Christmas in Storybrooke: 11/11(Epilogue)

Happy New Year's! Here we are at the end of this fic, probably the fastest I have ever finished an MC in my life :) This is just a short, fluffy little epilogue.

Summary: My Hallmark Christmas movie fic in which flights get cancelled and Henry’s “best friend’ gets snowed in with him in his quirky hometown for Christmas. Only with magic and fairy tale characters.

Rating: M for suggestive scenes and adult situations, not smut

Trigger warnings: Henry is an adult. Read that again: Henry is an adult. Look at the picset: that’s Andrew J. West. If Henry actually behaving like an adult makes you feel icky, the don’t read this.

Can also be read on Ao3

Tagging @snowbellewells @kmomof4 @whimsicallyenchantedrose @kday426 @snidgetsafan @bethacaciakay @teamhook @delirious-latenight-laughs @winterbaby89 @jennjenn615 @yohoyohoafandomlifeforme

Epilogue: Two Years Later

Regina’s dining room was wall to wall people, and that didn’t even include most of the kids, who were seated at the kid’s table in the kitchen. Charlotte, affectionately called Lottie by everyone, sat next to her mother so Emma could cut her Christmas turkey into bite sized pieces and helped her with her sippy cup. She was the only child seated at the adult table, since Henry didn’t think Colin counted.

He looked down at his tiny son, only three months old last week. His heart swelled with happiness, even more so when he looked up to see Evie, her face flushed as she laughed, her hand clasped over her mouth. Emma was laughing too.

“Seriously, Evie’s not exaggerating about her mom,” Emma was saying. “I was about to kick her out of the delivery room myself. What did she say to you?”

Evie rolled her eyes as Emma leaned over Lottie to address her. “I was cursing like a sailor because they were taking forever with the epidural, and my mom says . . .” Evie paused to clear her throat and lay her accent on thicker. “Evangeline Crawford, I raised you better. You don’t say such things in mixed company.”

“Well, you were dropping the f-bomb with every breath,” Henry laughed, “which is not like you.”

Everyone was laughing as they told the story, and Emma even dabbed at her eyes as laughter shook her harder. “She’s allowed to say whatever she wants, Henry, when she’s pushing a seven-pound human out of her vagina.”

“See!” Evie shouted in appreciation for Emma’s defense just as Snow gasped, “Emma!” The royal’s obvious shock at her daughter’s crassness only made everyone laugh harder, and soon even Snow and David were able to see the humor and join in.

“Will the rest of us ever get to meet your family, Evie?” Snow asked as the laughter faded.

“Well,” Evie sighed, “they do keep asking. But maybe just one or two of you at a time? I mean, no offense.”

“Hey,” David protested, “they’ve met Killian, and he isn’t exactly subtle with his pirate-talk.”

“I can be subtle!” Killian argued.

“But it might be hard to explain why Henry’s grandpa looks like he’s only forty,” Regina put in gently.

“Yeah,” Evie grimaced, “should have thought of that before I talked you up.”

Colin started to fuss in Henry’s arms, and he rocked the baby gently to soothe him. But when he started rooting against Henry’s shirt, he looked up and met Evie’s gaze.

“He’s hungry,” she sighed, taking him from her husband.

“You don’t have to go,” Zelena protested, “almost every woman here has breast fed a baby.”

“I appreciate that,” Evie said, “but my father-in-law and both Henry’s grandpas are at the table. It’s just too weird.”

She wrinkled her nose as everyone laughed. After she left with the baby, the talk resumed at the table, bouncing from how life was going with Henry and his family in New York to the latest drama with a drunk Leroy at the Sheriff’s station. Suddenly, the chandelier above the table flickered, and the lights on the Christmas tree popped and went out completely. The children let out a chorus of screams in the kitchen, and the adults all gasped then fell silent.

“What the bloody hell . . .” Killian mumbled.

Henry turned a moment later to see Evie standing in the doorway, her face pale as she held Colin in her arms.

