Charlie woke up to the sound of Sean’s light snoring. His arm was wrapped tightly around her middle, and his face was buried in her hair. Not wanting to wake him, she slipped carefully out of his grip and into the kitchen where she began to make chocolate chip pancakes and both Canadian and American bacon. Not too long after she started, she heard the bedroom door shut and the sound of his feet on the hardwood floors. When he turned the corner into the kitchen, she smiled and wrapped her arms around his bare torso. She would never get used to seeing him shirtless.
“Merry Christmas, beautiful.” He mumbled and pressed his lips to hers. “What are you making? It smells so good.”
“Merry Christmas to you too. I know you love chocolate chip pancakes and bacon, so I decided to spoil you a little. And I’m making Canadian bacon for myself.” She replied, turning back to the stove to check the pancakes.
He moaned his gratitude and Charlie felt it hit her all the way through her body, settling between her legs. As she checked on the bacons, Sean kept his hands on her hips and slowly began kissing his way down her neck and onto her shoulder. This man was going to be the death of her.
“Hey babe?” She said, plating their breakfasts. “Are we going to talk about last night?”
She turned and handed him his plate, but was surprised to see pain in his eyes.
“I-I don’t know where to begin, love.” He admitted, looking down at his hands.
“Me neither. But I- I don’t know. I feel like something has to be said.”
They were both silent as they sat down at the kitchen counter.
“It hurt, Charlie.” He finally said. “To hear what you had to go through? It broke my heart. I don’t ever want something like that to happen to you again.”
“I’m sorry.” Was all she could reply.
“Don’t be. I’m glad you told me. I needed to know. And now, we can move past this together.”

We. Not you. Sean had said we. Charlie couldn’t help buy get caught up on the simplest word. That was the moment when Charlie realized that she wasn’t alone anymore. Sean was there for her, and was going to help her. She smiled at him and stuck a piece of her pancake in her mouth, chewing slowly.
“So, I know we said we weren’t going to get each other presents since I just came home and all. But I got you something anyway....” She said.
“Funny, I got you something too.” He replied with a smile. Of course he did.
“How about when we are done with breakfast we exchange gifts and then get ready for dinner tonight? Brayden and Janine will be here around 6 and I want to video chat with Drew before that.” She suggested.
“That sounds perfect to me, love.”

When they were finished with their breakfast, Sean grabbed their plates and cleaned up from breakfast, demanding that since she cooked he would clean everything. Charlie didn’t mind, and spent the whole time admiring his sculpted half-naked body. She practically drooled over his well-defined chest, back and abs, and the way his sweatpants hugged his legs, accentuating his hips and thighs. She couldn’t help but daydream about what it would feel like to have his strong arms pinning her against a wall, and blushed as he turned around, catching her stare.
“You just got caught staring at me, didn’t you?” He teased.
“So what if I did? You’re my boyfriend, and I can stare as much as I please.” She replied quickly.
“Hey, I have no problem with you staring at me. As long as you like what you see.” He chuckled and led her into the living room where they had placed each other’s presents under the little tree.

She thought about sitting on the couch, but was surprised when he sat right next to the tree and pulled her down into his lap. He grabbed the box she didn’t recognize and handed it to her. She unwrapped the paper as carefully as she could.
“You’re the only person I know who takes their time unwrapping a gift.” He laughed.
“I just want to savor the moment.” She blushed.
She opened the box and immediately laughed out loud.
“Don’t you think this is a little egotistical?” She asked, pulling the #14 Couturier Winter Classic jersey out and putting it on over her head.
“Maybe. But you’ve always refused to take one before, with your silly thing about how only WAGs should wear our jerseys. Now that you’re my girlfriend, I can force you to wear it. And since it’s a gift you’ll be obligated to wear it to at least one game. When I score a hat trick and you see that it’s good luck for me, you’ll have to wear it all the time.” He replied, giving her one of his heart-stopping, panty-dropping smirks. She leaned forward and attached their lips so she didn’t do anything crazy right then and there.

