Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

(December 25th, early morning)

“Get some rest, we got a lot of work to do!” Bernard called over his shoulder as he continued to walk briskly away from the frustrated human huffing indignantly at him.

Of course a guy like Scott Calvin would have some trouble coming to grips with the existence of magic and elves. Typical businessman.

Normally Bernard wouldn’t be quite so busy Christmas Day, no elf would. Work was complete for the year and all around the Workshop, elves were cleaning up their stations, packing away extra toy parts, and writing end of the year reports. An excited buzz was in the air as elves high on the spirit of Christmas danced and sung while they worked.

The Spirit Department really shined on this day. While the Core Workshop elves worked all year to make Christmas magic for the human children of the world, the Spirit teams worked all year to monitor the amount of Christmas spirit there is in the world. They collect the best parts of how humans express that spirit and then give it back to their fellow elves on this day with the Spirit Festival, a celebration of a job well done—the most elaborate gingerbread villages, the best cocoa recipes, the grandest ice sculptures, and the most beautiful decorations.

The team puts on a performance, the elves all dance, and songs from the human world are presented. The year the spirit elves discovered Mariah Carey was a cultural reset for everyone.

They would party hard all the way to December 26th where the celebrations transitioned into an even grander occasion, the first day back at work—well, technically that was supposed to be December 27th. Elves loved playing but not as much as they loved working, and most couldn’t wait to get a head start on next year’s preparations.

He groaned low in his throat at the thought of missing out on Judy’s cocoa fountain.

Unfortunately, Bernard would have to skip the festival this year. A new Santa means someone would need to pick up the slack in the Workshop. Scott needed time to adjust, so as Arch Elf, that job fell squarely on Bernard’s shoulders. If he wanted to keep up with the crazy workload, he’d have to get started right away. Especially since there was a new challenge to tackle, one he didn’t have to deal with the last time he took over for a new Santa.

There were more kids than ever who believed, which was great! But that's more kids for the list, more kids to mark naughty or nice, more kids with Christmas wishes to keep track of. Santa had an innate ability to know who’d been good or bad and who wanted what. The letters helped keep track, but not everyone wrote them. By the time Scott got started, there might not be enough time left in the year to get everyone checked twice before Christmas Eve. There would probably be a good number of naughty kids who would receive toys next year just to be on the safe side. Not to mention the delay this would cause with toy production. They were going to have to do a lot of guessing on what toys to make until Scott could become Santa enough to start on the list.

Bernard could feel a headache forming as he lamented this new problem.

As he rounded the curved balcony of the lower mid level of the workshop, his pointed ears perked at the sound of little legs shuffling to keep up with his long strides.

“Bernard!”

A blonde elf with big blue eyes behind wire framed glasses matched his pace, a large book under one arm. His hands nervously clutched at some papers he was half hiding his face behind.

“Curtis, you better have good news for me.”

“Uh, well, yes and no. All presents were delivered in time, but the previous Santa had several written notes stuck to the dash of the sleigh that marked which kids would be at which parent’s house for Christmas. Divorced parents and last minute plans, it’s not usually a problem for us, of course. But the new Santa didn’t get the memo apparently. So Georgie Malone’s present is at his mom’s house, Alice Adunka’s is at her grandmother’s, and Keisha Leona’s present is at her dad’s. No major problems there so far, but we’re still tracking 14 other present switch ups.”

“Fine, that’s fine. Nothing we can’t handle,” he huffed in mild frustration.

“Right! I’m not worried about it,” Curtis said matter-of-factly with a short nod. “However there are several police reports coming in about some property damage. New Santa doesn’t quite have the same finesse as the old one just yet.”

“I expected as much. Anything caught on camera?”

“There’s quite a few parents that are turning over surveillance footage to the police in the next day. No clear shots, thank Christmas. But we’re sending out a team to corrupt the footage just in case.”

“Perfect. Way to stay on top of things, Curtis.”

The shorter elf practically glowed at the praise.

Bernard stopped to help a team of Spirit elves pop the wheel back on their barrow so they could continue to haul tinsel out of the workshop and into the courtyard. The Core Workshop elves were winding down and finding stopping places with their work for the day, but the Spirit workers were just getting started. Bernard grabbed a coarse hair brush from a station and started helping Ishaan and Muffin with the doll wigs they were packing up. His movements were fluid as he flitted from station to station, helping where it was needed and directing elves who seemed at a loss for what to do next.

“Sir, there is one other thing you should know about.”

“Oh great, what is it?”

“Um, well, y’see—it’s uh, it’s like this—uhh—“

“Must be a pain in my nutcracker if you’re this hesitant to say.”

Curtis visibly gulped before trying to explain. “It’s just one last little hiccup with the new Santa. There’s a girl, Sara, and apparently she had some trouble staying asleep while Santa visited.”

Bernard winced. “Oh, ten lords a leaping… what did he do?”

“He was pretty rude and snappish,” Curtis replied with a frown. “It hurt her feelings and she’s been very quiet opening her presents this morning.”

Bernard paused as he was screwing in the back panel to an interactive light up toy duck. "Poor kid. What a damper on the best day of the year.” He looked back at Curtis with a weary expression. "We're gonna have to fix this."

“How? Judy’s seeing to the new Santa now. If he’s not asleep, he will be soon.”

“I’ll just have to take care of it myself. Won’t be the first letter I’ve had to write on behalf of the big guy. Get the details on my desk for that and any other priority tasks in the next hour.”

“Got it!”

With a firm nod, Curtis turned on his heel and left Bernard to complete the circuit around the workshop. A small elf named Lucia came up to him asking about a broken lift in the storage room. She needed a box of rubber bands for the puzzle team to use when they got back to work tomorrow, but the box was too high up and the lift wasn’t working. Bernard told her he’d grab it for her and shoo’d her along to the festival.

As he made his way down to the lower rooms, he continued helping elves where he could and then encouraged them to head out to the celebration. By the time he made it to the lower rooms to grab the box of rubber bands, his back was aching and his feet were on pins and needles. He tiredly hauled the box back up to the puzzle department and placed it clumsily on a desk.

“You look like you could use a drink.”

Judy’s voice was even, but her eyes were kind as she approached the exhausted Head Elf. He leaned against the desk behind him as he turned to face her.

“I wouldn’t mind some nice steaming hard cider, to be honest, but I’ll need a clear head tonight.”

“It’s day one, sir, you’re going to burn yourself out at this pace.”

He walked past her and started heading to his office. She turned in tandem and followed him down the main hall, their steps in sync.

“Gotta do whatcha gotta do, Judes.” he rasped softly, fatigue making his shoulders droop. 

They came to a grand set of double doors, old and oaken and carved with elaborate filigree on the side panels. The golden door knobs were matched with a golden plate above the post that read ‘Head Elf’ in swirling calligraphy. He unlocked the door with practiced efficiency and pushed inside. Judy followed and closed the doors behind her.

A stack of papers a gingerbread house high was sat on top of his desk, a note from Curtis stuck to the top.

‘Police reports are on top, E.L.F.S. on standby.’ - C

Judy placed a cup of steaming cocoa down beside the stack and then sat demurely in the cushy chair in front of his desk. He stared down at the dark liquid for a beat before letting his legs collapse into his high backed desk chair. He grabbed the cocoa and let it warm his hands for a moment as he looked back up at Judy’s expectant face.

“He made a kid sad—Sara. She’s always on the nice list.”

“It’s been a long night. He is new after all.” Judy didn’t seem surprised to hear Scott had messed up.

“Yeah,” he rubbed his eyes tiredly. “What do you think of him? I mean, really?”

She looked amused as she blew on her own cup of cocoa. “He’s… interesting. Confused, frustrated, maybe a little scared. He loves his son with all his heart.”

That brought a genuine smile to Bernard’s face for the first time in days. “Charlie, yeah. He’s a great kid, huh?”

“He is.” She met his smile with her own and they shared a knowing look. All elves were irresistibly charmed by human children. Charlie’s wonder at the Workshop was quite the morale boost for everyone. It was a great reminder for the elves—this is what it was all about.

“I think he’s gonna be a great Santa.” Judy said candidly.

“You really think so? I’m not so sure.”

“He’ll get the hang of things. He just needs to get used to the idea. Nobody’s an expert from day one, sir.” She gave him a look with raised brows and a slight smirk.

He got the message.

He wasn’t exactly a born leader himself. And Judy would know, they had both arrived at the North Pole at the same time—the very same year when Christmas first began. She had arrived from an East Asian elf village known for making excellent shoes and fine tapestries that promised 200 skilled assembly elves to the first Santa Claus to help make his radical dream of creating toys for human children a success. She arrived at the Pole and was put to work in the newly established Stuffing Division. It was mind numbing work but she was decent at it.

She remembered seeing a curly dark haired elf, obviously younger than her, arriving from a very small north Russian elf village not known for any real specialty or skill. He had been the primary cook in his family and so was sent to work in the kitchens, his eyes round and uncertain. She had given him a reassuring smile and he looked a bit comforted at that. Later she stole down to the kitchens and kept him company as he scrubbed dishes all night.

She was his first friend there and continued to be a source of comfort and sound advice even as they both were promoted to higher positions.

He helped her get a transfer to the wrapping team, where she met her current sweetheart, Belle. She encouraged him as he climbed the kitchen ranks from dish washer to biscuit maker to line cook and eventually to Head Chef of the Spirit Department. They bonded even more when Judy started using Bernard’s kitchen for her cocoa experiments, merely a passion project at the time. Once she had perfected her recipe, Bernard recommended she be promoted to Head of Sweets in the Spirit Department where she quickly gained prestige for her outstanding tastes. When the Head of the Spirit Department was killed in an unfortunate caramel accident, Judy was the natural choice to take over. Bernard had been thrilled to see her name put forward for consideration. They worked well together then, but they worked like a well oiled machine now.

She had a remarkable way of encouraging him while still keeping him humble.

“You were shorter than me when we first met.” Her eyes crinkled at the edges.

“Silver bells, I haven’t thought about those days in ages!” He chuckled. “You look exactly the same, I don’t think you’ve grown an inch.”

“Well, I haven’t left the Pole since arriving here.”

“What, not once? Not even to visit your home village?”

“All my family came here with me, so there was never any reason to.” She shrugged. “Did you ever go back to visit your home village?”

He looked down into his cup. “No.”

Bernard tried not to think about the home he left behind as a young elf. He hadn’t even fully grown into his ears when he’d come to the North Pole, scared out of his mind and desperate for a place to belong.

Judy recognized the pensive look on the Head Elf’s face and swiftly changed the subject.

“We've got a busy year ahead of us. No Santa means plenty of extra work.”

He snapped out of his somber mood and shot a thankful look her way. “No kidding! I gotta get these reports approved and sent out by tomorrow or we’ll have a huge mess to clean up in the human world.”

“Maybe Curtis could help some.”

“He’s already swamped as it is. He just now got promoted to Core Operations Assistant, and now he’ll have to take on a good chunk of Head Elf duties for me while I focus on Santa’s jobs. I’m already asking a lot of him.”

“He’s incredibly talented for a 900 year old.”

“No doubt. Making Head of Machinery at 700, the kid’s a savant."

"You're one to talk, Bernard," she said slyly. His pink cheeks darkened at the praise. He'd been promoted to Head of his own department by the time he was 400, a record that still held up to this day. 

"I was just doing what I had to back then. Curtis, though—he's got drive. He's always trying to be better. Still, he’s not ready for all this extra responsibility. I just now gave him the Handbook to start looking over.”

“Really,” Judy beamed at him. “You gave him the Handbook already? You must be serious about making him your Number Two.”

“He can do it. If he buckles down and studies hard, he could be a great Head Elf someday. I’m also considering Betty.”

“Betty’s a bit too serious, don’t you think?” Judy looked doubtful. 

“Well, it’s just a thought. She’s obviously great at giving direction, but I’m not so sure about putting her in Core Operations.”

Judy hummed in agreement.

Bernard sipped his cocoa as he side eyed the posh elf seated across him. Judy cut her eyes up at him with a wry twist of her mouth.

“Don’t even think about it, Bernard. You know I’m perfectly happy in my current position.”

“I didn’t say anything, Judes.” He replied, his shoulders dropping as he inclined his head. “I know you don’t want to be Head Elf.” He grumbled under his breath “Wish you did though, it would make my life about a billion times easier.”

“Speaking of making things easier, I’ve got an elf on the surveillance team that I think you should meet.”

“Oh?” His brows quirked up, intrigued. 

“His name is Quintin. He’s new here at the Pole and pretty young as well, but he’s got some really neat ideas for some new tech we could implement.”

“Tech wizard, huh? What’s he doing on the Spirit surveillance team, then?”

“It’s just his first posting. He’s pretty confident though, not afraid to share his ideas. I like that about him.”

Bernard rubbed at his chin with a pensive expression. “Hmm, well maybe I can meet up with him in a few days once I get all these Christmas leftovers sorted. I still don’t know what I’m gonna do about gathering Christmas wishes and starting the naughty/nice list for next year.”

“That’s what I mean, Bernard! Quintin might just have a solution for you. I’m gonna tell him to expect you in the surveillance rooms tomorrow morning. Just hear him out, okay?”

“Fine, fine. I’ll stop by, but tell him I’ve got 5 minutes to hear his pitch and that’s it. He better be ready.”

“He will be.” She stood and held out a hand for Bernard’s empty cup. “Try and get some rest tonight, okay? It’s bad enough you’re missing out on all the fun, don’t run yourself into the ground.”

“Hey, don’t worry about me, Judy. I’ll be fine.”

She shot him a look of disapproval as she opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. “Let me know if you need help, Bernard. You don’t have to do everything on your own, you know. Your friends love you and want to be there for you.”

But her words didn’t seem to reach him as he busied himself with the first couple of pages on the stack, already scribbling away in his neat loopy scrawl with a hard look of concentration on his face. Judy shook her head in exasperation, a fond twinkle in her eye, and closed the door quietly behind her. 

Bernard shot up from his desk with a gasp, his brow dripping in sweat. His cheek made a loud smacking noise as it unstuck from the sheet of paper it had been laying on.

He had managed to finish up all the police reports last night and had dropped them off at E.L.F.S. headquarters. He’d been on plenty of human world missions with the good elves down in E.L.F.S. and knew they could handle things without him looking over their shoulders. They’d take it from there and keep him updated on how things progressed. By the time he’d gotten back to his office, he had been dead on his feet.

He looked down at the paper that had been stuck to his cheek and saw a near incomprehensible letter he’d written to Sara from ‘Santa’.

“Nutcrackers.” He muttered, crumpling up the letter and grabbing a new piece of parchment. He looked at the grandfather clock in the corner of his office and noted how late in the morning it was. He’d need to hurry if he wanted to give Quintin his 5 minutes before he took the reindeer out for decompression. He quickly rewrote the letter to Sara signing ‘Santa Claus’ with golden ink in big swirling letters at the bottom. It was short and to the point—a simple apology for Scott’s bad mood and a word of thanks for Sara’s understanding that everyone, even Santa, got cranky sometimes. He was sure she’d accept it, kids were forgiving by nature. He sealed it in a crisp envelope with his official North Pole wax seal and dropped it into his personal mail slot. He gathered up his messenger bag, scarf, cloak, and custom snow globe watch and headed to the surveillance room.

As he entered, he noted that despite the late morning hour, there weren’t many elves who had shown up for work yet. The festival was still going strong and would continue the rest of the day, but there were usually more elves who couldn’t resist coming back into work a little early. Either a good chunk of the elves had suddenly become lazy, or he was missing a really, really good festival. He pushed past the twinge of longing in his chest and started looking around for Quintin.

He saw an elf he knew well, Jun, watching a monitor that displayed a Christmas themed music video. He had headphones over his pointy ears, bopping his head to the beat. Jun was nonverbal, so Bernard caught his eye and signed out ‘Q-U-I-N-T-I-N’ and Jun pointed to the back room through the archway, still grooving in his seat.

Bernard passed the archway and saw a lone elf leaned over a desk covered in blueprints. He was as tall as Bernard which made him pause a moment as he took the other elf in more fully. Quintin had curly blonde hair coiffed in a boyish style atop his head and a long braid down his back. His style of dress very obviously marked him as a British Isle elf, pointed hat and wide sleeved petticoat a stark difference from Bernard’s mishmash of North Pole styles.

“You must be Quintin.” He called out to the younger elf.

Quintin didn’t look up from his blueprints as he answered, “I am indeed, sir! And you must be our esteemed Arch Elf.”

“‘Head Elf’ will do, thanks. ‘Arch Elf’ is such an old fashioned title.”

Quintin turned to look at Bernard with a wide smile splitting his jolly face. “Head Elf, then! I’m glad you’re open to new things like that. It’s a good sign, a very good sign!”

Judy was right, he was confident. Maybe too confident. Cocky, even. If his attitude didn’t set him apart from his fellow new recruits, his accent sure would. Definitely a British Isle elf. No wonder he was so tall, Quintin must have spent a good amount of time among humans.

“What do you have for me, Quintin? I don’t have a lot of time here.”

“Right! Well, sir, I’ve been thinking about our problem ever since the new Santa showed up. Usually he would handle the naughty/nice list, of course, and we elves just ensure the names are printed off for him to check, right?”

He took a breath to reply, but Quintin plowed on.

“Right! And normally Santa is able to know what all the children of the world truly wish to have for Christmas, while the letters the children send are simply used to help the elves get a jump start on toy production, right?”

Once again, he sucked in a useless breath as Quintin continued his explanation.

“Right! Well, I was thinking. There’s a myth that parents in the human world tell their children to explain why humans dressed as Santa look different from each other. They tell them that it’s not the real Santa, but simply people who work for Santa who report back to the big guy whatever the children tell them they want. It’s silly, of course, but it got me thinking—what if we did have some helpers out there to find out who’s been good or bad and what they might want for Christmas.”

“Quintin, let me stop you there. We can’t spare any elves this year, production is going to be tight as is, plus the amount of damage that much exposure to the human world would do to an elf-”

“Not elves, sir! Well, not real ones at least. Come look!”

Quintin motioned to the blueprints on the desk and Bernard stepped forward to read the blocky title at the top—‘Elf On The Shelf.’

“It’s a toy! They would come with a picture book and story explaining that Santa has sent one of his ‘elves’ down to help him out. The children would be encouraged to name their elves and love them into being and of course once they truly believe in their elf, we would have a direct magical line to that child’s house and could easily see if they were being naughty or nice. We could even tell the children that anything they whisper to their elf, it would tell Santa himself. Then we’d also have a way to know what the children want for Christmas!”

Bernard was stunned. This upstart wasn’t confident for no reason, this was brilliant stuff! It could solve a lot of his problems before they even started.

“Quintin, this is amazing! I mean, I’m really impressed here!” He glanced down at his snow globe watch and grimaced at the time he saw displayed there. “Listen, I love it. It’s brilliant. I gotta go, though. But here’s what I want you to do, head down to the R&D Department and tell them to make a prototype. You’ll probably need some people from doll assembly and picture books, so talk to Peewee in R&D and tell him I said this is first priority. He’ll get you everything you need and make sure you can get a proper team to help you out.”

“Oh, wow, thank you, sir! I’ll get right on it, thank you so much!”

Quintin reached for Bernard’s hand and gave it a firm shake. Bernard gave him a quick smile before he turned on his heels and started heading back through the archway.

“I’m looking forward to it, Q! Good luck.”

Bernard walked briskly back through the surveillance rooms, exchanging a small nod with Jun before exiting into the main hall and taking off toward the stables.

Normally Santa would do this. He knew he was a poor substitute, but Scott had been transported home already anyway and someone had to do it. Christmas Eve was the culmination of all the elves' hard work, but for the reindeer, it was the hard work. It was a long flight through countless different climates and weather, all while strapped into a rigid harness. The reindeer needed to relax after such an ordeal. So every December 26th, Santa would take them out into the arctic circle for several hours of free roaming. Running and flying wherever they wanted, no harness, no stable, and no barrier to confine them. It was a reward for a job well done. Afterwards, Santa would lead them towards a magical hot spring set up outside the village so they could all soak their sore muscles and bond as a team. It was an important tradition. The reindeer deserved it.

He gathered the team of reindeer and gave them all a quick run down of the plan, apologizing on behalf of Santa once again. The deer seemed disappointed that Scott wouldn’t be joining them for their decompression, but soon regained their cheer as they marched alongside Bernard out of the Village and past the magic barrier. Bernard climbed aboard the reindeer he had the closest bond to, Dancer, and off they went into the arctic expanse. They’d traveled a good few miles before Bernard got an alert on his snow globe watch.

The Elfcon team had finally made it back into work, it seemed, and they had noticed something alarming on their radar. There was another lifesign out there in the icy tundra besides Bernard and the reindeer.

A human lifesign.

Chapter Text

(December 26th, afternoon)

She’d been set up for about a week now, apparently—the week leading up to Christmas. It was horrible timing, really.

Usually a human wouldn’t be able to get this close without some strategic deterrents sent their way to make them want to turn back. Faced with a dangerous storm, a vicious polar bear, or a sudden crack in the sea ice, a human is much more likely to give up and leave. If they thought exploring the arctic wasn’t worth it on their own then that tended to be more effective than if someone tried to convince them there’s nothing to see here. Curious, stubborn creatures.

Bernard typed out a message to the Elfcon team on his watch asking about this obvious oversight. How had this human slipped through?

According to the team, her arrival had been noted as she'd first made camp about 20 miles away and a snowstorm was sent to make conditions uncomfortable enough that she’d leave on her own. The report was sent to his office and he’d signed off on it himself. He could vaguely remember something about that, but he had been busy directing the Core teams on the final stretch to Christmas. An elf scout had been sent out to check on her during the storm; they didn’t want to accidentally freeze her to death after all. But while her tent and supplies were still there, she and her snowmobile were nowhere to be found.

With Christmas on the horizon and no reliable way to confirm her departure with radar once the storm started, the elves assumed she had left. Not so, apparently.

She was approximately two miles east of Bernard and the reindeer, over a small ridge of icy cliffs less than 10 miles away from the entrance to Santa’s Village. The thought of her stumbling onto their little secret was enough to make Bernard break out into a sweat. His head throbbed as he looked at the 8 uncertain reindeer out in the open.

They weren’t quite as far out from the village as they’d normally want to go, but at least the cliffs blocked her from seeing them here. He hopped off Dancer and told them all that this year they’d have to keep it confined to the small stretch from there to a southern flat patch that curved around the barren tundra where the Village was hidden undergound. It was around 8 miles total. Not nearly as good as they deserved, but this was a delicate situation.

He placed a small tracker on Dancer’s antler and told her to keep close to the other deer so he could find them all if they needed a quick getaway. She nuzzled his face in response, and he gave her a pat before heading out on his own towards the cliffs. If this human wouldn’t leave by conventional means, then he’d have to get confrontational about it. An elf’s gotta do what an elf’s gotta do, after all.

Holly was freezing her ass off.

Her pop up tent wasn’t as warm as her main tent at home camp, but luckily she’d stumbled upon a little divot in the ice cliff. It cut the wind at least and offered enough shelter to help her thin little travel tent keep her body heat trapped. She was glad she had the thought to bring her backpack when she saw the storm coming and took off on her snowmobile to find XJ-17’s trail. There were plenty of warm layers, rations, fire starters, and flares. She wasn’t worried about freezing to death, but it certainly was an inconvenience. 

She had a nice cozy set up at her home camp, which was… somewhere. That was kind of her current problem. When she saw the storm starting, she was so worried it would cover the polar bear tracks she’d found her first day on site. She didn’t even get to properly determine which direction the bear was traveling before snow started falling. She thought if she just rushed out to the last place she saw prints, she could get an idea of where to start when the storm blew over. Alas, the way to hell is paved, yadda yadda.

She got lost almost immediately.

None of her radar equipment worked in the storm and surprise, surprise: the one thing she did not have in her backpack? A compass. So onward she’d traveled, practically blind in the storm, looking for something, anything she could use to find her way. When she hit the cliffs she knew she’d definitely gone the wrong way and decided to hunker down and wait out the weather. It had been a solid week before the storm had finally broken.

Sitting around in a tent shivering doesn’t seem too strenuous, but she was still exhausted. She couldn’t wait to start heading back to her comfortable little set up.

She looked out at the frozen land before her. The cliffs ran a good ways into the distance. Across the flat ice, she saw a break in the cliffs that she recognized. Directly east from that break was her home camp. And between her and the camp was the towering jagged ice mountain she’d admired her first day in the arctic. She must have gone around it in her blind panic to find the tracks.

But at least she knew how to get back! Step one, down. Those stodgy old professors who said she wouldn’t make it out here on her own could suck it. She was absolutely killing it right now. 

Sort of. Well, not really, actually. She'd been incredibly stupid to get herself into this situation in the first place, especially so soon after getting here. 

Holly shook her head, banishing the cloudy thoughts gathering in her mind and turning back towards her humble little temp camp. She had to do a double take as she saw a dark figure standing on top of the cliffs above her camp, the contrast catching her gaze immediately. She choked on a scream as the figure jumped from one ledge of the cliffs down to another.

That was at least a 15 foot drop!

She felt her breathing speed up as the figure smoothly hopped down two more cliffs with no problems, bringing them just one 30 foot drop away from her and her tent. She could see them more clearly now. It was definitely a person. They were relatively short but wore a cloak and hood so it was impossible to make out the rest of their features except for two dark eyes peering over the edge of a crimson scarf. Despite their acrobatics, they didn’t look particularly threatening. Still, a weapon could go a long way and there was nobody to call for help out here. She forced her face into a neutral expression and steeled her shoulders, silently resolving to try diplomacy here in the hopes it would at least give her a better idea of the person’s intentions.

“Hi there! That’s some fancy jumping.”

The figure kept their gaze locked on her in silence for a long moment before they suddenly jumped the remaining 30 feet, tucking into a roll before popping up onto their feet again in one fluid motion.

Holly took several steps back at that, keeping a good distance between them should this stranger try to attack. Her body was tense, but she purposely kept her voice light as she exclaimed, “Wow! Very impressive!”

They stood in silence, locked in an uneasy staring contest. Holly took the opportunity to get a better look at the newcomer. Their green cloak looked nice and warm, fur lining the hood and the bottom hem which brushed at the stranger’s knees. Golden tassels attached to the cloak hung down from under a red scarf with golden accents. Long leather boots that also looked fur lined covered what wasn’t hidden by the cloak. Their face was still partially covered by the scarf and hood, but those sparkling dark eyes stood out, unflinching in their intensity.

“Didn’t think I’d meet a LARPer all the way up here in the arctic circle,” she tried to joke, the line of her mouth uncomfortably tight. 

“What?” The stranger’s voice was deeper than her own, gruff, but with a smooth tenor that carried over the ambient sounds of rushing arctic wind. It sent a pleasant tingle up her spine, but left her feeling even more unnerved.

What a strangely musical voice.

“Your clothes? You look like an extra out of Lord of the Rings. Or, considering where we are, maybe one of Santa’s little helpers,” she chuckled, still trying to keep things easy-going.

The stranger lifted their arms, revealing a leather gloved hand from underneath their cloak, and tugged self consciously at their hood. Holly caught a glimpse of a golden inscription stitched down the side of the green cloak, but she didn’t recognize any of the characters. The sudden motion from the newcomer made her flinch, but they didn't seem to notice. With their attention temporarily diverted, she thought about her next course of action. They were about the same height, but who knew what was hidden under those layers? What were they even doing up there? Holly hadn't expected to see anyone for weeks, let alone someone who wasn't part of her research team. 

And what was with the get up? This wasn't exactly the best place for costumes. 

Well, she wasn't going to get any answers just staring at them.

“I’m Holly, by the way,” she said with a forced calmness. She looked expectantly at the stiff figure standing between her and her camp and tried to will her heart to slow down.

“I’m Bernard," the stranger said gruffly. "Nice to meet you, but you need to leave.”

“Oh yeah?" she said slightly insulted by his brusque tone, "And why’s that, Bernard?” Her own voice had a creeping edge to it now faced with his blunt words. He obviously wasn't interested in being friendly. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as her eyes caught in his dark gaze, the open aggravation she saw there making her swallow nervously. Something was seriously wrong here... something more than just a strangely dressed man in what was supposed to be a isolated location. Something was setting off alarm bells in her head, but what exactly was it?

“You aren’t supposed to be here,” he stated, matter-of-factly. The snide look he sent her sparked a flare of anger in her chest. 

“I am, actually," she said. A sinking feeling had gripped her, mixing with her own growing annoyance at his arrogant way of speaking. She bit her tongue with the effort to keep her tone civil, unsure still whether or not she was in danger with this Bernard fellow. "I’m with the Hale Company. I’ve been assigned to track a missing polar bear and her new cub for the research division.”

He rolled his eyes, scoffing. “Your presence will upset the polar bears," he said, pausing a moment before adding, "you should leave before they eat you.” While his face was still hidden, she could tell from his tone and stance that he didn't take her seriously at all. The condescension was palpable and suffocating.

This guy was grinding down her nerves in more ways than one. “Listen, buddy—“ she started. 

“Bernard," he corrected.

“—Saint Bernard, more like," she growled, "I'm not here to upset the bears! What's with the third degree, huh? Why else would I be out here?" He didn't respond, staring cooly at her while she fumed. After a beat, she snapped, "If you’re so worried, then fine!” She steeled herself before marching past him, her shoulder brushing his as she went. A breath of relief rushed out of her quietly when he made no move to intercept her, but she made sure to keep him within her eyesight still, just in case. He squinted at her for a moment, turning to observe her next move. She reached her backpack and started rustling around inside. She hadn't had the chance to organize her documents at her base camp, but in this case, she was glad to have her authorization on her.

Now she just needed to find it. She knew it was here somewhere, it must be. Things were just packed tight and she hadn't had the need to pull it out since leaving the station. 

Holly was so focused on her task, she hadn't realized her attention had strayed from the stranger waiting impatiently a few yards away. Bernard tapped his boot on the icy ground before huffing and briskly walking over to join her. At the sudden sound of rushed footsteps coming towards her, she tensed, hands raising automatically in defense. Dark confused eyes met her own, his bafflement clear at her reaction. He took a step away from her, shoulders hunching as he seemed to realize what had scared her.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Holly," said Bernard. He cleared his throat uneasily when she said nothing in response, hands still raised to ward off a potential attack. "Look, I realize you have no reason to believe me, but..." he trailed off, the truth of his words perhaps sinking in. Instead of trying to say more, he raised his own hands in a universal sign of surrender and took another step back. 

Sweat beaded at her temples as she warily watched him. Her hands buried themselves in her pack once again, resuming their search while she kept her eyes locked on Bernard. Her fingers brushed familiar plastic before pulling out a folder of laminated pages. She stood and cautiously took a few steps forward, stretching her arm out towards him, the folder in hand. “See? I’m official. The Hale Company has been tracking these bears for over 20 years, so I’m pretty sure what I’m doing is perfectly fine.”

Bernard took the folder, opening it to see proper documentation that backed up everything Holly claimed. Scanning the documents before him, an annoyed crinkle appeared in the space between his brows. In a barely audible grumble he said, “Twenty years? That’s nothing. We’ve been keeping track for over 200.”

Holly blinked, his flippant remark catching her off guard. “What?" She was briefly annoyed at his dismissive attitude again, before her brain caught up to a key part of his statement. Who exactly was 'we'? "Wait, are you with a research team too?” she asked. 

He started at her query, his eyes widening a moment before returning to a neutral glare. “The Hale Company. Yeah, I’m familiar with it. Newer team, right?” His words were clipped and his voice haughty. “Fine, but you aren’t supposed to be this far out.”

“We follow the bears, Saint Bernard," she shrugged. "Our bear, XJ-17, has taken her cub to the mountains just northwest of here, we think.”

“You must mean Catherine. She’s the only one with a cub right now," he hummed thoughtfully before adding, "she’s a sweet bear.”

A sweet polar bear? Holly doubted that. “If that’s what your team is calling her, then sure," she said brusquely, snatching back her documents when he held them out to her and taking a step back away from him. 

Bernard ducked his head at the reminder of her wariness. He seemed conflicted for a moment, eyes darting between her and the tent behind her, before straightening up with squared shoulders. “You’re gonna freeze out here, y’know," he said, voice much less severe now, but no less rude and cutting. "No offense, but your little campsite here is kind of pathetic.”

She bristled at his words, briefly speechless. The moment stretched between them so long, Bernard started to fidget uncomfortably with the ends of his cloak. 

Finally, she seemed to regain her ability to speak. “Excuse me?" she started, "Where do you get off, huh? I’ve trained for years for this assignment, you jerk! I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself-" Her eyes narrowed, each word biting in its indignation. "-and this isn’t even my main camp," she continued, "it’s just a temp. I got caught out in the storm, but I’ll be returning to my home camp as soon as I can. I'd probably already be starting back soon if you hadn't showed up to randomly harass me for no reason.” She strode past him, marching several yards into the white expanse before suddenly whirling around and pointing at the distant break in the ice ridge. “See that opening? If I head that way, my camp is a straight shot east from there. I know damn well what I'm doing, okay? So stop treating me like some amateur.”

A worried look shadowed his eyes, replacing the slightly bemused astonishment at her sudden tirade. “No, wait," he said, "you can’t go that way.”

She crossed her arms stubbornly. “Uh, I have to, dude! I’m not gonna climb the mountain, that’s crazy. I’ll just ride around it. In fact," she grumbled, returning to her tent and fiddling with the sticks keeping it upright, "I should probably go ahead and get going. The storm may have broken for now, but who knows when another will hit.”

“No!” He cried, forceful tone pausing her motions and making her eye him cautiously again. He looked over at her snowmobile before shifting his gaze to the dying embers of the fire, brows pulled tight. “Uh, I mean, shouldn’t you rest a bit first? You look tired.”

She looked tired? What was that supposed to mean? No one looks very glamorous on an arctic expedition, except Bernard apparently. Holly could tell from the sliver of skin visible around his eyes that he had nice skin. Bright eyes, too. He had an energetic air about him, and if the cliff jumping was any indication, that extended beyond just his looks. Her cheeks puffed with her effort to swallow her retort. She actually had planned to rest some before returning, but now she was eager to escape the rude pushy man who had appeared from seemingly nowhere.

After a tense moment of consideration, she spoke. “Where did you come from anyways?" she asked, voice carefully even. "How did you get up on those cliffs?”

Her questions went unanswered, however. After a long drawn-out pause, Bernard's dark eyes reflected a sudden resolve that made her curious. It seemed like he was choosing his words just as carefully as she was. “Got anything to eat?” he asked, at last. 

She was briefly thrown by his random inquiry. “Um, yeah, I have some rations. Why? You wanna inspect those too?”

"What? No, no I just-" he stopped abruptly, looking over his shoulder at the cliffs in the distance. A flash of something lit his eyes for a split second. Something Holly recognized all too well.

Genuine, raw panic. 

She felt a sinking feeling of guilt as the pieces slotted together. Bernard was slim and pretty short, that much was obvious even with the cloak. And judging by his voice, he definitely wasn't as old as a typical field researcher. Usually, assignments like this were given to people farther in their careers, someone in their 30s at the earliest if they really hunkered down and paid their grunt work dues. Although Holly herself was an exception to this rule, so maybe Bernard was too. He couldn’t be younger than 18, there’s no way any team would bring a kid up here with them, even for practical education. He was most likely an advanced uni student, so odds were that he was just a few years younger than her. He probably had gotten turned around in the storm himself and was far from whatever research camp he came from. He was putting on a brave face, but the stress he was under was apparent. Poor guy was probably hungry, cold, and scared.

And her skittish agitation was just making it all worse.

Her remaining anger melted away in an instant and she suddenly felt responsible for this young stranger. “Hey, listen. I’m sorry, okay? How about we get you something to eat and then we can find out where you came from.”

“Uh, yeah," he said, eyes narrowed as he turned his focus back to her. "Yeah, that would be great. Food, I mean. Thanks.” The panic was draining from his expression rapidly, replaced by an odd relief that sagged his shoulders and softened his brow. Stubborn uni brat probably didn't want to actually ask her for help in a straightforward way, but luckily Holly could read between the lines. 

“Of course!" she chirped, her cheery disposition back in full force now that she had a good idea of what Bernard's deal was. It was kind of obvious now that she thought about it. Still, best keep things brief. Younger or no, he still had a physical advantage on her. "Have a seat. I’m out of firewood, though, so we’ll need to eat quick and be on our way.”

“Oh, that’s not a problem. I have wood.”

“Wha—you do? Where?”

He shuffled a bit under his cloak and revealed a brown leather bag slung low at his right hip. It wasn’t very big and she started to protest, they’d need wood bigger than whatever he had in there. But her words died on her lips as he pulled several good sized cut logs from inside the bag. She blinked, and his cloak was back in place, covering the bag once again. But wait, the material wasn't nearly thick enough to hide the shape of a bag right there at his side. She must have misjudged how big the bag was. Maybe it was small enough to not be very noticeable even under a cloak like that? But then, how was it big enough to have all those logs in it? Huh.

Her brain fogged over for a moment trying to process that, but a good head shake brought her back and she quickly dismissed that line of thinking. 

She couldn’t believe he’d been hauling around all that wood. His shoulders were probably killing him right now. Poor guy. 

They settled down around her new fire pit, the fire now cackling steadily as if laughing at her disgruntled appreciation. Of course he was an expert at making cozy fires. This guy was unnaturally good at everything, it seemed. Typical young genius. She had to work her ass off the past few years in university to get here, and she still had some trouble making a fire by hand, but he got one going in less than a minute.

She watched as he poked the base of the flames, the flickering light reflecting in his dark eyes. His eyes were quite lovely, now that she could examine them without getting pinned in his intimidating glare. Big and brown, deep set but with a sharp edge that kept her on her toes and made her feel uncomfortably seen. His lashes were thick and stark against his skin as he concentrated on his task. The barest hint of pink cheeks peeked over the edge of his scarf, a shimmer of something sparkling on the surface there.

As she watched, a small snowflake stuck itself to the edge of his lashes. How pretty. 

“So!" she suddenly blurted out, trying to distract herself from that little snowflake and the added sparkle it gave his eyes. But now that she'd practically shouted, those eyes were back to burning holes in her own and she fumbled a second trying to think of what to say. "...uh, do you know where, uh, ‘Catherine’s’ trail picks up? You seem to know an awful lot about the polar bears in this area.” 

“As a matter of fact, I do," he grumbled, returning to his task. "Not that it’s any business of yours. She’s got a cub to care for now, she doesn’t need some girl intruding on her privacy.”

She made note that he, once again, talked about the bear like it was a sentient person. And talked about Holly like she’s five years old. So maybe he wasn’t a teenager then, but he couldn’t be much older than, what, mid twenties at the oldest? Her age maybe, but definitely not older. He was somewhat short, but that didn't really mean much. The few features she could see while he was all bundled up looked incredibly youthful, but the way he carried himself was more deliberate, not at all marked with the usual teen awkwardness.

He was setting up some sort of bracket. Or maybe a rack? His hands were steady as he used a metal tool to dig a narrow hole through the ice and placed polished wooden sticks in them. That bag of his had all sorts of things stored, apparently. He fastened the poles with a complicated looking tie and knot and moved to adjust the whole thing so it was above the fire.

“That’s why I need to find her! Her cub needs to be registered with our research division. We don’t know how old it is or if it’s healthy. We haven’t even been able to confirm if it’s a male or female.”

“She’s a girl. Her name is Crystal.”

“Okay… Your team sure has some weird naming conventions. But look, I can’t just—”

Holly abruptly cut herself off when she noticed Bernard was removing layers and hanging them over the rack he’d built over the fire. He’d removed his cloak and hood and placed it at the right end of the rack, carefully arranging it so that it wasn’t drooping too far into the flames. Next he unwound his scarf and hung it beside the cloak. For the first time, she was able to get a good look at the tenacious man who had harassed her doggedly the past 2 hours.

Underneath his hood he wore a green beret, decorated with a small medal and ribbon that seemed like real gold, at least it looked that way in the fire light. He pulled it lower on his head and fiddled with its arrangement for a minute, trying to get it to cover his ears. Which she supposed made sense. If he didn’t have any muffs on him then it would be too cold to have exposed ears, even by the fireside. But why remove layers at all? The fire was nice for some extra warmth and light while they ate, but this was still the arctic circle. You don't just remove your outerwear. Did he want to freeze to death?

He didn't seem much bothered by the cold at all, actually. 

His hair, a shaggy cut of bouncy dark curls, was constantly in motion as he expertly pulled at the fingers of his leather gloves, his intention obviously to place those on the rack next. His figure was clearer now, and her confusion grew as she took in his slim body shape. He wore a tunic with intricately decorated stripes of gold and silver threaded down his torso and cut off partway down by an ostentatious leather belt. Around his neck hung a wide gold necklace with what looked like bells hanging down from it. The whole thing looked almost like a costume but the obvious care put into the craftsmanship of it suggested it was a genuine outfit. What an odd ensemble for an arctic trek. Besides his outlandish attire, he was proportional like a man—no gangly limbs here.

But his face was so youthful. Or was it?

His jaw was cut and square, his nose long and proud. All in all, he looked like a mature man, but something about his face as a whole didn’t look quite right. His cheeks were so smooth, like he’d never needed to shave a day in his life. They were rosy and plump and she swore as the fire flickered across his face, she saw stars light up on the tops of his cheeks. Strange, but not off putting. There was something unusual about how all of his features came together though. Something otherworldly and ethereal. She brushed it off and decided he was just handsome in a unique way, which he definitely was. The warm fire and beautiful snow must just be tricking her imagination into making things seem more mystical than they actually were.

She took all this in as he placed his gloves on the rack. His very waterproof leather gloves. Why was he doing all this? It's not like his layers needed to get dry. In a brief panic, she wondered what else he could possibly be planning to remove next when those sharp eyes flickered up to hers, the silence stretching a touch too long. She realized he had finally stopped removing things and was waiting for her to continue, which she did with a stuttered embarrassment. 

“—I—I can’t just take your word for it. I don’t know who you are or what team you’re with, but if you won’t identify yourself then whatever you claim about XJ—sorry, Catherine—can’t be properly recorded.”

“What does it even matter, I mean, why do you care so much if Crystal is recorded? It’s not necessary, she doesn’t need to be in your records," he huffed. 

“She does, actually. In case you haven’t noticed, the sea ice is melting at an alarming rate. We need to keep track of every polar bear we can, especially now that their natural habitat is disappearing. Any researcher worth their salt knows that, Saint Bernard.” She bit out the last sentence with some frustration. “What team did you say you were with again?”

“I didn’t.” His voice was ice. “And we’re quite aware of the climate change issue, thanks. We’re working on it.”

“You’re working on it? Okay, great, nothing to worry about then since Saint Bernard and his 200 year old research team is working on the whole ‘climate change issue’. And when can we expect a solution, chief?”

“Look, I don’t mean to minimize your work. I’m sure what you’re doing is very helpful—“

“It is, actually. Every life on this planet is precious, Bernard, even one’s out here in the remotest place on earth. I don’t know what your teams’ goal is here, but ours—mine—is to preserve habitats for the best life possible for wild animals. Polar bears are struggling and we need to help them. We can’t do that if we don’t know where they are!”

He seemed at a loss for words for a moment, staring her down with an unreadable expression. His cheeks twinkled as one side of his mouth quirked into the first smile she’d seen from him so far, even if it was more of a bemused grin than a genuinely friendly expression. Nonetheless, her stomach flipped at the sight of it, but her determined face remained steadfast. She believed in this with all her heart, and she wasn’t about to give up on her life’s mission just because some handsome stranger from a rival team wanted to scare her off.

“Fine.”

She broke out of her impassioned thoughts at his even tone.

“Huh?”

Bernard shrugged, brows flicking up quickly while his eyes fluttered in a subtle eye roll. “I said ‘fine’. I get it. You want to record Crystal, then fine. The polar bears are traveling further and further outside their normal territory, I should have seen this coming, really. But the area they’re in now falls under our jurisdiction. The Morozko Company has precedent here. That’s our registered name by the way, since you keep asking—Morozko.”

Blood like ice rushed through her body, jolting her nerves and making her stiffen as he spoke the name of his company. She’d been warned about the mysterious Morozko Company. No one knew what nation they were affiliated with or where they got their funding. They were a strictly by the book company and had been heading the field on arctic research for the better part of a century. Very prestigious and very exclusive. She must have seriously misjudged him to think he was a junior researcher. Morozko only took the best of the best, and they'd never, ever taken on interns or juniors. In fact, she didn't know anyone who had even had contact with Morozko outside written communications, let alone someone who actually got into the company. So Bernard was definitely in some position of power here, then. Definitely not as young as he looked either, then. Uh oh. 

Holly suddenly felt a bit out of her depth dealing with someone who was probably leagues ahead of her in knowledge and experience. 

She gulped. “Oh, uh, sorry,” she stuttered, her face flushing pink. "This is Morozko territory? I had no idea. I always thought you guys were more northern."

"We go where we need to."

"Right! Yeah, no, of course you do," she laughed uneasily, but he was back to poking at the fire and didn't say anything further. Whether he actually didn't notice that Holly was having a minor crisis, or he just was trying to give her some space to process, she wasn't sure. But she was grateful either way. 

A bead of sweat slid down the side of her face as she thought about how to handle this. The Hale Company would fire her ass before she could even reach her home camp if Morozko so much as suggested that she had broken their territory's rules. Technically, this wasn't outside the area she was approved to explore, so she should have nothing to worry about, but still, Morozko was intimidatingly influential. Bernard had given her permission on his company's behalf to continue her study though, which told her two things.

One, he had the authority to give her allowance to explore places under their protection. Just how high up was he, exactly? 

And two, he wasn't going to drop the hammer on her even though he obviously hadn't wanted her around here before. That was a good sign, right? Maybe something she said had actually gotten through to him and convinced him that she was capable of doing this. Or maybe he was just interested in seeing how inexperienced she was so he could report her later. Her heart sped up at the thought. 

Well. She'd just have to be on her best behavior, wouldn't she? Holly was a good researcher, after all. She'd like to see him try and find a reason to report her. 

Despite her mind agreeing that it was unlikely, the idea of losing what she'd worked so hard to get was still gripping her heart tight. Not enough to quell her curiosity, though. An actual person with the Morozko Company right here in front of her? Dr. Branson would kill her if she didn't at least try to ask some questions. So she decided to take the opportunity to pry a bit about the legendary team that put fear into the hearts of any unethical arctic explorers. “So," she cleared her throat, "are you guys Russian based?” She'd heard that rumor floating around more than once. 

“Sure," he said dismissively, hand waving off her question, "I'm Russian, yeah."

