Archive of Our Own ^beta

12.

Tinsel. Lights. Corny songs. The most wonderful time of the year. 

Eliott always loved Christmas. The magic filled him with joy as a child and stayed with him as an adult. His family weren’t religious, but the lure of bright lights, presents and a grand meal captured his heart.

Years of crappy seasonal jobs in retail had yet to destroy his love for Christmas. Retail had dimmed that love, yes, but it was far from extinguished. Not even entitled parents or asshole management could do that. Yet. 

“You’re up, Santa,” Maya said. The bells on her elf hat jingled with the movement of her head as she spoke. “Your adoring fans await you.” 

Eliott glanced at his appearance in the ever-foggy body mirror in their cramped staff space behind the set. He’d never looked more ridiculous in his costume. “Perfect.”

“Bring that confidence out here.”

Eliott smiled at her. “Let’s go make the children’s dreams come true.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Lola said, appearing behind Maya. 

“Shouldn’t you be out there announcing Father Christmas’s arrival to the kids?” Maya asked her. 

Lola shrugged. “I hate kids.”

Maya rolled her eyes and walked past her while Eliott and Lola laughed. They heard her put on her most enthusiastic voice, imagining her wide smile as she said, “Alright, everyone. Are you ready to meet Father Christmas?”

“Yes!” the crowd of children called back. 

“On the count of three, let’s all shout out ‘come on out, Santa!’” 

“She’s doing that to piss us off,” Lola said, eyes softening despite her… colourful word choice. 

“If she thinks that’ll do it, she doesn’t know me well,” Eliott said. 

“COME ON OUT, SANTA!” the crowd screamed. 

Maya’s evil plan worked on Lola, who rolled her eyes at the noise. All it did for Eliott was fill him with excitement. The only people who matched his love for Christmas were children. So out he went, to spread that Christmas cheer. 

For the entire morning, Eliott sat and listened to the children of Paris tell him what they wanted for Christmas. The kids ranged from being awe-struck, to terrified. Every parent had to get a picture of their child with Father Christmas in their corny little set, whether the poor kid liked it or not. To most others, this would be a humiliating job. This was one of the few things Eliott was glad that made him unlike most people. He could sit there in his silly costume and not want to sink into the floor. 

The afternoon set in and Eliott’s shift came to an end. Maya announced Father Christmas was taking a short break and led Eliott around the back of the set again. They ducked into the dingy staff room, running right into their replacements. 

“Ho ho ho,” Arthur, the next Father Christmas said. 

Eliott laughed. “Very American of you. Or English.” 

Arthur paused putting on his costume, the company-provided beard and wig in his hands. He pulled a face. “Don’t say that.” 

“Then don’t say ho ho ho,” the elf just behind him said. 

He had the bluest eyes Eliott had ever seen. They put the brightest Christmas lights in Paris to shame. The elf - who must be new - had a mountain of brown hair that stuck out from under his corny green elf hat. His cheeks were round, but his jaw was angular. Like a manly angel. Holy fuck, Eliott thought. This man was the most beautiful person he’d ever seen. 

Arthur pulled a different face at the elf, and fitted his wig and beard to his head and face. “I’ll say what I want, elf boy.” 

The beautiful man pulled his eyebrows in tight. “No.”

“No to elf boy?”

“No to elf boy.”

“Elves are supposed to be cheerful. Not the grinch.”

‘Not elf boy’ folded his arms. “When have I ever been cheerful?” 

“When you’re not being a joykill.”

“Ha!” His sarcastic laugh produced a beautiful sound. Everything about this young man had Eliott utterly mesmerised. “Bold of you to say, Mr. Everything sucks.”

Arthur raised a brow at him. The expression was doubly amusing under all the fake white hair. “Let’s not have a competition of who’s the biggest drama queen.” 

If they did that, Eliott believed he would win. Maya reappeared beside him, back in her normal clothes. When in the hell had she gotten dressed - and how, without anyone noticing? “You’re still not ready?” she asked. 

Eliott scratched his chin under his fake beard. “Uh. No, I guess not.”

How was Eliott expected to do anything but stare at the most gorgeous man in all of France when he was right in front of him? Oh, fuck. The beautiful ‘not elf boy’ was looking at him. He had the kind of gaze Eliott knew he could get lost in with ease. 

Lola stuck her head in and cleared her throat. “Can we go already?” 

Eliott nodded to Maya and Lola. “Head off without me.” 

“Okay!” Lola said before Maya could be polite and insist they wait for him. 

Sharing a giggle, the two girls bid everyone farewell and left, arm in arm. The sight made Eliott want to sigh longingly. He missed having a significant other around the holiday season. 

Emma appeared, seemingly out of thin fucking air, adjusting her bra strap so it sat underneath her elf costume. “Shit, I’m meant to be out there already.” She gave Eliott a smile and a passing, “Hey,” as she hurried out to the set. Emma greeted the waiting children. 

“You good, man?” Arthur asked. 

Right. Eliott was still just standing there in his costume. It had gotten itchy after hours of wear. He probably looked like a dumbass weirdo to the beautiful guy beside Arthur. 

Said beautiful guy gave him a small smile and Eliott thought he might drop dead at his feet. Calm down, he told himself. Eliott returned the smile, though most of it was hidden by his beard. 

“Hey, I’m Lucas,” the beautiful guy said. 

Lucas. Bringer of light. Eliott had learned the etymology of many names when he obsessed over character names in his first year of uni. The name Lucas must have been created specifically for the man before him. His very presence lit up something inside Eliott, and the space around them. A bringer of light, he was indeed. 

“Are you new?” was the first thing Eliott thought to say. There was no way he could’ve worked here for weeks without Eliott noticing him. 

“Yeah.”

“They hired someone new two weeks before Christmas?” 

“He’s Baz’s replacement,” Arthur said. 

He need not say anymore. Management fired poor Basile after one too many children cried after he tried to sing to them. It wasn’t his fault he was tone deaf. Yet, if he hadn’t been subjected to that injustice, Eliott may never have met Lucas. 

Before Eliott could introduce himself, Arthur dragged him towards the small exit. “That’s our cue,” he said as Eliott picked up Emma’s announcement of Father Christmas’s return. He wondered if they’d notice Father Christmas shrunk a few inches. 

Lucas glanced at Eliott before disappearing out onto the set. And then he was gone. Don’t be so dramatic, he’s a few metres away. And yet, no longer being able to look at Lucas was a great loss to Eliott. He hoped they’d get to work together before the Christmas season was over. Though, he might not hear any of the children’s wishes if Lucas was around for Eliott to be mesmerised by once more. 

11.

Strange how quickly infatuation grew. Insane, really. Eliott didn’t get to see Lucas on his day off, but he couldn’t get him off his mind. His blue eyes were there every time Eliott closed his own eyes. He was fucked. Having bipolar meant his emotions were often heightened. Still, this was… it felt special. 

“Why do you look so forlorn?” Idriss asked. “Did you make too many kids cry yesterday?” 

Eliott huffed a laugh. “Only a few.”

“That’s usually enough to make you feel guilty.”

“Why are you smiling?”

Idriss shrugged and joined him on their couch. “Because it’s funny.”

Eliott raised a brow at him. “Crying babies are funny to you?”

“ You making babies cry in that ridiculous outfit is funny.” 

Eliott tried narrowing his eyes at Idriss, but it was a lost cause before he’d even begun. He broke easily and the pair laughed together. “I thought you were supposed to be on my side.”

“Would I have asked you why you’re dramatically staring off into the distance if I wasn’t on your side?”

“Who’s being dramatic?” Sofiane asked, emerging from the bathroom. He stopped and looked at Eliott. “Oh, right.”

Eliott scoffed. “Why did you immediately assume it was me?” Both of his ‘friends’ wordlessly stared at him. “Oh, fuck you guys,” he laughed without any venom. 

“Are you going to tell us what happened on the next episode of Eliott’s soap opera, or do we have to make it up?” Idriss joked.

Eliott sighed, taking care to sound extra dramatic for his fans. “I think I have a crush.”

“Is that not a good thing? You love crushes.”

“I met him once for like five minutes. Yesterday.” 

The apartment fell silent as Idriss and Sofiane took in Eliott’s ridiculous predicament. Their expressions were a blend of amused and unsurprised. Eliott knew he should probably be offended by that, but it was very like him to fall for a guy in point five of a second.

Sofiane ended the silence by saying, “Ah, love at first sight.”

“I’m not in love with him, I don’t know anything about him,” Eliott scoffed, rather unconvincingly.

“Except that he’s fine ,” Idriss said, wearing a corny smile.

Lucas really, really was. I’m so fucked.

“Dude,” Idriss said in a more serious tone. “You don’t have to treat this with all the doom and gloom you always do. It could turn into something good.”

“Or something disastrous.”

