Title: Christmas Wish
Author: Annie Wright (AnnieW177@aol.com)
Rating: R for some naughty language and adult situations alluded to
Spoilers: not a one
Category: DRR
Disclaimer: blah blah blah
Summary: "I already got my Christmas wish.I woke up with you this mornin'."
Author's Notes at the end
My bathroom is kinda small to begin with; put two people in there tryin' to do two different things at the same time, and it feels even smaller. Monica's standin' at the sink in her underwear, brushin' her teeth. She looks damn sexy for 7 am, but then again, I always think that about her. I sweep her hair to the side and place a kiss on her neck before pushing her slightly aside so I can tie my tie. She pushes back slightly, and says somethin' incoherent. "What's that?" Spit, rinse. "I'm watching William for Dana tonight, so I'm going to stay at my place." I must have a disappointed look on my face because she laughs and pokes me in the ribs. "One night, John. I think we can handle it." "Where's Dana goin'?" "Christmas shopping." Monica reaches over and straightens my tie. "She's going shopping with her mom, so she asked me to sit." She gives me a coy look. "Might also be a good time for you to do some Christmas shopping of your own." "Why? Who do I have to buy a Christmas gift for?" I tease her, and she smacks me in the arm. "Bad move to tease me so early in the morning," she replies, and she goes back into the bedroom. I hear her openin' and closin' drawers and the closet, and by the time I've brushed my own teeth she's dressed and ready for work. She brushes past me and back into the bathroom, where she starts puttin' on her makeup. "Anyway, um.Christmas." If I'm not mistaken, she sounds a little hesitant. "What about it?" I ask, tyin' my shoes. "Are you going to New York?" "Nah. My parents're goin' to my uncle's house in Greenwich, so I'm stayin' here. Why? You not goin' to Mexico?" "I didn't want to take so much time off during the holidays, I was going to go sometime in February when rates might be cheaper." "Why don't we do Christmas here, then? We can go get a tree this weekend an' decorate it." She sticks her head outta the bathroom, and when I see that big beautiful grin of hers, I know I've done something right. "Really?" "Sure." It's been years since I've actually done anythin' about Christmas, but this year is as good as any to start. Hell, I've done so much this year that I never thought I'd do again, why not add one more to the list? She comes over to the bed and pushes me back on it before crawling up on top of me. She leans over and kisses me, and I laugh. "We have to go to work," I say as her hands work at undoing my tie. "And it's your day to go in early." She sighs, and with a kiss sits up and adjusts her shirt. "Killjoy." "Hey, you're the one who's insistin' on not stayin' here tonight." "What?" The mock angry look she shoots me is adorable, and I smile. "Kiddin', darlin'. Come on, you'd better get goin' before traffic is too bad." She crawls off me and stands up. "You had better bring me coffee and a muffin."
When I arrive home that night, the house is empty. I'm so used to havin' Mon around that I've forgotten how big and empty it is without her. I walk around and turn on lights to try and dispel some of the gloom, but it's not the same without Monica here. I stick my TV dinner in the microwave and flip through the mail. There's a stack a mile high on the counter, a combination of mine and Monica's. She's taken to stopping off at home to grab her mail, then comin' and stayin' here. For someone who's such a free spirit, she certainly has a lot of regimentation in her life-Tuesday is bills, Wednesday is laundry, Thursday is groceries. Unless we're on a case, the routine doesn't vary. Knowin' her, she's gonna stop at home and get her laundry and do it at Dana's. I'm flipping through the stack of mail when a catalog catches my eye. Victoria's Secret. Humph. I'm not one for lookin' at lingerie catalogs, but I see some of the pages are dog-eared, and my curiosity is piqued. That, and I do need to find somethin' for Monica for Christmas. Sitting down at the table, I open the catalog and begin to flip through to the pages Monica has marked. Most of the stuff she's marked is just underwear.and as much as I like-oh, who am I kiddin'-love Monica, I just can't bring myself to buy her underwear. It seems kinda tawdry to me, like me buyin' her some tiny piece of nothin' is more a gift for me than her. It can't be comfortable to wear-not like she's wearin' it for long anyway, but still. I just can't bring myself to do it. I keep flippin' pages.more underwear, some stuff that looks like you'd be wearin' more if you were naked, perfume, makeup.and then I stumble across a page full of stuff that I like. Flannel pajamas. Some guys like sexy lingerie-and hell, I'm one of 'em. But I also like a woman in flannel pajamas on a winter morning-my ex-wife had the cutest pair of pink plaid flannel pajamas, and those got me more fired up than any sexy scrap of nothin' she owned. Maybe I'm missin' the lingerie-buyin' gene that most men seem to have, but I'd take a woman in flannel any day. In fact, I can just about imagine it.Monica, sittin' in the living room in flannel pajamas, her hair messy, glasses on as she reads the Sunday paper, lookin' smart and sexy and like she's just had a good.whoa. I think I've found her Christmas gift. The woman who takes my order seems nice enough, like she gets men callin' all the time, buyin' stuff for wives or girlfriends. I don't stop at the pajamas, though-slippers, a robe, and I even cave and buy some of the stuff she's marked. The total amount is steep-$300 for pajamas and underwear!-but she's worth it to me. After I eat, I settle down in front of the TV and call Monica at Dana's. "I just got the little peanut down," she says in a quiet voice. "He was a real pain in the ass tonight. I have strained peas in my hair and on my blouse.why did I volunteer for this again?" "'Cause you're a softie." She laughs. "You never told me it could be like this." "You never asked." "Ugh. I need a shower." "If you came here, you could have someone to wash your back." "John," her voice is somewhere between a whine and a sigh, which is a sure sign that either she's about to cave and come over tonight or she's about to hang up. "I really do want to but I'm all kinds of yucky and I smell.tomorrow, okay?" "You're breakin' my heart here, Mon." She laughs. "Right. Goodnight, John." "G'night, darlin'."
