Archive of Our Own ^beta

How did Wilbur find himself here exactly? Working as a Mall Santa Claus, employees helping stuff pillows into his outfit to make him appear like he’d spent years eating nothing but milk and cookies. A scratchy beard sat on his face, golden-rimmed glasses perched on his nose.

Well, it was simple really. Wilbur worked a decently paying job, had his own apartment, and even had a small YouTube channel to the side where he posted some of his songs. He didn’t have a large following or anything, but he had a nice community.

But a nice community didn’t pay the bills. He had enough for his apartment and groceries, but sadly didn’t have much savings to buy expensive things for himself.

And when Wilbur saw a very expensive guitar hanging in the window, a large sign saying it was 50% off, he just had to have it. He’d wanted a new one for a while. Don’t get him wrong, the one he has is nice and has plenty of sentimental value, being one his mother gave him, but he wanted to treat himself to something this Christmas.

So, he did some last-minute job hunting. He wanted something he could do temporarily, and would pay enough to get him that guitar.

He searched through a few things. Dog sitting, lawn mowing, etc. but nothing paid enough to get him enough money.

And then, like a miracle, a job opened up. It wasn’t the job Wilbur had wanted… but it would pay just enough to get him that guitar. So, he sucked up his pride and showed up to the mall to give his application and be interviewed.

Luckily, Wilbur had some experience babysitting the neighbors’ kids when he was a young teen, so he filled the criteria. Wilbur wouldn’t say he loved being around kids. It certainly isn’t the job he wants for the rest of his life. But he didn’t mind bringing a little magic to their lives for a short 5-day session.

The employers were in a rush to hire someone, seeing as their old Santa had called in sick for the final week before Christmas. Luckily, Wilbur had off this week from his usual job.

It lined up too perfectly.

Wilbur sighed as he was shoved out of the dressing room. A few other employees were dressed in elf costumes. There was a photographer setting up her camera in front of the scenery, a few others making final touches. Parents and children were already lined up, “patiently” waiting for Santa to arrive.

Wilbur took a deep breath, slapping on a smile and happy attitude. He stepped out into the open, parents and children both twisting to look at him. The kids all screamed their cheers, shouting about how Santa had finally come. While their parents had all grumbled “finally.”

Wilbur waved, letting out the hardiest ho-ho-ho he could muster with a deep laugh. Listen, if Wilbur was going to do this, he was going to do it well.

Might as well give these children the best Santa experience, right?

Wilbur entered the small scene the employees had set up, settling down in a large chair. A Christmas tree sat to his left, a gingerbread house to his right. A few other small things to make this a good photo shoot scattered about.

The elves quickly opened up the gate, inviting a single child to come through. The child rushed to him, arms out and ready to be picked up. Wilbur helped the little girl up, settling her on his lap.

“Hello there, little girl. What’s your name?”

The girl beamed at him, kicking her feet excitedly as her parents snapped 100 photos of them.

“Clarice! And you’re Santa!”

Wilbur chuckled. “I am! I am. It’s wonderful to meet you, Clarice. Have you been good this year?”

She covered her mouth as she giggled. “Mmhmmmmmm.” She drawled.

Wilbur raised a brow, bending over slightly. “Oh? Are you sure about that?”

She giggled again. “Yes! I cleaned my room and I didn’t lie once this year!”

Wilbur nodded, acting pleased with the answer. “Well, if that’s the case… Why don’t you tell me what you want for Christmas?”

She bounced up and down happily, leaning closer to his ear and cupping her hand around it to whisper. “A big doll house.”

Wilbur leaned back, eyes wide. “Oh-ho-ho. We’ll just have to see if we can make that happen! Until then…” Wilbur reached into a bag next to him, pulling it into his lap. “Why don’t you pick something from here?” 

Clarice gasped, digging through the bag and pulling out a small, plastic ring with a loud ‘thank you!’

One of the employees leaned into the parents’ ears, whispering what their little girl had requested. Wilbur helped the little girl off his lap, setting her down, and watched as she bounced back to her parents. The elves quickly walked them to the side, probably trying to convince them to buy overpriced photos.

Wilbur turned back towards the gate as it opened to let another child through. This one was a little boy, probably about the age of 5. He was not happy. Fat tears rolled down the little one’s face as he clung to his parents’ pants. They tried to pry him off, coaxing him to go up and take a quick picture. They promised he’d be safe, but the little boy was not budging.

Wilbur stood up, grabbing his bag of toys and walking over to the boy. He bent down to eye level, giving the biggest smile he could before presenting the bag to him. “Why don’t you find your favorite thing from here? There’s lots of cool toys to choose from!”

The little boy sniffled, eyeing him warily before releasing his parents’ pants. He reached into the sack, digging around until he found a small toy car. He smiled at it, looking back up at Wilbur with much less fear in his eyes.

“Let’s go up there and have a seat. You can tell me all you want this Christmas!”

The boy nodded, taking Wilbur’s hand and letting the man walk him to the seat.

Wilbur internally sighed with relief.

He had a feeling this was going to be harder than he originally thought.

-/-/-/-/-/-

It was the third day of the job and Wilbur was already exhausted. Listen, Wilbur didn’t hate kids. He thought they were brilliant and deserved the world, even if he wasn’t the one to give them that world.

But please. Parents, teach your children not to hit.

He has had his glasses yanked off his face, beard pulled, skin scratched, and legs stabbed into with shoes. Not to mention that one… incident from yesterday.

He had to use the codeword gingerbread. The employees quickly ushered the parent and kid off of him, and he had to go get cleaned up.

See, they had a few code words ready for emergencies.

Gingerbread meant: A kid just peed on me please help.

Wilbur shivered at the memory. They’d warned him of the possibility. But he hadn't imagined it would happen in such a short period of time. He worried for his future.

Wilbur internally sighed at the memory, keeping his expression warm and welcoming.

The next child was a little blond boy. Probably about the age of 6. He looked nervous, staring at his own feet and digging his toes into the floor. He also looked very dirty. His hair was unwashed, and his clothes looked like he had played in the trash.

Wilbur did his best to keep his nose from wrinkling. He did a quick glance around the line, and he couldn’t see anyone who looked like his parents. Potentially they were taking photos from another angle or had the boy wait in line while they went shopping.

Wilbur didn’t give it too much thought.

