Prompt:
Prompt for advent calendar: snowing wrapping some christmas gifts with some fun ;)
"Snow?"
"Yes?"
"Just how many gifts did you get Henry and Emma?"
His wife looks adorably guilty, Charming notices, not even meeting his gaze.
"A few," she says.
He looks at the pile of gifts they still have to wrap. "This qualifies as 'a few' in what realm, exactly?"
"Mine," she counters, and he chuckles softly. She's still avoiding his gaze, though, and he puts the gift he just wrapped under the tree and then shifts closer to her.
"All right, Snow White, ruler of the realm of plenty, you want to tell me why we're giving our daughter and our grandson enough presents to put Santa out of business?" he asks, lifting his hand to touch her shoulder. He can feel the tension in her, but she slowly relaxes as he continues to caress her gently.
He waits.
"Emma lost 28 years of gifts," she finally says, and he nods slowly. Ah. "I just want this Christmas to be... I want it to be perfect for her."
"Snow," he says gently. "Emma is spending her Christmas with Henry and us. I don't think any gift you can give her can top that. She has her family."
Snow bites her lip. "She told me she felt like an orphan, Charming. In Neverland."
The words cut into his heart, but he keeps his face calm. Emma, his darling, beloved daughter thinking herself an orphan. If pain could kill, that would be a mortal blow.
"You can't change that with presents," he says instead. "You gotta give it time, Snow. She spent 28 years feeling lost. It will take her some time to get used to being found."
She smiles faintly at him. "You always know what to say."
"Not really, I just wing it well," he jokes, and her smile grows wider and then turns into that smile she only ever gives him. In the light of the Christmas tree she looks downright radiant, and so he leans forward and kisses her. She sighs into it, pressing herself closer and lifting a hand to his cheek.
"I have a gift for you too," she whispers.
"You're my gift," he tells her and her eyes soften. "Snow, you've given me love I don't feel worthy of, a daughter that makes me proud every day and with her a grandson we're lucky to have in our lives. You've given me a family that started with you."
"Charming," she says breathlessly, and then kisses him eagerly. He pulls her onto his lap as she tugs at his lips, lifting her sweater enough to allow his hands to stroke her lower back.
"You're still helping me wrap all these presents," she says against his lips, and he makes an exaggerated groan that she kisses into a moan. "Afterwards, at least."
"After what?" he murmurs, kissing her nose gently before finding her lips again.
"After we do some unwrapping," she says; he gives himself to her quite eagerly, and under the tree too.
II
Some time later, they've wrapped themselves in a blanket and have nestled themselves on the couch. Pile of presents still lay unwrapped, but it's many hours until Emma will be home yet. They have time to finish wrapping later.
"Charming?"
"About your gift..."
"You mean that wasn't it?" he jokes, and she gives him a look.
"Charming, you unwrap me on a near daily basis. It's definitely not something you save for special occasions."
He smiles, knowing she's got him there. "So, what is this gift?"
"It's an addition," she says softly.
"Addition to what?"
"The gift you claim I've already given you."
He nearly bolts upwards, catching himself – and Snow – at the last minute. She beams at him as he grabs her upper arms. "You're pregnant?!"
"Yes," she admits, biting her lip. "That's also why I wanted to make this Christmas special for Emma, because at the next one..."
"She'll have a sister or brother," he finishes. He stares at her, then kisses her face reverently; her cheeks, her nose, her eyelids, her forehead and then her lips. Her eyes are teary, he notices, but they are happy tears. "I love you."
"I love you too," she says; her voices catches. He kisses her again, and again, knowing that while he has his family, Santa's out of business with him because nothing will ever top that gift.