"Good God," she says, pulling a tangle of twinkle lights out of a box. "When was the last time you had a Christmas tree up?" "When I was married." She looks at me. "Really?" "Yup." "Wow." She begins to untangle the lights. "Why?" "No fun havin' a tree if it's just me." Monica nods. "I can see that. Didn't you miss it?" "Pickin' up pine needles until July? Not one bit." At that, she laughs. "You really are a spoilsport. So you won't mind this year?" I look over at her. "Nope. It's a special occasion." "What's that?" "'Cause I've got you this year." Monica blushes, and even though she tries to hide it, I can see her smile. "Sweet talker." I walk over to her and push her hair behind her ears. "I mean it." Monica looks up at me with big wet eyes, and lean in and kiss her. The lights drop from her hands as we kiss, and finally she pulls back. "If we don't get this tree up now, we'll never do it." She's right. I kiss her gently one last time before picking up the lights and untangling them. Monica stands, watching me for a moment. "John?" "Hmm?" She bites her bottom lip nervously. "If I were to.I mean, if I said that.I loved you." she trails off, uncertain. This time it's me who drops the lights. Did she say what I think she just said? I can't think of what to say so I just stand there, mouth open like I'm catchin' flies. "You know, never mind, forget I said anything." She looks crestfallen, as though she's just seen her puppy get hit by a car. "No." She looks up, confused. "No what?" "I won't forget." My heart is pounding in my chest as the weight of what she's just said sinks in. She loves me. She loves me. She loves me. Before I even know what I'm doin', I'm kissin' her like there's no tomorrow. She's surprised at first but then she falls into it, her hands everywhere at once-pullin' at my shirt, pullin' me closer, holdin' me so tight I'm fightin' for air. "Say it again," I whisper in her ear. "I love you." Her voice is steady and clear. She pulls back and looks me in the eye. "I love you." The smile on my face is so big it hurts. "I love you." I sweep her up into my arms and her laugh echoes throughout the living room. "What about the tree?" she asks. "It'll still be here in a few hours."
Christmas Eve day is bright and sunny and colder'n I thought it could get in DC. Monica is adamant about us spendin' at least half a day at work, so we sit in the basement and don't do much.Mon plays solitaire, I surf the internet. Finally, I can't take it anymore. I have to get out. "I'm gonna go out and get somethin' to eat. Want anything?" She looks up and gives me a curious glance. "You wouldn't be skipping out early, would you?" "If I were, I'd take you with me. Now you want lunch or not?" Monica laughs. "Yes.bring me whatever, you know what I like." I stand up to leave and drop a kiss on her head. "Be back in a bit, okay? Don't leave without me." Once outside, I wander around for a bit, just glad to be outside. I'm bored senseless down in that office with nothin' to do. It's freezin' cold out here, but it's better than bein' cooped up in that office with Monica- which is especially hard since we've got a 'hands-off at work' policy. And.I want to get one last gift for her without her knowin'. I walk up to Pennsylvania Avenue and hang a right. There's a jewelry store up the street that looks pretty decent, if my memory is correct. Sure enough it is, right where I remember it bein'. It's small and dimly lit and I wonder what the hell I'm doin' here. I know I want to get her somethin' nice, but what? She doesn't wear a watch, so I don't know if gettin' her one would be a good idea. She isn't one for necklaces, and I don't think she's big into earrings either. That leaves a ring. And that thought makes me nervous. Not that I don't want to get her a ring; hell, I'd buy her anything she wants. But gettin' her a ring for Christmas is a sticky situation. I know she's not expectin' a ring, but I'm afraid that if I do get her somethin' that she thinks is a ring, she'll be expectin' an engagement ring. I couldn't bear to see the look of disappointment