Gift of the Magi

by Archer800

But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. O all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.

Based on the story "Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry. It's kind of late for a Christmas fiction, but I got lazy before Christmas and didn't get it finished till now. Hope you enjoy. Fluffy :) AU

The Starks weren't particularly blessed with the pleasure of wealth. Both husband and wife had small jobs, only making enough to maintain the house and buy the groceries. He worked on old junkyard automobiles for a low wage and she washed laundry for neighbors and towns people. They both worked long hard hours each and every day, only to come home tired, worn, and next to empty handed.

But they always had each other. That's what made the hours they were home so special.

Pepper thought this all over as she felt tears threatening to spill. In her hand she held $1.87. That's all she had that hadn't been needed for bills and food. Oh, she wished she could give her husband everything he wanted, but it was impossible with so little money. They could barely keep the flat they owned as it was.

The Stark name maybe had once been something to ogle at, yet now it held little worth in the eyes of the wealthier man. He hadn't been lucky enough to have been born into wealth, having his whole life and inheritance thrust upon him the moment he drew first breath. But he wasn't bitter or morose, but instead always seized every opportunity for a wise crack or some humor, just to keep things light even at the darkest hours. He was an exceptional man, though proud and stubborn at times, and he didn't deserve having nothing to open on Christmas morning.

She would have to find someway to get him a gift. She just had to. Whenever he came home, he was oily, tired and smelled bad (which she did not hesitate to tell him), but he always worked up enough energy to greet her with a big sloppy, oily kiss.

This present was going to happen.

Tony set his holey gloves aside, wiping his black stained hands on his old pants. He blew into his hands, feeling a little better at the warmth it provided. The winter was harsh and colder than last year by far, which sent him out more often to chop up firewood. He couldn't afford to buy pre chopped wood, and he was often too tired to go into the nighttime woods. He had many callouses and rough skinned hands, due to the hard work he had to accomplish week by week.

The thought of cold weather reminded him of Christmas approaching. He loved Christmas, but he had to admit, this year was going to be rough. They were extremely low on money, barely having enough to put bread on the table. It always made him feel sad that he couldn't provide better for his wife, Pepper, but when he returned home, he always put a smile on his face and a joke on his lips. It helped them ease through the hard times and it gave Pepper strength.

He always wished he was home more often, as he missed his dear Pepper. He wished he could hold her tight to keep her warm and comfort her. But alas, they needed the money he received at the end of each week.

He packed up his things, ready to leave for home. He didn't have money to buy her a present. He couldn't remember a time that he ever did have much money. Yet, she stayed with him, despite his empty pockets. She stayed with him. She deserved a gift more than anyone in the world and yet he hardly had a penny to spare.

She didn't deserve a lowly man like him. He had to get her a present. He felt determination boiling in his blood, as it flowed through every Stark's veins. But how would he get the money?

Pepper sat on their worn and faded couch. She had finished the laundry for the day and had only succeeded in obtaining two dollars. $3.87. Still hardly enough to buy a decent present for Tony.

What would she buy him once she got the money to do so? She thought and thought hard, and she almost fell off the furniture with the idea that struck her. Of course, why hadn't she thought of it earlier?

Tony had an old car he'd been working on whenever he had spare parts. It was nice, an old sports car given to him by his father, Howard Stark. It was nice besides the color. The color of the car was a dull gray, with faint oil stains and small splashes of brown here and there. Tony always said he'd buy paint one day, but they never had enough to do so.

That's what she'd buy him. Nice, bright paints for his car. Then he could proudly drive it around the town, not ashamed by the low life he lived. But how to get the money?

Tony pulled his jacket tightly around him, waved goodbye to his boss, then shambled out into the storm. The wind howled and the snow melted as soon as it touched him, but it was cold anyhow.

What was he to buy for Pepper? Neither of them had much, but their had to be something she would love and adore. He wracked his mind, thinking back to every little detail of every conversation they've had. He almost slipped on a patch of ice when he recalled something.

Pepper had a beautiful necklace that had been passed from her grandmother to her mother then to her. It was made of glittering jewels and silver and looked magnificent around her neck. She was very fond of it however and wore it when she was feeling sad or upset. But all she had to keep it in was a small leather pouch, which would only end up tarnishing it.

He wound buy her a nice velvet case to go along with her nice necklace. She would love it.

But how to get the money?