The employee quickly pushed the boy forward with a few words of encouragement. The blond stepped forward, twiddling his thumbs as he made it to Wilbur.

The boy didn’t open his arms, just stood there quietly, staring at Wilbur’s boots. The kid seemed nice enough, probably just a bit nervous. Wilbur softened ever so slightly, bending down to be a bit closer to eye level.

“Well, hello there, little one. Would you mind if I picked you up and set you down up here with me?”

The boy shook his head, whispering. “That’s fine.”

Wilbur picked the boy up carefully, settling him on his lap. “And what’s your name, little one?”

The boy’s nose scrunched up. “‘m not little. My name’s Tommy, and I’m a big man.”

Wilbur laughed, more genuine than before. “My apologies, Tommy. How old is this big man?”

Tommy puffed out his chest, holding his hand out. He held up 7 fingers, a toothy grin displayed in his face. “7-years-old! I turned 7 two months ago!”

Wilbur ruffled the boy’s hair. “My, my. That is a big number. Have you been good this year? I bet you have. Big men like you are the best, I am sure.”

Tommy curled into himself, frowning slightly. “Mommy and daddy used to say I’m naughty a lot. But I’ve been very good this month. I’ve done exactly what they told me to do!”

Wilbur chuckled. Tommy did seem like a handful. He could imagine the boy’s parents playfully calling him naughty. The slight change in Tommy’s demeanor went unnoticed.

“That’s wonderful to hear! Now, tell me, big man, what do you want for Christmas this year?”

Tommy’s frown became more pronounced, and it seemed like the boy had become nothing more than a shell. His eyes went vacant and distant, transfixed on something far away.

Tommy leaned against his chest, gazing towards the wall on the other side of the mall as he started to fidget with the buttons on Wilbur’s suit.

Alarm bells started to ring in the back of Wilbur’s mind. He felt his insides squirm, warning him of something that was coming.

Wilbur didn’t quite understand why his gut was churning yet, but he wasn’t going to ignore it.

“Tommy?”

The boy blinked, not fully there but not too far gone, either. “I want… Could you bring my mommy and daddy back?”

Wilbur nearly choked on his own spit.

What?

What did that mean?

Were his mom and dad… dead?

No. Surely not? How would Tommy end up in the mall like this if they were dead? And Tommy said he had been doing what his parents said for the last month.

Was he just lost? Were his parents in the mall somewhere?”

Wilbur gulped, forcing the nervousness out of his voice.

“Oh? Do you know where they are?”

Tommy shrugged. “Said they’d be back. They never did.”

Wilbur’s mouth felt dry. There were so many possibilities, and his mind was going to all the worst ones.

Wilbur looked to the employee next to him, whispering to them. “Looks like we got a case of the blues.”

The employee eyed him then the child before nodding and shutting off the camera. The elves all began to usher the parents away, saying Santa was taking a quick break and that he’d be back soon. He saw someone on the phone, calling the police and a social worker, most likely.

Wilbur really hoped he hadn’t made a bad call. He turned back to the child, giving a warm smile. He dropped the deep voice, deciding on something as inviting and comforting as possible to coax whatever information he could from the kid.

“Hey, Tommy? Can you look at me, little one?”

The boy’s eyes trailed up to meet his, and Wilbur’s heart broke at how lifeless they looked.

“How long ago did your parents tell you to wait?”

Tommy blinked. “A month ago. Told me to stay here, and not look for them. But it’s been a long time and— And will this put me back on the naughty list?” Tommy’s eyes bubbled with tears as he started to hiccup.

Wilbur wanted to throw up. He had just wanted a quick buck. He didn’t know he was about to uncover child abuse. His mind was scrambling, thoughts shooting through his head so fast he could barely even make them out.

There was a broken, lonely, abandoned child sitting in his lap. And he just wanted his mom and dad. And he was scared that he would be put on the naughty list just because he wanted to try and find them after a month.

That would explain why the child was so dirty.

Wilbur bit down on his cheek, keeping all his thoughts to himself. He wanted to scream at the boy, shaking him until he realized this was so entirely wrong and that he should be home with his family and loved. That he was abandoned.

But Wilbur knew better. So he swallowed down his screams and decided the better approach was kindness and empathy. Right now, the child was open to talking. That might change when the police arrive.

It would be best to get as much information as he could right now.

Wilbur quickly wiped away the tears from the boy’s face with gloved thumbs. “Oh, no. Sunshine, you are on the nice list this year. I promise. You’re not going to do anything to get off the nice list.”

Wilbur wasn’t sure where the pet name came from, but he supposed it made sense. His mother and father had called him sweet names to calm him down when he was a kid, so he could use those same tactics now.

Tommy rubbed at his eyes with his fist, sniffling. “You sure?”

Wilbur gave the best ho-ho-ho he could muster. “Am I sure? I’m Santa, dear boy! I made the list!”

Tommy smiled, wrapped his arms around Wilbur’s middle. “Thank you! Thank you!”

Wilbur rubbed the boy’s back, looking over at the employees who were all nervously chatting to each other.

Wilbur pulled back, giving the boy a big smile. “Now tell me, sweetheart, what’s something Santa could get you for Christmas?”

Tommy tapped his chin in thought. “A… new family?”

Wilbur nearly choked on his spit again.

Okay. Not what he was hoping for. Wilbur rubbed at his chin, laughing awkwardly. “What’s something Santa could get you that one could buy?”

Tommy squinted, clearly using all the energy in his tiny body to think. His face then lit up. “I want a nintendo switch! With animal crossing!”

Wilbur let out a small sigh of relief. At least they got something from him. Wilbur glanced up, watching as a social worker and a few officers started talking to an employee.

Wilbur rubbed Tommy’s back. “Okay, little one. There’s some nice people here to speak to you. They’re going to help you out, okay? Do you think you could answer all their questions?”

Tommy looked at the people in question, biting his lip. “They’re nice?”

Wilbur nodded. “Promise. Everything will work out okay.”

Tommy frowned as a woman walked up to them. She was in a suit, white curly hair that fell around her shoulder framing her face. She held out her hand with a warm smile.

“Hello, Tommy. My name is Puffy. We’re here just to get everything worked out. We heard your parents haven’t been around much, hm?”