'Sure'? Was he being facetious? So... were they actually Russian or not? He'd said that 'he' was Russian, not 'we'. Maybe Moroko Co wasn't actually based in Russia, but he was? Was there different branches in their company? It was certainly big enough for that.

Holly wasn't sure why she'd expected a straight answer. Morozko was notoriously tight-lipped about their company's history.

He continued, "Now listen, I’ll let you track Catherine for as long as you need, but you have to keep to the areas I tell you, okay? The ecosystem here is more delicate than you know.” Those brown eyes of his were pleading, the slightest strictness tightening his brow as he emphasized the last few words.

Everything about him in that moment screamed sincerity. He was being serious here. 

Well, no worries there. Holly took this just as seriously. 

Her breath escaped her in a relieved rush. “Yes, of course, I’ll keep to the approved areas. I’m not a complete amateur, y’know, I’m very aware of how fragile things are up here. I’ll gladly follow your lead.”

“Great," he nodded, "glad we understand each other.”

They chatted here and there about polar bear migration patterns as Holly retrieved and prepared a couple of field rations, but while the conversation was polite, there was a stiffness on both sides. Bernard’s face was conspicuously blank as they ate and she wondered what sort of researcher that had the authority to allow her into another team’s territory wouldn’t be long used to eating the dry tasteless field rations that came standard on this sort of expedition. She almost called him out on it, before a thought occurred to her.

What if he was lying?

There was a reason Morozko was so strict. Poachers were a real problem even up in the arctic. Bernard seemed extremely knowledgeable for a poacher, but there was still a chance he might actually be a researcher--just not for Morozko. There were at least a dozen other teams who operated in the circle at any given time. Maybe he was part of another company entirely and was lying in order to spy on her and see what Hale is up to. Which would be ridiculous. The Hale Company was very transparent with their findings, it's not like she'd mind just sharing what her mission was. She'd already done that, anyways. Maybe he was after her equipment? But then wouldn't he want her to get back to her home camp as soon as possible so he could nab something? None of this made sense, but there was just something about him that made her hair stand on end. Either he was the best liar she'd ever seen, which was saying something, or he was telling the truth. So what was it about him that kept putting her on edge?

"Hey, you got some ID on you, Bernard?" she asked before she could overthink it. Maybe she could clear this whole thing up now before she jumped to too many conclusions. 

Bernard paused as he was about to take another bite, muttering a quick, "Yeah, one sec," while he reached into the bag at his side. A folder similar to the one she'd shown him was immediately pulled out and held out for her to take. Holly tentatively grabbed the folder, thrown by his quick response and the fact that he apparently had a bag just for carrying firewood and his official papers. She looked over the contents of the folder; everything about Bernard's Morozko affiliation, including an ID badge, signed documents with seals, and certifications, all there. Not a 't' uncrossed, not an 'i' undotted. 

Meanwhile, Bernard went back to trying to finish his ration, the slightest twitch of his lip on an otherwise blank face giving away how unpleasant he found it. Holly snorted at his expression, snickering when he shot her a grumpy look. "Sorry, sorry! Its just-" her giggles broke up her words as he squinted at her, "-you-your face!" 

She hadn't realized her eyes had closed until they flew open when she heard his own low chuckle joining in. "Well," he said drily, "it's not the worst thing I've eaten."

"No? What takes that spot of honor, then?"

"Ever heard of durians?"

"You don't like durians? That's crazy! They're delicious!"

"Oh, so you're delusional. Okay, got it."

She scoffed, smile creeping up on her face.

Bernard was kind of snob, it seemed. But at least he wasn't being malicious about it, playful smirk giving away his teasing for the light-hearted ribbing it was. Morozko probably had special high-end rations or something.

They continued bickering, their conversation flowing pretty easily from there. He certainly was an odd fellow, but after breaking the ice—so to speak—he actually made quite good company. He was quick-witted and funny and certainly knew his stuff. He gave a brief run down of the trails for a few bears that had gone off her team's radar months back, including Catherine, drawing everything out on her map for her to reference later. He marked places where she could potentially set up cameras to keep track of the bears and also marked quite a few places off limits, explaining that his team was in the middle of conducting some very temperamental observation research there and the bears didn’t come close to those areas anyways. She promised not to interfere, after all, she was here for the bears. Nothing more.

He insisted they get a few hours of sleep before heading out to their respective camps, and while she hadn't intended to stay at her temp camp another night, a sudden exhaustion came over her. She tried to shake it off, eager to get back to her home camp comforts, but the more Bernard stared her down, the more tired she got. She ended up giving in, too tired to argue. The adrenaline from meeting a stranger up in the middle of nowhere must have finally worn off. 

The already light snow stopped falling altogether as they settled into sleeping bags around the fire, Holly’s tent was too small for them both and she was still a bit wary of leaving her supplies out here with someone she didn't know, even if he was with Morozko. Luckily she had an extra sleeping bag for him in her snowmobile and the temperature wasn’t too frigid for sleeping with no shelter so long as they stayed close to the fire.

“So Bernard, got a last name?”

“It’s Evergreen. Bernard Evergreen.”

“You really take this LARPing thing seriously, don’t you? No, I mean for real.”

“It is for real. That’s actually my name.”

She blinked at him in mild surprise. “Wow, that’s cool then! Sounds kind of like an elf name.”

“Uh, yeah. So what about you?”

“Oh! Right. I’m called Holly but my full name’s actually Holiday Williams. My parents were a bit ‘far out’ and thought Williams was too boring a name. So they thought they’d give me something that pops a little.”

“Holiday is a great name, though! Very festive.” He nodded with a slight smirk. “I approve.”

She rolled her eyes, a smile tugging her lips at his light teasing. “Easy for you to say, you don’t have to live with it. Holly’s a little easier, but I still get Christmas jokes all the time, especially when people find out what it’s short for.”

He chuckled at her exaggerated expression. “Names are important, no matter how silly it is. I’ll be sure to remember yours.”

Well that sounded ominous.

“That sounds ominous as hell, you aren’t secretly a fae are you?” She said with an overly dramatic squint of her eyes. “You are dressed kind of strange, y’know. Maybe you really are one of Santa’s elves come to keep me from discovering his workshop!” She giggled at Bernard’s deadpan expression.

“Funny. Is that a dig at my height?”

“Well, now that you mention it—“

“Shut it, Holly Jolly.”

She burst into laughter at his dry remark, and he joined in just a beat later. His own laugh was as musical as his speaking voice, like ringing bells and she felt like she could almost make out a melody in the lovely sounds that came from the man across the fire. It gave her a warm happy feeling that prolonged the fit of laughter they’d descended into for several minutes, one of them cracking up again and pulling the other back into mirth a few more times before they settled into a comfortable silence.

Holly’s eyes started to droop as she snuggled deeper into her sleeping bag. It had been a very long day. A long week, in fact. She couldn’t wait to get back to her home camp and relax. She could hear the hot water bottle in the bottom of her trunk calling her name.

“Sleep well, Bernard.”

She couldn’t see him clearly anymore hunkered down as she was, but his quiet voice had a soothing tone to it as he answered back.

“You too, Holly.”

Bernard watched the human woman’s chest slow to a steady rhythm, waiting for her to fall into a deeper sleep.

She was… tolerable. Good company, he had to admit. It was nice to speak to someone who wasn’t intimidated by his position. Curtis usually treated him as an authority figure, but not strictly professionally. More like an older brother he obviously looked up to. It was cute sometimes, but he'd hardly call them friends. And of course Judy was kind and lovely, she and Bernard had known each other for the better part of millennia. But they just didn’t have the same kind of humor and didn’t often talk about things outside of work anymore. In a lot of ways he appreciated them both for the interaction he got with them. They were the only elves even close to his station of importance. They understood the pressure.

But Holly was sweet and smart and volleyed his comments right back at him with her own spin. She was interesting. He found himself regretting having to leave her so soon. He wouldn’t have minded another couple hours of chatting. But humans need their rest, and the reindeer needed to be brought back to the village before she started her trek. If she had left for the break in the cliffs right then, she could have gotten an eyeful of flying reindeer. This whole situation was too close a call for his comfort.

He pulled himself from the sleeping bag she’d generously provided and quickly dressed himself back into his warmer outside cloak and scarf. The cold didn't generally bother him, but it was nice to let his clothes heat up by the fire every now and then. Just like fresh out of the drier. He grabbed a pen from her supply bag and wrote a quick note explaining his absence for when she woke up and started tugging his gloves back on. He watched her peaceful face as he did, and found himself admiring the shine of starlight on her hair. It looked quite soft and pleasant to touch if he had felt so inclined. Which of course, he didn’t. That would be creepy.

She was a nice human, all things considered. Respectful and willing to play by the rules. He could work with that.

Chapter Text

(December 26th, evening) 

Bernard pinged the tracker on his watch and stretched his magic out to where the reindeer were located. He felt a tug as the connection between his magic and Dancer’s became more solid. He dissolved in a burst of sparkles and reappeared several miles away next to his four legged friend. Dancer was standing with Cupid, Vixen, and Donner, watching as Dasher and Blitzen playfully butted antlers a few yards away. A whoosh of air ruffled his hair as Prancer and Comet raced back and forth above their heads trying to tag one another. Donner bellowed up at Prancer in encouragement. Bernard smiled at the sound. Donner and Prancer were adorable together. They’d had several fawns over the years, including their recent little one, Chet. 

Dancer put her nose against the side of his face and nuzzled gently. He put up a reassuring hand and gave her a long rub on her velvet snout. 

It had been a couple hours at the most. The deer would usually be allowed to free roam at least several more hours, but even though he was sure his little magical sleep suggestion would keep Holly conked out for a long while yet, there was no way he was going to risk it. 

He whistled a sharp note to get the reindeer’s attention and motioned for them to gather around. 

“Hey, lovelies, I got some tough news—we’re going to have to go ahead and start towards the springs.”

Several grunts and haws of disappointment sounded at his words. 

“I know, I know.” He sighed. “I went to check out the human. She’s pretty close by, so unfortunately we’re gonna have to take some extra precautions. I promise I’ll figure out something to make it up to you all!” 

Dancer pressed into his shoulder in a show of support, and the rest of the deer seemed mollified for the moment. 

“Thank you all for understanding. Let’s head out!”

He hopped on Dancer once again and started leading the rest of the team back towards the Village. 

They came upon the shimmering barrier that concealed the Village and started walking along the edge towards the northern side. It wasn’t long before they found the hidden entrance to the hot springs. Sharp icy towers made to blend in with the natural landscape blocked out the cold wind and helped conceal the warm green glow of the magical hot springs within. They descended the steps into the main spring and found several elf attendants waiting to brush out the reindeer before guiding each one into the healing waters. Bernard felt a bit awkward as he stood just watching. The elves working the springs were professionals, the spring wasn’t just for reindeer after all. Many elves took trips here to get massages and heal their aches and scrapes. Bernard never had, however. 

The deer were all settled in the pools, elves already working to rub out their tired muscles. Bernard was quite sore too, but he hadn’t actually been the one to ride with them on Christmas Eve. He really didn’t need to get a massage himself.

Dancer looked up from where she was half submerged in water and elves and caught his eye. Who knew a reindeer could look so pleading? 

His face briefly twisted in discomfort, before he deflated with a loud sigh. “Oh, okay. For the team.”

The elves were focused on their work as he removed his outerwear and reached behind to flick some magic at the buttons on his back. He removed his hat and breeches before quickly slipping into the warm pool with Dancer before anyone could get a good look at his underwear. If he was doing this, he was going to try to retain some of his dignity. 

Plenty of elves had come here from more temperate climates and were used to wearing more revealing clothes, but Bernard had always lived in snow. He’d never even been to a proper beach, not for recreation at least. He spent most of his life bundled up. He wasn’t a prude by any means and had indulged in odd dalliances here and there in the past, but those were different. There was a purpose, a goal—something to actually do—when locked in a lover’s embrace. Being so bare and vulnerable here while trying to relax didn’t feel at all the same. Relaxing in general wasn't exactly a common occurrence for him.

He couldn't stop his mind from listing off the many, many tasks he could be doing instead of just sitting there. 

The hot spring workers did their best to coax him into a massage but he waved them off and settled down in a corner to soak in the water. He could already feel the healing effects of the spring on his aching muscles. He looked out at the happy reindeer, sitting with eyes closed, steam rolling off their fur, and could easily see why this was such an important bonding tradition for Santa and his sleigh team. He felt himself growing that much fonder for the magical beasts reveling in their special spa day. 

After a good long soak, the deer were eager to get back to the stables to lay down for a long night’s sleep. Bernard found himself tempted as well; his bed at home had fresh sheets on it, but he probably wouldn’t be seeing it for another day or two at least. There was still a lot he had to do. 

Holly awoke to a still roaring fire after several hours of what was a serious contender for the best sleep of her life. She blinked sleepily at the empty sleeping bag across from her and checked her watch. 

She’d been asleep for about 4 hours. 

Had Bernard gone off somewhere? Maybe he had to pee. She avoided looking out at the frozen flatlands just in case as she sat up and rubbed at her tired eyes. 

She took stock of her supplies, not that she didn’t trust him, just, well—yeah, she didn’t trust him. He was nice, pleasant in fact, after he loosened up a bit! And he was clever. And funny. And had just about the best, most musical laugh she’d ever heard. 

But he was still a stranger and hadn’t actually proven to her that he was really with the Morozko Company. As unlikely as it was, the papers could have been forged. It was also incredibly unlikely that he was some random homicidal maniac come to prey on young women in the arctic, but opportunistic rival researchers could be vicious. So she carefully looked through her belongings, checking for anything out of place or missing. Everything was accounted for and nothing seemed to be tampered with, so she started rolling up her sleeping bag. When she got to Bernard’s, she found a note sticking out of the opening to protect it from the snow. 

‘Rise and shine, Holly Jolly!

I’d say 'good morning', but it’s the North Pole. It won’t be morning for several more months. Ha. 

I hope you slept well. Sorry for the abrupt departure, I had to get back to my camp. Time sensitive stuff, I’m sure you understand. I’ll be sure to check in with you again soon. 

Thanks for the good company, 

-B

P.S. I’ll have the necessary paperwork sent to your division heads to approve a temporary partnership between the Hale Company and Morozko. Feel free to radio in and confirm. I’m looking forward to working together.’

When she finished reading, she realized she had a huge smile on her face and blushed. 

He was gonna check on her! 

Her face dropped. 

He was gonna check on her? Check when? How soon? 

They were going to be working together evidently, so just how much was she going to be seeing of him? Any doubts she had about his affiliation with Morozko were gone. He wouldn’t have told her to confirm if he wasn’t telling the truth. But, well. She still was going to confirm. Just in case. 

She gave her head a good shake and willed the butterflies in her stomach to dissipate. She couldn’t lose her head out here. She and Bernard would be colleagues, nothing more. She could use this opportunity to learn from him. No sense losing her head just because he had a nice smile. And lovely eyes. And oh man, his hands too. When he made that fire earlier, it took everything in her not to stare as his hands expertly set everything up and sparked the tinder. He obviously was quite dexterous with those hands and their long fingers and neat trim nails and—

Woah, there. She was spiraling a bit. He was charming for sure, at least when he stopped being such an asshole. But there was something about him that knocked her off kilter. He seemed… unattainable in a way. Like they just wouldn’t work out. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but they just weren’t the same for some reason. That same impression of something being off was starting to creep up on her again the more she thought about him. 

Not one to ignore her gut feelings, Holly gave herself a decisive nod and resolved not to get attached. There’s no harm in indulging in some eye candy and friendly banter, but it wouldn’t go any farther than that. 

With that thought at the front of her mind, she packed up the rest of her temp camp, loaded it onto her snowmobile, and headed back to home camp. 

The Elfcon team was incredibly helpful with setting up an official partnership with the Hale Company. Holly was determined to stay, snow or shine, and was technically allowed to according to the paperwork her research team had submitted last year. They would have to play this facade very carefully to keep her from digging too deep. The polar bears moving so close to the North Pole was an unexpected hurdle, but they would handle it just like they did everything: with meticulous planning and flawless execution. For now, the bears within Santa’s Village had been told to stay put in case they accidentally lead Holly into an off limits zone. The magic barrier was effective, but it wouldn’t withstand a curious human investigating too closely. 

Bernard left them to figure out logistics for running interference and headed down to R&D. 

When he passed through the open archway leading into the heart of Research and Development, he stopped in his tracks at the sight of Quintin standing in the center of the room directing elves left and right, sure authority and confidence in his voice. These were elves easily twice Quintin’s age and certainly above rank who didn’t hesitate to do exactly what he told them. Peewee, Head of R&D and a nervous little elf who always had too much on his plate, scurried by with an enormous box full of stuffing he could barely see past. 

Bernard stopped him and took the huge box off his hands. “Hey there, Peewee, how’s the new kid working out?”

“Quintin? He’s amazing, sir! He’s got so many brilliant ideas, we don’t know how to keep up! We’ve got the Elf on the Shelf prototype ready for review, but there’s about a dozen other projects I’d like Quintin’s input on too.” 

“Well, deck the halls,” he said, pleasantly taken aback. “That’s great to hear!” 

Peewee nodded so enthusiastically, his little hat slipped down over his eyes and he distractedly pushed it back up. “He’s also got some great ideas about reworking how this whole department runs! We’re rearranging things now, and if it works like he says, we’ll be up by 20% in efficiency.”

Bernard blinked, mouth falling open in pleasant surprise. “Huh, sounds like he’s really proving his worth here.”

“Oh yes! Speaking of, I wanted to go ahead and formally request his transfer to R&D.” Bernard nodded, but Peewee carried on. “Also, I have an idea that might be a little crazy.”

“Crazy, huh? That’s a bit out of character for you, Peewee. Just what is this crazy idea?”

The anxious elf rocked back and forth on his feet, a lock of hair worrying between his fingers. “I’ve never really been comfortable in this position, sir, so as you know, I’ve been looking for someone to take over as Head of R&D for me. I think Quintin would be a fantastic candidate.”

Bernard’s eyebrows shot up at this. “Wow, just like that, huh? Q must be one talented elf.”

Peewee nodded again with a cheerful "Mmhm!" 

Bernard gave a thoughtful hum in reply. “I don’t know. He’s still technically registered with the Spirit team, so I gotta run everything by Judy, but I don’t think she’ll really mind. I’ll talk it over with him and see if he’s interested in transferring to R&D first, and then if he’s okay with that I’ll bring up the idea of maybe a co-Head situation for now. But if he takes this position and fails, it’ll be on you, Peewee. This better work out—we don’t need any delays this year.” 

“I’m not worried about it, sir.”

Wow. That was practically a glowing review from such an anxious elf like Peewee. This Quintin guy must really be something special. 

Bernard found where the box of stuffing needed to go and left it in the hands of the assembly elves who were working there temporarily for this project. He walked with purpose, weaving around dashing elves and boxes of supplies, until he reached the ringleader of this circus. 

“Quintin!" Bernard cried in delight. "Now this is impressive! You’ve got everyone dancing around like trained monkeys.” 

“Head Elf! Thank you very much, sir! Everyone seems very excited by my idea.” Quintin had a huge smile on his face as he hopped down from the platform he’d been standing on to call out orders. He reached behind him into a standing bag and pulled out a little elf doll in a red and white costume. 

“Here it is, sir! Our first prototype. We also have a mock up for the book ready as well.” He handed the doll and a stack of illustrated story pages to the older elf with a little finger wiggle and a shoulder shimmy. The British elf was absolutely bursting with joy at his accomplishment. 

Bernard gave a cursory glance at the doll, simple and expertly made. Excellent work by the doll assembly elves as usual. The story book was interesting, and the rhyming was fun and catchy. He had a few notes on improving the rhyme scheme a little and picked out a few of the illustrations he thought should be reworked, pointing out how it all could be improved as Quintin jotted down notes on everything he said. 

“And the face is a little…" Bernard said, finger at his chin as he considered the doll, "...off, I think. It’s a tad creepy.”

“How so?” Quintin asked.

“It’s something about the eyes, they just look a bit… naughty or something.”

“Ah, yes, actually I requested that on purpose," Quintin said, face aglow as he explained. "I thought making it look a little mischievous would help tickle the children’s imagination and get them to relate with the toy better. Human children love a bit of cheeky fun.” 

“Huh, yeah, good point. Okay, well if you think it’ll be better that way, then I’m all for it.” Bernard gave Quintin’s shoulder a friendly pat. “Hey listen, Q, I’ve got a Q for you.”

“You’ve got a… me for me, sir?” 

Bernard chuckled at Quintin’s perplexed expression. 

“No, no, I mean I’ve got a question for you.” 

“Oh! Right-o, then! What’s your question, Mr. Head Elf?” 

“Alright, here’s the deal—I’ve been talking to Peewee about the work you’ve been doing in R&D today and he’s very impressed. And so am I! We wanted to get your thoughts on a possible permanent transfer here.”

“You want to transfer me to R&D full time? Hot cocoa! I’d be honored, sir!” 

“That’s what I like to hear! But that’s not all, Q. Peewee thinks you could take over his job as Head of the entire R&D Department. What do you say to that?”

For the first time, Quintin looked uncertain. He didn’t reply right away and Bernard gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “You can say no, Q. It’s a lot of pressure to put on a young elf.” 

But Quintin’s brief lapse in confidence was already fading. “I think I’d like to give it a try, sir! I’ve never been in charge before, and I’d appreciate some sort of trial period so that Peewee can show me the ropes—but yes! I’d love to take a crack at it!” 

Bernard beamed at the excited elf in front of him. “You could have fooled me, kid! You’re a born leader. And no worries, I already told Peewee it’ll be a co-Head situation to start. You just keep doing what you’re doing and I’ll get the paperwork all sorted for the transfer.” Bernard stepped closer to Quintin. “And Q?” He held out his hand for the younger elf to shake. “Welcome to the leadership team.” 

“Thank you, sir!” 

Bernard walked briskly away from the R&D Department, his intent to find Judy and start the official process of getting Quintin transferred. His ears pricked up at the familiar sound of small legs shuffling up to meet him and he turned to face a very disgruntled looking Curtis. 

“Bernard, what’s this about elves on shelves? We’ve got workers missing from three different divisions who say you’ve sent them to go sit on shelves in R&D.”

“Nah, see, it’s not real elves, it’s toy elves. There’s this new recruit, Quintin—he’s brilliant—and he’s come up with a way for us to get a head start on the naughty/nice list and even the Christmas wish list. Get this—toy elves that we can connect to kids’ houses that can keep an eye on them and report back everything they see and hear. Isn’t that an amazing idea?”

Curtis looked skeptical. “I suppose. If it works, that is.”

“We’re making final prototypes now, so it better work. I’d hate for Quintin’s first official project as Head of R&D to fail.”

“What?!" Curtis exclaimed, a note of outrage in his squeaky voice. "You made him Head of—but what about Peewee?!” Curtis had always been sort of protective of his former mentor, despite being much younger. Peewee was a sensitive soul, but he was extremely hard working and had taught Curtis a lot about building schematics before he'd been transferred to the Mechanics Department. Although, Curtis had ended up Head of Mechanics (before being hand picked by Bernard to train as his potential Number Two), he'd always sort of wondered where he'd be if he'd stayed with Peewee in R&D. 

Bernard shot Curtis an annoyed glare at the show of disrespect. “It was Peewee’s idea in the first place, Curtis. And since when do you question my decisions?” 

Curtis closed his wide mouth with a loud click of his teeth and looked uneasily at the Arch Elf standing stiffly before him. “Sorry, sir," he muttered, "that was out of line."

"Yeah, no kidding. Listen, I don't mind you asking questions, but you've been getting more and more emotional lately. I know the workload is a little heavy right now—"

"No, sir, really, the workload is just fine! I'm sure I can handle it!"

"Yeah, well I'm not so sure, Curtis. Your behavior lately has been, and I'm sorry to say it so bluntly, but it's been unprofessional. I've had a couple complaints come in."

"Complaints?" the shorter elf gulped, eyes wide. 

"Nothing major. I wouldn't have even brought it up, but you've been flying off the handle a lot lately. The whole reason I made you my assistant was because of your reputation as Head of Mechanics to stay cool in tight situations. Now, that's the kind of Number Two I need." Bernard heaved a great sigh before continuing. "The elves look to us for guidance, y'know? To be a leader. You've got to keep a calm head." Bernard placed his hand on Curtis' shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Elf on the Shelf is a good thing, Curtis. And I've got a good feeling about Quintin. Give me some credit, yeah? I've been Head Elf for a long time."

"Yes, sir," he muttered, "of course. I’ll watch my tone more carefully from now on, I promise.”

“See that you do. I’m not going to invest in a Number Two who fights me every step.” Curtis bowed his head at Bernard’s gentle reprimand. “By the way, how’s the handbook studying coming along?”

Curtis didn’t lift his head as he sheepishly admitted, “It’s difficult, sir. Core Operations in the Workshop are demanding, so I haven’t been able to read it as often as I’d like. But the teams mostly know what to do already, so I’ve been able to skip some Workshop rounds to make some progress in the book at least.”

Bernard's eyes widened as his hand fell away from the other elf's shoulder, shock and anger raising his voice. “Curtis! Core Operations come first! You can just read the handbook in your spare time," he groaned, pinching the space between his eyes as he took a deep breath. "Honestly, I hadn’t expected you to have read more than a few pages with Core duties to see to. The teams may know what to do, but they rely on you to still help out and be available for any problems that come up in the work day. Chestnuts, now those complaints are starting to make sense.”

The younger elf turned bright red as the Head Elf scolded him once again. 

Bernard glared down at Curtis for a tense moment before letting out a frustrated sigh. “Look, it’s fine. Just don’t forget your priorities here. I’m giving you a chance to prove yourself, Curtis, don’t make me regret it.”

“Yes, sir.” He breathed, his head still ducked low to avoid Bernard’s eyes. 

The tall elf gave the shorter one a terse pat on the back as he walked past before heading into the main Workshop. The mortified blonde elf he’d obliviously left behind, however, did not follow him. Instead, he discretely wiped off his wet cheeks and scurried to find a more private place to collect himself.

The Head Elf was swarmed as soon as he stepped on the main floor’s balcony, elves clamoring over each other to get his attention. 

“Bernard, we’re completely out of pink glitter!”

“Bernard, the wood working team wants to use oak for the next batch of toy trucks, is that okay?” 

“We can’t find assembly team P-23’s hammers, sir!” 

“Sir, the elves down in textiles insist on plaid for the next batch of doll dresses, but we already did that fashion last year!” 

“Bernard!”

“Sir?”

“Bernard, we need you!”

“What should we do, sir?” 

“Please, help us, Bernard!”

He felt like he was going to throw up. He pushed the nausea down and squared his shoulders. 

“Okay, everyone listen. I want to see all eyes up, all ears forward.” 

All the elves went quiet, not only the small crowd in front of him, but every worker on the main floor. Everything went still and quiet as each and every elf gave their leader their full attention. 

“Firstly, I want to thank you all for your hard work and dedication. Production doesn’t officially start until tomorrow, but you all are here, eager to get started. I'm honored to be among such admirable elves.”

A sea of smiles sparkled at his words. 

“Now I realize that things aren’t quite up to snuff for kick off. I can assure you all that I will personally see to it that everyone has all the supplies and support they need to put their best foot forward tomorrow!” 

A cheer spread through the workshop at this declaration. “Thank you, Bernard!” “Thank you!” “What would we do without you, sir?” “Hurray, hurray!” 

The dark haired elf lifted his hands to calm the sudden surge of enthusiasm. 

“For now, I will be making rounds through the workshop and will help you when I can. If you have a request for supplies, send it to my office and I’ll make sure you have what you need by tomorrow morning. If your specific problem is time sensitive, please step to the side here and I’ll be with you shortly. As for the rest of you, back to work, please! Thank you!”

And with that, the workshop was once again alive and in motion. There were only two elves waiting to speak to him immediately. He assured Carlos that he would look into the missing hammers that night and went with Pickle to help with clean up of a major oil spill in Mechanics. 

He sent for a couple kitchen elves and put them to work on the spill. The mechanic elves were a bit skeptical at first, but the kitchen elves made quick work breaking up the grease and soon everyone was working together seamlessly. He hauled the last bucket of oily muck up onto the disposal conveyer and headed down to the supply rooms. 

He asked an elf in the tools section for a set of hammers and loaded them into his bag. 

Carlos wasn’t happy about using hammers that weren’t ‘broken in’ yet, but Bernard convinced him to make do until the old ones turned up. The Head Elf hoped that as he made rounds, he’d come across the missing hammers and be able to settle this without going too far out of his way. 

He spent the next few hours rushing around, helping out where he could. The hammers were indeed found, the metalsmith crew had borrowed them. The tinier hammers were perfect for some smaller detail work for their new project, apparently. The hammers were returned to Carlos and the toy truck assembly team, and the newer hammers were handed over to the metalsmith elves to use. 

By the time he made it through the workshop and retired to his office for the night, he was once again sore all over. Whatever benefits he got from the hot springs earlier were completely gone. 

Like clockwork, he heard a soft knock on his door. “Come in!” He looked up from the supply requests he’d been plowing through to see Judy step into his office and close the door behind her. She gave him a sympathetic smile as she handed him a cup of hot cider. He matched her smile with a weary one of his own. 

“So," she started, "I heard you poached my talented new recruit.”

“Oh nutcrackers… I meant to talk to you about that earlier, but I got caught up cleaning after Curtis.” 

“That’s okay, I’ve got the paperwork all filled out already. I just wanted to check in and confirm.” Her eyes twinkled at him as she handed him a clipboard and pointed at the bottom where a space had been left for his signature. “If Quintin would be better suited to R&D then I’m happy for him. I’m just giving you a hard time, Bernard.”

The Head Elf smiled gratefully at her and signed his name with a swift flick of his wrist. “Sorry, sorry. I must still be in adrenaline mode from Workshop rounds.”

“You need to slow down. You’re going to make yourself sick at the pace you’re going,” she scolded. “I noticed you didn’t go home last night.” 

“Judy, please, there’s too much to do. Core Operations are back in full force tomorrow morning and we’re already behind because of Curtis.” 

“Cut him some slack, Bernard. He’s being asked to take care of half the Head Elf duties when he just went from Head of Mechanics to Head Elf’s Assistant last month. He shouldn’t have to deal with any of this.”

The tall elf pulled his cap off with a low groan, rubbing a hand over his dark curls. “I know… I know, you’re right. He’s not ready for any of this. But he has to try anyway. Honestly, though, he could stand to take a page out of Quintin’s book…”

“Oh? What about Quintin?”

“He seems pretty confident in his new role as Head of R&D, that’s all. Kid doesn’t let anything shake him.”

“You made him Head?" she blinked, surprised. "That’s a bold choice. We may need to look up exact dates to see if your record's been broken. You do know he's only 400, right?”

“Just a co-Head for now, and it wasn't my idea. Peewee requested it, and I trust his judgment." He shrugged, one hand waving carelessly through the air, "Anyways, it’s just a trial run, we’ll see how it goes.”

“I guess we will. You aren’t thinking of putting Quintin in the running for Number Two as well, right? That would be… a bit hasty, don’t you think?” Judy shot him a skeptical look over the rim of her cup.  

“I’m not seriously considering it, no. I was just impressed with him today,” he replied. 

“Good," she nodded approvingly, a beat passing before she tsk'd at the way he rubbed his haggard looking eyes. "Maybe you should go home and get some sleep. Clear your head a bit.” 

“Judy,” he growled. 

"Bernard," she took on a teasing impression of his aggravated tone. 

"Don't start, I mean it."

“Alright, fine, I won’t say anymore!” She stood, shoulders up near her ears in a shrug of acquiescence. “I don’t mean to nag, but I’m worried about you, Bernard. Something’s gotta give eventually.”

“Look, I promise I’ll take a half day after the New Year, okay? Happy?” he conceded, rolling his eyes and leaning back in his chair. 

Judy sighed and shook her head with a fond look. “Not happy, exactly, but it’ll do for now.” She turned to face him again once she reached the office door. “How did things go with the reindeer and that human, by the way?”

“I handled it. She’s a naive recent college grad who thinks she can change the world. We’d have to force her out. She’s got a research company and sponsors backing her—the whole thing would be too messy. So Holly’s gonna be working with Morozko. We should be able to keep an eye on her no problem.”

“Holly’s a nice name.”

The edge of his mouth quirked. “Short for Holiday, believe it or not! Her parents were a little hippie dippie.”

Judy’s brows rose at his lighthearted tone. “Even better!”

“Right? It fits her too. She’s got a fire inside her that’s for sure. I’ve never heard anyone talk so passionately about polar bears,” he chuckled, shaking his head incredulously.

“You seem very fond of her already.”

He froze. “Well, I wouldn’t say that, exactly. She was good conversation, that’s all. Witty.” 

“High praise from our witty Head Elf, himself!” she giggled. 

He scoffed good-naturedly and turned back to his stack of supply requests. Despite his obvious dismissal, Judy stood staring at him for a long moment with a thoughtful expression before finally slipping out the door, leaving Bernard to work through the night.

Chapter Text

(December 27th, morning)

Holly sank into her fold out chair with a thermos full of steaming hot chocolate. Powder packets weren’t as good as the real thing her dad used to make with dark chocolate, cinnamon, and their own homegrown chiles, but it was better than nothing. 

She had made it back to camp yesterday no problem and gave herself a thorough rub with a wet rag before passing out on her bed roll. She was glad to be able to use her portable stove again. Heating snow over an open fire with a single pot she'd had to hold up the whole time was entirely too inconvenient. She sort of wished Bernard had left that wooden rack behind. It could have come in handy. 

She had radio’d in to her research station and spoke with Dr. Branson about Bernard. He had been thrilled that Holly had managed to secure a partnership with the Morozko Company, even if it was temporary. Their funding had suddenly doubled and she was given the option to stay for six months instead of the initial 8 weeks she had planned for. She’d still need to return to the station at the end of the 8 weeks for a supply run, but she had full permissions to stay in the North Pole for the better part of the year with a possible extension if she did good work. Bernard sure had changed his tune about her. Now they could potentially wrap up their tracking before the year was out instead of dragging it out for a couple years like they'd initially planned. 

She studied the map that Bernard had marked for her and started planning her next steps tracking Catheri—XJ-17. The bear had gone north according to Bernard. She’d taken her cub up near some mountains, which was what Holly had guessed was the case when XJ-17 first disappeared. There were plenty of places to hide a baby bear and most likely, she wouldn’t be coming out of the mountains for another couple months when her cub was better able to defend herself if need be. But still, she was hoping she’d catch a glimpse of the new mother and cub, just to know they were okay out there. 

Holly had set up several cameras within a 30 mile radius of her camp when she first arrived, but with Bernard’s info on the other bears her team had marked missing, she knew exactly where to move them. She’d have to spend the next few days going around and disassembling the previous set ups, but that was okay. She had all the time in the world now. 

She had worked all morning reorganizing her supplies, performing some maintenance on her snowmobile, cleaning her sheepskin rug, and answering emails about the partnership. She should get a jump start on those cameras, but what was the rush? She decided a nice day bundled up, drinking hot chocolate and listening to Christmas songs was well deserved after a solid week stuck in a snowstorm. Sure, Christmas had passed already, but she had spent the actual day shivering alone in the cold, so she wanted to make up for it now. 

She was still alone, of course, but at least she wasn’t shivering in the cold.

Well, not as much. 

If only there was someone there to cuddle up to. Someone with big soulful eyes and nice hands and a warm smile. Someone who she could talk to, laugh with, maybe even sing songs together. Her last few relationships had been somewhat disastrous. It wasn't easy for Holly to connect with other people, her propensity to worry and others' tendency to take advantage of her insecurities sealing their fate more often than not. Maybe she came off as a pushover? She'd definitely been called corny by more than one partner.

But she was passionate, okay? Was that such a crime? 

She wondered if Bernard liked Christmas songs. Most people she knew were split, either they loved Christmas music or they hated it. She couldn’t be sure, but he just seemed like the type who would get really into the holiday spirit. His outfit was pretty festive in green and red with his jingle bell necklace. Looking back, it made sense why he had been dressed that way. He was probably celebrating the season himself. She wasn’t sure what Christmas was like in Russia (or if he actually even was Russian), but it must be part of their tradition, like German lederhosen or Scottish kilts. Either way, he looked very handsome in his fancy tunic and hat.

So... alright, fine, she had a crush. No big deal, right?

It was normal after being so isolated and then suddenly meeting a handsome, intelligent guy who shared her interest in arctic ecology.

Even if he was kind of a jerk.

Holly was just so curious about him! Bernard was pretty tight lipped about himself, and she never could resist a good mystery. Next time she saw him, she would ask him more about himself. If she was going to be working with him for the next few months, she’d like to get a better idea of who Bernard was as a person, where he came from, what he liked to do for fun. 

Only in the spirit of camaraderie, of course.

She couldn't help her attraction, but that didn't mean she had to be obvious about it. The last thing she wanted was to make him uncomfortable. 

Holly sipped her hot chocolate and turned up ‘Silver Bells’ as she settled back into her chair, oblivious to the streak of sparkling blue light that shot across the flatlands and towards the center of the North Pole. 

Bernard frantically skidded around the corner of a narrow hallway and slid in behind a crowd of elves at the entrance to the Elfcon headquarters. 

“Well, well! If it isn’t the Arch Elf himself!”

Jack Frost stood proud and pristine in the middle of the Elfcon observatory, every elf in the room staring in apprehension at the icy figure. Tamika, Head of Elfcon, looked to Bernard for direction. Jack was leagues ahead of them all in importance, but the Head Elf had more authority here in the North Pole. 

“Jack Frost, welcome to our humble Workshop. We weren’t expecting a visit.” He kept his tone carefully neutral. No need to antagonize the mercurial legend just yet. 

“Well, I was in the neighborhood and I thought it would be good manners to check in after that little snow storm you all requested to get rid of that pesky human.” 

Great, Jack was in a nosy mood. Plenty of magical creatures and mythical figures relied on Jack for his wintery touch, be it to aid in their own projects or as a convenient distraction for wayward humans. The North Pole wasn’t the only place to take advantage of his unique skills, but he rarely took a closer look at these requests. Bernard could appreciate his power and how much it had helped them over the years, but with Holly still out there and Jack’s record of less than tender affections towards humans, Bernard worried for the safety of the mortal girl. 

“Yeah, thanks, we’re all good now. No more problems.” 

Time to redirect and get Jack out of here as quickly as possible. He’d need to do this carefully. If Jack thought he was hiding something, they’d never get rid of him. Tamika shot a questioning look at the dark haired elf, and Bernard silently willed her to play along. 

“Yep, no worries here, Mr. Frost.” Tamika was sharp. “We sure do appreciate your help, though!”

And just like that, the entire Elfcon team was chiming in with thanks and words of praise. Jack soaked it up with a wolfish grin, arms spread dramatically like he was receiving an encore for a top performance. 

“Of course, of course, anything for my favorite little elves!” Bernard cringed at Jack’s patronizing response. “After all, you little cuties need all the help you can get without a Santa.”

A telling silence descended on the room. Jack knew. He knew that their Santa was not at the North Pole. That’s why he’d come. 

Bernard assumed they would have more time. Of course the Council of Legendary Figures were informed about the new Santa, however, Jack never seemed interested in Council affairs. But of course he’d take note of this particular piece of news, everyone knew Jack was intensely jealous of Christmas. Bernard wasn’t too worried, though. Having Scott down south was actually a blessing in this case. The last thing he needed was a messy human who couldn’t accept his fate yet mucking up relations with the spirit of winter. Jack might cause them some mischief without Santa supervision but he’d never make a move to seriously disrupt Christmas while Bernard was there.

He would deal with Jack’s pranks and posturing for now until he got bored and left. Spring was just around the corner, after all, and Jack wouldn’t miss the opportunity to hit the northern hemisphere with one last blast of icy wind before the year started warming up. 

“We’re handling it just fine, Jack.”

“Oh, I’m sure you are, Bernie!” His blue face was twisted in mock sympathy. “I’m sure you’re doing a fantastic job. But you’re no Santa, are you?” 

Bernard felt his face twitch, his facade of calm wavering. “No. But we do have a Santa who will be ready to go by Thanksgiving, so it’s not a problem.”

“Thanksgiving? That’s awfully late in the year, isn’t it? Why, you must be scrambling to pick up the slack.” Jack was pushing it. Bernard needed to keep his head here.  

“We’re working out some new ideas to get ahead of it as we speak, actually. I’m confident that this year’s Christmas will be grander than ever, but we appreciate the concern. I’ll be sure to mention to the new Santa how gracious you’ve been to come all the way up here to check on us.” If Jack wanted to pontificate and pretend, then Bernard would toss it right back at him. 

Jack’s frozen grin cracked just slightly as he stared down the Head Elf. For a long tense minute, neither spoke or faltered in their gaze. Tamika shuffled her feet a bit impatiently, and Jack snapped his eyes to her. 

“Poor little elves! I must be holding you all up from your very important work. I know how much you hate being idle, please, forgive me!” 

Tamika gave him a tight lipped smile. “All good, Mr. Frost. It’s always a pleasure to have you visit.”

“Well, I’ll just be on my way then.” He moved closer in a rigid walk, limbs swinging as if they were half frozen—which they were. “But Bernie,” he scanned the tall elf’s eyes, looking for weakness, “do let me know if there’s anything I can do to help out.” 

Bernard’s glare was unrelenting. “Will do. Thanks again, Jack.” 

And with one last grin, half twisted into a snarl, Jack was gone, a streak of blue left in his wake. 

“This might be a problem.” Tamika said turning to him, arms folded over her round belly. “We should get that human out of the North Pole as quickly as possible. It’ll be hard enough with Jack poking his pointy nose into Workshop business without having to look out for her too.”

“She’s just been approved for an extension. There’d be too many questions if we tried to backtrack now. We’ll just have to monitor her movements more closely.”

Tamika looked unimpressed. “Sir, that’s insane. The Elfcon team has enough work as it is. We can’t afford to babysit some human.”

“Don’t worry about it, Tamika. I’m the only one tall enough to keep in contact with her anyways. I’ll take care of it.” He sounded more sure than he felt. “I’ll just… delegate some of my other duties.”

She raised a brow in disbelief. “You? Delegate? This should be good.”

“Yeah, alright, enough of the insubordination, okay? C’mon, we gotta get going. This whole ordeal’s made us late for the production meeting.”

This was one of Bernard’s favorite parts about his job—planning out production for the year. It was also one of the most difficult parts. He thrived on organization and efficiency. Hearing everyone’s needs and making a plan that would ensure all were happy and supported could be very rewarding. It was like solving a puzzle. He was good at it. 

But ten lords a leaping, these Department Heads could be whiny. 

“I’m telling you, plaid is out! It was on its way out last year, and it’s completely out the door and halfway to Bermuda by now!” 

“And I’m telling you, we got what we got! I’m not going to tell my elves to throw out a hundred yards of fabric just because you snoots in doll dresses think plaid is suddenly ugly!” 

Judy gave him a sympathetic shrug from where she sat across the conference table. He could tell his forehead was red from how hard he’d been rubbing it the past hour. 

“Look, let’s all just take a breather and table this topic for now. I’m sure we can all come to an agreement once we’ve had time to cool off.” He said as diplomatically as he could. 

“Fine.”

“Fine.”

“Okay, great. Judy, what do you have for me?”

Judy gave the room a serene smile as she took the floor. “The Spirit Department is ready to start this year’s spirit surveillance and we’re confident that this year will be topping charts. This past Christmas was a huge success. Christmas spirit has never been higher.”

“That’s great news!” Bernard exclaimed, perking up.

“Yes, it is. However, we have noticed something slightly worrisome. While Christmas spirit is high, magic pockets in the human world have never been smaller.” She pulled up a world map on the projector with several large fields of blue overlaid in various places. “This is from 20 years ago. Magic thrived in all these areas marked in blue.” She changed the slide to another world map, but on this one, the completely blue areas from before were now many blue dots crowded together instead. “This is from this past year. The areas of magic now don’t extend further than the immediate area around a child who believes. Take New York for instance. The entire city used to be a hot spot for magic and belief. But now it’s mostly a dead zone with magic only existing around individual children. Some neighborhoods have more magic if there’s more children concentrated there, but for the most part, the magic is gone from the streets.”

Bernard chewed his lip as he listened. “Do you know why?”

“No, sir. The children’s belief isn’t any less than it was before, it just isn’t spreading into the world like it used to. It’s a conundrum, for sure.”

“That’s… concerning. This is gonna significantly limit where we can send elves out into the human world. Keep an eye on it, Judy, and let me know if there’s any changes. For now, we’ll just have to work with it.” 

“Yes, sir.” 

“Anything else?”

Judy’s smile was back in full force. “Yes, actually. As you all know I’ve recently taken on an assistant, Abby. She’s a sweet girl, very hard working. Abby has come to me and requested permission to plan a New Year’s Eve party for everyone.”

The Heads seated around the table seemed interested, hums of delight punctuating her words. 

The Head Elf looked a bit unsure, however. “I don’t know, Judy, this is going to be a pretty busy year—we could use that extra time to jumpstart production. And isn’t Abby a bit too inexperienced for something like that? She should probably think smaller, maybe just a party for the Spirit team to start?”

Judy blinked at him, a challenging look on her face. “I seem to recall someone else giving an inexperienced elf a chance pretty recently and might I say,” she looked at Quintin sitting further down the table, Peewee nervously fidgeting at his side, “I think he’s doing a fantastic job!” 

Tamika snorted at Judy’s sassy retort. Curtis shot an annoyed look towards a beaming Quintin who sat up straighter at the attention. 

“Why, thank you, Judy!”

Bernard rolled his eyes with a huff. “Point taken. Alright, how about this. Curtis and I will do everything within our power to get production ahead of schedule in the next few days so that Abby can throw her party. But tell her it needs to be in the Village. If a department isn’t ahead in time, then they can’t go, so don’t expect the whole Workshop to be there.” 

“Understood, sir. I’ll tell Abby to start preparations.” 

“Great. Moving on, then...”

(December 31st, early afternoon)

Curtis loaded the last doll house roof onto the crate with a definitive grunt and turned to Bernard and Muffin. The Head Elf nodded his head in acknowledgment at the blonde elf. “Nice work, Curtis. I think that about does it for the doll and doll house assembly teams. Muffin, feel free to tell your elves they can head out for the day.” 

Muffin squeaked in excitement and twirled on the spot, dancing away to let her girlfriend, Ishaan, know that they’d be able to go to the party tonight. At her pronouncement, the other elves on the teams let out a cheer and started packing up their work space for the day. 

Bernard faced his assistant. “Who’s left?”

“Just the Woodworking Department and a few general assembly teams, sir. They didn’t quite make quota.” 

