A/N: Just a short and fluffy Christmassy one-shot I felt inspired to write. I hope you'll enjoy it :)
In the early morning of Christmas Day, when all was still quiet and dark, the stars twinkling in the velvet black of a midwinter sky and not even the most eager child has opened his eyes to the joys of the day, one person was awake, seemingly alone in the world. The figure, clad in a bright robin red, trudged through the snow that had fallen all night, leaving a winding trail in the pristine blanket. A sleepy child looking out the window might for a second mistake the bright mirage for Santa himself. But only for a moment for the figure was tall and slim, with long tresses of dark hair falling out of the hood and the red coat was not Santa's jacket but a ruby red cloak. On this early Christmas morning the only one awake in the little sleepy town of Storybrooke was Little Red Riding Hood and maybe, just maybe, Santa himself, getting ready to go back to bed.
Red almost skipped along, a bundle under her arm and snow crunching under her feet. At the moment she felt as if she were alone in the world, that she owned this quiet morning. In a few hours people would bustle in and out of houses, carrying bags of presents and trays of food, children would play in the snow and dogs would bark and forever be just in front of your feet wherever you turned. But right now, Christmas was hers. Red loved Christmas, always had. Well, in Fairy Tale Land they didn't have Christmas, but a Midwinter Feast but here in Storybrooke everyone went all out for the festive season. Decorations lit every corner, the smell of baking floated in the air and music jingled in shops, homes and restaurants. Ruby had loved it, and now Red loved it. She didn't even mind the dark, she loved lighting candles and lounging inside. And the snow! Building snowmen, sledding and snowball fights, and all just form frozen water. She loved the whole month of December. The sense of expectation, the coziness, the rituals and traditions. It was nice when something remained the same year after year. She liked things you could count on.
Breaths puffed out in fluffy clouds from her mouth as she hurried her steps. She didn't want him to wake up before she was done. Her boyfriend was an early riser, which was why she had to be up so early to surprise him. And, she reminded herself, if she'd finished his gift in time she'd been able to wake up there. Instead she'd had to hurry home after her shift and had stayed up late to manage. It had taken her weeks to painstakingly knit the sweater, in the softest green wool she could find. Granny had shown her how and struggling with it in every spare moment she could find it had slowly taken form. The finished product was pretty good, if she could say so herself. Even Granny had been impressed. And okay, one sleeve was a teensy bit longer than the other but once you wore it none would be the wiser. In the end she'd even enjoyed making it. Knitting was oddly soothing.
But now she had to sneak in early to place it under the tree they had picked out. Then prepare everything for Christmas morning and then slip under the covers and find…some way of waking her boyfriend.
Reaching his house she sighed in contention. She loved that place. Tucked away from the street it looked almost like a gingerbread house the way it was covered with snow. The wreath he'd bought hung on the door and some Christmas lights shone in the windows. The neat path he must've shoveled last night was dusted over with snow but fully manageable and Ruby trudged up it. Opening the door she was welcomed by an overjoyed Pongo. Greeting him in whispers she let him run past her, out in the snow to have his first tumble of the day. Letting him stay in the yard she set about preparing for the morning. Lighting candles and the tree, which they'd decorated together only two days ago, making tea and heating the buns she'd brought (stolen) from the Diner. Starting a fire and letting Pongo back in to contentedly stretch out in front of the it she rose to survey the results. Everything was neat, as he always kept it, and the candles shone. The scent of the buns and tea made her mouth water and under the tree were the two gifts. Everything was ready.
Sneaking up the stairs to the bedroom she made sure not step on the steps that creaked. Turning down the hall and grimacing as the door handle squeaked she made her way into the dark bedroom. She heard by his breathing he was still sleeping and delighted she slipped onto the bed. He was warm and she wanted to cuddle close and steal a few more hours of sleep. But she had a plan. So she slithered close and pressed a kiss to his mouth.
"Jiminy." He stirred and turned, automatically reaching around her waist and pulling her close.
"S'early." Enveloped in the warm cocoon of his arms and the covers she felt a bubble of happiness rise from her stomach to her throat. She couldn't believe what this man could make her feel. That he was all hers.
"Yes, but it's Christmas morning." This only yielded a "mmm" from under the covers. "There're buns."
"Buns?" His voice was suddenly alert at the prospect of baked goods.
"Mhm, cinnamon."
"Okay. I'm up. You know all my weaknesses."
"Well, you know all mine."
"And I love them all." Giving her a lingering kiss he got up. "So where are these buns?"
Settled in front of the fire, comfortably full on buns and tea, with soft music on the speakers and the candles burning, brightening the still dark morning, Ruby felt life might be very close to complete. Pongo was snoring quietly on his pillow and Jiminy had his hand over hers, it was Christmas and all was right in the world.
"This one's for you." She picked up the painstakingly wrapped, yet bulky package, cheery sprigs of holly decorating it. Archie put his mug down, scooting closer to the table to open it. Gently, as if even the paper of the gift mattered he unwrapped the sweater.