“Um, Henry,” she told him, “there’s something you need to know about our son . . .”

Christmas in Storybrooke: 10/11

We’re back with the angst in this chapter, with most of it surrounding the newest CS baby. However, this is also where the Hallmark happy ending comes in because all we have left of this fic is an epilogue! Having said that, there is an additional trigger warning in this chapter for a high risk premature birth with threat to the mother’s life.

Summary: My Hallmark Christmas movie fic in which flights get cancelled and Henry’s “best friend’ gets snowed in with him in his quirky hometown for Christmas. Only with magic and fairy tale characters.

Rating: M for suggestive scenes and adult situations, not smut

Trigger warnings: Henry is an adult. Read that again: Henry is an adult. Look at the picset: that’s Andrew J. West. If Henry actually behaving like an adult makes you feel icky, the don’t read this.

Can also be read on Ao3

Tagging @snowbellewells @kmomof4 @kday426 @bethacaciakay @snidgetsafan @teamhook @whimsicallyenchantedrose @delirious-latenight-laughs @jennjenn615 @winterbaby89 @yohoyohoafandomlifeforme @distant-rose @let-it-raines

Chapter Ten: What Are You Doing New Year’s?

Henry leaned on the front porch banister, closing his eyes in defeat after hitting send on his latest text message to Evie. He was pathetic, bordering on desperate. He had sent her ten texts in the last six days and left four voicemails. She had ignored every single one. He checked his phone obsessively, but nothing changed. What was the name of that book? She’s just not that into you?

But as he contemplated his time with Evie, it didn’t seem that way. Every moment they spent together, she returned his attentions and affections. Not just when making love, but even in the casual moments they had spent together. He thought back on all their Hallmark moments: ice skating, the sleigh ride, the snowball fight, and cherished every one. The look in her eyes, the gentlest touch of her hand on his arm, all of it seemed to convey more than friendship. Even when he thought back on their year and a half of friendship, he could see it now in startling clarity. In a way, they had been dating for months without even realizing it. Maybe he had rushed the physical part? Maybe they should have discussed their feelings before jumping in like that? All he knew was that somehow, he had pushed her away.

Henry heard a car pull up and a door slam shut. He looked up to see Killian walking up to the house with two Granny’s to-go bags in his arms. His deputy badge glinted on his belt loop. He was only home for lunch, and then he’d have to head back downtown to patrol the New Year’s Eve festivities. Killian frowned when he saw Henry’s dejected expression.

“Everything all right?” he asked him as he set the bags down on the top porch step.

Henry ran a hand through his hair then plopped down on the porch swing, sending it rocking back and forth. “When do you give up?”

“That depends,” Killian said as he eased down onto the swing beside him, “do you love her?”

“With everything I have.”

Christmas in Storybrooke: 9/11

This chapter is a little less angst-filled with some Jones family feels and a little CS. You’ll also learn more about Emma’s pregnancy.

Summary: My Hallmark Christmas movie fic in which flights get cancelled and Henry’s “best friend’ gets snowed in with him in his quirky hometown for Christmas. Only with magic and fairy tale characters.

Rating: M for suggestive scenes and adult situations, not smut

Trigger warnings: Henry is an adult. Read that again: Henry is an adult. Look at the picset: that’s Andrew J. West. If Henry actually behaving like an adult makes you feel icky, the don’t read this.

Can also be read on Ao3

Tagging @snowbellewells @kmomof4 @kday426 @bethacaciakay @snidgetsafan @teamhook @whimsicallyenchantedrose @delirious-latenight-laughs @winterbaby89 @yohoyohoafandomlifeforme @distant-rose @let-it-raines

Chapter Nine: All I Want for Christmas is You

Henry had barely calmed down from talking to his Grandfather when little Charlie came bursting into the room.

“Henry, Henry! He came, he came! Santa came!”

