~Gifts~

~~~ooooo~~~

The numbers on the clock sitting on the corner table blinked, displaying the time of 7:16 PM in neon blue when the door opened and Cloud stepped inside the apartment.

Under ordinary circumstances, the extended hours at work would've brought in some extra cash but the only benefits reaped these days were the sore muscles that served as a reminder that he was fortunate his services as a glorified delivery boy were still sought by some members of the general public.

But on this particular night, he had another reason for arriving home past the expected hour.

His shoulders straightened, his head and spirits lifting immediately as the aroma of the pot roast that he'd caught a tantalizing whiff of the moment he stepped out of the elevator into the hallway of the building's top floor hit him full in the face.

"You're late!"

His nostrils picked up the familiar scent of jasmine and strawberries as he quickly locked the door and turned around, a split second before his wife hurtled herself forward with enough force to throw him back against the door, earning a grunted "Oof!" from him as she smothered him with kisses and hugs. If he lived a hundred years, he didn't think there would come a day when he wouldn't look forward to the unabashed joy and affection she greeted him with whenever he walked in the door.

As she pulled back and Cloud was able to take a look at the delicate features he'd been missing all day, he did a double take.

"Aeris?" he asked incredulously. She was Aeris obviously but not his Aeris. His Aeris had beautiful long hair that fell past her hips. Hair that he liked to thread his fingers through or wound about his fists and pull in the heat of passion. Hair that she'd always kept long, since before they even met. It was truly her crowning glory, her pride and joy.

What on earth had she done to it?

"I chopped it off," she said, answering the question he was clearly trying to ask if only he could find his voice. His eyes followed her hand as she stepped back and twirled a short, springy curl that framed her face around her finger self-consciously. "I just thought it was time for an updated look. I've had the same hairstyle since I was seven years old. Do you like it?"

"I..." No one would ever accuse him of being a chatterbox but that was not the reason for his current speechlessness. "What did you do?" he asked, stupidly, a part of him well aware that she'd just told him what had happened but he couldn't wrap his head around it. Seeing was believing, or so he'd heard, but his eyes were playing tricks on him. Aeris loved having long hair. She would never allow anything sharp to come near it, not for anything in the world.

"It'll grow back. It's just hair." The happy smile was genuine but he heard the nervousness in her voice and saw unease flicker in the bright green of her eyes. Was she trying to convince him or herself? Cloud didn't get it. He didn't understand what had made her take a pair of shears to her hair and butcher it if she hadn't wanted to cut it in the first place. "You don't...find me less attractive, do you?"

"Why?" It was all he could utter, all he could focus on, his mind otherwise a complete blank, trying desperately to think and floundering.

"Cloud!" Aeris pouted. "I'm still me. Your wife! In sickness and in health, remember? You vowed to love me, no matter what."

He shook his head dazedly, trying to pull his thoughts together.

"Stop looking at me like that," she said petulantly.

He realized he was still staring at her as if he'd never seen her before. "Well, uh..." He scratched the back of his head. "This is awkward."

"I can't believe you." Her eyes narrowed. "Did you marry me for me or for my looks?"

Cloud sighed. He'd wanted to surprise her in the morning but it didn't really matter now. Mentally surrendering the white flag of defeat, he retrieved a small, flat box from the inner pocket of his jacket and handed it to her.

"Merry Christmas, Aeris."

"Ohhh!" She startled, looking at the shiny red box, neatly tied with a matching red ribbon, then back up at him, a question in her wide green eyes. "You don't want me to wait until tomorrow—?"

He shook his head. "Go ahead."

Her cheeks were flushed with excitement and her fingers trembled as she carefully untied the satin ribbon and lifted the lid. A small cry escaped her, a sound of unspeakable joy and anguish.

"Oh, Cloud!" Her eyes were sparkling with tears and her eyelashes wet as she looked back up at him. "This—!"

Overcome with emotion, she threw herself at him and buried her face in his chest.

