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my mother was one of the best elves in the north pole. she was the quickest wrapper, the fastest at letter sorting, and the most skilled toy maker. she retired and left me to maintain the family legacy. this would be no problem if i wasn't so obviously related to her.
when my grandma was pregnant with my mom she got turned into a reindeer because of some magic incident. she got turned back quite quickly, but i guess the dna stuck. my mother emerged half reindeer, but she took it with pride. she had great big horns and a fluffy tail and an elegant face with reindeer fur and spots adorning it. she wasn't a freak, she was gorgeous.
i emerged with less reindeer, so i was not as lucky. i got the antlers and a tiny little tail but nothing else, no extra beauty, charm, or skill. everyone knew we were related. but i did the best i could. i was hopeless at most of the things she was golden at, but i was the best wrapper at the north pole after she retired! she taught me well.
i may be able to overlook my unordinary qualities if it weren't for the head elf always being so critical. and sure, bernard was critical of everybody, but i never escaped his notice. i'd been working here for hundreds of years now, loosen up!
"we're going on break, care to join us?" one of my fellow wrappers asked. i turned to her with a smile.
"nah, you guys go on ahead. i'll keep on working so we don't fall behind and take a break when you get back," i assured them all. they told me how great i was before rushing off.
i was entranced in my wrapping when i heard a familiar gait approaching (reindeers did have better hearing than elves!). as he got closer i looked up with a friendly smile.
"bernard," i greeted with a slight nod before looking away to wrap faster.
"hmph," the head elf replied, looking around my section carefully. "where's everybody else? slacking off?"
"no, they're taking a break," i defended.
"there's no time for breaks! this close to christmas?" he replied with horror. i rolled my eyes.
"it'll be okay," i assured him, "i'm the fastest wrapper and i intend to keep us on schedule."
"that is true. maybe i should make you head of this department once the current one retires," the curly haired elf agreed, uncrossing his arms. i looked up in surprise.
he stared at me quizzically, "what?"
"sorry," i quickly looked back down with a blush. he cleared his throat. after some moments of silence i glanced back over at him. "um, did you need something?"
"yes!" he declared, "no, nevermind." he seemed to get a bit flustered. "i'll come back later," he decided before stalking off.
"okay then," i said as i watched his back as he walked away.
❄️
"can you deliver these to bernard's office for me?" the head of the wrapping department requested.
"sure," i obliged with a forced smile.
i made it to his door and knocked, but didn't hear anything in response. assuming he was out, good news for me, i opened it and peered inside. it was indeed empty, and i was told to deliver to his office not to him, so i could avoid him after all!
i placed the documents on his desk where i thought he may see them and looked around for a sticky note to explain where they were from. my eyes landed instead on a little pink envelope sealed with a heart. a love letter!
my heart jumped in my chest. was it for him or from him? i was tempted to peek into it or flip it around to see the name on the back when i heard him walking down the hall. i quickly averted my gaze and pretended to be writing the sticky note when he walked in.
"hey, what are you doing in here?" the head elf asked all accusatory, marching up to me and quickly snatching the letter to shove it in a drawer.
"um, delivering this," i responded calmly as i placed the sticky notes on the documents. "guess i didn't need to leave the note after all."
"you should've waited outside the door!" he scolded with an embarrassed flush.
"i didn't see who the letter was for or from," i rolled my eyes, "maybe lock your door next time."
"what letter?" he asked defensively as he blushed again. i let out a small laugh and he seemed to calm down a little.
"can't i know who it's from?" i looked at him with my innocent reindeer eyes. he cleared his throat and stood up.
"nobody important," the curly haired elf replied. i drooped.
"okay," i gave up. i did feel a bit funny either way. who would in their right mind hit on bernard? not me, he was way too stuck up. but he was one of the most attractive elves. just cause he was tall though! other than that he's so ordinary. nothing to be losing sleep over.
"your mind is running a million miles per hour," he observed as i deduced all this. it was my time to blush.
"i was just trying to think about who it could be," i defended, "but ill stop prying now."
"it's okay, it's natural to be curious," bernard surprised me by replying.
"yeah, but i'm probably more nosy than the other elves," i sighed, absentmindedly reaching up a hand to touch my antlers.
"well, that's not necessarily a bad thing," he responded, reaching up his own hand to gently trace the other antler i wasn't touching. i stiffened and he brought his hand away. "sorry," he apologized sheepishly.
"it's okay, it's natural to be curious," i mimicked with a smile. he smiled back and reached his hand back up.
"they're very nice," he complimented, "must be annoying to sleep with, though."
"yeah, but i have a special bed, so i manage," i shrugged. he nodded absentmindedly as he studied my antlers. "i let the other elves decorate them on christmas eve," i told him.
"yes, i know," bernard replied, finally looking back down at my face.