“Doug‘s probably kicking himself right about now for wasting all that time pushing oak on the truck assembly teams. He should have known they wouldn’t go for it.”

“He shouldn’t have ordered so much oak to begin with, we never use that much heavy wood.”

“Yeah, true. Well, it is what it is. What’s next?"

A sour expression appeared on the smaller elf’s face. “Quintin was wondering if R&D would be allowed to attend the party since he wasn’t given an actual quota for his elf-shelf thing.”

“Elf on the Shelf. And sure, they can go. We’ve already got over 2k dolls and books ready to ship, I’d say that’s plenty of progress to start.”

“Fine. I’ll let him know.” Curtis grumbled. 

Bernard looked amused at his assistant’s disgruntled expression. “What’s with the face? You really don’t like Quintin?”

“He’s okay, I just think he’s a bit arrogant.”

“You’re one to talk, Number Two.” 

Curtis stiffened at the nickname. “Number Two—I, I, I’m your Number Two?”

Bernard seemed to realize what he let slip and coughed a bit to cover his sudden embarrassment. “Yeah, uh, well y’know—not officially yet, of course! But you’ve done a great job these past few days Curtis so, uh, once Santa gets back maybe—we’ll see.” 

Curtis’ eyes sparkled at the praise, his hands grasped together in front of him. “Yes, sir! Of course, sir! I’ll be sure to keep working hard until then!”

“And after, I hope.” Bernard chuckled. 

“Right, of course.”

Bernard coughed again, his cheeks still a bit pink. “Well, uh, listen Curtis. How about you go ahead and take off for the party? I’ll wrap things up here.”

“Are you sure? There’s still a lot to do, isn’t there?”

“Yeah, but it’s fine, I got it all under control. I need to take care of a few other things anyways. No use in both of us missing out on the party.”

“What, you mean you aren’t going? Didn’t you miss the Spirit Festival too, though?” Curtis cried. 

“It’s no big deal. Hey, I’m the Head Elf, remember? Comes with the job sometimes. Keep that in mind.” 

Curtis scrutinized his boss, noting the deep dark smudges under his eyes and the tense lines framing his mouth. Bernard had never looked more exhausted. 

“Yeah, I guess it’s a taxing position. Maybe you should sit down, sir—you seem pretty tired.”

The Head Elf pushed past him with hardly any reaction to his concern, just a brusque “I’m fine.” and away he went to do whatever it was he needed to do. Curtis stared after him with open worry. Bernard was obviously not doing well, but if he wouldn’t listen then there wasn’t much the younger elf could do about it.

He took a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh before heading towards the Workshop exit. 

Bernard hadn’t felt this drained since his dishwashing days. He stopped by the Woodworking Department to inform them they’d have to keep working until the end of the day, Doug arguing with him some about whether or not the quota was actually met. Normally he’d have the patience to explain things more diplomatically, but he found he just didn’t have the energy for it today. He growled at Doug to get back to work and marched out in a rage. He was still mad by the time he got to R&D, but managed to push down his bad mood to inform Quintin and his workers that they were clear to go to the party. The elves were all aglow as they rushed out in groups, chatting about what they’d wear and who they wanted to dance with once the clock struck midnight. Quintin gave him a concerned look, but didn’t say anything about his haggard appearance. 

The Head Elf stopped into his office and grabbed his cloak and scarf before heading to the stables. Dancer nudged his shoulder with a worried grunt and he patted her on her velvet nose. “I’m alright, my lovely. I just have one last thing to do tonight and then I can finally take a break.” He climbed aboard and they started weaving through the Village streets towards the exit. He could hear music and laughter several streets over, but he was too fatigued to feel sad that he was missing out again. All he could do was focus on what was in front of him, his vision tunneling on the arctic flats beyond the magic barrier. 

He just needed to check in with Holly, that’s it. That’s the last thing on his task list. After days and days, he had finally gotten caught up with all his Head Elf duties and his newly acquired Santa duties. He had to cut some of Curtis’ assignments and take them on himself, but everything was now in order. He could actually afford to get a good night’s sleep tonight before heading back to work in the morning. And man, did he need it. He swayed a little and Dancer grunted at him again, this time more insistently. He patted her neck. “Really, I’m fine. Come on, it’s the home stretch. Let’s just get this over with so we can get back home.” 

Dancer took off into the snowy landscape, taking big leaps into the air and gliding back down over and over again as she ran. The elf on her back started waking up a little more as the cold air blew into his face. He felt the nausea he’d been fighting all day recede as well, and in its place, a gnawing hunger. He’d forgotten to eat today. They jumped into flight and soared over the icy cliffs that separated the huge expanse of flatlands and landed without incident on the other side. After another few minutes of running, Dancer slowed as they rounded a snowy mountain. Holly’s camp was in the distance, maybe a good 10 minute walk from there. Bernard dismounted and told Dancer to stick near the mountain so she wouldn’t be spotted too easily. He pulled his hood over his head and started the long trek to the human campsite. 

Holly was absolutely bushed. Every camera, all 12 of them, had been taken from their old locations and brought back to home camp. It had taken several days of riding around and long hours dismantling the frames she’d mounted them on, but here they all were. She’d spent the better part of the day cleaning them up and organizing the parts to pack into the snowmobile, but she was finally ready to head back out and set everything up in their new locations where Bernard had suggested. It was later in the day, but she was eager to get the first few up and live. She had just grabbed her backpack from the tent and zipped the flap back up when she noticed the figure heading towards her camp. 

Bernard! 

He’d finally come back. 

She waved at him in greeting, a smile lighting up her face. He waved back and soon was close enough to call out to her. “Hey there, Holly Jolly!” 

“Well, well, if it isn’t Saint Bernard! Back again already?”

He laughed breathlessly, feet kicking off the excess snow as he entered the flatter, packed down ice that made up the floor of her camp. “What can I say, I was a tad worried I’d find a Holly-popsicle when I came back so I thought the sooner the better.” 

“Ha, ha, funny guy, I told you I’m no amateur! Who could freeze with this sweet set up?” She gestured proudly to the tent and equipment around them. 

“Yeah, not bad," he admitted. "I’ve definitely seen worse.”

“Hey," she scoffed good-naturedly, hands placed sassily on her hips, "not all of us get to work with hot shot mysterious Russian super scientists, y’know!”

He held up his hand placatingly, a wry smile on his lips. “Alright, fine, it’s a good—" the sudden interjection of a throat clearing cut him off, and he rolled his eye. "No wait, the best camp site I’ve ever seen. Happy?”

She chucked. “Let’s say ‘satisfied.’”

“Sheesh, you’re a pain.” 

“If I’m such a pain, then you can go. There’s the door.” She waved her hand out to the open snow drifts all around them. They both looked out into the wasteland for a beat before cracking up. His laugh was as musical as ever. 

“So what are you doing here? Just checking in?” She asked after a comfortable moment of silence.

“Sorta. I figured you might need help gathering the cameras.” He pulled his hood off, that same green beret he’d worn before pulled low over his ears again. Oh, right, Holly had told him that was her plan when they'd gone over her maps. Knowing her, he'd probably picked up on her reluctance to get started on the monumental task. Well, she'd certainly dragged her feet a bit, but at least she'd gotten it done before the week was out. Knowing he'd come to help her out though, made her wish she'd waiting just a bit longer. 

“Oh," she said, a note of regret in her voice, "thanks, but I already got them." She brightened as a thought occurred to her. "But hey, I was actually about to head out and set up the first three in their new spots. Wanna come with?”

“Uhm," he hummed, checking his watch, a slight pinch between his brows, "...sure, why not? I got time.”

“Awesome! Where’s your snowmobile, by the way? You don’t have to leave it behind when you come to check in, y’know. I’ll know it’s you if you ride up.”

“Ah, uh, no. See, about that..." he looked suddenly flustered, blinking several times while she waited for him to continue. His gaze was somewhat hazy, staring at the ice beneath his feet while he searched for words. Just when she was starting to wonder if he was going to say anything more, he shook his head and continued, "I didn’t ride here, I just walked.”

“You… walked?" she repeated, disbelief strong in her tone. "...From where? There isn’t a research station anywhere near here, I’d have seen it.”

“Yeah, well, it’s hidden and uh," his voice turned hoarse, and he cleared his throat, "look, don’t worry about it. Can I just ride with you for now?” 

A rush of annoyed breath left her at his obvious deflection. The pleasant banter they'd fallen into after breaking the ice a few days ago almost made her forget how rude and secretive he could be. “Sure, it’s not a problem. Let’s head out.” She pushed past him and he seemed to sway for a moment before regaining his balance.

Oops. Maybe she was being too eager. It was later in the day after all, no need to be so energetic when he’s probably tired. Honestly, she was just grateful for the extra set of hands. Set up shouldn't take long at all with Bernard's help. 

She slung her backpack on the already loaded snowmobile and climbed on top. “All aboard!”

He hesitated for a moment before throwing his leg over and climbing in behind her. “Hold on tight.” She said and kicked it on. The snowmobile lurched forward and suddenly his hands were on her hips. A tingle simmered on her skin where his fingers pressed against her, and her mouth automatically pulled into a tight line. How long had it been since she'd had someone hold her there? She revved the engine, picking up speed as she willed that thought away. As they glided across the snow, Holly felt him readjust in his seat. She’d ridden passenger in a snowmobile before, so she knew he was probably struggling with how much bounce there was. She once again tried not to think too deeply about the situation as she grabbed his wrist and tugged it, encouraging him to sling it across her abdomen. “It’s a much smoother ride if you scooch up more!” She called over the rushing wind. She fought a blush and told herself she was just doing this so he wouldn’t go flying if they hit a bump. 

For a moment, nothing happened. Then he was sliding closer to her, pushing his chest flush with her back. His arms locked around her and they both simultaneously breathed a shaky gasp which turned into nervous giggles as they hit a bump. Good timing; that definitely would have knocked him off. She turned bright red as his soft musical laugh was now right beside her ear. 

God, he was warm. And he smelled really, really good. Like nutmeg and something piney. It was a comforting, earthy scent that made her toes curl in her boots. 

Too soon, they reached their destination and started setting things up. Bernard wasn’t sure how her cameras worked, but he was a quick learner and took her direction without question. 

The next cameras went up much the same, the pair riding from site to site and making swift work of the set up. She had just finished testing the last one when she noticed something seemed off about Bernard. He was drooping where he stood between her and the snowmobile. Holly took several steps forward until she reached him, grabbing his arm with a baffled “Hey, you alright there?” 

He swallowed thickly and blinked his eyes a few times in quick succession. Bernard was obviously much more tired than she had thought. Maybe he was even sick? She couldn’t believe she hadn’t noticed earlier. The dark circles under his bloodshot eyes were stark against his pale face. His cheeks, so rosy and plump before, were sunken and tense around his mouth. They were still sparkly, though... maybe he wore makeup? Nothing wrong with that, but if he was this tired why would he bother putting on face glitter? He started to sway and her other hand came up to help steady him. 

“Woah, you don’t look so good. Maybe you should sit down.”

“No, no. Why does everyone keep saying that? Im fine.” He didn’t sound fine. He sounded like he was going to faint. 

She pulled him back to the snowmobile and was alarmed to find no resistance whatsoever from him. “Hey, hey, stay with me here.” He slid down into the snow beside the vehicle, his back propped up against it. “Bernard? Bernard! Hey, c’mon man, don’t do this to me right now. Hey! Can you hear me?” 

He was passed out cold. Holly swore under her breath and pulled his arm up and over her shoulders. He wasn’t a very big guy, maybe 3 or 4 inches taller than her, but he was heavy. She managed to get him on the seat and slid in behind him. “Hold on, bud, I’ll get us back to camp.” 

His head lolled back against her shoulder, his eyes twitching restlessly behind closed lids. She drove as swiftly as she dared with him limp like he was and made it back to camp in good time.

“I don’t need help," he grumbled as she hoisted him up out of the seat. "I’m fine.” 

“Humor me, okay? Let’s sit.” She led him over to a fold out chair beside the fire and pushed him down until he fell back into it. His breathing had gone ragged and he was starting to shiver. 

“Woah, okay, hold on there. I’ll be right back.”

Bernard wasn’t sure what was going on. His body was failing him, he couldn’t catch his breath, he didn’t know where he was. His eyes cracked open and he realized he was sitting by a fire. Was he home? How did he get there?

“Here.”

A fluffy blanket was suddenly swaddling his body and a vaguely familiar face swam in front of him. 

The human girl, Holly. That’s right. He must have passed out for a minute or two. 

This was bad. He couldn’t afford to let his guard down here. 

Holly put her hand on his cheek and he found himself leaning into her touch without thinking. She lifted a thermos to his lips with her other hand and encouraged him to drink. “It’s water. I’m just covering my bases here. Are you with me, Bernard?” He tried to speak but his voice was too weak. He nodded instead. “Okay, good. Have you eaten today?” He shook his head ‘no’. 

“Okay, that’s a place to start then. I’ll get some food going.”

He tried to call out to her, tell her not to bother, but his voice was gone. He dozed off within seconds. 

“It’s not the tastiest, but it should have everything you need for your daily nutrition.”

He came back to himself with a start, Holly holding a spoonful of… something, near his face. “Oh sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He shook his head at her apology. “Come on, let’s get some chow in you.” He wasn’t exactly thrilled to be eating the tasteless lumps of what she claimed was food, but he wasn’t exactly in a position to decline. His color started coming back to his face as she spooned him bite after bite. Eventually he was able to sit up and take the spoon to finish feeding himself. 

“So," she started, "that was terrifying.”

He looked up at her, now seated across the fire in another fold out chair she’d dragged out at some point while he was out of it. He swallowed the bite in his mouth and answered. “Sorry... Don’t know what happened.”

“Well you didn’t eat today, so that’s probably what happened.”

“I’ve skipped meals... plenty of times before.”

“You said you hadn’t eaten at all today. When was the last time you ate something?”

He thought for a moment and realized he didn’t remember eating anything yesterday either. His stomach had been turning then too, so he decided to not bother. His thoughts must have showed on his face.

“Dude, you can’t just not eat! Of course you passed out!” 

“I know, I know... I’ve just had a ton of work to do lately... so I didn’t think about it.” He sighed tiredly in frustration. “It was... careless of me.” 

“Yeah, it was. Geez. You can’t just show up here and pass out, man. What the hell was I gonna do with your dead body if you’d keeled over?” 

“Use me for firewood, I guess... Least I’d still be useful in death.” 

She snorted at his dry remark, but her face didn't change, still twisted in concern and frustration. “Okay, funny guy, that's a little too dark. Let’s not seriously think about that one.”

They fell into silence for awhile, Bernard meekly finishing his food while Holly tended the fire. 

“So I’m guessing it wasn’t just the not eating that made you roll up here looking like a zombie," she continued, stress lines standing out harsh around her downturned mouth. "You said you’ve had a lot of work to do lately?”

“Yeah… my, uh, ...boss is away right now," he murmured, not able to focus for more than a few seconds. There were odd pauses in his sentences, his breathing turning shallow as he spoke. "He... won’t be back til later in the year, so I ....have to take over his... duties.”

“Dang, you should get a raise for that. Why’d he just dip?” Her voice had turned light despite her face staying hard. 

“He’s sort of a... new hire. He’s gotta go through some, um, ...mandatory training away from the ...station. It’s complicated.”

“Sounds like it. Why don’t they just hire you for that position then if you’re already practically doing it?”

“I’m not quite the ...right fit for that ...role.”

“Whaaat?" Her expression finally cracked, eyes squinting as her shoulders dropped some of their tension. "That’s bull!" A finger started wagging in front of her, Bernard's hazy gaze blinking confusedly as it focused there. "I bet they’re discriminating cause you’re young. I know that game and it’s so stupid. Just cause we’re younger doesn’t mean we don’t know what we’re doing, am I right?” 

For some reason, this really tickled Bernard, who'd burst into sleepy giggles after a too long moment of trying to process what she'd just said. 

“What’s so funny! It's true, isn’t it? I bet you know how to run that station front to back." That finger sure was getting around. "You’re obviously hardworking! I know your type, Saint Bernard. I bet you worked your ass off and earned your place there, right?”

He had a silly smile on his face, eyes half lidded as he watched her rant and throw one arm around dramatically, the other clutching the fire poker.

“Yeah... I did, actually," he answered. "I... started as a dishwasher.”

“A dishwasher!” She exclaimed, pointing at him forcefully. “See! And now look where you are, you’re, uh, you’re—wait, what are you again?” 

“I’m the Head E—uhm, uhhummhg...” he coughed into his fist. “I'm the... Head of Operations.” 

“Wow, yeah, see now that sounds like a pretty important role right there!” she said, nodding supportively. 

“It is, yeah... I’m basically in charge until... the boss gets back. It’s a lot of pressure, though. Sometimes... I miss when I worked in the kitchens.” 

“You miss dishwashing?” she blinked. 

“Well, not that... but I was Head Chef for a while, and that was pretty rewarding work.”

Holly gave the fire one more good poke, before putting the rod down and giving Bernard her full attention. “You must really know your way around a kitchen then, huh! I wish I had more than ration packs, or I’d ask you to prove it,” she grinned cheekily. 

He chuckled. “Maybe someday...” he said hoarsely, looking lost in thought as the smile slipped from his face. 

The moment stretched, and Holly took it upon herself to keep the conversation going. She was still kind of worried he'd pass out again. “That’s a pretty strange leap though, from Head Chef to Head of Operations," she said a little too forcefully, making Bernard's eyes fly back open from where they'd slowly been closing. She continued in a lower murmur, trying not to startle him again. "What’s the story there?”

“Well... it honestly was just chance. I was ...good with my hands—“

Of course he was. She felt her ears turn pink as she schooled her face into as innocent an expression as possible. 

“—and the old Head... Raj... had been watching me work in the kitchens all day. I’m... not sure why I even caught his eye, to be honest. But at the end of the day... we got to talking. He asked if I thought I’d be able to make something for him. A music box for his wife... It had a lot of small delicate parts. There were others who were... actual tinkerers that would have been better choices, but maybe Raj saw something in me...? I’m not sure. Normally someone from... my background wouldn’t have done that kind of work, not... in those days at least. It was kind of unheard of. But I did it—I made it. It was... silver and gold painted... with a decorative wood frame I carved myself. His wife loved it. He gave me a few other minor projects to do and was impressed enough to make me... his assistant.”

Okay, weird. What kind of research station had chefs and tinkerers? Curiouser and curiouser, but now wasn't the time for an interrogation. 

“He sounds like a great guy,” she said warmly. 

“He… was.” He started getting that unfocused look in his eyes again, but it was different this time. He seemed lost. And sad. “We were quite close.”

The past tense wasn't lost on her. “…I’m sorry," Holly spoke quietly, not wanting to break the somber atmosphere. If their previous conversations were any indication, then Bernard was a pretty tightlipped person. Maybe this was the only time she'd get him to open up. She hoped not, but she'd take any chance to learn more about him. "What happened, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Bernard looked over at Holly and saw the sweetest, gentlest look on her face. Something in his chest unclenched at the sight of it. His voice was a hushed whisper, eyes soft as they locked onto hers. “He... traveled a lot. It used to be part of the job. But that... aged him and he just got more and more... worn down. By the time we realized... it was too late—” He stopped speaking abruptly, seeming confused and unsteady. His breathing was getting quick again. 

Holly's brows pinched together, heart aching as she watched him. “It’s okay," she said, hand raised in a pacifying gesture, "you don’t have to say anymore. I’m so sorry, Bernard. That must have been so painful.”

“No, I’m sorry, Holly..." Bernard grumbled, head shaking as if to clear away the emotions clouding it. "This wasn’t... how this was... supposed to go. I don’t mean to... dump all this on you. You shouldn't even... I mean, I shouldn't even...” He looked more and more upset, trying desperately to keep himself present in the conversation. His mind just kept getting distracted.  

“Hey, I’m the one who asked, remember? I don’t mind at all.” She smiled sympathetically at him, a twinge of guilt at the back of her mind for prying when he obviously wasn't all the way there. “Thanks for telling me, Bernard.”

His stomach flipped but it was a pleasant sensation this time, his brow smoothed by her reassurance. “You didn’t... ask for me to... pass out on you, though. I should... get out of your hair.” 

“Yeah, right," she scoffed, "like I’m letting you walk all the way back to your station when you still look like that.” He opened his mouth to refute her, but a big yawn escaped him instead. She snorted. “Look, I’ll give you a lift.”

“No, you can’t..." he protested. "Don’t worry about it, okay, I’ll be—“

“—if you say ‘fine’ one more time, I’m stealing your stupid hat.”

He gaped at her. “It’s not—you can’t just— you think... my hat is stupid...?” 

She laughed lightly at his shocked face and shook her head. “It’s a beret, dummy. Why wear it pulled down like that? It looks sort of silly, y’know.” 

He turned pink and averted his eyes. “Nevermind that... You still can’t drive me to my station... It’s... against the rules.”

She blinked at him, unimpressed. “Okay, then you’re staying here and getting some rest.” He started to protest, but she cut him off. “I don’t wanna hear it! You can walk tomorrow if you want, but tonight you’re sleeping here with me.”

Both pairs of eyes widened as her words sunk in. She choked loudly, sputtering to explain, “Uhh, wait no, not—not like that. Sorry, I mean, uh—”

The sparkles on his cheeks flashed against the suddenly much darker backdrop. “Nope, yep, I got it! Anyways... So your tent... is big enough for both of us?” 

“Y-yeah!" she nodded. "Should be.” 

Holly stood shakily, clearing her throat before she walked around the fire to reach him. “Up and at ‘em, Saint Bernard,” she hesitated only a second before moving the blanket out of the way and pulling him by the hands into a standing position. He was still unsteady on his feet so she ducked under his arm and wrapped a firm hand on his waist, letting him lean into her. Together, they shuffled into the warm tent. Holly laid down an extra mat on her sheepskin rug and retrieved the blanket from the fireside, making up an impromptu bed for him. She helped him out of his cloak and scarf, noting the deep royal blue tunic he now wore. Apparently this was just his style. Although it was still pretty strange and not at all what an arctic researcher should wear, it suited him.

He insisted on keeping the hat on. 

“Your ears will be sore in the morning!” she protested.

“Yeah... and your nose will be sore from sticking it in my business.”

A surprised giggled flew out of her at his snarky reply. “Alright, wise guy, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

He settled down on the mat and pulled the blanket over his body. 

She left him to it, busying herself by pulling out her night time toiletries and pajamas. Once she had everything laid out on her own bed, she turned back to him. He was still awake, but barely. “You aren’t going to disappear again, are you?" she asked. "If you’re gone when I wake up, I’m just gonna assume you’re face down in the snow out there somewhere.”

“I’ll be here...” His eyes were already slits. She smiled at his sleepy face fighting the inevitable. Her chest warmed at the way he’d curled up on his side, hands tucked under his chin. Cozy. 

“I’ll be right back,” she whispered, just in case he could still hear her and grabbed her sleep clothes. She headed out to the sanitation tent she had set up a little ways from the main camp to change and do her business. 

Bernard was fading fast, but he knew he should send a message to Curtis before he fell asleep. He looked at his snow globe watch and tried typing out his location, when he expected to be back at work, and instructions for Core production should he be delayed. He got about half way through the second sentence when his vision suddenly went blurry. He tried spelling ‘Curtis’ but it kept coming out as ‘Cuties’. His hand dropped as he gave up and told himself he’d message first thing tomorrow. 

By the time Holly came back, he was out like a light. 

Chapter Text

(January 1st, evening) 

“We need more dye and plastic pellets!”

“Someone spilled all the liquid latex! Rubber ball production is at a standstill!”

“We can’t go ahead with these moldings until Bernard approves these designs!”

“The lifts in the storage room aren’t working. Again!”

“Someone left three bags of synthetic fiber lying next to the furnace and it’s a melted mess! How are we supposed to sew the animal stuffies now?”

“Where’s Bernard?”

“Tell Bernard I need to speak with him right away!”

“Has anyone seen the Head Elf? This is an emergency!” 

Curtis' head was spinning as he frantically ran around the workshop helping with what he could and taking notes to give to Bernard whenever he came back from wherever he was.

This was a disaster! Bernard hadn’t been there when everyone showed up for work in the morning. He wasn’t in his office. He wasn’t in the workshop. No one had heard a peep from him all day. This had never happened before, ever, and Curtis was full on panicking. 

“Curtis!”

He stopped in his tracks, almost running over the concerned looking Head of the Spirit Department. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and tried to catch his breath. “J-Judy! Where’s Bernard?”

“I was hoping you knew that! I haven’t heard from him since yesterday.”

“Me neither. I can’t find him anywhere and he isn’t answering his messages or even reading them!”

Judy looked scared now. “That’s not good. Have you checked his home?”

“I don’t know where he lives. Do you think he’s sick, maybe?”

“He wouldn’t have missed work even if he was. This isn’t normal at all. We should go check and see if he’s okay.”

He wrung his hands together nervously. “But what about the Workshop! Someone’s gotta keep things going while Bernard’s away.”

A new voice cut in at that moment, chilling them both to the bone. “Too true! Perhaps I could be of some assistance?” Jack Frost called up at them from the lower level, smiling as he strolled up the stairs to meet them. 

Curtis looked confused as he took in the frosty legend. “Jack Frost? What are you doing here?”

Judy, however, looked on edge. Her smile was wide, but strained. “He came to check on us before. Isn’t that kind, Curtis?” Curtis nodded nonplussed, eyebrows pinched together. She turned to face Jack. “So you’re staying longer?”

“A spur of the moment decision, but a fortunate one as well since you all seem to be down a Santa AND an Arch Elf now.”

“We were just on our way to retrieve our Head Elf, actually.”

“Retrieve him from where exactly? Surely he didn’t sleep in. That would be quite careless of him, and awfully inconsiderate, don’t you think?”

Curtis opened his mouth, but Judy grabbed his wrist and answered herself. “He’s down south, actually.  Checking in with Santa. That’s our Bernard, always on the go!” 

Jack looked suspiciously between the two elves. “And you’re going to retrieve him, are you? I wasn’t aware someone other than the Arch Elf was able to” he made a poof noise and wiggled his fingers in the air “sparkle away somewhere.” 

“We can’t!” Curtis blurted out. “We’re taking the reindeer, of course. Prancer’s been wanting to stretch her legs, new baby and all. Poor thing needs a break.”  

Jack hummed thoughtfully. Silence stretched as the three stood in a stalemate. “I see. Well, if you all need any help, don’t hesitate to ask! I’d hate for you darling little elves to be behind on Christmas.”

The herald of winter clapped his hands with finality and streaked away into the village. Judy’s shoulders dropped in relief and she faced Curtis. 

“The Core teams will just have to handle things on their own for now. We need to find Bernard, quick. Follow me.” 

Bernard’s home was a cozy little two story in the oldest district of Santa’s Village, Stellaris, and the last house on SC Lane. It had belonged to the previous Head Elf, Raj, who had lived there with his wife and daughter. But now it was just Bernard who habited the cottage. 

The Old Workshop was about a block south, renovated into a fresh market that vendors from all over the elf world would come to set up shop and sell their wares. Besides that, it was mostly residential, with big brick and stone houses sparsed here and there and a great lake, eternally frozen and separating the district from the frozen wasteland outside the barrier. 

The space hadn’t been properly laid out for the large-scale operation that Santa Claus and his toys had turned into over the years, so the current Workshop had been built along with the bustling shops and apartments in the Downtown Nord district. Bernard had a place he owned right beside the current Workshop, just to sleep in when things were especially busy and he couldn’t afford to be too far away. They’d checked it out already, but he wasn’t there. 

Judy pulled out a key and unlocked the front door of Bernard’s cottage, Curtis watching with a raised brow. 

“Don’t look at me like that. It’s not at all what you’re thinking.”

“It’s just a bit unusual for 'just-friends' to have keys to each other’s places, that’s all.”

“Curtis, when you’ve known someone as long as I’ve known Bernard, stuff like that isn’t strange at all. He’s a very dear friend, that’s it. Besides, I don’t swing that way.”

The blonde elf’s eyes widened in surprise. “Oh! Uh, no? I didn’t know that about you.”

“Yep. Me and my girlfriend, Belle, have been together for over 600 years now.” She smiled.

“That’s good, I mean, good for you.” 

Curtis looked like he wanted to say something else, but thought better of it and shook his head dismissively. 

They stepped quietly into the foyer. The house was cold and silent, the coat stand beside the door was bare, and a thin layer of dust coated the pictures on the side table in the entrance hall. It looked like nobody had been here for quite a while. Curtis stepped forward to take a closer look at the pictures. Bernard was only in a couple of them. One was a painted picture with him and Judy dressed in fashions that hadn’t been popular for at least 1300 years. They stood at the same height in the picture, Curtis noted with wonder. Bernard had been so small, his hair a little wilder and his ears a tad too big for his head, but perhaps that was a mistake on the artist’s part. The picture beside it was of a more recognizable Bernard standing beside Raj. Painters back then weren't the best at capturing motion so everyone stood stiffly beside each other, but the twinkle of happiness in Bernard’s eye was telling. The remaining pictures were photographs, some in black and white of various things in the village: Dancer in her stable, Judy and another lady elf with a cup of cocoa smiling proudly at the camera, a candid of Downtown during a Spirit Festival, Betty standing with arms behind her back and a ribbon on her collar. 

“Bernard! Are you up there?” Judy called up the stairs, but neither elf expected an answer. He wasn’t there either. 

“Judy, what are we going to do? We need Bernard.”

“Let’s just keep calm, okay? We’re no use to anyone if we start panicking. I think it’s time we take this to Elfcon.”

Curtis nodded solemnly. They locked the front door behind them and started the trek back to the Workshop, worry for their beloved boss hanging like a cloud around them both. 

Holly was concerned. Her lip worried between her teeth as she glanced over at the sleeping man still laid out on her rug. It had been almost 18 hours and he was still completely dead to the world. She’d tried tip-toeing around and being as quiet and considerate as possible when she first woke up and found him still asleep, but now she didn’t even bother. She had banged pots and pans, cooked breakfast and lunch at this point, and had a whole radio conversation with Dr. Branson. Bernard hadn’t even twitched. 

He whimpered in his sleep at one point, but she’d put a gentle hand on his arm and he’d seemed comforted enough to settle back into a quiet slumber. He hadn’t moved much since then. 

He really had been running on fumes. Holly’s heart clenched thinking of how much he must have pushed himself to get to that point. She knew all too well the damage that could be dealt to a body when wrapped up in hustle culture. She was one of the youngest researchers on the team and the only one who had been given a field assignment. That wasn’t for nothing—she’d given blood, sweat, and tears to be here. And a recurrent spinal injury at 24. She still needed to wear a neck brace sometimes and the early onset arthritis wasn’t exactly pleasant either. 

Bernard would need to take it easier from now on. She would make him if she had to. This just wasn’t healthy. She was torn between shaking him awake to give him a piece of her mind and just letting him rest for as long as he needed to. 

She hadn’t quite made a decision on which she’d go with when she heard a noise outside. She went still as she listened harder and heard the crunching of snow as something walked about her camp, its 4-legged gait distinctly not human. 

This was bad. If a polar bear had stumbled into her camp, then this could get very deadly, very fast. She had a reinforced metallic panic chamber for just such an occasion, but it was a tight squeeze for even one person, let alone two. And Bernard was practically dead weight at this point. By the time she hauled him over to the panic chamber, they could both be dead, but she couldn’t just leave him there unprotected either. With grim resolve, she grabbed the rifle propped beside her bed. She had never wanted to have to use it, but she wouldn’t sacrifice her life and Bernard’s. She loaded it with a fast efficiency and cocked it, aiming it in front of her as she approached the tent exit. 

She nudged the flap open with the tip of her gun and peered outside. 

Bernard felt like an absolute wreck. His whole body ached with disuse, his stomach was hollow, and his head was pounding. He smacked his lips as he blinked fully awake, his throat scratchy and dry with thirst. He stared blankly at the neat bed a few feet away before recognition returned to him. He was at Holly’s camp. He’d passed out after helping her set up cameras and then… he couldn’t remember. It was all just flashes here and there—being wrapped in a blanket, eating something lumpy, looking at the fire, Holly’s concerned face, talking about Raj—Raj! He had told her about his work! 

How could he be so careless! He must have seriously been delirious to have told a human about his life. His hands flew up to his sore ears—covered, thank Christmas. At least she hadn’t seen that he was an elf. But how much had he revealed last night? And what time was it? He looked down at his snow globe watch and balked at the display. Not only had he slept the entire day, but no one at the North Pole had any idea where he’d been. He had about 30 messages from Curtis, each more frantic than the last, and a dozen from Judy. The Elfcon team had also sent a few messages asking about his status and he saw that his location had been pinged not 10 minutes ago. He quickly typed a message to Elfcon. 

Will return ASAP. Currently with human. Do not engage. - B

The reply was immediate. 

Understood. Standing by. - Alpha Team

This was going to be a mess to sort out. 

A sudden laugh from outside pulled him from his thoughts and he staggered to his feet. He walked unsteadily to the tent exit and had to stop and catch his breath at the sight before him. 

Holly was giggling, a graham cracker held high over her head as she leaned away from an insistent Dancer. The reindeer was pushing her snout into the side of the human’s face, nuzzling with soft snorts that ruffled Holly’s hair. 

“Alright, alright! Here!” She said, lowering the cracker so that Dancer could lick it up and start munching. “You’re so greedy, sheesh.” She then noticed him standing there stupefied and a relieved smile overtook her face. “Hey, you’re up! I was starting to wonder if I should radio medical. You’ve been sleeping for ages.”

“What’s, uh—what’s going on out here?” He said looking between Holly and the deer at her side. At his voice, Dancer perked up and gave a happy haw when she spotted him. She trotted over to him and pushed her nose against his hair. He grabbed his hat to keep it in place with one hand and patted her cheek affectionately with the other, confusion still twisting his expression. 

“Tiny Dancer here showed up about a half hour ago," Holly chuckled at the happy reindeer practically cuddling the groggy man in front of her tent. "Looking for you, I’m guessing.”

“Tiny Dancer?” he repeated, the nervous question in his voice clear. 

“Her collar—it says ‘Dancer’," she pointed out. "I’m guessing it’s her name, right? She obviously knows you.”

He barely managed to hold back a sigh of relief. “Y-yeah," he busied his hands with running fingers through the reindeer's soft fur. "This is Dancer, she’s a friend of mine.”

“So that’s how you’ve been getting around without a snowmobile, huh? I knew you hadn’t just walked," Holly smiled wryly. "No one could take the cold for that long a distance.”

He could actually, elves were a lot heartier than humans. The cold didn’t bother them much, him least of all since he'd lived in it all his life. As for distance, elves had more stamina than humans as well. He’d definitely pushed it too far lately, but working a couple days with little food and no sleep wasn’t normally very taxing, so walking a few miles in the snow was no problem for him. But he wasn’t about to refute her conclusions now. Dancer was here, Holly had seen her, so now it was time for damage control. 

“You caught me," he joked, hands flying up in mock surrender. "I didn’t expect her to come looking for me—” he shot an exasperated look at Dancer, “—guess the secret’s out.” 

Holly huffed a light laugh at his antics. “Is she like a pet?”

“No," he denied, face flashing briefly with annoyance, "like I said, she’s a friend. She just helps me get around sometimes, that’s all.” Typical human, thinking anything that wasn't them was just a mindless beast. 

“Y’know," Holly's voice snapped him out of his grumpy musings, "you don’t have to be ashamed if you really are a LARPer. Cause more and more you seem like some kind of Disney elven prince or something. I mean, who just goes around riding reindeer? That’s pretty magical, don’t you think?” She cheesed hard at her own comparison, the thought of Bernard in a glimmering crown with pointy ears too funny to not share. Her belly flipped as she thought about how that image wasn't just funny, it was also somewhat... appealing. And fitting, honestly. She wouldn't even be surprised if she learned he actually was an elven prince. Well, not that surprised, at least. Bernard was a little too snarky to be a prince. 

“It probably seems that way, but," he rushed to explain, the nervous energy that had gathered around him bordering on anxious now, "it’s not that strange for, uh, Russians.” He was banking on her not having much knowledge about Russian culture. 

Thankfully, she didn’t. “Oh, neat!" she exclaimed, "I’ve heard about Russians and bears, but not Russians and reindeer. Huh, the more you know.” Holly walked up to them both and ran a hand up the side of Dancer’s long neck, reaching up to scratch at a fluffy ear. “She’s a sweetheart.”

Bernard couldn’t help but grin at the human’s soft coo. “Yeah, she is. She’s my special girl.” Dancer bumped his face affectionately. 

Holly’s expression turned more somber, her attention returning to him. “So are you feeling any better?”

He took a moment to stretch his arms over his head, taking stock of how achey things were. “Hm, I’ve got a headache and my back’s a little sore, but I’m not as tired as I was, at least." His arms returned to petting Dancer, eyes sincere as he addressed Holly directly, "Thanks for letting me crash here.” 

“Of course, dude," she said, eyes rolling, "I wasn’t gonna send you out in the snow like that. You really looked rough." Her expression fell again, brows tight and serious. "It was pretty terrifying, actually.”

He winced. “I’m so sorry about that. I shouldn’t have come here as tired as I was, that was really irresponsible of me. I don’t even remember what all happened." He paused, a searching look in his eye as he faced her and said, "I hope I didn’t say anything too weird.” 

She laughed. “Don’t worry, you didn’t say anything embarrassing if that’s what you mean. We just talked a bit about your work at the station. You said you used to be a fancy chef. Which is insanely cool, I gotta say. You’ve done a lot of stuff for someone so young. How old are you exactly anyways?”

“Isn’t it rude to ask someone about their age?” he returned, voice tight.

Welp. Guess the lid was back in place again. Too bad, she'd really enjoyed talking with an open Bernard, even if he wasn't all the way there. “I think that’s only a thing with older ladies," she said, sliding her hand along Dancer's neck as she stepped closer to Bernard. "C’mon, you can’t be older than me.”

He smirked, a bare hand gently rubbing the velvet of Dancer's snout. “If that’s what you think, then sure.”

“Whaaat? So you’re—“ she squinted, coming up beside him to watch how he handled the reindeer, “—nah, you’re messing with me. I’m gonna guess… 20? 21?” Her elbow nudged into his side playfully. 

He laughed, her teasing melting his stiff posture some. “Yeah, okay, let’s go with that.”

“Ugh, you’re impossible! It’s just a number, y’know.”

“Then it doesn’t matter what it is, right?”

“This mystery man thing is gonna get old.”

“Just like me.” The twinkle in his eye told her there was a joke there she wasn’t getting.

She clicked her tongue exasperatedly. “Will you at least tell me more about being a chef? Cause that’s still blowing my mind, to be honest.”

Brown eyes were warm with amusement as they took in the eager and curious tilt of her head. “What more can I say? I made food, good food in fact, not to toot my own horn here.” A puff of white clouded the air, her laugh dry at his cocky tone. “Now it seems I’m always on the go, so I don’t get to cook as much as I used to. Which is a shame because I really miss it sometimes.”

She hummed interestedly, “What was your favorite thing to make?”

“Shrimp étouffée, hands down," he said instantly, excitement bleeding into his tone. "There’s something so simple about it, it’s essentially a comfort food. But the way the sweet notes of the shrimp and onion play with the heat of the celery and spices, ah,” his hand swooped through the air, the fingers grabbing at something unseen, “there’s nothing like it.”

She could almost taste it, the words floating in the air like a ballad. His musical voice was just that much more compelling when he talked so passionately about something he obviously loved. “I’ve never had that before. It sounds amazing.” She sighed with longing. “You’ll have to make it for me sometime.” Fat chance of that up in the arctic, but a girl could dream.

He didn’t call her on the fanciful notion, however, playing along with an indulgent quirk of his lip. “Maybe I will.” 

A long moment passed, their shared breath fogging between them, before they both seemed to realize at the same time just how close they’d gotten. Bernard took a half step back and cupped Dancer’s snout in tender hands. 

“Dancer and I should probably get going, we’ve been in your hair long enough.” They shared a laugh as, at that exact moment, Dancer swung her head away from him and snuffled into Holly’s hair. 

“Yeah, I bet your station is wondering where you’ve been. I’m surprised no one came looking for you, honestly. I would have sent them a message, but Dr. Branson wasn’t sure who to contact.” Her eyes softened. “I’m glad you’re okay now, Bernard. Please try to take it a little easier from now on, yeah?”

His heart thumped in his chest, and he swallowed uncomfortably. “I will. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“Somehow I don’t quite believe you.” Her lips twisted wryly. “But I’ll let it slide, just this once.” She ducked into the tent and returned with his cloak and scarf. He accepted them with a grateful nod and suited up. He climbed on Dancer’s back and they trotted to the edge of the camp. 

“Hey, Bernard!” 

He turned to look back at her. 

“If you ever need a break from everything, come stop by! Anytime, okay? You’re always welcome here.” 

His heart thumped again, harder this time. “I just might take you up on that, Holly Jolly.” 

And away they went, leaving a blushing human in their wake. 

Tamika grimaced as she watched the Head Elf devour another plate of shrimp étouffée. He’d arrived late that evening with Dancer and made a beeline for the kitchens where he cooked himself a feast. There were at least three different kinds of meals on the table and some garlic bread in the oven. The elves on Alpha Team took this in stride as they asked him questions about where he’d been and what happened. Curtis hadn’t stopped hovering the entire time, shifting his weight from one leg to the other and wiping his palms on his trousers every few minutes. 

She huffed at Bernard’s vague explanation about getting caught up with the human. He’d passed out apparently, and had been unconscious this whole time. Tamika wanted to send out a team to investigate further and see if this Holly Williams had done something nefarious to their boss to make him incapacitated for so long, but Bernard insisted she had done nothing but help. 

“I don’t like it," she grumbled loudly.

He slurped a saucy spoonful of rice and cut his eyes up at her. “You don’t have to like it. Just trust me on this one, ‘kay? She’s not a threat.”

“Sir, she is a threat. And she’s gonna be a threat as long as she’s so close to the Pole.”

“There’s nothing we can do about that, Tamika. She’s here, she’s got sponsors backing her, it would be suspicious to force her out now. We just need to get her through the year and then we won't have to deal with The Hale Company for at least a couple of years.” He licked his lips. “I’ll handle it. I’ve got a rapport with her, so I can keep her nose well away from the village. Just leave it to me.”

“I did leave it to you, and look what happened,” she said, unimpressed.

“Nothing happened, I’m fine.”

A voice cut in from the kitchen entrance. “And I’m very glad you are.” 

Judy looked at him with tears in her eyes, taking in his hunched figure seated at the mess table. She rushed over to him and threw her arms around his neck. He caught her small form in his own arms with a grunt. 

“Don’t ever do that again.”

“Sorry, Judes.” 

Tamika stepped back and started walking away, her head shaking in frustration. “When this blows up, don’t come complaining to me.”

“Noted," Bernard deadpanned, paying her no further mind, his attention solely on the distraught elf in his embrace. 

Curtis shuffled at the edge of the action, looking unsure. Judy pulled away from Bernard and took in the odd way his hat was covering his head. She grabbed it off his head and he gave a groan of relief as his ears were finally free from confinement. “Ugghhh, you have no idea how good that feels.” He shook out his curls and Judy laughed wetly when a few threatened to hit her face. 

Curtis cleared his throat. 

“Yes, Curtis, what is it?” Bernard sounded exhausted.

The Workshop was behind. Things were in complete disarray. Jack Frost was still here somewhere in Santa’s Village. There was a thick stack of notes clutched in the blonde elf’s hand filled with problems for the Head Elf to look through. 

Judy looked at Bernard with a serene smile as he took another bite of shrimp and peered back at his assistant expectantly.

Curtis blinked, the corner of his mouth curling up. “I just wanted to say, it’s good to have you back, sir.” 

“Coming to bed, Honeybuns?”

“In a moment, Puddin Pie. There’s just a couple more things I need to do first.”

Noel gave her a sleepy kiss on the cheek in reply and stumbled away to their bedroom. Bernard was back, Elfcon had followed up with him about his whereabouts, and they’d filed an official incident report that night. She didn’t really need to read over it that night, it would still be there in the morning of course, but she had been on pins and needles all day ever since hearing he was missing. She just wanted to know he was okay and the best way she could express that was by making sure the paperwork was in order. It was sort of her love language. 

She flipped onto the next page and started reading the general summary from the physician on call who was brought in to perform Bernard’s physical. Everything was fine. He was okay. He would be fit for duty by tomorrow. 

The silence was broken by her light sigh of relief. 

That’s all she really wanted to know. Tamika was thorough with her 20 page report and most of the info wouldn’t give her any additional insight into Bernard’s wellbeing. But once Betty started something, she had a hard time not finishing it. She sent a silent apology to her snoring partner in the next room and settled into her home office to read the rest. 

The fireplace kept the room nice and toasty, the glow lighting up the delicately carved music box painted in silver and gold that lay on the corner of her desk. 

Chapter Text

(January 24, morning)

“But, Snickerdoodle—“

“Don’t ‘Snickerdoodle’ me, Noel! This is unacceptable!”

Betty pulled Noel by his collar away from the smoking kitchens and into a nearby broom closet. He opened his mouth to reply but a cookie was swiftly shoved into it.

“Mmfh!” 

The tray of cookies in Betty’s hand was a hot mess of half burnt shapes all covered in red icing and glitter—and not the edible kind. Noel chewed the cookie in his mouth and swallowed, looking chastised at his partner. “I’m sorry, Betty. I just want my first meeting with the new Santa to be perfect!” 

“You’re terrible at making cookies, though! You almost always eat the dough before we can bake any.”

“That’s why I was trying so hard here! And see, these ones made it to the oven this time.”

“I think they may have spent a little too long in the oven, Gummy Bear. They’re a bit… crunchy.”

“But they have extra love in them! And that makes them extra delicious.” His eyes crinkled as he took the tray from her. “He’ll love them! See, they’re all him!” They were at least recognizably Santa Claus shaped, she supposed. 

“You used up the Spirit Department’s entire stock of red icing, Noel. The entire stock of red icing!” She would not be swayed by puppy eyes and a cute smile, no way. Not at all. 

“But Honeybuns, Santa wears red! What other color was I supposed to use?”

Betty sighed. “Nevermind, Jellybean. Look, I’m going to take care of this, okay? You just go back to the ice cream shop—you know you weren’t supposed to enter the Workshop unsupervised.”

“But this was the only place that had enough red icing!” 

Production was really starting to ramp up. There were very few children who would send their Christmas lists this early in the year, so most of the Workshop was busy creating prep materials for the projected toys of the season.

