You are just a spoiled brat throwing a tantrum because you refuse to accept that life can’t go the way you want. So don’t come crying to me in two or three years when no one is giving you money.”

Doc squeezed Bdubs’ hand and clenched his other into a fist. Frustrated tears built up in the ducts of his eyes, but he bit them back through gritted teeth. He watched his father return to the car, but his mother was still there. “Mom-” he shakily started, hoping she was still the slightly more reasonable one. Surely she’d agree that his father took it too far. 

She reached into her handbag and pulled out a book. His book. “I read your story,” she softly began. His eyes light up. Did she-? “For something you were so eager to leave us behind for, I was expecting more. I’m disappointed, Doc.”

His stomach dropped. “That’s not fair, I-”

“We gave you a privileged, comfortable life. And you tossed it all away. For what? Fantasy? Delusions of love? I would’ve found a wonderful person for you. Someone of high status and standard.” A poisonous feeling rose in his stomach at how she looked at Bdubs. Her eyes shone with pity, but the purse of her lips and the wrinkle of her nose proved she still saw him as nothing more than a dirty, stray animal. 

Throughout the entire conversation, Doc hadn’t been able to look at Bdubs. He found that he still couldn’t. 

Instead, he stepped in front of his boyfriend to block his mother’s view of him. He was ready to yell at her. To cry out and make a big scene for anyone who may have been passing by. If his parents wanted humiliation, he’d give them humiliation. 

But then his father honked the horn, and she tucked the book back in her bag and disappeared into the vehicle. 

All he could do was watch as they drove off. 

“You’re hurting me,” Bdubs whispered, breaking the silence.

He realized how tightly he had been gripping his hand and hastily let go. 

Finally, he dared to turn to look at his boyfriend. Concern painted his face as he touched Doc’s cheek and grazed his thumb beneath his eye. “Doc, it’s okay, you can cry,” he gently encouraged.

Bottom lip trembling, Doc nearly collapsed. He dropped his head onto his shoulder and gripped the back of his shirt. Heavy tears poured from his eyes, and his body shook with each shaky breath he tried to take. One hand came up to cradle the back of his neck, the other wrapped around his back as he quietly sobbed into him. “I- I’m sorry- so sorry- Bdubs-” Was all he could sputter. 

He wanted to properly apologize for not defending him better. For letting his parents say such awful things and for letting Bdubs be witness to it all. 

Instead, he fiercely hugged him, not caring if he was making a scene. All that mattered was how tightly Bdubs was holding him back, creating a safe and warm feeling to drown out the rest.

“We can go straight back to the house or still go to Honeybee. Either way, I’ll make you some hot chocolate and get you something warm to eat, okay?” Bdubs suggested in his ear before kissing his temple.

Doc screwed his eyes shut and slowly composed himself. “Okay,” he exhaled into his shoulder. “Let’s just go to Honeybee.” It was closer, and he wanted to sit down in a corner or something. 

Bdubs hummed and squeezed him. “Sounds like a plan.” When Doc tried to stand up and pull away, he was pulled back in again so Bdubs could kiss the top of his head.

“This was supposed to be a better Christmas than last year. I’m sorry I keep- I’m sorry,” he muttered.

“Don’t apologize,” Bdubs chided, finally allowing him to pull away. “This is a better Christmas than last year, because we have each other, don’t we?”

The right corner of his lips twitched. “Yeah.” His voice cracked as a small smile peeked through on his face. Before he could wipe his eyes, his boyfriend beat him to it- cupping his face and wiping his cheeks and beneath his eyes. His gloves were still soft, if not a little wet from the snow and his tears. Touching his wrists, he turned his face into Bdubs’ right hand and kissed the palm of his glove. 

It was a starkly silent walk back to Honeybee. 

Doc fiercely held onto Bdubs’ hand - though not too tight, of course - and kept himself as hunched in as he could. Anything to appear as small as he felt. 

The moment they stepped into the warm cafe, Gem rushed to greet them, her bright expression melting. “What happened? Are you okay, dear?” She worried, touching Doc’s arm.

