Christmas Presents

Chapter one

"Note to yourself Emily: never, ever, go Christmas shopping again during the middle week of December!" she said to herself as she was walking down the street.

Europe was freezing during winter and she cursed herself for not thinking about Christmas presents before. She had always been used to Boston's temperature which wasn't far different from that... but at least in Boston she knew where to go to. Now there she was, just wandering through the city not really understanding where she was or what she was searching for. She was glad she wasn't living in that hotel room anymore and that she had found an apartment, they had found an apartment. Cal decided to stay in Europe with her, helping her both with her work and rent. A month after he met her again, as they saw their relationship was going in the right direction, they decided to move in together. Actually Cal had asked her to live together two days after they met, seeing she was living in an hotel room that wasn't that comfortable; he found a place and asked her to move in, but she wasn't quite sure. They had never dated, never spent a nigh out together, never really talked about their feelings for each other and in which direction they wanted their relationship to go. She just needed some dating and random nights spent either in her room or at his place before accepting his offer. Everything was great, they had found a place that was way better than the first one, being nearer to the city center and a bit bigger, being just perfect for two people.

They got through three months of living together, finding a place, moving in, and still the most difficult thing was coming in that moment... What should she gift him for Christmas? She didn't really know what he liked to do in his free time, she knew a couple of his hobbies but what if she bought him something he didn't like? Or maybe something he already had... She ended up buying him two presents: a useful one and something that could remind him of her. He definitely needed a new hoodie since she ended up wearing his favorite one every time she could, she just loved it, so she needed to make up to stealing his by buying a new one. She knew she would have ended up stealing this one too but she couldn't help it, they were too comfortable and warm, and they smelled like him, which was a way to feel him near when they investigated separately during the day. She had never described herself as a clingy person, but she discovered that trait of her personality in those months, almost being unable to part from him, always wanting to have him near, cuddle on the couch or in bed. It might have been the fact that she had been wanting him for so long during the six month they parted that now she was unable to part from him again.

Walking down the street she saw a jewelry that made personalized stuff and she remembered seeing a military tag on a necklace as he was organizing his belongings after they moved in and she asked him why he wasn't wearing it. His answer was that it was his favorite necklace when he was in the navy, his friend and him had similar ones, but his now started to get old and since it was a memory for him he didn't want it to break or ruin. He was too attached to it, he carefully had it in his drawer, wrapped up into a silky tissue into a box. He added that he loved those things, so she decided to buy him a new one, not to replace his memory, she would have never done some like that, but because she wanted to create a new one to add. What was she supposed to write on it though? She thought about it for a moment and then it became clear. She wanted him to remember their first Christmas together, but also have something that could remind him of her. She had never told him, she tried to, but she always got scared, writing it on a necklace was the easiest move, but still scaring as hell. She got away from the jewelry with the box hidden in her backpack, he didn't have to see it, and she didn't want to look at it. She was scared that it might have been too soon, but she was definitely still sure about it. She had already told him, that morning on the train, while he was still sleeping; she couldn't tell him those three words when he came to her house while she was still back in Boston.. and now she felt like she could scare him. They had been together for a few months but she had stared having feelings for him way before. That night on the train was definitely one of the best nights of her life, knowing that he didn't push her back and he had feelings fo her; she didn't know what kind of feelings were back then, she also feared he could have just slept with her to get Meridian's files but he didn't. She then understood that what he felt for her was real, but still, they never really talked seriously about it.

With her hands on her pockets she started to walk back home, she had told Cal she had to work on a lead for a few more minutes and that he should have gone home to relax. She was definitely freezing, next year she would definitely choose another time to go Christmas shopping or either buy them online. In that moment she didn't even noticed that she was thinking about her future, and in her future there was Cal. It started to snow and she thanked God she was near their house, otherwise she would have turned into a block of ice. She thought about buying some cinnamon rolls on the bakery on the street but it looked like they just came out from the oven and they would have gotten cold on her way home.

"Hey, I didn't know I was living with a snowman" he said as he saw her enter the house, her coat full of snowflakes.

"It started snowing, luckily tomorrow it's Saturday so we don't have to work, it doesn't look like it's gonna stop" she smiled while taking off her shoes.

He reached for her, helping her to take her coat off and take her backpack. She gave him a thankful smile as she reached for his lips to give him a kiss. His arms wrapped around her waist and he angled her head to kiss her better. She missed him, those six months without him were pure hell and now she had to catch up with the lost time. Her cold hand reached his jaw and he hissed.

"You should really consider wearing a pair of gloves, your hands are freezing" he said pulling away and taking her cold hands between his to warm them up a bit.

"I know, I will. I'm just not really used to it" she smiled softly at him, he was so sweet, he always cared about her.

"What if you take a shower to get warm, or a bath if you prefer and then I'll make you a cup of hot tea?" he suggested.

"What if you join me for a bath and then we drink some hot tea together?" she raised her eyebrow at him.

"I think it's a wonderful idea" he smirked back.

She loved to take long baths with him, she didn't really like them since she got back from captivity because the amount of water in the tub made her panic, remembering the tank. But with him she found them really relaxing. He always made her lay against his chest and sometimes he even offered to wash her hair for her. She took his hand, leading him to the bathroom, enjoying firstly a good bath with him, and then a delicious cup of hot tea, cuddling on the couch together.