There were the staples of course. Dolls, trucks, blocks, puzzles, stuffed animals: these were always on a good amount of kids’ lists every year. Assembly teams were busy churning out half made toys from these basic categories to pack up and put into storage. Later in the year, they’d be taken out and finished with more detail tailored to individual kids’ tastes. The more they worked on them now, the less they had to scramble when the official Christmas lists started coming in. 

Curtis was still struggling to keep up with Bernard’s growing list of chores, and he could tell the Head Elf was becoming more and more frustrated with him. Judy had started stepping in and helping Curtis here and there when he felt especially overwhelmed, but although this meant things were getting done in a timely manner, Bernard very obviously looked down on Curtis asking for outside help. 

The younger elf heard them arguing over him at one point when he came to drop off reports, his pointed ear perking at the sound of his name. 

“—lay off a bit! Curtis is still young, Bernard!”

“If he can’t handle the workload then that tells me everything I need to know about him being Head Elf someday!”

“You know this is way more work than normal! Even you’re struggling—don’t deny it! I can see that you are. He’s supposed to just be an apprentice, Bernard. Just how much had you accomplished as Head Elf at 900, huh? Oh, that’s right! You didn’t become Head Elf until you were 1000, did you? Very interesting.”

He decided to just come back later. 

Bernard had apologized to him the next day about how hard he’d been on the younger elf and promised to pull back some and give Judy some of Curtis’ responsibilities. Curtis was still frantically trying to keep up most days, but things didn’t seem so impossible anymore. 

He didn’t feel better about it, though. He felt like he was letting Bernard down. Like he wasn’t good enough. He’d never voice these feelings aloud to his boss, however. He wasn’t a baby and he didn’t need them accommodating him more than they already were. Curtis would just put on a brave face and keep trying his best. 

He envied Quintin, though. Talk about confidence. Quintin had been training with Peewee for a few weeks now and things had never run smoother in R&D.

The Elf on the Shelf production’s first batch was complete and ready to be sent out into the world. The sample pool they’d tested on had loved the idea and word of mouth was spreading. The toy elves would be sent out en masse and if demand was still high, they’d make more at the second half of the year. And so far it looked like demand would indeed be high. 

Quintin was handling things like he’d been working that position for hundreds of years. It was infuriating. The only solace Curtis took was that the machine meant to gather the data from the toy elves and print out a preliminary naughty/nice list wasn’t coming out exactly as planned. There was a problem internally somewhere and only half the data was coming through.

Quintin had no idea how to fix it. He’d gone to Bernard, but the Head Elf was better at small machinery and wind up mechanics. They were stumped at the moment. 

A small smile of satisfaction painted his lips as he imagined Quintin frustratedly scratching his head, trying to figure out where the problem was.

Curtis had seen him just the other day, petticoat removed for once, stuck up under the gears of his mech monstrosity and covered in oil. His long braid had been coming apart as he worked, the normally perfectly coiffed bangs at the front of his head looking frazzled and sweaty. He had stopped a moment to wipe a weary hand across his forehead, leaving a black smudge in its wake. Curtis hadn’t stuck around, suddenly feeling light headed and needing some fresh air. 

If Quintin failed at his job, then it would undoubtedly make everyone else’s jobs much, much harder in the coming year.

Still, a small part of Curtis would probably celebrate if that did end up happening. Hey, he was an elf, not a saint. 

“Noel!” A frantic whisper sounded from the doorway to Santa’s chambers. Betty watched incredulously as her lover tried desperately to scrub a spot of green out of a red coat. Santa’s red coat! 

“Betty! Thank Christmas you’re here, Sugar Pie!” Noel’s whispered reply was just as frantic. “I don’t know what color red and green make together, but I don’t think it’s a good one!” 

Her mouth hung open as she dazedly walked closer. “Noel, how did this happen?” 

“Well, I was thinking about what you said about the red icing, and then I realized—there’s no reason Santa couldn’t wear some other color too! I mean, the red is classic, but he’d look great in anything really. He could wear blue, yellow, purple, orange, black—“

“Noel, how did this happen ?” She repeated, eyebrows high and tented on her forehead. 

“I made a green Santa cookie! And it was perfect. It was cooked just right and the icing job was my best work yet. I started getting sad though, cause there’s no way I was ever gonna make a cookie that perfect again! I wanted to give it to the new Santa, but I have no way of getting to him. But then I thought of the next best thing! I could come here and look at the coat hanging up on the mannequin and pretend I was giving the cookie to Santa and it would be almost as good as the real thing! But I tripped and, well—“ he gestured at the stain. “I'm so sorry, Betty.” 

She took a slow calming breath through her nose and Noel mirrored her. Together they both let out the breath through their mouths. “Okay, here’s what we’re going to do,” she said, “I’m going straight to Crouton and I’m going to beg forgiveness for this and offer to have the cleaning fee come out of my next paycheck—“

“But, Sugarplum—“

“—and you’re going back to the ice cream shop and you’re staying there!”

“No! This was my mistake, Apple Pie! I should be the one who gets the heat for it.“

“Listen to me, Noel, you aren’t even supposed to be in the Workshop! I don’t want you to get in trouble!” She gripped his round face in her hands and brushed her thumbs over sparkling skin. “Just let me handle this, okay, Honeybuns?”

His voice was partially muffled as he spoke around his squished cheeks. “Okay, Sweet Pea.” 

Something was going on with Betty.

The serious little elf woman had just told the North Pole Preservation Society that she’d stained Santa’s coat somehow. Bernard and Judy were bracing for the storm that Crouton was sure to unleash in response.

And earlier that morning, Betty had smoked out one of the empty kitchens making cookies and used up their entire supply of red icing. Judy was scrambling to figure out how to decorate sweets for the upcoming Valentine’s Day celebration without using red or pink.

Bernard was bewildered at this uncharacteristic series of blunders by his protégée.

Betty was Head of Administration and while her department was located within the Workshop, her duties rarely crossed with Core Production or the Spirit Department. Admin usually kept to themselves, holed up in the office blocks. There was no reason for Betty to be anywhere near the kitchens or Santa’s living chambers. So what exactly was going on with her? 

Betty projected a calm professional facade to most of the world, but Bernard had known her all her life. He was usually the first to recognize when she wasn’t doing well. Admittedly, though, they had grown apart when she’d met Noel. 

Bernard liked Noel well enough. He was a good, honest elf. He worked in an ice cream shop in the Downtown Nord district, just a few blocks from the Workshop. He practically worshipped Betty. But he was a bit naive and could be overexcitable, which got him in trouble at times.

Now that Bernard thought more about it, this whole thing with burnt cookies and stained coats had Noel written all over it. Betty was a model worker, but her one Achilles’ heel was always Noel. She was loyal to a fault and would do just about anything for her beau. 

She hadn’t really known her parents. Her mother, the Head of the Spirit Department before Judy, had died quite tragically in a caramel accident just a week after Betty had been born. Her father Raj—

Well. Raj had thrown himself into his work not long after that. By the time Betty was a year old, she’d been orphaned. 

Bernard wished he had been able to put aside his own grief and help the little elfling—maybe raise her himself. But he hadn’t.

Years passed in a haze as he took on the duties of Head Elf. He checked on Betty occasionally as she grew up, but usually from a distance. The kindly elf couple who had lived next door to Raj and his family made sure the elfling was fed and clothed, but for the most part, Betty had raised herself. He hadn’t seen her in 50 years when Betty, newly graduated from elf academy, had shown up at his office claiming her house belonged to him. 

Raj had apparently left the cottage to Bernard of all people. He hadn’t updated his will when Betty was born, which wasn’t surprising considering his state of mind at the time. What was surprising was how insistent Betty was that Bernard take the house. She was a bit of a stickler for the rules, it seemed. 

She was also incredibly lost. He could see it in her eyes, hard and searching for meaning in the lines of text she devoured constantly. She was like a perfect blend of her mother and father, determined and strong and good. 

He offered her a job on the spot. 

Only problem was that she was actually terrible at making toys. No matter what line, team, or department they tried, she just didn’t take to any of it. Toys fell apart in her hands wherever she went. He stuck her in Administration while he looked for something more suited for her, and she had risen the ranks and become a manager of her own office block within a month. 

He took her under his wing and she had thrived. They became very close. And then she met Noel. 

Betty had always been so self sufficient and independent. So it was jarring to see her suddenly so gooey over some guy. Betty and Noel stuck to each other like nougat on peanuts and the rest was history. 

It was extremely unlikely that she was all of a sudden making such bizarre mistakes and inconveniencing people from completely different departments. Bernard was sure. Noel had something to do with this. Now he just needed to get Betty to admit it. 

Just as he'd had that thought, said elf ran into the room in a panic, huffing as she went. Speak of the devil. 

“Bernard! Noel’s done something terrible!”

Well, that was easier than he thought it’d be. 

“Elfcon to Noel, please respond. Over.”

“AHHHHHHHH!”

“Noel, we need you to stay calm. Over.”

“HHRK, woahh-UHH! AHHHH!”

“Stop screaming! Over!”

“EEEEEEEEEEE—“

Tamika flicked the radio off with an aggravated growl. “We aren’t getting anywhere with this! Where’s Bernard?”

Curtis flinched as she directed her irate question towards him. “Ah! Um, Betty’s gone to get him now! I’m sure they’ll be here soon.”

This was a complete disaster. One unfortunate domino tipping into another and another until they eventually lead to this—an untrained elf who knew next to nothing about Workshop protocol several hundred feet in the air with a runaway sleigh.

The way Betty had explained it, Noel had been on a misguided mission all day to plan the perfect first impression with the new Santa Claus. She’d confessed that it was actually the Village worker who had destroyed the kitchens and ruined Santa’s coat earlier that day.

He had also apparently snuck into the Launching Room to place a note he’d written to Santa in the sleigh. Betty couldn’t say for sure, but her theory was that Noel wanted to send it, but due to Bernard’s orders that no one contact the new Santa until he’d had the chance to get his human affairs settled, he couldn’t.

So Noel did what he believed was the next best thing and tried to leave the note in the sleigh for Santa to find once he returned. 

This was insanely bad timing, however, since the Stable crew was doing harness fit tests on the reindeer at the time. Only 4 of the reindeer had been strapped in, but when the elves had stepped out to grab the other 4 to switch them out, Noel hadn’t been able to resist a bit of pretend fun, calling out “Now Dasher, now Dancer, now Prancer, now Vixen!”

The actual deer who had been strapped in were Comet, Dasher, Donner, and Prancer, but the command was ingrained in their minds and had startled them into a run down the launch pad. Betty had arrived, after yet another call from Noel’s best friend and coworker Zippy informing her of her partner’s absence, to find the sleigh just taking off and Noel’s screams of fright echoing into the open air. 

They were currently flying erratically above Santa’s Village, the almost weightless sleigh causing confusion in the half assembled team of reindeer as they got ever closer to the opening at the top of the barrier. They needed Noel to direct the team back down to a landing and fast. They may be able to hide the Village from human eyes with the magic barrier, but a sleigh flying hundreds of feet in the open air would be hard to miss. 

“Status report!” Bernard barked as soon as he entered the radio room, Betty at his heels. 

“We can’t get him to calm down enough to listen to us! He’s just up there screaming his ears off!” Tamika immediately replied. 

“I’ll try.” Betty stepped up to the radio transmitter and flicked it on. 

“AHHHH ahh EEEE—“

“Noel! Noel, it’s me, Betty! You have to stop screaming, Honeybuns!”

“—EEEEEEEE YAAAAAAA!”

It was no use, he didn’t even seem to pause for breaths. He couldn’t hear them over his own screams. 

Bernard’s face was starting to turn purple. “This is a serious crisis level emergency here, there’s a human out there who could see him!”

Tamika crossed her arms and turned to the Head Elf. “I’ll have E.L.F.S. on standby for a dusting job.” 

Bernard looked conflicted, but nodded. “It’ll be a pain in our nutcrackers to clean up with the other humans, but we can stage an accident to explain the memory loss.” 

The Head of Elfcon rubbed her head at his words, groaning low in her throat. “I can already feel a headache coming on.”

Curtis winced at the thought of even more work being piled onto their already bloated schedules. “Maybe we can avoid all that! Sir, you’ve been working with the human, right? Maybe you can go and distract her, y’know, make sure she doesn’t see anything she shouldn’t?”

Tamika’s head shot up, a wide smile splitting her face. “Yes! That! Do that, Bernard!” She started to push the tall elf out the door, his sputtering replies falling on deaf ears. “Go, go, go! There’s no time to waste. We’ll figure out something here and keep you updated!” 

“But what if she’s already—“

“Then call in the E.L.F.S. team! Look, both you and I don’t need this right now. Let’s get ahead of it and try to save us both the extra paperwork.”

He grimaced and stopped resisting her prodding. “Ah, yep, alright. I’m off.” He started sprinting down the hall, but called over his shoulder, “Keep me posted!” 

Tamika stepped back into the radio room and looked at Curtis and Betty, their unsure faces staring back. 

“Okay, you two, let's start brainstorming here. What do we got?” 

Holly hadn’t seen Bernard for a few days now.

He came to check in with her at least once a week since his fainting spell at the start of the year. He’d kept his word about taking better care of himself, and although he still seemed tired every time she saw him, there were no further health scares.

However, he hadn’t actually taken her up on her offer to stop by ‘for a break’. It was always strictly business.

He helped her set up the remaining cameras, tracked two more missing polar bears with her, and even helped haul firewood back to her camp from a supply outpost, the last instance being the most fresh in her mind, not only because it was the most recent, but also because it was the most memorable. 

"We're wasting time trying to get more piled on than if we just hauled them to camp and came back for the rest!" Holly had complained as she watched Bernard stack piece after piece of firewood onto the back of his snowmobile, the pile teetering unsteadily. This had been his fifth attempt to get all the wood to fit on their vehicles so they wouldn't have to make two trips.

"Hear that?" 

"What?" she asked, stiffening as her eyes searched the horizon for any potential dangers. Maybe he'd heard polar bear grunts or footsteps in the snow?

"It's the sound of nobody asking," he bit out, arms struggling to keep his stack steady as he flipped the piece on top around so it fit better.

Her rapidly beating heart turned icy at his cold retort. "...'Kay fine. Whatever you say, Saint Bernard," she grumbled, adding a low "Asshole," under her breath as she turned back to tying up her own wood pile. 

"This is more efficient, Holly! I don't exactly have time to mess around with this," he continued, struggled gasps and growls punctuated with the sound of wood against wood.

"Why bother at all then?" she asked, voice raising in anger. "It's not like I asked you to—"

"Nutcrackers!" he'd exclaimed as the wood, once again, fell off his snowmobile and scattered across the ice. Her ire evaporated away in an instant as she realized what exactly had come out of his mouth.

"What did you just say?" she asked, already having a hard time spitting out the words around the hysterical laughter that had erupted out of her.

She had never seen his face so red, it was actually bordering on purple. God she hadn't stopped laughing until they reached camp. The second time. He gave up trying to pile all the wood on shortly after that. 

So it turned out he did in fact own a snowmobile of his own. She had been slightly weirded out at the thought that he just rode reindeer everywhere he went like some mythical figure, but that wasn’t the case. He was actually a very down to earth guy, despite his appearance. 

She really appreciated his company out here in the lonely arctic, even if he did tend to be a bit blunt and sarcastic. She enjoyed his wit, savoring the light hearted banter that arose while they worked. 

Holly was currently going over the notes Bernard had left on the polar bears they tracked down, George and Matteo. She’d long given up on calling them by the designations her own company used. Bernard insisted on speaking about them as if they were people, and Holly was begrudgingly charmed by this quirk. His obvious respect and care for the polar bears made her already reluctantly fond feelings for the enigmatic Russian researcher grow that much more. 

The distant hum of a snowmobile engine made her look up on the horizon and spot the very subject of her current thoughts speeding towards her camp. 

This was a bit unusual for Bernard who almost always came earlier in the day when he visited. It was pushing late afternoon into early evening at this point, and Holly was thinking of winding down for the day. Either way, though, she was happy to see him. Jerk or no, she'd come to think of them as friends.

She waved as he parked his vehicle a few yards away from her own. He threw his hood back and revealed a somewhat strained smile. Her own grin turned hesitant seeing the obvious stress on her companion’s face. 

“Everything okay, Bernard?”

“Yeah! No, everything’s all good. How, uh, how are you doing, Holly Jolly? Everything okay with you?” He shuffled over to her camp, hands rubbing together nervously.

She blinked at the uncharacteristic display. “Uh, yeah? I was just reading over your notes on George and Matteo.”

She lifted the papers she had been reading on her fold out table and gave them a little wave for emphasis. 

“So you haven’t noticed anything weird today or…” he trailed off, eyes searching the sky distractedly. 

“No?” She squinted, turning to glance at the sky herself. “Why—did your team accidentally launch a nuke or something?” 

He laughed stiltedly. 

“Nah, I was just wondering. It’s, uh,” he cleared his throat and dragged one of her folded chairs from the side of the tent over to the table with her, “been one of those days, y’know?”

He seemed very preoccupied, looking over his shoulder a couple times with pinched brows. She was mildly confused at his evasive behavior. Bernard was always such a straightforward guy. He didn’t pull punches, even when telling her things he knew she wouldn’t want to hear. 

Last week, he’d told her in no uncertain terms that the data she’d spent days compiling on sea ice density was flawed. He hadn’t even batted an eye at her groans of disappointment at the time wasted, offering to help her correct the problem instead. He’d proven his honesty and good intentions again and again, at least when it came to work. He took his job very seriously. Too seriously sometimes, if she was being honest, but at least he was consistent.  

It was most likely as he said; just a long difficult day weighing him down. 

“So is this a social visit, then?” she asked, head tilted curiously. 

“Well, you did say I could come by anytime. I hope that’s alright?” he asked, a hesitant note in his voice. 

“Of course! I’m always happy to hang with you, dude. I’m just settling down for the day, though, so no appearances from Saint Bernard, capiche?” A wry smile twisted her lips. “This is a no-work zone for the next 12 hours, at least!” 

He tsk'd dismissively. “Yeah, yeah. Well, don’t let me hinder your big evening plans.”

“No big plans, don’t worry. I was just gonna listen to some tunes and snack on popcorn. I snagged some from the outpost last week and I’ve been looking forward to trying it out.” A hand motioned to the foil bag of plain popcorn sitting beside the fire. “How ‘bout we get this bad boy going and do some stargazing or something?” 

“Ah, well, that sounds pretty good! But, uh, maybe not stargazing. Have anything a bit more hands on?”

She hummed thoughtfully. 

“I totally had that!”

“Keep telling yourself that, dude!”

They’d quickly tired of War and Gin Rummy. Bernard had a nervous energy about him, so Holly suggested an oldie but a goodie: Slapjack. 

His reflexes were freakishly good, but she had an even greater power—bullshitting. 

“In what reality did you slap first?”

“Maybe you need glasses?” She smirked as he growled, the small curl to his lip telling her he was at least somewhat in on her little act. 

Boy, it was fun to rile him up. 

She placed a card down, at the same time crying out, “Holy shit, what is that?” while staring behind his head. 

He whipped around to look, his eyes widened in panic, and a slap echoed between them. “Ha! Too easy.”

He scowled and put down his card. “You aren’t gonna get me with that twice.” 

“We’ll see!”

She was cheesin’ hard. 

Music drifted over to them from her portable radio, hung up on her tent so they could continue to play outside while enjoying the music.

He’d suggested they move inside, but she was tired of being cooped up in her tent. She wanted to enjoy her tunes and take in the night, and he reluctantly agreed. The tape she had was a mix of rock ballads, 80s pop, the odd country song, and some love songs from the 70s. She hadn’t exactly made it to play for company. It was a mixtape of her favorite comfort songs, some true classics but some obscure, slightly embarrassing choices as well.

But if Bernard minded at all, he never let on, even humming the tunes to a few himself. If she thought his general voice was musical, it was nothing compared to the pleasing rumble that left him when Take On Me started playing.

They played a few more cards where he slapped and won three hands in a row before her hand could even twitch. On the fourth hand, she was starting to space out a bit. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as he half hummed, half sang, “I’ll be coming for your love, okay~” 

She flipped a card face up and without thinking, her hand slapped down onto it, his hand enclosing hers a millisecond later.

He seemed shocked that she’d hit it faster, a startled laugh escaping him, but she could barely hear it over the rushing blood in her ears. His hand was so warm, but she was used to his body temperature running a lot hotter than hers. What struck her now, though, was how much larger his hand was compared to hers. Lovely long fingers and neat trimmed nails were a weakness of hers.

She came back to herself suddenly with the realization that she’d just been staring at their hands. She darted her eyes up to his face and saw that he’d also been staring at their joined hands. He must have seen her look in his peripheral, because his sharp eyes were suddenly holding hers in their dark gaze.

She was surprised steam wasn’t rolling off her cheeks with how heated they felt. His own sparkling cheeks were darker than normal, his nose flaring as his breathing picked up slightly.

A blink and those dark eyes were cut off from her, his hand pulling back with a cleared throat. “Maybe you’re actually getting better at this, finally.”

She laughed breathlessly. “You’re such an asshole.” 

Just like that they were back to normal, like nothing had happened. And maybe it hadn’t. Had she imagined his blush? It was pretty dark out here, the only light provided by her campfire and the gas lamp she’d set on the table. She shook her head at her own hazy thoughts.

The last thing she wanted to do was misread the situation and alienate the only other person within a 100 mile radius. They continued to play, but as time went on, her one win seemed to be a fluke. 

“You must be cheating!”

“How could I possibly be cheating?”

“You’ve got secret super powers or something, for sure,” she huffed. 

“Maybe you’re just slow, ever consider that one?” 

“Right, cause I’m so old and decrepit.”

“Exactly,” he smirked. 

She leaned in abruptly after another hand lost. “Aha! So you are younger than me, then! I knew you were just trying to throw me off before.”

Brows shot up under dark curls. He kept his eyes down on the pile of cards between them. “Maybe you keep losing cause you can’t stay focused. Probably all that coffee you drink.” 

“Just cause you hate coffee like a complete maniac doesn’t mean the rest of the world is as tasteless.” She shook her head. “And don’t change the subject! So you are younger?” 

Silence stretched as he continued to look away from her, eyes darting down to check his weird watch. She groaned dramatically after a beat.

“Fine! Keep your secrets then, but that just tells me you’re younger than you wanna admit. Don’t worry, kiddo, I won’t think any less of you.” She punctuated her words with a patronizing pat on his head. 

He shoved her hand away and scoffed. “Okay, keep laughing, chuckles. I’m still taller than you, y’know.”  

“By like an inch,” she retorted. 

“A few inches, thank you very much." His eyes grew big as he looked up from his watch. "Plenty enough to do this—“ he suddenly grabbed her wrist mid slap with a playful growl that sent a tingle down her spine and hoisted her up out of her chair.

A cry of surprise left her as he wrapped his hands around her waist and lifted her into the air. He laughed in response, twirling once, twice before setting her down again. Holly felt a bit breathless, her cheeks hurting from how hard she was smiling.

“Dance with me, Holly Jolly.”

“Huh?”

Her hands were suddenly enveloped in warmth as he raised them into a half waltzing pose between them. “Dance with me! C’mon, don’t tell me you don’t know how.”

Her lashes fluttered as she took in the smiling man who held her hands so gently in front of him. 

“What’s gotten into you? You don’t seem like the dancing type.”

“Of course I am. All of my kind love dancing.”

“Oh, huh. I didn’t know dancing was so big with Russians.”

He placed one of her hands on his chest and put his now free hand on her waist. The radio was playing something soft and slow and he easily pulled her into a relaxed sway. 

“Dancing is as natural as breathing. No baby needs to be told to dance, they just do it. It’s instinct,” he explained. “It’s sad that when some people grow up, they feel like they can’t dance anymore just because they aren’t the best at it. It’d be like never smiling just because you don’t have the most beautiful teeth in the world. Wouldn’t that be a shame?”

Eyes sparkled up at him as he spoke, a small smile of wonder playing on her lips. “You’ve got a point. When you put it that way, it makes me wonder why people don’t dance all the time.”

“They used to.” He led her into a twirl before bringing her back in close. “I think people these days have forgotten a lot of the simpler joys in life.” 

“See, just when I’m sure you’re younger than me, you say things like that and it makes me doubt everything I thought.”

A cloud of mist appeared between them as they both chuckled, but he didn’t reply. She eyed him as they rocked back and forth, the previous music fading into another soft song, How Deep Is Your Love by The Bee Gees. He hummed along with the melody, his gentle gaze on their joined hands. 

“And you come to me on a summer breeze~” he sang, suddenly releasing her waist and turning them in a circle. Her bark of laughter made his face light up in a wide smile, teeth gleaming in the firelight. They came back together and clasped hands, their slow dance evolving into something more lighthearted and sillier. 

He started exaggerating their swaying, hopping from side to side instead. She added a hip bounce to the rhythm and he copied her, matching the steps and adding a twirl on the fourth beat. 

'Cause we're livin' in a world of fools~
Breakin' us down~
When they all should let us be~
We belong to you and me~

They couldn’t look away from each other, eyes filled with mirth and locked together, only breaking their hold to spin or giggle. 

He looked so much happier and carefree like this, a light flickering behind those dark orbs. She thought he’d never looked more enchanting. 

Magical, even. 

Chapter Text

That was too close. 

The card game had been a fun distraction. Holly was terrible at it, but he really didn’t expect she would be able to keep up with elven speed and dexterity. She was a good sport, though.

Well, in attitude at least.

She kept trying to win hands by tricking him or outright fibbing, but it was all just good natured silliness, really. She was dramatic at times, making light of both his strange aptitude and her own losing streak. 

A buzzing tingle of magic against his wrist had made him glance down at his snow globe watch, his attention still half on the human woman sat across from him. Elfcon had sent an alert that Noel and the sleigh had breached the area immediately above Santa’s Village and were heading out over the arctic toward the human’s location. 

He had to think quick. The card game was fine, but he could tell she was starting to get bored with it. She patted his head, a quip on her lips about how much younger he supposedly was, and he brushed her hand away with a scoff.  

“Okay, keep laughing, chuckles. I’m still taller than you, y’know,” he said distractedly, mind only half on the conversation. 

“By like an inch,” she clicked her tongue.

“A few inches, thank you very much," he said, eyes still fixed to his watch as he thought about what to do. He looked away from his watch and felt his heart drop as the signature cherry red sleigh appeared over the horizon behind Holly's head.

It was still far away. She wouldn’t notice unless she turned and looked. A heavy dread crawled into his stomach as he searched his brain for something, anything he could do to distract her. His heart was screaming at him to not let her see that sleigh. To not let his secret be revealed.

To not lose her like this.  

"Plenty enough to do this—“ he didn’t think, he just acted on pure instinct, letting his heart guide him on this one. The next thing he knew, she was in his arms, startled and breathless and so incredibly soft. 

She had been hesitant at first and it filled him with such sadness to see that humans continued to lose their natural love of dance. It was such a pure expression of joy.

The North Pole was filled with dancing. Half the time when an elf was moving, they were dancing. Walking to go on break, leaning over to grab the next toy part in assembly, climbing the stairs to the workshop—elves incorporated dance wherever they went. The casual way they all lived in musical joy was something they used to share with humans, a bridge in the two species’ cultures. But that had been fading in recent centuries. It was such a profound shame. 

After some gentle coaxing, she fell into a rhythm, easily letting her own natural inclination to move tug her into step with him. Once she saw he wasn’t trying to mock her, her eyes sparkled with elation. He knew his own eyes mirrored them. 

His heart was positively singing. He recognized it for what it was—but, really, that just couldn’t be true. She was a human. And he was an elf.

It was more likely that his heart was simply fluttering from the dance. He’d missed out on most of the festivals and parties this year because of the extra work, after all.

Gentle swaying turned into silly swinging with the odd hop or hip shake thrown in. Holly was really getting into it. His face split wide at how cute and carefree she looked.

Humans could be wonderfully delightful creatures sometimes. 

Humans could be terribly wretched inconveniences sometimes.

Jack strolled through the quaint little Downtown, a leisurely swagger to his step. Elves waved and greeted him wherever he went, their sparkling eyes and cheeks lighting up to see the spirit of winter walk through their Village.

He loved the attention, the appreciation. Humans never showed him this kind of respect. If they brought him up at all, it was in a complaint spat out between chattering teeth. They used their stinking plows and disgusting salts to ruin his beautiful work, like he was the problem here. 

But elves were charmingly simple little creatures, humbly slaving away for a noble cause, or Claus as the case may be. They worked with the lovely fallen snow to make their already whimsical homes even more picturesque.

Most every elf village in the world had some purpose it bragged—the best shoemakers, farmers, potion makers, book binders, whatever. Elves were skilled by nature. They were also little magical sponges.

And North Pole elves were on a whole different level, altogether. 

Their inherent magic was powerful, but the little buggers had gone and managed to harness the magic of human children as well. Santa’s Village had become a hub for the most influential trade items and industries in the magical world.

Only the best of the best got to live here. And only the best of the best of the best got to work in Santa’s Workshop. And only the best of the best of the best of the best was elected to lead his fellow elves as the prestigious Head Elf. 

Bernard was a pain in Jack’s shivering ass. He was the only elf whose magic was even close to being on par with Jack’s own, and thanks to the new Santa settling affairs down south, Bernard had the authority to back it up. 

If that candy cane sucker would just take a hike, he’d be able to do all sorts of fun things up here. Like maybe soak up a bit of that human magic for himself. Still, just being up here was a boost to his mood. Magic hung heavily in the air, energizing every creature within the Village. The constant compliments from the sweet little elves was an extra perk, as well. They were just so cheery and nice, it did something to his already legendary ego. 

A swift turn around the corner and he was heading up the grand stairs to Santa’s Workshop, intent on visiting Bernard’s twerpy assistant. 

Curtis had been a favorite of his to mess with lately. He was already wound tight due to his boss nitpicking his every move. Bernard was such an oppressive little control freak, insisting on perfection. 

Lately, there’d been an interesting twist in their dynamic—Curtis had tried his best to keep up with the Head Elf’s demands and failed miserably. Bernard would usually take on these responsibilities himself, but the ever poised Spirit Head, Judy, had been stepping in instead. Bernard was obviously struggling to not look down on his assistant for this, but his aggravation had been leaking through the cracks more and more.

Curtis wanted to take on more responsibility, but he became overwhelmed every time he tried, further inciting the ire of his ever impatient boss. Curtis’ self confidence has never been lower, and Jack loved to pluck at his pathetic internal contempt. 

“Look out!”

He’d barely managed to duck out of the way as Santa’s iconic red sleigh and half the reindeer team dove down in a grand swoop before zooming off back up into the sky. 

A crowd of elves were suddenly swarming the courtyard outside the Workshop. He tried to ask what was going on, but no one would stop long enough to hear him.

A bewildered scowl twisted his face and he looked at the open set of doors that everyone was rushing in and out of. He slipped unnoticed inside and followed a line of uniformed Elfcon agents down one of the hallways.

When in doubt, follow the breadcrumbs. 

He managed to stay silent as he trailed after them, but they seemed too preoccupied to notice him anyways. They soon came to the Elfcon control room, where Curtis was huddled with two elf women. One was decorated in the Elfcon uniform with a badge stuck proudly on her chest. Tamika, the big cheese around here. 

The other elf woman was dressed plainly, with her hair in a tight decorative bun and a sensible green velvet dress. Most likely a bore and not at all his focus right now. 

Poor little Curtis was sweating bullets. Jack decided his arrival was excellently timed. 

“And just what seems to be the problem here?” he boomed.

The three elves whipped around at his voice, varying levels of surprise on their faces. 

“Jack Frost!” Tamika looked annoyed at his unexpected appearance, and he felt a thrill of giddiness shoot through him at being able to finally visibly shake the normally composed Elfcon leader. 

“Santa’s sleigh is out of control. We need to figure out a way to get it down.” The stiff elf women answered him evenly. 

“Betty!” Tamika growled. “This is elf business! We don’t need to bother Mr. Frost with our problems.” 

“Maybe he could help us, though?” Betty looked confused, recognizing that Tamika was upset, but not understanding why. 

“No, no—Betty, was it?—no, if our Tamika here believes this is for you elves to figure out, then I’ll gladly keep out of it. The last thing I want is to be a bother.” His teeth gleamed like ice. “After all, since Bernie seems to be missing from this little meeting, that would make this a job for the next one in the command chain, wouldn’t it? I’m sure Curtis has this all under control.” He gave the blonde elf a pointed look, brows raised. “Don’t you?”

Curtis looked like he might pass out. 

“Can we control the sleigh remotely?”

“You know we can’t, Curtis. Quintin hasn’t even started practical tests for those features.”

The veins in Tamika’s forehead throbbed with the effort to keep her voice even in front of Jack. He had backed them into a corner here, putting Curtis on the spot. This was an Elfcon job, but since Curtis was acting Head Elf while Bernard was out playing ref with the human, he technically outranked her for now.

At Jack’s incessant prodding, the young elf had stepped up and started taking a more active role in trying to solve their current problem.

Too bad he didn’t know what he was doing. 

Betty had faded into the background once it became clear there was now a power struggle between Curtis and Tamika. The last thing she wanted was to get in the middle of that. She was manning the radio transmitter now, trying to get through to Noel. If he would just listen to her, then this could be solved in no time. 

Jack had kept his word for the most part, staying out of their way. He made sure to send a quip here and there, though, to keep the sparks flying between Curtis and Tamika. 

“I think it was a fine suggestion, Curtis. No harm in asking, is there?” Frost’s smirk was sharp and cold. 

Betty saw now why Tamika was opposed to having Jack Frost involved. He was obviously trying to sow discord, but for what, she couldn’t even guess. 

“What about a reindeer whistle?”

“That is it!" the Elfcon leader growled, "Curtis, you don’t know what you’re doing. Just butt out and let me handle this.” Tamika had reached her limit, evidently. 

“I’m trying, okay! I don’t hear you coming up with any solutions!” The young elf was beet red, his little fists balled at his side. When Tamika just ignored him and went to join Betty at the radio, he whirled around and marched over to the opposite side of the room, fuming all the way.

Jack saw his chance. 

He slipped in beside the distraught blonde elf, giving his back a consoling pat. “I thought you were doing a great job there, personally. What insubordination, am I right? I bet she’d never talk to Bernie like that.” 

Curtis wiped his sleeve discreetly across his eyes, a quiet sniffle escaping him. “He wouldn’t have let it get to this point, period. Bernard would’ve known what to do from the beginning.”

“Curious that he’s not here to help out, isn’t it?”

“He is helping! He’s keeping the human distracted," Curtis defended. 

The… human? Hmm. 

“Ah, yes, of course. But it’s not quite as hard a job as getting a sleigh down, now is it?”

“Well, it’s no walk in the park, I’m sure. The human’s set up so close to the Village, all she’d need to do is look up at the wrong time and our secret could be out! He’s counting on us to get that sleigh back before that happens.” 

“You mean he’s counting on you." Jack wrapped a chilly arm over Curtis' shoulder, leveling their faces while pointing a frosted finger at the smaller elf's chest. "You're his assistant, aren’t you? You’re his first pick to be Number Two elf. You should be the one to get that sleigh back.”

Curtis scoffed. “Fat chance of that. Tamika’s right, I don’t know what I’m doing. Bernard should never have picked me to be his assistant.” The little elf looked like he might start tearing up again.

“Hey, now, that can’t be true! Bernie saw something in you, kid," he simpered, giving the elf's shoulder a comforting squeeze. "Now let’s think: if we can’t get that screaming oaf to land the sleigh, then maybe we should be looking at other options. I liked your idea about a reindeer whistle. Maybe we could lure them down some other way?” 

A contemplative look took over Curtis' face, his eyes shifting left to right as he thought. 

“Well… the reindeer love carrots… Maybe we could use those to entice them?" he blinked, an epiphany flashing in his mind. "And… and maybe we could send out E.L.F.S.! They could jet pack up to meet the reindeer and use the carrots to lead them down!”

“Ha! Now you’re thinking, kid!” Jack cheered, jostling him good-naturedly.

Curtis looked unsure again, though. 

“But," he mumbled, "it sounds a bit crazy, doesn’t it? I don’t think Tamika will go for it.” He shot a worried glance at the elf women talking lowly across the room. “I probably shouldn’t suggest that one. She’ll just yell at me again.”

“Well, I think it’s a great idea, little guy! But that Tamika, she’s a real stale cookie, isn’t she? You’re the one in charge here, though! If you think it’s a good idea, then make it happen.” 

“I-I don’t know…” 

But before he had the chance to make up his mind, Judy ran into the room at full speed announcing, “I have a plan!” instantly grabbing everyone’s attention. 

“I’ve been thinking—we can’t get Noel’s attention, but maybe we can get the reindeer’s!” From behind her back, she held up a bound bunch of fresh crisp carrots. 

Tamika gasped. “Judy, that’s brilliant! We can send out E.L.F.S. and lead the reindeer back manually!” She turned to type something into her watch. “I’ll let Bernard know the plan.”

Curtis’ mouth hung open as he watched this all unfold. Now if he said anything, it would look like he was just trying to steal some of the glory for himself. His indecision had cost him. A cold chill swept through his body as a sickly sweet voice whispered in his ear. 

“That should have been you.” 

Bernard let go of her hand abruptly and looked at his watch. Holly hadn’t heard an alert or anything, but maybe he needed to keep an eye on the time? Whatever he was checking, it seemed to put him a bit more at ease. 

Their playful dancing had slowed as Holly tired, her laughter breathy and her steps sluggish. She spun around one final time before collapsing in her chair with a half sigh, half groan.

He continued to step jauntily to the beat, chuckling at her incredulous look. "What? You done already?"

“How do you have so much energy?” she wheezed. 

“I eat all my green vegetables," a dark brow arched teasingly at her. 

Her eyes flicked up in a partial roll. “Well, at least you’re eating.” 

“You’re never gonna let that go, are you?”

“It was like the second time we’d ever met! Left a pretty big impression.” 

He finally made his way over to the table, smoothly spinning before taking a seat as well. 

“You’ll be happy to know I haven’t skipped any meals since then,” he said cheerfully, face more light and healthy than she'd ever seen before, which she was glad for.  

“Til now, of course,” she shot back, a mockingly stern finger wagging at him. “It’s past dinner time.”

“Ah," he nodded, "so it is.”

But he didn't move to do anything about this, and neither did she. Holly was still catching her breath after their sudden dance party, but as she sat, she wondered. She still wasn't quite sure what he was doing here. Sure, she liked having him around, and this particular visit had been very fun, Bernard in an especially playful mood. But it was very out of character for him. Maybe he really was someone who liked dancing and playing cards, why not. But he was not the kind of person who took time to relax for more than a couple minutes here and there before getting back to work. She knew for a fact that when he left her camp after coming to help out (and those times were certainly all business), he'd just go back to his own station and keep working there. He was just that kind of guy—always on the go, go, go. Always working on something. Always needing to be somewhere, taking care of something. 

“Do you need to go?" she asked casually, trying not to make it seem like she was chasing him out early, "It's just, I saw you checking your watch, so...”

“Oh!" Bernard straightened in his seat, glancing again at his watch, "ah, well..." He stared hard at it before seeming to come to some decision and relaxing back again, turning off the display for his watch with some finality. "Actually, I was hoping to stay longer, if that’s alright.” 

“Sure!” she chirped, smoothing her face right after to not seem too eager. A nice evening with Bernard off the clock? Hell yeah, she'd take it, no questions asked. “So, uh, you avoiding something back at your station?” Well, maybe a few questions. 

“Let’s just say, there’s a bit of a fiasco going on. It’s best for everyone if I stay here for now.” A growl echoed about the camp and Bernard grimaced, his hand laying across his stomach. “So what’s for dinner, then?” he chuckled, mouth pulled into a sheepish grin.

She held up the foil bag of uncooked popcorn she’d set aside earlier and gave it a little shake. 

Noel hadn’t screamed this much since Betty proposed.

The wind whipped around his cold ears, blood pumping so hard he thought he might pass out. He’d really done it this time. He was definitely gonna be kicked out of the North Pole for this one. He’d have to leave his only home, a failure.

And Betty, sweet perfect Betty, would stay here and try to forget what a careless, foolish partner she’d had. She would move on, find some hunky new elf to call her Honeybuns, become the most successful business-elf in the world, and live her happily ever after. His screams turned to sobs at the thought. 

Through his tears he saw a shape fly out from behind him towards the front of the sleigh. He blinked the moisture away as best he could and saw three more shapes suddenly surrounding him and the reindeer. He watched in awe as the shapes pulled something orange out of nowhere and showed the reindeer who abruptly yanked the sleigh in a different direction. 

“Noel!”

He looked up at the sound of his name and there was a fifth shape descending from above, the silhouette against the moon creating a silvery halo that stole his breath. 

An angel. 

The shape came closer and the familiar form of a certain elf became clear. She smiled at him and he felt his breath return, a wide relieved smile of his own splitting his face. 

“Betty!”

“Okay, I gotta ask. What’s with the hat?”

“Oh, you mean the one you hate?”

Bernard convinced her to move their impromptu party into the tent claiming he wanted more comfortable seating. She shrugged at his request and brought everything inside without much further convincing. If the guy wanted to get away from work and relax, she’d do her best to accommodate.

And no, not just because of her crush. She’d have done this for anyone.

Probably. 

She had a blow-up cushion she deployed and draped her sheepskin over. It made a decent couch. The popcorn foil was meant to withstand an open fire, but it cooked fine on her electric stovetop too. She made them a couple thermoses of powdered hot chocolate to go with their ‘meal’ and they settled down to enjoy. 

She lightly knocked his arm from her position seated next to him. “I never said I hate it!” Her lips twitched with barely contained mirth as she elaborated, “I said it was stupid.”

“Right, which is so different," he snorted.

“It’s just cause you insist on wearing it like that. It’s a beret, Bernard! It’s not supposed to be pulled low like a beanie.”

“I know that!" he sputtered indignantly. "That's just how I like to wear it.”

“Uh huh," she hummed, unconvinced. "You’re hiding something, aren’t you?”

He looked caught off guard at her accusation, wide dark eyes blinking in astonishment. “Wha—no! No, I’m not hiding anything. I told you, I just like to wear it this way.” His voice got weaker and more uncertain towards the end. 

“Holy shit, you are hiding something!" Holly exclaimed, mischievous excitement making her sit up and lean forward into his space. "What, do you have a weird mutation? Birthmark? Nasty scar?” 

The grumpy glare he wore as he shoved her away made her erupt into giggles.

She reached over and squeezed his knee apologetically. “Ah, sorry, sorry! I'm just giving you a hard time." She leaned back, mirroring his pose sitting cross legged on the 'couch'. "But look, whatever it is, I promise I won’t care. It won’t make me think of you any differently.” 

“Ha, yeah, I seriously doubt that.” He mumbled under his breath, his shoulders stiff. 

“I’m not that shallow, y’know. Looks don’t matter for much. I mean, you’re a handsome guy and all—“ his eyes shot to hers, rosy cheeks darkening, “—ah, ahem, uh, but you’re also really nice! I know you’ve got this hard, tough guy thing going, but you’re actually a secret sweetheart, I can tell.” She really could. While he was often quite rude with how he said things, it was all in an effort to be straight up with her. He took their work seriously, which she definitely appreciated. But he also cared about the polar bears. Maybe not as much as her, but she was used to that. Not many people were. But the fact that he was helping at all when polar bears were obviously not his priority was admirable. Although, he poked fun at her excessive passion now and then, she could tell she was starting to get through to him. Her spontaneous soliloquies about the wonders of arctic ecology left him lost in thought more than once. 

Besides that, he always made sure not to go too far with his teasing. Bernard liked to rile her up, and honestly she liked to pluck at his nerves as well, but both of them made sure not to cross certain lines. He'd gotten close once before, his merciless adherence to his schedule almost bringing her to tears one morning when they had gone out to fix a camera that had toppled over. Holly agreed to actually ride out and fix the thing while Bernard stayed at the camp and made sure the feed stayed up. He'd asked to do that particular part because he had to get back to his station soon after and would leave as soon as the camera was fixed.

However, Holly had pulled something in her back reaching up and asked Bernard to ride out and finish up her part for her. The resulting radio argument had been dramatic to say the least. Through shaking gasps, she'd eventually admitted that yes, she technically could still finish up the job on her own. He'd arrogantly gloated about his apparent victory, teasing her about her 'laziness' the entire time. The feed ended up not coming through and Bernard stayed working on it until Holly had ridden back. His sarcastic tongue insulted everything around him as he fiddled with it—the feed, the camp, the snow that started to fall, and of course, Holly herself. It wasn't until the third or fourth quip had left him with no response from her that he'd finally looked up and saw the sparkling moisture threatening to spill over her eyes as she inspected the wires connecting the computer to the transmitter. 

The apology for that one had been swift and solemn, Holly ending up admitting that she had some health issues that made things harder sometimes. And while yes, she could handle working out there by herself if she needed to, it would be nice if he would help her out when she had a problem come up, or at least not make fun of her when that happened.

He'd been extra careful since then, making sure he wasn't crossing from lovable asshole territory to genuine dickwad. Her words. As a result, a softer, sweeter version of Bernard had been shining through more and more.  

He scoffed, angling himself slightly away from her while looking around the tent with a tense brow. “Okay, so you’re obviously delusional is what you’re telling me.” 

“No, you really are! You might be a grump sometimes but I can see you’ve got a good heart in there. It shines through whether you mean it to or not, Saint Bernard!” She nudged his side. 

He snorted, still looking away from her. “You’re the sweetheart, Holly Jolly.” His shoulders were hunching ever so slowly up towards the brim of his hat.

Holly's face heated at his casual reply. She cleared her throat uneasily, the irony of basically the same compliment she just handed out making her flustered wasn’t lost on her. She liked to think of herself as a good person. She tried to be, at least, but she knew she had trouble sometimes understanding the difference between good natured ribbing and genuine insults. Even years later, she still wasn't sure if her childhood best friend had been an actual friend or a bully. With the kind of banter she and Bernard had fallen into, old insecurities were popping up left and right. She was trying to be sincere here, but was she actually coming off sarcastic? And if she was, did that mean he was also being sarcastic? Even if he was, hearing him say the words was still kind of... hm. Sheesh, it was hard to keep up a confident front with him when he so easily returned her verbal volleys. 

“L-look," she stuttered, forcing herself to move past the swirling worries clouding her thoughts, "what I mean is that I don’t care what you’re hiding under that dumb hat, okay? We’ll still be friends either way, cause you’re an amazing person.” She tried to will her face into the most earnest expression she could, but it probably looked a bit strained based on how Bernard reacted. 