“Go sit in the back. I’ll talk to her for you,” Bdubs quietly suggested with a quick squeeze of his hand.

Nodding, he flashed a weak smile before excusing himself to the kitchen. As he walked away, he heard his boyfriend start to explain the events that had unfolded. He was thankful there weren’t any customers around to see his sorrowful state, and the other chefs were too busy baking and cleaning up to pay him any mind as he slipped into the breakroom.

The round wooden table inside still had remnants of crayons and pencil doodles created by a young Bdubs and Doc. A soft smile relaxed on his face as his fingers traced over the markings, leading him down memory lane to distract himself. 

Right. Bdubs and Gem are my family. I’ve… always been their family. 

He wasn’t sure how long it was until he was interrupted by a steaming mug being placed in front of him. Looking up, he watched Bdubs slide into the seat next to him with a mug of his own. “Mom is finishing up a carrot cake and needs somebody to taste it. I already told her I could help, but maybe you could too?”

“Gladly,” he agreed, his smile growing. “I- I really love you, y’know that? I love you so much.”

He enjoyed how rosy Bdubs’ cheeks became. “I love you too,” he whispered. When Bdubs took a sip of his hot chocolate, his nose wrinkled as he immediately began to curse himself for burning his tongue. Doc laughed, leaning over to sneak a kiss on his forehead.

“So much,” he repeated when he sat back in his chair.

His boyfriend touched his leg. “Listen. As far as I’m concerned, your parents- they don’t exist anymore. They’ve got no bearing on your life anymore, they’ve got nothin’ over your head. You don’t need to think about them anymore. Alright?”

Doc touched his hand and nodded. 

They sat in comfortable silence, and although Bdubs was more focused on his drink, his hand stayed on Doc’s legs. It was like an anchor, keeping him steady so he wouldn’t break down again.

Gem eventually joined them, ruffling Doc’s hair before sitting on the other side of him. “Your parents don’t know anything. Quite frankly, they suck, and you don’t need them,” she declared.

He chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, you’re absolutely right.”

“Also, your book is fantastic. It sold out here, and don’t forget it sold out around you guys, too. Your mother, no offense, doesn’t know shit about good fiction. And that’s my unbiased opinion.”

Doc laughed harder, and Bdubs giggled beside him. “Right, very unbiased. Coming from the person who insisted on buying her own copy when I offered to just send you one,” he teased.

She scoffed, leaning back. “Oh no. Absolutely not. Are you kidding me? I had to buy a copy! I wanted to support you!” 

“I bought like, three,” Bdubs added. “And you did too, didn’t you?”

His cheeks began to hurt from how hard he was smiling. “The two of you- I can’t believe you guys,” he sighed. Quietly, Doc hoped he truly never had to see his parents again. He was ready to mourn their relationship, but there wouldn’t be an empty hole left behind from lack of their presence. He hadn’t felt it even when he declared he was leaving for good and packed up his things. If that was as close to closure as he was going to get, then he accepted it. 

Although Doc had insisted he was fine the next day, that didn’t stop Bdubs from worrying about him. He truly hoped that his parents wouldn’t be in town because they had sold the house. But of course, they had to run into them.

And Bdubs couldn’t say anything to them.

He didn’t want to give them the reaction they were looking for, but keeping a still expression was difficult. He should have cussed them out and thrown something at them. Caused a big scene to scare them off. 

As usual, they spent the morning at Honeybee, though Bdubs wasn’t allowed behind the counter. Instead, he sat next to Doc at his favorite spot and enjoyed a quiet breakfast with him.

His boyfriend smiled as he sipped his coffee. “I’m fine, Bee,” he murmured without looking his way.

“Ah- sorry,” he laughed. Bdubs didn’t realize he had been staring at him so long.

Doc chuckled. “Don’t apologize, just eat,” he encouraged. 

Nodding, Bdubs dug into the cinnamon bun in front of him. 