Pepper was finishing cooking pork chops when the front door creaked open. She could hear the thumping of steps and a coat was thrown onto the coat rack. The old floor creaked as someone approached her from behind and wrapped his arms around her middle. His chin rested on her shoulder, warm and scratchy from a cleanly shaven goatee.

"That smells delicious." Tony murmured against her ear. She leaned into his touch slightly, relishing the warmth eminating from him. He tried to reach a sly hand around to pluck a cut from the pan and was rewarded with a firm smack.

"No, Tony. You can wait til it's dinner time."

He backed away from her, hands up in the air in surrender. "Alright, alright." He leaned forward quickly to steal a kiss on her lips. She yet again smacked that straying hand. "Goodbye, Anthony." She said sternly.

He smirked over his shoulder at her before leaving the room to sit at the dinner table. Before long, she'd brought out their supper and they began to eat. "Alright, beautiful, how was your day?" Tony asked after several bites of meat.

Pepper wiped her face with a napkin. "It was alright. A little cold. And yours?"

Tony shrugged. "Eh, it was okay. But I would've rather been here, to keep you warm." He replied sweetly. Soon, dinner was done with and Pepper took the dishes to the sink to be washed. She was scraping a plate when water was flicked at her. She glared at her husband and continued washing. More droplets splashed her face. "Anthony Stark!"

She went her hand and flung the water back at him. He laughed, a rich, happy sound that lifted Pepper's heart. He rubbed his wet hands down her cheeks and she giggled, trying to dash away from the kitchen. He chased her into the living room and swooped her up.

He ran through the living room and down the hallway into the bedroom. He laid her on the bed, before following her under the covers. "Tony, I wasn't finished with the dishes." She complained.

Tony waved it off. "I'll finish it in the morning for you before work. Or I could be a little late." He smiled mischievously. She sighed, but let him pull her close so that they were chest to chest. She curled up against him, his hand splayed across her back and his other cradling her cheek. She kissed him softly and chastely, before tucking her head into his shoulder. He hummed a soft tune into her hair, stroking her cheek with one thumb. "Goodnight." He whispered, but she was already asleep.

Pepper woke up to an empty bed. The blankets were tucked warmly around her and she didn't feel a single prick of ice until she pulled the covers off. She pulled her robe tightly around her and walked out into the living room into the kitchen. The dishes were gone from the sink and the counter was cleaned. There sat a plate of toast and jelly and a cup of milk. A small piece of paper lay on the counter.

Pepper,

Love you.

~Tony

After Pepper finished her breakfast, she got dressed for the day, when she realized it was the day she dreaded: the arrival of Christmas Eve! And she still hadn't gotten a present for Tony! What could she sell to get enough money for paint?

She paced the floor, a hand pressed to her forehead.

Of course. Her necklace. It would be worth enough to buy what she needed to buy. The jeweled necklace her mother had passed down to her was beautiful and contained rare gems. Excitement rose above her sorrow at the prospect of selling her most prized personal item. Tony was worth it.

She hurried to the bedroom to collect it and pulled her coat about herself. She whisked out the door and down two flights of stairs. The Snow flurries around her as she walked briskly down the sidewalk towards the jeweler's store.

She entered the store and approached the man at the counter.

"I'm here about this necklace. How much is it worth?"

She barely made it to the store to buy car paint. She knew he had all the other supplies he would need for painting a car, but paint was all he was missing. As she left with the heavy paint, the man turned the open sign to closed. Pepper sighed with relief. She had done it. Her husband had his Christmas present and she could rest easy. She couldn't wait to see his face when he got the paint.

She got home and pulled out some old boxes and placed the paint in these. She then took the boxes and pulled them into the bedroom and put them away into the closet, tucked away from prying eyes. Tony always liked to snoop, but he probably wasn't expecting a Christmas present this year.

She went out to start dinner and by the time she'd finished setting the table, the front door swung open. Tony's weary face was replaced with a grin when he spotted her. He pointed a finger at her as he hung his coat. "One of these days, I'm coming home early and making dinner and you can relax for once."

Pepper smiled back at him. "I look forward to it."

Tony crossed the room and enfolded his Pepper. ~For ten seconds let us regard with discreet scrutiny some inconsequential object in the other direction. Eight dollars a week or a million a year-what is the difference? A mathematician or a wit would give you the wrong answer. The magi brought valuable gifts, but that was not among them. This dark assertion will be illuminated later on.~

They settled down for dinner and were quickly finished. They rested quietly on the couch, just happy to be together for the couple peaceful hours they had at night, though both did not have to work tomorrow. However, Tony usually worked Christmas Day to earn some extra money, as they did not have some to spare.