He looked bemused as he listened to her spiel, eyes cutting towards her from where he was still facing forward. “We’re friends, huh? And when did this happen?” he questioned lightly. 

She felt the roots of her hair tingle as a flush swept over her face. “Well," she started after a brief moment of panic, "you are hanging out at my place, y'know? Eating my popcorn and avoiding your responsibilities." She shrugged as casually as she could, "sounds like friend type activities to me, don't you think?”

“Okay, good point.” He inclined his head her way, a teasing twitch on his lips. “Fine, we’re friends.” His easy tone contradicted the still tense set of his shoulders. 

At his concession, Holly let out an exaggerated whoop and tossed a popcorn piece into the air, catching it in her mouth. He laughed at her theatrics and copied her trick, tossing his higher than hers had gone with a cheeky wink thrown in for good measure. 

“Pff, show off!” 

They took turns tossing popcorn up into the air, trying to outdo each other with each try. Several pieces were littered on the floor of her tent, but neither seemed to notice. 

They'd both fallen into a weird silence, not exactly uncomfortable, but Bernard obviously was feeling some type of way right now, and Holly wasn't sure how to interpret it. He also was obviously not planning to tell her what was under his hat. She thought about pushing the matter a little farther, curiosity almost getting the best of her before she decided that no, she'd already poked him enough about it. The last thing she wanted was to make him mad when he was already in a bad mood.  

“So what’s Russia like?” she asked after a few minutes of stifling silence. 

“Cold,” he answered simply. 

“Wooow, no kidding?” She tossed another piece of popcorn up, but it arched over towards the opposite side of the couch. Bernard leaned back and caught it in his mouth, taking a mock bow now half sprawled out while Holly clapped and giggled. He eased down into the couch with a groan, muscles relaxing at last while Holly eyed him questioningly. But he wasn't paying her any mind, once again staring at the wall of her tent with a somber expression. He had been so carefree when they were dancing and now he was so... sad. What had happened?

“You must miss it, huh?” she pressed.

“Not really. I don’t think about home much these days.”

“What about your family? Are they in Russia?”

He chewed a piece of popcorn slowly, looking out at some distance that Holly couldn’t see. “Maybe. Probably. I haven’t really talked to my family since... I was a lot younger.”

“Complicated family stuff?”

“Something like that," he looked more and more uncomfortable with this line of questioning, but if he had objections, he didn't voice them. "My mother wasn’t exactly the warmest person on earth.”

“Oh." Mommy issues, huh? She could relate. Her own relationship with her mom was kind of rocky at times. They were fine now. Okay. Not great still, but at least they could stand to have a conversation without fighting at least. Did he... want to talk about his own mom? Probably not, right? "Well, what about your dad, then?”

“Never knew him," he shook his head. "For most of my life, it was just me and my mother. She was a pretty strict person. Always demanding the best out of me.”

Oh, okay, maybe he did want to talk about it after all. “Well, I'd say you've definitely achieved the best at this point, being the Head of Operations at a prestigious research station. She must be pretty proud of you.”

“I don’t think she thinks about me much either. We didn’t part on the best terms," he murmured, staring down at a single popcorn piece held between his finger and thumb.

She spoke automatically without really thinking, her own mother's rhetoric of 'blood is blood' seared into her head. “She’s your mother, though! I’m sure that’s not true. She probably brags about her hot shot son to everyone in Russia.” Her confidence swiftly faded into mortification as she saw the look on Bernard’s face and realized what she'd just said. She didn't really believe that, of course she didn't. Despite what her mother would have her believe, she'd already settled this cycle long ago in therapy. Blood may be blood, but no one was under any obligation to do anything for their family. Holly herself had practically cut off her family, only ever having contact with them through cordial letters and brief phone calls.

She didn't know where that had come from. Maybe she'd wanted to comfort him in some way? He just seemed so sad before. 

Well, he didn't seem sad anymore. He seemed livid. He still wouldn’t look her in the eye and now his lip was curled up on one side in disdain. 

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Holly,” he bit out, stiff shoulders hunching up once again. 

Shit. She was messing this whole thing up so bad. 

He was uncomfortable—had been uncomfortable for awhile now. But just because they had formed a tentative friendship over the past few weeks, didn’t mean Bernard was ready to spill his guts to her. She knew he had trouble with this sort of thing after the whole fainting fiasco, which part of her still felt guilty about. She at least could tell herself at the time that she didn't know him that well, so if she was pushy about getting him to open up, well, that wasn't entirely her fault. He was out of it, she took care of him, he talked, she listened. 

Now she knew better, though. He'd come here to relax and get away and they'd been having a lovely time. Something had changed though when they'd come inside the tent. What was it? The only thing she could come up with was that she'd kept badgering him about his hat. Which yeah, that would make sense that he'd get annoyed, but this wasn't the first time she'd asked him about it. It was a running joke at this point. So what else?

Maybe... maybe it was because she'd called him out on hiding something? He obviously was, of course, and had seemed really alarmed that she'd seen through his excuses. Was what he was hiding really so bad? From his reaction, he seemed to think she might not want anything to do with him if she found out whatever it was. Her reassurances fell on deaf ears apparently if he was still so bothered by it.

She tried not to let that sting. If he couldn't bring himself to confide whatever it was in her, then she shouldn't take it personally. He'd only barely conceded that they were friends, after all. Bernard was just a closed off kind of guy. Friendships took time. 

So then after all that, after making him uncomfortable and, once again, trying to force him to reveal more about himself than he was willing to, she'd gone and opened her big mouth about him and his estranged mother's relationship. As if that was any of her business. As if she had any clue what his history was. She should have known better. She did know better. 

Guilt churned sick in her stomach. 

“Bernard, I’m so sorry. You’re right, I don’t know anything about your mom. That was completely out of pocket for me to say that.” She swallowed nervously. “I’ve been an ass all evening, haven’t I? You came here to chill and I’ve just been making a mess out of everything.”

”Holly," he sighed, "some things are just... my business. That’s all.” His gaze cut through her out of the corner of his eye, his brows slightly knitted.

She looked away from those sharp eyes, feeling terribly seen. “I understand,” she replied, hands twisting anxiously into each other in her lap. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I’ll try to do better from now on and... respect your boundaries. I hope you can forgive me.” 

“You really know how to stretch out an apology, huh.” His voice was carefully neutral. Holly blinked miserably at him, not sure how to answer. After a tense beat, he exhaled, body relaxing ever so slightly. “It’s fine, Holly Jolly," he continued, "I know you didn’t mean anything by it. My relationship with my mother is complicated, but it all happened a long time ago.” 

“...I get it, I’ve got issues with my mother too.” She winced. “Not to make this about me, though.”

He breathed a soft laugh at her conflicted look. “You’re good. Stop worrying so much.”

“Easier said than done.” She huffed a quiet laugh of her own. 

“Look, I’ll let you know if I think you’ve overstepped, okay? It happens, no big deal. I’ll be direct about it, so there’s no misunderstandings. Sound good?” His smile was small, but kind. She couldn’t quite return it. 

“Yeah, sounds good.” 

He kicked his feet out and leaned back into the couch with a sigh. He checked his watch again and scowled at whatever he saw there, digging his hand absentmindedly into the popcorn between them.

Her stomach still churned uncomfortably, her thoughts turning decidedly unkind toward herself. She went to take a sip of her drink when a popcorn piece hit her on the side of her cheek. 

She gaped at him.

"You're stressing, I can tell." He squinted at her, humming. “How about a game?” he asked, head tilted back confidently and hand still posed after his popcorn assault.

She stared at him blankly. “A game?”

“Yeah, I try to toss popcorn in your mouth and you toss in mine. Whoever makes a shot gets to ask the other a question.”

“But what about before when—“

“We’ll keep it light! Twenty Questions style.” She still looked doubtful. “C’mon, consider this practice! If we don’t wanna answer a question, we just say so. End of turn. There's no pressure and no hard feelings. What d’ya say?” 

This guy. 

Air rushed out in an amused breath and she finally smiled back at him. 

“Uh, sure. Okay, why not?”

“Okay, me first. Open wide!”

He launched a piece across the couch and banked it right into her mouth. “Yes! Okay, first question. What’s your favorite color?”

She giggled as she chewed, already feeling a lot better than she had. “Blue! But purple’s nice too.”

She picked up a piece of her own and landed it perfectly in Bernard’s waiting mouth. “What’s yours?”

“Red—like a deep crimson red.”

They continued like this back and forth. 

He’d make one. 

“What’s your favorite type of music?” 

“Anything by Rush," she answered around the popcorn she was chewing. "You?”

“I’ve always been partial to Freddie Mercury, myself.”

Then she’d make one. 

“If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?”

“Maybe Australia?" he shrugged. "It’s one of the only places I haven’t really been much. It’s just so big.”

“Wow, you must have traveled a lot!”

“I used to. What about you? Where would you go?”

“Hmm… maybe India? I’ve heard it’s gorgeous there.”

“It is, yeah—very colorful.”

But eventually, the game turned into them just throwing popcorn at each other while asking questions without really keeping track of whose turn it was. 

“What’s your favorite holiday?” she asked.

“Besides you?” They both giggled at his pun, Holly throwing a handful of popcorn at him in jest. “Christmas, for sure," he answered. 

Her face lit up. “Same! It’s the most wonderful time of the year. All the decorations and lights, the cookies and candy. And the songs!” An enthusiastic finger jut earned her a bark of laughter from the dark haired man beside her. “I love Christmas songs so much, sometimes I even listen to them in the summer.”

Before she could feel embarrassed about admitting that, he replied, “Yeah? Same here.” A secret humor shone in his crinkled eyes. “It’s certainly a magical holiday.”

“For sure," she agreed, enthusiastically nodding. "The whole spirit of Christmas is so pure and wholesome too. Giving gifts and being with loved ones is the best. It’s like the one time of the year where everyone tries that much harder to be a good person.”

His cheeks sparkled in the lamplight as a wide grin overtook his face. “What’s your favorite part about Christmas?”

“Oh man, that’s a tough one. Maybe the kids?” Her hand came up to rub at her chin as she thought. “I love kids, especially around Christmas. They just really believe, y’know? They get so into the idea of Santa Claus and it’s infectious. Makes me wish I believed.”

“Why’d you stop?”

“I’m not sure I ever started! My older sister was a teen already when I was born and she never really bothered to censor herself, so I kind of grew up knowing that Santa was just for fun. Like pretend.”

Bernard looked suddenly, profoundly sad when she said that. “So you never got to experience the magic at all then.”

“I guess not?" she blinked. "But it’s not like it was a tragedy. It was still fun to put cookies out and pretend some guy was gonna bring me toys. I never felt like I missed out.”

He didn’t look cheered by her words. He was strangely bummed that she’d known the truth about Santa as a kid, and her heart twisted at his downturned expression. She scrambled for something else to say, to maybe bring the conversation back to something lighter. 

“My favorite part of that whole myth was the elves, though.”

He looked startled. “What? Why?”

“Why not! Santa delivers the toys, sure, but the elves make them, right? Just picture it—cute little elves that happily make all kinds of toys for kids out of the goodness of their hearts. What’s not to love?”

“I… suppose.”

Okay, that hadn't quite worked. Now he just looked weirded out. 

“Anyways," she coughed, feeling a bit embarrassed at her flop, "it’s a fun little story." Her grin returned as she continued. "And seeing kids come alive because of it makes everything about Christmas a hundred times better.”

“I agree,” she looked up at his gentle tone to see the sweetest look on his face, eyes sparkling with something warm and soft, “children are wonderful. The best.” 

Her heart melted at the sight. “Do you want kids, Bernard?”

He froze and went silent for a long moment. “That’s probably not in the cards for me, unfortunately.”

A cold stone dropped in her belly at his words. Holly and her big mouth again. She was curious of course, but she didn’t want to pry. She'd promised she wouldn't. 

He glanced down at his watch once more before springing to his feet, not nearly as affected by the turn in their conversation as she'd expect. Whatever he meant by kids not being in the cards for him, it must be something he'd come to terms with already. “It’s late, I should probably head back before the place burns down,” he joked. 

“Oh! Yeah, sure.” She didn’t want to leave their conversation on such a weird note, but she really wasn’t sure what else to say. She probably shouldn't have asked him about kids at all, really. That kind of question had the potential to make any situation uncomfortable. She hoped she hadn’t overstepped, but Bernard had promised to let her know if she did, so she’d just have to trust him. 

“Thanks for letting me hide out here, Holly Jolly. And for the popcorn. Not for the powdered hot chocolate, though, that was terrible.” 

Ha. Looks like she didn’t need to worry about leaving on a sour note after all. Bernard seemed like he was back to his usual snarky self. 

“Ungrateful brat. See if I feed you again!” 

He chuckled at her grumbling as he pulled his outerwear back on and headed outside. She followed him out and watched as he climbed aboard his snowmobile. 

“You should bring Tiny Dancer by, sometime," she said, waving him off, "I miss her.”

“It’s up to her, really. But I’ll try to put in a good word for you,” he smirked, kicking the engine on and shooting her a wave of his own. “See ya, Holly Jolly!”

“See ya.” 

She watched him recede into the distance, her heart clenching. This crush was getting complicated. 

Chapter Text

(February 8th, evening) 

Bernard sipped his hard cider and peeked at the demure elf seated across from him on the other side of his desk. 

Normally he wouldn’t allow himself to indulge in such a rare treat, as he never knew when he might be called upon to take charge. Emergencies were unfortunately a weekly occurrence in such a large and diverse work setting.

However, Core Operations were on schedule for once. There weren’t any incidents in the Workshop, Jack had been oddly encouraging to everyone, and the lift in the storage room hadn’t broken down in two weeks. Things were actually going well the past few days. So he decided to let loose a little.

It was like Holly was always telling him: a little bit of slack makes the next tug really pop. 

There were a few pleasant changes to his life after the whole runaway sleigh fiasco. He and Holly had broken through something that night. Dancing will do that. Their interactions now seemed much more open than they were. Not quite intimate, but definitely familiar. She had slotted herself into his life, so incredibly delighted to see him anytime he came by. And, he had to admit, he was also delighted anytime he saw her. He found himself so very fond of the sassy human woman with the cheerful, easy-going attitude. It was a nice contrast to his sometimes gloomy, uptight disposition. 

More and more he found excuses to go see her. At first, he couldn't quite manage it; the destruction Noel had left in his wake had been a bear to sort out and he still had been trying to pick up the slack from Curtis' dropping the ball. But his little assistant had really turned things around the past few days, taking back almost half of the duties originally assigned to him. While Bernard still had a million things on his plate, he actually had the time to go see Holly the past week, which he took full advantage of. 

He'd gone to see her just a couple days ago, helping her out with some of her more tedious tests. He hadn't stayed long, but the familiar rhythm of them working side by side had been a balm for his stressed mind. The next day after discovering that the Workshop rounds were already covered by Curtis, ahead of schedule no less, Bernard had gone back out to visit with Holly again in a spur of the moment decision. She had still been working on those tests, most of the time spent waiting around on results so she could record them onto her computer. So he pulled up a chair and kept her company while she waited, all the while knowing he probably should be spending his time working on his own chores back at the Village. But the way Holly talked and laughed, so lighthearted and sweet, like there wasn't a thing in the world to worry about—he just enjoyed being around that sort of mindset. He enjoyed being around her, really. 

He knew yesterday he'd pushed it by once again, going off to see her. Three days in a row was excessive. But now, after their talk, he couldn't bring himself to regret his decision. 

"I-I... I don't even know why you'd want to be friends with me, Bernard. I just, I'm kind of messed up, you know?" Holly sobbed, face red and wet. Although a pain shone bright in them, he found himself unable to deny that her eyes were even more compellingly beautiful with a sparkle of tears. 

His heart clenched, that beautiful gaze sucking him in so far, he thought he'd never escape. He wasn't even sure if he wanted to.

"I don't think you're messed up, Holly," he'd grabbed her hand, voice a hushed whisper. "I think you're perfect just how you are."

His heart banged against his chest, trying desperately to get him to admit to something he just couldn't quite face. Not yet. 

Their talk that night had been raw and painful. He'd learned a lot about her and why she was the way she was. It hurt. But it was such a special, rare gift—the trust she had placed in him.

A quiet slurp broke him out of his thoughts. The elf woman in front of him sipped at her own cider, nose wrinkling at the fermented aftertaste. 

Speaking of rare treats. 

Another nice thing that had come from that night were the chats he’d been sharing with Betty lately. His somewhat estranged protégée had taken to meeting up with him in his office twice a week. Wednesdays and Saturdays at 8 pm, on the dot as if it was penciled into their calendars. Very typically Betty. 

He had missed her. He had missed this. When she first started working there, they checked in with each other all the time. Betty was a perfectionist and would often ask his advice on how to improve her performance. But as the years passed, she didn’t really need him anymore, and the amount of time between their little catch up conversations grew and grew. Then of course when Noel came around, Betty began spending all her free time with her new sweetheart. At the time, they hadn’t discussed it, but Bernard had understood. He loved Betty, he wanted her to be happy. That was always his wish for her. 

But he had missed her, dearly. 

“You don’t have to make yourself drink that, Betty.” 

“No, it’s… an interesting taste. I’m sure I just need to get used to it.”

He snorted at seeing the determined jut of her chin. Stubborn little elf. When Betty set her mind to something, nothing could stand in her way. She’d been like that ever since she was an elfling, too. Once, when she was still very young, with too big ears and hair chopped short for ‘efficiency’, she’d insisted that he tell her all about her parents. 

He rarely interacted with her face to face back then. He would drop in occasionally, but mostly he’d speak to the neighbors who kept an eye on her for him, making sure they had the means to provide Betty with clothes and food and toys. He was more of a silent benefactor than a guardian. But one day, when he came to check in, it wasn’t the neighbors that answered the door. It was Betty. 

Which was odd, since this was their house, not hers. When he asked after the sweet couple, Betty had told him she’d feigned sickness. Concerned, the couple had gone out to get her some medicine. She had wanted to speak to him alone, but her previous attempts had failed since every time she tried to talk to him, he’d cut the conversation short and make a hasty retreat. 

But not this time, she’d said. She had some very pointed questions and even more pointed observations. Who was he? He always came by and watched her for a while before silently leaving. Why was he paying her neighbors to look after her? The elf couple would have done it without payment. Elflings were the jewels of any elf community, after all. Did he know her parents? He was in some of the portraits in her house. 

What did he want from her exactly?

Her happiness, he told her. That’s what he wanted. 

Her round eyes blinked up at him in astonishment. She hadn’t been expecting that.

Yes, he had known her parents. And no, he wasn’t really obligated to pay for her. Not by blood, at least. But he was compelled by the love he’d had for her father, Raj. 

She’d taken this all in with a serious face, her little lip stiff and unmoving. Scrutinizing. Betty and Holly had that in common, trouble understanding tone in conversation. But where Holly fretted at possible misunderstandings, Betty wouldn’t stand for them. If something wasn’t clear to her, she would seek clarification—sometimes quite aggressively—until it was. His loyalty to Raj, and therefore Betty, hadn’t quite made sense to her. She wasn’t her father, so there was no point for Bernard to look after her. She claimed that she was certainly old enough now to look after herself. 

She hadn’t been, but Bernard didn’t argue with her. He’d just smiled patiently, wistfully, bittersweetly, and told her that no matter how old she got, he’d always be there for her. Whether she was 2 or 2,000, he wanted her happiness, always. 

She had still looked unsure, but the relaxed set of her shoulders told him that she’d been comforted by his words. 

They spoke all night, Bernard answering every question Betty’s little mind could think of. The way her forehead creased when she was confused was unbelievably adorable to him. And while she’d grown up since then, that look was endearing to him even now. 

“Maybe you’d prefer just some mulled cider instead?”

“Noel’s been bringing home some, uh, very creative concoctions lately, so compared to those, this is actually quite tasty.”

One of the more unexpected things to come out of that whole debacle was Noel being hired as a Spirit elf. 

They’d managed to retrieve the sleigh without much fanfare. The carrots had instantly gotten the reindeer’s attention—a stroke of genius courtesy of Judy. By the time Bernard had made it back to the Workshop, the sleigh was put away, the reindeer were stabled, and Noel was being both coddled and scolded by a very irate Betty. 

“I’m so glad you’re okay, Honeybuns—but never do anything that crazy ever again or else—I don’t know what I’d do without you, Noel—what were you thinking? You could have been seriously hurt—“

“I’m so sorry, Sugar Plum—I promise I’ll never not listen to you ever again—Oh, Betty, I thought I’d never see you again—that was the most terrifying experience of my life—“

And so on. 

He was just relieved everything had been taken care of without Holly seeing anything she shouldn’t. He’d realized at some point that night just how much he’d miss the human woman if he’d had to erase her memories and send her away. 

Judy had picked up on his unusual mood when he’d returned and waited til everyone was heading home to pull him aside to talk. He hadn’t had much to say at that point, just that he enjoyed Holly’s company and was saddened at the thought of losing it so suddenly. Judy’s eyes had shimmered in that knowing way he both loved and hated, but she didn’t push him to talk more. 

They did, however, discuss Noel. 

Noel was a particularly likable elf. Even after all he’d done, it was hard for anyone to truly hold him at fault. If anything, Bernard was thinking of ways to implement new safeguards to prevent something like this happening again, rather than punishing Noel for what was essentially getting a bit too excited for Santa and Christmas. Neither he, nor Judy could quite put their finger on why, but they agreed—Noel was just charming. Good-natured. And that’s no crime, especially for an elf. 

However, it could be an asset. 

Judy wanted him for the Spirit Department. Nothing big, of course. In fact, she wanted him somewhere close to where Bernard himself started: the kitchens. She’d put him on drink duty for now, since the oven was a step she didn’t think he was quite ready for. 

Judy was sure that Noel would go far if he just applied himself a little and showed focus. Noel had been thrilled at the idea, and of course Betty was immensely proud. 

He sipped his cider again, watching amusedly as Betty choked down another gulp. “You and Noel are good for each other. You two go together like… a lego set and the instructions. I’m glad you have him, Betty.”

Her eyes crinkled. “I am too. Before I met him, I’d never quite considered the benefits having a life partner could afford you. I assumed it would be a hindrance at worst and an inconvenience at best. But Noel is neither—he’s my greatest strength.”

Betty was always so very earnest. In many ways he appreciated her candid manner, it made talking with her very straightforward.

She continued, a pointed look sent his way, “I’m sure once you settle down with someone, you’ll feel similarly, Bernard.”

But on the other hand, sometimes he really wished she had more reservations about saying what was on her mind. 

“I’m not sure about that one," he replied, somewhat thrown off by her pivot, "I don’t exactly have time for romance.”

“Really? You should probably tell that to the person you’re seeing then.”

He snorted into his drink, briefly coughing when it went down the wrong pipe. “Wha—I’m not seeing anyone!”

“You aren’t?”

“Uh, no," he wheezed, still trying to clear his throat. "Wh-hhgh-why did you think I was?”

Betty’s eyes were unrelenting. “You’ve been happier overall, which wouldn’t normally mean anything, but for you, it’s quite significant.”

That made him pause, stunned silence blanketing him. "Well," he started after finally finding his voice, “maybe I’m just finding my work extra rewarding lately.”

“Doubtful. There’s also the fact that I’ve seen you space out on several occasions in the past few weeks with a weird smile on your face. I did the same when I first met Noel.” Her brows raised while her head lowered, looking up at him with another knowing look. 

“That’s not—“

“You’re blushing right now. You must have someone in mind that this conversation has made you think of.”

“Okay, Betty, I get it. But I’m not seeing anyone, alright?”

“But you want to, right?”

“Betty—“

“The person you were thinking of, you want to see them like that, right? Maybe you should bring them to the Valentine’s party.” 

“I wasn’t thinking of any—look, let’s not talk about my love life, okay?”

“Fine.”

Silence fell in his office, the fire cackling the only sound. But he knew Betty, so he waited for the other shoe to drop—

“I’m sure when you come to terms with your feelings for this person, you’ll be much happier, though.”

And there it was. He let out a long-suffering sigh and rubbed at his eyes frustratedly. She was too perceptive for her own good, or rather, his own good. 

“After all, Bernard, I only ever want your happiness. Always.”

His heart warmed as he took in his mentee and the sincere sentiment shining openly on her face. She wasn’t trying to give him a hard time. That wasn’t Betty’s way. She dealt in truths, and the knowledge of that made him very, very uncomfortable. She apparently thought he was interested in someone, which was quite telling. He did have someone in mind when Betty mentioned him seeing someone, but he was actively trying to put that thought out of his head. Nothing good would come of it. Of course, Betty didn’t know that, and how could she? To her, he was simply unaware of what she thought was an obvious fact. She told him because she thought he should know. Because she loved him. Simple. 

He really had missed her. 

(February 9th, late morning)

“Oh wow, thanks, Curtis!”

“No problem!”

Curtis plopped two big buckets of paint mix down for the wood block elves to grab when they needed them. He’d noticed they were running low and took the opportunity to grab more on his way back from the supply rooms when he’d gone to check on incoming shipments. Bernard would be so happy that he wouldn’t have to oversee inventory inspection this week. Curtis had already taken care of it.

He was on fire lately! 

Work had been picking back up since the sleigh incident a couple weeks ago. It was reaching a frenzied state as the Market Surveillance teams submitted their first report on projected toy interest for the upcoming year. Evidently, trains were out, rocket ships were in. The problem was they now had a storage room filled with half made trains. It wasn’t unusual for them to make some redundant toys here and there, these things happened. But it was still a pain. 

Bernard had complained to Curtis about the workload in an unusual display of candor. Curtis had been taken aback, not used to seeing the Head Elf so open about disliking their duties. 

Bernard had been acting odd lately in general. He still performed his work admirably and efficiently, but he just didn’t seem to enjoy it quite as much. Curtis often caught the older elf spacing out as he listened to the workers’ problems. He always managed to redirect with a wave of his hand and an ambiguous reply, but Curtis had been shadowing Bernard for a while now. He could tell when his boss was distracted. 

Judy had her hands full mentoring Noel, a relatively new arrangement. From what he’d heard, the freshly hired Spirit elf was doing well, aside from a few hiccups here and there with the oven. Judy seemed to think Noel needed a more hands-on apprenticeship, so she was spending a lot of time in the kitchens tutoring Noel on drink creation. Abby, Judy’s assistant, was also taking the opportunity to learn from Judy herself, as were a few other Spirit elves. A spontaneous class had formed and Judy seemed to really be enjoying herself teaching her ducklings the tricks of her trade. Judy had been notoriously tight lipped about her drink making secrets, so everyone was eager to soak up her knowledge. Apparently she was preparing her students to present a hot cocoa and cider bar for the upcoming Valentine’s party. Curtis was excited to taste how their progress was coming along. 

However, since Judy had her hands full, the duties she’d originally been taking on for Curtis had fallen by the wayside. He and Bernard had split them up and started tackling them, but they were technically all supposed to be done by Curtis. Which meant of course that his boss had once again been working overtime because of his incompetent assistant. 

Bernard hadn’t gotten visibly frustrated with the younger elf like he had in the past, but he did seem… sad? Disappointed about something? And that was somehow much, much worse. Curtis kept catching the Head Elf staring wistfully at the Workshop exit, before exhaling a heavy sigh and getting back to work. It was quite uncharacteristic for Bernard. 

He found out that Bernard had been pushing back other duties to help Curtis with his. His boss hadn’t been able to go check in with the human much. He’d gone to see her so frequently the previous month, keeping her on track with her research and ensuring she didn’t go anywhere she shouldn’t. He was meticulous like that. It was one of the things Curtis admired most about Bernard. The short elf shuddered at the thought of having to spend so much time with a human adult.

It was quite a sacrifice that the Head Elf was the only one tall enough to interact with the human regularly and so took on sole responsibility for handling her. Curtis was thankful. But the past couple weeks, Bernard hadn’t been able to go deal with her as much. The workload was just too great. 

But after that sleigh incident, Curtis had really started thinking. Judy hadn’t hesitated to present her solution for their runaway reindeer and it had worked! He had been sidelined, unable to say anything for fear of being reprimanded by an elf who wasn’t even above him in the chain of command at the time. It was pathetic. 

He’s stewed for awhile, but seeing his boss run so ragged had awakened something in him. He knew Bernard hated to be behind. If he could just work harder, then the older elf could focus on his own duties. 

So Curtis had been going double time, arriving at the Workshop early and not leaving til very late. He’d slowly started taking back all his extra chores from Bernard, and it was working! Bernard didn’t seem nearly as dismayed as he had been. He’d even been able to go check on the human again just yesterday. And the day before that. And he was going again today too. Curtis wondered at that, but shook his head at himself. If Bernard thought it was necessary then obviously it was. 

Curtis headed down the grand hall towards R&D, the skip in his step fading the closer he got. One of Bernard’s biggest stressors these days was the conundrum in Quintin’s naughty/nice data compiling machine. No matter what they tried, only half the names would come through on any given day. The Elf on the Shelf launch was a crazy success so far, and thanks to that, their Market Surveillance team had known about the trains early. But while the toy elves were able to monitor any naughty or nice behavior, they just weren’t able to receive and compile the data for the preliminary list they’d hoped to make. It was puzzling. 

Curtis had a hard time being near the cheery new Head of R&D, but for Bernard, he’d push past his own uncomfortable feelings to take a look at the problem personally. After all, Curtis had been Head of Machinery before this posting. He did know a thing or two about solving mech issues. 

He walked into the chaotic circus that was R&D’s main floor and looked around for its charismatic ringmaster. Tubes were hanging from walls, chunks of wall plaster were scattered all about the floor, and elves were running around panicked and screaming as steam hissed and lights flared.

All in all, a normal day in R&D. 

Quintin was sat in a desk chair, mindlessly pushing himself back and forth on his wheels as he pondered an equation written out on the chalkboard in front of him. Closed doors and quiet spaces weren’t really a thing in R&D, but the taller elf didn’t seem bothered by the frantic energy all around him. 

Curtis walked up to the board and examined the equation for himself. He didn’t see anything noteworthy about it, just a basic gear rotational formula. 

“It just doesn’t make sense. Why won’t they turn?”

He blinked at the question. “Your gears aren’t turning?”

“Just on the one side. I’ve already checked their path, but there’s no blockage that I can see. They should be turning.”

“Everything’s oiled up?”

“Of course—”

He felt himself flush. That was probably a dumb question. Quintin had been at this for weeks, of course he’d make sure things were oiled. 

“—but it doesn’t hurt to oil her up again, I suppose!”

Quintin hopped out of his seat and turned to head towards the machine in the corner of the room, giving Curtis a pat on the arm as he went. The shorter elf followed the enthusiastic Head, feeling a bit light headed. R&D had terrible ventilation. 

Quintin pulled back the paneling for the machine’s engine line. He snorted at the black that already smudged his hands and wiped them on a nearby rag before starting to remove his petticoat and hat. He unbuttoned his dress shirt to reveal a tank underneath, crisp white and tucked neatly into his belted breeches. Curtis felt very heated all of a sudden, the hot air making it difficult to breathe. He muttered an excuse in Quintin’s direction and turned to leave. 

“Surely you aren’t leaving so soon!”

That stopped him in his tracks. He didn’t reply, his throat too dry to form words as he watched a drop of sweat travel down Quintin’s neck and disappear into the collar of his undershirt. 

“I heard that you were the Head of Machinery before your promotion, is that true?”

He nodded dumbly, mouth forming words but no sound coming out. 

“Well, I’d really appreciate your insight here. Perhaps you can take a look with me and see if there’s anything I’ve missed?” 

Quintin’s normally confident stance was strangely timid now, not quite facing Curtis or looking directly at him. But he was smiling coyly with something hopeful flashing in the corner of his eye that made Curtis’ heart thud nervously in his chest. 

“Um, yeah sure. I’ll take a look.”

This was bad. This was wrong. He needed to stop. Right now. 

But he didn’t.

Dancer gave him a sly look as Bernard loaded up his satchel with several containers of freshly made shrimp étouffée, roasted asparagus, sweet cornbread, and a thermos of spiced apple cider, courtesy of Judy. She’d been almost giddy when he’d asked her to make him some for an outing. She hadn’t asked what his plans were exactly or who it was for, but she probably suspected. His thoughts were plagued lately with visions of soft smiles and even softer touches. He shouldn’t be seeing Holly so much, had even tried throwing himself back into work once Judy herself was too busy to take on the extra load. But all that had done was made him think of Holly even more, his chest aching every time he pictured their next meeting. 

Curtis had been a little machine these days, burning the midnight oil with a new passion. So there went his excuse to not see Holly. He’d hoped that with the matter out of his hands, he’d soon grow tired of the human woman. But now that the choice was back in front of him, he found himself unable to control the urge to go see her. 

He’d hoped that he had been more subtle about his embarrassing fondness for the polar researcher, but Betty had thoroughly disillusioned him in typical Betty fashion. Judy’s impish smirk when she handed over the thermos of cider that afternoon had thrown him, as well. Unlike with Betty, he had no misconceptions about Judy’s knowledge of the object of his current affections. She had connected the dots easily. 

Humans and elves just didn’t fraternize. Not like this.

Perhaps in the old days, a human would be taken in with some elf, half enchanted and lovesick over their natural inclination to be magic-dazzled. But humans were much simpler back then, dirtier, more violent. Magical creatures had no real love for them. Humans were more seen as dumb inconveniences or, at best, a fun distraction. Making mischief by terrorizing the poor superstitious simpletons had gained the fae a fearsome reputation in human myths.

Santa’s idea of treating the human children, the only universally tolerated part of humanity, was radical at the time. Why should the fae give anything to humans, tiny or otherwise? Santa Claus had started this out of the goodness of his saintly celestial heart, his shining spirit convincing elves everywhere to give it a go. At the time, humans were growing numerous and causing all sorts of problems for everyone. Many elves thought giving them such a blessing might bring them peace and thereby make life easier for everyone.

And it worked! Christmas was a huge success and humans started showing more widespread compassion for their fellow man. 

And the elves got the added bonus of absorbing the magic generated by human children’s belief in them. Who knew so much power could come from such a little source? 

Despite the now mostly neutral view most magical creatures had of humans these days, it was still seen as somewhat unsavory to spend much time with them. And romantic relationships with humans were all but unheard of, so much so that it was a joke in the magical world. ‘Rather take a dip with a sludgewug than a human’ was thrown around a lot in less than polite circles. 

But Holly wasn’t gross or uncivilized. She wasn’t stupid, she wasn’t boorish. She was jittery and anxious when she thought she’d upset him, but he knew if she had to face down a stampeding polar bear, she wouldn’t bat an eye. She didn’t know anything about the constellations or the ancient stories that went along with them, but she could name every ecological impact on the arctic region should temperatures rise 2 degrees. She was a human, unbelieving and unmagical. And she was a good person. Caring. Considerate. Kind.

He knew his enamored feelings shone through when he spoke about her to Judy, but she wasn’t a judgemental elf by any means, never calling him out on his glazed eyes and rosy cheeks. He was thankful for that. But just because she didn’t verbally disapprove didn’t mean what he was doing was okay. Judy probably assumed it was a physical thing that would leave him soon. And he couldn’t deny that physical attraction certainly had some part to play. But he wondered just what his professionally polished elf friend would say if she knew just how deeply he was beginning to care for Holly.

He hoped against hope that it wasn't what he thought it was, actively pushing back the tingle he felt in his heart when he pictured his human's face. He told himself that tonight was a test, and truthfully it was. But it was a risk, as well. If he was mistaken and the bond hadn't solidified yet, then something like this could be just the thing to connect it and make it real. Permanent.

On the other hand, if he was wrong, then he'd know by the end of the night and that would be that. He and Holly would continue to work on her research, maybe eventually sleep together since the tension was obviously reaching a head, and once the year was done, she would leave. That would be that. It would be a fun, temporary friendship with some fun, temporary sex. He could handle that no problem. It was a familiar arrangement, one he was comfortable with. 

Deep down, he knew he wasn't wrong, though. And judging by the pull he felt, it may already be too late.

Still, he knew he shouldn't go. If he stayed away, he'd also get his answer quite soon, without the need to risk a semi-formed bond turning solid, but he just couldn't stay away. It was a tragedy in slow motion, one that could only end in heartbreak and risk for them all. One that he couldn’t bring himself to put a stop to. 

He hoisted himself up on Dancer’s back and they started trotting through the village, his last discussion with Judy fresh in his mind. 

“I was thinking of hosting the Valentine’s party at that old frozen lake near your house, actually. Nice and open, not too many eyes once things settle for the night. Perfect for slipping in and out discreetly, wouldn’t you say? You should bring someone, Bernard. Live a little.”

Maybe he would. 

Chapter Text

(February 10th, early evening)

Holly felt like dancing. 

Her finger shook as it pushed on the camera’s rewind button, her nerves affecting her more than the cold. The small screen that was transmitting the live feed of camera 4 flickered as it skipped back. She once again saw a white blob move across the screen, just on the edge of the camera’s field of vision. Her eyes widened as she stared, her attention not faltering for a second. 

The blob crossed back into the camera’s sight, and right there after it was another, smaller white blob following close behind the first.

Catherine’s cub, Crystal!

Finally Holly had some kind of proof that she was okay, looking healthy and energetic if the little blob’s playful romping was any indication. 

She couldn’t wait to show Bernard, he’d be so pumped. He should be arriving soon, actually. They’d been spending so much time together lately, which she was pretty chuffed about. After their dance party a couple weeks ago, she didn’t hear anything from him for days and days. She’d told herself it was because he was so busy after playing hooky with her, but she couldn’t help but worry that he was avoiding her because she’d been too pushy. She threw herself back into her work to try and not dwell on what-ifs, trusting that if Bernard had a problem with her, he’d say so. He was a direct guy, and she respected that about him. 

But then he’d rolled back up on her camp a few days ago with Dancer, asking after her progress. They spoke like colleagues that day, and while the banter was still there, he kept a professional air about him that put some distance between them. 

But then he’d shown up the next day too. 

She had no significant update for him, but he didn’t seem to notice, chatting with her on and off for a couple hours about the bears, their music tastes, her work, and anything else that came to mind. Talk was lighthearted and easy, joking around and teasing each other just like they had before. Another break, she’d guessed. 

But the next day, there he was again. 

He stayed for hours, and they had lunch together. Things had started the way they had the previous day, silly banter and teasing jabs flying across the fire. But she’d just received a letter from her family that morning, and was noticeably somber when they’d settled in to eat. Bernard was a perceptive guy, picking up on the change of mood immediately and asking if anything was wrong.

And just like that, the floodgates were opened.

She told him all about her dredge through university, the hardships she’d gone through to get to where she was now, the things she sacrificed—no friends beyond surface level coworkers, her strained relationship with her family, and the many health problems she’d dealt with as a result of pushing so hard to get ahead in her field.

He’d listened intently, asking questions like he really cared about what she was saying. He had taken her hand at one point, eyes warm and so, so gentle, and helped her through what was probably the hardest and most cathartic conversation she'd ever had. God, she hadn't realized how much she'd been bottling up until he'd uncorked it all. She'd never had a friend like Bernard, not ever. They just really seemed to understand each other, and how wonderful that felt, to have someone really see her and say 'hey, you know what? I still like you.' Their whole conversation that day was noticeably serious. The easy way they’d interacted with each other when they first met was more complex now, tension setting in at the edge of this new familiarity with each other.

Almost like they both were holding their breath.

A pause before some significant paradigm shift.

A calm before a storm. 

He was good at deflecting things and making light of his enigmatic history, but the more time they spent together, the more apparent it became: Bernard wanted to tell her more about himself too, but maybe he wasn’t used to opening up to people? She wasn’t sure if he didn’t have many good friends either or if he was just hesitant with her specifically. He had seemed like he might open up some about himself at a couple points in the night, a conflicted look in his eye, but he’d ultimately stayed silent.

She didn’t ask, and he seemed relieved, even grateful. She wished she could put him at ease, make him believe that she was a safe person to confide in, but she wasn’t sure what was stopping him in the first place. 

She’d never felt closer to him than after their talk. She’d also never felt further away. Their night concluded with Bernard offering her a warm, comforting hug that she’d enjoyed way too much. He’d said he wanted to spend another day with her the next day. Today. 

He had some sort of surprise planned for her. She didn’t know what to expect, but he’d said to not eat dinner, so she at least guessed that she’d get the opportunity to try some of those fancy Russian rations. Although, evidently his station had chefs that worked there, so maybe she could expect real food. Her mouth watered at the thought, but she didn’t want to get her hopes up just yet. It was impractical to expect him to haul real food all the way out there to her. 

She wasn’t left in suspense for too long, hearing the unmistakable gait of Dancer trotting into her camp. Holly left the camera feed paused and went to greet her company just as Bernard was hopping off the reindeer. 

His green cloak was undone in the front, framing his broad shoulders almost like a cape. His tunic was a cloudy gray with gold ribbons running the length of his torso that matched the gold ribbon he had pinned to his beret. His hat wasn’t pulled quite so low today, the lobe of his left ear just visible when his curls swished with his movements. It looked much better on him, but still stretched in a strange way.

Nonetheless, he looked incredibly handsome. She’d even say he was extra fancy today. Her own puffy coat and waterproof pants couldn’t quite compare. 

“Wow! Now that is an outfit! I feel so dressed down,” she chuckled. 

“You always look amazing, Holly Jolly.” His eyes were bright, sneaking glances at her from under curly fringe as he fiddled with Dancer’s saddle. 

Her face felt both numb and extremely hot. His reply had such a sincere tone to it. She wasn’t sure what to say to that. She heard a sharp intake of breath, his shoulders stiffening as he seemed to realize what he’d said so casually. He shook his head slightly, looking a bit out of sorts before regaining his composure. “So! Any progress?”

She gladly latched onto the change in topic. “Yes, actually! I think I’ve got footage of Catherine and Crystal on camera 4. I wanted you to take a look at some point too and see if you agree. They’re just white shapes, really—not in frame enough to say for sure, but either we got polar bears or there’s a yeti somewhere out there.”

“Sure, I’ll take a look once we get back,” he nodded, still distracted by the saddle.

“I’ve got the footage ready if you wanna go ahead.” A thumb jabbed towards the entrance to her tent.

He finally looked up, blinking at her not-so-subtle suggestion.

“Oh! Um, well, I kinda have this schedule—“

“C’mon, Saint Bernard,” she scoffed, “it’ll literally take two minutes. Surely your ‘schedule’ can spare that?”

He scowled at the nickname. She’d taken to bringing it out anytime he got ‘all wrapped up in his dumb timetables and schedules’—her words. Bernard preferred making plans and sticking to them, even when it came to recreation. Holly, for the most part, would indulge him, but overall she liked being flexible with her schedule. Not to a crazy degree, of course, but compared to Bernard, she was downright spontaneous. 

“Fine. I’ll take a look, but I’m only giving you two minutes and that’s it.”

She turned, eyes rolling lightheartedly, and entered the tent with Bernard hot on her heels. “Sheesh, you’re such a tyrant sometimes. I bet you’re one of those types of managers that just leans over people’s shoulders all day, making them sweat.”

She huddled down next to the small display screen set up on her fold out table. It was still paused where she’d left it.

He kneeled down to join her, a grumpy frown marring his smooth face. “My employees are perfectly happy with our work pace. I don’t need to stand over their shoulders. They work hard because they want to,” he said defensively, crossing his arms over bent knees. 

“Okay, okay, sorry! I’m sure you’re a great boss, Saint Bernard.” She giggled as he glared at her again, the curl of his lip telling her he wasn’t actually upset by her teasing. She pushed the play button. “Maybe a little anal, but that can be a good thing—especially in this field.” 

But his attention was on the screen now, his eyes widened when he spotted the smaller white blob dashing from one side of the screen to the other. 

“Silver Bells, that’s her! That’s Crystal!”

“…silver bells?”

His face flushed pink, but he didn’t acknowledge the obvious question there. He’d forgotten to censor himself with Holly before, an angry “Nutcrackers!” slipping out during a particularly frustrating evening trying to overload their snowmobiles with supplies from the outpost. She’d laughed on and off at him all evening for that one. It still cracked her up whenever she thought of his face, red and twisted in absolute rage, as a bundle of wood fell off the supply pile again. The whole thing was comical to watch, but the cherry on top was definitely the pure fury in his voice as he yelled out one of the silliest exclamations she’d ever heard. 

He coughed into his hand, standing abruptly and walking back towards the tent exit. “That’s definitely Catherine and Crystal.”

Holly went along with his obvious swerve, standing herself and joining him outside. “I knew it! Ahh, Bernard, this is so great! I hope we can get some better footage soon.” 

She was practically vibrating as she grabbed his arm, hopping a little on the balls of her toes. He laughed and let himself be jostled about in the human’s excitement. On one of the hops, her foot landed on an icy patch and slipped. She dropped, her legs widening to regain her balance, and the hands that were holding Bernard’s sleeves pulled him abruptly down. 

“Woah, there! Don’t get too excited, now.” He exclaimed, bent over at the waist. He grabbed Holly’s arms to help steady her. She found her footing and straightened her knees slowly, looking up as she did with a sheepish grin. But she froze as she realized how close their faces were now. She could smell the peppermint on his breath, sweet and cool. 

She hastily let go of him, taking a big step back.

That was an embarrassing blunder. The last thing she needed was to make it even more mortifying by invading his space. He watched her move away with disappointment glimmering in his dark eyes. Her stomach flipped at the look.

Maybe he hadn’t minded it after all?

He almost seemed like he’d liked it, in fact. 

“Well, uh, anyways—“ he cleared his throat, face trying to smooth over into something more calm, “you ready for uh—“ he paused again, looking unsure. “—an outing?” 

She snorted at his word choice. 

“An outing, huh? What is this, 1850? You better have me home before 9, lest my papá question my virtue.” 

She was trying to throw him a bone here, joking around like they always did, but her words just made him stammer, his mouth falling open in surprise. His rosy cheeks darkened so much that she could see the silver specks that dotted them clearly from where she was standing, the shimmer more pronounced in the bright moonlight. 

A flash of green under his scarf caught her eye, and the sight baffled her enough to compel her to cut through his sputtering. 

“Is that real?”

“Wha—is what real?”

She walked up closer to him and pulled his scarf loose revealing the necklace underneath. Three young green branches of spruce were hanging from delicate gold wire on either end, curling decoratively up to a thin golden chain that wrapped around Bernard’s neck. It was a beautiful piece of craftsmanship, blending metalwork with flora. But it had her stumped. She reached a hand up to lightly touch the branches. They certainly felt real. 

“Where did you get spruce branches? There are no trees in the North Pole.” 

“None that you know of, you mean.”

“No, I do not mean that! It’s all sea ice, there’s no way trees can grow here. There’s no actual ground for the roots.”