"oh, right," i stammered out. "well, i best be going, i'm sure you're very busy," i dismissed myself. he placed his arms behind his back and watched me scurry away.
"not that busy," he said quietly to himself when he thought i couldn't hear him anymore.
that was the most the two of us had spoken in decades, the more i thought about it. and usually he was so mean! but in his office he was so sweet, and he even complimented my wrapping earlier in the day. i shook it off. i couldn't be crushing on bernard now, after all this time, when someone was finally making a move on him (or him on someone). i beat myself up over it mentally as i tried to sleep that night.
❄️
on chistmas eve eve (so two days before christmas) me and the rest of the wrapping elves were finishing up a few things before the big day. a couple last minute gifts, happened every year. bernard stalked in to check on things, walking around with his hands clasped behind his back as he looked over everyone's shoulders.
i watched him go as i wrapped without looking at the present, and when he glanced over at me i quickly averted my gaze. we had made eye contact though, so he began to approach.
"bernard," i greeted with a small smile.
"Y/N," the head elf replied. he looked nervous.
"we're almost ready," i assured him.
"ready for what?" he asked in confusion. i heard some snickers around us.
"um, christmas," i clarified. he got all flustered and began stammering.
"right. yes, christmas. the big day," bernard nodded. he began to turn away from me but then turned back.
"everything okay?" i inquired.
"yes. could i talk to you outside for a minute?" he requested. oh no.
"of course," i obliged and put my wrapped present in the finished pile.
"the rest of you better not slack off," he warned as he began walking towards the hall, with me following close behind.
"what's up?" i asked once we were in the hallway outside the workshop room.
"do you have any plans for christmas eve? once we've launched," bernard asked nervously.
"no," i replied suspiciously, "but if you're going to ask me to pick up some shift or do some work then my answer is no."
"no! nothing like that," the elf assured me.
"oh, alright," i shrugged.
"i was wondering if, well," he struggled to find the words, "if you'd want to hang out with me. we could get cocoa, or something. whatever you like!" he finished and looked at me.
"uh, sure," i agreed, confused by his sudden interest.
"like a date," he clarified. i blinked a couple times in stunned silence.
"oh," i replied, "oh!"
"nevermind, i'm sorry i-" bernard began to retract.
"no! no, i want to go on a date with you," i told him emphatically as i leaned forward. his face broke out into the cutest grin.
"okay! it's a date," he agreed.
"wait, but what about that love letter you received?" i recalled. he blushed again.
"that was for you," bernard enlightened me. i stood there shocked again. this day couldn't get any weirder. "but i wanted to do it face to face. so you knew i was serious," he explained. i nodded.
"i'm glad you did," i approved. we stood there blushing and awkward for a moment in the hallway before i made some excuse and scurried back into the workshop room. how was i meant to focus on work now?
❄️
i was the most excited for christmas than i had been in years. we get the day off after santa launches, which is always great, but now i had a date! for the first time ever!
i polished up my antlers and let my friends decorate them with tinsel and ornaments and lights. i changed out of my work clothes into something a little nicer but not by much.
it took me a few minutes to find bernard since we never made any specific plans on when and where to meet. once i did, his face lit up when he heard me shout his name and we made our way over to each other.
"you look so cute! i didn't think to change-" he began to apologize.
"no! you look great in that, you always do," i assured him with a blush.
"well, thanks," he grinned before offering me his arm. i hooked onto it as he led me outside.
"i figured we could walk around outside and look at the stars for a bit before getting some hot cocoa, i know you like the outdoors," bernard explained.
"i do," i almost melted. he knew things about me! "the wild animals always seem to like me, they're my kindred spirits," i shared.
"that makes sense. i wish i had more time to spend in the outdoors," he admitted.
"maybe santa should promote another elf so you don't have to deal with it alone," i suggested.
"nah, they'd just get in my way. but i'll try to find more free time next year," bernard told me.
"well if this dates goes well i may end up stealing all that free time," i warned.
"i wouldn't have it any other way," he stopped to turn and look at me. i stopped to and looked up at him. he really was tall dark and handsome.
he chuckled as he adjusted some of the decorations on my antlers that had gotten messed up by the wind.
"thank you," i smiled cheerfully.
"no problem," bernard replied as he finished, instead moving his gaze down to my face.
"can i um," he got bashful again.
"what?" i urged.
"can i kiss you?" the elf asked, leaning in closer.
"there's no mistletoe," i furrowed my brow in confusion. he chuckled.
"there doesn't have to be, but here," he pulled away and reached into his pocket to pull out a branch, "a little christmas magic."
"bernard," i exclaimed. he smiled down at me again, with one hand on my cheek and the other holding the mistletoe above us. i don't know which one of us was redder.
i had to lean up and stand on the tips of my toes as he leaned down, meeting together in a soft kiss.
"merry christmas," he murmured when we parted.
"merry christmas, bernard," i replied. and a very merry christmas it was.