“ Or nothing at all,” Sofiane added. Eliott must’ve looked at Sofiane as if he told him his puppy ran away from home, because Sofiane quickly added, “Or good! Something good could come out of it!”

Idriss laughed, bringing a hand to his face. “Oh, man. You’re in love already.”

“I don’t know about that,” Eliott said, and he needed to work on his convincing tone. 

“Just talk to him next time you see him. Simple.”

Eliott shook his head with another deep, dramatic sigh. “Simple, he says.”

“You pull so many people without even trying,” Sofiane pointed out. “Why wouldn’t this guy be interested?”

“Who would want to start seeing someone right around Christmas?”

Idriss shrugged, manspreading beside Eliott. He looked ready to melt right into the couch cushions. “Christmas is an overrated holiday anyway,” he said with a yawn.

Eliott laughed. “Of course you’d say that.”

“I’m right. I’m always right.”

Rather than responding, Eliott and Sofiane shared a silent look. Eliott suspected they had the same thought on their minds.

“Doubt me all you want,” an unbothered Idriss said, placing his hands behind his head. “But you’ll see.” He raised a brow at Eliott. “Talk to your hottie.”

“He’s not my hottie,” Eliott laughed with Sofiane.

“Do as I say and he will be.”

10.

Occasionally, fate was on Eliott’s side. Lucas was working with him on set that day, scheduled on for the rest of the afternoon. Lola was there too, but she was busy staring at one of the decorative reindeer, convinced it was staring back. Eliott was essentially alone with Lucas.

The department store was uncharacteristically quiet, providing Eliott the opportunity to follow Idriss (and Sofiane)’s advice to talk to ‘his hottie’.

When the last child in their short line of five left, Eliott asked Lucas, “Any plans for Christmas?”

Idiot , Eliott thought of himself. That’s so obvious. And what if he doesn’t even celebrate Christmas? Shut up, Eliott!

Lucas didn’t appear to be affronted by Eliott’s lack of creativity and cocked his head. The small movement was cute. “Pretty much what I do every year. Christmas lunch with my mum and grandparents.”

“Simple but nice.”

Lucas moved his head in a single nod. He’s so fucking cute what the fuck. “Yeah, it’ll be nice, I think. What about you?”

“Hm?”

Lucas let out a little laugh. “Christmas plans?”

“Oh, uh.” Pull yourself together, you disaster. “Similar thing. Family dinner.”

“Simple but nice.”

 Eliott smiled, wondering how visible it was under his faux beard. The beard, wig and red hood covered most of his face. He wondered how people even heard him speak under all the fabric. “That’s right,” he said.

“I used to hate all this,” Lucas said, looking at the fairy lights around them. “How people made a big deal of Christmas.” He shrugged with a small smile, looking back at Eliott. “These days, I think it’s nice.”

The more Lucas spoke, the more he mesmerised Eliott. His voice was melodic. The movement of his adam’s apple signified every note of every word. How is he real?

“I think it’s great,” Eliott said after clearing his throat. “Life can be so serious and dark. And shit. ” That made Lucas laugh and Eliott felt himself glow. “All the lights and decorations around this time of year make everything a little brighter. Like you can forget how bleak and shit things are.”

“So many people don’t see it that way,” Lucas said thoughtfully.

Eliott shrugged, though his giant red cloak likely covered the movement. “Yeah, the holidays can get people down, too.”

“I think it’s nice, though,” Lucas added. “You still see the magic most people lose when they grow up.”

“I’m flattered you think I ever grew up.”

“Okay, old man,” Lola said, reminding them of her presence.

“I’m only 23.”

Lola nodded. “Old man.” 

“Too young to be playing Father Christmas,” Lucas said, pulling his brows in. “Don’t these stalls usually like casting old guys?”

Before Eliott could answer, Lola said, “And this year, they cast this old guy.”

“I’m not old, oh my God,” Eliott laughed. Both his elves laughed with him. Though Lola might’ve been laughing at him. “Elves are supposed to be cheerful and kind.”

“Do either of those things sound like me?”

Eliott tilted his head, pulling his lips in. “Not at all.”

“Doesn’t really describe me either,” Lucas said.

His current smile said otherwise. Eliott raised a brow at him. At least his heavy costume left his eyebrows visible. “I really need to vet my elves better.”

Lola huffed a laugh, “Tell management to vet these fucken reindeer first.” She glared at the reindeer she had been having recurring staring contests with. “This fucker is watching us, I’m telling you.”

“Alright, kiddo.”

Lola rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

“I thought the last kid to visit the set was five minutes ago, but there’s two of them right here,” Lucas said.

Eliott laughed, while Lola rolled her eyes again. She bit her lips in an obvious move to stop herself from joining in on the laughter. Too bad Eliott already noticed. “Are you our babysitter, Mr. Elf?” he asked Lucas.

“Why else would they hire me?”

Could have something to do with you being gorgeous and delightful. Eliott decided he shouldn’t say that, no matter how true it was. Talking to Lucas for even a short while revealed he was much more than just a pretty face. He was funny, charming and could easily wrap Eliott around his finger if he tried. Oh, shit , Eliott realised. I don’t even know if he likes guys. Their imaginary love affair could be over before it even began.

“Fuck,” Lucas muttered, ducking his head. The bells on his green hat jingled, doing the opposite of making him discreet.

“What’s wrong?” Eliott asked, lowering his voice after noticing Lucas drawing in on himself.

“I just saw my ex.”

As much as Eliott liked this job, there was little more embarrassing than seeing an ex while looking ridiculous. Even in his elf costume, Lucas looked amazing. That didn’t take away from how ridiculous the costume was. The green pointy hat matched the green pointy shoes. The green overcoat with gold trimmings looked like a poor imitation of Will Ferrell’s costume from Elf (2003). Eliott’s costume did a decent job at concealing his identity, but Lucas was still clearly visible. Which was a gift, really. Hiding that face would be a crime. Though it did mean the possibility of being spotted by an ex was there.

“Where?”

Lucas quickly glanced up, then ducked his head back down. “By the train set display.”

Eliott directed his gaze right to the train set display, having the layout of this floor memorized after sitting there for weeks. Two young men were looking at the train set, laughing together. Spotting them made Eliott’s heart leap. No matter which one was Lucas’s ex, this confirmed he was indeed into guys. Eliott may have a shot after all.

“Is he still there?”

“He is.”

“Shit,” Lucas huffed. “He doesn’t even live anywhere near here, why the fuck did he have to come to the one department store where I’m dressed as a fucking elf?”

Eliott laughed softly. “Shit like that always happens,” he said empathetically.

“Your ex has seen you dressed like that?” Lucas asked, nodding at Eliott’s costume. 

“On my first day,” said Eliott. “She thought it was hilarious.” They both had a good laugh about it together since Lucille had seen him in far worse conditions than in a stupid costume, but Lucas didn’t need that bit of information.

“The law of attraction or some shit,” Lucas said, shaking his head. 

“Maybe.” 

“Oh shit.” Lucas ducked his head again as the two men left the train set display, walking closer to their set. “Are they gone?”

“Not yet.” The pair looked at the set, giving Father Christmas an amused wave. Eliott reciprocated, hoping they left it at that for Lucas’ sake. 

Satisfied, the men continued on their way, walking past the set toward the stairs. Eliott watched them disappear elsewhere into the department store. Before assuring Lucas of his safety, Eliott glanced at Lola to see if her staring contest with the reindeer was ongoing. It was. He smiled to himself then turned to Lucas.

“ Now they’re gone.”

“Oh thank fuck.” 

Eliott laughed. “Take that as your annual Christmas miracle from Father Christmas.” 

“Exactly what I wanted,” Lucas said with a fake coo. 

The rest of their shift went by slowly, with fewer visitors than they were used to. Eliott didn’t mind. Talking to Lucas made the time go faster. As if it was trying to keep up with the pounding of Eliott’s heart. He’d had intense crushes before. Fallen for people too quickly before. This was exactly the same and yet completely different. The feelings Lucas instilled in Eliott were ones he didn’t think would fade. They were feelings he wanted to nurture. 

So yes, Eliott was fucked. For the first time probably ever, he welcomed it. 

The law of attraction, as Eliott’s dad often said, could work in both ways. Something one desperately did not want could seek them out and fuck them over, or something one desired more than anything in the world could be gifted to them. Eliott must’ve saved up some good karma this year, because he was working with Lucas again the very next day. 

The set was busier than the previous day, with many children and their parents visiting Father Christmas. Less babies cried, and the ones who did calmed down when Eliott sang a soft verse of silent night. The exhausted looking mothers of said babies looked at Eliott like he was a wizard. The costume helped. It was good for some things, after all. 

The busy day meant there was less time to chat with Lucas. That would bother Eliott if they hadn’t chatted and joked all afternoon yesterday. Today, he was content with having him near. 