on her face when she would open a box expectin' a diamond and didn't get it. And it's not that I haven't thought about proposin', either. I have. Lots. But it's too early in the relationship, we're still too new to be makin' a commitment like that. Not that I don't want to, but sheesh.I can't make up my mind. Maybe this is a bad idea. The man behind the counter is older and gives me a kindly smile. "Let me guess.present for the missus?" "Ah, no." "Girlfriend?" "Yeah." "But not an engagement ring, right?" I nod. The man walks over to a case and opens it up. "Were you looking for something kind of plain, or maybe with stones?" "I, uh, I have no idea, to be honest. I just figured I'd know the right thing when I saw it." The man smiles knowingly. "One of those. Okay, then.well, have a look here and tell me if anything strikes your fancy." Sadly, nothing did. They were all pretty basic rings, but none of them screamed 'Monica!' at me. I shook my head. "How about one of these?" He walks over to another case and pulls out a rack of rings. They were all very pretty, but none of them seemed to be her style. I sighed. "Nope." The man smiles. "Wait here." He walks into the back and comes back a moment later. "Now this is a one-of-a-kind ring, and it's the only one we have. It's on the dear side, I'll warn you, but it may be what you're looking for." He holds out a small, black velvet box. "If you like it and it doesn't fit, bring it back and we'll size it for free." I take the box and open it. Sittin' in the off-white satin lining was a simple silvery band with a smattering of small blue stones embedded in it. It was perfect. "It's white gold with eight small sapphires." Even in the dim light, the ring was beautiful and I knew she'd love it. "I'll take it." I sign the charge receipt and stick the box in my coat pocket. It was later than I thought, and so I practically run back to the office, stopping at the Au Bon Pain to grab sandwiches and sodas. When I walk in, Monica looks up at the clock and gives me a wary glance. "What took you so long?" "I had to run an errand." She raises one eyebrow-a gesture I swear she got from hangin' out with Scully. "Right." "Wahaddya say we go out to dinner tonight?" "What, you mean you won't be cooking for me?" "You don't want me cookin' for you, Mon." "Sure, dinner sounds nice. Where are we going?" "I made reservations at a Filomena.I think that's the name. Italian place on M just past Wisconsin." Monica's eyes widened. "Who'd you bribe to get us a spot there?" "Byers owed me a favor." "That's a really swanky place. I'm impressed. I hope I have something to wear." "You got a whole closet at your place and half of my closet full of your clothes. I think you can find somethin' to wear." "Will you be picking me up at home?" "If you want." "Sure, gives me time to wrap your presents." "How's 7:45?" "Works for me. Are you leaving now?" I nod. "You're not the only one with gifts to wrap." Monica laughs. "See you tonight, then." "You're stayin'?" "For a bit. Not much longer, I have to go home and get ready for my big date."
How was I gonna give this ring to her? I was debatin' doin' it at dinner.I didn't want to give her a false impression, make her think it was somethin' it wasn't. And I wasn't sure I wanted to do it in public, either. I kinda wanted it to be private, somethin' between Monica and me. I didn't want it to be tomorrow mornin', though. I wanted to give it to her tonight. But when? If dinner was out, that left sometime either before or after. Before dinner would kinda defeat the purpose.what would be left for the rest of the night? I could slip it into her coat pocket after dinner, or maybe while we were in the car. But then it wouldn't be much of a surprise. I thought about this as I tied my tie. Maybe I should call Scully an' ask her? Nah, she'd find out about Mon and I soon enough, if she didn't already know. No need to bother her on Christmas Eve because I couldn't get my head outta my ass. I sighed. The right time would come, I would just have to trust myself to know it when it came.