Tommy looked back at Wilbur questioningly. Wilbur just gave a confident smile and a nod. That seemed like enough to get the boy to slide off his lap, taking Puffy’s hand as she began to lead him off to the side. Wilbur frowned as the boy was surrounded by police, the woman bending down and starting her barrage of questions.

Poor kid had already gone through so much. But at the very least, he was on the path to finding a real home that would love him.

Wilbur paused, feeling tears bubble up in his own eyes.

He knew there was never a good time to be abandoned by your parents. But there seemed to be something extra cruel about making the poor boy go through this around the holidays. No presents. No warm place to call home. No Christmas tree.

Wilbur wiped at his eyes, ridding himself of his tears as an employee began to let people line up again.

Right. He was still on duty. He was still in charge of making these kids’ Christmases brighter.

Wilbur sat back in his chair, forcing a strained smile on his face. Another little boy ran up to him, climbing onto his lap and swinging his legs happily as he began to list off all the things he wanted this Christmas before Wilbur could even get a word in.

The brunet just let the child ramble on and on, mind quickly wandering off as his thoughts landed back on that boy.

Tommy.

What a brave boy. He hoped he would be alright.

-/-/-/-/-/-

Wilbur had been keeping track of the case. He had used the excuse that he knew he’d be called in to testify at some point, and wanted to know when he should be ready to do that.

But that information didn’t require him to know where the boy was.

Tommy was in a group home for right now. Wilbur had talked to Puffy about the situation, and she was confident that Tommy’s parents would be stripped of their parental rights and given some jail time for their neglect.

These things took time, though. And the police were still yet to find where Tommy’s parents were. Tommy was currently being signed into the foster system while the police searched for his parents. After the case was closed and hopefully Tommy’s parents lost custody, Tommy would be set up for adoption.

For now, though, he would be stuck in a group home for Christmas.

Wilbur frowned at the thought, tapping the side of his face as he paced in his kitchen.

Tomorrow was his last day as Santa, and he couldn’t get his mind off Tommy. No matter how hard he tried, all he could think about was how sad and alone Tommy must be feeling. There was something so heartbreaking about the thought of a child surrounded by people he didn’t know as the icy chill of winter began to dig into his bones.

Distantly, Wilbur thought, he was alone too. 

Wilbur shook the chill away from his mind, quickly rushing into his room and getting ready for bed.

None of this was his business anyway. Tommy was taken care of by someone else now. Tommy wasn’t alone, locked in a mall and waiting for someone to find him anymore. He had a home and a bed and that’s what he needed.

Tommy would be fine. Wilbur had played his part.

There was nothing more to it.

Then why couldn’t he stop thinking about how his apartment had an extra bedroom?

-/-/-/-/-/-

Wilbur was exhausted. He barely slept that night. His brain was going haywire and the knot in his stomach was only growing with every twist and turn in his sheets.

Wilbur yawned as another child came barreling towards him, scrambling to sit in his lap. Wilbur blinked slowly, mind slowly catching up to the moment.

“What’s your name, little one?” Wilbur asked, the girl beaming at him.

“My name's Lauren! I want a horse for Christmas! And new comic books! And a new journal I saw at Walmart!”

Wilbur did his best to indulge her, nodding at every object she listed and making sure to compliment how nice she was this year. 

She got up and left shortly after, another little boy following only a moment later. Wilbur lifted him to his lap, asking his name.

“My name is Tommy.”

Wilbur blinked, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, could you say your name again?”

The boy tilted his head. “I said my name was Lucas! What are you, deaf?”

“Sorry, sorry. Santa’s just getting a little old!” Wilbur gave a fake laugh, forcing the twisted sadness out of his voice.

Wilbur remembered how sad Tommy had looked when he had come up to him. The way his eyes were downcast and distant. The way Tommy had leaned against him and hugged him tight. The way the boy melted under just the slightest affectionate touch.

What Wilbur wouldn’t do to see Tommy and wrap him in a hug right now.

Wilbur smiled for the photographer before helping the boy off his lap. There wasn’t anything more Wilbur could do, he had to remind himself. Tommy wasn’t his to take care of. Tommy was in a home, safe, being given food and water.

Tommy wasn’t alone.

Tommy didn’t need him, it was fine.

Wilbur gave another ho-ho-ho as the final group of kids cheered. There was only about another 30 minutes. Then he’d be paid. He’d grab his guitar, and he’d go home. He’d visit his family for Christmas Eve. Then he would spend Christmas alone watching Christmas movies.

It was going to be a good Christmas this year.

-/-/-/-/-/-

The shouts of children had quieted to none. Instead, there was the bustling of parents rushing through every store they could while last-minute Christmas shopping for their kids. Wilbur threw his costume onto a hanger, placing the pillows to the side and stuffing his wig and fake beard into a bag for the employees to lock up in a supply closet until next year.

Footsteps sounded behind him, and he turned around to see the manager with a wad of cash. Wilbur held his hand out as the man slapped it into his palm.

“Good work out there, Wilbur. Consider coming back for next year?”

Wilbur chuckled, pocketing the money. “We’ll see how it goes. This was a bit more stressful than I was expecting.”

The man laughed. “Oh yeah. I heard about what happened with that one kid. Honestly crazy that someone could just abandon their kid at a mall like that! Like seriously, just don’t have kids, man!”

Wilbur nodded with a smile. “It’s a bit crazy, for sure. I’m glad he got found though and we could get him settled at a group home.”

The manager nodded, patting Wilbur on the shoulder. “You did great, dude. See you around!”

Wilbur quickly gathered his things, throwing all his belongings in his backpack before pulling it over his shoulder and starting his walk to the guitar shop.

He weaved through the crowds of busy parents, apologizing whenever he bumped into someone. Sadly, the guitar shop was on the opposite side of the mall as the Christmas scenery. But the walk wasn’t too bad. Wilbur felt someone step on his foot, and he yelped as he nearly tripped. He quickly stuck his arm out, hand landing on a wall to help keep him upright. No one paid him any attention.

Wilbur glared at the crowd before turning to whatever wall had just saved him from a nasty fall.

Wilbur blinked. It was a window into some sort of gaming shop. Cool under his palm, slightly sticky from other people touching it as well.

And the main display stared up at him.

Taunting him.

A Nintendo Switch.

Bells rang in the back of Wilbur’s mind, a memory bursting through the angry fog of nearly being trampled.

Tommy had said he wanted one for Christmas. Wilbur’s eyes trailed down to the price, sucking a breath in through his teeth.