“Merry Christmas, little one,” Eliott farewelled the shy little four year old, who’d never met Father Christmas before. He warmed right up to Eliott and they got a great picture together. After his pleased father led him away, Eliott, Lucas, Emma and Sekou finally had a brief reprieve. There was no longer a never ending line to tend to, though it would likely start up again within minutes. 

“You’re really good with kids,” Lucas said.

Eliott sure hoped so. “That’s part of the job.”

“Well, you’re good at it.”

“And you only just noticed?” Eliott joked, eyes wide. 

Lucas chuckled, cheeks colouring a lovely soft pink. Eliott wondered what it would feel like to hold Lucas’ face in his hands. His skin looked soft. “We’re busier today,” he said. “It’s more noticeable. 

“Alright, I’ll give you that.”

“Thank you.” 

 “Sometimes I think I want kids because they’re so cute, but then I remember how much work they take,” Emma said, approaching Eliott’s red and gold throne. 

“Maybe you should think about getting a dog instead,” Sekou said, following her. 

“Hey, yeah,” Emma smiled. “Having a dog is kind of like having a kid. Except you don’t have to worry about sending them to school and they’ll get bullied and then get in with the rebellious kids.” 

Everyone laughed. “Speaking from experience?” Eliott asked. 

“Tried it, but I wasn’t cool enough.” 

“We were cool in our own way,” Lucas added. 

Ah, of course. Their familiarity made sense if they’d known each other since high school. Eliott envied Emma a little for getting to know Lucas for years. 

“I was cool,” Sekou said. “The other kids just didn’t know it.” 

“Yeah, me too,” Eliott agreed, failing to stop a smile. 

Lucas looked Eliott up and down, eyeing his costume. “Oh yeah, I can tell.”

“What does that mean?” Eliott laughed. 

“Oh, nothing. You look like you used to be cool.”

“Used to, he says.” 

Lucas nodded. “Yep.” 

Emma tisked, shaking her head. “All these years and you’re still the sassiest guy in Paris.” 

The fact that that intrigued Eliott even more should’ve been embarrassing. Fuck it. Being into a sassy guy was one of the least shameful things Eliott had done. Like falling for someone a single second after meeting them. 

“I don’t know,” Sekou said. “My friend Max can be pretty brutal.” 

“So can I,” Lucas said with more sass than one of the cranky children who got dragged here by insistent parents. 

“You guys could have a sass off,” Emma suggested. She laughed to herself. “Hah. Jack off.” 

“Why am I your friend?”

Emma wrapped an arm around Lucas, and Eliott envied her again. He wondered what it would be like to feel Lucas pressed against him. Not like that , just… okay, maybe a little like that. “Because I’m the coolest gal you know.”

“Mm. Imane, though.” 

Emma scoffed. “She’s too responsible and studious to be cool.” She conceded half a second later with, “Okay, the second coolest girl.”

“Alexia?”

“Third.”

“May-”

Emma gently pushed him away. “Will you let me have this one thing, man?” 

“Go on, give her a Christmas miracle,” Eliott said. 

“I thought only Father Christmas could do that?” Lucas asked, narrowing his eyes and biting his lip. It looked like he was trying to stop a smile. 

“My elves are magical too.” I bet you’re especially magical . He had enough shame to not add that. 

“Sick, I’ve wanted to be a magician since I was twelve,” Sekou said. 

“Now we know why the other kids didn’t know you were cool,” Lucas teased. 

Sekou leaned back in response. “Damn. That’s Max-level brutal.” 

“My work here is done.”

Maybe it was because Eliott was ridiculous himself, but for some ridiculous reason, Lucas’ teasing of his friends made Eliott even more charmed by him. Eliott’s sassy, hot Christmas elf. He didn’t have much time to cringe at that thought, as the crowd picked up again. Lucas might be a sassy little shit to his friends, but he was delightfully kind with kids. 

Every new thing Eliott discovered about him made him more and more sure about how completely fucked he was.

“And they just sprung that on you?” Eliott said incredulously into the phone. 

“Yeah, so I’m going to need you to get some more potatoes and pumpkin,” his mother answered. 

“Sure, mum.” 

“Thanks, love.” Mum sighed. “I can’t believe it, they said they weren’t coming to Christmas dinner and then they changed their minds last fucking minute. Do they have any self awareness?”

“Did aunt Josephine have any when you were kids?”

Mum released a single, “Ha! Not an ounce.”

“Guess that rubbed off onto the rest of her family.” 

Mum laughed more genuinely. “Oh, Eliott, you make me laugh.” 

Since he was young, Eliott’s ability to make his mother laugh was one of the things he was proudest of. “Does this mean I have to get presents for the cousins?”

“Eh, don’t get anything too fancy,” mum said. “Maybe chocolate, or socks, or something. 

Sometimes she could be a brutal woman. Eliott couldn’t fault her. “I’ll drop it off with the potatoes later.”

“Thank you, my dear.” There was a muffled voice on the other end of the line. “Oh, dad says hi.”

“Tell him hi back.”

Several more attempts to end the call later, Eliott was finally able to hang up and go on his afternoon mission. He was inspecting the potatoes when he heard a familiar voice. Imane was walking arm in arm with her old friend, Alexia. Behind them was a girl Eliott thought he’d seen a few times before and… Lucas? 

Without waiting for them to spot him, Eliott approached the group with a smile. “Long time no see,” Eliott said to Imane.

“Eliott,” she greeted, coming in for a quick hug. “You remember Alexia?”

“Of course,” Eliott nodded. “Pleasure to see you again.”

“Always is,” Alexia giggled. 

Imane turned to gesture at the pair behind her. “Oh, these are my friends Manon and Lucas. Guys, this is Eliott.” 

“I think we’ve met before,” a voice said. It belonged to Manon instead of Lucas. 

“Yeah, I think we might’ve,” Eliott said, forcing himself not to stare at a plain-clothed Lucas. He was even more gorgeous without that elf hat hiding his wild brown hair. 

Lucas did the very last thing Eliott thought he’d do and stuck a hand out. “Nice to meet you,” he said. 

Eliott stared at his hand for a millisecond before shaking it, waiting for the punchline. It never came and Lucas released his hand after a brief shake. His grip was firm, contrasting the soft skin of his palm. Some calluses on his fingers indicated he may be a musician. 

Alexia began talking while Eliott sought out Lucas’ knowing glance. Like the dropping of the act, it never came. When Lucas met Eliott’s eyes, his gaze was… new. Like he’d never seen him before. Not at all like two guys who spent hours dealing with mean parents while dressed like idiots on a Christmas set. 

Holy shit, he doesn’t recognise me , Eliott realised. It made sense. Lucas had never seen Eliott out of costume, and that thing swallowed him up. But surely he’d shared his name. Right? Did he? Hold shit, I never told him my name. 

How could Eliott have been so careless as to never give Lucas a proper introduction? How could he have spent two days talking to him and falling deeper without ever telling him his name. That was usually the very first thing that came up when people met for the first time. The way Imane just did. Eliott knew he was a disaster, but this was a new level of ridiculous. 

The group laughed and Eliott joined in to make it seem like he was listening. He felt like an asshole and committed to actually listening from then on. Too bad Alexia had finished speaking. I’m a dickhead. 

“Hey, you should come to Manon’s party,” Imane said.

“Oh yeah,” Manon enthused. “My roommates and I are throwing a little end of year party on the 20th. You know, before people go away for Christmas or New Years. You should join us.”

“Sofiane is already coming,” Imane added, reading Eliott’s hesitant mind. “And you can bring Idriss along too, if you must.”

“I don’t remember saying you could invite people to my party,” Manon joked.

Imane shrugged unapologetically and Eliott realised he was a giant dumbass for not connecting the dots yesterday. Lucas and Emma had mentioned knowing an Imane and an Alexia. He just hadn’t thought they’d be the very same Imane and Alexia Eliott himself was already acquainted with. 

“I’ll be there,” Lucas said. When Eliott met his gaze again, he blinked away, like he’d been caught staring. The possibility flipped Eliott’s heart. Did Lucas… think he was attractive? “At the party,” Lucas added, looking up at Eliott again. 

Fuck, he’s so… “Alright,” Eliott agreed, smiling at Lucas, then at Manon. “I’d love to come.” 

“Yay,” Alexia said. “I bet it’s going to be twenty percent more fun.” 

A hundred percent if Lucas figured out Eliott and his Father Christmas were one and the same by then. All that joking and non-flirting couldn’t have been for nothing. 

7.

A stressful shift came to a much needed end. More kids screamed than ever before, more parents complained about bullshit than before, more mistakes were made by fellow staff than before, and Eliott had never been closer to losing his shit on the job. He shut the staff room door behind him and leaned against it with a pained sigh. His Christmas spirit was dimming. 

“That doesn’t sound good,” Lucas said. 

His voice made Eliott perk up like a dog seeing their owner grab the lead to go on a walk. Did I… just compare myself to a fucking dog? “It’s okay,” Eliott said, more to himself. “It’s over. I can go home.”