Sure enough, it did. Monica lay next to me, her dark hair fanned out on the pillow, one arm thrown over my waist. Her breath was warm on my neck, and every once and awhile she'd mutter something in her sleep. I looked over at the clock- 5 am. We'd been in bed since ten, but Monica hadn't fallen asleep until one, and I.I was so nervous, I couldn't sleep. "Mon?" I whisper, shaking her gently. No response. She was dead to the world. I slip out of her embrace and out of bed, fumblin' around in the dark for the jacket I'd worn to dinner. Once I've found it, I dig the box out and looked at the ring. It was still as pretty as ever. I take it over to the bed and, careful not to wake Monica, I slip the ring on her finger. It fit perfectly. I set the box down on the bedside table and slipped back into bed, wrapping my arms around her. Her body settles into mine, and I kiss her head before dozing off. When I wake up later on that morning, Monica's lying with her head on my chest, admiring her ring. "Merry Christmas," I say with a yawn. She looks up at me. "Look at what appeared on my finger overnight," she says, holding her hand up. The ring sparkles in the dim light of the bedroom. "I must have been a very good girl this year to get a gift this good." "I'm thinkin' Santa got his 'naughty' and 'nice' lists mixed up, and some woman somewhere is missin' a ring." Monica laughs and kisses me, tears in her eyes. "It's beautiful. I love it..." Her voice trails off, and she smiles at me. "I.I don't even know what to say, John." A lone tear rolls down her face. "Nobody has ever made me feel this special." I find myself choking up. "Really?" I ask, wiping her tear away. She nods. "Really. Now let's go open gifts." She slips out of bed and throws on the button-down I'd worn last night at dinner. I throw on some old jeans and a t-shirt and follow her downstairs. By the time I reach the living room she's positioned herself under the tree, making two piles of gifts. I sit down next to her and she hands me a pile. "You first." "Why don't we take turns." "Okay, but you first." The first box is kinda small but solid, kinda heavy. I rip off the wrapping paper and find myself lookin' at a jewelers box. "Great minds think alike, huh?" "Just open it." Laughing, I open it and find myself starin' at a pair of really nice cufflinks. I mean, really nice. I'm not a cufflink kinda guy, mainly because I never could be bothered to shell out the money for a pair of cufflinks I like. But these.wow. They're silver with a blue band, and sure enough, she even got them engraved with my initials. "I.wow, Mon, they're great." "I know you don't usually wear cufflinks, but I saw them and they looked really classy and I thought maybe if I bought you some you'd wear them." She looks uncertain, like she's not sure I like them, and I have to laugh. "Mon, they're great. I really like them. But I don't have any shirts with French cuffs." She hands me another box and grins. "No no no. It's your turn." "I already got one gift." "No dice, Monica." She grins and rips into a package with childish abandon. When she sees the pink and white box, she looks up at me with a surprised look. "I don't believe it." "Believe what?" "You actually got me something from Victoria's Secret. Don't tell me you actually went into the store, a manly man like you." I can feel the tips of my ears turn red with embarrassment. Damn ears. "Just open it, wouldja?" She opens the box and the look on her face goes from surprise to confusion as she pulls the flannel pajamas out of the box. "Well, this is a surprise." "You don't like 'em." "No.I'm just, confused. I had marked all these other things in the catalog, things I was sure you'd like better.and you pick me out blue flannel pajamas with clouds on them?" She laughs. "Don't get me wrong, they're really cute and I like them a lot, and the slippers are great, I really need a pair but.flannel?" "Some men find flannel sexy." "And you happen to be one of those men?" She looks so puzzled that I have to laugh. "Humor me for a second, wouldja?" She bites her lip in an attempt to not laugh. "Okay." "I was flippin' through the catalog the night you sat for Scully.and I was thinkin' that most of the stuff you picked out yeah, it was nice but I saw those and I had this vision of you, sittin' on the couch on a Sunday mornin', readin' the paper with your glasses on and lookin'.lookin' like you'd just had a good fuck." Monica's jaw drops. "Holy shit. I can't believe you just said that." "I know, not like me." "I like it." A wicked grin flashes across her face. "If I go put them on, will you say it again?" "I dunno, I kinda like you in what you got on." Monica leans forward and gives me this unbelievably sexy look. "Yeah.but just think, your little vision can become a reality.you'd be getting your Christmas wish." I wanna respond with some smart remark, but the sentimental fool in me wins out. "I already got my Christmas wish.I woke up with you this mornin'." The smile on her face goes soft, and I swear she's blushin'. She looks like she's about to say somethin', but then changes her mind and just kisses me softly, rubbing her nose against mine and then leans her forehead against mine. "Speechless?" Monica nods, smiling. "That's a first." "And the last, I'm sure. You know me, Big Mouth Reyes." "But that's part of your charm. Now go put those pajamas on. And maybe there's somethin' for you to wear under them in one of those other boxes."
By eight that night, we're lyin' on the couch, wrapped up in the blankets from the bed, naked as the day we were born. The fire I built earlier is blazin', and it makes Monica's skin glow as we watch A Christmas Story. Her new pajamas lie in a heap on the floor, forgotten for the time being. She looks up at me. "This was the best Christmas I've ever had." "Me too, Mon." "I hope every Christmas can be this happy." I run my hand through her hair. "Mon, every day I have with you is this happy." "Stop it, John." Monica laughs shyly. "I'm not used to you like this." "Get used to it." She sits up a bit and smiles, warm and inviting. "I just.it amazes me. You're so different than the man I used to know. I like it. Not that I didn't like you before it's just that this is.it's good to see you happy." "I plan on stayin' this way." Monica plants one on me. "Good." She snuggles back down into my neck and squeezes me. "So, now about New Years."
