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Christmas Eve has always been the Builders' favorite day of the year. Tomorrow held all the excitement—the gifts, the celebrations—but today was quieter, gentler. It was the calm before the joy. Mia was away at their father's house, taking care of him while Elliot kept watch over their own home. He wanted to go, truly, but exhaustion pinned him to the couch before he could even protest. What Mia didn’t know was that a special guest was coming over while she wasn't there. A little secret, just for tonight.
The fire crackled softly in the living room where Elliot sat on the couch while reading a book, a blanket draped loosely around his shoulders as he read. For once, he decided to leave the fairy tales and pick up a different type of book, a Christmas novel. It was about a little girl meeting this green goblin who wanted to ruin Christmas for everyone. He found it a bit ridiculous, but comforting all the same.
There was a knock at the door; the sound came softly, delicately, and patiently. It seemed like his guest had arrived, so he placed the book down on the table and walked to the door to let them in. A blanket was draped over his shoulders and was being dragged against the wooden floor, making a ruffling sound with each step he took.
He opened the door gently to find a grey, charming wolf in cozy clothes, the complete opposite of what he usually wore. Fancy and proper was more of his style, but he tried something new just for the blonde today. Elliot smiled warmly before giving him a tight but friendly hug. He returned it as he patted his back softly.
"Hi, Chancey," Elliot whispered softly, refusing to let go of him for a moment too long.
"Hey, Ellie." Chance responded, smiling back at him.
He opened the door more before letting him in; it was sure cold outside. "Come on in, I have activities waiting for us!"
They both walked into the house. It was warm inside, but that was probably because they were holding hands, and Chance could hear the fire crackling the moment he stepped in. Elliot brought him to the couch, plush and covered in blankets. It was cute and inviting to him.
They both sat down, closer than expected, but neither of them said anything about it.
Elliot broke the silence with a simple question, soft and excited. “So, you wanna start with cookies first?”
“Yeah, sure,” Chance replied, smug. “These cookies are going to turn out so good.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he giggled, “let’s try not to burn the kitchen then!”
Elliot brought him to the kitchen, even though he knew where it was already. This place was kinda like his second home, but that’s because Elliot’s too scared to approach his mother. He finds her sweet and all, but her gaze is something else.
Christmas sugar cookies, they decided to make. They’re easy and practical to make. There’s a lot of sugar in it, but some hot cocoa would fix it right up, right?
“We’re making twelve cookies, alright?” The blonde said while tying his apron on.
He had some difficulty tying the ribbon on the apron, his cut from his last baking session making it harder. Chance approached him slowly and helped with tying it gently.
Elliot froze, but was grateful for the help. His ears warmed up, and his cheeks burned a rosy pink from how close they were, and he looked away awkwardly.
After tying his apron’s ribbon, he dusted it off before going back to his usual cheery voice. “S-so, are we ready to make those cookies?”
“Yep! I’m ready.” Chance answered with a big, bright smile plastered on his face.
The air smelled like sugar and whipped cream as they made the batter for the cookies. Chance playfully put some flour on Elliot’s nose while he was mixing, and Elliot put some on his nose as well while giggling like a child.
The next thing they had to do was chill the dough. Chance placed plastic wrap over the bowl before picking it up and leaving it in the fridge, as Elliot had told him.
Elliot started working on the frosting while Chance cleaned the counter for when they shaped the dough. He was making royal icing since it’s the best for decorating cookies.
“Hey Ellie, do you have Christmas cookie cutters?” Chance asked, leaning onto the counter.
Elliot looked up, pointing at one of the cabinets. “Yeah, we do! It’s in there.”
He walked over to the cabinet that Elliot pointed at before grabbing a few cutters—a tree, a deer, a snowman, an ornament, and a star. He set all of them down on the table before sitting down himself.
Chance had nothing else to do, so why not bother Elliot? “Ells, what do you want for Christmas?” he asked as he watched him stir gracefully.
“Uh… maybe more books? Or a new photo album,” he answered as he poured a bit more icing sugar into the bowl.
“What about you, Chance?”
Chance tapped his chin before resting his chin against his palm, staring right back at Elliot. “For Christmas, I want…—
—you.”
The words hung in the air, soft but heavy, like a snowflake that hadn’t quite decided where to land.
Elliot’s spoon stopped mid-stir.
He blinked once, then twice. His ears slowly heated, pink creeping all the way to the tip as his grip tightened on the bowl.
“C-Chance,” he started, then stopped, breath catching, “You— that’s— that’s not… you can’t just say things like that.”
Chance didn’t laugh this time, didn’t tease either. Instead, he just smiled—small and warm—and shrugged one shoulder.
“I can,” he said quietly. “It’s Christmas.”
Elliot looked back down at the frosting, stirring a little too fast. His heart was beating way too loud, and he suddenly realized how close he was to Chance, how the kitchen felt smaller than it had earlier.
“You’re impossible,” he muttered, though there was no bite to it.
“And yet,” Chance hummed, standing up to grab a tray, “you keep me around.”