“And we’ve gotta go out there,” Arthur said, fitting his hood over his wig. “The things we do under capitalism.” 

“Yann was right about everything,” said Lucas. 

The comment made Eliott want to laugh even without context. He really needed a lie down. “Mm,” he murmured.

Arthur chuckled and gave his shoulder a pat. “Poor guy. Why don’t you get yourself home?”

“Yeah.” Eliott pushed himself off the door, walking past Arthur and Lucas to where he’d stashed his bag. 

“See you later, yeah?” Lucas said.

…when? Eliott turned back to raise a brow at him. “Hm?”

Lucas shrugged, eyes softening in amusement. “At our next shift together?” 

“Oh, right.”

“It’s just,” Lucas went on, “I’m sure you’re forlorn after having gone two days without seeing me.”

Oh. So he really doesn’t know that was me yesterday. He also didn’t know how spot on that quip was. “I’m utterly lost without you.” 

“I know.”

Arthur grabbed Lucas’s arm and gently pulled. “Stop flirting with Santa and come with me.” 

The pair squabbled all the way out the door. Eliott laughed after them. When he was alone, disappointment replaced his mirth. It wasn’t Lucas’ fault he didn’t know who Eliott was. Still, it was difficult not to be offended. They’d clearly made a connection, but now Eliott didn’t know how the fuck to bring it into the ‘real world’. He was fucked. 

6.

Eliott’s couch was the perfect place to sit and sulk. He sat at the end, barely watching Idriss and Sofiane play the latest Call of Duty game on their PS4. They asked him to join, but Eliott declined in favour of ‘assessing their skills’. 

At some point, the game got paused and his friends switched to staring at him instead. Eliott frowned. “What?”

“What did we miss on the Eliott soap opera?” Idriss joked. 

“That’s not as funny as you think it is.”

“Then why are you laughing?”

Eliott unsuccessfully tried to cease his laughter. “I’m not laughing,” he laughed.

“Dude, what’s wrong?”

The guys had gone to all the trouble of pausing their game for him, Eliott may as well confide in them. He gave a dramatic sigh to set the mood. “It’s Lucas.”

“Your hot elf?”

Eliott laughed again. “Yeah.”

“I thought things were going well with him,” Sofiane said. “You said you became friends in two seconds.”

“They were and we did,” Eliott confirmed, lowering his gaze to his lap. “And then I saw him out in the real world.”

“Why is that bad?”

Another dramatic sigh was needed. After, Eliott said, “He didn’t know it was me.”

Idriss choked out a laugh. “What?”

“I don’t know, he’s never seen me out of costume and we barely spoke to each other the other night so…” Eliott shrugged. “Why do I feel so embarrassed?” 

Sofiane leaned over Idriss to pat Eliott’s knee. “Because you like him.”

“I just feel stupid.”

“It’s not your fault he didn’t realise,” Idriss said. 

“It kinda is.”

“How so?”

Eliott took a moment before he revealed the worst part. He needed to prepare to be laughed at. “I never told him my name?” 

As predicted, Eliott once again stunned both Idriss and Sofiane to silence. They stared at him like he’d just told them he believed the earth was flat. In Eliott’s mind, this was equally as ridiculous. 

“You skipped introductions…” Sofiane said or asked, Eliott couldn’t quite tell. 

“Not on purpose!”

“You were so distracted by his beauty, you forgot to tell him your name,” Idriss said slowly. He clapped his hands together and snorted. “Oh, man.”

Sofiane shook his head. “He must be really beautiful for your brain to short circuit that much.”

You’re supposed to be the nice one. “Yeah?” If Eliott told them who Lucas was, maybe they’d understand where he was coming from. “You guys probably know him.”

“What, who is he?”

“He’s a friend of Imane’s.” 

Realisation lit up both men’s eyes. Idriss clapped again. “Oh, Lucas! That Lucas. Now it all makes sense.”

“He’s gorgeous, right?”

Idriss laughed, bumping Eliott’s shoulder. “Yeah, but I meant he’s a cool guy. Really smart and funny. You two would be good together.” 

Sofiane released the witchiest, cackling laugh Eliott had ever heard. He didn’t know his gentle natured friend was capable of producing such a sound. “Oh wow.”

“What?” Eliott asked.

“Oh, you’re gonna kick yourself.”

“Why?”

Sofiane’s bizarre laughing continued as he shook his head. “Imane has been planning on introducing you and Lucas.”

All Eliott could do was blink. Idriss was the one who asked, “What, really?”

“She thought you would hit it off.” Sofiane laughed again. “My girl’s always right.” 

Idriss scrunched his nose. “Don’t call my sister your girl.”

“But… she is?”

“No. You are her man.” 

The three of them laughed at the ridiculous truth of that comment. Eliott sobered when he remembered what led to it. “Did she really think we’d be good together?” 

“She did,” Sofiane confirmed. “Does, I guess.”

Fate was half on Eliott’s side, half flipping him off and laughing in his face. He always knew Imane was a genius, but he had no idea she knew exactly what his type was. They both liked men with fluffy hair and sparkly eyes. 

“She was going to get you invited to her friend’s party so you could meet.”

That’s right. “On the 20th,” Eliott said. “I already scored the invite.” 

“Dude, that’s perfect,” Idriss said. “The party can be your big Hannah Montanna moment.” 

“What?” 

Idriss nodded like this was the best idea he’d ever had. “When you take off the beard and reveal you were Hannah all along.” 

Eliott and Sofiane laughed at him. “I didn’t know you were a fan.” 

“My cousins played her 3D concert on repeat,” Idriss said unashamedly. “Rubbed off on me and Imane.” 

“Ugh, but what am I supposed to say to him?” Eliott steered the conversation back to his personal soap opera. “Hey, I was the guy under the beard all along!” 

“Why not?”

Eliott rubbed the corner of his eye. “Because that sounds lame as shit.” 

“And the problem is?”

“You want to impress him?” Sofiane guessed. Eliott nodded, brows raised. “Then just be yourself.”

“Are you a Hannah Montanna fan too because that’s the most Disney channel advice I’ve ever heard,” Eliott said, placing his elbow on the couch arm to then rest his chin in his palm. 

“He likes you when you’re Father Christmas, why wouldn’t he like you when you’re just you?” 

Idriss pointed in the air. “Lilly loved Miley as a friend even more than she loved Hannah as a fan.” 

“You’re my best friend,” Eliott laughed fondly at his dorkiness. 

“I’m sitting right here!” Sofiane exclaimed. 

Eliott leaned over Idriss to return the knee pat from earlier. “You too.”

“You’re Oliver,” Idriss said.

Laughing at Hannah Montana references was not what Eliott thought he’d be doing on a Wednesday night. Being Idriss’s friend was endlessly delightful. Perhaps Lucas could be Eliott’s… whoever Miley’s boyfriend was on that show. 

“Okay,” Eliott decided. “I’ll tell him at the party.” 

It was only two days away. Two days of second guessing himself and coming up with excuses for why it would be better for everyone if he just shut the fuck up. How about you shut up right now. Eliott had a plan. And he was going to stick to it.

Maybe. 

5.

The closer Christmas got, the busier the set became. 

The line of visitors was endless that day, leaving Eliott without a spare second to think. He barely had time to admire Lucas, who was smiling at the kids waiting for their turn to talk to Father Christmas. Watching him be so great with kids - even for a millisecond -  warmed Eliott’s insides. He was so charmed, he forgot to be butthurt over Lucas not recognising him. 

Friday , he reminded himself. Hannah Montana moment. Friday was tomorrow. Oh shit. 

“Bye, bye, Father Christmas,” a little girl said with a wave, reminding Eliott of what he should be thinking about. The real Father Christmas would never let his mind wander from the magic. 

“Goodbye, little one.”

Although, Lucas himself was magic. His smile. His wit. The kindness shallowly buried beneath his sass. Lucas Lallement was magical. Even the real Father Christmas would agree to that. 

“Hellooooo,” Eliott greeted the next two children who approached him. 

It was another hour before everything calmed down on the set. Maya rubbed her back near the gold gate entrance and Lucas walked over to Eliott. The fact that he wasn’t surprised pleased him. So fucking what Lucas didn’t immediately recognise Eliott out of costume? They had a connection. And he was really fucking hot and Eliott was really fucking desperate. 

“I cannot wait to get off my feet,” Lucas groaned when he reached Eliott. 

“I can’t wait to get off my ass.”

Lucas laughed, looking around him. “Language, Father Christmas.”

“There’s no one around,” Eliott said with a shrug. 

“Good,” Lucas groaned again. He sat beside Eliott on his throne. Their legs gently touched. “Ah, that’s better.”

It really is. The tingles moving through Eliott’s leg distracted him from the numbness in his ass. They’d never been this close before. 