Author's Notes:
Just a piece of holiday fluff. Hope you liked it! Thanks to Lisa, Sarah, and Meg, my wonderful betas. You all rock my world! Feedback is warmly welcomed at AnnieW177@aol.com
Author's Notes at the end
My bathroom is kinda small to begin with; put two people in there tryin' to do two different things at the same time, and it feels even smaller. Monica's standin' at the sink in her underwear, brushin' her teeth. She looks damn sexy for 7 am, but then again, I always think that about her. I sweep her hair to the side and place a kiss on her neck before pushing her slightly aside so I can tie my tie. She pushes back slightly, and says somethin' incoherent. "What's that?" Spit, rinse. "I'm watching William for Dana tonight, so I'm going to stay at my place." I must have a disappointed look on my face because she laughs and pokes me in the ribs. "One night, John. I think we can handle it." "Where's Dana goin'?" "Christmas shopping." Monica reaches over and straightens my tie. "She's going shopping with her mom, so she asked me to sit." She gives me a coy look. "Might also be a good time for you to do some Christmas shopping of your own." "Why? Who do I have to buy a Christmas gift for?" I tease her, and she smacks me in the arm. "Bad move to tease me so early in the morning," she replies, and she goes back into the bedroom. I hear her openin' and closin' drawers and the closet, and by the time I've brushed my own teeth she's dressed and ready for work. She brushes past me and back into the bathroom, where she starts puttin' on her makeup. "Anyway, um.Christmas." If I'm not mistaken, she sounds a little hesitant. "What about it?" I ask, tyin' my shoes. "Are you going to New York?" "Nah. My parents're goin' to my uncle's house in Greenwich, so I'm stayin' here. Why? You not goin' to Mexico?" "I didn't want to take so much time off during the holidays, I was going to go sometime in February when rates might be cheaper." "Why don't we do Christmas here, then? We can go get a tree this weekend an' decorate it." She sticks her head outta the bathroom, and when I see that big beautiful grin of hers, I know I've done something right. "Really?" "Sure." It's been years since I've actually done anythin' about Christmas, but this year is as good as any to start. Hell, I've done so much this year that I never thought I'd do again, why not add one more to the list? She comes over to the bed and pushes me back on it before crawling up on top of me. She leans over and kisses me, and I laugh. "We have to go to work," I say as her hands work at undoing my tie. "And it's your day to go in early." She sighs, and with a kiss sits up and adjusts her shirt. "Killjoy." "Hey, you're the one who's insistin' on not stayin' here tonight." "What?" The mock angry look she shoots me is adorable, and I smile. "Kiddin', darlin'. Come on, you'd better get goin' before traffic is too bad." She crawls off me and stands up. "You had better bring me coffee and a muffin."
When I arrive home that night, the house is empty. I'm so used to havin' Mon around that I've forgotten how big and empty it is without her. I walk around and turn on lights to try and dispel some of the gloom, but it's not the same without Monica here. I stick my TV dinner in the microwave and flip through the mail. There's a stack a mile high on the counter, a combination of mine and Monica's. She's taken to stopping off at home to grab her mail, then comin' and stayin' here. For someone who's such a free spirit, she certainly has a lot of regimentation in her life-Tuesday is bills, Wednesday is laundry, Thursday is groceries. Unless we're on a case, the routine doesn't vary. Knowin' her, she's gonna stop at home and get her laundry and do it at Dana's. I'm flipping through the stack of mail when a catalog catches my eye. Victoria's Secret. Humph. I'm not one for lookin' at lingerie catalogs, but I see some of the pages are dog-eared, and my curiosity is piqued. That, and I do need to find somethin' for Monica for Christmas. Sitting down at the table, I open the catalog and begin to flip through to the pages Monica has marked. Most of the stuff she's marked is just underwear.and as much as I like-oh, who am I kiddin'-love Monica, I just can't bring myself to buy her underwear. It seems kinda tawdry to me, like me buyin' her some tiny piece of nothin' is more a gift for me than her. It can't be comfortable to wear-not like she's wearin' it for long anyway, but still. I just can't bring myself to do it. I keep flippin' pages.more underwear, some stuff that looks like you'd be wearin' more if you were naked, perfume, makeup.and then I stumble across a page full of stuff that I like. Flannel pajamas. Some guys like sexy lingerie-and hell, I'm one of 'em. But I also like a woman in flannel pajamas on a winter morning-my ex-wife had the cutest pair of pink plaid flannel pajamas, and those got me more fired up than any sexy scrap of nothin' she owned. Maybe I'm missin' the lingerie-buyin' gene that most men seem to have, but I'd take a woman in flannel any day. In fact, I can just about imagine it.Monica, sittin' in the living room in flannel pajamas, her hair messy, glasses on as she reads the Sunday paper, lookin' smart and sexy and like she's just had a good.whoa. I think I've found her Christmas gift. The woman who takes my order seems nice enough, like she gets men callin' all the time, buyin' stuff for wives or girlfriends. I don't stop at the pajamas, though-slippers, a robe, and I even cave and buy some of the stuff she's marked. The total amount is steep-$300 for pajamas and underwear!-but she's worth it to me. After I eat, I settle down in front of the TV and call Monica at Dana's. "I just got the little peanut down," she says in a quiet voice. "He was a real pain in the ass tonight. I have strained peas in my hair and on my blouse.why did I volunteer for this again?" "'Cause you're a softie." She laughs. "You never told me it could be like this." "You never asked." "Ugh. I need a shower." "If you came here, you could have someone to wash your back." "John," her voice is somewhere between a whine and a sigh, which is a sure sign that either she's about to cave and come over tonight or she's about to hang up. "I really do want to but I'm all kinds of yucky and I smell.tomorrow, okay?" "You're breakin' my heart here, Mon." She laughs. "Right. Goodnight, John." "G'night, darlin'."