He caught Charlie as the little boy launched himself into his arms. The boy weighed next to nothing, his small frame consisting mostly of gangly limbs. Killian said Charlie looked a lot like him at that age which made Henry understand a little better why the elder Liam Jones had been a bit overprotective. Charlie was also an introspective little boy, spending the majority of his time building Lego creations and drawing with his crayons. Henry would never in a million years tell Hope or Leia, but he felt a kinship with Charlie that was deeper than with his sisters.

“Santa came? What did he bring you?”

“Dunno,” Charlie shrugged, “Mommy wants us to all go downstairs together.”

“So she sent you to get me?”

Charlie nodded enthusiastically, his green eyes sparkling eagerly. Henry chuckled and set him down on his feet. He grabbed the note for his parents from Evie just before Charlie yanked on his arm and pulled him towards the door. The rest of the family was gathered and waiting at the top of the living room stairs. Leia, the least patient of the children, was running circles in anticipation and practically flinging herself against the walls. Hope had her arms around her mother with her head leaning against her shoulder, and Henry noticed for the first time that Hope was almost as tall as Emma. His mother frowned at him.

“Where’s Evie?”

He couldn’t stop the crestfallen expression from his face as he handed the note to Killian. His stepdad frowned in concern as he opened the paper.

Christmas in Storybrooke: 8/11

Dang, did this story get way more angsty than I had anticipated! This is a rough chapter, I'll be honest, but at least it's short. This chapter also may have a lot of people pissed at me. Listen - this is a story about Henry, from Henry's point of view. Just think for a second all the crap he went through as a kid. Think about how he was treated at times. There's plenty of angry feelings to go around, and Henry unloads on almost every member of his family here (not to their faces mostly, but still). So if you're one of those people who sees your one beloved character through rose colored glasses, well, be prepared to be mad at me. Evil Regals, Ugly Ducklings, Hookers, and Dearies, you may all have reason to be upset after this one. Having said that, I'm hardest on Rumple, so Dearies may want to skip this. I’ve already been dumped on by a hard core Dearie, and I really don’t want to deal with that again, so don't say I didn't warn you.

Summary: My Hallmark Christmas movie fic in which flights get cancelled and Henry’s “best friend’ gets snowed in with him in his quirky hometown for Christmas. Only with magic and fairy tale characters.

Rating: M for suggestive scenes and adult situations, not smut

Trigger warnings: Henry is an adult. Read that again: Henry is an adult. Look at the picset: that’s Andrew J. West. If Henry actually behaving like an adult makes you feel icky, the don’t read this.

Can also be read on Ao3

Tagging @snowbellewells @kmomof4 @kday426 @bethacaciakay @snidgetsafan @teamhook @whimsicallyenchantedrose @delirious-latenight-laughs @winterbaby89 @jennjenn615 @yohoyohoafandomlifeforme @distant-rose @let-it-raines

Chapter Eight: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Henry could have easily caught up with Evie long before she got back to his parent’s house, but he first stood there in Granny’s patio like an idiot. Then he went back into the party, unsure what more he could say, what more he could do, if she was so set on leaving. But the more he tried to make small talk with half the town, the more irritation and anger rose up in him. He’d always been the town’s sweet, innocent, Henry. The wide-eyed boy who saw the best in everyone and had the heart of a true believer. In some ways, in their eyes, he would never grow up.

When one of the princesses – Aurora maybe? - clucked her tongue at him drinking a beer, wondering where the time went, he almost lost it completely. What did these people know about the passage of time? He was probably rude, slamming his beer down and mumbling about needing air, and he was pretty sure his Grandma admonished him on his way out the door, but he didn’t care. He didn’t care about the cold or the snow or the slippery sidewalks. His mind was on one thing and one thing alone.

Evie startled when he burst into his attic bedroom, dropping a shirt she’d been folding into her open suitcase. She was still in her Christmas dress, though her ballet flats had been kicked off beside the bed. He strode across the room until he was invading her personal space to such a degree she turned and backed herself into the edge of the bed. He encroached further, and she plopped down on the mattress with a yelp. Her eyes were wide as she gazed up at him.

