Disclaimer: All characters belong to Stephanie Myer.
Hope you enjoy.
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December 1921 - Atlanta, Georgia
The first few months of their marriage seemed to go by in a blink of an eye, but Carlisle loved every moment of it.
Esme would say goodbye to him before he went to work, straightening his tie and giving him a kiss that was a promise of what would be waiting for him when he returned home. He would try his best to not think about her as he concentrated at work, and as time went on, it became slightly easier to focus all his energy to his job, although in his breaks his thoughts always drifted back to her. When he returned home, she would be there to greet him, with the beautiful smile which had powered him through the long shift at the hospital, and she would kiss him with a lot more vigor after going hours without seeing him.
Then, they would settle down together on the couch, with his arm around her and her head tucked under his chin, as they told each other about their day. Edward would soon join them, and most nights they went hunting, so Carlisle could continue working without the unnecessary pressure of his thirst, and so Esme and Edward could continue venturing into town every day. Vampires did not need to sleep, but Carlisle and Esme would spend their nights together on their bed, whether it was enjoying each others bodies in the most intimate of ways, or just lying together in the sheets talking about everything and anything.
He finally understood what he had heard so many times over the years; that when you found your soulmate, you would finally feel complete.
It was true. He had been so lost before Esme, and he hadn't quite realised just how much until she had returned to his life. She brought light and happiness into every day he shared with her. Esme would comfort him after a hard day, and she would listen to whatever had unsettled his work and then would try her best to help him come up with a suitable solution. He in turn loved listening to what she got up to during the day; she loved going into town and socialising again. She was the talk of the town; Dr Cullen's beautiful wife.
He knew she wanted to go dancing soon, and he planned on taking her out one night, when he knew that she could withstand hours of being in the company of humans. Her improvement over the last few months was certainly commendable, driven by her wanting to socialise and feel 'human' again. However, walking through town and venturing into a shop every now and then was one thing; being stuck in a room with pulsing heartbeats and veins filled with blood was another. He hated having to doubt her, but he also didn't want to risk what she had worked so hard on. For the meanwhile, it seemed, Esme was content with waiting.
Christmas was coming up, and Edward and Carlisle never really celebrated it before. They would get each other a gift every now and then when they stumbled upon something, but it wasn't really a holiday that either of them paid much attention to.
Esme had shyly asked if she could decorate the house for it, which Carlisle had been more than thrilled to agree to, whilst reminding her that the house was just as much hers as it was his and Edward's. His wife radiated excitement as she went into town and bought a few things, transforming the house overnight. Carlisle had then gone into the forest and found the perfect tree, understanding the tradition but never having actually having had a tree at Christmas himself. Esme had jumped into his arms and kissed him blissfully as a thank you as soon as she had spotted him dragging the tree up to the house.
Soon enough, they had a decorated tree downstairs, and now Carlisle was tasked with the challenge of finding Esme the perfect gift. He knew she would never want or expect anything from him, but he was putting the pressure on himself to make her first Christmas with them - and the first Christmas that any of them had shared in a very long time - as special as possible. Esme was not someone who could be bought with gifts, she was not materialistic like that, but he wanted to spoil her.
He just had no idea what to get for her.
As far as Carlisle was concerned, there was nothing in the world that he could get that would possibly be able to show just how much he loved this woman, or how thankful he was every day for her. There were no words he could speak, or actions he could do, that could possibly amount to how he felt, and that was frustrating for him.
He'd bought her art supplies and books every month since she had Changed, to settle her and make her feel at home, but also because he simply loved bringing her presents. Esme was not a materialistic person, but she appreciated everything that he got her, and he got enough reward for doing so simply by the radiant smile she would give him for being so sweet and thoughtful.
But, for Christmas, such things as paint brushes and books just weren't enough.
Sat behind his desk at work, Carlisle let his head fall into his hands as he struggled to think, the paperwork on his desk currently unimportant.
But, then an idea struck him.
Perhaps, he wouldn't ever be able to find a present that would be good enough. But, that didn't mean that he couldn't have one made that would hopefully be enough...
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Esme had seen snow before, once.
As she stood on the front porch of their home, watching as the snowflakes descended from the cloudy sky, she felt just as excited by the sight as she had done when she had been a child. There was something so strikingly beautiful about a snowflake that her vampire sight could now pick up so sharply; how each flake was individual from the others, completely unique.