$400.

The exact same price as his guitar.

The weight of the cash in Wilbur’s wallet suddenly glued him to the floor.

There was no way that a group home would have the funds nor time to purchase Tommy presents, let alone the one he wanted.

But Tommy wasn’t his kid. Wilbur wasn’t supposed to worry about this anymore. He was supposed to work, get his guitar, and play it for the first time with his family.

Wilbur’s fingers curled into fists.

The picture of Tommy sitting alone as other kids ripped open gifts while he had none played in his mind. Wilbur glanced towards the other side of the mall, the glowing sign of the guitar shop glaring back.

He didn’t need to pity the boy. Tommy was going to be fine. He worked hard for this cash. He went through the punches and kicks of children for this.

…

Wilbur knocked his forehead into the cool glass, eyes half-lidded as he glanced back up at the Nintendo Switch.

With a long, drawn-out sigh, Wilbur walked into the shop.

-/-/-/-/-/-

Wilbur lay sprawled out on his father’s couch, stomach full of ham his mother had cooked. Techno was off to the side somewhere, starting up a fire in the fireplace while Phil and Kristin cleaned up the kitchen together.

Wilbur had one arm laid over his eyes, nearly falling asleep right there until his phone buzzed.

The brunet quickly pulled his phone out, raising his arm just enough to open one eye and glance at the message.

It was a text from an unnamed contact. A number Wilbur just so happened to recognize.

Wilbur opened the message, a single video awaiting him. He opened it, turning the volume up just enough for him to hear but not enough for the others in the house to hear.

It was a living room. There were two large couches in the middle, a tall Christmas tree set in the corner. There were a few children surrounding it, ripping open presents with gleeful smiles. A few more ran around the living room with big smiles as they played with whatever toys they got this year. Nothing too big.

Then, the camera turned to a boy on the couch.

His boy.

Tommy was settled in the corner of the L-shaped couch, kicking his feet and twiddling his fingers. He had a single stuffed animal and car set to the side of him. Smaller gifts than what the other kids received, but Wilbur couldn’t blame the owners of the home. Tommy had only just arrived.

A woman then grabbed a box from under the tree, grinning as she walked over to Tommy. The boy looked perplexed at the idea of getting another present, but took the box from her anyway.

A few of the other kids’ interests were piqued and they made their way over to Tommy as the blond ripped open the snowflake-covered wrapping paper.

Tommy let out a loud gasp, jumping from his seat as he raised the box above his head.

“IT’S A SWITCH! AND ANIMAL CROSSING!” Tommy clutched it tightly to his chest as the other kids shouted in wonder. The blond squeezed the box, the brightest smile Wilbur had ever seen on his face.

Tommy grinned at the women. “Santa really listened! He remembered! I knew he would! He promised I was on the nice list this year, and he remembered!”

More shouts of joy filled Wilbur’s ears as other kids all started asking Tommy if they could join him on his game. Tommy’s voice grew muffled with the sound of the others, that bright smile never leaving his face.

Like this was the first time Tommy had ever truly smiled in his life. There were tiny tears in his eyes, making them shine even brighter with the rainbow-colored Christmas lights of the tree.

Abruptly, the video ended.

Wilbur couldn’t take the goofy smile off his face if he tried. His cheeks hurt as he set his phone down flat on his chest, gazing up at the ceiling as he gripped the device tightly. Like he was giving it a hug.

Thudding footsteps sounded in the room, the voice of his father flowing through Wilbur’s ears.

“What were you watching? Thought I heard some children squealing,” Phil said, smiling as he wiped his hands on a small towel before throwing it over his shoulder.

Wilbur just closed his eyes, picturing that bright smile once more. “Just watched a cute video of kids opening presents. It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

Phil hummed, a hint of confusion laced in his tone but he didn’t pry any further. Wilbur rubbed his cheeks, trying to massage the muscles into relaxing but the smile wouldn’t leave him no matter what.

A chuckle rose in him, leaving his lips without his consent. There was something so precious about that voice. About that smile. About those bright blue eyes.

Wilbur blinked as his vision grew blurry, wiping at his eyes.

Right now, the sacrifice of that new guitar didn’t feel so grand.

Now, it felt like the most inconsequential thing of all.

-/-/-/-/-/-

The brunet sighed as he pulled off his tie, laying it out on his bed and shrugging off his suit coat. Wilbur made his way to his kitchen, pouring water into a pot before setting it on the stove to boil.

Today had been a long day. He had to go to court to give his testimony of what happened that day in front of the judge and jury. He was asked questions, and he had to stop himself from glaring daggers at Tommy’s “parents.”

Wilbur spit into the sink. As if they even deserve that title.

Tommy hadn’t been there. Which Wilbur was thankful for. He hoped that Tommy never had to see those worthlesspieces of wet cardboard again. He hoped the boy would never have to look into the eyes of the people who were supposed to love him, but didn’t.

…

Wilbur hoped Tommy saw nothing but the eyes of someone who loved him for the rest of his life. Wilbur couldn’t help the growing hole in his heart from filing with a single image.

The image of Tommy tucked into the bed of the guest room.

Wilbur rubbed at his face, dumping a package of macaroni into the boiling water and stirring it.

It was a ridiculous image, really!

Wilbur didn’t have time to care for a child. He didn’t… he didn’t have the funds. Could he even begin to provide Tommy all he deserved? Tommy deserved the world. 

And as Wilbur had already stated, he wasn’t the one to give it to him.

But you already made his Christmas. Make another, and another, another—

Wilbur pinched the bridge of his nose as he reached for his phone. He quickly opened his contacts, pressing on ‘Dad.’

It rang a few times, buzzing in his hands before his father’s voice flowed through the speakers.

“Wil! How are you?”

“I’m doing well. I just… had a quick question.”

Wilbur did his best not to let the storm of thoughts in his mind affect his voice, but judging from the concern in Phil’s voice, he had failed. 

“Yeah? What’s up?”

Wilbur took a breath in, holding it for a moment. As soon as he said it out loud, this journey would begin. He knew it. He knew there was no going back.

Who was he kidding? There was no going back since the moment Wilbur held Tommy in his arms.

“What do you know about a-adoption?” Wilbur cringed at the break in his voice, biting his lip as the silence stretched on. He just kept stirring the macaroni, hardly paying any attention to it.