Christmas in Storybrooke: 7/11

Another chapter that justifies the M rating, and it's Henry, so . . . be prepared. This is also where the angst begins, so buckle your seatbelts. You may have noticed that each of the chapter titles is a Christmas song. This one is probably a little obscure. It's a song by Matt Wertz. I don't even know who he is, honestly, but they play this song on the radio station my kids and I listen to. It's super cheesy, even my kids think so, and its peppy fluffiness clashes with the angst of this chapter. However, the title and even the lyrics fit the idea of Henry's crazy life. You'll understand I think after you read the chapter.

Summary: My Hallmark Christmas movie fic in which flights get cancelled and Henry’s “best friend’ gets snowed in with him in his quirky hometown for Christmas. Only with magic and fairy tale characters.

Rating: M for suggestive scenes and adult situations, not smut

Trigger warnings: Henry is an adult. Read that again: Henry is an adult. Look at the picset: that’s Andrew J. West. If Henry actually behaving like an adult makes you feel icky, the don’t read this.

Can also be read on Ao3

Tagging @snowbellewells @kmomof4 @kday426 @bethacaciakay @snidgetsafan @teamhook @whimsicallyenchantedrose @delirious-latenight-laughs @jennjenn615 @winterbaby89 @yohoyohoafandomlifeforme @distant-rose @let-it-raines

Chapter Seven: Snow Globe

Henry slept better than he had the entire time he’d been back home. Partly because the guest bed was far more comfortable than his old futon and partly because his activities with Evie left him thoroughly spent in the best way. He had fallen asleep with her in his arms, and he was pretty sure the loss of her soft curves pressed against him was what had awakened him now. The bed was also creaking with her movement, and he rolled over to see her swinging her legs over the side of the bed. Her hair, beautifully tousled and wavy, fell over one shoulder, leaving her back bare. He slid over to slip his arm around her waist and press kisses to her shoulder blade. The sun was just peeking through the window, so he knew it was early.

“Where are you going?” he whispered against her skin. He ran his hand down her spine. “Waking up to this sight makes me realize how many freckles I missed. I didn’t explore your back.”

“Henry,” she sighed with a hint of irritation. Yet she leaned back into him anyway and came willingly as he pulled her back down and into the circle of his arms. She shuddered as he trailed kisses down her back, his fingers tracing her freckles.

“You know this can’t go anywhere,” she said, turning in his arms with her eyes shut tight.

Henry felt as if he’d gotten emotional whiplash. Had he been misreading her all this time?

“Look at me,” he whispered as he traced her cheek with his fingertips. Reluctantly, she did as he asked, and he felt his heart stutter at those beautiful, mysterious eyes of hers. “If you think this was some friends with benefits fling, you’re wrong. That's not me.’

She gave him a tremulous smile. “I know that.”

He let out a relieved breath. “Good.” He swallowed down the nerves that came before he spoke again. It was risky, but she had to know. “And to be completely clear – I love you, Evangeline.”

Christmas in Storybrooke: 6/11

I know the number of chapters keeps getting lower, but usually I have the opposite problem. So when I outlined this, I underestimated how much I could fit in each chapter, so they keep getting combined. But it's been working out since posting a chapter each day has been more difficult than anticipated.

I'm a little nervous about this chapter because it and the next one are the reason for the M rating. And, well, it's Henry. Just remember - he's an adult. Andrew J. West. Andrew J. West. Repeat that mantra. It isn't smut, but Henry is definitely acting like a grown man. Having said all that, I love this chapter so much and hope you enjoy it too!

The title of this chapter comes from the song by Kelly Clarkson. I've been listening to her Christmas album a lot as I write this and my CS Secret Santa fic, and this song is so perfect for Henry and Evie!

Summary: My Hallmark Christmas movie fic in which flights get cancelled and Henry’s “best friend’ gets snowed in with him in his quirky hometown for Christmas. Only with magic and fairy tale characters.

Rating: M for suggestive scenes and adult situations, not smut

Trigger warnings: Henry is an adult. Read that again: Henry is an adult. Look at the picset: that’s Andrew J. West. If Henry actually behaving like an adult makes you feel icky, the don’t read this.