It wasn't quite the reaction he had imagined when he'd slipped the gift inside his pocket earlier at the jewelery shop but it was close enough. He held her gently, giving her time to let it all sink in until she had regained her composure enough to turn her face and peek out again at the box still clutched tightly in her hand.

Inside the box was a pair of hair combs and a half dozen hairpins, with dainty lilies comprised of topaz crystals in yellow and green set on top of fine, elegant silver, designed to both adorn and keep long hair in place. Cloud knew she'd been eyeing the set whenever she went grocery shopping and would pass by the store window, ever since they were first put on display a couple of months ago. But with the steep price point and their current financial straits, such a frivolous purchase was completely out of the question and so she'd had to be content with simply admiring them from a distance. Or so she'd thought. Alas, they were made for long hair.

"I guess this is the "For better or worse" test of marriage then." The corner of his lips inched up.

She swallowed a laugh. "Do I really look that bad with short hair?"

"Of course not."

"Uh-huh."

He could never get anything past her. But truthfully, she didn't look bad. Not one bit. He had never seen her look anything less than lovely. It was just... "I'm gonna miss it, is all."

Her face softened. "I'll let it grow out again."

"I'll get used to it." He brushed a tendril of wispy hair back from her face and pulled at a glossy brown ringlet she'd clearly taken pains to use a curling iron on. "But if you shave your head, I'll have to rethink our vows."

Aeris laughed. "No can do. Till death do us part, Mister. I'm holding you to your promise."

"I'd rather hold you."

Her smile was filled with pure pleasure. "Yes, please."

He tightened his arms around her.

"Never let go, okay?"

"Never," he promised, pressing his lips first to the shell of her ear then to the top of her head. The very short hair on top of her head. Still, it was soft and smelled of a meadow in spring and sunshine and happiness. It smelled like home. He buried his face into the silky fragrant tresses. It smelled like her.

Maybe he wouldn't have to get used to it after all.

"I can still put my hair up. I just can't wear all of them at the same time..." She lifted a hand to her cropped hair, combed her fingers through the thick curls and pursed her lips. What was left wasn't long enough to pull back into a ponytail. "My hair will grow back in no time at all, just wait and see."

Trust the woman he'd married to find the silver lining in anything.

Cloud kissed her gently. "I'll look forward to it."

She let out a blissful sigh and drew back to look at him. "I missed you today."

He squeezed her hard enough to make her squeal.

"Sorry," he muttered.

Her warm breath tickled his skin as she laughed and nuzzled his throat. "Nice to know you missed me, too."

He squeezed her again. "Always."

"Every minute," she said softly.

In the quiet comfort and peace of their home, they held each other, glad for the end of the workday that meant they could spend the rest of the evening together.

"Fair's fair. I should give you your gift." With a great deal of reluctance, Aeris pulled away to set the box down on the coffee table in the living room. His lips lifted faintly as he watched her fix her hair and tug at her favorite burgundy blouse that she had paired with a pale pink skirt, noting with a pang that both had seen better days, the colors faded from several washes too many. She threw him a smile, cheerful and reassuring, as though she'd heard his thoughts. "I think," she said slowly, and her smile widened, "that when you see it, you'll understand everything."

Cloud took the opportunity to recline on the sofa as she disappeared through the bedroom door down the hallway. A moment later, she was back, toting a small giftbag that she held out to him with an excited, almost childish glee that made him hard-pressed not to laugh.

"Merry Christmas, Cloud," she said, looking enormously pleased with herself.

He could not stop the smile that tugged at his lips as he opened the ice blue and gray-striped bag, removed the snow-white giftwrap tissue and peered inside.

He paused.

It took him a minute to process what he was seeing. He looked back up at her.

"Well?" The playful pout was back on her face. It was clear his reaction was not what she'd been expecting either. Her eyes went to his neck, searching, and her brows furrowed. "Where is it? I want to see how they look together on you!"

Slowly he reached inside the bag, took out the necklace and blinked at it. Unless his eyes were deceiving him, it was made of real silver.