“Maybe you don’t know everything, then, huh?” He smirked, falling back into his snarky persona. “I know for a fact there are trees in the North Pole. How else could I make this necklace?”

She gaped at him, annoyance at his snide remarks pulling her brows together. “You made this? No way!” She shoved his shoulder lightly. 

“Why’s that so hard to believe? I told you I made a music box. You really think a necklace is outside my skill set?” He shoved her shoulder back, his smirk twitching into a wide grin. 

“That,” she shoved him again with slightly more force, mirth coloring her still disbelieving voice, “doesn’t answer my question—where’d you get the spruce?” 

“I told you,” he knocked her again, making her rock back a step, a scoff escaping her at the motion, “there are trees in the North Pole.”

“Huh, interesting,” she said, her stance wide and squared, a challenging gleam in her eye. “I knew you could be an asshole sometimes, but I never pegged you as a—liar!“ She stepped forward, trying to punctuate her words with another shove, but falling forward instead as Bernard stepped to the side. She barely managed to catch herself before she fell into Dancer who watched the two interact with a cocked head and twitching ears. Bernard burst into musical laughter as she whipped around to face him. 

“You—!” 

She lunged at him and he stepped away again, all nervousness from before replaced with his usual confidence. His curls bounced as he easily hopped away from Holly’s attempts to catch him. 

How was he this fast? She felt like he wasn’t even trying. She soon ran out of breath and fell to her knees, huffing and puffing clouds into the air. 

“Now look, you’re all tuckered out. And here I had a nice evening planned for us.” The half mocking tone in his voice didn’t deter her. Her head perked up at the reminder of why he’d come today in the first place. She was still kind of out of breath as she climbed to her feet again. 

“What is the plan, anyways? You said not to eat, but I’m actually starving here.”

“Poor little Holly,” he laughed, “we’ll eat soon, okay? We just gotta go somewhere first.”

“Wait, what? Are we going to your station?”

“Not quite. You’ll see.” 

He waved his hand at her, silently asking her to follow him. Their sudden game of tag had led them a ways away from the main camp. 

“Anything I need to bring?”

“Just your wonderful self.” He stepped up to Dancer and turned back to Holly, holding his hand out for her to take. 

“Um, hold on. I’ve never even ridden a horse before—“

“Dancer will be gentle, won’t you, girl?” The reindeer haw’d in reply. “See? Nothing to worry about. And I’ll be right there behind you.” 

Her feet shuffled up to the man and deer, hesitation still evident in her posture. She took his outstretched hand, and a jolt of electricity ran up her arm. Her ears turned pink at the feel of his warm callused hand holding hers. He helped her put her foot in the dip at the edge of the weird saddle. Using him as leverage, she threw her leg over and mounted the reindeer. A second later, Bernard had pulled himself up behind her, leaning forward to grab Dancer’s reins, his arms enclosing her on either side. His pelvis slid in snuggly against her backside and she lost the ability to take in air. He must have noticed because he leaned down to murmur in her ear. “Everything’s okay, Holly. This is perfectly safe, I promise. Hey, have I ever steered you wrong?” He hadn’t, but that wasn’t really her issue right now, either. 

He tugged the reins and Dancer took off at a brisk walk. She watched his hands sitting on either side of Dancer’s neck, so close to her own. Once again, the difference in size made her stomach flip. Why did every single part of him have to be so painfully beautiful?

She realized belatedly that neither of them had gloves on. “We aren’t wearing gloves! We’re gonna freeze out here without them. Should we go back?”

“No worries, I have a spare pair in my bag you can borrow. I’ll grab ‘em once we finish riding.”

“What about you?”

He chuckled low in his throat, goosebumps rising on the back of her neck in response. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Holly Jolly, but the cold doesn’t bother me much. I stay warm with or without gloves, no problem. In fact, how about this—“ those lovely hands were suddenly grabbing hers, pushing the reins in her grip before encasing her fists in his. “—nice and warm, right?”

God, he was warm. He also knew what he was doing here. There’s no way he didn’t. 

This was so clearly beyond ‘just friends’. There was no way to explain it away. Bernard was holding hands with her. He could say it was just to keep warm, but they both knew it wasn’t about that. A gentle squeeze on her hands brought her back to earth, and she realized she’d been silent too long. She had to will her heart to start beating again. 

“Yeah, toasty.” She turned her head to send the comment over her shoulder, so it could be heard over the rushing wind. Sharp brown eyes caught her gaze, the angle hiding the rest of his face. She licked her chapped lips nervously and those dark orbs flickered down to watch the motion. Thick black eyelashes fluttered, heavily lidding his eyes and increasing the weight of their stare. One of his curls flew forward, the wind pushing it up against her cheek in a soft caress and the tickle snapped her out of her stupor. She turned to face forward again, the steady bounce of Dancer’s gallop bringing her thoughts back to a less foggy state. 

The scent of nutmeg and pine, so distinctly Bernard in her mind now, was enveloping her. It was such an earthy scent, slightly sweet with something musky in the undertones that her brain recognized as male. She could breath him in all day, honestly. She inhaled deeply, wanting to savor his unique fragrance, when she felt something solid move against her hair. His deep even breaths told her that he was taking in her scent as well. Her core tightened in response, her back arching slightly. If she had any lingering doubts about whether he was attracted to her, they had all vanished now. 

She blinked and realized she hadn’t been paying attention to where they were going at all. Dancer was rushing up a sloped path, off the icy flatlands and onto more powdery snow, kicking it up as she ran. 

With a jolt, she realized where they were going—the mountain just a few miles from her camp. It was such a swirly picturesque peak, twisting towards the sky like the top of an ice cream. She hadn’t yet braved it, her snowmobile not quite up to the task of scaling the steeper cliffs and any easier paths up not visible from that side of the mountain. But Dancer had no problem jumping from edge to edge and climbing up sheer walls of ice without breaking stride. She didn’t even pause long enough for Holly to worry about making a 30 ft leap over a straight drop, the reindeer completely ignoring the occasional gasps coming from her human rider. 

They’d been climbing for a while, when Dancer came to an abrupt stop. In front of them, several paces away was a sheer wall of ice going up 15 ft at least. Dancer began backing up, putting more distance between them and the wall and Holly realized the deer’s intention.

“Uh, wait—“ but Dancer was off, bouncing down the slope towards the wall at break neck speed. A scream ripped from Holly’s throat and Bernard’s hands tightened around hers, his command to “Hold on tight!” replacing the fear in her chest with tentative excitement. Dancer leaned back on her hind legs and sprung up and forwards, soaring over the ice wall with ease. 

They slid a bit on the icy ground as they landed, coming to a stop in the middle of an open flat area with no other visible places to climb. 

They had finally reached the top. 

Bernard chuckled next to her ear, and she realized she had pushed herself even further back into his chest.  He was practically hugging her from behind now, his arms squeezing her sides in reassurance. He soon leaned back to give her space, releasing her hands and dismounting. She immediately missed his warmth. 

He helped her down, and she took a look around the mountain summit. It wasn’t a big area really, maybe the size of an average dining room. She looked over the edge and, seeing just how high up they were, felt immediately dizzy.

The side they had just come up was a sheer drop, the icy wall leading down to a jagged path that looked almost like stairs from where she was now. On the opposite side of the mountain, a snowy slope zigzagged down. It looked much easier to climb, but probably would have taken them twice as long. She had no idea that reindeer could move like that. No wonder Bernard preferred to ride Dancer over the snowmobile. 

“Okay, I’m stumped. What’s the plan now? Are you gonna throw me off or something?”

“Tempting,” he said teasingly, “but no.” He pulled a blanket roll off the side of Dancer’s saddle and laid it out on the soft snow. “Since I messed up your stargazing plans before, I thought I’d make it up to you now. Look up.” 

She did. 

A sea of stars shined down on them, perfectly clear skies hiding nothing. High as they were, she almost felt like she was drowning in them. Her mouth opened in awe, lips stretched wide around a delighted gasp. She heard something clink over where Bernard was, her thoughts brought back into focus as she turned to see what he was up to now. 

This. Man. 

She gasped again as she took in the array of containers spread out on the blanket, their translucent lids displaying different kinds of food. Real food. 

It had been weeks and weeks since she’d had anything but rations, her only treats being the one bag of unbuttered popcorn she’d had and the powdered hot chocolate packets she’d run out of last week. But Bernard had brought her a whole spread of the most delicious looking food she’d ever seen in her life. She thought she might cry.

He was pouring a thermos of something hot and amber colored into a couple of mugs.

“I can’t believe you made all this!”

“You can’t believe a lot of things I can do, apparently.”

Her eyes crinkled at his dry remark. He lifted one of the mugs and held it out for her. The snow crunched under her feet as she rushed to join him, plopping down on the plush blanket and accepting the hot mug with shaking hands. Dancer snorted at the smell coming from the thermos and Bernard waved her off with an amused huff. She shook out her fur before trotting towards the cliff edge and laying down in the snow away from their blanket set-up, apparently content to leave them to their two legged business. 

Holly blew on the steaming cup before taking a small sip. A sharp bite of tartness rushed over her tongue, followed by the tingle of mulling spices. It was both comforting and refreshing, a moan pulled from her belly completely involuntarily. 

He chuckled at her reaction, pulling out plates from his brown bag and beginning to fill them with a little from each container. Her mouth watered as she watched, the smell of the still steaming food hitting her like a freight. 

She graciously accepted the plate he served to her, generous helpings from each dish piled on. She loaded her spoon with a bite of rice and shrimp and brought it up to her mouth. 

“Mmm!” She moaned at the explosion of flavor and spice. She chewed slowly, savoring the taste for as long as she could before swallowing. “You made all this?”

“Just today, yeah. You like it?”

“Bernard, I love it! It’s so unbelievably good. I’m not even that big a fan of shrimp, but wow!” She took another bite, sighing happily. 

His eyes sparkled at her open enjoyment of his hard work. 

Too soon, her plate was empty and her stomach full. Bernard was almost finished himself, but he kept stopping to watch her periodically as she reacted to each new food she tried. 

“Okay, yeah, Head Chef. I believe you now, 100%.” 

“See, there’s some real perks to being friends with me.”

“No kidding! And here I thought I wasn’t gonna get anything good outta this friendship,” she teased. 

“Rude,” he snorted. “And when do I get some perks?”

“You already are, duh. My amazing company is all you need!”

He shook his head, scoffing good-naturedly before going back to eating. 

Holly sighed in satisfaction, leaning back on her elbow and sipping her spiced cider—possibly the best cider she’d ever had, too. She looked back up at the stars, bright and dazzling, feeling content and… happy? But like a soft happy. Warm and tender. It was certainly due in part to the hot meal she’d just had the pleasure of partaking in, but to a greater extent, it was because of him. Because he had made it for them—for her. 

A particularly bright star caught her eye. The North Star. She’d never been big on astronomy, but she at least knew that one. Whatever course work she’d had to learn about stellar positioning had promptly emptied out of her brain once exams were over. Her compass worked just fine. She knew where a few key ones were, just in case she got totally lost without equipment, but beyond that she really didn’t see the point to knowing about stars. They sure were pretty to look at, though. 

“Polaris, the North Star, and its constellation Cynosura. It’s a favorite of mine.” 

Bernard’s voice cut through her musings. 

“I’m not big on astrology.”

“I know. You’re a—how did you put it?—a ‘STEM girl’.”

She hummed. “Yeah, I mean, astronomy is important, I guess, but constellations and made up shapes? I don’t know, it’s never been very interesting to me.”

“The old stories are important. They tell the history of cultures, the transformation of philosophies through time. They’re like time machines looking back into what people valued back then—who they were.”

“Sounds a bit fanciful to me.”

“What’s wrong with a bit of fancy?” 

She paused at the question, looking over at him. He was staring up at the sky himself, his eyes so full of stars, it looked as if a single blink would have them falling like tears down his already sparkling cheeks.

She was struck again by just how magical he seemed. Sometimes he said things that made her convinced he had an incredibly old soul. That paired with his otherworldly beauty, especially now, made her stomach clench nervously. There was just something about him that was inhuman. It lit up a primal part of her brain that said he was powerful, dangerous.

Not like her. 

“Nothing. There’s nothing wrong with that.” She forced herself to look away, bringing her attention back to the brightest star in the sky. “Why is that constellation your favorite?”

“It’s been used throughout time for navigation, so I can appreciate the utility, but also I just like the story attached to it.”

A long quiet moment passed before she couldn’t take it anymore.

“Okay, fine, I’ll bite. What’s the story?”

He chuckled at her dry, reluctant delivery. “I thought you didn’t like this sort of thing.”

“Maybe I just like to hear you talk about stuff you’re passionate about.” A smile could be heard in her voice. “C’mon, I know you wanna tell me.”

She saw him glance briefly at her from the corner of his eye before returning his stare heavenward. 

“Cynosura is the name I know it by. It means something like ‘little dog’s tail’. You may know it as the ‘Little Dipper’ or Ursa Minor. There’s a lot of myths that go along with this constellation, but these days, people have forgotten what story it originally told.”

He took a deep breath before he began. 

“Once upon a time, there was a great king of the monkeys who strived to earn respect for him and his people. But the others in the realm were far beyond the monkeys in longevity and magical prowess and would often look down on the monkeys for their lesser power.” A somber tone colored his voice.

“One day, the king decided he would force the magical courts to recognize him by attending their winter solstice. He arrived in a beautiful purple gown and silver crown. But as he walked the courts, the other kings and queens laughed at him because his tail was swishing his gown back and forth. Outraged, he ripped his tail off. But as he did, the silver crown fell off his head and was caught on the tip of the severed tail. The king didn’t notice his crown was gone, and in a show of strength, threw the tail into the sky and stuck it in the stars forever. But since his crown was also thrown, the king was disgraced and forced to leave the courts a failure to his people.”

“So the crown is supposed to be the North Star?” she asked, eyes wide as she looked up at said star.

“Right,” he replied.

“Huh,” her face twisted in disdain, “that’s a horrible story, though! Poor monkeys.”

“That’s not the end.” His head shook as he turned his gaze back up to the stars.

She blinked at him. “No?”

“No,” he continued, “the king returned the next year, tailless. But he had a new crown—a golden one. The courts were dazzled by the monkey’s resilience and asked him to stay. But he hadn’t come to curry favor this time. He declared his kingdom separate from the others and left the courts, never to return. He lived the rest of his days leading his people to success on their own. The monkeys grew powerful and mighty, carving a lasting place for themselves in the realm.”

Her grin was wide as she listened to the ending.“The monkeys were humans, right? That’s a neat way to explain evolution.” 

“They were humans, yeah.” 

“Typical human behavior to get mad at a party and rip off our own tail.” She chuckled. “But in the end, I guess we humans did pretty good for ourselves, eh?” She nudged his side slightly.

He smirked. “You did.”

“But wait, who were the others in the realm? Neanderthals?”

“Fae folk. Magical creatures,” he answered simply. 

“Oh, right. Ancient stories always gotta include those tricky fae.”

He turned to her, brow quirked up in amusement. “Tricky, huh?”

“Mm, I guess?” she shrugged. “Like I said, I’m not very big into real mythology, but I know some general fae things from fantasy stories my dad used to read to me. Like, y’know, never give them your name, never eat their food, don’t step through their archways, stuff like that.” 

Silence stretched between them, both leaned back gazing at the stars lost in their own thoughts. She fidgeted in the still air, getting more comfortable on the blanket. 

“So why is it called ‘the dog’s tail’ then? They were monkeys, not dogs.”

He sighed. “It wasn’t really about a ‘dog’s’ tail, really. Faeries had a pretty negative view of humans back then. See, the reason the king’s tail swishing back and forth was so funny to the courts was because it was seen as a mark of humanity’s barbarism. A sign that they were lesser. It was called a ‘dog’s tail’ in a derogatory way, to make them feel inferior.”

“Ohhh, that makes sense. And that’s why the king ripped it off.”

“Right.” 

“Well, I won’t deny the fact that humans can be pretty animalistic. We definitely have our downsides, don’t we?” She paused but he didn’t answer. “I mean, we’re pretty emotionally driven sometimes. At least, I know I can be.”

“Feelings aren’t a weakness.” His voice was even and, ironically, emotionless, as he said this.

“Well, they can be. My nervousness can be… hm.” She bit her lip and turned over to face him. “It’s just… hard making friends when you second guess everything you say, I guess.”

“Oh, yeah? You always seem pretty confident to me. I really enjoy our talks for that very reason, actually.” His eyes were kind as they pulled away from the sky and landed back on her. 

“Thanks, that kind of puts my mind at ease a little. But I still worry a lot about saying the wrong thing the wrong way.” Her finger twirled a loose thread in her coat.

“You worry too much, Holly.”

Her eyes focused on the thread so she wouldn’t have to carry his dark gaze. “No arguments here. But it’s not exactly like I can help it.”

“You never seem to let it affect you, though,” he pointed out. “That’s admirable. In fact, isn’t that what being courageous is? Pushing past your fear to get things done, even though it’s scary? You’re up here in the arctic, on your own with nothing but polar bears and me! Terrifying!” He caught her eyes again as he briefly grabbed and shook her arm to emphasize his ridiculous words. 

“Polar bears aren’t nearly as scary as people!” she laughed. 

His cheeky grin revealed a hint of gleaming teeth. “What, so I’m more scary than Catherine?”

Her heart thudded in her chest at seeing his smile, bright and sharp. 

“Maybe a little,” she whispered. 

His teasing expression faded to a more serious one at that. “You don’t need to be scared of me, Holly,” he stated soberly. 

“It’s not that I’m scared of you, exactly—“ she fumbled, hand clenching into her coat anxiously, “—I just, well, hmm. I just, I really respect you, Bernard. You’re so… experienced and you’ve got this, I don’t know, like a piercing vibe? It’s hard to describe, you’re just really perceptive… and insightful. You make me feel so seen sometimes. And I guess that just makes me nervous.”  

“You don’t want to be seen?” His voice was soft and cautious. 

“No, it’s just…” She shook her head as she searched the air for words. “I’m afraid of what you may think about what you see. You’re an amazing person. And I’m just kind of regular? I guess I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

“I’m not perfect, y’know.”

“Oh believe me, Saint Bernard, I know.” They both huffed laughs into the air between them. “Nah, it’s more like, I don’t know—there’s just something different about you. Something amazing. It feels like you know everything about me already, but I don’t know anything about you. I guess I just wish I could know you better.”

“You know me. We’ve spent weeks together at this point.” A broad shoulder shrugged as he tried to understand her point of view.

“Kinda? I mean, yes I know your favorite color, but I still feel like I don’t really know you.” Her chin tipped down as she looked up at him, trying to convey something more with the gesture. 

His face turned melancholy at her words, his brows tilting up slightly as he looked away. He hummed. “I’m not a very open person, even with my own people. I try to stay above it all because people are depending on me to be objective.”

She nodded hesitantly. “I can understand that. But I know almost nothing about you, really. Nothing about your life, your family, your friends, your hopes and dreams,” she sighed, looking up at him again under lowered lashes as she gathered her courage. “Which is insane because… I think you’re one of the best friends I’ve ever had.”

She held her breath as that conflicted look came over him again. 

He inhaled deep and slow, looking suddenly resolved. 

“Okay, what would you like to know?”

Chapter Text

“What would you like to know?”

A puff of cloudy air escaped her as she balked at his open question. He was basically handing her a blank check here. Her brain went through a dozen different questions she’d had floating in her mind since she met him. She settled on something easier, hoping it wouldn’t spook him after such a big step. 

“Do you have other friends besides me?”

“Yeah, ‘course I do," he snorted. "I have a very dear friend named Judy."

Holly was slightly ashamed at the flash of jealousy that shot through her hearing that. Bernard was a grown man. He was allowed to have friendships with adult women besides her. Of course he was. If anything, this was a green flag here. 

“How long have you known her?” she asked, trying to mask the conflicted feelings rising up within her.

“Oh, man, ages and ages. We both started working here around the same time. She’s great. There probably isn’t anyone else who knows me as well as her.” He seemed oblivious to her struggle, looking up at the stars over Holly's shoulder as he reminisced.

Her heart sunk hearing him talk about 'Judy', but the fond look he had while talking about his friend made her lips tug into a weak smile. “I’m glad you have her, then.” 

“Me too, honestly. Don’t know where I’d be without her,” he chuckled. 

The ugly feelings inside her started to erode some, tinged with a tentative relief. He had other friends. That really was a good thing. Holly had no claim over him, of course, and he said himself Judy was a friend, not a lover. Still, jealousy was a bitch with long claws. 

“I’d love to meet her someday.” She hoped he wouldn't pick up on her strange mood. 

“Y’know, I think she’d really like to meet you too," he started. "She keeps trying to hint at me to bring you—“ but he cut himself off, his mouth closing with a snap. 

An uncomfortable silence fell. She blinked as it kept going before deciding to try to prompt him into speaking more. “…bring me to the station?” she guessed.

His mouth had pulled into a troubled frown, eyes moving back and forth as he struggled to formulate a reply. She wished he could just tell her what he was thinking. 

He finally sighed, scratching his cheek absentmindedly as he stared hard at the snow over her shoulder. 

“Actually, I think you’d especially get along with Judy’s partner, Belle. She’s a bit of a firecracker. You’d like her.”

Oh. Belle, huh?

Well, that was a relief. Any remaining jealousy melted away instantly. It was a redirection, of course, but the guy was obviously wrestling with something here. She shot him a reassuring grin, her eyes soft and kind. 

“Yeah? Maybe we could all hang out sometime.”

“I’d like that.” He turned away from her, solemn and thoughtful. “I’m hoping we can soon, actually.”

He was so confusing. After making her a five star meal and taking her on a fantastical reindeer ride, meeting his friends shouldn’t be such a burdensome idea, but he was acting like it was some grave choice he needed to make. Which, side note, reindeer absolutely should not be able to jump as high as Dancer had, but Holly’s head started getting foggy every time she thought about it. It pulsed again and she shook off her muddled musings. 

She needed to be patient here. Whatever the reason was for his closed off disposition didn’t matter. Bernard needed time, and that was okay. He was worth it. 

He didn’t seem inclined to pick up the conversation, so it looked like it would be up to her. 

“Do you think you’ll stay on as Head of Operations for a while? I know it’s kind of a shitty job right now,” she asked.

“Someone’s gotta do it.” He shrugged, eyes landing back on her. 

“And that someone’s gotta be you?” Her brows quirked as she spoke, nodding towards him questioningly. 

“For now, at least. I’m training someone to maybe take over someday,” he sighed. He didn't seem any more comfortable with this direction of conversation either, and she was starting to feel somewhat guilty for making him so tense. But he was the one who had given her permission. She'd just try to keep the conversation going until he either loosened up or told her he wanted to stop. 

“What do you think you’d like to do next?” She purposely kept her expression open and curious, hoping it would encourage him to relax more with her. 

“I’m not really sure," he said, blinking a few times as he thought it over. His shoulders were starting to lower as they became less stiff and she felt herself grin at the sight. "Working here has sort of been my entire life. I was so young when I started…” His voice became faint as he trailed off. Her mouth hung open as she registered the implication of his words. 

“Wha—you’re young now, though. How young were you then?” she asked, incredulous. 

He looked unsure as he searched her eyes, but then something seemed to unravel in him and he answered after a long pause. “Well… I was a lot shorter when I first came here, I’ll say that.”

She gasped. “So you were just a kid, then!” 

“I was, yeah," he nodded, looking off to the side. 

“Wait, but isn’t that unethical? Does Russia not have child labor laws or something?” This was outrageous. There was no way he was seriously suggesting what she thought he was. What kind of place was Morozko?

“It was a different time, a different way of life. I didn’t want to come here at all, but my mother—“ he choked, brows twisting down, “—m-my mother…” Pain shone dull in his eyes. His lips formed letters, but no sound escaped them. His eyes were panicked as they locked with hers, vulnerability an unfamiliar and terrifying sensation for him. Panic in her own eyes mirrored his, and her mouth hung open in utter disbelief. A heavy silence descended over them both for a long stretched moment. The implication was clear. 

“She made you?” The whisper she forced out was harsh and angry. He flinched, eyes searching the air restlessly. But then he inhaled deeply, suddenly smoothing his features over. The pain she saw in him before hardened into a more detached expression, his mouth pulled tight. For a second there, it seemed like he might shut her out again. His jaw clenched as he looked over her head again.

He cleared his throat before speaking evenly. “She’d never been the best mother," he began. "I had skill in the kitchen so when recruiters came asking, I was sent here to work. We’d never really gotten along to begin with, so it all turned out for the best, I guess.” He couldn’t look her in the eye as he explained. His shoulders were wound up tight again, and his hands were curled into fists. 

“That’s horrible, Bernard!” Her words from a couple weeks ago defending this horrid woman rang in her mind, churning her stomach with guilt. “God, I was so out of line before. I’m so, so sorry.”

He shook his head dismissively at her apology. “You didn’t know. And I wasn’t exactly transparent about the whole thing.”

“You’re telling me now, though?” She asked, meekly. She was touched, honestly. This was clearly very difficult for him. 

“Yeah,” he fiddled with the cuffs of his tunic, “I don’t know. I really do want to be more open with you, Holly, but it’s hard. It’s nothing against you, it’s just that my gut reaction with this sort of thing is to hide it. Talking about stuff like that doesn’t change anything, y’know?”

She could definitely understand that. 

“You don’t owe me anything, Bernard.” She worried her lip between her teeth, watching his face carefully. “But thanks for telling me anyways. She has no idea what an amazing son she has.” 

His dark eyes caught hers for a split second before he turned to look out over the mountain. He swallowed, eyes blinking a few times as he composed himself. “Anyways, this place has practically been my whole life. I don’t know if I’ll ever want to leave or what I’d even do if I did. Everything important to me is here.”

“Judy and Belle?”

“Yeah,” he said, his eyes were shiny as he turned his head back towards her. She wasn’t sure when it had happened exactly, but they’d both leaned back so far they were practically lying beside each other now. She adjusted her arm, laying fully down on her side, and Bernard matched her pose. Their hands were laying next to each other on the blanket. His fingers twitched as he deliberated for a moment, before reaching over to grab her hand in his. 

“And you.”

Once again, she had a hard time spinning this in a platonic way. Bernard was being open and honest with her as much as he could. She could tell he’d really struggled with it, too. The least she could do in return was to be open with him too. 

She swallowed nervously. “Bernard, what is all this?”

“What do you mean?” His brows drew together.  

“I mean,” she lifted their joined hands, giving his calloused palm a gentle squeeze, “what is all this? All this food, the stars, us here together. What is this?” 

He blinked at her once, twice, looking lost for words. His eyes slid to their hands and his thumb slowly rubbed along her skin. 

“This is…” he paused, his gaze far away as he considered his answer, “a question, I suppose. For you.”

“A question?” she frowned. He nodded, eyes flicking up to peer at her under his curly fringe. “Um, okay. What is it?”

Those dark eyes pierced right through her being and she felt herself lean forward to catch every word of what he’d say next. 

“Do you want to see trees in the North Pole?”

Huh. 

Well, she certainly wasn’t expecting that. Her brows pinched and she squinted at him, skeptical. But he was sincere, waiting expectantly for her answer, the intense look in his eyes remaining. 

She nodded. 

He exhaled, lines appearing around his eyebrows as they knit together. 

“I want to take you to something. There’s a forest near a frozen lake that’s excellent for ice skating and my, um, station is celebrating Valentine’s Day there. It’s a sort of closed party, no outsiders allowed, see? But I, uh, well, I was just wondering if you’d like to come ice skate with me that day—” His dark eyes were shining with stars and hope. “—y’know, once the party is over, I mean. The decorations will still be up and the food will still be there and no one will really be paying attention at that point, so I thought it would be fine for you to come—if you wanted to, that is! Of course, you can feel free to say no, I just meant that—“ he cut off abruptly when her soft hand squeezed his again.

His eyes peered up from under dark lashes, and he huffed. “Sorry. I’m not good at this, uh, feelings thing.” 

Holly’s heart was pounding against her ribs. 

He had feelings for her. He had feelings for her. 

Her thumb smoothed over the back of his hand, the warmth grounding her. 

“Honestly, Bernard-“

Their eyes were locked, starlight making them warm and bright. 

“-I’d love to.” 

“This would probably be a good time for those gloves, actually. Maybe I should go grab them.” 

“Oh, sure, right, the gloves,” he gave her a sly sideways look, standing beside her at the edge of the snowy slope in front of them. “you aren’t stalling, are you?”

Dancer watched from behind the two, still trying to give them space, but eager for what would come next. It had been a lovely dinner, really. The stars were beautiful, the food was amazing, and he’d invited her to join him on Valentines Day for ice skating. She couldn’t believe it. He’d been so closed off and now suddenly he was practically taking her on dates. He didn’t want to be seen with her, apparently, but he said it was against the rules for some reason.

Which didn’t sound right to her, but Morozko was weird. They didn’t function like any other station Holly had ever heard of, but she couldn’t argue with results. Bernard’s work was impeccable, and the resources from his company were top notch. If they said an outsider wasn’t allowed at their holiday function, then Holly wouldn’t question it too much. She felt giddy that Bernard was even taking the risk of sneaking her in at all. 

It was exciting! She felt a bead of sweat roll down her back at the thought. 

Or maybe she was sweating right now because she was about to drop into a snow slope and free ski down a mountain. 

Hard to say, really. 

“I’m not stalling! I love skiing. It’s just, uh,” she twisted around as best she could while keeping her skis straight to watch him as he loosened the remaining set of skis out from Dancer’s travel strap, “y’know, I’ve only ever gone on courses. Like, in resorts.”

He set the skis down beside her own and then reached in his satchel. He pulled out a warm looking pair of fur lined leather gloves and handed them to her. “It’ll be fine, Dancer and I will be right there with you. You’re gonna do great!”

She heaved a great sigh. “I can’t believe you convinced me to do this.”

It hadn’t taken much convincing, actually. When Bernard held her hand after their talk and stared at her with those smoldering eyes, Holly probably would have done anything he’d asked. She would have jumped off the cliff with him if that’s what he wanted. In fact, this wasn’t too far off from that. 

She was decent at skiing, but Bernard apparently thought nothing of racing down a literal arctic mountain, so he must have more experience than her. He said he’d planned for this, but she wasn’t sure where the skis had come from. Granted, she hadn’t been looking too closely at what was underneath the blanket roll they’d brought with them, but she thought she would have noticed two pairs of skis. But that was Bernard, always one step ahead and ready to pull out the perfect thing for any given situation. He’d done it before many times. Wood for their fire just when they needed it, an extra pair of gloves when she forgot hers, and now this. He was like a magician sometimes. 

Bernard started fixing his feet to the skis and Holly nervously looked around her. Dancer was pacing back and forth now, looking more and more antsy. “You got my back, right, Tiny Dancer?”

The reindeer grunted at her in reply and Holly actually felt reassured. 

Bernard stood up and slid into position beside her. 

“Ready?”

“We’re not leaving anything, are we? Are you sure we got everything?”

“Yes, Holly, I double checked the blank white mountain top behind us, and I’m definitely sure we aren’t leaving anything.“ He said with a wry smile. It drooped a bit as he saw Holly’s worried brows. “Hey, we can just ride Dancer if you don’t wanna do this. It’s no trouble, really.”

“No! It’s fine, I’m fine. Just a little jittery, I guess. It’s been a, uh,” she gave him a coy smile, “exciting evening. Nerves are getting the better of me.”

“But you want to do this?”

“I want to do this.”

His smile lit up his face, flushed red in anticipation. “Okay, great! Then let’s go.”

They slid over to the slope’s beginning incline, Bernard motioning at her to go first. “Here, you go first. This way if there’s any trouble, I’ll see you right away.”

“But I don’t know the way!”

“Just follow Dancer, she knows where to go.”

Holly gulped as she stared down at the sparkling powder, blue-white in the moonlight. She leaned forward, letting herself tip over the edge and—

She was off! Her stomach dropped at the sudden speed, but her body knew exactly what to do. She took the first curve with no trouble, but felt her breath catch when the mountain’s next turn got lost in a white blur. Ice cold snow blew into her face and she quickly brought an arm up to shield the unexpected chill. When she brought it down again, there in front of her was Dancer running full speed ahead, kicking up snow as she soared down the mountain. Holly heard familiar musical laughter behind her and turned to see Bernard gliding just a few paces behind her, his mouth open in a carefree expression. She slowed herself to match his speed and to put some distance between them and the reindeer. Dancer did, in fact, know where to go and carved a clear path through the snow around the next turn, Holly and Bernard following at a more leisurely pace. 

Bernard slowed more and turned to swoop behind Holly, coming up on her other side and flashing a cheeky grin. She called “Show off!” into the rushing arctic wind, but when his smile widened, she knew he’d heard her perfectly. 

He began to sway back and forth more exaggeratedly as they descended and she fell into the rhythm with him, not wanting to accidentally knock into him. She’d forgotten how fun this could be, skiing down a white slope, wind rushing past making you feel like you were flying. Dancer dashed up a snow mound, seeming to glide for a moment as she jumped off the small height. Bernard sped up to follow, his skis lifting off the snow in a short jump before landing back onto the trail. 

Holly followed, her heart in her throat at the thought of taking even a small jump. She’d never been big on them herself, much preferring the beginner to intermediate slopes that had minimal obstacles. But today she felt like she was on top of the world, literally and metaphorically, of course. She sailed over the small gap of air and landed shakily back on the snow. Bernard came up close to her, his hand outstretched to steady her if she needed it, but she was already getting back into her rhythm from before, her giddy laughter ringing out over the mountain. 

Bernard’s breathy chuckles joined hers as they picked up speed. Dancer found several more mounds to jump off, and Bernard and Holly followed her into each leap, some smaller, some bigger. Dancer was getting more and more air, seemingly floating back down to the snow after each jump. Holly became transfixed as she watched the reindeer go, her mind growing foggier as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing. 

But before she could come up with a reasonable explanation, they’d reached the bottom, letting the momentum bring them out into the flatlands. They came to an eventual stop, the only sounds that of their gasping heaves and Dancer’s excited hawing as she circled them. 

“That was,” she wheezed, “so much fun!” 

“Yeah!” He laughed, sounding just as out of breath as she did, “Deck the halls, I’d almost forgotten how much I love skiing!” 

There he goes with his weird sayings again. They were decidedly Christmas themed, which made some sense, she guessed, since he did say it was his favorite holiday. 

But no, actually, that didn’t make sense, did it? It was February now. It would be a quirk if it was still December, maybe just a silly bit he was doing for the season. But now? No, it was downright odd now. 

Her mind struggled to think through this line of thought. She felt like she was trying to turn cogs that were jammed. The pieces were there, and she felt like the answer was obvious, but she just couldn’t believe it. 

She shook her head, trying to put it out of mind for now. 

“Tiny Dancer seems like she loved it, too!” she said, watching the reindeer root excitedly in the snow. 

“She needed a good run, yeah. She doesn’t get to free fly as much right now.”

“Fly?” A cog turned just slightly before jamming once again. 

“Uh, yeah, y’know, the jumps? Reindeer love that sort of thing.”

Holly had a background in biology, so she knew a thing or two about reindeer. They were certainly known for running. They were classic ungulate pack animals, after all. But she’d never known reindeer to jump like that before. She looked at Bernard in silence, her expression dazed and confused. His eyes couldn’t quite meet hers, his face carefully blank. 

“Well!” he exclaimed suddenly, “let’s get out of these things,” he motioned to the skis still strapped to their legs. “It’s probably about time we start heading back to your camp, huh?”

“Right, yeah.” She sounded confused, but didn’t voice any of her jumbled thoughts. 

They packed the skis back on Dancer, climbed aboard and took off back in the direction of Holly’s camp, unaware of the blue figure sitting on a mountain ledge observing them with a wickedly sharp smile. 

(February 11th, evening)

“I need to talk to you.”

“We are talking.”

He snorted over his hot cider, sending the steam out over the rim of his cup, but his lips stayed downturned. Judy glanced worriedly at him as she sipped her own drink, sitting as she always did in the chair she’d claimed as hers in Bernard’s office.

He’d returned late from his ‘date’ the previous night, so they hadn’t had a chance until now to discuss it. But Bernard was determined to talk about Workshop progress and updates first. He’d been on edge the entire time, but Judy was patient. She knew he’d get there eventually, when he was ready. She was eager to hear about his evening rendezvous, the meetings with his human bringing him so much joy he almost seemed like a different person these days. Even so, she could tell her friend was troubled about something. Hopefully now, he’d finally confide in her what it was exactly that was bringing him so much turmoil. 

“I’ve been meeting with the human. I mean, of course I have. You know I have. What I mean is—“

“You went on a date with Holly the other night," she stated calmly.

“It wasn’t—I mean, that’s not—“ his ears went bright red, the silver sparkles of his cheeks standing out against his sudden ruddiness,”—I, I’m not, it wasn’t really a date! ”

One side of her mouth twitched up at his frantic stuttering. “Sure, it was. You made her a meal. You’re interested in each other. It was definitely a date.” 

“She’s a human.” His eyes widened as he spoke, avoiding looking directly at her. She wondered why he said that like it was something significant. She knew for a fact that he'd been with humans before; perhaps not for so extended a tryst, but still. They'd gossiped before about his past exploits. She didn't judge. 

“And you don’t care about that.” She shrugged. 

He looked so lost then, his mouth half open as he searched for something to say. “It’s just… I didn’t expect this, Judes.”

She snorted. Those sad puppy eyes of his were just too much sometimes. “It’s okay, Bernard! Humans can be very attractive. I’ve seen the Elfcon footage of her, she’s very pretty. I don’t blame you at all.” 

But he didn’t look comforted at her words. If anything, he seemed even more distressed, eyes frantically darting around the room. “It’s not just cause she’s pretty! She is, of course. But she’s a good person too—a great person! She’s so incredibly sweet and kind and smart and—“

“As you’ve said before, yes. She must be good company if you’re spending this much time with her.” Bernard never was the type to sate his desires on just anyone. He was the kind of elf who had to have his mind as stimulated as his... well. Anyways, it wasn't unusual for him to require his evening companions be entertaining in more ways than one. 

“She is! Yeah, of course she is,” he cried, frustration creeping into his voice, “but it’s not that either! She’s different—special. To me, I mean. She’s special to me.”

Judy looked puzzled now. “She’s special to you? What do you-“ she stopped abruptly, dawning realization on her face. Surely, he didn't mean...? But the look on his face was quite telling, those scared puppy eyes making a lot more sense suddenly. “Wait, you really like her, don’t you? Like, more than just for fun?”

Bernard finally made eye contact with the elf across from him, his shoulders hunched and his head tilted low. “I really do.”

They stared at each other for beat, silent communication hanging in the air. Judy’s eyebrows slowly raised to her hairline, disappearing altogether under her bangs as she realized just what Bernard was trying to say. 

“Bernard, she’s a human.” She echoed his words from before, the meaning completely different now that they were on the same page. 

“I know.” He sounded anguished and frustrated, hands tightening around his mug. 

“And you don’t care about that?” She was incredulous. This was the Head Elf here considering becoming seriously involved with a human? This wasn't like him, at all.

“I do care,” he insisted, eyes pleading with her for something. Understanding, maybe? But she just couldn't.  

“She’s an adult, Bernard! She has no idea what you are! She’s probably racking her brain right now trying to come up with a million excuses for why you’re like this. She can’t believe.” She leaned forward, willing him to hear her words and retrieve his mind from wherever he'd lost it. 

“She could, maybe… It’s happened before!” he cried, shoulders hunched defensively. 

“Maybe, but not for sure!" she argued. "And what happens if she just can’t? Are you going to live your life with someone who doesn’t know who you are— what you are?”

He sighed, his brows pinched.

Judy blinked rapidly in disbelief at his lack of response. He just wasn’t getting it, was he? “She has a human life, Bernard. Friends, family, a career! She can’t just drop all of that and stay here in the North Pole, and you sure as gingerbread can’t go be with her in the human world!”

“She doesn't have any friends or family." He shook his head. "I mean, she does, but they aren’t exactly close, so I don’t know, we could maybe—“

Fine. She was going to have to be direct here. “She’s going to die, Bernard. If not now, then definitely in less than a hundred years. Please, don’t do this to yourself…” she pleaded, wishing with all her heart for him to see reason. 

Said heart broke as she watched his lips tremble, a deep pain dimming his eyes. 

“I can’t help it. She’s already—” he took a shaky breath, composing himself, “so important to me.”

Judy sighed, her frustration and fear morphing into something more sympathetic and soft. “Maybe you should pull out. Stop seeing her," she suggested. "Honestly? Your magic is probably dazzling her—making her think she’s infatuated with you too. That’s certainly not helping things.”

But he was already shaking his head. “No, no, I can’t. It’s, no, it’s not like that. She isn’t dazzled, she’s—“ he paused, looking agitated, “no, she’s not.”

Judy shook her own head, pity painting her face. “Oh, Bernard.” 

“She likes me for who I am.”

Judy didn’t reply. 

“She does! We’re friends—we talk, we laugh! She’s not just some mindless simpleton who’s impressed by some magic tricks.”

“I don’t know her, so I can’t say for sure, but humans are humans, after all…” She hated seeing him like this. Maybe she should have seen this coming? But he'd never been the type to get attached before, ever. It was just so strange for him. 

“I’m bringing her to the Valentine's Day party. Come meet her, please,” he implored, eyes big and pleading, “you can see for yourself!” 

Judy gaped at him. “You what? You can’t just—“

“After the party is over, I mean. I’m bringing her once everyone else has gone home for the night. You know no one sticks around long at Valentine's.” He cleared his throat uneasily. “You’re the one who told me to bring someone in the first place.”

“I thought it was just a bit of fun you were having! Bedding her to blow off steam or something, I don’t know! I didn’t think it was this serious," she tutted, taking a sip of her cocoa.

“I haven’t bedded her.” 

Judy sputtered into her drink, coughing for a minute as she stared at him, baffled. She regained her composure enough to ask, “You haven't?”

“No. We haven’t even kissed." The dark red bleeding into his cheeks was fascinating to watch. He was really getting this flustered over a human? "We just enjoy spending time together—look, will you please come meet her? Belle, too? You both are so important to me.”

“And she’s important to you too, now.” Judy sounded somber, but her face was more open than it had been, although exasperation hung heavy in her eyes. “I really wish you’d just find some nice elf man or woman to settle down with. What about Roger? You seemed like you liked him.”

“He was fine. Great in bed. I don’t know, we just didn’t hit it off. He wasn’t the most interesting conversationalist,” he mumbled, thinking about Roger’s many rants about his coworkers and their dramas, unaware that Roger himself was often at the center of the drama. “Holly’s different. She’s so unlike anyone I’ve ever met. And I know this is dumb and such a bad idea, but," he paused, swallowing nervously before locking eyes with her, "my heart is really set on this. My magic is all in, too. I can’t stop thinking about her. It’s like my entire being is telling me it’s her. She’s the one. You know how big a deal that is, Judes, my heart is telling me this is it. It’s never steered me wrong before. I can’t just ignore it… I have to see where this goes.” 

Judy sat dumbfounded before him, her eyes wide at his declaration. “Your heart ? Are you sure?”

“More than I’ve ever been, yeah.” He was breathless waiting for her verdict. 

“Holy Night." She was dumbfounded. "Holy Night! Bernard!”

“I know.”

Elves weren’t so different from humans in how they chose life partners. Some pairs were arranged by families, although that particular practice wasn’t as common in the North Pole anymore. Many got together due to convenience. No one wanted to be lonely, after all. And then some became partners because they simply fell in love. Humans were much the same. Elves who found love were celebrated, though. It was a wonderfully special thing that they were more in tune with than humans; which was probably because of how much it helped with fertility. 

Elves were long lived, but the natural flip side to that longevity was the incredibly low birth rate of baby elves. It was a rare thing—in fact, in all the time that Santa’s Village had been established, only two elf babies had been born there at the North Pole. Betty and Noel. Their births were joyous occasions, the little elflings doted upon by everyone that lived there. Betty may have been orphaned at a young age, but the community happily took care of her. Elflings were precious. 

Partners who were truly in love were more likely to have elflings. It wasn’t a complete necessity, but it definitely helped. Love was a kind of magic itself that helped with the act of creation. Love kept their species alive and strong. 

Of course, love wasn’t just a magic for making babies. Judy and Belle were deeply in love after all, but there were no elflings in their future obviously. 

Any kind of love was powerful and special to their species. When an elf’s heart, something magical and sacred, told them to go for someone, it was significant. When that happened, magic was already sparking to life, and love was surely on the horizon. Heart was, well, the heart of Christmas spirit and magic everywhere. It was paramount for belief and wonder, an objective force for good in the world. Every elf could respect that. 

“Silver Bells!” She started to smile, now fully understanding her friend’s dilemma. 

“I know!” He tentatively matched her smile with his own. “She’s a human!”

Judy laughed, her eyes crinkling as they came full circle. “She’s a human,” she nodded. “but she’s your human.” 

“It’s such a bad idea!” His hand came up to rub tiredly at his forehead. 

“Too late now," she snickered. "You should have thought about all this before you let yourself bond so deeply with her!”

“It happened so slow, at first. I don’t know what happened. It just suddenly hit me out of nowhere!” 

She huffed into her hot cocoa. “Sounds like the beginnings of love, alright.” She sighed, a fond look of exasperation on her face. “Of course, after millennia of nothing, not even a hint of a heart bond with anyone, you’d suddenly be set on a human. You just can’t help creating more work for yourself, can you?”

He snorted. “So, will you meet her?” 

“Of course I will. Belle and I will stick around to meet your little partner-to-be,” she teased, grin wide and gleaming. 

“Hey, maybe partner-to-be, okay? It’s still her choice. If she’s not dazzled, that is.” The space between his brows crinkled again. “I really don’t think she is, though. I hope not. Will you tell me if you think she is when you meet her?”

“Of course, my friend.”

“Thanks, Judes.”

Chapter Text

(February 14th, morning)

“I just don’t understand it! The names are all there now. The gears are turning smoothly. So why do they keep fading?” Curtis exclaimed, his short arms waving above his head in utter exasperation. 

He and Quintin had spent quite a lot of time together the last couple days. The short elf’s general expertise on all things mechanical had indeed helped to get the naughty/nice machine back into working order. 

Well, almost. 

While all the names were now being printed, they were fading shortly afterwards to a dull gray color. 

Quintin’s initial idea was to have this machine do more than just print the names. After all, the elves already had the ability to do that, and had been doing it for hundreds of years. Granted, usually Santa was there to help curate the list, since technically he was the one who knew exactly who should be on it. But with more children believing as the years went on, the list had grown to be more than just Santa’s duty. 