"Good God," she says, pulling a tangle of twinkle lights out of a box. "When was the last time you had a Christmas tree up?" "When I was married." She looks at me. "Really?" "Yup." "Wow." She begins to untangle the lights. "Why?" "No fun havin' a tree if it's just me." Monica nods. "I can see that. Didn't you miss it?" "Pickin' up pine needles until July? Not one bit." At that, she laughs. "You really are a spoilsport. So you won't mind this year?" I look over at her. "Nope. It's a special occasion." "What's that?" "'Cause I've got you this year." Monica blushes, and even though she tries to hide it, I can see her smile. "Sweet talker." I walk over to her and push her hair behind her ears. "I mean it." Monica looks up at me with big wet eyes, and lean in and kiss her. The lights drop from her hands as we kiss, and finally she pulls back. "If we don't get this tree up now, we'll never do it." She's right. I kiss her gently one last time before picking up the lights and untangling them. Monica stands, watching me for a moment. "John?" "Hmm?" She bites her bottom lip nervously. "If I were to.I mean, if I said that.I loved you." she trails off, uncertain. This time it's me who drops the lights. Did she say what I think she just said? I can't think of what to say so I just stand there, mouth open like I'm catchin' flies. "You know, never mind, forget I said anything." She looks crestfallen, as though she's just seen her puppy get hit by a car. "No." She looks up, confused. "No what?" "I won't forget." My heart is pounding in my chest as the weight of what she's just said sinks in. She loves me. She loves me. She loves me. Before I even know what I'm doin', I'm kissin' her like there's no tomorrow. She's surprised at first but then she falls into it, her hands everywhere at once-pullin' at my shirt, pullin' me closer, holdin' me so tight I'm fightin' for air. "Say it again," I whisper in her ear. "I love you." Her voice is steady and clear. She pulls back and looks me in the eye. "I love you." The smile on my face is so big it hurts. "I love you." I sweep her up into my arms and her laugh echoes throughout the living room. "What about the tree?" she asks. "It'll still be here in a few hours."
Christmas Eve day is bright and sunny and colder'n I thought it could get in DC. Monica is adamant about us spendin' at least half a day at work, so we sit in the basement and don't do much.Mon plays solitaire, I surf the internet. Finally, I can't take it anymore. I have to get out. "I'm gonna go out and get somethin' to eat. Want anything?" She looks up and gives me a curious glance. "You wouldn't be skipping out early, would you?" "If I were, I'd take you with me. Now you want lunch or not?" Monica laughs. "Yes.bring me whatever, you know what I like." I stand up to leave and drop a kiss on her head. "Be back in a bit, okay? Don't leave without me." Once outside, I wander around for a bit, just glad to be outside. I'm bored senseless down in that office with nothin' to do. It's freezin' cold out here, but it's better than bein' cooped up in that office with Monica- which is especially hard since we've got a 'hands-off at work' policy. And.I want to get one last gift for her without her knowin'. I walk up to Pennsylvania Avenue and hang a right. There's a jewelry store up the street that looks pretty decent, if my memory is correct. Sure enough it is, right where I remember it bein'. It's small and dimly lit and I wonder what the hell I'm doin' here. I know I want to get her somethin' nice, but what? She doesn't wear a watch, so I don't know if gettin' her one would be a good idea. She isn't one for necklaces, and I don't think she's big into earrings either. That leaves a ring. And that thought makes me nervous. Not that I don't want to get her a ring; hell, I'd buy her anything she wants. But gettin' her a ring for Christmas is a sticky situation. I know she's not expectin' a ring, but I'm afraid that if I do get her somethin' that she thinks is a ring, she'll be expectin' an engagement ring. I couldn't bear to see the look of disappointment