He did like being on the customer side for once. Watching his mom disappear into the kitchen and popping out to sometimes deal with customers herself. He knew all too well that she was keeping an eye on Doc, too. When they were younger and would go to Honeybee after school, she’d man the counter to properly watch them. Sometimes, Doc’s parents would show up to pick him up if they also had something to grab from Honeybee. Though most of the time, they’d walk him home. And by high school, Bdubs was insistent on walking him home himself, for no particular reason, of course.

Once they were done, the plan was to head home and relax on the couch. 

But as they got to the front yard, Bdubs didn’t think much when Doc dropped his hand and let him take the lead. 

He was maybe halfway to the front porch when the back of his right shoulder was smacked by something cold that crumpled upon impact.

“Hey!” He squawked, whipping around. “Did you just throw- wait!” Bdubs interrupted himself with a shriek as he hastily shielded his face. Another snowball was hurled towards him and crashed against his arms. He crouched and grabbed a fistful of snow, carefully eyeing Doc, who was reloading as well. “You’re a little shit!” He teased, whipping a snowball back at the hybrid. It hit his arm, and Doc laughed. 

Doc tossed the snowball he had formed up before catching it and chucking it at him. Bdubs twisted his body so it hit his side, and he started laughing too. “Couldn’t help myself! The snow was begging to be thrown!”

“I’m sure it was!” He scoffed through a wide smile. He packed together a snowball and hit Doc in the chest. 

The two of them kept laughing as they chucked snowballs at each other. It overwhelmed Bdubs with nostalgia of snow days back in middle school. Whenever they had a day off due to weather, Doc’s parents were insistent on using the opportunity to have him prepare whatever skills a twelve-year-old lacked to take over the tech-based company. So naturally, he’d sneak out at any given chance and race over to Bdubs’ to play in the snow. Or, Bdubs would make the trip instead and wait on the front lawn until he got shooed away by Doc’s parents.

As his boyfriend kept chucking snowballs, Bdubs decided to charge at him and knock him to the ground. Doc grabbed his coat and pulled him down with him, landing Bdubs on his chest. 

Although he groaned, Doc wrapped his arms around him and laughed. “We’ve got to stop falling for each other like this,” he teased.

Bdubs grabbed a fistful of snow and let it trickle down onto his forehead. “You’re so cheesy!” After Doc shook the snow from his head, Bdubs kissed him. He hummed at how cold his lips were. 

“I’m okay, really,” Doc suddenly insisted. “I know you’re still worried about me, but I’m okay.”

Blinking, Bdubs crossed his arms on his chest and propped himself up. “Are you sure? You don’t have to- to brush this off, y’know.” He didn’t want Doc to think he had to feign a positive attitude just because they were on vacation.

Thankfully, Doc’s smile stayed, and he brushed a cold and wet gloved knuckle against his cheek. “I’m not brushing anything off. Yeah, my parents were really shitty, but I’m okay. I have you and Mom, and that’s all I’ve ever needed. I’ve had the privilege of waking up next to you every day for the past year, when for most of my life, I thought that would only be a dream,” he softly insisted.

He pursed his lips as his cheeks began to burn despite the weather. “Alright, I get it,” he muttered, carefully climbing off him. He helped Doc to his feet and brushed the snow from his hair.

“Have I sufficiently flustered you?” His boyfriend teased him before kissing his forehead.

Bdubs elected to ignore the comment. “We should shower first, and set out our coats to dry.” He grabbed the pit of Doc’s elbow and led him back to the house. 

“Love you too,” his boyfriend cheered. 

-

Bdubs lazily hummed and rolled over. He had been fast asleep, but something stirred him awake. When he peeked open an eye, he could see through a sliver of space behind the drawn curtain, which revealed it was still pitch dark outside.

Rolling back over, not only was his boyfriend not in bed, but he winced from the bright light at his desk. 

Doc was sitting with his back to the bed, his laptop open.

“Wha… What time’s it? Come back to bed, Gorgeous,” he sleepily called out.