The elves were the ones who primarily wrote up the list, leaving Santa open to add any names that might have been missed or strike out names that no longer belonged on it. And also to do the most difficult part of all—marking who was naughty or nice. 

But Quintin had hoped, with an absent Santa, his machine may also take over some of that work as well. It was supposed to print the list in green and red. Names of children who had been naughty, according to their Elf on the Shelf, would have their names printed in red. Names for nice children would be printed in green. It wasn’t necessarily foolproof, Santa would still need to check it—twice, of course, but it would at least give Core Productions a good idea of which children they should be fine to start toy production for and which children’s requests were low priority since they’d probably not be receiving presents that year anyways. 

Every year, they had an excess of toys put in storage, having made them just in case children weren’t naughty. This machine was supposed to help lighten their load so they wouldn’t spend part of the year making toys that no one would receive. 

But the names were all gray. 

“Quite the conundrum, innit? But I’m sure we’ll figure it out eventually!”

Quintin wasn’t easily discouraged. 

He was such a chipper and charming elf, his jolly face and posh manner unexpectedly and irresistibly endearing to Curtis. He found himself unable to help the surge of red in his cheeks as Quintin gave the shorter elf a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder. They stood together in front of the R&D Head’s chalkboard, looking over equations for anything they may be missing. They’d both agreed that with the Valentines party later that evening, neither one wanted to get too dirty with hands on work that day. They’d been brainstorming for the past hour, though, and no real progress had been made. 

Curtis still had rounds to get to. He’d need to leave R&D soon to do his actual job, but he was remiss to leave the taller elf and his infectious optimism. 

He sighed as he checked his pocket watch, shuffling over to the stack of folders he’d set aside on Quintin’s desk that morning when he’d first arrived. “Well, if there is a solution, I’m not seeing it right now. I have to get to work anyways, so-”

“Oh, are you leaving already then?” Quintin looked over at him then. 

“Yeah, uh, sorry, I just need to do rounds." Curtis shuffled his feet, reluctantly moving away from the other elf. "The Head Elf needs me to take over more duties since he’s dealing with that human.”

“He’s an admirable elf, that’s for sure!” Quintin quipped.

Curtis felt a nasty emotion bubble up at that, but couldn’t quite put a name to it. He pushed it down, after all, he agreed with the sentiment. 

“He is! Bernard is an amazing Head Elf. I hope I can get to his level one day.”

“Well, I’ve no doubt of that.” Quintin cleared his throat and tucked his arms behind his back, lifting his chin as he took a breath. But then he paused, looking unsure. Curtis blinked at the uncharacteristic hesitation from the taller elf. After a moment, Quintin seemed to find his words and faced Curtis with an open, hopeful expression. 

“I have a question for you, before you go. If you’ve the time, that is. I don’t want to keep you.”

“No, no, go ahead! What is it?” Curtis shook his head, probably a little too enthusiastically since his cap was now slightly skewed from the motion.

“I had wondered if you might like to meet up with me at the party later.” The taller elf's face was just as jolly, but were his cheeks a little more rosy now? Curtis blinked, sure that the usual rouge was darker now. And was it suddenly harder to breath? Curtis' own face felt a bit tingly and that buzzing sensation soon spread to the tips of his ears as well. 

“Um, wow,” he stuttered, “yes!” He gasped at hearing his own voice echo through the room, but the elves working around them paid it no mind, his shout ultimately drowned out by the ambient roar of the always busy, always chaotic R&D Department. “I mean, um. Yes. That sounds like fun.”

Quintin’s eyes were sparkling in joy, his shoulders shimmying in excitement. “Excellent! I’m so looking forward to it.”

“Me too,” Curtis’ heart felt as though it were trying to start up a symphony, his entire chest filling with warm buzzing, “I’ll see you then.”

“Til then.” Quintin nodded, turning back to his board. 

Curtis turned on his heel and walked dazedly out into the main hallway. Well, that was unexpected. And very, very exciting! A shiver ran up his back thinking about the night to come. 

A blue figure was leaned up against the wall a few paces down, watching the elves scurry past with their bits and bobbles, a tiny smirk on his frosty lips. 

“Hello, Jack.” Curtis said with a slight smile, his eyes half lidded and unfocused. 

“Hey there, little guy. What’s with the dopey smile?”

“Hm?” Curtis stopped in his tracks, shaking his head a little to clear it. “Oh, it’s nothing, um. I’ve just been trying to solve this naughty/nice data compiling machine issue with Quintin lately. We’re kind of stuck at the moment.”

“Ah, I see! Well, that Quintin will figure it out, I’m sure. He’s a pretty smart guy, don’t you think?”

“Uh, yeah, sure. He is,” Curtis’ face twisted into a frown. “Y’know, that machine wasn’t even printing all the names before I started working on it.”

“Right, right. But that Quintin! He built the whole thing, didn’t he? Quite impressive.” An icy finger came up to frame his pointed chin as he spoke, exaggerated admiration shining in his eyes. 

“I mean, yeah,” Curtis mumbled, “it is. He is.”

“I’ve even heard Ol’ Bernie say how much he values Quintin. I think he might be considering giving him another promotion!” Jack put his palm up to shield one side of his face as he half whispered, eyes wide and mouth pulled into a scandalous smirk. 

Curtis gaped at the winter spirit. “But there isn’t anything more to promote him to! The only other positions above a Department Head are the Head Elf himself, the Core Productions Assistant, and-" he lost steam as he finished his sentence, the last words falling into a confused murmur, "the Number Two Elf…” 

“That’s interesting, then, isn’t it? Bernie probably isn’t gonna just let Quintin have his own job, that’d be silly. And of course, you’re the Core Productions Assistant, right? But then—” Jack cut himself off with a loud gasp, “that would mean…“ His expression took on an exaggerated look of pity as he looked at the blonde elf standing stiffly before him. 

“Why would he make Quintin his Number Two? I’m the one who’s been working my sugar plums off to keep Core Productions on track here!” Curtis cried. 

“Well, maybe you just aren’t quite up to snuff, as they say. You really could have shined before with that whole reindeer fiasco, but you hesitated, didn’t you? Not exactly Number Two level leadership. Honestly, I don’t blame Bernie for preferring Quintin and," he inclined his head, brows rising significantly, "that human…”

Curtis’ head hung low, but his ears perked at the mention of the human, peering up at Jack under his blonde bangs with defiant eyes. “He doesn’t prefer the human. He has to babysit her so she stays out of trouble.” A pout pulled insistently at the little elf's lip. 

“Well, that’s not what it looked like to me.” One hand delicately covered where the legend's cold heart should be as he spoke; he glanced slyly at Curtis from the corner of his eye as he turned his head, spiked hair scraping the wall behind him. 

Curtis winced at the sound. “What? What did what look like?”

“Their little date, of course! It was only a few days ago, remember? You were dealing with all those pesky supply inspections and all the while, our Head Elf was making a five star meal for his new human sweetheart.” Jack gestured wildly to punctuate his words, full dramatic persona on display. 

Curtis blinked, brows dropping in disbelief. “Huh? No, that’s not true. You must be mistaken. Bernard practically lives in the Workshop.”

“Maybe before, sure. But these days he’s spending an awful lot of his time with her, isn’t he? Surely an adult woman doesn’t need so much handling.” Jack replied, head tilting with shrugged shoulders. 

“It’s,” the elf paused, looking uncertain, “it’s, no, that can’t be right. This is Bernard we’re talking about, here. He wouldn’t be neglecting his duties just to get all gooey with some human.”

“Hey, I saw what I saw,” Jack defended, arms raised in mock surrender. “And they looked pretty cozy with their little picnic up on a snowy mountain peak. Looking at stars and holding hands. It was such an adorable little scene, really. They even skied down the mountain together at the end. I must say, they certainly make a cute couple.”

Curtis was baffled as he listened to his icy companion spin such a sickly sweet tale. But no, Bernard just wasn’t the type to do something like this. Jack might as well have told him the Head Elf had danced naked in the Village square with fireworks and nipple tassels. He just couldn’t believe it. 

“You’re mistaken, Jack. I’m not sure what you saw, but there’s probably a perfectly reasonable explanation for it.” Curtis stepped back, straightening his jacket as he shot a cool look at the blue figure still leaned against the wall. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, there’s much to do before the party tonight.” 

With a final curt nod, the little elf took off at a brisk pace towards the main Workshop floor. 

As Jack watched, though, Curtis’ shoulders started winding up tighter and tighter until they were level with his pointed ears. 

A sharp smile split his face at the sight. 

This was sort of an odd place for the Valentine’s Day party. 

For some reason, Judy had insisted on having it set up in the old district of Stellaris, near a big frozen lake. Santa’s Village, or Elfsburg as it was coming to be known as, was huge really. It had several districts and was still growing. The open cave where everything was hidden made for decent cover, the magical barrier taking care of the rest, but Stellaris was actually more toward the north side of the Village, where the cave opened up into the flatlands. Snow didn’t often fall in Downtown Nord since it was so far back into the caves, but here snowflakes floated gently on the breeze. 

Curtis could see the cute little brick and stone houses that dotted the path leading back to the heart of Santa’s Village, Bernard’s own cottage set quite a ways away from the others. The last house on SC Lane. If it were Curtis, he’d get lonely out there by himself, but then again Bernard did always seem like an elf who enjoyed his privacy. 

A lush green pine forest hid the path from the frozen lake to the rest of the Village, the snowflakes blowing in from the tundra giving their tops a dusting of sparkling snow. It was lovely out here. Remote. 

Okay, maybe he sort of understood why Judy wanted the party here. 

Elves weren’t exactly shy about relationships, physical or otherwise. Religion created a strangely prudish culture in the human world, but elves didn’t have that issue. Love was love and it was often celebrated for the magical gift it was. 

Still, who wouldn’t want to sneak off with a sweetheart for some extra cozy alone time? 

Between the pine forest, the many comfortable kotatsu pits Judy had set up around the party site, and the reserved cottages for rent near the Old Workshop, there were plenty of places for couples to sneak away to. 

A flash of blonde curls and a jolly smile passed through his mind, and he gulped. He wondered if Quintin would want to go somewhere more private as well. 

They were supposed to meet up at the party, but they rarely got to engage in quiet conversation with just the two of them. R&D had a very frenzied vibe that just wasn’t conducive to that sort of thing. It might be nice to settle in to a warm kotatsu and pick the taller elf’s mind in a more leisurely way. 

People were starting to arrive now in pairs or sometimes throuples or groups, gawking at the extravagant gold and red decorations. The spread of sweets and pastries on the long table was conspicuously missing red icing, but everyone knew why that was. 

And there was the reason now. 

Noel was working alongside a team of 4 other elves who had been attending Judy’s drink making classes, including her assistant Abby. They were busy perfecting the presentation for their drinks bar, mix ins for the cider on one side and hot cocoa toppings on the other. Each Spirit elf pupil was setting up their poster with their signature recipe behind the bar. They were just suggestions, but some of them were quite imaginative and sounded absolutely delicious. 

Noel’s own recipe was an interesting twist on a cinnamon hot cocoa: double choco pump, one vanilla pod, and goat’s cream with Vietnamese cinnamon sprinkled on top. Curtis found himself eager to try it. 

“I’m not so sure about the goat’s cream, but I’ll try anything once!”

Curtis started at the loud proclamation coming from just behind him. He whirled around and there was the object of his earlier musings. 

Quintin was dressed up in a bright red petticoat with gold buttons and dark slacks. His head was bare for once, his usual pointed hat left at home. Curtis blinked in wonder at the loose blonde curls that tumbled over the taller elf’s shoulders and down his back. 

He tugged at his own green gákti, straightening the golden adornments on his high collar. He had his luhkka draped over his arm, not yet cold enough to justify having it on. It was his most special outfit, preserved from his home village. But admittedly, it was an odd ensemble for a Valentine's party, especially for those who don’t know what it is. 

But elves here at the North Pole came from all over, their ideas of traditional formal wear varying greatly from one another. Still, he couldn’t help but feel a bit uncomfortable with the taller elf looking so polished and put together before him. But Quintin seemed to be very impressed with his outfit actually, giving Curtis a long slow look up and down with half lidded eyes and his signature jolly grin. Curtis tugged at his collar once again, feeling heated. 

“My, but you do look spiffing this evening, my dear. Quite handsome.”

Curtis felt his mouth drop at the bold compliment and even bolder endearment. His mind went fuzzy for a moment and the next thing he knew, he was being led over to the lake, Quintin babbling about skating some before grabbing some cocoa later and settling down at a kotatsu and didn’t that sound nice, Curtis? They hardly ever got to speak privately like this, did they?

He could hardly think. But one thought was echoing in his mind quite clearly. 

Once Quintin paused in his speech, Curtis took the opportunity to blurt out, “You look nice too, Quintin! Very handsome, yourself,” his voice cracking embarrassingly on the last word. But Quintin didn't seem to mind at all, shooting a cheeky grin back at the shorter elf, hand still clutched around Curtis’ as they raced to the skating hut together. 

Betty felt a swell of pride fill her chest as people flocked to Noel’s poster, taking careful note of the directions to assemble his recipe. Noel himself was standing with the other students presenting their recipes a little ways from the bar, Judy giving them all a quick word of congratulations for a job well done. 

He was positively glowing. 

Betty knew how hard he’d been working lately to focus his Christmas spirit on more productive ventures. It certainly wasn’t easy for someone like Noel. Focusing simply wasn’t in his nature. But Judy was very well versed in reigning in excitable elves who are easily distracted. Her teachings had been paramount to Noel’s new direction in life. She was kind and patient and completely delighted by Noel’s antics. 

Betty could tell how happy this all made her sweetheart. And she in turn was happy for him. 

“He should be proud. The bar’s a real hit,” Bernard remarked from her side. 

“He is,” she smiled, “and I am, too. I know he felt so lost before working in that ice cream shop. It’s an amazing new opportunity to get to work in the Spirit Department, but Judy herself taking him under her wing? It’s a dream come true.” 

Bernard hummed, a content smile on his face as they both watched Judy warmly pat Noel on the arm. Judy stepped back, clapping her hands once before stretching her arms out wide by her sides and bowing forward slightly. The students broke out of their attentive stances, each one smiling wide before taking off in different directions. Noel came running over to Betty and Bernard, giving the latter a quick grin before wrapping the former in a big hug and spinning around. Betty laughed, her arms coming up to circle Noel’s neck. 

Bernard’s eyes rolled at their antics, lips twitching up in amusement. He turned away from the amorous couple to continue watching Judy direct Spirit elves with a pensive expression. 

“What’s with him?” He heard Noel whisper. 

“He’s melancholy because he’s infatuated with someone,” Betty explained.

“But that’s a good thing, isn’t it, Jellybean?” Noel questioned.

“Bernard is complicating it somehow, Honeybun. He’s either denying his own feelings still, embarrassed of the person he’s infatuated with, or has been rejected by them already. I’m not yet sure which it is.” 

“Ohhhh…”

Bernard groaned.

“Betty, what did I say about my love life?” He turned back to look at his protegee and her beau.

“I’m staying out of it, as discussed. I’m just bringing Noel up to speed,” Betty said evenly, face incredibly serious. 

He groaned again, his hand coming up to rub frustratedly at his eyes. “Okay, well, I’d really appreciate it if this all stayed between us, alright? Don’t tell anyone else.”

“It’s just Noel, I tell him everything anyways. But of course, I won’t tell anyone else.”

Noel’s loud chirp of “I won’t say anything about your secret lover either, promise!” rang out across the bar.  Several elves paused in their drink creation to stare up at the trio. 

Bernard’s head dropped into his hands with another, more exasperated groan. 

Curtis and Quintin had skated circles around each other for over an hour, twin smiles glimmering in the moonlight. The party floodlights had begun to dim, the candles Judy had strategically placed around the area giving everything a warm and cozy glow. The only illumination on the ice, however, were the moon and stars shining in through the magical barrier. 

Many elf couples were lazily skating along the lake, their hands locked and a quiet buzz of chatter hanging over their heads. 

The two blonde elves had grasped hands many times now, coming together and skating apart in a complicated dance that clearly broadcast their feelings for all to see. Curtis was still trying to wrap his head around it. Quintin—gorgeous, smart, always chipper Quintin—had called him handsome. Had called him ‘my dear ’. Had very obviously been flirting with him for days now, maybe weeks. He supposed he had been flirting back, really. 

But Curtis had never done this before. Had never been like this with someone before, and he didn’t think Quintin had either. So maybe they would figure this out together, then? 

Oh, this was all so very new and exciting! 

They slid off the ice and removed their skates, returning them to the hut before heading to the drinks bar. Once they had their cocoas, hot and steaming, they found a kotatsu situated on a thick woven rug in a snow divot near the pine forest. Lots of elves were walking past on their way to and from the party, but they paid the couple no mind as they settled down to enjoy their chocolatey beverages. 

“Mm! Well! I must say,” Quintin began, a white mustache hanging on his lip, “goat’s cream isn’t half bad with chocolate. It adds a sort of funky-fruity twist, don’t you think?”

Curtis giggled and, feeling bold himself, reached up to swipe the cream from Quintin’s lip with his thumb. His palm lingered on the other elf’s cheek and they shared a tender look with each other. He let his hand drop after a moment, turning back towards the table and burying his free hand under the table while the other gripped his mug. 

“I have to agree! Noel’s got some good instincts for this sort of thing.” 

A distant shout caught their attention. 

Curtis watched as Judy ran around, staying on top of the bar refills and coordinating with her team to start offering carriage rides to the rental cottages. She was like a machine. Bernard was standing next to her, his teeth worrying his lip as he murmured something to the Spirit Head. She whispered something back, her hands gripping the Head Elf’s shoulders briefly. Bernard nodded and stood back up straight, his feet shuffling in the snow and his eyes darting around nervously. Judy gave him a reassuring smile before waving her hand at him dismissively and going to talk to the carriage driver. 

Bernard watched her go, then turned towards the lake and started walking around it. 

“I wonder what that’s about,” Curtis mused aloud. 

Quintin sipped his cocoa and followed his gaze, watching the Head Elf circle around the large frozen lake and start heading towards his house at the end of the lane. 

Curtis blinked. “He’s going home already?”

“Oh, is that his house?”

Curtis nodded. 

“Suppose he’s had enough of all this mushy gushy stuff, then,” Quintin offered. 

“Yeah, I guess.” Bernard was soon too far away to keep track of, the light snow making the house in the distance hazy. “I can’t believe he didn’t bring someone, honestly. I know there’s plenty of elves who are interested.”

“I hope you aren’t speaking of yourself.” Quintin cut his eyes over at his companion, taking another sip to make his question seem more casual. 

“Of course not! Bernard’s good looking, but he’s not my type at all,” he scoffed. “He’s more like a brother or a weird uncle.”

“…or your boss?”

Curtis’ cheeks dusted pink at the reminder that Bernard really was just his boss. 

“Well, yes. But I don’t know. I look up to him, is all. He can be a tyrant, but you have to admit he’s got some impressive skills.”

“Of course. He’s the most powerful elf in Elfsburg, possibly the world. He’s quite admirable, indeed.” 

Now it was Curtis who was watching his counterpart suspiciously, mouth downturned and brow slightly furrowed. “You’re not—“

“No, of course not, you silly thing.” Quintin’s fingers tangled in Curtis’ own under the futon, a twinkle in his eye. “It’s as you say—not my type.” 

They giggled and shuffled closer, heads coming together as they settled in. Quiet conversation clouded the air as they cuddled up, unaware of the winter spirit looming just past the tree line sending a swirl of icy frost out into the night. 

Bernard pushed the back door of his house open and leaped outside. He’d changed out of his work clothes into a more dressy outfit and hat. He hadn’t worn either in hundreds of years, but they still fit perfectly and cut his figure rather handsomely, he thought. 

He wanted tonight to be perfect. 

His snowmobile was ready and waiting for him, hidden from anyone at the lake who may see past the hazy white snow, which he had to admit was unlikely. It was fortunate weather really. Just enough cover to smuggle Holly in, but not so heavy that he’d worry about having her out in these conditions. He had to remind himself often that humans were fragile. Not as fragile as he expected, though; Holly kept up with him extremely well actually.

But still, he didn’t want to push it. The thought of her getting hurt, especially on his watch, squeezed his heart uncomfortably. 

He told her to stay up late tonight so they could sneak in once Judy had hauled most of the elves to the rentals. He was supposed to bring Holly back here to his house, then wait while Judy supervised any remaining partygoers. She would let them know when the coast was clear. 

Poor Holly was probably chugging coffee to keep awake. Hopefully she wouldn’t be too tired to enjoy the evening. 

A silly smile crossed his face as he thought of the dramatic little human and the complaints he would surely be subjected to about the late hour. Of course, she didn’t really mind. He knew that. And she knew he knew that. But the playful teasing they shared was the bread and butter of their relationship, a comfortable dance they’d begun all those weeks ago when they’d first met at her temp camp after that snowstorm. One that they both thoroughly enjoyed. 

He started up the snowmobile and headed out towards the barrier into the tundra. Holly would be so disappointed that he wasn’t bringing Dancer, but he needed to keep a low profile tonight. She’d understand. 

She was definitely going to give him a hard time about it, though. 

He couldn’t wait.

Chapter Text

Bernard hadn’t even dismounted from his snowmobile before Holly had run up and exclaimed, “Where’s Tiny Dancer?” with an absolutely devastated look on her face. 

He snickered at her theatrics, turning off the snowmobile and standing up in one fluid motion. “She’s not coming tonight. We’re trying to keep a low profile, remember?”

She froze at the reminder. “Are you sure this is okay? I don’t want to get you in trouble,” she asked meekly, teeth lightly biting down on her lip as she looked up at him. His regular green cloak looked somewhat bulky today, the hood pulled up and over his head. Maybe he was wearing something different for the party? She tried not to feel self conscious about the usual old puff coat she was wearing.

“It’s fine, really. What the others don’t know won’t hurt ‘em," he said, hand waving dismissively at her. "You aren’t gonna see anything too major anyways, so it’s not even technically against protocol. This way I’m saving us a lot of paperwork and headaches.”

She still looked unsure, eyes squinting at his flippant explanation.

He scoffed. “It’s fine! I promise. Quit worrying about it, alright?”

“It’s just a little unlike you to go against ‘protocol’, Saint Bernard.” She lifted her hands and air quoted as she spoke, a teasing smirk directed at the man before her. 

“Hey, c’mon!" he cried, his hands gesturing wildly. "You know I’m all about schedules, not protocols. I swear, it’s like you don’t even know me!”  A startled laugh escaped her as he suddenly pointed a finger in her face. “As long as the job gets done, then I don’t care. When you’re in charge, you gotta learn to compromise some things, Holly Jolly!” 

“Just not the schedule, though,” she returned, a wry twist to her lips. 

“Precisely!” He jutted his finger at her once more, and Holly giggled again at his theatrics. 

“Okay, okay, I get it! Sheesh.” She brushed his finger to the side and stepped into his open arms. He wrapped her up in a hug, chuckling as she nuzzled into his scarf. “So did you account for this little spat in the schedule too, then?” she asked. 

“Well…”

“You nut.”

Bernard laughed as he squeezed her once before letting go and stepping away. The scent of pine and nutmeg trailed after him. 

“Alright, so here’s the rundown. We’re gonna head out towards the party, then stop in at my house and eat dinner while we wait to hear from Judy. She’ll let us know when we can come out to the lake. We’ll meet up with her and Belle, do some skating, have some drinks—it’ll be fun.” 

Holly's mouth fell open as she listened and her hands suddenly shot up to stop him continuing. “Hold up, pause. Your house? You have a house here?”

“Yeah," he subtly winced, half hoping she wouldn't have questioned it. But no, of course she would. "Did I not mention that?”

“Uh, no, you didn’t.” She sputtered, eyes wide and disbelieving. “What the hell do you mean you have a house here? Like a ‘house’ house?”

“I told you, I’ve been working here practically my whole life—a lot of us have. We don’t all just live at work. We have houses we stay in.” He shrugged, trying to stay nonchalant about it. 

“So... it’s like a village then?” Her head tilted as she took in this new information.

“Yes!" he exclaimed, finger rising again to point at her. "It’s precisely like a village.”

Her head started getting foggy again. This was all so confusing, really. He was acting like it was no big deal to drop such a huge revelation on her out of nowhere. Then again, he did that a lot, didn't he? He'd say something outrageous then act like it was normal. And usually she just accepted it. Why did she do that, though? She shook off her muddled musings, coming back to the present. “But how? Wouldn’t someone somewhere have noted that there’s a village all the way up here? I mean, surely you would see it by plane if you flew over, or picked it up on radar or something, right?”

“No, not really. We have ways of concealing our presence up here. You’ll see.” He shuffled his feet, avoiding her eyes as he fiddled with something in the snowmobile. Clearly he was eager to drop the subject. Which she would—for now at least. But questions were starting to pile up in her mind more and more.

“Man, Morozko is crazy serious about their privacy, huh? I feel kind of lucky I get to know about any of this, let alone see it!” 

The smile on his face was warm and wide as he turned back to her. “It’s definitely not common to let outsiders in, that’s for sure. But I trust you.”

There was a fluttering in her chest as her heart swelled. Morozko's weird little village was an unexpected bomb drop, but she was thankful he'd felt comfortable enough to tell her about it. Sharing still didn't come easily to him, but he was trying so hard. She returned his smile, resolving to never break the trust he’d so effusively placed in her. 

He turned back towards the snowmobile and waved his hand out wide in an elegant bow. “Well, then! Your chariot, miss?”

She snorted and brushed past him, eyes rolling. “Yeah, yeah. You might be prince charming, but I’m certainly no princess!” 

“Nah, definitely not.”

“Hey!”

They had been riding quite a while now, Bernard seated in front of her driving the snowmobile expertly through the tundra. The landscape on the way there had mostly been the same white flatlands she’d seen for weeks now. Now however, they were starting to pass larger chunks of ice and snow drifts that created a maze of trails that twisted and turned. She had a hard time keeping track of where they’d been and where they were going. 

A flash of green caught Holly’s eye as they sped past jagged icy towers. “What is that?”

“Huh?” Bernard turned his head to look in the same direction. “Oh! A hot spring.”

“There’s a hot spring up here too?! Okay, I’m actually mad you didn’t tell me about that. I’ve been wiping off with cold rags for weeks.”

He chuckled. “Sorry, that’s definitely not low profile. Maybe someday, though!”

She sighed wistfully. “Yeah, maybe.”

They turned a corner and were met with a shimmering ice wall that glowed pink, no green, no… blue?—different colors. Like the northern lights. It pulsated a color she’d never seen before and an energy buzzed deep in Holly’s head. Her mind filled with uncomfortable static, and her stomach clenched as her fight or flight instincts were triggered. The feeling was abruptly overwhelming. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, forehead pressing against Bernard’s back as she struggled to stay composed. 

“Hey, you okay?” His voice was cautious and solemn. 

“Yeah… I-I don’t know.” She breathed in again, deep and trembling. “I can’t think… I’m, I-I can’t…” She leaned back and blinked hard, opening her eyes to see that they’d stopped right in front of the wall. 

A huge mountainous cavern was before them, its entrance stretching far to the right and left beyond the horizon. She couldn’t tell how big the opening was exactly—it seemed to go for miles and miles. The ice wall was sealed over the mouth of the cavern, translucent but distorting what was inside it. Whatever was there, though, was colorful and vast. 

The Village, she thought. It must be. 

But it didn’t look as dark in there as she thought it should. It was lit up and cozy, almost like daylight. But that much light couldn’t just be from floodlights and houses. It was almost like the ice barrier itself lit up the space, casting its oppressive buzzing color onto everything. She couldn’t make sense of any of this. 

“Bernard, what is that?” she whimpered. 

Her hands twisted into his green cloak and her breathing sped up as she stared at the frozen wall. She felt uncomfortably seen, like she was being watched and judged. But not by Bernard, no. By it— that thing, and its looming color shining on her face, challenging her to either comprehend it or turn back now. 

She gulped. 

“It’s how we keep our privacy,” he replied. “One of the ways, at least. It’s a barrier.” He turned his body to grasp her hands in his. “It’s okay, Holly. Everything’s fine.”

“I don’t feel fine.”

“It’s just checking you out. Making sure you aren’t a threat. The barrier won’t let people in who aren’t meant to be here.”

“But I’m not meant to be here!” Her breaths were coming out shallow and rapid. 

He tucked a loose strand of her hair back under her hood, something heavy and pensive glimmering in his dark eyes. “Maybe you are, though.” 

Her brows pinched at his cryptic response, but before she could formulate a reply, there was another deep pulse. Bernard’s mouth fell open, his breathing uneven as he turned back to the barrier. 

An archway had suddenly appeared in the ice wall, grandly carved images of polar bears in the frame. He huffed a short laugh, a wide smile splitting his handsome face and pure joy in his eyes. 

“Okay!” He cleared his throat, visibly composing himself. “Huh, wow. Okay, so we’re good!”

“We are?” she wheezed.

“Yeah,” he nodded emphatically, “we’re fine.” The significant look he sent towards the barrier was lost on her. “We can go in.”

She didn’t understand what had happened but Bernard seemed to think it was quite remarkable. At least one of them was happy, she supposed.  Her heart just wouldn't steady, no matter how many slow breaths she took.

The polar bear carvings on the entrance frame were incredibly detailed. Every scene had two bears in it, cuddling or playing in a variety of ways. Whatever technology Morozko used to create this barrier was obviously very advanced, but it was also unbelievably beautiful. 

She knew they were the best of the best, but this was a whole other level. She tried not to feel too intimidated by it all, but really, this thing was unlike any normal method of containment she'd ever seen. 

As they crossed the threshold, she noticed the amount of snow falling dropped drastically. They were inside the cavern now, so this made sense of course. She looked up to see the barrier stretching inside the confines of the cavern. The rocky ceiling was extremely high up, she could tell that much. But the frosty mist that hung in the air blocked her view too much to tell just how high it went. A snowflake landed on the tip of her nose and she noticed that some snow was blowing in through the ice barrier from the outside. She quickly looked away and tried not to stress about the logistics of that particular phenomenon. 

She trusted Bernard. His world was strange, but so was he. That didn’t mean he wasn’t also amazing. 

All of this was giving her a headache, but she would just have to put it out of her mind for now, and focus on him. She was here to have a good time with her—uh, well, her whatever-he-was. 

They hadn’t exactly established that they were in a relationship, but they were definitely more than friends now. He wasn’t her boyfriend. That label didn’t feel quite right even if they were dating. Not quite a significant other—more like close friends. Very, very close friends. Who enjoyed hugging each other. And also holding hands. And she wouldn’t mind a kiss, honestly. 

She swallowed at that thought, and buried her face against his back again. She felt him turn briefly to look at her before focusing on driving once more. “Almost there,” he murmured. 

She felt them stop again and looked up. A huge two story cottage stood tall against the white backdrop. She dismounted the snowmobile and backed up to get a better look. The foundation was stone, with wood making up the majority of the house. It had a small staircase leading up to an oaken back door, stained dark and glossy. The windows were lovely and grand, overhangs decorated with evergreen branches. The roof was topped with red tiles, lightly sparkling with a thin dusting of snow. It looked like an incredibly old house, but the exact style wasn’t something she could quite put her finger on. 

Several short blue spruce trees were growing along the house, various lights and decorations hanging from their branches. 

She walked up to one at the end of the row and touched its branch. 

It was real. 

She blinked and stepped back again, looking around at their surroundings. The frosty mist hung thick in the air, the distant glow of the barrier only slightly coloring things as it pulsated. She could just make out lights in the distance, and from their shape and placement she assumed they were houses, but they were a great ways away. 

She heard the oak door come unstuck and creek open. She turned back towards Bernard to see him holding it for her, so she hurried over to join him. 

She shook her boots off and stepped through into Bernard’s home. He shut the door behind them and began removing his cloak and hood. She mindlessly started doing the same with her own outerwear as she took in the dimly lit hallway they now stood in. 

The walls were a dark green color that complimented the dark oak of the bottom paneling and furniture. A door to her right opened into a space under the stairs that she assumed was either a closet or bathroom. Further down the hallway, a small table was set up with various pictures set up on display, some on the table itself and some hanging on the wall above it. Beyond that was a foyer and the front door, another dark oak piece with lovely carved filigree in the frame and side windows on either side with stained glass in blue, green, and yellow. 

Bernard’s home smelled like him, but there was a lingering scent of dust in the air. Old houses sometimes smelled like that. Despite this, everything looked very clean. She turned to hang her coat on the stand by the back door and was stunned at the sight that greeted her. 

Bernard stood straight with his hands behind his back, watching her take in his home. His usual style of dress was swapped for a black long sleeve tunic that had silver fastenings in the front instead of the brass buttons that she usually saw running down his back. The accents around the high collar and the sleeves were also silver. Over that he wore a silver vest, the ends touching the tops of his black breeches held up by a silver buckled belt. 

But what really struck her was the hat he wore on his head. 

It was a fur hat, black and soft looking. The shape was odd though. Circular and somewhat tall. 

“Your beret! You switched it out?”

“Well, It’s been awhile so I thought I’d dust off my old shtreimel. I usually only wear it for special occasions.”

“It’s so cool! You look great!”

He really did. As always, his outfit was eccentric, but it fit him well. The black and silver suited him, making his dark eyes stand out even more. 

She blinked at the shadow on the lower half of his face. She’d never seen him with any kind of stubble before. 

She herself had dressed up as much as she could for this night. She wore her cleanest blue puff pants and a purple turtleneck that was often covered in the many layers she donned each day. Bernard usually only saw her in her overcoat, puff pants, scarf, muffs, and hat. Sometimes when they spent time in the tent, she’d remove her coat, but underneath she had on a slightly less puffy coat, so her whole figure was left to the imagination, really. 

She hung her outerwear up now and tugged nervously at her sweater. She wasn’t naive by any means. She knew that looks weren’t entirely irrelevant when it came to attraction. She and Bernard had hit it off, but what if he didn’t like how she looked under her layers? 

Perhaps it was a silly problem to consider that he might only like her for who she was as a person and not for how she looked, but nonetheless, she found her posture hunching in self-consciously. 

“Oh, wow,” Bernard caught her wrists and gently pulled them out from her torso, looking her up and down with a spark in his eye. “You look great too!” 

She snorted softly. “It’s just a turtleneck. You’re the one dressed all fancy.”

Heat sizzled in his gaze as he took in her form, a small smile curling his lips as he moved his hands from her wrists to her waist. “Fair. I’m not really talking about the outfit, though.” 

A squeak escaped her as her hands flew up to clasp heated cheeks. She felt his thumb rub slightly along her side and her stomach tightened in response. His head stayed angled low, but his eyes flitted up to lock with hers, a smirk peeking out from the dark curls framing his face. 

A weak smile twitched between her flushed cheeks. 

“Oh, you are smooth.”

“Thanks, I try.”

She huffed a laugh and stepped into his arms more. Dark eyes widened—he obviously wasn’t expecting that. Delicate fingers trailed up his tunic, tugging here and there at the silver trimmings. The shy grin she’d sported before sharpened into a smirk. 

She leaned up close to his face and gave him a chaste kiss on his stubbled cheek before stepping back. “Your house is gorgeous, Bernard. How about a tour?”

A dazed blink before the moment caught up with him and his unfocused eyes squinted at her. Huh, okay. Two could play that game. 

He nodded and gestured for her to walk ahead of him, clearing his throat with purpose. 

“So, this is the foyer here, and over there” he gestured to the open archway to the right of the stairs, “is the den. My office is through that door there too.”

The den was set a step lower than the rest of the floor, with a fireplace on the far wall and a couch and two armchairs circling it. There was a cushioned window seat to the left with a multitude of potted plants surrounding it and another oak door to the right—his office.

“Your office, huh? You work from here a lot?”

“Not really, it’s mostly used for home projects now. Hobbies. Things like that. But I don’t know, I’ve been so busy lately, I can’t even remember the last time I was in there.” 

“What kind of hobbies?” she asked, curious about how he spent his time off, what little he got. 

“Gardening mostly. I had an herb garden once upon a time, but now I just have whatever’s left in those pots that doesn’t mind being neglected for weeks on end.” 

Many of the plants were indeed shriveled and brown, long dead from the looks of them. 

“I play piano occasionally. More often I’ll play the lyre or harp. I paint some. I tinker. Carve wood. I have a little cuckoo clock I’ve been piddling around with for years in there—“ he cut himself off at the astonished look on Holly’s face. “Sorry, I’m babbling.” 

“Bernard! That's amazing! Dude, is there anything you can’t do?”

“I’m not great with large engines and machinery, I suppose, but if push comes to shove—“ he sheepishly replied. 

“Jeez, you’re incredible!” she exclaimed, eyes wide. 

Sparkling cheeks dusted pink at her praise. “I’ve had a lot of time to learn new things, that’s all.”

“Well, I certainly haven’t learned any of that! I played a recorder for like a month when I was 6 and that’s it. This is seriously impressive!”

He cleared his throat uncomfortably and put a guiding hand on her back. “How about we continue that tour?”

“Whatever you say, Einstein.”

“Shut it, Holly Jolly.”

He lead her over to the opposite archway in the foyer that opened into a large kitchen and dining area. 

“Woah, this is nice,” she remarked. 

The wooden floors were polished and stained in various shades. The counters were spacious and tidy, vegetables placed in baskets along them. Like with the den, there were potted plants crowded around every window. Hanging above the counter were dried herbs of all kinds along with brass pots and pans for cooking. A long dining room table was situated by the front window, several ornate chairs set up on one side. 

She circled the room, taking in the little details of his kitchen. Judging from the fresh ingredients and well preserved utensils, he must use this room a lot. 

She stopped when she noticed a brass object in the center of the dining table. “Hey, I’ve seen this kind of thing before.”

He followed her line of sight to see what she was talking about. “Oh, it’s a menorah.”

“Are you Jewish?” she asked. 

“I am,” he said simply, inclining his head. 

“Oh, wow!" She blinked, inclining her head back at him. "Huh, but isn’t Hanukkah passed already?” 

“It’s not that kind of menorah. See, it only has seven branches?" He pointed at the unlit menorah, her eyes following where he gestured. "The one for Hanukkah has nine. I have my hanukkiah upstairs.”

“Oh, I see,” she listened intently, looking appreciatively at the decorated brass candelabra and its blue candles. “Hey, but wait! Isn’t shrimp not kosher? I feel like I’ve heard that somewhere.”

He chuckled at her confused expression. “I'm ethnically Jewish. Not practicing. It’s my roots, my culture, but I'm not religious by any means.” 

“Ahh, gotcha,” she hummed. “Yeah, me neither. My family was pretty religious, but I never really got into it myself.” Holly continued circling the room as she spoke, noting the lack of certain appliances. No toaster, no microwave. There was an old ice box that looked to be in decent working order. Bernard struck her as someone who didn’t eat many prepackaged snacks. 

His loss. 

She turned back to face him as she finished her inspection. “So that leaves upstairs, right?”

“There’s just bedrooms up there, nothing too interesting.”

She was, in fact, interested in seeing his bedroom, but she wouldn’t push it. “Bedrooms? As in plural?”

“Three upstairs. There’s a cot in my office as well, but I’ve never used it.”

“Man, this place is huge!” she breathed. “You live here by yourself?”

He grimaced, shoulders hunched. “Yeah, just me. It’s a lot, I know. I kind of inherited the place, but the original owners had a family here.”

“Huh, nice of them to leave it to you.”

“Yeah, uh,” he walked over to the icebox, pulling a basket of vegetables down from the top of it, “so about dinner. I was thinking stir-fry? Nothing too fancy.”  

She bounced over to him, practically salivating at the chance to eat Bernard's food again. “Sounds good to me! Can I help?” 

A mischievous spark lit his eye and his head swayed side to side in mock apprehension. “Ehh… I don’t know about that one.”

A scoff escaped her at his reluctance. “What! How come?" she demanded. "I can help!” 

But he still didn't look convinced, tsk'ing while shaking his head. “I mean, I’ve tasted your hot chocolate, so-“

“Those are packets! I can’t do anything about those,” she huffed, arms crossing as she caught onto his teasing. 

He gave her an exaggerated look of doubt. “Well… I don’t know…”

“Rude! You are so rude! You’re the most rudey rude person ever—I shared those with you out of the goodness of my heart!” she cried, a note of mirth coloring her voice despite her outraged words. “I can’t believe this!”

A placating hand rose between them. “Hey, look, we all have different talents.” 

“Lemme do it, ya jerk. Move over!” She pushed him aside as he was setting up the vegetables on the chopping block. She grabbed a bell pepper and began slicing it. 

The sound of a throat clearing came from behind her and she stopped, shooting him a grumpy look over her shoulder. He didn’t say anything, though, so she went back to chopping. Next she grabbed a carrot and began slicing it up into pieces. 

He sighed. 

“Okay, what! What is it! What am I doing wrong?” She cried, placing the carrot and knife down and whirling around to face him. He looked like he was barely holding in his laughter, face twisted with an amused expression. 

“You chop like you’re battling an army. It’s a carrot!”

“I’m doing great, thank you very much. Who asked you, anyways?”

“You did! Literally two seconds ago.” He was full on laughing at her now. “Here, let me show you how to do it.”

He stepped up to her, taking her shoulders and turning them so she faced the chopping block once more. “Grab the knife and carrot.” She followed his instruction, grumbling under her breath. “Hush, you. Now take the point of the knife and put it on the block, then bring down the blade on the carrot. See? Doesn’t that go through much smoother?” 

It was going through much smoother, actually, but she was loathed to admit it. Why give Mr. Perfect here the satisfaction?

“No, no, that’s too fast. Get the rhythm down first. Here.” 

He put his hands over hers, pressing his chest up against her back and showed her how to chop the carrot. 

“Feel that?” 

Oh boy. She couldn’t speak. She certainly was feeling something. 

“Careful you don’t catch your fingers, though. You curl them in like this so they’re protected as the blade gets closer.” His breath wafted over her cheek. Mm, peppermint. “That’s good. You’re so good.” 

Oh god, she wasn’t good, actually. No, no. She was so very bad. He was doing this on purpose, wasn’t he? Asshole. 

“Let’s grab another and try it faster this time, okay?” 

Her ragged breaths were certainly audible, they had to be. Did he just not notice? With a start, she realized that his own deep breaths were echoing hers. Seems she wasn't the only one affected here. She let him guide her hands through the motions, chopping lessons the furthest possible thing from their minds at that point. She pressed her back more snuggly against his front and he pressed his hips into her backside in response. She felt his throat bob against her ear as he swallowed and she took a shaky breath. 

He released her hands and she realized everything on the block was already perfectly chopped. She watched dumbly as he grabbed a pan and poured some olive oil in it, lighting the stove and bringing the chopped vegetables closer. He started to bring down herbs and spices, setting them up beside the stove for easy access. She snapped out of her stupor when he grabbed the oregano, the knife a blur as his steady hands expertly bunched and chopped the herbs into a fine dice. 

“Hey, I still wanna help!”

“Come help, then. I’ll tell you when the vegetables can go in,” he said without looking up. 

They worked together well, Bernard giving instructions to add this spice or that herb or to stir the vegetables occasionally. He took every opportunity to grab her hands and show her the ‘proper’ way to do it, though. Too bad she just wasn’t quite retaining anything. Neither one of them seemed to mind the remedial lessons, though. 

So he kept showing her exactly how to do it—over and over. 

Bernard set up a wooden fold out table in front of the fireplace for them to set their drinks. Holly suggested that since this was just a casual dinner, there was no need to set up at the grand dining table in the kitchen; so here they were, sat together on Bernard’s comfortably plush maroon couch in front of a crackling fire. 

Their legs were touching, Bernard’s knees pointed towards her and Holly’s pulled up and over his thighs comfortably, their plates balanced in their hands. It had become a familiar way to sit for them over the past few days. Snuggled close and comfortable. Usually their outerwear provided much more cushioning, however. Holly’s heart fluttered at the feel of only two thin layers separating them now. 

The food was delicious, fresh. Stir fry was always a good meal. 

Her eyes kept getting drawn to the pictures over his mantle. Some were painted portraits of various figures. Maybe ancestors? None of them bore a particular resemblance to Bernard, except one that looked like a child version of the man beside her. The curls piled on the little head in the portrait were absolutely adorable. She desperately wished she could pat those cute rosy cheeks. What gave her pause however, were the inexplicably pointed ears that stuck out on the sides of the child’s head. 

An elf? 

In fact, as she looked, she noticed every one of the figures in the pictures and paintings had pointed ears. 

Some of the pictures had a person who looked like Bernard in them—never alone though. There were just a few recurring faces in the pictures besides the look alike. A great many of the photographs were in black and white, which threw her for a loop. The person in those pictures must be a relative of Bernard since they were practically twins. But something about that seemed not quite right. 

The black and white figure in the pictures was dressed so incredibly similar to how Bernard himself dressed, even down to the green beret, except the version in the pictures wore it correctly. And there on the side of the figure’s head was a pointed ear sticking out of the dark curls. Her breathing stuttered for a moment as she struggled to process this. 

There were a couple pictures that seemed somewhat recent. 

But wait, no, not actually that recent. 

They were in color at least, but they still looked old, like maybe they had been taken a couple decades ago. The doppelgänger in those pictures looked exactly the same as the one in the black and white pictures. 

Exactly the same as the man sitting beside her. 

And every single one of the maybe-Bernards had pointed ears. 

She turned to consider the man beside her. He was still working on his plate; he was a much slower eater than she was, always savoring each bite. As he chewed, he watched her, obviously having noticed her perusal of his mantle. He had a strange look in his eye, though. Expectant. Like he was waiting for her to do something. 

Her thoughts had been hazy for weeks now any time a moment like this happened. At first she had just brushed it off. The unique atmosphere of the arctic could sometimes cause lightheadedness. And many of the things she thought were weird about Bernard could be easily explained. Not that he ever did try explaining them—usually he would redirect or outright ignore her questions. But she was good at filling in the gaps with the most logical explanation. Maybe if it had just been one or two instances like this, she wouldn’t have started wondering at all. 

But she had started wondering. And no matter how much she tried to think of reasonable explanations for the things he said and did, some parts just didn’t add up. 

She wanted to say something, ask him point blank maybe. The words just wouldn’t come, however. 

Her mouth fell open and his face filled with anticipation.

But she stayed silent. 

Her head was starting to clear the more she was confronted with this—whatever it was, but she still wasn’t sure what the question was exactly that she wanted to ask. 

Why was he like this? Was there something he wasn’t telling her? Was this all just in her head? 

Was he a fucking elf?

Just then a flash of light pierced the night and broke the moment, both of them exhaling in disappointment—or maybe relief?