“Hope it’s okay I’m taking over your space,” Lucas said through a stretch. He didn’t appear apologetic. Eliott couldn’t give less of a fuck. Lucas’ movements pressed their legs together harder. 

Eliott gulped, trying to reconnect his brain to his speech centres as his heart pounded inside him. “Uh.” Eliott cleared his throat. “Father Christmas loves to share.”

Lucas chuckled and picked at his nails. “What about you?” He shrugged without making eye contact. “The man under the cloak?”

Holy fuck, he’s asking about the real me. What do I say, what do I say, what the fuck do I - 

“Is your identity a secret?” Lucas said with a slight laugh. He looked nervous. 

“No,” Eliott said with his own short laugh. But it’s not time yet. “I like sitting with you,” he answered. 

“So do I,” Lucas said, looking away again.  

Was he… blushing? That confirmed it wasn’t one sided, didn’t it? Though Eliott couldn’t imagine Lucas being as enamoured with him as Eliott was with Lucas. He wasn’t imagining their connection. Tomorrow would confirm everything. I can’t wait. 

4.

“Can we go?” Eliott called. He was bouncing by his apartment door, itching to leave. Lucas might already be at the party. Eliott didn’t want to waste any time. He’d already done enough of that. 

Idriss emerged from his room, dressed in a blue dashiki with yellow and orange details. It brought Eliott back to when he used to have a crush on him. I was right, Eliott thought as his friend’s long legs walked over to him. Though, he wouldn’t want anything to change between them. 

While it never would’ve worked out with this handsome man, there was another one waiting for him at Manon’s party. Not quite, but Eliott wasn’t going to give himself a hard time over semantics tonight. 

“It’s cool, Eli-boy,” Idriss said. “We’ll be there soon.”

“May I make a request of you?”

“I’m listening.”

“Please don’t call me Eli-boy in front of Lucas.”

Idriss blew out an amused breath. “Worried I’m gonna embarrass you in front of your mans?” 

“I’ll probably do enough of that myself.”

“Fair.” 

Sofiane stopped in front of them and struck a pose. He was wearing a black turtleneck under an unbuttoned gold and black striped shirt. The man knew how to dress. “What do you think?”

“I think if you don’t ask my sister to marry you, my mother will,” Idriss said. 

Sofiane laughed. “Your mother is too in love with your dad.” 

“Me, then.” Idriss waggled his brows. “Imane would understand.” He scrunched his nose. 

All three men said, “No she wouldn’t.” 

“Let’s go before we both fall in love with you,” Eliott said. 

That finally got them out the door and to the bus stop. The bus was five minutes behind schedule. When they finally got on it, Eliott bounced his knee the entire ride. He bit the insides of his cheeks, picked at his nails, squeezed his fingers into his hands. 

Idriss slapped a hand onto Eliott’s bouncing thigh. “Eliott. It’ll be okay.”

“I know, I know.”

“Seriously. You look great. He won’t be able to take his eyes off you.” 

Eliott looked down at his funky blue shirt, hidden underneath a black jacket. Kind of like how his costume hid his true self. That’s lame even for me. Eliott decided to store that thought far away. His black jeans and doc martens completed the outfit to make him look like the wankiest film student in Paris. Usually, that was perfect.

“What if he thinks I’m a pretentious prick?” 

Idriss tisked. “If he thought that, he would’ve figured it out already.” 

Cruel but fair. 

The apartment wasn’t too far from Eliott’s parents’ neighbourhood. Walking around familiar streets brought him back to his days as an anxious teenager. The little bakery he used to visit after school sometimes was still there. Fairy lights were wrapped around the nearby street lamps, as they always were this time of year. 

Ah, nostalgia , Eliott thought. The memories and familiarity comforted him. The knowledge that it was for a time lived and gone, left behind a sad aftertaste. When did I get so pretentious? 

What felt like a thousand years later, they reached their destination. A lanky dark haired man opened the apartment door for them, swaying a little. “Well, helloooooo,” he said. 

“Hey Mika,” Sofiane greeted. Idriss followed after Mika reciprocated. 

Mika lowered his thin pink sunglasses onto his nose to get a better look at Eliott. “And you must be the famous Eliott.”

“Famous?” Eliott laughed. 

“Hannah Montana,” Idriss said. 

A clueless Mika watched on as they burst into childish laughter. Eliott shouldn’t find it as funny as he did, though no one would ever ascribe a refined sense of humour to him. 

“Having fun already,” Mika said. “I like it.” He stepped aside, opening the door for his new visitors. “Come in, come in! Join the party!” 

The apartment’s small layout made it look full of people. There were probably only a dozen or so. Eliott lost count after eight, giving up when he spotted Manon approaching him, arm linked with Imane’s. 

“You made it,” Manon said cheerfully. 

Eliott smiled. “We did.” He looked around. “You have a lovely place.”

“It’s a shithole,” a voice said from behind him, making him jump. A young woman with her long dark hair tied in a messy ponytail walked around him. She looked over her shoulder to say, “Sup,” then continued walking. 

“That’s Lisa,” Manon laughed. 

“Another roommate?”

“Mm hm. There’s me, Mika, Lisa and Lucas.”

The mention of that name sent little !!!’s to Eliott’s gut. “Nice,” Eliott said, trying his best to play it cool. He searched the cramped apartment, grateful his height easily allowed him to look over the top of people’s heads. 

The moment he locked eyes with Lucas, Imane said, “You remember Lucas from the other day?” The better question would’ve been had Eliott stopped thinking about Lucas since he met him? Not at all. “You should talk to him. I think you’d like him.”

Eliott tore his eyes away from Lucas, who was already staring at him prior, to smile at Imane. “Yeah, I think I will.” 

The girls farewelled Eliott as he made his way over to the window Lucas was standing in front of. They traded nods. Then stood in silence. Eliott’s heart pounded. “Nice view?”

“Eh.” Lucas looked out onto the street. “Just the road.”

“Some people say every inch of Paris is beautiful.” 

“Some people are idiots.”

Eliott laughed harder than he meant to. “You’re brutal.”

Lucas smiled and looked down. Every fucking thing he does is so fucking cute, what the fuck? Lucas looked up at him as if hearing his desperate thoughts. “Some people like that about me.”

“Well, you did make me laugh.”

“Success.” 

They shared a smile and unless Eliott’s desperation had morphed into hallucinations, Lucas was blushing. Holy fuck. 

Lucas cleared his throat and took a quick sip of his beer. “Uh, how do you know Imane?”

Why’s he talking to me like - Oh, right.  Lucas still had no idea they were already acquainted. “Best friends with her brother and boyfriend,” Eliott said, deciding to play along until he found the right moment for his Hannah Montana reveal. 

“Ah,” Lucas said with a nod. “Right, Imane did mention that.” 

When she was playing matchmaker. 

Lucas cleared his throat again, blush deepening. “Sorry, do you want something to drink?”

“If you would be so kind as to lead me to the kitchen.”

“Follow me.”

Eliott would follow him anywhere, do anything he said - calm the fuck down, you lunatic. 

The small kitchen seemed more spacious than the entire apartment. Rooms tended to look bigger when they were empty. Lucas opened the fridge and stepped back. It was full of various drinks and tupperware dishes. 

“Pick anything you want.”

Eliott chose a sprite to begin with, leaning back against the kitchen counter to sip it. A beer sounded great, but he had the morning shift tomorrow. A hungover Father Christmas was not what the children of Paris would want to see. Eliott was content with a sprite as long as he was in Lucas’ presence. 

They didn’t say much at first. Mostly small talk. A joke or two. Many a glance was traded. Eliott’s heart raced every time he noticed the pink on Lucas’ cheeks. He knew what it looked like when someone was attracted to him. The fact that someone as stunning as Lucas thought Eliott was… Fuck me. Eliott was glad he was leaning his weight on something, for he felt his knees go weak. 

“Do you want to go back to the party?” Eliott asked after a while. 

“Not really.” 

“Is the kitchen really that exciting?”

Lucas laughed softly. He inched closer to Eliott without looking at him. “I’ve had loads of great conversations in a kitchen.” He shrugged, setting his empty beer on the counter behind him. “Something about this room that makes it easier to talk.” 

“And you want to talk to me?” Eliott knew he was being a shit and he wasn’t sorry about it. 

Lucas hung his head and laughed. “Thought I was making that obvious.”

“Ah, so luring me into the kitchen under the pretense of a drink was all a brilliant ploy to get me alone.”

“Did you really get comfortable in here because you liked the scenery?” 

In a sense. “Touché.” 

The kitchen did end up being a nice place to talk in, as Lucas and Eliott remained in it for most of the night. Others came in and out throughout the night, briefly joining in on wherever the conversation had gone, before heading back out to the party. Eliott would much rather remain in the kitchen with Lucas. He was different in the real world. More confident, more relaxed. And every bit as charming. 