When she pulled away, she grabbed the box she had carefully wrapped for him, handing it over. He tore into it quickly, like a little kid and she couldn’t help but chuckle at his childish nature. He always acted so mature, people often forgot that he was only twenty one years old. He grinned like a mad man when he saw the familiar logo on the box, and kissed her.
“How did you know I needed a new pair of Beats?” He asked, opening the box and taking the headphones out.
“I saw your old ones were a little... well-loved? And figured you could probably use some new ones. I had them customized with the Flyers logo and your number. Do you like them?”
“These are absolutely perfect. I love them, thank you. The boys will be so jealous.” He smiled and kissed her cheek. “I um- I have one more gift for you.” He said, suddenly getting nervous. He shifted her off of his lap and reached under the tree towards the back. When he returned to his spot next to her, he was holding a small blue box in his hand. A blue box every girl in North America would recognize in an instant. Charlie’s heart skipped a beat as he handed it to her. She opened the box and gasped when she saw the simple silver ring with a diamond in the middle. It was absolutely gorgeous, and she didn’t know what to say. He took the box from her hands and removed the ring.
“It’s not what you’re thinking.” He laughed nervously. “I’m not that stupid. I know it’s way too early for that. But it’s the first step. It’s a promise ring, Charlie. I want you to know how much I love you. I want you and everyone else in the world to know that you’re mine and I’m yours. That you’re the only woman in my present and my future, and that one day you will be my fiancee... And then my wife. We may have only been officially together for a month now, but you’re my forever, Charlie. I know that and I want that.” She looked at him with tears in her eyes. He was confirming everything she had realized that morning, and she was so overwhelmed with emotion she couldn’t form words. She offered her shaking right hand to him and he slipped it onto her ring finger, kissing it for good measure. It fit perfectly.
“I love you.” She finally whispered.
“I love you too.” He responded, pulling her up to the couch and settling into their favorite cuddling position. They sat there for a while, kissing each other’s fingers and hands, just enjoying each other’s company. Eventually, Charlie remembered the other gift she had gotten him at the last minute in the mall with Janine. It was hidden under his bed and she excused herself to get it.

-Sean-
Sean couldn’t be more pleased with the way she had reacted to his gifts. He knew the ring might have been a little too much, but when he saw it in the Tiffany store in New York, he knew she had to have it. He blamed Matt Read for dragging him in there as part of a mission to find the perfect engagement ring for his girlfriend, but in the end he knew that he owed Reader. The simple band with the single diamond fit Charlie’s personality perfectly and portrayed the exact message he wanted her to receive. The jersey had been a secondary thought after the ring, but he loved it almost as much. Finally seeing her with his name across his back felt like a mini accomplishment of itself, and excited much more than just his mind. Sean used Charlie’s run to the bedroom to calm himself down. He knew she wasn’t a virgin, but he wasn’t completely sure where they stood when it came to that aspect of their relationship. At least, not until she returned from the bedroom.

Sean thought his jersey was the greatest thing he had ever seen on her, but he was so far from the truth. When Charlie stepped into the living room, his jaw practically hit the floor. She stood there leaning against the door frame in a lacy black baby doll top and matching thong so small she might as well not have been wearing anything. The lacy lingerie hugged her hips and showed just enough to tighten his sweatpants even more than they already were. The best part was that the two pieces had orange bows on them, like she was a fucking present. He quickly realized that was the point. She was his second Christmas present. He stood up from the couch and crashed his lips to hers, running his hands all over her body and eliciting a small moan from her that he could feel go straight between his legs. He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his hips as he pushed her against the wall. This time it was him who let out the moan as her lips traveled down his neck, finding the spot where his neck met his shoulder that made him weak. If this was a dream, he never wanted to wake up.
“Sean,” she gasped. “Take me to the bedroom.”
He pulled back and looked into her eyes, finding them filled with such lust he didn’t know if he would even make it that far. Thinking of his grandmother, he ran down the hallway and kicked open the door. He placed her on the bed and climbed up on top of her, kissing every inch of exposed skin on his way.

Forget his new Beats. This was the best Christmas present he had ever gotten.

Notes