Can also be read on Ao3

Tagging @snowbellewells @kmomof4 @jennjenn615  @kday426 @bethacaciakay @teamhook @whimsicallyenchantedrose @snidgetsafan @delirious-latenight-laughs @winterbaby89 @yohoyohoafandomlifeforme @distant-rose

 Chapter Six: Wrapped in Red

The day Henry met Evangeline Crawford, he knew they had at least one thing in common. He had been staring down at his phone, not looking where he was going, when he smacked right into her. She was struggling to carry a box of paperbacks as she moved into the apartment across the hall. When he knelt to help her collect them, he teasingly asked her what grade she was in.

“Is that some sort of sick pick up line?” she had snapped with clear disgust.

He had rubbed the back of his neck, distressed that she had misunderstood. He had waved the book in his hand around. “I can tell you’re a grown woman. It was a pitiful joke about your taste in literature.”

She had snatched the copy of Ella Enchanted out of his hand and stuffed it back into her box as pink stained her freckled cheeks. “Lots of people read YA lit these days. Ever heard of The Hunger Games? Divergent?”

But the box she clutched defensively to her chest wasn’t filled with dystopian novels. Instead, they were all written by Gail Carson Levine, Shannon Hale, Melanie Dickerson, and Marissa Meyer. They were all fairy tales.

Henry really hoped in this moment that Evie’s reading tastes meant she had the heart of a true believer because what he had to tell her was incredibly difficult to believe. Of course, she’d almost fallen through a portal, so there was that.

Christmas in Storybrooke: 5/12

Sorry there was no update yesterday! The good news is, chapter five and six ended up being so short, I combined them into one, so we’re still on schedule. This chapter also has a lot of CS in it. Though I’m sure ya’ll won’t mind 🙂

Summary: My Hallmark Christmas movie fic in which flights get cancelled and Henry’s “best friend’ gets snowed in with him in his quirky hometown for Christmas. Only with magic and fairy tale characters.

Rating: M for suggestive scenes and adult situations, not smut

Can also be read on Ao3

Trigger warnings: Henry is an adult. Read that again: Henry is an adult. Look at the picset: that’s Andrew J. West. If Henry actually behaving like an adult makes you feel icky, the don’t read this.

Tagging @snowbellewells @kmomof4 @jennjenn615 @kday426 @bethacaciakay @teamhook @whimsicallyenchantedrose @snidgetsafan @winterbaby89 @yohoyohoafandomlifeforme @distant-rose

 Chapter Five: Winter Wonderland

Emma lay in bed, staring at the ceiling while Killian slept deeply next to her. She turned her head to look at him (rolling over was a bit of a feat at eight months pregnant), and smiled at the peaceful look on his face as he lay on his stomach, clutching a pillow. The sheets and blankets were low on his hips, and the moon shone through the window on his muscular back. She twisted as best she could to reach out and trace the tattoos there: the swan across his left shoulder blade that he had gotten during the year they were separated, the nautical star in the middle of his back with Liam’s name on it, and her favorite: his newest tattoo on his hip of four swallows symbolizing each of their children. He shivered at her touch, then sighed in contentment, but he remained deeply asleep. Emma turned and stared up at the ceiling again.

She was sore, but in the best way, and completely sated. Yet she couldn’t get to sleep. She had read somewhere that sex could induce labor. Maybe that was why she felt so much nervous energy. Where Killian normally left her deliciously spent, her limbs like jello, pregnant he had instead revved her up like the Energizer bunny. She grumbled and tossed the blankets aside. Hoisting herself out of their bed wasn’t easy, but laying here was driving her slowly insane.

She was surprised to see a light in the living room as she descended the stairs. When she reached the bottom steps, she heard a voice and suddenly froze. It was Evie talking on the phone.

Christmas in Storybrooke: 4/13

This chapter has some parts from Emma’s point of view as well as some CS fluffiness with hints of pancakes :) Updates will be daily from now until New Years. (God help me!)

