Prompt:
Snow and Charming celebrating Snows birthday for the first time
Counting down the days to their birthday is something Snow thinks most normal people do. She does it as well, but for an entirely different reason.
She dreads this day. Oh, she has explained to Charming she doesn't want a celebration, explained it over and over, but she isn't sure he truly understands. And then there is everyone else, who have only heard her wish about not wanting a birthday celebration and not the reason why, and thus might just think it fake modesty and arrange something after all.
She doesn't blame them either. They'll want her to have a happy day, like birthdays should be. They can't understand that it never will be. This will always be the day she lost her mother, and nothing can change that.
So when the day arrives and she is woken by a gentle hand on her shoulder, she immediately fears the worst.
It's Charming, putting a hand to his lips as she looks at him. The room is dark and the light from the windows still faint, telling her it must be before dawn.
"Charming, what..." she starts, but he puts the finger to her lips now.
"Shhh," he says softly. "Just trust me."
With her life and with her heart, she doesn't say, just nodding faintly instead. She gets up, noticing the clothes and cape he's put out for her. It's not a gown, but a lovely riding outfit, making her realize whatever this is about, it is not a party. He is dressed somewhat informally as well, she notices, as he helps her get dressed.
He takes her hand as she finishes, leading her out of the room and through the quiet hallways to the kitchen. Johanna is there, smiling a little sadly.
"It's all ready, Your Royal Highness," she says to Charming, who smiles.
"Thank you, Johanna," he says solemnly, squeezing Snow's hand. "Grumpy knows where we'll be if something comes up."
Johanna nods, leaning forward to hug Snow quickly. "Have a good day."
Snow just nods, not quite trusting her voice. She follows Charming as he tugs at her hand, leading her to the back entrance and then outside. Two horses wait there, packed up and saddled. Without a word, Charming helps her up on one and then mounts the other and they set off.
The sun starts to rise as they ride, coloring the sky and the clouds in vivid shades of yellow, orange, red. It's a beautiful sight, and Snow lets herself enjoy it as she follows Charming. He clearly has a destination in mind, leading her into the forest until they finally reach a small cottage.
"It belonged to a shepherd my mother knew," Charming tells her as he helps her off the horse (though she doesn't need it, it's still nice to slide down into his waiting arms). "After we took back the kingdom, I bought it off him. He needed the money and I thought it might come in handy one day."
"For what?" she asks, as he keeps his arms around her and looks at her intently.
"For privacy. For today," he says and she sighs.
"You know what today is. I don't want..."
"This isn't a birthday celebration," he says quietly. "This is just you and me and a day out in the forest with no one else around. Johanna packed food for us. We'll sleep here and tomorrow we'll return to the castle and that will be a day like any other."
"Charming..." she says, not finding the words. He might not understand her unwillingness to celebrate her birthday, not fully, she thinks, but he is willing to honor it. And yet he is trying to make this a good day, a happy day or at least the best day it can be.
"I love you," she manages instead and his lips curve into a smile as she leans froward and kisses him. Softly at first, but it soon turns into something far more passionate and breathless as she links her hands behind his back and he lifts her up.
Her mother would have loved him, Snow thinks distantly. Yes. Her mother would have loved him because he loves her so much, because this is true love and happiness and all a mother could want for her daughter.
In fact, her mother might even have considered it the best birthday gift her daughter could ever get.
