Work Text:
It hadn’t occurred to him that haunted houses might not be accessible for Chris. It wasn’t fair! They couldn’t have a ramp or an elevator? Chris had been looking forward to it too. So maybe that was why he had begged Tommy to let him turn his house into a haunted house, just for a day! Well, he didn’t really have to beg. Tommy only ever told him no if something was dangerous or he was being seriously disobedient. So that was why Buck was spending his day off cutting out cardboard monsters he had bought online.
If he didn’t love Evan and Eddie, he would not be putting cobwebs up in his living room. He was going to have to scene tomorrow morning in a haunted house. That had never been on his list of places to scene but his sub tomorrow was all for it. Which was good but hopefully he could take in down in a few days. He didn’t think he could live with monsters peeking out of the closet at him for very long. It was like a bad metaphor. This kid better appreciate this.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“This is Tommy’s house, Buck!”
“It is? I must have got the address wrong. Maybe we should check it out anyway.” He had parked the jeep in front of the house, gesturing at the sign. “Look Chris! It says Haunted House, enter if you dare. Do we dare?” He was well aware that there was at least a vampire and whatever Tommy decided to be hiding in different rooms.
He giggled, letting Buck help him out of the car before he unloaded his walker. “We dare! Do you think there are werewolves Bucky?”
“Hmmm. I’m not sure. I guess we will have to check every corner.” He had cut out a werewolf and put it in the bathroom, but Tommy kept moving it. Apparently, he couldn’t pee with the cardboard staring at him. He led the little boy to the house, happy for the first time that Tommy didn’t have a porch or stairs. It was easy for Chris to enter all on his own. He opened the door, stepping back so Chris could enter first. Tommy had turned off the lights, so the only light was the rope lights he had put on the ceiling.
“Bucky? What if I trip?”
“I’m right beside you buddy.” He had also made sure that there were no words on the ground. His kid would not be getting hurt.
“Okay.” He knew his Bucky would protect him, so he wasn’t really worried. He took slow steps inside the house, eyes going wide. There was a giant spider in the corner, surrounded by webs! “Look a spider!”
“Oh no! Should we run?”
“Don’t be silly, Bucky! IT won’t hurt us if we don’t hurt it! What else is there?” There was what looked like a green monster peeking over the couch. He giggled again, pushing forward. IT wasn’t until he got to Tommy’s kitchen that he froze. He heard a noise. “Bucky? What was that?”
That was probably Eddie making growling sounds, because obviously he had not watched the vampire how to video he sent him. “I don’t know, bud. You want me to go first?” He stepped into the kitchen at the nod, finding the flashlight he had left on the table and using it to shine in all the corners.
“Ieek!”
“It’s okay Chris, I’ll protect you!”
“It’s a vampire!”
“Yes, it is a vampire.” He added pointedly, glaring at the now hissing Eddie. He sounded more like a pissed off cat than a vampire. “Vampires don’t hiss Eds.” He whispered, taking the grunt as answer.
“We should run!” He was pretty sure that was his daddy but he was loving this game.
“Follow me!” He let the way back down the hallway, nudging the bathroom door open and tapping the fog machine. Hopefully the kid didn’t notice.
“Uh oh. I can’t see Bucky.”
“It’s okay buddy. I have my flash light. Take me hand?”
He took his hand, letting himself be let through the fog. There were monsters sticking out of the closets and cobwebs and skeletons everywhere. “What was that?”
Probably Tommy. Although why Tommy was making moaning noises, of all noises, he didn’t know. “Maybe a ghost?”
“Don’t be silly Bucky, ghosts aren’t real.”
Ghosts weren’t real, but vampires and werewolves were? He loved kids imagination. He opened the door to the guest room, Tommy had put his foot down in decorating his bedroom, biting his lip to keep from smirking. He wasn’t quite sure what his dom was pretending to be but it was adorable. Tommy had clearly never taken an acting class.
“It’s a zombie!”
He was a mummy! Or maybe he could be a zombie? It didn’t really matter to him. He had gone for silly instead of scary, so maybe he was walking like a zombie. The seven-year-old giggling was worth it. “Arrr Arr Uhhh.”
“Why does he sound like a pirate?”
“He’s just a silly zombie, that’s all.”
“This is the best haunted house ever! Can I bring my friends here Tommy?”
He had not expected that. Well, he figured the kid knew it was him but he hadn’t thought he would ask to bring over friends.
“Chris-“
“No, it’s okay Buck. Specific friends or all your friends?”
“Just the ones with CP. Oh, and Terri. They deserve a haunted house too.”
Oh, he was not going to cry in front of a seven year old. That was the sweetest thing. If he remembered correctly, Terri was in a wheelchair and there were two or three kids Chris’ age in their support group with CP. “That’s a great idea Chris. If Tommy and your dad are okay with it, maybe we can have a haunted house party?” And he could get a few more people to be monsters. He knew May would do it and she had friends who would probably help.
He wasn’t going to get his house back for a while. But the smile on the little boy’s face was precious and he was not going to tell him no. “How about this weekend? Think we can arrange it that fast, Eddie?” The other man had come to see what they were doing and was watching his kid with absolute love in his eyes.
“I can call parents and check, but I don’t see why not. Buck can handle party supplies and we will have an accessible haunted house party. How does that sound Chris?” He’d call Carla and see if he could get her to help. It was a good idea, after all.
“Awesome! Thanks Dad! Thanks Bucky! Thank you Tommy!” He grinned, he was going to be the most popular kid in his group and his friends would get to have this experience too! He loved his family.