“It’s fine,” Doc quietly assured, brushing him off without turning around. “I’m just working a little ‘s all.”

He frowned and propped himself up on an elbow. “But you promised you wouldn’t,” he mumbled.

Squinting, he realized Doc’s fingers were twitching as his hands hovered over the keyboard. It was a sign that he was working out an idea in his head before typing it out. “Just wanted to write a little, there’s no harm,” he insisted, his voice distant.

Bdubs looked over to his other side, where his phone rested on the nightstand. He flinched at the bright screen when he checked the time. “Doc, it’s nearly three.” Looking back at his boyfriend, he sat up. “You’ve worked hard enough throughout the year on this. You can afford a good night’s sleep.”

Perhaps it was his imagination, or a trick of the light, but he thought he caught Doc wince. “It won’t be much longer, go back to sleep, Bee,” he urged.

But he wasn’t having it.

“I’m not sleeping without you. This is, like, the millionth time I’ve caught you staying up stupid late working on your book. It can wait, love. We’re on vacation, I want you to relax,” he pleaded.

“So you can work and I can’t?” Doc suddenly snapped.

Bdubs blinked. The hybrid’s mood had completely flipped from that morning. He deflated, slowly leaning into the backboard of his bed. “I… this- what I’m doing- what I did, is… different. At least I’m not losing sleep over it! I bet you’ve already written enough for the night, so-”

“I’ve written nothing!”

“Oh. S-So then- you can-”

“No, Bee. I’ve written nothing at all. For the whole book. There’s not a single word.” Doc finally turned around to look at him, and even with only the light behind him, his distraught expression was as clear as day. 

Bdubs hesitated, but slowly pulled the blankets off and climbed out of bed. As he approached the desk, his boyfriend slowly turned around. He wrapped his arms around his shoulders and leaned his temple against Doc’s. The other quickly dimmed the brightness of his screen, easing Bdubs’ eyes. 

A hand slowly rubbed across his arms. “I thought I had an idea for it, I thought I had something. But I’ve spent the year doing nothing for it, and I’ve felt awful because you’ve been the only one working. How do I tell Wels that I have nothing to show? I-I can’t- I can’t just-”

He lifted an arm to shut the laptop. “First off, take a deep breath.” He followed the rise and fall of Doc’s chest. “Second, don’t feel awful. You’ve been making consistent sales of your book, and don’t you have a talk coming up to celebrate the first anniversary? And if you’re just honest with Wels, he’ll understand. He’s not some bloodthirsty, money-hungry beast! It took you years to write the first one.”

Doc leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. “Okay,” he exhaled. Bdubs firmly pressed his lips to the top of his head. When he pulled away, Doc followed up and trudged back over to the full-sized bed with him.

As they lay down, and Doc pulled the blankets up over them, he apologized. “I’m sorry for snapping at you. I said I wouldn’t do it again and-”

Bdubs hushed him and kissed his forehead. “It’s okay. You’re tired and frustrated, and I was being pushy again when I should’ve known better,” he assured him. Doc draped an arm over his waist and buried his face in the crook of his neck.

“No, you didn’t do anything wrong. How were you supposed to know that I was upset over having nothing done? I haven’t been honest all year. That’s the issue,” Doc grumbled. Bdubs idly stroked the side of his hair, his eyes slowly closing again.

“Gorgeous, we could argue all night over who is at fault. How ‘bout we sleep? Hm?” It eased him to hear his boyfriend chuckle and agree. 

Soft kisses met his neck, lulling him to sleep.

When he woke up, Doc wanted to squeeze Bdubs, but found no one there. 

He sat up with a frown, and his eyes wandered around the room. When his gaze fell on the desk, he stared at his shut laptop.

Wels is going to murder me for not being upfront sooner.

His gut told him that Bdubs had to leave again for work. He just wished Bdubs had woken him up to say goodbye.

The smell of bacon and toast wafted up into the room, and he heard the coffee maker beginning to whir to life. He hoped Mom had made enough for him, too, or at least left out more bacon for him to fry up himself. 