Summary: My Hallmark Christmas movie fic in which flights get cancelled and Henry’s “best friend’ gets snowed in with him in his quirky hometown for Christmas. Only with magic and fairy tale characters.

Rating: M for suggestive scenes and adult situations, not smut

Trigger warnings: Henry is an adult. Read that again: Henry is an adult. Look at the picset: that’s Andrew J. West. If Henry actually behaving like an adult makes you feel icky, the don’t read this.

 Can also be read on A03

Tagging @snowbellewells @kmomof4 @jennjenn615 @kday426 @whimsicallyenchantedrose @teamhook @bethacaciakay @snidgetsafan @delirious-latenight-laughs @winterbaby89 @yohoyohoafandomlifeforme @distant-rose

 Chapter Four: Sleigh Ride

Emma felt odd sitting at her parent’s dining room table in one of the plush chairs from the living room. Even after all these years, she wasn’t used to being fussed over. She even still chaffed at her husband’s constant care and attention, made only worse by Dr. Whale’s diagnosis of preeclampsia. Her hand rubbed absently over her swollen abdomen. She wouldn’t deny that this cushioned seat was doing so much more for her back than the wooden dining room chair would have.

She looked around the table at those gathered around. Her father was spooning more mashed potatoes onto Robyn’s outstretched plate while simultaneously laughing with Killian over something. Zelena nudged her daughter, admonishing her to stop with the mashed potatoes already, then gave David an apology. Emma pressed her fingers to her lips and swallowed a giggle. Who would have ever expected the Wicked Witch of the West to be admonishing her daughter to be a more polite guest in Prince Charming and Snow White’s home?

Killian caught her delighted expression and winked at her, then took her hand and kissed it. He didn’t let it go when Belle said something to him on the other side of the table. Her mother rose to pull a fussy Ava out of her high chair. Regina reached for the baby eagerly, and Snow handed her over. Regina made faces at the baby and tickled her tummy.

Christmas in Storybrooke: 3/13

Summary: My Hallmark Christmas movie fic in which flights get cancelled and Henry’s “best friend’ gets snowed in with him in his quirky hometown for Christmas. Only with magic and fairy tale characters.

Yes, you read that right. I outlined this fic, and it will be 13 chapters (well, 12 plus an epilogue) because apparently my muse loves to torture me. Once I finish Sleepless in Seattle, I’ll be updating this daily to hopefully finish by New Years. Hopefully . . .

Rating: M for suggestive scenes and adult situations, not smut

Trigger warnings: Henry is an adult. Read that again: Henry is an adult. Look at the picset: that’s Andrew J. West. If Henry actually behaving like an adult makes you feel icky, the don’t read this.

A03

Tagging @snowbellewells @kmomof4 @jennjenn615 @kday426 @bethacaciakay @teamhook @whimsicallyenchantedrose @snidgetsafan @delirious-latenight-laughs @winterbaby89 @distant-rose @yohoyohoafandomlifeforme

Chapter Three: White Christmas

 Henry rolled over on the lumpy futon, groaning and arching his back. How had ever slept on this thing as a teenager? Across the room, Evie was still asleep in the bed from the old guest room. She was on her side, one pillow under her head and a second one clutched to her chest. Her brow was furrowed and her fists clenched, and he wondered not for the first time why her body was always so coiled and tense in sleep. She seemed to be so steady most of the time, so unfazed by the rough nature of her work. Did she keep it all bottled inside?

He threw his blankets aside, also casting off such melancholy thoughts about Evie. Maybe she just couldn’t relax in an unfamiliar place while she was missing her family. He pulled a sweatshirt on over his undershirt, put some thick socks on his feet, and padded down the cold hardwood stairs to the second floor. It was quiet there, but he could hear voices drifting up from the ground floor along with the sounds of someone working in the kitchen. Sure enough, he found his siblings scurrying around the kitchen while his stepfather stirred a pan of scrambled eggs at the stove. A timer dinged, and Killian smoothly pushed the pan off the hot burner and opened the oven door to pull out a pan of cinnamon rolls.