They spoke of the year coming to an end. Shared the resolutions they were going to make and then forget about by the end of January. Shared anecdotes involving their friends. Complained about various nonsense. Somehow, they ended up laughing at tik toks, which then led to Eliott showing Lucas the dream project he was yet to complete. 

“These are great,” Lucas commented while Eliott flipped through the storyboards on his phone.

The pleasure that filled Eliott with should’ve been embarrassing. Eliott let himself enjoy it. He was behaving well enough despite his desperation, so he figured he deserved it. “Thanks.”

“So, they only meet when they go into each other’s worlds?” 

“When they decide they’re not afraid any longer.”

Lucas’s eyes flickered with… Eliott couldn’t be sure, but it looked like awe. “Are you afraid of the dark, or the light?”

Several people Eliott had shown his Polaris storyboards to asked if it was about himself. Yet, no one had ever asked him that. “Depends on where I’m standing.” Eliott tilted his head at Lucas. “You look like a boy who’s afraid of the dark.”

“What?!” Lucas exclaimed, scandalised. Eliott laughed and Lucas narrowed his eyes. “I’m not scared of the dark.” 

Eliott raised a brow. “You sure?”

“Haven’t been afraid of the dark since I was eleven.” 

“Ah, so you were scared of it.” 

Lucas rolled his eyes with a smile. “Yeah, yeah.” They held silent eye contact for a beat. If this was one of those corny Christmas rom-coms, this would be the moment the music would swell and the main couple would almost kiss. “What’s stopping you from making Polaris?” Lucas asked, stopping Eliott from doing something stupid.

“Polaris is special,” Eliot explained. “I don’t want it to be another short film assessment for class. Might ruin it for me, you know?”

“Uni can make you burnout,” Lucas said, nodding.

“Make you resent the thing you’re passionate about,” Eliott added.

“Did film school make you hate films?”

There were times when it crushed his soul. Burst him open and spilled him out for all to see without knowing how to help him put himself back together. Though, he didn’t regret it. “For a while,” Eliott answered. “But it wasn’t all bad. I learned more about myself than film.”

“Not what you paid for,” Lucas joked. 

Eliott smiled. “Not what I expected.”

“Does anything ever turn out how we expect?”

“That’s very profound.”

Lucas huffed a laugh. “Call me Socrates. Or Plato. One of those philosopher assholes.” 

I’d rather call you mi- don’t even finish that thought, you fucking loser. “Lucas suits you better.” 

That was the right thing to say, as Lucas’ cheeks tinged pink again. He looked down with a soft chuckle. “Eliott suits you too. It’s…” He shrugged. “Pretty.” On the word, Lucas locked eyes with Eliott. 

Oh. Oh my God. They were flirting. 

“Are you guys gonna spend all night in here?” Yann, who Eliott had met last time he came into the kitchen for more beer, stood in the doorway. Arthur was beside him, his arm around Yann’s shoulders. They were smirking at Lucas and Eliott. Like they knew something they didn’t. 

“Maybe it’s more interesting in here,” Lucas said with that sass Eliott was so charmed by. 

Arthur made a face. “Psh!” He blinked slowly, then burped. “We’re way more fun.”

“Tell yourself that.” 

While Eliott wanted nothing more than to have more alone time with Lucas, he knew it was best that they rejoin the party. Yann and Arthur’s interruption had broken the intimate mood, and Eliott found himself wanting to get to know Lucas’ friends. To peer into his world and learn if he could fit into it. 

“Why don’t we go and find out?” Eliott suggested. 

Lucas ceased exchanging a silly face with Arthur to look at Eliott. “Fiiiiiine,” he said with an exaggerated sigh. 

Even when he’s being a brat, he’s mesmerising. 

3.

It wasn’t until Eliott woke the next morning that he realised he still hadn’t told Lucas who he was. They stayed at the party until way too late, drawn to each other even after they left the kitchen. Eliott was so busy enjoying himself, he forgot all about his big Hannah Montana moment. 

“Fuck,” he’d said. “Idiot.” 

When would he get the chance to tell him now? The longer Eliott waited to tell Lucas the truth, the more nerve-wracking it became. If he said nothing, he’d feel like a liar. One of Eliott’s last new year’s resolutions was to be more truthful and open. This could be an opportunity to live by that. Next year’s resolution should be to be more proactive. 

The morning shift on the Christmas set was busy and stressful as shit. Eliott just about ran out of there the second his shift ended. Never had he been happier to leave work. . He was so glad the season was almost over. The joy of Christmas was dimming further. Eliott hated that. 

Eliott was waiting at a light when he saw him. Lucas stood on the other side of the street, having spotted Eliott first. He gave him a smile and a wave that made Eliott’s heart flip. The traffic seemed to go on forever until the light finally changed and Eliott could cross the road. Lucas waited for him. Sweet. 

“Lucas,” Eliott said when he reached him. “Haven’t seen you in ages!” 

“Oh no,” Lucas laughed.

“That wasn’t that bad.” 

“It was bad.” 

“Plenty of people love my jokes.” 

Lucas scrunched his nose and narrowed his eyes. “You’ve been lied to.” 

Eliott laughed, placing a hand on his heart. “At least they were being polite.” 

“Gotta be myself,” Lucas said with an unapologetic shrug. They stared at each other for a beat before laughing together. “So, um.” Lucas said, glancing down at his shoes. “What are you up to?”

Oh my God, he wants to hang out with me. Play it cool. “Nothing. I was just heading home.” Lucas nodded and licked his lips. Eliott watched the small action. “Did you have something in mind?” he added.

“I have an appointment later, but I’m free for a couple hours.”

Eliott waited for Lucas to go on. He did not. It was up to Eliott. “Did you want to hang out until then? If you’re not sick of me.” 

Lucas’ lips quirked up. “Yeah.” He shook his head. “I mean, no. No, I’m not sick of you. Yeah, I wanna hang out.” 

“Cool,” Eliott said with a soft laugh. 

Two giant blonde men speaking in what sounded like a vaguely Scandinavian language walked by them, hand in hand. Both were taller than Eliott, who had been called a giant himself once or twice, making them impossible to miss. One of the men released the other’s hand to wrap his arm around his body and pull him closer to his side. He pressed a kiss to his partner’s cheek as they walked. 

The sweet sight softened Eliott’s heart, while filling it with yearning. I want that , he realised. When he returned his attention to Lucas, the thought remained. They held eye contact, soft smiles matching. Looking at Lucas, Eliott almost forgot about the cold of December. 

“Let’s walk around, huh?” he suggested. 

They ended up walking around the inner streets of Paris, deciding the draft from the Seine would be too cold. After spending hours the previous night talking, Eliott would’ve thought they’d run out of things to say to each other. He’d never been happier to be wrong. Lucas was the most fascinating person Eliott had ever met. Things that would’ve sounded mundane from anyone else were riveting coming from Lucas. And he was an excellent listener. 

Eliott was in the middle of a sentence when a flock of pigeons came out of fucking nowhere and swooped around them both. “Wah!” Eliott screamed. 

“Shit!” 

Lucas grabbed Eliott’s hand and ran. Their little scene drew attention, as they had many onlookers while they ran screaming away from the pigeons. It would’ve made a marvellous moment to capture on film. 

When they were a safe distance from those devil birds, they stopped to puff and pant. “Oh, shit,” Lucas puffed. 

“Where the fuck did they come from?” Eliott wheezed. He coughed because he was unfit. Winter always made him lag on exercise. 

Lucas shook his head. “Pigeons are little fuckers. Seagulls, too.” 

“At least - hah - that warmed us up.” 

Lucas laughed through his breathing. “Are you always optimistic?”

“No,” Eliott laughed. “I’m either the most positive guy in the world, or the most cynical. There is no inbetween.” 

“Well, you’re never boring.”

“Now who’s being optimistic?” 

Lucas raised his brows. “Oh no, you’re bringing out the best in me.” 

Eliott liked the sound of that. Nevermind that it was intended as a joke. “A change from your hilarious cruelty.” 

“So you admit I’m a genius comedian?”

“Let’s not go that far.”

Despite the premise of that quip, they both laughed. It was so easy to laugh with Lucas. Eliott didn’t think he’d ever grow tired of it. 

Lucas tore his gaze away from Eliott’s to glance at his phone. “Oh shit! I’m gonna be late.”

“Oh, sorry.”

Lucas shook his head and laughed kindly. “It’s not your fault. I let myself get distracted.”

How well Eliott knew that feeling. It returned to him when he realised oh fuck, I forgot to tell him the truth AGAIN! There was no time, not when Lucas had somewhere to be. 

“I’ve gotta get going,” Lucas said. “See you.”

“Yeah,” Eliott said, unable to quelch the disappointment he felt at having to part with Lucas so soon. Especially after letting himself down again. “Good luck with your thing.”