Climbing out of bed, he stretched and fixed his shirt and his hair. He found his slippers and wandered downstairs.

Much to his surprise, it was his partner in the kitchen. 

For a minute, Doc could only watch as he switched between flipping pieces of bacon and the French toast slices in another pan. The sight was wonderfully domestic.

A warm smile crept onto his face, and he stepped closer so he could wrap his arms around his waist and drop his head onto his shoulder, where he placed a good-morning kiss. Bdubs jumped a little, but quickly eased. “Oh, good morning! I was gonna wait until the food was ready to wake you,” he explained, patting his arm.

“I thought you had work,” he admitted, without raising his head.

“No, they don’t need my help, and Mom is all set for the party tonight, so I’m not needed at Honeybee either.” Lifting his chin, he brushed his lips against Bdubs’ cheek. 

He only let go to help plate their breakfast. They sat at the counter, accompanied by fresh hot coffee. 

With their argument from the previous night still on his mind, and their other argument fresh in the forefront to join, he swallowed a bite of bacon. “Listen, I think we should talk about-”

Bdubs’ phone, at the edge of the counter, rang. He flashed a weak smile and checked. “Sorry, it’s Tango. Just um, hold on.”

Doc watched as he moved towards the hall, just out of earshot. He stared after him, pushing his food around with his fork. Then he heard Bdubs laughing and was able to pick up on what he followed up with.

“Oh, I don’t think Doc has any idea. We’re good, don’t worry your pretty little head.”

His stomach twisted. Doc was used to Bdubs being affectionate and teasing Tango and Keralis, but it felt different when it was for a conversation he had to walk away for. 

A wave of guilt crashed into him for having even the slightest negative feelings. He was overreacting over something so simple. It was probably something Christmas related, right?

He forced himself to refocus on eating breakfast, only looking up when a hand brushed over his shoulder, trailing from one to the other as Bdubs sat back down. “Sorry about that. Now, what did you wanna talk about?”

Doc set down his fork. The party was that night. It didn’t feel like the best time to have a more serious conversation. “Um, I just wanted to say thank you. For- for being so patient with me recently. I’m going to call Wels today, and from now on, I’ll be more honest with you about this stuff.” It was still something he wanted to bring up, but not the main point he was hoping to go for.

His boyfriend softly smiled. “Oh! I wouldn’t say that I was- well- okay. I love you, Gorgeous.”

“Love you too, Bee,” he murmured, picking up his cup of coffee. I would still like to talk about it sooner rather than later.

-

The party was a hit.

With festive music floating through the air, familiar faces chattering, laughing, and eating inside Honeybee, Bdubs was overwhelmed with the holiday spirit. He was sucked into one of Joe’s stories alongside xB and Jevin. The three of them were sitting in a booth whilst Joe stood in front of the table. Part of his tale required miming out actions.

He kept glancing across the room at Doc, who was eating with Pearl. He was wearing the sweater Bdubs had bought him, as he said he would.

As Joe was wrapping up his story, Doc had excused himself, grabbed his coat, and slipped outside. 

Although he figured he needed space, he couldn’t help but want to follow. 

Without thinking about it any longer, he followed out the door. 

Doc was standing near the window, half-lidded eyes wandering across the quiet street. 

“Everything okay?” Bdubs softly asked as he joined his side.

Doc took a deep breath, a wisp of air dancing in front of him. “Yeah, don’t worry. Just needed a break, is all,” he assured him. Glancing over at Bdubs, he softly smiled. He pulled his coat off and draped it over his shoulders. 

He clutched the edges together and leaned his head against Doc’s shoulder. “Deja vu, huh?” He whispered.

Doc laughed. “A little, yeah! But this time is better.” He wrapped an arm around Bdubs’ shoulders, pulling him closer. “I can’t believe Mom has had this place for thirty years.”

Humming in agreement, Bdubs glanced back inside. Gem was gesturing towards the slice of cheesecake someone had; most likely explaining how she ended up with the recipe.