on her face when she would open a box expectin' a diamond and didn't get it. And it's not that I haven't thought about proposin', either. I have. Lots. But it's too early in the relationship, we're still too new to be makin' a commitment like that. Not that I don't want to, but sheesh.I can't make up my mind. Maybe this is a bad idea. The man behind the counter is older and gives me a kindly smile. "Let me guess.present for the missus?" "Ah, no." "Girlfriend?" "Yeah." "But not an engagement ring, right?" I nod. The man walks over to a case and opens it up. "Were you looking for something kind of plain, or maybe with stones?" "I, uh, I have no idea, to be honest. I just figured I'd know the right thing when I saw it." The man smiles knowingly. "One of those. Okay, then.well, have a look here and tell me if anything strikes your fancy." Sadly, nothing did. They were all pretty basic rings, but none of them screamed 'Monica!' at me. I shook my head. "How about one of these?" He walks over to another case and pulls out a rack of rings. They were all very pretty, but none of them seemed to be her style. I sighed. "Nope." The man smiles. "Wait here." He walks into the back and comes back a moment later. "Now this is a one-of-a-kind ring, and it's the only one we have. It's on the dear side, I'll warn you, but it may be what you're looking for." He holds out a small, black velvet box. "If you like it and it doesn't fit, bring it back and we'll size it for free." I take the box and open it. Sittin' in the off-white satin lining was a simple silvery band with a smattering of small blue stones embedded in it. It was perfect. "It's white gold with eight small sapphires." Even in the dim light, the ring was beautiful and I knew she'd love it. "I'll take it." I sign the charge receipt and stick the box in my coat pocket. It was later than I thought, and so I practically run back to the office, stopping at the Au Bon Pain to grab sandwiches and sodas. When I walk in, Monica looks up at the clock and gives me a wary glance. "What took you so long?" "I had to run an errand." She raises one eyebrow-a gesture I swear she got from hangin' out with Scully. "Right." "Wahaddya say we go out to dinner tonight?" "What, you mean you won't be cooking for me?" "You don't want me cookin' for you, Mon." "Sure, dinner sounds nice. Where are we going?" "I made reservations at a Filomena.I think that's the name. Italian place on M just past Wisconsin." Monica's eyes widened. "Who'd you bribe to get us a spot there?" "Byers owed me a favor." "That's a really swanky place. I'm impressed. I hope I have something to wear." "You got a whole closet at your place and half of my closet full of your clothes. I think you can find somethin' to wear." "Will you be picking me up at home?" "If you want." "Sure, gives me time to wrap your presents." "How's 7:45?" "Works for me. Are you leaving now?" I nod. "You're not the only one with gifts to wrap." Monica laughs. "See you tonight, then." "You're stayin'?" "For a bit. Not much longer, I have to go home and get ready for my big date."
How was I gonna give this ring to her? I was debatin' doin' it at dinner.I didn't want to give her a false impression, make her think it was somethin' it wasn't. And I wasn't sure I wanted to do it in public, either. I kinda wanted it to be private, somethin' between Monica and me. I didn't want it to be tomorrow mornin', though. I wanted to give it to her tonight. But when? If dinner was out, that left sometime either before or after. Before dinner would kinda defeat the purpose.what would be left for the rest of the night? I could slip it into her coat pocket after dinner, or maybe while we were in the car. But then it wouldn't be much of a surprise. I thought about this as I tied my tie. Maybe I should call Scully an' ask her? Nah, she'd find out about Mon and I soon enough, if she didn't already know. No need to bother her on Christmas Eve because I couldn't get my head outta my ass. I sighed. The right time would come, I would just have to trust myself to know it when it came.