“Wil…” Phil said slowly, carefully as if tasting the word. “Are me and your mom going to become grandparents?”

Wilbur huffed a laugh. “I… I don’t know. I guess it’ll depend on if I can… If I can even get him. You remember that kid I told you about while I was working as Santa?”

“Mmhmm? Tommy, was it?” There was shuffling on the other side, the sound of a laptop cracking open and fingers clacking against a keyboard.

Of course his father was already doing research.

“Yeah. Yeah, that’s him. I’m not really sure what… happened, exactly. I just… I haven’t been able to get that smile out of my head. He lit up my world and he didn’t even know that he did. He deserves everything and I… I want to be the one who gives it to him. I really do.”

There was a fond smile in Phil’s voice as he spoke. “Oh, mate. I understand you completely. Sounds to me like you’re starting to understand what I felt like when I first saw you in just a tiny little sonogram.”

Wilbur laughed, pouring the boiling water out of the pot and the macaroni in a bowl. “No need to get all sappy on me now.”

His father snorted. “You started it, you giant sap. Tommy already has you wrapped around his finger.”

Wilbur rubbed his face with a breathless laugh. “You don’t even know.”

Phil grinned. “Oh, Wil. What did you do?”

Wilbur just smiled sheepishly, even if his father couldn’t see it. “Remember how I was going to get that guitar?”

“Mmhmm?”

“There’s a reason I didn’t end up buying it more than just me changing my mind,” Wilbur giggled.

Phil burst out laughing. “You bought him a Christmas present, didn’t you?”

“Mayyyybe…”

Wilbur couldn’t see him, but he knew his father was wiping tears from his face.

Wilbur pulled the phone away from his ear, putting it on speaker. “Wanna see the video I got of him opening it? It’s the most precious thing, Dad. I can’t wait to see it in person.”

Phil eagerly agreed and Wilbur sent the video. The brunet listened closely as Phil watched the video, closing his eyes to hear the staticky giggles of Tommy through the speaker. Wilbur could predict when each happy screech would come from the blond, having rewatched the video probably over a hundred times now. He’d memorized it to the second.

Wilbur had really been fooling himself, hadn't he?

The video ended, and Phil cooed. “Oh, son. I understand you completely. I don’t know too much about adoption, but I’ll come over and we can do research, yeah? I imagine it’s more complicated with the fact he’s in court currently. But we’ll get it figured out.”

Wilbur smiled, taking a small bite of his food. “Thanks, Dad. And thank you for being understanding.”

“Of course!” Phil said, voice dipping to something playful. “Techno is going to have a field day with this. He knew you’d go soft and had a bet with us that you’d try to adopt Tommy the moment you mentioned him.”

Wilbur squawked. “What?! A bet? I’m not that predictable!”

Phil chuckled. “He clocked you, Wil. Twin senses or something. We’re all excited to meet the kid too. I’ll be over in about an hour, Is that alright?”

Wilbur rolled his eyes, smiling fondly at the thought of his family visiting a home of two instead of one. “That’ll be fine. I gotta eat and clean up a bit anyway. See you then.”

“Alright, bye-bye then.”

With a click, the phone call ended.

Wilbur smiled to himself, taking a look at his Mac and cheese.

He’d really need to learn to cook if he did adopt.

Save that for later. For now, he’d have to fight with the rising hope that Tommy would soon be under his care.

It was a losing battle.

-/-/-/-/-/-

Wilbur and Phil had been doing more research than they had ever done in their life. Making calls, singing tons of documents, talking to other adoptive parents on forums, and searching the depths of the internet for any speck of information they could find.

There was so much to know and to do. Wilbur quickly realized there were some things that he wasn’t capable of yet.

The major thing was money. He didn’t have the income necessary to take care of a child. He’d most likely be denied with his current income.

Tommy’s case was quickly coming to a close. It was moving faster than originally anticipated, but Puffy has been in contact with him and helping him through this process as well. Hopefully she can pull a few strings, as she already trusts him to take care of Tommy’s emotional needs. But convincing everyone involved in this process was another story.

Wilbur threw himself in the bed, staring up at the popcorn ceiling. As Wilbur stared, he vacantly traced various shapes and patterns within. A flower here, a face there, whatever his tired mind could think up.

Money all seemed so unimportant in the grand scheme of things. Wilbur could bring Tommy happiness and he’d love him to the end of his days. But none of that mattered when he couldn’t put food on the table.

The thought had his stomach twisting, mind crying that he’d go hungry a hundred times over if it meant he could call Tommy his son. He’d do whatever it took for that boy.

But that wasn’t how it worked. It wasn’t sustainable. Wilbur’s logical side knew that. But that didn’t stop him from curling into his covers, tears bubbling up in his eyes as the truth of the matter sunk into his gut.

Wilbur couldn't adopt Tommy. Not like this. Not where he was at right now. It was a cold truth that struck through him like an icicle. Pierced through his heart and caused a chill to run through his body as his blood went cold.

He shivered, huffing his blanket tighter to himself.

Wilbur didn’t believe in fate and all that. He didn’t believe there was anything that controlled the sway of the world. The universe was just that, the universe. Not some being that controlled his destiny.

But he couldn’t help that as he closed his eyes, he wished. He sent his thoughts to the stratosphere and hoped whatever was out there heard him.

That there would be some change. Some shift. Some sign, that this was meant to be. That this happiness and joy wasn’t put in his life only to be packaged in a short minute-long video and ripped away from him. That he was on the right track. That this was meant to be.

He so selfishly wished for more. Please, grant him this one wish.

Let him give this sunshine child the life and home he deserves.

Wilbur’s eyes closed, the chill ever present as he began to drift off into sleep. Much like his thoughts and wishes drifted into the night sky.

-/-/-/-/-/-

Wilbur yawned widely, stretching out his arms and legs as they popped and cracked. He really was turning into his father, wasn’t he?

Wilbur chuckled to himself, rubbing at his eyes before reaching for his phone. He turned off the alarm and grabbed his glasses. It was a weekend, which meant it was a good day to laze in bed for a while and scroll whatever addicting social media he chose for this fine morning.

Wilbur titled his head at the sight of quite a few notifications from YouTube. He clicked on it, eyes going wide.

His song had blown up. Numbers Wilbur never would have dreamed they would reach. He was being tagged in edits that his songs were being used for. Reaction videos?!