Lucas smiled. “Thanks. Bye.” He turned and walked a few paces before turning back to say, “Hey, thanks for walking around in the cold with me.”

Eliott would’ve walked with him all afternoon, evening and night if he asked. “Thanks for saving me from the pigeons.”

Lucas looked back at said pigeons, gathered on the ground metres away. He flipped them off with a, “Fuckers.”

I adore him already, Eliott thought. Which was why he was determined to tell Lucas the truth. Eventually. 

“Ladies and gentlemen,” the announcer said over the speakers. “And people,” she added. “The discount madness countdown is about to commence.” 

Eliott looked up at the mound of balloons strung up in a net above the department store shoppers’ heads. He’d done the evening Father Christmas shift, which had finished moments ago, but the staff decided to hang around to watch whatever was about to unfold. From what Eliott understood, the balloons contained discounts for items throughout the store. They were to be released for shoppers to catch and pop. 

Looking at those balloons, Eliott thought the whole thing was a terrible idea. There was a large crowd of people standing below the balloon net, far too many than there should’ve been. This could only end in disaster. 

The announcer began the countdown. The crowd counted with her. Emma grabbed onto Eliott’s arm, perhaps out of a nervous reflex. 

“3, 2, 1!”

The balloons were released with the drop of the net, and utter chaos ensued. The crowd rushed in all at once, creating a small crush. Overwhelmed in the space that could not accommodate that surge of people caused several to fall. Some fell into the Christmas set, destroying the main decoration walls and gate. One of the decorative reindeer Lola was always fascinated by was crushed by the trampled set pieces. 

“Oh my God!” exclaimed Maya. 

“Shit!” Sekou said. 

Emma gripped Eliott’s arm tighter, who could not find any words within him. He knew the discount balloons were chaos waiting to happen, but he hadn’t envisioned this . 

There were voices everywhere, from shouting, to calling out names, to security yelling out useless orders. Eliott gently nudged Emma off and headed over to the front of their destroyed set. He - still in costume - reached down and helped pull fallen people up. Most were fine, just knocked around. Eliott’s co-workers joined him in helping people as best they could. A while later, the crush was cleared, and everyone was upright and safe. It all had to have taken an hour, or close to it. 

People were seen and tended to as security gave out instructions over the speakers, guiding everyone out. The Christmas set staff returned to the throne, which was left unharmed in the carnage. There was debris, balloons and confetti everywhere. 

“Fucking hell,” Eliott sighed. 

“Nothing but a damn disaster,” Sekous added. 

Their boss Olivia appeared, making her way through what was left of their ruined set. “Holy fuck, they weren’t kidding.”

“Were you here for that?” Emma asked. 

“No, I got told on the phone and thought I’d better come down here,” Olivia explained. “Shit, are you guys alright?”

The small team shared weary glances. “As right as we can be,” said Maya. 

“No one’s hurt?”

“Don’t think so. Guys?”

Everyone inspected themselves. Eliott knew he’d probably have a bruise or two on his body. Otherwise, he was perfectly fine. Everyone shared similar sentiments. 

“Oh good,” Olivia said with a sigh. “But if any of you had been, I used to be a nurse, so.” She waggled her brows. “I would have fixed you up.” 

Somehow, that didn’t sound comforting. 

“What are we going to do?” Maya asked. “Tomorrow’s meant to be our last day on set.”

Sekou scrunched his face. “This place doesn’t look ready for a visit. Or safe.” 

Olivia rubbed her eyes, then her face through a long sigh. “Okay,” she eventually said. “Let’s try to clean up what we can, and then we’ll assess.” 

They did just that, starting with clearing the balloons that had made their way onto the set floor. Eliott decided to go get another broom when he had the urge to look up. Lucas was standing just outside the set, looking troubled. Is he really here or have I lost it? That question was answered when Lucas carefully made his way through the set to Eliott. 

“I heard what happened,” he said. 

“You didn’t have to come down here,” Eliott said.

“I wanted to see if I could help.” Lucas shrugged his shoulders. “And I wanted to see if you were okay.” 

“Lucas!” Emma exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. “It was fucking insane, you’re lucky you weren’t here.” 

They hugged for a moment, afterwhich, Lucas pulled back and asked, “Is there anything I can do?”

“You can help us clean up,” Olivia said as she rushed by. “Or try to.” 

“I was just gonna go get another broom,” Eliott told Lucas, hoping to get another moment alone with him. Like Emma, he was glad Lucas wasn’t there during the chaos, lest anything terrible had happened. Now, he was so, so happy to see him. 

“I’ll come with you,” Lucas said, as Eliott hoped he would. 

“Take off the costume so you don’t trip over yourself,” Olivia called as they made their way to the small staff ‘room’. It was more of a space than a room. 

It was pitch black when Lucas and Eliott stepped inside. “Shit, I don’t have a light,” Eliott said. 

“Let me.” Seconds later, the room was dimly lit by the torch on Lucas’ phone. He used the small light to find the light switch. When he did, he flipped the lights on and put away his phone. 

“Look at you being all Indiana Jones,” Eliott said. 

Lucas laughed and rolled his eyes. “Okay, nerd.” His expression changed as he focused on Eliott. “Told you I’m not afraid of the dark.” 

Holy. Shit. Eliott stared at Lucas. Lucas stared back. He knows. Lucas had pulled an uno reverse on what was meant to be Eliott’s big reveal.

“How long have you known?”

“Figured it out at the party.” Lucas huffed a laugh. “Felt like a dumbass.”

“Why?”

“I kept wondering why you were so familiar.” Lucas shook his head. “Can’t believe I didn’t know immediately.”

“In your defence, I didn’t tell you it was me.” Like a real dumbass. 

Lucas crossed his arms, squinting at Eliott. “Why didn’t you?”

“I don’t know. I tried, but.” Eliott shrugged. “Think I was embarrassed.”

“Why? I’m the idiot,” Lucas reminded him. 

You could never be. “You’re not an idiot.”

“How kind of you.”

Eliott laughed because he couldn’t help it. “I don’t know,” he went on. “I felt like we… like we were friends.” He felt his face heat under his itchy fake beard. He pushed the red hood off his head and removed the wig and beard while he spoke. That was as close to his Hannah Montana moment as he was going to get. “But when I saw you, you didn’t know me.” Eliott shrugged, looking at the fake hair in his hands. “Maybe it’s stupid, but it felt like it was my fault. Like I wasn’t important enough for you to recognise me.”

“You are,” Lucas assured. “And we are friends.”

No other sentence had ever made Eliott so happy. “That’s good to know.”

“I just - the others knew,” Lucas said with a more humorous laugh. “Arthur, Emma, Baz. Everyone else knew but me. It never came up because… I guess they assumed I wasn’t a dumbass.” 

“You’re not a dumbass,” Eliott reminded him. 

Lucas shrugged. “Usually I’d agree, but in this situation… shocking.”

Eliott could relate to that. There was just one more thing he needed to know. “I’m curious. If you figured it out at the party, why didn’t you say anything yesterday?”

“I, um.” Lucas cleared his throat, looking down at his shoes. “I was actually coming here when we met up yesterday.” He looked up into Eliott’s eyes. “I remembered you had the morning shift, so I came to see you. 

The fact that he’d gone out of his way just to come see Eliott was… It could only be summed up with, “Wow.” 

Lucas smiled. “But then I got distracted and forgot to bring up the Father Christmas subject.”

“That’s what happened to me whenever I tried to tell you who I was.”

Lucas narrowed his eyes. “But you had loads of opportunities.” 

“You’re very distracting.” 

That deepend Lucas’ blush, causing him to look away again. A travesty. “Then I guess we should find that broom.” 

A while later, the set was cleared of all hazards - well, only the kind that one could immediately trip over. The set still looked completely wrecked. As if a stampede of sheep had run through it. 

“Well, shit,” Olivia said after finishing her millionth phone call. “This place is in no shape to host anymore Father Christmas visits.”

“What does that mean for us?” Maya asked. 

“It means, dear girl, that tomorrow will not be going ahead,” Olivia answered. “No one has to come in on the 23rd. Oh, unless it’s to return your uniforms.” 

The great balloon debacle had brought their season to a premature end. After the last several shifts Eliott had had, he was okay with that. A day off could be all he needed to get back some of his lost Christmas spirit. “That’s unfortunate,” he lied. 

“Indeed,” Olivia said, raising her pitch. She looked around at the team. “Thank you all for your hard work throughout the season. And tonight.”

The team returned their gratitude for the opportunity and whatnot before Olivia bid them all farewell to tend to something else. They were left alone to stand in what was barely left of their set.

“Woohoo, a day off,” Emma said.

“Nice, but it still feels… wrong in a way,” Sekou said.

“Because you’re a stickler for rules and routine,” Maya teased. 

“Like you’re any different.”

A day off would be great. But, looking around at his friends and thinking of those missing, Eliott did not want to part with their team. “Why don’t we spend tomorrow together?” he suggested. “We were going to anyway.”

