#im sgill half asleeo so this is a bit ass

[steveshairychest]

Steve's very self conscious of his Christmas present wrapping skills because he's never had to wrap presents for people before. They don't do Christmas trees, stockings and presents in the Harrington household, they do Christmas parties with food platters and wine and with Steve banished to his room so he doesn't embarrass his parents in front of their rich friends.

He considers not giving Eddie his gift when Eddie hands him the most perfectly wrapped present Steve's ever seen. There's not a single crinkle, tear or poorly folded corner. It looks like fucking Santa himself wrapped the present.

They'd agreed to open their presents at the same time before everyone else arrived so Steve pulls out his haphazardly wrapped present and anxiously hands it over to Eddie.

"Jesus, Stevie, did you wrap this in the dark- " He immediately stops talking when he notices Steve frown and look away from him, his fingers tap an unsteady rhythm on his thigh as he avoids Eddie's eyes, which Eddie knows means he's upset. "Shit, Steve, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I love it, I really do! Baby, look at me."

He leans forward and tries to meet Steve's eyes, which are stubbornly fixated on the perfectly wrapped present in his lap. "Will it make you feel better if I tell you that Wayne wrapped that present, because he did. I am rubbish at present wrapping! I wanted your present to look nice so I asked him to do it for me." He'd actually wrapped it himself but Wayne had taken one look at it and told him to 'Hand it over, son.' He'd thought he'd done a great job.

Steve sniffs and reaches up to wipe the tears that fell down his cheeks and dripped onto the present from Eddie. "Fuck, sorry, I don't know why I'm crying. Christmas is just, uhm, a sensitive holiday for me. Never really done it before." He shrugs and gives Eddie a weak, wobbly smile. "I didn't even know giving presents on Christmas was a thing until I was a teenager. I'm sorry, I've ruined it."

Eddie carefully puts the present from Steve on the floor beside him and then gently pulls Steve into his arms. They're sitting on the floor in Steve's living room, the Christmas tree is only small because Steve hadn't read the dimensions correctly and there's mismatched tinsel and baubles hanging off it. Eddie doesn't know how all the presents from the party are going to fit underneath the tiny tree but they'll make it work. They'll make it work for Steve.

He rocks Steve gently as he cries and buries his face in the ugly sweater Joyce had made everyone. "You haven't ruined anything, sweetheart. I should have known better, I'm sorry."

"It's ok. I should have said something." Steve mumbles into his chest.

"Well, we know for next time. Maybe we'll get Wayne to wrap all our presents next year because we are both shocking at it." Steve laughs and pulls away from the hug to kiss Eddie softly, his lips taste a little salty from his tears but there's also a hint of candy cane and gingerbread. "You should open your present before the kids get here." Eddie whispers against Steve's now smiling lips.

"Why? Is it inappropriate?"

"Very."

"You got me something nasty and you let Wayne wrap it?!"