Wilbur’s jaw was dropped, eyes blinking rapidly in disbelief.

This wasn’t real. There was no way this was actually happening?

His phone started to buzz in his hands, a call taking over his screen from his brother.

Wilbur quickly answered, mouth dry and still hanging open from shock.

“Wil. Dude, your song appeared on my YouTube this morning. Have you seen the views yet?!”

Wilbur just let out a noise. Even he wasn’t sure exactly what it was.

There was a pause from Techno. “I see. You probably have. Are you doin’ alright?”

Wilbur’s thoughts finally caught up to his mouth. “NO?! I am apparently YouTube famous overnight! What am I supposed to do with this?! People like my music! I’m getting comments after comments and I can’t read them all! I’m being pinged like crazy on the small discord server I’ve got set up. I imagine my mods need help with the new influx of people. What am I even doing right now?!”

“Calm down, first off. Take some deep breaths. This is an opportunity. You have been chosen by the algorithm. You’ve been given an opportunity. It’s time to seize it.”

Wilbur took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

Right. An opportunity. If this managed to work out… If he could gather himself a large enough audience…

Maybe he could adopt Tommy.

It wasn’t enough; not yet. But it was a sign. And that was what he had asked for. Which meant he was going through with this.

Wilbur sat up and got to work. He uploaded a song he was saving for next month, hoping to capitalize on the current views. And just like that, the numbers had begun ticking up.

He had to keep working. He needed to get more songs out. Maybe work on some covers? Take requests? He wasn’t losing this opportunity. This sign.

This was only the beginning of his journey. And he was prepared to run.

-/-/-/-/-/-

Signing up for adoption was hard. There was a lot of paperwork to do. A worker had to come and interview him multiple times. He had to do an extensive background check. And a worker even had to come into his home to make sure it was suitable for a child. Apparently they were hesitant due to the fact he was single and his income was from YouTube.

Many factors that he understood would be a roadblock for him, but hopefully on Puffy’s end she could get these concerns shoved to the side.

And after months of preparing, watching the case, sleepless nights filled with anxiety…

Tommy was at his doorstep.

Wilbur was nearly breathless as he looked at shining blue eyes staring up at him in curiosity. Puffy was behind him, a smile on her face.

This was a trial period. Tommy would stay for about a month, and then he’d be interviewed alone to ask questions about how he was treated and if he’d like to stay.

If everything went according to plan, Tommy would officially be Thomas Soot before the end of the year.

Wilbur smiled, stepping to the side and letting the two inside. This was it. Everything was lining up perfectly. The end was in sight. Tommy was in his home, where he could be loved as he should have always been.

Of course, he was aware that the trauma Tommy received from being abandoned wouldn’t suddenly disappear. But he was in a safe space now. A place he could grow and heal.

Wilbur shut the door behind them, guiding them to the small living room.

He and Puffy had a short conversation where they went over what would happen once more, and then she was gone.

Now it was just Wilbur and Tommy.

Wilbur turned to the little one, softening his expression. “Hello there, Tommy. It’s wonderful to finally officially meet you. May I show you around?”

Tommy nodded. “It’s nice to finally meet you too.”

Wilbur walked him around the space, showing him the kitchen, bathroom, Wilbur’s room, and lastly, his own room.

Wilbur opened the door, gesturing inside. “This is going to be your room. The decorations are a bit lacking, but we can fill this up over time. Would you like to unpack while I cook us up some dinner? I heard you like pizza. I have some store bought ones, if that’s okay?”

Tommy simply nodded once more. “That would be fine, thank you.”

Wilbur smiled, closing the door to give Tommy some privacy. Then, he rushed to the kitchen and got the pizza in the oven.

He nearly screamed from the anxiety and excitement inside of him. Tommy was unpacking. After nearly a whole yearof work, Wilbur was finally allowed to take Tommy in. Tommy’s parents were in jail. His career was taking off. Christmas wasn’t too far away.

Everything just felt too good to be true. But it was true. Tommy was here. His baby was home.

-/-/-/-/-/-

Wilbur brushed his fingers through blond locks as a random Christmas movie played in the background. Some movie about Santa and him always bringing presents.

Tommy was leaned against him, legs curled up as his ear laid against Wilbur’s chest. Wilbur had his arm slung around Tommy’s shoulders, fingers playing with the golden strands. A Christmas tree sat in the corner of the room, decorated to the fullest with color and random crafts the two had made together.

It was Christmas Eve. Today was the day the adoption officially went through. They had gone to the court, verbally declared their agreement, and had the documents signed. Then they had a small party with Wilbur’s family to celebrate their newest addition.

Then they came home, and now they’re here. Wilbur leaned down, laying his cheek on Tommy’s head.

Tommy Soot.

Wilbur nuzzled his nose into his son’s scalp, breathing in the scent of shampoo and whatever Christmas candle he had lit earlier.

There was something so peaceful about this moment. So fulfilling.

Just a son and his father, basking in each other’s presence. Neither taking for granted the wonderful opportunity they had been given.

Tommy adjusted himself, eyes not leaving the TV.

“Y’know… Santa is late sometimes. The movie is wrong.”

Wilbur tilted his head, looking down at his son. (His son! His son! His baby boy!)

“Oh? What do you mean?”

Tommy looked up at him, placing his chin on Wilbur’s chest. “He was late giving me my present.”

Wilbur’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

Tommy yawned, wide and sleepy. His eyes were half-lidded as he spoke.

Wilbur would need to put Tommy to bed soon, he noted.

“You were a year late. I asked for you last year.”

Wilbur blinked, gears turning in his brain.

Asked for him last year? What did that…

Realization dawned on him, face falling in an expression of pure awe.

Tommy had asked Santa for a new family. A new mom or dad that would love him. Tommy had never seen Wilburbefore. He met Santa. 

Tommy didn’t know Wilbur was that same Mall Santa.

Tommy thought… Tommy thought Wilbur was the gift Santa got him this Christmas.

Wilbur felt tears slide down his cheeks, lips wobbling.

Oh. Oh. Wilbur was going to die.

Wilbur’s heart squeezed, his hand coming up to hold the area as he nearly doubled over.

Tommy thought he was a gift.

Tommy thought of Wilbur as a gift!

