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“How much you wanna bet they make you good old old Saint Nick?”
You looked up curiously at the question posed by Elliott Witt, Makoa seated beside you from where the two of you had been sharing a conversation about the Christmas Event coming up in the games. It was no secret that Elliott was chosen to be the announcer as well as getting his own “town takeover”. The conversation had been about costumes, and everyone else had watched you and your two best friends -Makoa and Natalie- discuss possibilities.
Now you realized that Alexander Nox had come into the room sometime during the conversation to brew himself a cup of coffee, the sight of him immediately causing a nervous excitement to bubble up within you. Ever since you’d first clawed your way to the title of Apex Champion and had been able to actually meet the other legends you had felt attracted to the brooding scientist. He wasn’t all bad. The others tended to tell stories about him, but everyone knew that he wasn’t an all around bad guy. Just a little sharp around the edges and easily annoyed, though he seemed to have a soft spot for both you and Natalie. Maybe it was because the three of you had a shared interest in the sciences?
You were pulled from your thoughts when Caustic seemed to realize the question had been directed at him . He looked around the room for a moment before directing Elliott with a look of minor annoyance. “Elaborate.”
Elliott snorted before repeating his question: “how much do you want to bet that they put you in a santa costume?”
Alexander looked truly unamused as he stared at the trickster for several moments. “You do know how unlikely the chances of such a thing are?” He questioned almost dismissively before looking towards you, eyes lingering long enough to cause your heart to skip a beat before that green gaze shifted over to Gibraltar. “I do believe Makoa would be better suited for such a… festive outfit.”
“Yeah but I’m asking about you ,” Elliott responded, rolling his eyes. “How about this, I will cut off all my hair if you don’t get put in a santa costume.”
Immediately interest filtered into Caustic’s bored expression, the scientist studying the trickster for several moments before responding. “And if your… Wish doesn’t come to fruition?” He questioned almost cautiously.
Elliott clapped his hands together , excitement clear on his face. “Then you have to dye your hair purple.”
Seemingly annoyed again, Alexander shook his head. “I do not have the means or experience to do something so… meaningless .” He responded, pointedly glancing towards Elliott’s yellow-tipped hair.
Elliott opened his mouth to speak but Alexander cut him off, “nor would I let a fool anywhere near my hair.”
Pouting the younger man crossed his arms over his chest as you hid your amused grin with a hand. “Well then Ajay can do it! Ajay knows how to dye hair!”
The medic shook her head, amusement clear on her face as she held her hands up. “I’m not gettin involved wit’ this.” She answered, snuggling in closer to Anita’s side. “Yer on yer own wit’ this Witt.”
Elliott exaggerated a sigh of frustration as a snort of laughter finally escaped you, his eyes lighting up when he caught sight of you, dwarfed by Makoa’s much larger form. “Then y/n can do it!” He exclaimed triumphantly, pointing a finger at you.
Your eyes widened, mouth falling open as he all but threw you under the bus. You turned to look towards Alexander, the scientist pausing in the doorway before slowly turning back around to look first at Elliott then over at you.
You didn’t move under his gaze, nervousness creeping into you the longer he just silently stared. Finally, he gave a deep sigh and a mumbled ‘ very well ’ before leaving the room as Elliott gave a victorious cry.
It wasn’t until the after the fact that everyone realized making such a bet with Elliott - the person running the christmas event- was nothing short of stupid, it was too late. Needless to say, Caustic looked really good in his “Claustic” skin. (Everyone had been extremely unamused with the puns most of the names held, especially Wraith who all but punched the trickster’s shoulder and did nothing but glare at him the whole day.)
Now you nervously dried out Alexander’s hair, Elliott perched on the nearby table as he watched with the smuggest grin on his face. You gave him a little glare as you passed him to grab a hair dryer. “You better not say anything mean about it,” you growled as you passed him on your way back towards a very unamused looking scientist.