"Red, it's beautiful." Holding it up she saw genuine appreciacation for it.
"I should hope so, it took forever to make." His eyes widened.
"You made it? The whole thing?" Her heart filled with pride as she saw his stunned expression.
"I did. I had to learn how to but once you got the basics it's-" Her sentence was cut short as his lips captured hers, making her head as vast and empty as a starry sky.
"Thank you. No one has taken so much time to make something for me before. And definitely not something as beautiful as this."
"I wanted to take the time. And after a while I even enjoyed knitting." His eyes sparkled.
"I'd've paid money to see you knit." In two quick tugs he'd pulled the sweater on and she admired the way the green wool of it set off the color of his eyes. Then she admired the way it pulled over his frame, hinting at his build.
"Maybe now I'll let you." Chuckling, he reached for the flat, rectangular package, beautifully wrapped in silver paper with dark green strings. Everything he did was neat, she shouldn't be surprised.
"Here," he gave it to her and she noticed he immediately pulled his hands back to twine them together, clenching them on his lap. He had to be worried she wouldn't like it. He couldn't possibly be a bad gift giver, for that he was too thoughtful. Although last Christmas they'd just started going out and had decided not to exchange gifts, then they both had birthdays early in the year so it had been a while since they'd given each other gifts.
Following his example she took care opening the present and turned it over. A gasp escaped her as the framed picture hit home. It was a pencil drawing of her favorite picture of them. The photo had been taken at a town event, a picnic. They hadn't known they were being photographed and Ruby had just sat down on his lap, facing sideways, her arm around his neck, his around her waist, their faces laughing, the love practically tangible in the air around them. At their feet was Pongo, as happy as a dog could ever be, full on dropped scraps and a high quota of belly rubs, snoozing with his head on his paws. Granny had taken it and given a copy to Red who had framed it and put it next to her bed. She didn't care if that was teenager-like of her. Every night before she went to bed she'd look at that picture, going to be happy because she could see his love for her in that picture. Now that she stayed here more often than not the picture had its place on his nightstand. And now here it was, in beautiful pen strokes, as alive as only hand drawn pictures could ever be. She could feel his arm around her waist when she saw him doing it in the picture. She could hear his low laugh reverberating in her ribcage when he was close, as hers, louder, freer rung out from the frame. She saw the set of Pongo's head was his "I'm in heaven and I know it" posture, only brought on by food coma. The picture was that day, perfected and eternalized for her to feel at any time. And it was signed A.H.
"You drew this?" His smile was a tad shaky as he nodded.
"I did. I…" He turned slightly to face her on the couch. "I was hoping it could be our first…family portrait." Her brain went into overdrive as the meaning sunk in.
"A family portrait?"
"Ah, as in…Well, what I'm trying to say…ask…is…Ruby, will you marry me?" Ruby was shocked. She'd thought it would take him at least another year before he'd consider marriage. She was all for it but he had insisted she was so much younger and he didn't want to tie her down until she was completely sure. And now he was asking. Wanting to be hers, forever. This man, who made her laugh, who stood by her no matter what, who made her want in a way she'd never thought possible and who made her insides feel like they were made of sparkly helium balloons. He wanted her.
"Yes! A thousand times yes!" He slumped in relief and a smile spread over his features before she latched on to him, hugging him close.
"Pongo, fetch the box!" She pulled back to ask,
"What box?"
"Well, I couldn't teach him "fetch the ring", in case someone overheard."
"You got me a ring? And you taught Pongo to get it?"
"I figure we're sort of a package deal so he should be in on it."
"And what a package." The sound of Pongo's claws on the floor had her turning to see an ecstatic Dalmatian rush to her. Skidding to a stop in front of Jiminy he got a pat in thanks as he dropped a small cardboard box on his lap. Opening it to reveal a blue velvet box Ruby held her breath.
"Okay, if you don't like it I won't be hurt if you want to exchange it. I mean, you'll have to wear it for life so-"
"Jiminy, will you just open the box?" He drew a deep breath as she curled up on the couch, like a feline waiting to pounce, then flicked the box open. Her breath caught. The ring was beautiful, a narrow silver band with several small diamonds set in the shape of a snowflake.
"I thought maybe the snowflake would remind you of the day, and I mean you love snow, but maybe it's a bit seasonal, so you could get a normal one if you want, I just thought-"
"I love it. It's beautiful. Put it on for me." With a huge sigh of relief he grasped her hand, smoothly sliding the ring on her fourth finger. It looked perfect. It was individual and it would forever remind her of this day. If she were to one day feel stifled and bored being married to Jiminy (even though she doubted it) she would only have to look down on her left hand to be reminded of a moment when she had loved him so much her body had threatened to burst. Of a joy as unbridled as a child's at Christmas. Looking back up from the ring to meet his eyes she realized three things. She had the perfect man. She had the perfect ring. And she had the perfect Christmas. There was only one thing left to make it the perfect moment, so she slid closer on the couch and as the snow fell outside and her ring glittered on her finger she got to enjoy taking the sweater she had made off of him.