“Morning, lad!” he called to Henry, in his usual bright morning voice. Killian’s love of the early hours had always been a source of slight irritation for both Henry and his mother. It never felt right that he was so chipper when the sun was barely rising.

Of course, the upside was having a breakfast chef. Once they had convinced him that broiled mackerel was not a suitable breakfast food, that is.

Christmas in Storybrooke: 2/?

Summary: My Hallmark Christmas movie fic in which flights get cancelled and Henry’s “best friend’ gets snowed in with him in his quirky hometown for Christmas. Only with magic and fairy tale characters. And plenty of Captain Swan, of course.

Rating: M for suggestive scenes and adult situations, not smut

Trigger warnings: Henry is an adult. Read that again: Henry is an adult. Look at the picset: that’s Andrew J. West. If Henry actually behaving like an adult makes you feel icky, the don’t read this.

Can also be read on Ao3

Tagging @snowbellewells @kmomof4 @jennjenn615 @kday426 @bethacaciakay @teamhook @whimsicallyenchantedrose @snidgetsafan @delirious-latenight-laughs @winterbaby89 @onceuponaprincessworld

Chapter Two: Home for the Holidays

“What’s the name of your hometown, again?”

Henry looked over to the passenger’s seat where EJ was squinting down at her phone. “Storybrooke.” He squirmed in his seat. He knew what she was going to say.

“Well, according to Google, it doesn’t exist.”

Henry palmed his neck. “Well, you know, I told you it’s a tiny town in the middle of nowhere.”

She tilted her head at him, her phone falling to her lap. “There’s no town so small Google can’t find it, Henry.”

“Well, apparently, you’re wrong.” He didn’t mean to sound so harsh, but he was already weary of everything he couldn’t tell her, and they weren’t even there yet.

Christmas in Storybrooke: 1/?

This is my Hallmark Christmas movie fic where the guy’s “best friend” gets snowed in with him in his quirky hometown and gets to know his quirky family. Only with magic. And of course, the two realize that maybe they are more than just friends . . .

I really like the idea of Henry being firmly in the Land Without Magic. I always had the head canon that he would end up moving back to New York because he really seemed to love that city. I also always thought he should bring home a girl with no fairy tale background whatsoever so humor could ensue.

Rating: M because Henry is a grown man in this, and just to warn you he’s gonna act like one. If that makes you squirmy, then don’t read this. But look at that pic up there – that's Andrew J. West okay? OKAY!!!! But ya’ll know me, no smut here. There may be CS sexy times too because, well, why not.

Also can be read on A03

Tagging @snowbellewells @kmomof4 @bethacaciakay @kday426 @jennjenn615 @teamhook @whimsicallyenchantedrose @snidgetsafan @delirious-latenight-laughs @winterbaby89 @optomisticgirl @distant-rose @wellhellotragic @let-it-raines

Chapter One: I’ll Be Home for Christmas

It wasn’t the cold seeping through the edge of the poorly insulated windows in his tiny New York City apartment that alerted Henry Mills to the severe winter storm sweeping across five states. It wasn’t the weather reports on TV or the alert on his phone. No, Henry found out about Winter Storm Fisher when his best friend and neighbor came stomping into his apartment. Just entering his apartment wasn’t sufficient, however. No, she burst into his bedroom, startling him awake. She was a petite, auburn tornado of irritation; a burst of fiery temper in his freezing apartment.

“My flight was cancelled!” she shouted, pacing his room agitatedly. “Did you hear me, Henry? Cancelled!”

“Um,” he mumbled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes wearily, “yeah, EJ, I heard.”

“Well, why are you still sitting there doing nothing?”

“Because I’m only wearing my boxers.” It was way too early for a scene this bizarre. It wasn’t as if EJ didn’t come over unannounced on a regular basis; she did. She'd just never marched straight into his bedroom at . . . 6 am.