"I'd say I lost it but you would never believe that, would you?"

Aeris shook her head. "Of course not. You're a terrible liar."

He huffed. "Says you."

She arched a brow at him.

He scowled at her. Or tried to. "I sold it."

"Wha—?" Her eyes widened. He didn't need ESP to know what was running through her head. The medallion was his prized possession, his most cherished belonging, a reminder of his late father and more. "W-why?"

"So I could get that." Cloud inclined his head at the combs and hairpins sitting in the bright red box. "It... It was a gift from Mom. She gave it to him for his birthday a few years before I was born. And that right there? She knew how much I wanted to get them for you..." He set the necklace down on the coffee table beside the gift box and glanced back up at her with a rueful smile. "Selling the pendant was her idea."

"M-Mom's idea?" He heard her voice catch. "But... I sold my hair for..."

He nodded.

There was a long silence.

He swore he could hear the seconds tick by on the digital clock beside the sofa.

Aeris suddenly plopped herself down on his lap, blithely ignoring his exaggerated grunt of pain. He sighed and slipped his arm around her as she proceeded to make herself more comfortable, arranging her legs so she was sitting sideways against his chest and rested her head on his shoulder.

They fell silent again, both reflecting, trying to reconcile themselves to the predicament they had unwittingly brought about by their own actions.

Without warning, Cloud threw back his head and let out a sharp bark of laughter. It was loud, unrestrained and unapologetic. It was unlike any other laugh that had ever come out of him before. And it went on and on.

"Cloud!" Aeris complained, lifting her head to glare at him. She bit her lip but a small giggle escaped anyway. "This isn't funny."

He only laughed harder.

Her laughter joined his, bright, joyful, both laughing helplessly until they had stitches in their sides and their eyes streamed with tears. In the midst of all the worries, their apartment was filled with the sound of happiness.

He looked at his wife, her face red and teartracks glistening on her cheeks, wearing just a touch of blush and mascara, and thought she was the most beautiful sight he'd ever laid eyes on.

"We've really done it this time," he finally caught his breath to say as he rubbed a hand over his face tiredly. "We're idiots."

"Hey!" Her giggle chased away any remaining heaviness in his chest. "Speak for yourself!"

"Right. I'm an idiot. You are wise and beautiful."

"Flattery will get you everywhere," she chortled, and moved in closer to plant a kiss on his lips. "And everything."

"Who just happens to be married to an idiot."

"Hmph," she said, pretending to be miffed, but ruined the poor act with a grin. "Fine. We both are but we're idiots because of love. We did what we did out of love."

"True." His lips twitched. "Idiots in love. I'll take that."

"So will I." Her eyes were glowing green with so much love and warmth, he thought he could drown in them. "We make quite a pair, don't we?"

He snorted. "Look on the bright side. You got your wish for a Christmas we'll never forget."

"I must say, this was not at all what I had in mind when I said I wanted to make our first Christmas a memorable one."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm not." She swallowed down another giggle, the expression on her face tender as she flicked a stray blond lock back from his temple. "Merry Christmas, love."

"Merry Christmas." He quirked a brow at her.

"Wanna know something?" Aeris whispered, smiling. "You're right, in a way. I definitely got what I wished for the most for Christmas. It even came early." Her eyes burned with a sweet fire he could never get enough of seeing, telling him exactly what her wish was.

Cloud did the only thing he could do. He leaned over and cut off her chuckle with his lips.

He couldn't agree more.

They were idiots but there was one thing they both knew beyond a shadow of a doubt.

They had already given each other the greatest gift in the world.

The only gift that meant anything.

Themselves.

Notes: What can I say? This fanfiction was clearly inspired by current events. But that's not the only thing I took inspiration from. This is basically a retelling of the short story by O. Henry: The Gift of the Magi. I wrote it mainly for myself because I needed a feel-good story set in a world with circumstances that I could relate to and if someone else gets some enjoyment out of it too, even better! =)

Happy holidays!