They fell into a gentle rhythm after that. The dough was rolled out, chilled just enough, and Elliot gently pressed the cookie cutters into them while Chance transferred them onto trays.
The tree came out lopsided, the star lost one of its points, and the deer lost one of their ears. Elliot apologized instinctively, but Chance just laughed it off, telling him they were perfect.
Once the cookies were in the oven, they leaned against the counter, waiting. The kitchen filled with warmth—the heat from the oven, the fire in the other room, and the quiet comfort of being side by side.
When the timer rang, they jumped slightly, startled, before laughing again. Elliot pulled them out carefully, cheeks warm from the oven and something else entirely. They set the trays aside for cooling, frosting bowls ready, and colors laid out.
“This is my favorite part,” Elliot said softly, already reaching for a piping bag.
Chance watched him for a moment before nodding. “Yeah,” he agreed. “Mine too.”
They got to piping, occasionally laughing about how the eyes on the deer looked crooked, the snowman’s buttons that were melting and the tree’s small decorations. Elliot’s shoulder brushed against Chance’s for a moment, tentative at first, then lingering.
The next step was hot cocoa. Chance had insisted he made it while Elliot finished up on the last cookies. The kitchen smelled like sugar and chocolate mixed together, a lovely pair.
.
.
Everything was set up on the living room table. They sat together on the plush couch, a red fluffy blanket holding them both together. The atmosphere was warm from the fire, softly crackling in front of them.
Chance had suggested they watch a movie on Elliot’s brand-new TV. Elliot didn’t know how to use it yet, but luckily, in the shifter’s world, they already had them. It’s a Wonderful Life, a Christmas classic, from what Chance told him, was the movie they were gonna watch.
The TV slowly illuminated the room, a white and slightly blue shine. Elliot took some cookies and passed some over to Chance, who gladly accepted them.
The scene started with a brown-haired, middle-aged man about to take his own life on a bridge. While in heaven, prayers for him are heard, sending a guardian angel to save him.
Elliot was pretty interested in the movie, pointing out small things he thought might be useful later for plot reasons. Chance smiled and added the little things he also saw.
Each minute that passed by, they seemed to get closer without truly realizing it. The blonde was now resting on Chance’s chest while the wolf was lying down.
They could hear each other’s heartbeats, warm and fast, but didn’t say anything about it. It was the closest they’ve ever been to each other since they only hold hands. Nothing else.
Halfway through the movie, Elliot started dozing off. It was already eleven pm, and he had been awake since six. He tried his hardest not fall asleep and watch the movie.
.
.
.
There was Elliot, fast asleep on Chance. The movie had already ended, and Chance thought it was a good idea to switch positions for his comfort and Elliot’s, too.
He placed Elliot’s head on his lap while he sat down on the couch. He draped the blanket over the blonde since he noticed he was shaking.
Chance watched him for the time being, until he could actually fall asleep. He looked at his face closely, noticing his little brown freckles, faintly red cheeks, and his plush lips. It would be a Christmas dream come true to kiss them, really.
“Oh, Ellie,” Chance muttered, brushing a strand of hair out of Elliot’s face, careful not to wake his sleeping beauty.
“You’re like an angel sent down to me, you know that?” he whispered, only for him to hear.
“I can’t believe someone this pretty exists,” he continued, “I love you, Ells.”
He slowly placed a gentle kiss on his forehead; it lingered only a second, light as snow. Nothing more, nothing less.
“...Chance?”
His heart nearly stopped.
Elliot stirred, eyes blinking open, clearly disoriented—then realization hit at once. He sat down in shock, his eyes went wide, and his face heated instantly as he looked at him.
“Did— Did you just—” he said quickly, flustered, “You— I—”
Chance rushed to apologize, to explain, to—
Elliot leaned in and kissed him.
It was sudden, clumsy, and merely just a brush of lips—but it stole every thought from his head. Elliot pulled back just as fast, eyes wide, hands fisting in Chance’s sweater like he could decide whether he wanted to flee or stay.
“I—sorry— I just—” he stammered, cheeks burning crimson. “I didn’t think. I just—”
Chance’s hand came up, gently cupping his cheek, thumb warm against the flushed skin. He was smiling, something dangerously tender in his eyes.
“...You don’t have to apologize,” he murmured.
Elliot’s breath hitched.
Chance’s lips slowly met his, tender, soft and careful, like he was afraid the moment might shatter if he pressed too hard. Elliot stiffened in surprise at first, breath catching, but then he leaned into it, fingers curling into the fabric of Chance's sweater.
The kiss deepened naturally, warmth replacing hesitation. It wasn’t rushed or desperate; it was lingering, full of everything they hadn’t said out loud. Chance tilted his head slightly, brushing his thumb along Elliot’s jaw, and Elliot responded without thinking, closing the small distance between them entirely.
Somewhere in the house, a clock began to chime.
They pulled apart just barely as the final bell rang, foreheads resting together, breath uneven but quiet. Snow drifted past the windows, and the world felt impossibly still.
“Merry Christmas,” Chance murmured, voice low and sincere.
Elliot smiled, cheeks warm, eyes shining as he whispered it back.
“Merry Christmas.”