“I’d love to be as talented as her one day,” he admitted.

“But you are. Your baking skills are great. Really great. And you’ve made your own great recipes. Like that pumpkin tiramisu,” Doc argued. 

Bdubs shook his head. “No, that was hers too,” he softly chuckled.

“She told me it wasn’t.”

Stepping to the side, he gently pulled free from Doc’s hold. “W-Well, it’s just that- it would be wrong for me to take credit for it. Mom was the one who baked the original cake. Just ‘cause I added one thing to it, doesn’t make it now mine,” he pointed out. Still, he kept his smile. He didn’t want the conversation to become another argument.

Sighing, Doc touched his shoulder. “Bdubs, I- there’s something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about,” he gently began. “I just don’t know how to say it without being too… blunt. And rude.”

Bdubs frowned. He stepped closer again. “It’s okay, you can talk to me.” He touched Doc’s hand.

His boyfriend squeezed him. “I- I think- you’ve forgotten things you’ve talked about with your therapist,” he nervously admitted.

His stomach twisted. “Wh-What?”

“I just mean- we’ve argued a few times since coming back here, and you keep blaming yourself! You think you have a responsibility to- to calm me down and not to be ‘pushy’ when you’re just arguing your point like anybody else! It’s worrying me, Bdubs!”

Bdubs blinked at him. 

Holy shit, that was wrong. 

He trudged forward, hitting his forehead against Doc’s chest. “I hate that you’re right,” he muttered, wrapping his arms around him. “Shit, I-I’m sorry.”

Doc squeezed him. “I know this wasn’t the… best time to bring it up. And for the millionth time, don’t apologize." Bdubs cracked a smile.

“Maybe not the best time, but it needed to be said. You kept trying to point it out to me, and I wasn’t noticing, huh?” 

Slowly, Doc rocked him side to side. “I love you, Bdubs,” he murmured.

He hummed and dug his fingers into the sweater he loved seeing on Doc so much. “I love you too, Doc. And thank you for always being patient with me with this kind of stuff,” he whispered back. 

“For you, Bee, always.” 

His therapist was going to have a field day with him at their next appointment. He expected to regress in his progress at some point, but Bdubs just figured he’d notice it better. He also knew Doc was typically hesitant to talk to him about his behavior. Like it was a line littered with cracking eggshells. But he hoped he knew that the line didn’t exist at all. Bdubs wanted him to call him out on his behavior. 

Raising his head, Bdubs softly smiled at Doc and squeezed him again. His boyfriend leaned in and softly kissed him with cold lips. 

“Let’s go back inside. I don’t want you freezing out here,” Bdubs whispered against him. “And I think Mom’s toast is comin’ up.”

Doc hummed and finally let him go. 

When they stepped back inside, the jacket was taken off his shoulders and placed aside.

Gem was indeed about to give her toast, and Doc placed a hand around Bdubs’ hips. 

She thanked her staff, Bdubs, Doc, and all of the loyal customers and friends alike. She thanked them for enjoying her food and for showing up to the celebration. Concluding with a promise to another thirty years of business - whether it be under her management or not - she wished everyone a merry Christmas and happy holidays.

Bdubs leaned against Doc again and smiled. 

The night of Christmas Eve, Bdubs and Doc shared a blanket on one side of the couch, with Gem on the other. 

Doc had a hand settled on the other side of Bdubs’ hips, and his boyfriend kept a hand on his knee under the blanket. They were bingeing every Christmas movie the family owned, from the nostalgic, childhood ones, to the cheesy romances, to the more action-based ones.

As the credits began to roll on one of the animated kids movies, Doc picked up his mug of steaming hot chocolate. “Thanks again for having me here,” he piped up.

Gem smiled. “There’s nothing to thank, Doc. You’re family. You’ve always been family,” she reminded him. 

“I-I know, I just didn’t know if- if dating Bdubs was going to change anything.”