Her smile increased as the familiar automobile made it's way up the drive easily, as Edward had swiftly gone outside to pave a way for Carlisle to drive up to the house. As the vehicle came to a stop, Carlisle stepped out, looking around him as he took in the white scenery. His golden hair contrasted with it so beautifully that Esme once again wished she could paint him.
She rushed out of the house, flinging into her husbands waiting arms. He laughed, holding her against him and nuzzling into her neck, letting her soft hair brush against his face.
"I've missed you." He whispered softly to her, as the snow continued to fall around them. The shift at the hospital had been particularly gruelling, lasting over twelve hours, and although vampires could never grow tired, Carlisle had felt mentally exhausted. But now that he was home with his wife in his arms, he felt revitalised again, drawing strength from Esme's energy.
"I've missed you, too." She said, pulling away from him so she could kiss him in a proper greeting. Then, she parted from him and grabbed his hands. "Make snow angels with me?"
"Snow angels?" Carlisle repeated in confusion, his head tilting ever-so-slightly to the side in such an adorable way that had Esme kissing him against. He laughed against her eager mouth. "My love, you know I could not deny you anything, but I'm afraid you'll have to explain this concept to me."
She smiled. "Instead of explaining it, I'll show you!" She said, pulling him away from the vehicle and to where the snow had set deeply, covering everything in a thick blanket of white.
Unable to stop smiling, Esme settled down in the snow and showed Carlisle exactly what she had meant. He watched her with a smile of his own, blissful in the evidence of her happiness. When she was happy with her work, Esme got up and inspected it, beaming at the sight that reminded her of a happy memory of her childhood. Her hair caught the falling snowflakes which slowly began to fade away.
"It's fun, Carlisle." She insisted, looking up at him with pouting lips and fluttering her eyelids. "My angel is lonely, though."
He leaned down and kissed her. "You know that pouting will always get you what you want." He teased, before lying down and creating his own snow angel, much to Esme's joy. Although she was very much aware of how her husband could not resist her, there was something about seeing him in his work clothes, doing something so carefree and childish, that had her giggling.
In a flash, he was beside her again, his arms around her waist, pulling her so her front was pressed against his chest, leaving so space between them.
She tried to stop her giggling, but it was too much of a struggle. "See?" She said, gesturing down to their work. "It's fun, isn't it?"
He rolled his eyes at her before rubbing his nose against hers. "I'd much rather pay attention to this particular angel, I'm afraid." He said, kissing her once again, but much slower this tip, savouring the feel of her lips moving under his. Esme gave no complaint, her hands going straight to his hair, which was slightly dampened by the snow.
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Esme's family had never been particularly well-off when it came to money, so she had never received many Christmas gifts whilst growing up, expect from new dresses that she had barely wanted to wear, as it made her adventures a lot harder when she had to manage skirts. She hadn't minded that she didn't get new toys like the other children, because it was the one time of year when all her family, including her grandparents, had sat around the table together. When she had married Charles, it was as if Christmas never existed.
As she looked up at the tree in front of her now, glistening with decorations from which she had sourced from the town's market, she couldn't help but smile. This was her first Christmas in many years, and she had once thought it was impossible that she would ever see decorations again. The sight of the tree in front of her brought her more joy than she thought anyone could possibly understand,
"Did you have Christmas when you were growing up, Edward?" She asked him.
He looked up from his piano. "We celebrated it, but often Father was not home for it. I remember that much. He was a...workaholic, if you will. But, I remember Mother always making a large dinner, and I'd go home feeling too full to even sleep comfortably."
"Perhaps, a Christmas deer tomorrow?" Esme suggested. She wanted to make sure the day was special for all of them, and she always loved gaining small scraps of memories from Edward's past. She respected his privacy enough to understand that although he may never go into full detail, he trusted her enough to open up slightly.
He chuckled. "Sure,"
She knew that Carlisle hadn't celebrated it, so for all intents and purposes, this was his very first Christmas. The problem that she was currently facing was that she had no idea what you gave as a gift to someone so perfect. Of course, when she had asked Carlisle what he wanted, he said that she was more than enough for him, which hadn't been particularly useful.
Edward snorted. "You know he's telling the truth; Carlisle does not want for anything in the world, because he has you."
"And you," Esme reminded him, hoping that Edward wasn't cutting himself out of the family simply because she and Carlisle had married.
He smiled at her comfortingly. "I do not think that, Esme. But, I mean what I said; Carlisle is perfectly content. I know it's hard, when he seemingly has everything, and the means to get anything he desires."