Elliott gave you an innocent look in response, though the smile touching his lips was anything but .
“Almost done,” you announced quietly, clearing your throat a little as you brushed his hair back out of his face and plugged in the dryer. You didn’t have to dry it and give it a little style (like you were planning) but you were really actually enjoying yourself. Not in the sense that Alexander had been tricked into making a bet he couldn’t win, just… spending time alone with the scientist. Well, mostly alone save for the occasional nuisance that would make himself known.
“There is no rush,” Alexander grumbled in response, expression dark as you ran your fingers through the once-white hair, somewhat sad that Elliott had insisted on the dying being done immediately. The oldest legend had looked rather handsome in white. Well, the whole outfit had looked rather… nice.
Shaking your head to rid your mind of not-so-nice thoughts trying to enter, you focused on your task of thoroughly drying Alexander’s hair. Once that was done you grabbed some gel to slick it back the way he seemed to like it.
“There. That’s it done, just let me check if I missed any spots,” you announced, quickly making sure you hadn’t missed any spots when dying. You were sure you hadn’t, you checked at least three times, but you were reluctant for Alexander to go off and lock himself away until the week of his lost bet was over.
You handed the scientist a mirror, Alexander giving you a strange look before checking his reflection. His frowned deeply before setting it aside and looking back up at you. “It looks fine,” he mumbled, seeming almost… awkward? “You did… An exceptional job.”
“Oh, uh, thanks.” Embarrassment crept up your face as you tried to hide it by turning away to gather up your tools and put them away. When you turned back you found Alexander still sitting there, fingers fiddling in his lap. You watching him for a few moments, chewing the inside of your lip as you searched for something to say. “You ok?” Wow, great y/n. That was smooth.
A long moment of awkward silence fell before Alexander seemingly chose to be the one to break it. “I was… I have spent a lot of time observing you, trying to come to an accurate conclusion,” the older legend spoke slowly, almost as if he was choosing every word currently. “I am still not sure, but I must ask… Might I take you somewhere? For dinner.”
You stared at the man before you, eyes wide as you tried to find your voice. “I-I-I would love that!” You blushed in embarrassment. “That is, if you would really like to.”
Before the scientist could respond, Elliott awkwardly cleared his throat from where he sat, the trickster on his feet the moment the two of you remembered you weren’t alone. “I’m just gonna l-l-leave,” he stammered awkwardly before quickly leaving the room.
Your face was hot with embarassment now, an odd sound reaching your ears and causing you to turn back towards Alexander. The scientist’s hand was covering his mouth seemingly to muffle the laugh he seemed to be fighting.
“What’s so funny?” You questioned nervously, the older legend shaking his head as he finally regained his composure. “Witt must take me for a fool.”
The evident confusion on your face had Alexander elaborating. “Only a fool would make such a bet. He was in charge of the holiday event and would no doubt know more about the costumes we would be forced to wear.” He stated nonchalantly, leaving you even more confused. “But then… Why make the bet?” You questioned.
“I was informed that after the holiday event I would need to colour my hair either a dark blue or deep purple,” Alexander answered almost smugly. “Witt was in a lose-lose situation and didn’t even know it.”
You laughed then, realization finally dawning. “But you put yourself into a win-lose situation regardless.”
“On the contrary,” Alexander answered, looking up at you as silence fell for several moments, the usual sharpness of his gaze softening somewhat. “If I won Witt would be forced to go without his precious hair, if I lost I did something I would’ve been doing either way. But I would also get to have you to myself. Or, mostly to myself.”
You stared at the older legend in disbelief. He liked you that much…?
Alexander pushed himself to his feet then, holding out a hand. “And now I would take you to dinner, should you still wish to go.”
Taking his hand a shy smile touched your lips as you looked up at him. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Large fingers encircled your own as Alexander pulled you a little closer to his side. “Then I have experienced what you would call a ‘win-win’.”