Sure enough, it did. Monica lay next to me, her dark hair fanned out on the pillow, one arm thrown over my waist. Her breath was warm on my neck, and every once and awhile she'd mutter something in her sleep. I looked over at the clock- 5 am. We'd been in bed since ten, but Monica hadn't fallen asleep until one, and I.I was so nervous, I couldn't sleep. "Mon?" I whisper, shaking her gently. No response. She was dead to the world. I slip out of her embrace and out of bed, fumblin' around in the dark for the jacket I'd worn to dinner. Once I've found it, I dig the box out and looked at the ring. It was still as pretty as ever. I take it over to the bed and, careful not to wake Monica, I slip the ring on her finger. It fit perfectly. I set the box down on the bedside table and slipped back into bed, wrapping my arms around her. Her body settles into mine, and I kiss her head before dozing off. When I wake up later on that morning, Monica's lying with her head on my chest, admiring her ring. "Merry Christmas," I say with a yawn. She looks up at me. "Look at what appeared on my finger overnight," she says, holding her hand up. The ring sparkles in the dim light of the bedroom. "I must have been a very good girl this year to get a gift this good." "I'm thinkin' Santa got his 'naughty' and 'nice' lists mixed up, and some woman somewhere is missin' a ring." Monica laughs and kisses me, tears in her eyes. "It's beautiful. I love it..." Her voice trails off, and she smiles at me. "I.I don't even know what to say, John." A lone tear rolls down her face. "Nobody has ever made me feel this special." I find myself choking up. "Really?" I ask, wiping her tear away. She nods. "Really. Now let's go open gifts." She slips out of bed and throws on the button-down I'd worn last night at dinner. I throw on some old jeans and a t-shirt and follow her downstairs. By the time I reach the living room she's positioned herself under the tree, making two piles of gifts. I sit down next to her and she hands me a pile. "You first." "Why don't we take turns." "Okay, but you first." The first box is kinda small but solid, kinda heavy. I rip off the wrapping paper and find myself lookin' at a jewelers box. "Great minds think alike, huh?" "Just open it." Laughing, I open it and find myself starin' at a pair of really nice cufflinks. I mean, really nice. I'm not a cufflink kinda guy, mainly because I never could be bothered to shell out the money for a pair of cufflinks I like. But these.wow. They're silver with a blue band, and sure enough, she even got them engraved with my initials. "I.wow, Mon, they're great." "I know you don't usually wear cufflinks, but I saw them and they looked really classy and I thought maybe if I bought you some you'd wear them." She looks uncertain, like she's not sure I like them, and I have to laugh. "Mon, they're great. I really like them. But I don't have any shirts with French cuffs." She hands me another box and grins. "No no no. It's your turn." "I already got one gift." "No dice, Monica." She grins and rips into a package with childish abandon. When she sees the pink and white box, she looks up at me with a surprised look. "I don't believe it." "Believe what?" "You actually got me something from Victoria's Secret. Don't tell me you actually went into the store, a manly man like you." I can feel the tips of my ears turn red with embarrassment. Damn ears. "Just open it, wouldja?" She opens the box and the look on her face goes from surprise to confusion as she pulls the flannel pajamas out of the box. "Well, this is a surprise." "You don't like 'em." "No.I'm just, confused. I had marked all these other things in the catalog, things I was sure you'd like better.and you pick me out blue flannel pajamas with clouds on them?" She laughs. "Don't get me wrong, they're really cute and I like them a lot, and the slippers are great, I really need a pair but.flannel?" "Some men find flannel sexy." "And you happen to be one of those men?" She looks so puzzled that I have to laugh. "Humor me for a second, wouldja?" She bites her lip in an attempt to not laugh. "Okay." "I was flippin' through the catalog the night you sat for Scully.and I was thinkin' that most of the stuff you picked out yeah, it was nice but I saw those and I had this vision of you, sittin' on the couch on a Sunday mornin', readin' the paper with your glasses on and lookin'.lookin' like you'd just had a good fuck." Monica's jaw drops. "Holy shit. I can't believe you just said that." "I know, not like me." "I like it." A wicked grin flashes across her face. "If I go put them on, will you say it again?" "I dunno, I kinda like you in what you got on." Monica leans forward and gives me this unbelievably sexy look. "Yeah.but just think, your little vision can become a reality.you'd be getting your Christmas wish." I wanna respond with some smart remark, but the sentimental fool in me wins out. "I already got my Christmas wish.I woke up with you this mornin'." The smile on her face goes soft, and I swear she's blushin'. She looks like she's about to say somethin', but then changes her mind and just kisses me softly, rubbing her nose against mine and then leans her forehead against mine. "Speechless?" Monica nods, smiling. "That's a first." "And the last, I'm sure. You know me, Big Mouth Reyes." "But that's part of your charm. Now go put those pajamas on. And maybe there's somethin' for you to wear under them in one of those other boxes."
By eight that night, we're lyin' on the couch, wrapped up in the blankets from the bed, naked as the day we were born. The fire I built earlier is blazin', and it makes Monica's skin glow as we watch A Christmas Story. Her new pajamas lie in a heap on the floor, forgotten for the time being. She looks up at me. "This was the best Christmas I've ever had." "Me too, Mon." "I hope every Christmas can be this happy." I run my hand through her hair. "Mon, every day I have with you is this happy." "Stop it, John." Monica laughs shyly. "I'm not used to you like this." "Get used to it." She sits up a bit and smiles, warm and inviting. "I just.it amazes me. You're so different than the man I used to know. I like it. Not that I didn't like you before it's just that this is.it's good to see you happy." "I plan on stayin' this way." Monica plants one on me. "Good." She snuggles back down into my neck and squeezes me. "So, now about New Years."
Author's Notes:
Just a piece of holiday fluff. Hope you liked it! Thanks to Lisa, Sarah, and Meg, my wonderful betas. You all rock my world! Feedback is warmly welcomed at AnnieW177@aol.com