She sat down on the armchair with a sigh of defeat. "It's nearly Christmas, Edward, I still have no idea. How can I feel like I know him better than I know myself, and yet I have no idea what to get him? I know what he likes and what he enjoys, but it's not giving me any inspiration."
"You'll think of something." Edward encouraged her.
Edward had a lot more faith than she did, and for a moment, she was close to giving up. But, her eyes found her abandoned pencil and sketchpad from earlier, and finally, she had a spark of an idea.
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Christmas morning came around quite quickly, and Esme was delighted to look out of her bedroom window to see that the snow was still there. Perhaps, one day soon, they'd venture back to Alaska.
Strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her against a very familiar, strong chest. "Merry Christmas, my love." Carlisle kissed her temple lovingly.
She smiled, tilting her head so she could kiss him properly. "Merry Christmas, Carlisle."
"Now, I have no idea how this day usually goes." He admitted sheepishly. "But, how does a morning hunt sound? Edward spotted a herd of deer migrating towards this direction yesterday on one of his 'walks'."
"Well, I can't say that is how other families will be spending today." She said with a smile. "But to me, that sounds perfect."
The three of them hunted well; the deer had taken the route directly through the forest surrounding their house, making it a quick and effortless hunt. Esme had tried not to concentrate on how the blood had ruined the snow, turning it scarlet red in front of her. She was easily distracted when Carlisle and Edward joined her, and she took her husbands hand as they all walked back to the house.
"I'd like to give you both my present now, if that is okay?" Edward requested as they entered, shaking the snowflakes off their clothes and from their hair.
Esme beamed as she shared a glance with Carlisle, who dipped his head as his eyes glowed. "We'd love that."
Edward headed for his piano, with the two of them following slowly. He seated himself down and took out the papers that Esme had seen him working a few days ago. "I've composed something for you both. I took inspiration from your love for each other, and I wanted to give it to you as a gift."
One of Carlisle's arms was around Esme's waist, but with his free hand, he patted Edward on the shoulder. "Thank you, son."
"You haven't heard it yet." Edward reminded them. "You may hate it."
We could never hate anything you do, Edward, Esme thought lovingly, and Carlisle must have been thinking along the same lines, as Edward softened and started to play with a small smile on his face.
The melody was beautiful, sounding all the way through the house and touching Esme's heart. The fact that Edward had written something for the both of them was so special, so unique, that she wished she could shed tears to show just how much it meant to her.
"Esme, may you dance with me?" Carlisle asked her. "I know how much you wish to attend the dancing in the town, so let's practise."
Edward grinned at the suggestion. "I'll keep playing until you tell me to stop." He promised.
Smiling widely, Esme led Carlisle across the room where they would have more space. They got into the same hold that Carlisle had showed her all those months ago, but this time, there was not a hint of awkwardness. They danced together as if they understood each others bodies so completely that there was never a chance of them stepping on the other's foot, or Esme elbowing him in the ribs again.
As she danced with her husband whilst her son played their song to them, Esme wondered how any Christmas could ever compare to this one. Suddenly, the realisation that they would have countless Christmases all together thrilled her.
Edward kept his word; continuing to play until they broke apart. Esme instantly went to hug his shoulders from behind. "Thank you, Edward." She lay a kiss on his cheek.
He patted her hand with his. "I love you, Esme." He turned his head to Carlisle. "And you, Carlisle. You both mean a lot to me, and I hope I did you justice with this."
"We will always be proud of you, son." Carlisle told him warmly as he joined them, placing a hand on Edward's shoulder and squeezing it. "What you have just given us was truly beautiful. Thank you."
He smiled. "I'll be up here playing, whilst you two exchange your gifts. Esme's practically ready to burst with excitement."
She laughed at his teasing, swatting him playfully before she slipped her hand into Carlisle's and followed her husband back to the tree.
Carefully, he picked up a tiny box that was hidden in the branches. "In all honesty, Esme, finding the perfect present for you was much harder than anything I've ever had to do." He admitted. "You mean so much to me, and I love you so much that nothing I could think of was enough." Slowly, he passed her the black box. "I'm not the most creative person, so forgive me for that, but I wanted something that came from my heart, which will always belong to you."
"Oh, Carlisle," She whispered, taken aback by his words. He watched her as she opened the lid, revealing the present, settled amongst the velvet inside. She gasped.