Bdubs squeezed his leg. “I… was a little worried too. You’ve always been - rightfully so - pretty hard on my boyfriends,” he added. 

Sighing, Gem’s smile grew, and she shook her head. “With Doc? Never. Do you realize why I was always so judgmental and harsh on your old partners?” She asked, pulling her legs up on the couch.

Doc looked at his boyfriend, who furrowed his brows and shook his head.

“Oh, Bdubs, you get your stubbornness from me,” Gem chuckled. She leaned her head back. “I was absolutely convinced that you and Doc would end up together, so naturally, I made the bar unreasonably high whenever I met someone you were dating.”

Bdubs’ face was bright red, and Doc’s jaw dropped. “You- you wanted- us? Really?” Doc sputtered in disbelief. His boyfriend was squeezing his leg.

“Mom!” He laughed. 

She shrugged. “Well, clearly I was right!” 

“Well, I’m- it makes me happy to know that you really wanted me to be a part of the family,” Doc joked, pulling Bdubs into him.

“I can’t believe you!” Bdubs continued, his smile wide. 

“Needless to say, you dating my son doesn’t change anything,” Gem assured him. 

Doc couldn’t believe what he was hearing. 

If the movie they just watched was any more emotional, he probably would’ve burst into tears right then and there. The bright, warm feeling in his chest and the front of his face- that was what he was missing for so long. The comfort of a real family. 

After receiving gifts from his mom and Doc, and giving them theirs on Christmas day, Bdubs thought that was it. Gem gave him a new, empty recipe binder of his own, the book his favorite interior designer had written, hand-painted coasters, and more. Doc got him vinyls and matching hoodies, amongst other things.

He assumed the next step would be to run out to collect Doc’s final gift; there was an object.

“Actually, I have one more thing for you.” Glancing over his shoulder, he watched as his boyfriend sat down on the couch next to him and handed over a small, wrapped box with a ribbon tied around it.

Something of that size meant one thing- jewelry. But it could have been a million things. When he opened it, he found himself staring at a pair of matching gold rings.

Doc took one of his hands and squeezed it whilst his mom flashed a knowing smile from the chair next to the couch. 

“Maybe it’s silly, but I like to think it was fate that we bumped into each other after being separated for so long. Sure, you could argue it was bound to happen, but the timing felt almost perfect. I was afraid I lost you for good, but somehow, we’re here together. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it for as long as you’ll let me; I promise to never leave you again. So that’s what these are: a promise. I know promise rings might be kinda- a bit dumb, but I-I really like them, and I like the idea of having them to symbolize that promise. A promise that we’ll stay together, a promise to one day-”

“You want to marry me one day?” Bdubs softly interrupted, his voice cracking.

“Of course I do! I love you, Bee,” Doc laughed. 

Bdubs squeezed his hand. “They’re not dumb. I really love this, Doc,” he whispered. He tried to guess which ring was his, but the one he slipped on was a little too loose, and he laughed. Doc helped him put the right one on, then Bdubs took his hand and put his boyfriend’s ring on for him.

He pulled him into a tight hug, burying a hand in his hair. 

When they pulled apart, Gem sat behind Bdubs and ruffled his hair. “Merry Christmas, kiddo.” He turned to hug her, too, because of course she was in on both of their big gifts. Giggling, she rubbed his back. “Now, don’t you wanna try and one-up him?” She teased.

“Oh, of course I do!” He laughed. When they got up, Doc hugged her too before they grabbed proper winter attire and left the house.

Bdubs explained that it wasn’t a far walk, and that this ‘gift’ was just a bit too big to bring over. 

It didn’t take long for Doc to catch on to what route they were taking, and anxiety began to build in Bdubs’ stomach. But when he saw his boyfriend’s eyes light up once they reached his old street, Bdubs found himself smiling again and squeezed his hand.

“What?” Doc breathed, faltering in his steps as his childhood home came into view.

Hanging across the front porch was a banner that read, ‘Welcome Home Doc!’