Wilbur scooped Tommy into his arms, pressing a million kisses into the boy’s hairline. He chuckled wetly as he pressed a lingering kiss to Tommy’s nose before pressing their foreheads together.

“Oh, love. Oh, darling. My sweetest, most precious boy. You are the best thing I’ve ever gotten for Christmas. You’re the best present ever.”

Tommy pulled back, brows furrowed. “No. I’m not the present. You’re literally the best present ever. Santa took a whole year to make you!”

Wilbur whined, high and painful as more tears slid down his face. He quickly pulled Tommy back in, burying the boy’s face in his neck and squeezing him so tight it knocked the breath out of them both.

“Stop. Darling, you’re going to kill me. I’m going to die.”

He heard a mumbled ‘sorry’ but Wilbur quickly shushed the blond.

“It’s fine, Toms. You’re just…” Wilbur sighed, fond and filled with nothing but warmth. “You’re the best, sunshine. You’re the best thing to have ever happened to me.”

Tommy giggled, snuggling closer and kissing Wilbur on the cheek. “Thank you for being my dad.”

Wilbur let out a slow breath, letting it linger for a moment in the silence before he spoke. “That’s it. I’m eating you.”

Wilbur threw Tommy onto the couch, making a mockingly loud “ahhhhh” noise before blowing a raspberry on Tommy’s arm.

Tommy laughed, the sound making Wilbur grin before attacking him with tickles. The boy squealed, kicking out randomly. Wilbur dodged with ease, grabbing Tommy’s hand and nibbling at his fingers. Squeeks left Tommy’s lips along with the most beautiful giggles Wilbur’s ever heard before.

Tommy managed to get a good kick in the chest, Wilbur falling backwards dramatically before rolling onto the floor. Tommy took his opportunity, leaping off the couch and landing on Wilbur’s gut. The brunet let out a loud ‘oomph’ before wrapping his arms around Tommy and spinning over. Tommy screeched, finding himself in a similar position to how they were on the couch.

And so the two continued to play, Christmas movie long forgotten in favor of wrestling.

Wilbur decided not to tell Tommy that he was Santa. For now, at least.  The boy had enough to worry about rather than Santa being real or not. Plus, maybe it would be nice to feel like someone had been looking over him all this time. Rewarded him with the blessing of a family.

Wilbur would work out the details later. For right now, though... He was going to gobble up all of Tommy’s fingers and toes!

-/-/-/-/-/-

Tommy was sat at the table, paper in hand and tongue sticking out. Wilbur had a hot chocolate in his hands as he drifted through the home. He picked up bits and pieces of wrapping paper, throwing it in the trash can. He stacked up Tommy’s new toys, keeping them in a small space to the side.

Wilbur may have gone a bit overboard this Christmas. But could you blame him? This was Tommy’s first Christmas as a Soot. He wanted to make it memorable.

Once he finished, he made his way behind Tommy. He peaked around the boy’s shoulders, taking a small sip out of his mug.

“Whatcha doin’, sunshine?”

Tommy didn’t look away from his paper. “Writing a thank you letter to Santa! Do you think we could send it tonight?”

Wilbur smiled, ruffling the boy’s hair. “Of course, love. Whatever you want. May I take a look?”

Tommy nodded, leaning to the side so Wilbur could get a better look.

“Dear Santa,

Thank you for Wilbur. He came a bit late, but I think that’s understandable. It makes sense that making a whole dad would take some time. I can tell you modeled him after an elf. He has pointy ears, just like I imagine the elves do—“

Wilbur reached up, grabbing at his ears. Huh, they were kind of pointy, weren’t they? A warm, fuzzy feeling filled his being as he kept reading.

“And he has lanky limbs. Like you took the elf blueprint and stretched it! He’s the best dad ever. He’s super nice and he gives the best hugs and cuddles. He says sweet names to me, like you did when I asked you for him. He’s perfect! The bestest dad I could ever ask for.

And thank you for all the gifts too! Opening them with Dad was so much fun and you got everything on my list and even more! This is the best Christmas ever.

Thank you,

Tommy Soot.”

Tommy turned it around. On the back, a drawing sat. Two stick figures. One shorter with yellow hair, and the other tall with brown hair.

‘Me’ and Dad’ were written below their respective figures. In Wilbur’s hand, sat a guitar. Wilbur’s figure had long, pointy ears, an arrow pointing to it saying, ‘Elf ears.’ Other arrows pointed to different things.

‘Sweater warm for cuddles.’

‘Tal + help me put star up.’

‘Guitar to sing me to sleep.’

And finally, pointed to a big bow on top of Wilbur’s head…

‘Best gift!’

Wilbur was going to have a mental breakdown. He was going to collapse onto the floor, take Tommy with him, and slowly merge into the floorboards together.

He wrapped his arms around Tommy, burying his face in blond locks and pressing kisses into the boy’s scalp.

“He’ll love this letter. He’ll cherish it forever, Toms. I just know it,” Wilbur said between kisses, squeezing Tommy tightly.

Tommy beamed. “You really think so?”

Wilbur just grinned. “I know so. And just so you know… You were my Christmas present too. Santa paired us up nicely, don’t you think?”

Tommy nodded excitedly. “Can we go now? Can we send the letter now?”

Wilbur just chuckled wetly, grabbing the letter and folding it in half. “Sure, sunshine. Just let me put it in an envelope, then we’ll head out.”

Wilbur rushed to his office after hearing an agreement from Tommy, quickly grabbing an envelope and a blank sheet of paper. He stuffed the blank sheet of paper into the envelope, placing Tommy’s letter in a drawer.

That was going in his memory box.

Wilbur walked out, meeting Tommy at the doorway. The boy already had his coat on and Wilbur helped wrap the scarf around Tommy’s neck.

Tommy smiled up at him, arms stiff at his sides for how big the coat was. Wilbur just giggled, lifting Tommy into his arms and handing the boy the letter. Tommy held it close to his chest, bouncing in Wilbur’s arms as the man made his way outside.

Snow drifted down slowly, lights starting to blink to life as the sun set. Snow crunched beneath Wilbur’s shoes. The boy in his arms grinned and excitedly pointed out the collection box.

Wilbur maneuvered Tommy, bringing him closer to the box as the boy carefully pushed his letter inside. The blond then turned to him, grinning from ear to ear before burying his face in Wilbur’s chest. Wilbur ran a hand through Tommy’s hair, simply holding the two there for a moment.

