May all your Christmases be bright...

[awickedtime]

Raised in the Church of Night, Nick's never celebrated Christmas before, but it's important to Charlie and Rosie, so it's important to Sabrina, so it's important to Nick. He'd basically given Rosie and Charlie free rein to decorate the apartment, which is draped in lights and glitter, the tree shimmering merrily in the corner. It's not dissimilar to some of the festivals that he had celebrated in his life. The iconography is different, though.

They've carved out time to spend together, in the midsts of all the other meals, all the other obligations with the found families that they've made themselves. Nick had agonised over gifts for the girls, less so for Charlie, and they're neatly wrapped in paper and metallic ribbon. He's proud of how pretty they look, if he's honest.

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[awickedtime]

"We could do something similar on New Year's Eve," he says, keeping his arms tight around her. "Go into town and see what's happening and then maybe rent a couple of rooms up at Kagura." He squeezes her gently. "If that's okay with you and Charlie."

[forthsofar]

"We could," she says, letting out a soft huff of breath when he squeezes her so tightly. She knows it'll be different, wants it to be--no terrifying dungeon, at least, and hopefully no murderous gingerbread men either--but she still looks towards where Charlie's sitting with Sabrina, unable to shake the memory of how they'd both been hurt half a year ago.

Hurt, and nearly killed. She still hasn't mentioned those last few minutes to Nick or Sabrina, the way the goblins had simply disintegrated in front of them as they huddled close in the corner of that narrow room, and she doesn't know if she ever will.

"All of us would be together," she says. "Whatever happened, if anything, we would all be going through it as a group this time."

[awickedtime]

"That's true," he says, knowing that both himself and Sabrina would rather die than let anything happen to Rosie and Charlie. He squeezes her gently, dropping a kiss into her hair. "We might get lucky. It might stay quiet."

[forthsofar]

"We might," she says, her head dipping gently down as he kisses her, exposing the pale nape of her neck a little more. "Though it's still going to be Darrow, so..." Rosie laughs. "Quiet might be the most unexpected thing that could ever happen here."

[awickedtime]

"Quiet was always pretty unexpected at home, too," he says, pressing another kiss to the nape of her neck, underneath the curling ends of her hair. "But that doesn't mean we can't hope, right?"

[forthsofar]

"Right," she says, letting out a quiet, contented hum as his lips brush along the back of her neck. "Only thing we can do, really."

They stand there for another minute, Rosie quiet and happy to let herself be held, surrounded as much by the brightness and warmth and love that's filled her life for the last several months as she is by the solid circle of Nick's arms. Hard-fought as it had all been, it's here now, and Rosie can't imagine ever giving it up.

"So," she says, turning her head to look back at him, "should we wait until Charlie and Sabrina are ready, or would you like to open your gift now?"

[awickedtime]

Nick thinks about that for a moment and then presses a final kiss to his skin before he moves away from her. "Let's do them now," he says. "I've got something for you too, obviously."

[forthsofar]

"I'd hope so," she says, bluntly shameless and pleased even at the thought of it. Whatever it is, it'll be from Nick, and that makes it lovely. Once he steps away, she bends back down to the pile beneath the tree, pulling out the flat, rectangular gift with Nick's name scrawled on the tag.

"It's very silly," she warns, handing it to him as she stands back up. "I saw it in that old bookshop near the university and thought it might look nice framed and put up near the front door. Or wherever you like, obviously." Realizing she's chattering a little, Rosie makes herself fall silent, looking up at him with her cheeks flushed pink and a brilliant smile on her face.

[awickedtime]

Nick tears open the packaging, turning the print in his hands and really studying it, a broad grin spreading across his face. He loves anything to do with how mortals see magic and this? Is an absolutey perfect example.

"I love it," he says, leaning in to give her a kiss. "My first ever Christmas present. It's perfect."

[forthsofar]

Rosie smiles into the kiss, her arms wrapping around his neck for a moment before she pulls away again. "The first of many," she says, and it sounds like a wish--something perfect for the season, maybe. "This Christmas, and all the others to come."

[awickedtime]

Nick studies the print for another moment and then sets it to one side, and then he picks up a small paper wrapped box and holds it out to her.

"This is for you," he says. "I...I really hope you like it?"

[forthsofar]

Nick holds the box out and she takes it, the tips of her fingers lightly brushing his hand. "Since it's from you," she says, with another soft and pleased smile, "I know I will."

She tears open the wrapping and lifts the lid of the small box inside, her breath catching faintly as she looks at the bracelet inside. "Nick," she says, her voice wobbling with effort as she tries not to burst into delighted tears. "This is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen."

[awickedtime]

When she reacts like that, Nick's face lights up with a broad, brilliant smile. "You really like it?" he says. "I wanted to get you something you could wear that was from me, you know? Something to remind you of what we've got together..."

[forthsofar]

"I love it," she says, sniffling a little even as she's smiling. "I love you." She runs one fingertip down the lustrous strand of pearls, somehow both cool and warm beneath her touch; admires the slightly witchy-looking charm at the center of the bracelet with its crescent moon and three shimmering stars.

Four things, a bit like the four of them.

"It's absolutely perfect. I'll think of you every time I wear it, you know I will." Rosie looks up at him at last, her eyes shining, and pulls him in for a kiss.