“C’mon,” he encouraged with a light laugh. Bdubs led him inside to reveal that all of the cold, modern furniture had been swapped out for warm colors and comfier cushions. Pictures of his parents and of a clearly uncomfortable Doc were swapped out with group pictures with friends, the two of them with Gem, Doc with his book, and actual happy images of him from childhood. Of course, there were also pictures of the two of them on the various dates they had gone on over the years.

Doc’s jaw dropped, and his eyes widened as he slowly looked around. “What did you- how?”

“This was the ‘job’ I had to help with. Besides the team, only Tango and Keralis knew about the project,” he slowly explained.

“So- so what’s-”

Bdubs took his other hand and clasped them together. “Remember how we keep talking about how nice it would be to have a place outside the city? Well, welcome to our new vacation home! It’s under my name for now, but if you want, we can add your name, or I can give it entirely to you.” Doc freed his hands only to pull him into a tight hug and pick him up off the ground.

“This is- this is insane! I love it!” He gushed. Bdubs laughed and begged to be put down.

Once he was, he then grabbed his wrist. “This isn’t even the best part!” He continued the house tour by bringing him to his father’s study, which didn’t even look like the same room. It had been transformed to become Doc’s writing room, fit with a painting commissioned from Pearl. He then revealed that she had made two, and the other was up in the dining room. 

He showed off the master bedroom, now their room.

And after every room was looked at, he saved Doc’s childhood bedroom last.

It was perfectly preserved in time, as if Doc never left.

“I wasn’t sure what you wanted to do with it, so I just… left it for you to decide,” Bdubs whispered. Doc had covered his mouth and slowly stepped into the room. He sat down on his bed, running his hand over the comforter. Bdubs stayed in the entrance, proudly watching his smile grow.

“How did you ever convince my parents to sell to you?”

“Oh, it was easier than I thought!” He shrugged and finally joined him, plopping down beside him. “Once I found out they were selling, I managed to get a meeting with them, which I thought would be the hardest. They didn’t want to keep most of the furniture, so I offered up our services of removing it for free. Obviously, they weren’t keen on selling to me, so I also threw in some heavily discounted room refurnishings for whenever they needed them, and if they don’t want me on those projects, then I won’t be there. I… also added on that I’d never speak to them again. So, um, there was that. Too.” As he explained, he hunched his shoulders. Bdubs wasn’t too sure how Doc would react to finding out about the deal. 

His boyfriend touched the back of his head, carding his fingers through his hair. “You- really?” He whispered. “So- when we saw them- they knew they could be so- so- awful to you because you couldn’t talk back?”

Bdubs shrugged again. “I just feel really guilty for not defending you. I-I should’ve done it. The deal was made, they couldn’t- take the house back by that point.” Lips pressed to his temple.

“Oh, Bdubs,” he sighed. “Don’t- don’t feel guilty, alright? You’ve done something wonderful for me. I’m sorry you had to deal with my parents. Especially like… that.”

He touched Doc’s knee. “And I’d do it again for you,” he murmured.

“We can change up this room, y’know. It doesn’t have to stay like this. Though it was really nice to see it at least one more time.”

“I figured as much, but that can all wait until the New Year!”

Doc pulled him to lie back on the bed and sang his sweet praises about how wonderful Bdubs was. And as much as his ego relished in the compliments, he realized Doc never noticed the final touch.

He abruptly stood up and dragged Doc to his feet. 

“What? What!” Doc laughed as he pulled him out of the room and downstairs.

“You didn’t see it before! C’mon!” He dragged him through the living room, the dining room, and to the doorway that separated it from the kitchen. His boyfriend slowed down and laughed once he spotted it.

The mistletoe from the year before hung back up. 

Doc cupped his jaw, and Bdubs squeezed his hips.

Kissing Doc in his house felt so surreal. They didn’t have to worry about anybody seeing; they didn’t have to worry about anything. Their lips slowly moved together, and although they had to head back to Gem’s at some point, Bdubs was more than eager to get lost in him until he was too dizzy to keep standing.