“Hey, yeah, that’s a good idea,” Emma said. 

“We could have a little party or something,” Lucas added to the suggestion. 

“Love that.” 

Another party in the space of a few days. Just like Eliott’s high school days. If it was another excuse to spend time with Lucas, he would be there. The more he got to know him, the more fucked he became. Now that the truth was out, Eliott knew he’d keep falling deeper and deeper. He couldn’t wait.  

1.

The team had come together quickly, arranging a staff party at Basile’s parents’ house. He may have left the elf business halfway through the season, but he insisted on remaining in the staff group chat. That meant he was kept in the loop on any ‘work goss’, which turned out in everyone’s favour in the end. The Savary family home was a wonderful space for a little party. The almost-mansion had central heating and was decked out with lights and Hanukkah decorations. Family photos lined the walls, including Basile as a dorky little kid. Despite the grandness of the house, it was still a family home. 

“Fuck, I love coming here,” Emma said, arriving at the same time as Eliott. 

“It’s a beautiful home,” Eliott agreed. 

“It’s fucken’ immaculate, man.” 

Basile approached them both with an enthusiastic, “Heeeeeey!” He threw his arms around them with a force that sent them both back a step. “I’m so glad you made it.”

“Nothing better to do,” Emma said with a shrug. 

Basile pulled back, unperturbed by her remark. “Did Arthur let you guys in?”

“He opened the door like a butler,” Eliott said with a laugh. 

“Yeah, he thinks he lives here.”

“You love it!” Arthur called from wherever he’d gone off to. 

Basile showed Emma and Eliott through the bottom floor of the house. Every inch of it was stunning. Most of their co-workers were there already, passing each other by as Basile walked Eliott around. Emma broke off at some point to talk to Lola and Sara, leaving Eliott to gawk at Basile’s childhood home and wonder where the one person he wanted to see was. 

“Are your parents here?” Eliott asked to distract himself. 

“They’re upstairs, leaving us youngsters to have fun.”

Eliott laughed. “Very kind of them.” He nodded at the decorative stars of David hanging on the nearest wall like tinsel. “Excited for Hanukkah?”

“Eh,” Basile said. “Mum’s not really feeling it this year, but we’ve still got a couple days for her to come around.”

“It starts on the 25th this year, yeah?”

“You listened to me,” Basile said, placing one hand on Eliott’s shoulder and the other on his own chest. 

Listening to Basile wasn’t difficult, seeing as he rarely ever stopped talking. Eliott didn’t mind. Basile could be a lot, but his big heart shone through to Eliott. And he could relate to being ‘a lot’. 

“Lucaaas!” Basile called with the same enthusiasm he greeted Eliott with. He hurried over to embrace a gorgeous looking Lucas. 

When did he not look good? His cheeks and nose were pink from the cold. He was still wrapped in his dark jacket and blue scarf. The force of Basile’s hug sent him back a step like it had Eliott. Rather than complaining like Eliott thought he might, he laughed and hugged Basile back. That went right to Eliott’s heart. 

They locked eyes and Lucas ended the embrace. He made a brief exchange with Basile before joining Eliott on the other side of the living room. “Hello, Father Christmas.”

Eliott smiled because Lucas was so fucking charming and handsome, Eliott could hardly believe he was real. “Hello, Lulu the elf.”

Lucas blinked at Eliott in surprise. After a couple seconds of that, he shook his head and burst into laughter. “Wow,” he said. “You talked to Yann the other night, didn’t you?” 

“So what if I did?”

“So, he’s a traitor,” Lucas said. “I only let him call me that when we’re alone, but he keeps telling people.” 

“Lulu’s cute.”

Lucas rolled his eyes, smile in place as his laughter died down. “Yeah, yeah.” 

“You know, if you didn’t turn up last night, this would’ve been where the big Hannah Montana reveal happened,” Eliott said. 

“Oh my God, of course you watched that show,” Lucas laughed. 

“It’s iconic.”

“Yeah, well I would’ve ruined it anyway,” Lucas said. “Because I already knew.” 

Eliott stepped back a fraction, observing Lucas. “What gave me away?”

“Your laugh,” Lucas answered. “The more you did it, the more familiar it sounded. Then I realised your eyes were the same.” Shit. Eliott gulped while Lucas stared at him. “And I thought, ‘Oh shit, that’s him. Of course it’s him.’” 

“Why-” Eliott paused to clear his throat. “Why do you say ‘of course’?” 

Lucas smiled softly. “Talking to you was so easy. Like I already knew you.” Lucas glanced down, then looked back up the way he often did when he - Eliott guessed it was a nervous habit. “There was only one other person who made me feel that way when I talked to him.” 

Whoa. Through all Eliott’s pathetic desperation, Lucas was equally captivated by him. All his previous anxiety felt silly. Eliott was about to tell Lucas how much that meant to him when Daphné, another former elf, called everyone over to share their funniest memories of working on the Christmas set. Eliott’s annoyance at being interrupted was softened by his genuine interest in hearing what everyone had to share. 

Basile’s funniest memory was being given the reason of ‘making too many children cry’ when he was let go. Lola’s was when a kid saw her kiss Maya while still in costume after a shift and the kid exclaimed, ‘girls can kiss girls?!’ Arthur said his was thinking the job would be relaxing when he accepted it. Everyone shared a laugh at that. 

“Sometimes I was tempted to take my hearing aids out and not tell anyone so I didn’t have to listen to any more bullshit,” Arthur said. 

“You do do that sometimes,” said Basile. 

“Because it’s funny.”

Basile scoffed. “Watching me go on and on for ages without any idea you can’t hear anything I’m saying is funny to you?”

“Very.” 

Basile closed his eyes and shook his head dramatically. Idriss and Sofiane would like him. It was a great shame he hadn’t been able to make Manon’s party. “I cannot believe you,” Basile said woefully. “My own best friend.”

Arthur shrugged like he didn’t give a single shit. “Hey, being deaf has its advantages.” 

Lucas laughed once. “So you can bully your friends?”

“So whenever I’m sick of hearing someone talk, I can simply choose not to.”

“That’s genius,” said Sekou. 

“Thank you.” 

The evening was filled with more jokes and anecdotes, both from their time on the Christmas set, and from their everyday lives. While Eliott was glad he was free of the Father Christmas job, he would miss working with these people and seeing them nearly everyday. He didn’t think he’d connected with a group of co-workers like this before. 

Further into the evening, Eliott decided to tell them just that. “Can I say something?” Everyone gave him their attention. “This job may have been chaotic and ended in disaster.” A laugh went through the group. “But it was a real honour to work with all of you. You guys… made the sucky days easier.” 

A collective ‘aw’ went around the room, and people returned the sentiment to Eliott and each other. Community was really what the holiday season was meant to be about. In Eliott’s romantic mind, anyway. 

“That was sweet,” Lucas said when the others had broken off into their own conversations.

“I meant it.”

Lucas’ face softened. “I know you did.” 

I love it when he looks at me like that. This was Eliott’s chance. Now that he knew Lucas would say yes. Time to make a move . 

"You wanna go for a drink sometime? Just the two of us?" It wasn’t Eliott who asked. It was Lucas. He bit his lip while he awaited Eliott’s answer. 

Eliott blinked at him. "Are you asking me out?"

"Trying to, yes."

Eliott laughed joyously. "I was just about to ask you out."

Lucas relaxed his nervous expression into a smile. "So that's a yes?"

"Yes." 

“Guys, guys!” Emma exclaimed by the windows. “It’s snowing!” 

The team gathered around the windows to watch the soft snowfall in the night. Didn’t matter how many times Eliott saw snow, it was always magical. Mother nature doing her thing was always miraculous. Eliott glanced at Lucas, who smiled at him, and he was sure the beauty of the boy beside him was evidence of magic in the real world. Maybe Lucas was his own Christmas miracle. 

+1

Thus from my lips, by thine, my sin is purged.

Every nerve ending in Eliott’s body tingled. All stemming from Lucas’ lips on his. They stood close together, hands on each other’s faces. Lips doing what saints do, as Romeo Monatgue would say. Kissing Lucas felt like a prayer. An homage to all lovers - past, present and future. 

When the kiss - the prayer - ended, Eliott’s disappointment was immediately replaced with awe as he looked upon Lucas’ face. He’d never looked more beautiful, matching Eliott’s joyous smile. 

“Happy New Year,” Lucas said, voice soft and deep. 

What a way to leave one year and enter another. It may be premature, but Eliott would gladly spend every new year thereafter in Lucas’ arms. They only had their first official date two days prior. Now, surrounded by their friends, old and new, Eliott had a feeling this was the beginning of something life changing. 

His smile softened at the gorgeous man in his arms. Everyone else at the party was gawking at the fireworks. Eliott would rather look at Lucas. 

“Happy New Year.”