"Pepper." He murmured after a while. She looked up from her rest on his shoulder. "Hmm?" She hummed. He paused, chewing the inside of his cheek thoughtfully. "I don't think," he started. "I'm going to work tomorrow."

Pepper sat up quickly. Excitement raced through her at the thought of him staying home, as the only days he had off were Sundays. But she also felt hesitant. "Why, Tony? I thought you wanted the extra money?"

He cocked his head slightly, avoiding her gaze. "I'd rather be here for Christmas." He answered, shrugging. Pepper was still reluctant, but gave in and stayed silent. After the moon beams began to shine through the window, they decided it was time for bed. Tony made a small comment as they went, mentioning something about giving her an early present, but Pepper quickly shot down the innuendo.

"Just sleeping tonight, tiger."

The bed was warm and comforting, a perfect escape from the daily struggles to keep food on the table and clothes on their backs. Tony drew his arms around Pepper, enfolding her in his arms, her back to his chest. She tilted her head to listen to his heartbeat, which was steady and slow. It pulled her into a dream world, where she was safe from reality for now.

The next day Pepper woke up early. Tony still lay in bed after she cooked a meager breakfast and she entered the bedroom, where he was snoring loudly. She smacked his hip, causing him to groan. "Five more minutes." He pulled his pillow over his head. Pepper was persistent though and pulled the covers off his body, exposing his skin to the frigid air.

He curled into a fetal position, shivering slightly. "Peppppperrrrr." He whined. She shook his shoulder once more. "C''mon, Tony. Merry Christmas."

He opened one eye to give her a glare. "If I'm getting up early, it's your turn to make breakfast."

She smirked smugly. "Already done." He glared some more, then gave her a small shove. "Alright, alright." He gave in. He followed her to the table where they ate. Then, they settled onto the couch. Tony kissed Pepper's forehead. "I think, it's time for a present."

Pepper gasped softly. Tony had gotten her a present? Must be he had the same idea she had. He left her side to dig around in his coat pocket, before setting his hands behind his back and approaching her. "Close your lookers." He told her and she complied. He set something soft and firm in her hands. "Open."

Before her sat a long light blue velvet box. Carved on the top of the jewelry box said, "Pepper." in nice cursive writing. She gasped as her heart sank. A beautiful jewelry box for the necklace she sold. He had earned the money to buy her a nice present and she didn't have a necklace to go with her present. Tony's excited face faded to a concerned one. "What? Do you not like it? I'm sorry, I should've-"

Pepper felt tears welling in her eyes. "No, no, Tony, I love it. I'm just- oh, Tony, I sold my necklace." She broke down, the salty tears rolling down her face. Tony's face twisted in confusion. "You-you sold it?" He repeated. "Why?" She wiped the tears from her face and gestured for him to stay there. She pulled the boxes out of the closet and brought them to him. He looked at her hesitantly and she urged him to open them.

He listened and stared at the items in the boxes. "I sold my necklace to buy you paint for your car. I didn't have enough money and I wanted to buy you a present, so. . . I sold it." She sniffled.

He stated a little longer, stroking his goatee. Then he gave her a small smile and scratched behind his neck. He let out a shaky laugh. "What?" Pepper asked. Tony shifted closer to her, wiping her tears away and kissing her passionately. "Pepper." He chuckled softly. "I sold my car to buy you that jewelry case. I didn't have the money and the car would give me enough for that and some extra left over. I couldn't let my wife go through Christmas without a present, could I?"

And then Pepper began to laugh as well. They embraced and Tony rested his forehead on hers. "I think we should put away our presents for now. It seems we won't be needing them for a while now." He suggested.

Pepper only laughed once more and kissed him soundly. And the rest of Christmas was good for them, for they knew that even though they only had one thing they could be proud of, their love for each other was more important.

~The magi, as you know, were wise men-wonderfully wise men-who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. O all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.~

So, Merry *ahem*late* Christmas! Have a Happy New Year also! Sorry a bit cheesy at the end. The parts that are specified from the others are actually copied and pasted paragraphs from the original story by O. Henry. *Which I do not own! I am definitely not . Henry. Please review!