Chapter Text
A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.
At least that’s what Lance kept telling himself as he once again donned the red polyester suit and scratchy beard. It wouldn’t have been so bad if the padding had at least been a bit breathable, but as it was, it felt like he spent the majority of the day in a sauna. Getting paid for it helped a little (even though having money to help out his family was totally why he was here in the first place), having all the little kids coming and sharing their wishes with him helped a lot (could kids get any cuter than when they were telling Santa their wishes?), Getting to flirt with all the ladies who were working as his elves helped the most.
There was one elf in particular that caught his fancy. Mostly because she wouldn’t flirt back with him, but she sure as heck could lay him out with a single sentence.
Pidge, that was her elf name, had fluffy reddish hair and striking amber colored eyes and was so small that Lance mistook her for a young boy when they first met. Needless to say, their Santa/ Helper relationship did not get off to a good start.
He had tried everything in his playbook too: pretending to be way into the other girls so she could see how committed he would be, asking the other girls on dates so she could see how good he was at planning dates, showing off his exceptional flirting skills when it was a babysitter that brought the kids to see him, but nothing worked. She would usher the kids up to him, give him their name, and help them sit on his lap. He’d try to flirt with her in those moments occasionally, but she would roll her eyes and turn around to get the next kid ready.
And he knows it’s not because she doesn’t like him. They’ve been hanging out here and there ever since Lance discovered they have a mutual friend in Hunk. He supposed that’s where his little crush started, that first time they all hung out at the mall arcade after work. It also happened to be the moment he realized she was a girl. When she showed up wearing slim jeans and a cropped t-shirt, Lance’s heart did a little flip over how cute she was out of her elf costume. But then he realized how cute she was in her elf costume. And how interesting she was. And how she could beat him at most video games, though there were a couple fighters that he would always win and she would try again and again to conquer them. And his newly formed interest in her must have been noticeable enough that Hunk started to tease him about “how it’s never going to happen” and how he “should just give up on his crush right now”. So Lance would be dramatic and then text Pidge to see what she was up to, and she would never just reply with a “Nothing much”, but would always go into detail on whatever project she was working on at the time.
Lance adored her.
And she tolerated him.
It was only two days before Christmas and Lance was getting desperate. He was no closer to getting Pidge to fall for him than he was that first day and he was out of ideas. There was no surety they’d continue hanging out after their Holiday careers were over for the year. Of course, there was always the Easter Bunny, or maybe some St Patrick’s Day leprechaun, though maybe Pidge would be a better choice for that? He quickly set that thought aside, knowing she would kill him for even going there.
And it was excessively busy. Before Lance even sat down, a line had formed that extended beyond the rope barriers in place around the chair he sat in. He’d been at this almost 10 hour, with a couple of breaks between for lunch and a rest. He was blinded by the endless stream of flashes going off all day as each child sat on his lap and had their commemorative picture taken.
Finally, the line had dwindled and the last child was brought forth. This one seemed a little shy, they had their back turned toward him. Nothing Lance couldn’t handle though. He reached out and picked the (heavier than he expected) child up and sat them on his lap.
On autopilot, he didn’t even bother to focus on the child’s face, instead opting to start right in on his spiel.
“HoHoHo! Who do we have here?”
No response.
Lance looked to his left, waiting for Pidge to give him some details like she would sometimes. She wasn’t there.
He turned back to the child finally focusing on their face. Lance almost jumped up in shock as a pair of amber eyes stared back at him.
“P-pidge!? Where’s the kid?” He realized as he looked around that the Santa booth was closed for the day and there weren’t any more kids.
No response again. She stared at him, a look of shock on her face and a bright red flush across her cheeks. She started to slide off his lap.
“NO!” Lance grabbed her around the waist and held her on her perch. “D-don’t go. You-you haven’t told Santa what you want yet.” Oh he was in for it, he was sure. Holding Pidge against her will, picking her up and sitting her on his lap in the first place. What was he thinking?
Still, there was no noticeable struggle on her end. She made no effort to move off his lap a second time but the flush on her face grew beyond just highlighting her cheeks and blossomed down her neck. Lance was frozen in place. The air between them stilled. He was freaking out internally, no idea what to next. Suddenly, Pidge wiggled in his lap, causing all thoughts to rush out of his head.
She leaned forward, pushing his hat up a little and uncovering his ear. Then she spoke, soft and low, her warm breath sending shivers down his neck and warming more than his ear. “I want…”
Lance held his breath. He was going to hear it. Pidge’s greatest wish. She moved on his lap again, making it harder and harder to concentrate.
“Pidge?” Lance squeaked out when she didn’t continue her request.
“I want you….” Her hand slid up the front of his suit, sliding along his shoulder. She had gone from cold and aloof to fire and temptation all in a moment.
“...to get off this chair and clock out so I can go home. You’re the last one here and I can’t close up until that suit is back on its hanger.”
She jumped off of his lap, reaching out her hands to help him up from the chair, her laughter echoing off the walls of the nearly empty mall.
Lance brushed down his suit. “Not fair Pidge.” He wasn’t sure what wasn’t but he felt extremely let down.
“What’s not fair?” She turned back around and faced him a genuine question in her look.
In a moment of insanity, Lance grabbed her and sat her down on the chair then sat directly on her lap, engulfing her frame with his long, lanky one.
“It’s not fair that I never get to share my wish.” Going against Santa regulation, he whipped his beard and hat off so he could fully look at Pidge.
The blush came back redder than ever. She stayed silent.
Lance rolled his eyes, he wasn’t sure if she was against playing this new game, or if he called her bluff a little too well. He pressed on.
“Santa wants to date Pidge. And only Pidge. Whaddya say? Do I get my Christmas wish?”
Pidge shifted below him, a smile spreading across her face. She beckoned him to lean down so she could whisper in his ear. He happily obliged.
“Katie wants to date Lance, and only Lance too.”
Lance shot back up. “I don’t want to date Katie! I only want to date you, Pidge. It’s you I like, not any of those other girls.”
Pidge laughed long and loud before she punched him in the arm.
“Okay.”
Lance’s heart soared.
“Good.”