It was a necklace, made out of silver with a thin chain, but that wasn't what captured her attention. Dangling from the chain was a silver insect; with the bottom wings containing tiny little clear crystals, whilst the yellow crystal at the bottom of it showed her exactly what it was. The insect was smaller than a dime, delicate and subtle, but broad enough to give it weight.
"A firefly," She breathed out. Once again, she was speechless.
He smiled softly at her. "The night I proposed to you, there were hundreds of them, fluttering around peacefully above them. I'll never forget how they made your skin glisten, or how excited you were the first time you saw them. I know I'll always remember it, but I wanted something for you to wear that would be a little piece of that memory, that I can look at every day, for the rest of forever, and remember exactly what inspired it."
"You...you had this made, for me?" She couldn't believe it. Her words were coming out in whispers, quietened by her surprise and love for this wonderful, thoughtful man in front of her.
He dipped his head. "My sketch was not perfect, but I had it commissioned out of town. Thankfully, the jeweller was highly skilled, and brought it to life far better than I imagined."
He was certainly right by that. Even human eyes could pick up the level of detail and time that had been put into this tiny little pendant. It was as if the jeweller had simply captured a firefly itself; the yellow crystal gleamed just as brightly when it caught the light as the tiny bugs had done on the night that Carlisle had promised, like a million golden stars.
"It's so beautiful, Carlisle." Lightly, she brushed a finger over the tiny silver creature. "I love it, so much. Thank you." She cupped his face so she could kiss him, once again feeling like she would be crying from happiness if her body could.
"You're welcome." He said softly. "May I put it on you?"
She nodded eagerly, giving him the box back so she could turn and lift her hair out of the way, presenting the back of her neck to him. Carefully as he could, Carlisle picked up the necklace and placed it around her neck, taking extra time to ensure that he did the latch up properly. The weight was unfamiliar round her neck, but her fingers gently brushed over it once more.
When he was satisfied that the latch was secure, he kissed the back of her neck.
Esme lowered her hair as he pulled away, and she turned on her heels to kiss him once again. "I love you, so much." She told him, punctuating each word with a kiss.
"I love you too, Esme." He brushed a lock of her hair away from her eyes, tucking it neatly behind her ear so his eyes could appreciate her beautiful features without any interuptions.
"It turns out we were both creative with our gifts." She admitted. "Hang on, just a moment." She darted out of the room, for once taking advantage of her vampire speed to get to their room and back in a blink of an eye, delicately holding her present for him. She passed it to him, and he slowly unwrapped the packaging.
"Esme," He whispered as his eyes took in the painting on the canvas. "I never thought it would be possible for someone to captivate the beauty of the Northern Lights, but you've certainly done that and more."
She beamed at his compliment. The painting was of the view from the mountain in Alaska, with the lights covering the sky, and the whiteness of the snow standing out against the rocks and the trees. She had struggled at first to find the perfect colours, but Edward had accompanied her into town so she could search for herself. She had found the brightest, boldest colours of pink, blue and green, which had all worked beautifully together.
The painting was like a moment in time forever captured, and she had been proud of it, but anxious to see Carlisle's reaction. As she turned to look at him, he seemed lost in thought, as if back in a memory. There was a warm glow to his eyes and smile on his face, which brought her reassurance.
"It's where we first told each other we loved one another." She said, even though she knew Carlisle did not need to be reminded. Neither of them would forget that day. "I thought we could hang it in our room, or in your office. Wherever you'd like."
He smiled. "My talented wife," He said, leaning across the space between them to kiss her. "You are remarkable, Esme."
After Carlisle admired the painting for a bit longer, considering where the best place to hang it would be, he carefully placed it on the armchair so he and Esme could return to where Edward was still playing his piano. They gave Edward his presents; consisting of rather complicated sheet music that would challenge him, and supplies and books he would need for his studies, which he appreciated greatly.
Instantly, he chose one of the sheets to start playing, his eyebrows furrowing ever so slightly in concentration as his fingers glided over the keys, alighting the house with music once again.
As Esme listened to Edward play another song, her fingers brushed over the necklace round her throat once again, something that she knew she would end up doing a lot. Although she knew it was not possible, she imagined the insect's wings fluttering slightly, humming against her skin in the rhythm of a beating heart.
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First Christmas together completed :)
I actually struggled a little at first to think of what they could possibly get one another, so I hope you guys liked what their presents ended up being.
- E x