In a way, the silence only felt right. A moment to simply take in where they were now, and what that meant.

To Wilbur, it meant the world. And he knew to Tommy, it meant the same.

Wilbur pressed a kiss to blond curls before turning on his heel to make his way back home.

Maybe tomorrow morning, they’d make snow angels. Or have a snowball fight. Or build a snowman.

That was for Tommy to decide tomorrow.

For now, Wilbur pulled off the boy’s coat, giggling at the way Tommy’s head went slack against his chest. Out like a light.

He helped Tommy into some comfortable pj’s and then, with as much gentleness as Wilbur could muster, slid Tommy beneath his blankets. The brunet tucked him in, kissing his forehead with a whispered ‘goodnight, little one.’

-/-/-/-/-/-

Wilbur stared at the card he had written, humming to himself. Wilbur had wanted to write Tommy a card back from Santa. Let the boy know the card was received and appreciated. But the thing was, Wilbur’s handwriting was not good. And most importantly, very recognizable.

Wilbur drummed his fingers against the table, humming to himself as he wracked his brain for a solution. He didn’t want Tommy finding out he was Santa quite yet, so he may have to have someone else come write the letter…

Wilbur lit up, grabbing his phone and typing a quick text to his brother.

‘Come to my house quickly. It’s an emergency!’

Wilbur pocketed his phone, ignoring the frantic buzzing he got in return.

Techno would be here soon!

After only about 30 minutes, Wilbur’s door burst open. Techno came stumbling through, panting heavily.

“Are you alright? Is Tommy alright? Did you guys get hurt? What happened?”

Wilbur grinned, getting up from his seat and ushering Techno to sit down. “We’re both fine and safe. I just have a favor I really need from you.”

Techno’s brows furrowed as Wilbur pushed a pen into his hands. “What do you need?”

“Well, you see. Tommy wrote me this really cute letter. He addressed it to Santa, and I wanted to have Santa write him back. But as you know, my handwriting is both abysmal and very easy to tell apart from others. So, I figured I’d ask the person with the prettiest handwriting I know to write the letter in cursive!”

Techno’s expression switched to annoyed, screaming ‘are you serious?’ 

Wilbur just smiled and nodded. “Please? He’d really appreciate it.”

Techno just sighed, shaking his head. “No, I won’t write it. But you will.”

Wilbur pouted, lip jutting out and body going limp. “But Techno… He’ll recognize my writing!”

Techno forced Wilbur into the chair. “Not if I teach you to write in cursive.”

Wilbur blinked. “You’d do that?”

“Yep. Now, how much cursive do you know?”

Wilbur’s expression turned sheepish. “Not… much. I kind of forgot.”

Techno pinched the bridge of his nose. “We were taught this in school. Fine. Fine, whatever. Let’s just get started.”

To most, Techno would have sounded genuinely upset or annoyed. But to Wilbur, he sounded excited to teach his brother something he knew. Techno always loved sharing his knowledge, even if he seemed annoyed at the idea of it.

Wilbur knew him better.

A small upturn of Techno’s lips, the slight shine of excitement in his eyes.

Wilbur smiled, turning back to the paper as Techno pulled up a chair.

They had a lot of work to do before Tommy got home from school.

-/-/-/-/-/-

Wilbur placed the two’s plates in the sink, setting the cups to the side before drying his hands. He turned, watching Tommy come out of his room with his PJs on.

“Hey, Toms. A letter came in the mail. I think it’s for you!”

Tommy blinked, tilting his head. “For me? Who’s sending me a letter?”

Wilbur opened a drawer, pulling the envelope out and waving it in the air. “I think it’s from the North Pole.”

Tommy gasped, rushing up to him and grabbing the envelope from Wilbur’s hands. He ripped it open, grin on his face slowly falling. Wilbur’s heart dropped at the sad glint in his son’s eyes.

Was the letter not sufficient?

Did he say something bad in it?

Tommy looked at Wilbur, frowning. “I can’t read it.”

Oh.

Oh, Tommy probably couldn’t read cursive.

Wilbur let out a sigh of relief, reaching down and scooping Tommy up by the armpits. “I can read it to you. C’mon.”

He settled on the couch, Tommy tucked up against his chest and sat on his lap. Wilbur plucked the letter from Tommy’s hands, clearing his throat dramatically before reading.

“Dear Tommy,

I am so glad you enjoyed your presents this year. I do apologize for being late with Wilbur, but I am glad he is to your liking. I made sure to craft Wilbur to the best of my abilities. He is full of love just for you. He will take care of you, and you should always feel comfortable to come to him with any problems you have. He will take care of you, forever and ever.

Just as I gifted him to you, you are his gift as well. There was nothing more that he wanted than to be your father. His strongest desire is to love you, and ensure you live out your days in a house full of warmth and peace. You are adored, and you are home.

Have a merry Christmas, dear Tommy. And may the rest of your days be filled with joy.

Regards, Claus.”

Wilbur nearly choked up as he spoke, eyes slightly wet. He smiled down at Tommy, the boy grinning from ear to ear.

His boy.

Wilbur felt pride bubble up inside him. He knew Tommy didn’t know the letter was from him yet, but he read it out with all the emotion he wrote it with. There was something so special about being able to pour out his heart to his baby. This was a feeling he’d never forget, and it was something he planned to do every opportunity he got. As Santa, and as Dad. 

Tommy twisted in his hold, giving him the biggest hug imaginable.

“Thank you, Dad. You’re the best ever. I’m so glad I got you for my gift. Santa couldn't have designed you any better.”

Wilbur buried his face in Tommy’s hair, grinning as tears slid down his cheeks. “You, my dear, are my world. I am happy that I could bring you this joy.”

Wilbur folded his letter, setting it to the side before standing up and spinning the two. Giggles filled the small room as Wilbur danced them to his room. He flopped down on the bed, curling around Tommy and blanketing him with kisses.

Tommy just squealed, attacking him back with pokes and tickles.

Tommy had asked for a new family for Christmas, and he got one. He got a father who loved him beyond words. He had an uncle, grandma and grandpa who would come over and play with him.

Tommy didn’t understand how Santa did all this, but he didn’t care to figure it out right now.

Right now, he just enjoyed the overwhelming sense of love and warmth in his new home.

Home. That’s what he wished for.

That’s what Wilbur has given him.