Bernard stood quickly and approached the window, peering outside. She joined him and together they watched as a spotlight shined directly towards them, flashing once before turning off completely. 

“That’ll be Judy. She’ll have sent everyone home and completely turned off the floodlights,” he faced her then, “so we can get in without being seen.” 

“Great. Sounds good.” 

Holly didn’t sound very enthused, though. Balled fists clenched into her pants, and her body curled away from him. Her mouth pulled down into a frown. 

Bernard ached to smooth it away. He reached up to do just that, and she flinched back, suddenly looking scared. 

His face crumpled at her reaction. 

“It’s okay, Holly. I’m not going to hurt you.”

“I-I know that. I do. I just,” she was breathing shakily, her eyes pleaded with him. She didn’t know how to verbalize her question, but she wished he would answer it anyways. He always seemed to know what she was feeling, what she was thinking. He was always two steps ahead of her. Why couldn’t he do it now? 

But he just kept quiet, waiting for her to sort her thoughts out. His hand was still hanging in the air between them and he slowly started to move it towards her face again. She let him this time and he gently cupped her cheek. She sighed and closed her eyes, melting into his touch as some of the tension left her. 

Her eyes fluttered open and she gazed up at him, looking lost and exhausted. 

“We need to talk, Bernard.”

His breath hitched. 

“Okay, let’s talk.”

“No, I mean... Judy’s waiting for us, right? I need,” she paused, her brows pulled tight, “I need some time to think. We came here to have fun, so let’s just focus on that for now. But tonight, after everything... Let’s talk. Okay?”

He nodded solemnly and dropped his hand from her cheek. 

“Tonight then.”

Chapter Text

Holly was shaking.

Bernard must know that she was shaking. 

He'd led her out the front door after retrieving a light cloak for each of them, claiming that the air was warmer within the barrier so heavy coats wouldn’t be needed. She hadn’t noticed before, but there was definitely a warmer, more inviting atmosphere here as opposed to the bitterly cold wind that constantly flew over the arctic tundra outside. 

He helped her into the cloak, draping it over her shoulders. She trembled under his touch, but he didn’t react. She worried what expression he was making, but couldn’t bring herself to look up at him. She hated that she might be making him sad, but really, she couldn’t help it. 

She was scared. 

The pieces were lined up in front of her and for once she had the wherewithal to try to put them together. And she was trying to, honest. But her gut was screaming at her that she needed to run, now. Whatever instinctual feeling of unease she’d had when they first met was back in full force telling her how stupid she was to ignore it and continue seeing this man. 

This man who was not a man. 

This man who was something else entirely. Something not human. 

She knew if she could just think things through, the answer would be obvious, but she just couldn’t stop shaking. Her frantic panting clouded the air and she realized belatedly that she was having a panic attack. 

“Holly.”

She jerked to awareness at the sound of her name. They were standing in front of Bernard’s house, about to head out to the lake. Hazy white obscured everything in the distance. The lights that she’d figured were from other houses were all turned off now and the only thing she could really see through the icy fog was a dip in the white horizon that she assumed was the lake. 

Bernard’s face suddenly appeared in her field of vision, looking profoundly sad. His dark eyes pulled her in, their depths familiar and warm. But the way they made her feel was too intense for her now, and she looked back at the wide white of the frozen landscape, it's sparkling maw threatening to devour her. Her vision started tunneling, black creeping into the edges. 

“You’re okay Holly. You’re safe. Just try to breathe.”

His voice was muffled and far away. 

His mouth continued to move but she couldn’t hear him anymore. The dip in the distance seemed wider now, the white expanse swallowing the horizon in a way that left her confused and disoriented. A hand swam in front of her and she tried to focus on what Bernard was saying to her. But she just couldn’t comprehend his words. The fingers on the hand uncurled more, the palm tilting towards her; she grabbed it, desperately seeking an anchor. 

Warmth came back to her slowly, traveling up her arm and into her chest. The large hand holding hers was firm but gentle, a thumb stroking back and forth over her skin in a steady rhythm.

The sound of blood rushing in her ears began to ebb, and she found that she wasn’t just holding his hand; she was also wrapped up in his embrace, his cloak enveloping her smaller body. His chin rested on the top of her head as she hunched into him, and their clasped hands were squished between their bodies against his chest as he breathed deeply. Her own breaths matched his as her heart slowed to a steady beat once again. 

She blinked the remaining panic away and buried her face deeper into the fabric where his shoulder met his neck. His curls tickled her nose. 

She was starting to feel better. Confusion still muddied her thoughts, but she was coming to terms with the fact that her very dear friend was not who she thought he was. She had meant what she’d said before, she wanted to just have some fun for now and deal with this later when they weren’t expected to meet his friends—who most likely were also not human—but the initial shock of her realization couldn’t be easily pushed down. 

“I promise you’re safe, Holly. I would never hurt you,” he murmured into her hair. 

She believed him. 

She didn’t know what he was yet, but he was her friend first and foremost. She trusted him and he trusted her. 

He brought her here to meet his friends, because they meant a lot to him. And so did she, now. The weight of that was a lot heavier now, being important to someone like Bernard. She needed to take this in stride. So she would. 

Holly pulled back from his embrace and he reluctantly let go of her, watching her carefully for any more signs of distress. But she was already forcing her thoughts and fears to the back of her mind, until her carefully constructed calm had returned to her. She was trying to put it out of mind for now and just focus on getting through the next part of their night. She heaved a great sigh, a somewhat fragile smile appearing on her lips.

She reached for one of his hands. He surrendered it to her without resistance and she entwined her fingers in his, letting their joined hands swing between them as she turned towards the lake on the horizon. 

“I think I'm okay now, Bernard," she sounded more sure than she felt. "We’re okay. Let's go.”

She pulled him forward, building her confident front back up brick by brick as she started towards the lake. The stress gradually left his body as he fell into step beside her, but he kept a careful eye on her the whole way, their fingers clasped tightly together in shared comfort. 

This was the most incredibly decorated party she had ever been to. 

A series of ice sculptures depicting figures in various loving embraces were dotted here and there around the lake. Some of those poses made Holly blush. Each one had pointed ears, she noted, but she didn’t dwell on it, instead shifting her attention to the candles set up in bunches on wooden trays or along pathways shoveled in the deep snow for easy walking. There were floodlights, but they were turned off now. However the light from the barrier and the moon shining through it provided plenty of illumination. The candles cast a warm glow on several pits carved into the snow, each one with a rug laid out inside it and a table at the center. The tables were odd, though. They had a blanket skirt around them and pillows instead of seats. 

They looked cozy. 

The tinsel and arches and ribbon and lights all set up in elaborate red and gold displays were masterfully crafted. Several gold halos were stuck into the ground between the snow pits, golden fairy lights illuminating the rims while perfect red roses floated in the middle of the circle. These weren’t just decorations. They were straight up art pieces. There were just too many little details to notice them all, but the overall effect was incredibly romantic. 

She took in the long table set out with sweets and treats and finger foods of all kinds. She didn’t recognize half of the things available there, but they looked delicious nonetheless. The drink bar for custom cocoa and cider beside it caught her eye. There were recipe suggestions up behind the bar. She was impressed with the ingenuity of the selections. 

“This is amazing, Bernard! Morozko really know how to throw a party!” 

Her companion grinned cheekily. “No one does it better.” 

“I’ll say! I don’t know where to start.” 

The sound of boots crunching through the snow drifted their way and they turned toward the sound. They were met with two beaming faces of the prettiest little women Holly had ever seen. 

And they really were little women, weren't they?

Like Bernard, they were proportioned like adults. Unlike Bernard, however, they were much shorter and slighter. If she had never met Bernard and had just passed them on the street then she might have made the assumption that they were children. However, their bone structure and mature figures showed plainly that they were not actually that young.

She knew Bernard’s distinct features quite well at this point. She was surprised she had ever mistaken him for a teenager, and had actually begun to suspect he must have a very elaborate skin care routine to look as smooth and rosy as he did. 

Of course, now those thoughts had thoroughly left her. Whatever caused his unusual otherworldly appearance was certainly not due to lotions and serums. 

Now that she had more of—whatever they were—to compare to, she was able to discern what it was exactly that set them apart in her mind. She thought Bernard had looked ethereal and lovely when she first met him. Inhuman. Which certainly made more sense now. 

All three of these beings were just too perfect. That’s what it was, really. Their faces were too smooth, too rosy, too soft. Like someone had airbrushed over their features. For humans, this sort of perfection was only found in the faces of children. Smooth as a baby’s bottom and all that. But for these people, it wasn’t youthfulness, it was just how they looked. They had sparkling pink cheeks and bright intelligent eyes. The way they walked was measured and smooth, almost like dancing. 

Their eyes were knowing and sharp, a disturbing feature on a face untouched by wrinkles. 

The kind smiles they flashed at her showed the barest hint of a too-pointed canine. Not that different from a human’s, but Bernard also had some unusually sharp teeth so perhaps whatever they were as a species had slightly sharper fangs than humans. Not vampiric by any means, but enough to light up that primal part of her brain again that said they were dangerous. 

What really struck her though was right there, in plain sight—little pointed ears sticking out from their hair. They didn’t even try to hide them. 

“You must be Holly! It’s so very wonderful to meet you. I’m Judy.” The shorter one said. She was dressed in red velvet and white leather, an odd combination, but maybe not that unusual considering how Bernard tended to dress. Her smooth brown hair hung loose, framing her squared face. Although they had just met, Holly could tell Judy had a sweet, serene manner about her. 

“And I’m Belle! It’s so rad to finally meet you, Holly,” the taller one said excitedly, bouncing on her toes. She wore a matching outfit with her sweetheart, the white leather standing out more against her brown skin. Her shiny hair was pulled tight into a single smooth braid that went down the length of her back. Belle seemed very energetic. 

Normally Holly would have appreciated the friendly welcome, but her recent realization had made her muted and cautious. She returned their smiles with a strained one of her own. 

“Yeah, hi! It’s nice to meet you too. Bernard’s mentioned you both a lot.”

“Good things, hopefully.” Judy remarked, shooting a sly look at the dark haired male standing in front of her. 

“Oh, yeah, for sure. All good things.” Holly shot back automatically. She struggled to think of what to say next though. Introductions and small talk were strange for her. She knew how to perform to a certain degree, but there always came that lull after the initial script where she just didn’t quite know how to break the ice. 

Luckily, Belle seemed undeterred by the awkward silence. 

“This is so exciting! We hardly ever get to meet anyone new. Have you ever been ice skating, Holly?”

“Oh! Uh, well, I guess I went a couple times when I was a kid. I fell a lot though. I’m hoping I’ll be a little better at it now.”

“You probably won’t if you haven’t done it in so long,” Belle laughed, her good natured tone not quite matching with her blunt words. “But that’s alright! I'm sure Bernard won’t mind catching you.” She waggled her brows, bright eyes sparkling in mirth. 

Bernard sputtered at that, mouth gaping a moment while he looked back and forth between Holly and the newcomers. 

“Belle,” he cried exasperated, “knock it off, will ya? Give Holly a minute to get to know you before you go saying stuff like that.”

But Holly found it funny, actually. Not enough to actually laugh, but enough to bring a genuine smile to her face. She didn’t know how to reply, but she shared a conspiratorial look with Belle who waggled her brows again. 

Judy giggled at her girlfriend’s antics. 

“We aren’t going ice skating, remember?” she nudged Belle affectionately. “We’ll be leaving soon for home. I’ve made us a nice pudding.” 

“Oh, yeah," Belle said, hand coming up to grab her chin. Then her finger jabbed up into the air as she abruptly switched gears. "Well! We can have some drinks together at least and talk, right?”

Judy nodded, smiling placatingly at her distractible partner. 

Bernard clapped his hands together once and stood a little straighter. “Okay, sounds good! Let’s get some treats and grab a kotatsu.”

He put a hand on Holly’s back and started leading her over to the food and drinks bar. Belle ran ahead excitedly, pulling a giggling Judy with her. Once they were a ways ahead, Bernard leaned over level with Holly’s ear and whispered, “You good?”

She felt a bit overwhelmed honestly. She wasn’t the greatest at social things. Bernard was kind of the exception to that. Their meeting had been a crash course in getting to know each other, so they didn’t really go through this whole song and dance. It must be weird for him to see her so toned down and shy. 

“I’m okay, just... I don’t know. I’m not very good at this sort of thing," she muttered. At his concerned look, she perked up, quickly adding, "but they seem really nice!”

“Are you having a good time, at least?” he asked, hand returning to her back. 

“I think so. I will be. I just need to get into the groove more,” she smiled weakly.

He rubbed a reassuring hand across her upper back and she leaned into him gratefully, the warm weight grounding her. 

Once they reached the food table, they began loading up their plates with little snacks to try. Holly had already eaten, but she couldn’t resist some of the more interesting looking spreads. Bernard piled his own plate high, but that wasn’t surprising. He was always up for eating no matter how much he’d already had. Judy and Belle were sharing a plate apparently, but were also arguing about what exactly should go on it. 

“I hate those puffs!”

“So don’t eat them.”

“They’re touching my cream crackers, though!”

“What if we put the sausage between them, then?”

“Judy, that’s gross!”

“Is it? And stop yelling, I’m right here!”

“Now who’s yelling?”

They giggled together as they pushed the food around, moving down towards the drinks bar. Bernard snickered at the back and forth, shaking his head as he shared a look with Holly who was biting her lip to hold in her own laughter. 

“Why don’t they just get separate plates?”

“You’re asking me?” he said, still chuckling. 

The pair reached the drinks bar right as Judy and Belle had finished pouring theirs. 

“We’ll go set up at the kotatsu near the roses.” Judy waved with her free hand. Belle also tried waving but neither of her hands were free, one balancing their plate and the other holding her full drink which sloshed onto the snow with her enthusiastic motion. 

“Belle, be careful!”

“I’m always careful, babe!”

Holly couldn’t hold in her laugh anymore as she waved back at the little women. Bernard started fixing a cider for himself, not even glancing at the recipe cards, apparently confident in his choice of drink. Holly looked carefully at the selection before choosing to follow the recipe with the goat’s cream. She actually liked goat’s milk quite a lot but such a combination had never occurred to her.

But hey, it was a night for new adventures, so why not? 

Once they were both ready, they grabbed their plates and cups and started heading off in the direction where the other two had gone. 

“So, what’s a kotatsu?” she asked.

“It’s a Japanese table for winter. It’s got a sort of blanket that you tuck your legs under. It’s great, nice and cozy.” 

She hummed. 

“You’re doing great, by the way," he said, "I think they really like you.” He shot her a warm smile. 

“I think I like them, too! They’re funny together. Belle’s a chaotic delight,” Holly replied.

“She is! Don’t take anything she says too seriously, though. She can be kind of scattered sometimes, but she means well.”

They trudged over a snow drift and looked down into the valley near the foot path leading into the woods. The pine woods. “Holy shit," she exclaimed, "there really are trees here! I mean, I saw some at your house but those were small and decorative. This is an actual, real-life forest!”

“Told ya! And you doubted me," he smirked, nudging her arm. 

“Hey, c’mon, can you blame me? This is just one of the many impossible things that are somehow possible with you.” She nudged him back. 

“And yet you continue to doubt!” he chuckled. 

The smile slipped from her face as she was reminded of her current predicament. “Yeah… sorry, it’s just going to take some time for me to get used to all this.” She wasn’t talking about trees anymore and they both knew it. He also sobered, the grin he'd sported before shrinking into a more patient and reassuring one. 

“It’s fine, Holly Jolly. Take all the time you need. We’re still gonna talk later, right?”

“Yeah, definitely," she replied, shaking off the brief moment of solemnity. "But for now, drinks!” She held hers up in a mock cheer that he reciprocated. They bumped mugs lightly, giggling together as they both spilled some onto the white snow.  

“Over here!” Belle shouted from a pit beside the haloed roses as they made their way over. 

The area was dug out in a decently sized square, similar in dimension to Bernard’s den at his house. A blue and purple bohemian rug was placed over the dug out area with a short table at the center and candles set up in groups of three or four on metal torch stands along the edges of the pit. Judy and Belle were already tucked under the thick red blanket of the kotatsu, sipping their drinks and encouraging each other to try the other’s food choices. 

“The cream crackers are so good, though! Just a bite, come on.”

“If you try the puffs, then sure!”

“Blergh!”

Bernard and Holly took the remaining sides of the table, sitting on the plush pillows that were set out beside it. Bernard immediately tucked his legs under the red blanket, and Holly followed suit. 

“So, what did you guys get to drink?” Judy said, eyeing their cups. 

“Cider, of course,” Bernard quipped. 

“Of course. With cinnamon and a splash of orange, right?”

He sipped his cider with a low, “Mmhmm.” 

“Predictably Bernard,” Judy said, eyes crinkled with fondness. “What about you, Holly? Did you get cider too?”

“Ah, no, I actually got that one cocoa recipe with the goat’s cream. I don’t know, it looked interesting,” she smiled nervously, Judy returning her smile warmly. 

“That was Noel’s recipe. He’s a student of mine—all those recipes are from my students actually. I'm teaching them drinks.”

“Oh! You’re… in charge of drinks?” Holly blinked, interested. 

“Amongst other things. My department mainly deals with, well, I suppose you could call it morale. Bernard takes care of the more nitty gritty detail stuff in Operations.”

“So Bernard really is Head of Operations?”

“He’s Head of everything! He runs this place!” Belle cut in, smacking her lips after a big gulp. 

“O-oh, I see…” Holly looked nervously at Bernard, who was trying to look nonchalant as he sipped his cider. He didn’t deny what was said, though, which was telling in and of itself. 

Judy sensed the human’s unease and tried to pull focus away from the Head Elf and his role there at the North Pole. “So you’re a researcher? That must be very rewarding work.”

Holly seemed relieved at the change of subject, shoulders unwinding as she warmed her hands around her mug. “It is, yeah! We study ecology in the arctic circle. Polar bear numbers have been on the decline and we’re trying to find out why.”

Belle seemed especially interested in this topic. “Do you know why?”

“We think it’s probably climate change. And I know that’s not exactly a popular theory with some people—“

Bernard raised his head from his cup, shooting her a confused look. “It’s not? Why? That is the most likely reason.”

“It’s… complicated," she explained. "Some companies have their businesses tied up in using methods that further the rate of global warming, so of course, they’re not very eager to admit that what they’re doing has real negative impacts on the environment.”

He squinted at her explanation. “So, what? They’re lying about their involvement?”

“Yeah, pretty much." She shrugged. "And they’re blaming other things that are unrelated all while trying to push a disinformation campaign to confuse the public. It’s been a mess for the scientific community to try to sort out.”

Bernard scoffed, agitated. Judy tsk’d while shaking her head. 

“That’s ridiculous,” Belle cried, “surely humans aren’t falling for that!” Judy nudged her partner’s side and Belle squeaked. “Nutcrackers! I mean, uh, not humans. I mean, you are humans... But so are we?”

“It’s fine, Belle,” Bernard said, rubbing his eyes, “don’t worry about it.”

The reminder that they weren’t human wasn’t quite as alarming this time, probably because whatever they were didn’t seem very different from humans anyways. Judy and Belle were nice and personable. 

“Yeah, no, it’s fine really,” Holly said, unease still churning in her stomach, but eager to not dwell on the subject, “but, um, yeah, it’s frustrating for sure because the public does tend to fall for the disinformation. So that’s why I’m up here, basically. The best that we can do is have real recorded data to show exactly how the climate is changing and at what rate. If we can show the public hard numbers and cute footage of the wildlife that’s impacted, hopefully we can get them back on our side.” 

Bernard was smiling at Holly’s declaration. “We’ve gotten some really great footage so far too. Holly caught George and Matteo’s big fight last week and we got a glimpse of Crystal recently.” 

“That’s great!” cried Belle, bouncing in her seat, “I’d love to see that footage sometime. George is my favorite.”

“Sure thing,” Holly nodded, “do you work with the bears yourself then, Belle?”

“No, I just like them. They’re pretty rad animals," Belle beamed, wiggling excitedly in her seat. "I work in wrapping.”

“Wrapping?” Holly blinked, trying to understand how that particular job could apply up there. “What do you wrap?”

Belle froze, looking at Bernard uncertainly.

“We wrap a lot of things actually," he cut in, answering smoothly for her. "Then we ship them out all over the world.”

Judy was watching Holly intently as she took this in. 

“Uh huh, okay.” A wrinkle appeared between Holly's brows as she squinted at the other three. So they were non-humans with pointy ears who wrapped things and sent them out into the world. They cursed in holiday themed expletives. Bernard rode a reindeer who could glide named Dancer. 

The answer was indeed obvious, but she just couldn’t believe it. 

Maybe she could accept that Bernard wasn’t human. She was a scientist after all, and was never one to dismiss evidence of a new species. But this was something else. This was truly fanciful. 

What’s wrong with a bit of fancy?

Bernard’s words from days ago rang in her head. Nothing, she’d said. And there wasn’t anything wrong with it, truly. But her mind needed more time to catch up with what her heart already knew. She blinked, giving her head a little shake to clear it. “Well, wrapping sounds pretty interesting.”

Bernard and Judy looked as if they were holding their breath, but Belle was giggling madly, oblivious to the dilemma that Holly was struggling with. 

“No, it doesn’t!” she cried, amused. “You don’t have to pretend it does, Holly. Wrapping is fun for me, I like making the perfect little bows. But most everyone else finds it pretty mind numbing.”

“I probably would too, actually,” Holly admitted sheepishly. “But if you like it, then that’s all that matters.”

“Yeah, exactly!”

They chatted easily for awhile, drinking slowly and ranking their favorite snacks. Belle and Holly shared a good many interests. They spoke at length about The Nightmare Before Christmas, a movie that had come out last year that they both adored. Judy said it was too scary for her, and Bernard had never seen it. Belle suggested they play it at the next movie night and invite Holly. Bernard and Judy shared a look and said they’d think about it

Conversation continued as their cups got lighter and lighter.  

“So, Holly—“ Judy said abruptly, her fingers tented in front of her face as she leaned forward, “—what’s the worst thing about Bernard?”

Said man choked on his cider at his friend’s sudden inquiry. Holly blinked at the question, unsure. “Wha—um, what do you mean? Bernard’s great! We make a really great team out there.”

“I’m sure that’s true. But that’s not what I’m asking.” Judy’s eyes were intense and calculating. Holly felt trapped in her gaze. “I’m asking if there’s anything that annoys you about him.”

Holly gaped, thrown off by the seriousness of the moment. Judy, noticing her reaction, softened her stare and offered a cheeky smile. “For instance, I think he works much too hard. It’s his biggest flaw, in my own opinion.”

Holly’s breath left her in a rush as the pressure receded. 

“Oh! Well, I can’t disagree with that.” She cut her eyes over to the dark haired man at her side, who was looking increasingly uncomfortable. “He showed up on my doorstep practically half dead the first week we met. I’m trying to convince him to relax more.”

“I definitely think that’s working,” Judy beamed, “I haven’t seen him this keen on non-work related recreation in years.”

“Good to know my efforts aren’t being wasted then! It’s hard to tell sometimes since he’s so on-the-go all the time,” Holly chuckled. “Honestly though, the thing that annoys me the most is how anal he is about schedules." She shot him a cheeky smirk, a hint of frustration coloring her words. "Like we can’t even hang out and eat snacks together without an itinerary, it’s ridiculous! Does he do that with you guys?”

Judy and Belle shared an amused look, peeking over at a now grumpy Bernard grumbling into his cider. 

“Oh, yeah, definitely," Judy answered. "But since he’s technically our boss, that makes sense. I bet that’s annoying when you don’t even work for him, though.”

“So annoying!" Holly cried, "I call him ‘Saint Bernard’ when he gets like that since he acts all high and mighty about it. Y’know, it’s okay to let loose and have fun without a plan sometimes, right?” she poked his cheek, grinning fondly at him despite her obvious exasperation.

“Yeah, Bernard,” Judy directed her words at the man beside her, “it is okay to enjoy yourself." Her brows raised and her head tilted down as she peered up at him with an oddly significant look. "Even when it’s not in the plan.”

Bernard lifted his head to make eye contact with his friend, a heavy moment passing between them. Judy smiled warmly and Bernard looked relieved, his shoulders dropping. 

“I hate when they do that. Their weird silent communication thing. I just don’t get it,” Belle snorted. “You two wanna share with the rest of us?”

“Nope!” Judy swiftly stood, grabbing her cup and their shared plate. “Actually, it’s about time we head out, Belle.”

“What? Just like that?”

“Just like that. C’mon!” 

“I’m not even done with my drink, babe!”

Judy pulled her partner up and began leading her away. “It was so nice to meet you, Holly. I’m sure we’ll see you again soon.”

“Yeah," Holly blinked, thrown by their sudden departure, "uh, it was nice to meet you both! We should definitely do this again some time.”

“For sure!” Judy said, waving. She didn't slow their retreat however, dragging a confused Belle behind her who nonetheless waved enthusiastically as they left. 

“Bye!”

“Goodnight!”

And then they were alone. 

Chapter Text

Holly swallowed the last of her cocoa, the goat’s cream leaving a funky aftertaste that she didn’t entirely love. The overall drink was good, but she probably wouldn’t have it twice. 

Bernard was already done with his drink, his fist supporting his cheek as he watched her. She waited for him to say something—it seemed like he wanted to. But he just kept silent, a curl at one side of his lip as he observed her. 

“Well, that was fun,” she remarked lightly. 

He hummed, then he lifted his hand to his upper lip, motioning in a way that indicated she had something there. Embarrassment colored her cheeks and she quickly brought a napkin up to get rid of the goat’s cream that had clung to her lip. 

Soft laughter danced in the air. He was still watching her, fondness bright in his eyes. The red on her face deepened and she cleared her throat, pushing past the shy fluttering his eyes evoked in her. 

“So, uh, what’s next? Skating?” 

“If you’d like. Did you want to talk now?” he asked, brows raising. An uncertainty now tensed his posture. 

Anxious eyes darted to the side, severing his consuming gaze from her. She examined the decorations around them, trying to find the right words. 

“Well,” she started, “I was actually hoping we could talk while we skate.” She fiddled nervously with her empty cup. “It seems like we might have a pretty intense discussion coming up. It might be nice to have something else to do during it, y’know?”

“Nervous energy?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” she sighed. 

He hummed again. “That’s fine, yeah. Let’s head to the skate hut.”

They gathered their plates and mugs and headed back towards the lake, stopping by the food table to place their dishes on the tray marked ‘dirty’. 

The lake wasn’t far from the table, the hut situated between. Bernard pulled out a key and opened the hut so they could choose skates. Holly wasn’t sure what to look for, so he helped her find the right size and lace up. 

At the edge of the lake, the candles that had been burning before were snuffed out, leaving them bathed  only in moonlight and the faint glow of the barrier. 

Bernard glided out in front, fluidly skating a figure eight before turning back to wait for her. Her ankles shook with the effort to stay upright as she inched out onto the ice, wobbling all the way. Her arms flew out to her sides to help steady her as she left the snow completely and started slipping across the opalescent lake. 

Her eyes were fixed on her skates, watching as she carefully lifted one foot and then the other to pick up a little speed. 

“Nice!” His voice was far away, the swishing sound of skates on ice circling around her. 

She looked up at the praise, but started wobbling again once she did. She gasped and returned her focus to her feet. 

“Well, that’s not gonna be any fun. You gotta be able to take your eyes off the ice, Holly Jolly!”

“It’s hard , okay? Like I said, I haven’t done this since I was a kid!”

“Come on, you can do it! Look at me.” The command came from much closer now, somewhere directly ahead of her. 

“I can’t, I’ll fall!” 

“No you won’t.”

Suddenly two large lovely hands were in her field of vision reaching for her own. She pitched forward in surprise at the unexpected sight, and his hands caught hers, helping her regain balance. He used the momentum of her slip to push back out into an easy glide. She held him tight as his backward motion pulled her forward even faster than before. 

“You just need to get a feel for it first. Now look at me.”

She looked up. 

He was like a vision of a winter prince in his fur hat and cloak, skating so smoothly, not even needing to look where he was going. She felt her legs straighten out as the wobbling steadied, the speed actually helping her with her balance. His body rocked as he lifted one foot after the other and she consciously tried to match his rhythm. 

He smiled, his eyes sparkling at her almost as much as his cheeks. 

She felt giddy as she beamed back at him. “Ha! I’m doing it!”

“See? What’d I tell you.” His hands squeezed hers. “Ready to let go?”

“Uh, no, not yet please,” she said while chewing her lip worriedly. 

“That’s fine, whenever you’re ready. We’ve got all the time in the world.”

Did they? Did he ? She thought back to those black and white pictures on his mantle. Now was the time to ask, she supposed. Now or never. 

“Bernard?”

His expression sobered as he noticed her change in mood. “Yeah?”

“Those pictures at your house, the ones on the mantle, y’know?”

His hands tightened around hers for a split second before relaxing again. The moon shone from behind him, hiding his face from her. His tone was carefully neutral as he hummed his answer. “Mmhm?”

Her lip shook as she searched the dark shape in front of her for the familiar warm brown eyes that always brought her comfort when she needed it. But the shadow cast over him was dark and cold, unreadable. 

“W-well, I was wondering, uhh…” She inhaled a steadying breath. “Um, there’s a person in those pictures that looks like you. And I was wondering, um, well—is that a relative of yours?”

“No,” he said, “not a relative.”

They were turning now, curving with the natural shape of the lake. Moonbeams cut into the shadows revealing the edge of a sharp eye, watching and waiting. 

“Oh, okay, so,” she gulped, looking over his shoulder, his stare too heavy to hold. “S-so… that was you?”

The warmth of his hands burned hers and she couldn’t decide if the feeling was grounding or distracting. 

“Yeah, Holly. They’re pictures of me.”

“They looked really old.” She was trembling again. 

“That’s because,” his voice was soft and gentle, trying to ease the blow that was coming, “I’m really old.”

A gasping breath got stuck in her throat. She had been expecting this, really, but now to be faced with it so definitively—she couldn’t stop shaking. The motion traveled up her arms and down to her legs, unsteadily wobbling once more. His skating slowed when it seemed like she might let go of him, but she held on, her grip tightening as she tried to will the trembles away. 

Her hands still had a slight tremor, but her voice was calm as she asked, “How old are you, precisely?”

Voice carefully soft, he answered, “I can’t remember exactly, but I’m at least 1600 years old.”

She startled, her eyes coming back to lock with his now illuminated ones in astonishment. The smooth rosy face before her was almost serene, his bouncy curls swaying with the changing directions as they circled the lake. She was relieved to see he didn’t look as menacing as she’d imagined he would. For a moment, she feared he would be angry at her discovery, but no—he was still just Bernard, wasn’t he? 

Wasn’t he?

“Breathe, Holly.”

She sucked in a breath with trembling lips. “Are you an elf?” she whispered. 

“Yes,” he answered, just as quiet. “You know where you are. You know what I am. You know what Morozko really is.”

“Stop,” she said, eyes closing tightly. “I do know, b-but stop. I can’t right now. It makes my head hurt when I think about it.”

“That’s perfectly understandable. Expected, even," he murmured, trying to ease her into things as gently as possible. "Adult humans can’t just believe that easily. Magic grows out of them and a sort of 'mental block' goes up.”

She blinked hard, trying to comprehend that last part especially. Did he say 'magic'?

“So, is that why my head gets so foggy anytime you—” she cut herself off, unable to voice just what it was he did that triggered her brain fog. He did impossible things. He was impossible sometimes. But it wasn't impossible after all, was it?

It was... magic?

His thumbs rubbed the backs of her hands soothingly, the trembles from before settling somewhat, though her heart still raced in her chest. 

“Most likely, yeah. Human children don’t need to see to believe, but adults are different. Your mind is trying to protect you from all this, that's all." She could hardly focus on the words coming out of his mouth. He was just, what, saying it now? Unambiguously, with little to no reservation. If it weren't for the tight grip they had on each other, she might topple over, and not from the slippery ice. "In the human world, this phenomenon works so well, we don’t have to hide anything about ourselves," he continued, "Adults will just see what they want to see and their brains will fill in the gaps with whatever explanation makes the most sense to them. But you and I were going to be spending so much time together, I tried to at least sort of hide what I am.”

“But you stopped trying. When we went up the mountain, you hardly tried at all,” she pointed out. 

“Yeah,” he said, simply. 

“Why?” she wheezed. “Why do you want me to see what you are now?”

He pulled her in closer, slowing even more to a leisurely speed as they skated over the moonlit lake. 

“Because,” he started, looking wistfully into her face, “you are so much more to me now than you were before.”

That struck her silent, mouth falling open at his admission. Any other time and she'd have leaped for joy, but things were different now. When he said 'more', what exactly did he mean? Worry gripped her heart. Had she inadvertently agreed to something she shouldn't have? Her voice returned, panic written all over her, “We’ve only known each other for less than two months!”

“So tell me you don’t feel it too, then.”

Her mouth fell open again, but no sound came out. She couldn’t tell him that. Because she did feel it too. And he knew it. 

She searched his dark eyes; he didn’t exactly look surprised—just hopeful. 

“W-why is this happening, Bernard? I’ve never, ever felt like this for someone before.”

“Me either.” His lip curled up at one end. “My heart’s bonded to you. I don’t have much say in it anymore.”

“Your heart's... bonded to me?" That made her stomach roll uncomfortably. "So what, it’s... destiny? Like soulmates?” she scoffed, her eyebrows pulling low at the idea. She never liked that part in stories, where people fell in love at first sight as if they never had a choice in the matter. Was this a trick, then? Was he making her feel like this?

“Nothing so grand as that. But what we could have—it’s special," he explained. "For my kind, love is extremely valuable. Important. It’s not exactly rare, but it’s not common either. When one of us falls in love, it’s a kind of magic itself. The purest kind.”

Holly wasn't sure she liked the sound of that. Maybe Bernard thought he was explaining things well, but it all just sounded sketchy to her. “So then you’ve... magicked me into falling for you?”

“No!” he cried, sliding to a stop in the middle of the lake, hands still holding hers. “No,” he repeated, calmer this time. His throat bobbed as he searched for words. “Actually, that’s why I wanted you to meet Judy—to make sure you weren’t magic dazzled into thinking you had feelings for me.”

Magic dazzled. She could assume from context what that entailed, and she really didn't like the sound of it. So that's why Judy had asked that weird question towards the end, then. Holly wasn't sure if she was just trying to tease Bernard in a strange way or if there was some other reason she'd been so insistent about it.

“But you aren’t!" he breathed, wonder playing across his face. "You see me, all my strengths and weaknesses, my successes and faults. All of it.” A delighted smile split his face. “And you like me anyways.”

She wobbly smiled back in spite of herself, his mood catching. “Of course I do. I think you’re an amazing person, Bernard. B-but I don’t know about love just yet-”

He cut her off, clasped hands raising earnestly between them as he shook his head. 

“That’s the thing, it’s not love. It’s just," he stopped, trying to find the right phrase, "its... the probability of love, I suppose you could say. Look, It’s not magic that made me have feelings for you. I grew to know and care about you, and now I can feel the magic that’s being created from that bond in my heart and someday that will turn into love—" he rushed to continue, "for me, at least!” He cringed at his own description, aware of how strange it must sound to a human. And boy did it sound strange. “It’s, uh, hard to explain, exactly, but my heart knows I will fall for you someday, so it’s... preparing for that,” he finished lamely, frustration at his inability to articulate things evident on his face.

“So in a w-way, you’ve got your ‘heart set on it’?” She tried to joke, but her voice wasn’t as confident as she’d hoped, a nervous tremor causing a brief stutter. She wasn’t sure what he meant exactly by all this, but at least he wasn’t confessing his love for her. She liked him—a lot. But love wasn’t a step she was ready for, especially after the revelation that he wasn’t human like her. 

“Ha, hm, yeah actually. It’s exactly like that.” A small grin lit his face at her attempt at teasing. “Whatever you feel on your end—that’s 100% on you, though. I promise.”

“It feels so different, though!" she said, the words falling out of her mouth so quickly they practically ran together. "I’ve seriously never felt like this before, Bernard!” 

“Boy, you sure know how to flatter a guy.” His eyes crinkled, shaking his head. “But no, it’s all you. I swear I’ve never felt like this before either. I mean, obviously not, since my heart’s never even tried bonding with someone besides you. It’s… a little terrifying, actually.”

“You keep saying that—bonding—but if it's not like a forced thing, then I how is it any different from just getting to know someone like normal?” she asked skeptically. 

His eyes searched the air for a way to explain. “The difference is inherent to elves, I think. I can’t exactly speak for humans, but sometimes you get to know someone and there’s either a spark or there isn’t, right?” She nodded, watching his face closely. “Okay, so then imagine there’s that initial spark and you think ‘I want to know them’ so you spend time together. But then the more time you spend together, the more the spark ignites, until one day you realize you don’t have the ability to walk away anymore. You aren’t in love yet, but you know that’s where you’re headed.”

“That still just sounds like regular dating to me. In fact, it doesn’t seem very magical at all when you put it like that.” She squinted at him in confusion, still unsure as to the difference between that and what humans experienced. 

“I’m trying to take the magic out of the explanation so you can understand it better,” he sighed. “It’s that, but it’s also so much more than that. My heart is the source of my magic. If my heart is making magic because of you, then that’s very, very significant. For elves, love is never one-sided. If a heart has bonded to another, then that other always bonds back.” 

Her eyes widened and he hurried to continue his explanation. “But I swear it’s not forced! It’s a mutual decision by both hearts. One wouldn’t bond without the other also wanting to bond. If someone feels a heart bond, then they can be sure the other person feels it too. And beyond that, hearts won't bond with each other unless they think things will work out—not just in the relationship, but in life.” His shoulders squared as he leaned forward and squeezed her hands once more. “Let me put it this way: my heart trusts you enough to allow me to fall for you.”

His words were starting to come together in her mind. Whatever his heart was, it seemed to be a kind of independent force. Part of him, but not at the same time. It believed that she and Bernard could work out long term, essentially, so it was going ahead and… creating magic? Performing some sort of maybe-biological elf function because it was sure of this. Sure of her. 

Whether or not she had the same kind of ‘heart’ he did was unclear, but his heart wouldn’t have bonded if she didn’t have something that responded to him with a reciprocal bond, apparently. Searching her own feelings, she found that a lot of what he was describing lined up with her own experience. She had liked him from almost the beginning, but what had started as physical attraction had soon transformed into affection—friendship and fondness. Every interaction they’ve had together brought her closer and closer to love herself. A lot of those feelings were familiar, a process she'd certainly gone through before in past relationships, but something else was wriggling in the back of her mind. Something that tugged at her chest and let her know that even miles away, Bernard was there.

In a way, she also felt like love was inevitable at this point. She just wasn’t as open to declaring it at this stage as he seemed to be. But from how he described elf bonds, it made sense why he’d go ahead and reveal himself. Humans might dance around each other for years at this stage of a relationship, but elves already knew if someone liked them back because their hearts made it obvious. It was essentially a promise. He didn’t love her, but he would. Someday. 

Assigning it a more straightforward definition like that did make it seem a little less daunting than if he’d said they were actually soulmates. She wasn’t sure how she’d have reacted if that was the case. Still, she wasn't exactly comfortable with the idea of what was basically a magical promise ring. It made her feel out of control and vulnerable in a way that put her on guard. She tried not to think about it too much, still unsure just how this all worked and what implications it would have on her future. Not just with Bernard, but Holly as a person. Her life. Did she have a choice in this? Was it too late to turn back? Could she actually handle having a 1600 year old boyfriend?

She snorted, feeling a little hysterical. “So… no pressure then?”

“None," he confirmed, giving his head one firm shake. "If you don’t want this, then that’s okay.”

She worried her lip between her teeth, averting her eyes to the unlit candles and leftover Valentine's decorations over his shoulder. The evidence of the party reminded her of the fact that this wasn't just between her and Bernard. There was a whole village of elves who she was now aware of. A whole world she'd unknowingly just stepped into. “But I know now, right? So... what happens if I change my mind?”

A pained expression flashed across his face before he blinked and became solemn. “Then you’ll be dusted,” he said, quickly continuing once he saw her disturbed expression. “No, wait—that sounds worse than it is.”

“Dusted? Like cremated or something? I’d say that’s pressure, Bernard!”

“No—it’s not like that at all. Listen,” he raised his hands placatingly. “‘Dusting’ is what we do to make humans forget the magical things they see sometimes.” His hands landed on her shoulders, rubbing down her arms lightly. “It’s usually used to preserve our secrecy, but I promise it’s not harmful at all.” He shook his head to emphasize his point. “You’d forget about me and whatever part I’ve had in your life until now. All our work, the time we’ve spent together—you’d forget my place in it. You might be a little foggy for a few days, but that’s it. Your memory would fill in any gaps and you’d live your life normally from that point forward. And of course, our bond would be severed, but you wouldn’t even know it since you wouldn’t remember me.”

His explanation pacified her, but the whole thing still left a bad taste in her mouth. She didn’t want anyone to mess with her memories. It honestly sounded pretty invasive. She wouldn’t exactly be able to stop it though, if they decided she needed to be ‘dusted’. 

She hoped it wouldn’t be an issue at all, however, since she had no intention of stopping what was developing between her and Bernard. 

So he was an elf. 

Everyone had their quirks, she supposed. 

And yeah, she knew this was a pretty big pill to swallow. Even now when she dwelled too long on his inherent inhumanness, her mind would try to redirect to something easier, more familiar. It was hard to battle against her own instincts. But when she looked into his eyes, she couldn’t help but think—he was worth it. 

An air of longing hung about as she looked up at him, a shiver running through her at the way the moon reflected in those dark eyes. 

“I don’t want to forget you, Bernard,” she whispered. “I don’t want to forget any of this. I mean, not gonna lie, it’s… a lot. Actually, yeah, it’s terrifying. But… it’s a part of you, right?” He nodded, hope making his dark eyes bright, and she smiled shakily at the sight. “Then I want to know it—" she continued, "I want to know you . Every part of you.” 

She slid closer, her hands traveling up his arms and over his shoulders to hover over his sparkling cheeks. After a moment’s hesitation, her palms cupped his face and he exhaled, his expression softening with relief. Her thumbs caressed the silvery flecks in wonder. He reached up to tuck some of her hair behind her ear, the back of his fingers skimming along her cheek. She sighed with trembling lips and his eyes locked in on the motion, brows tilting up. 

“I meant what I said before," he breathed, "I would never hurt you, Holly. You’re safe with me.”

The scent of peppermint wafted across her face and she realized how close their faces were. The frosty mist had suddenly cleared, the moonlight illuminating them even brighter than before. 

Holly held his dark, heavily lidded stare, his thick lashes fluttering as his breathing hitched. 

“I know,” she whispered, sure in that moment of the truth behind those words. 

His eyes flitted down to watch as her tongue lightly wet her lips. Her own gaze slid down to his lips—pink and full as his breathing turned slightly ragged. Her heart thudded hard in her chest, and she was distantly aware that both his hands had come up to frame her face as well at some point. Everything in her sight was suddenly Bernard, her attention shrinking until all she could feel was his skin on hers, the weight of his regard, the beating of his heart so close to hers, so very in sync. Her eyes closed, and then—

Their lips met. 

It was the barest hint of pressure. Despite the slight scrape of his five o’clock shadow, his lips were unbelievably soft. There wasn't hesitation, per se, but the sweet way he pushed just that tiny bit more against her was clear. A question. Was this okay? Was she okay? How far could he go? Her chin raised ever so slightly, mouth parting to catch his lips again and he got his answer. His own chin angled to the side, mouth sliding into a better fit against her as he deepened the kiss. The shivers that ran up and down her back banished any thoughts that threatened to bring her out of this moment, mind blessedly blank. She was moving on pure instinct, chasing sensation with him. A burning in her chest reminded her to breathe and she was suddenly filled with the taste of peppermint and nutmeg. 

His hands moved to angle her head more and she felt his fingers stroke gently around the curve of her ear. It occurred to her then that her own ears were probably as novel to him as pointed ears were to her. 

Which reminded her…

Eager hands slid from his cheeks into his dark curls, the locks wrapping themselves around her fingers. She followed the line of his sharp jaw up to his ears until she touched his lobes. 

He broke the kiss to take a shaky breath, nose rubbing sweetly against her while he seemed to wrestle with something, his eyes closed and brow pinched. Her hands paused, tugging lightly on the curls that had tangled around them to try and get his focus back. That seemed to snap him out of whatever had struck him, making him blink hard a couple times before stepping forward to claim her lips again. The momentum of his step had them gliding ever so slightly across the ice, the motion causing her to cry out against his mouth in alarm. A strong arm locked around her waist, keeping her upright and firm against his body while he ran the tip of his tongue along the seam of her mouth. She hummed at the pleasant sensation and let her jaw fall open just slightly to catch his bottom lip briefly between her teeth. 

The low rumble that came from his throat lit a fire deep in her belly. 

Her fingers returned to his ears, twitching up further along the edge. And they just kept going and going. The normal curve she expected from a human ear never came. Instead, she felt them twist up into a delicate point, and her thumbs automatically came up to rub the points curiously between her fingers. 

He half groaned, half cried into her mouth, a sound of desperation and raw passion so deep, she felt it ricochet all throughout her body. Their kiss became even more heated as he pulled her flush against him. She gasped, knees shaking as his tongue slipped into her mouth and wrapped itself up in her own. She’d never been big on making out like this before. The flings she’d been with before had always kissed sloppily, their tongues stiff and demanding—eager to get to the ‘good part’. But Bernard caressed her tongue with his own until they were writhing together, pulling back now and then to flick against her lips teasingly before diving back in. His kisses were slow and sensual. Playful, like he was in no rush at all. Like he was exactly where he wanted to be. 

Despite the cold air, she felt overheated. She continued to mindlessly caress the points of his ears, the odd shape strangely enticing to her. She wanted to see them. She wanted to kiss them. She wanted to kiss a lot of parts of him. 

But this was just the start to their unusual relationship. 

Bernard obviously had no problems taking things slow and following her lead. She really appreciated that, because despite the wetness pooling between her thighs, she knew that she shouldn’t jump into this too hastily. She’d only just come to grips with his being an elf. She needed time to adjust. 

She pulled back and his lips reluctantly parted with hers. 

God, he was beautiful. His eyes were bright and piercing, brows tilted up in an absolutely sinful expression of longing. He was panting openly, clouds puffing into the air. And those lips —red and shiny. Swollen from their passion. 

Holly was sure her own face looked similarly debauched. “Wow," she said faintly, "you are good at that.”

He wheezed a short laugh, his composure coming back to him gradually. “You aren’t too bad yourself, there.”  

His hands slid onto her hips, wrapping long fingers around her waist in a looser embrace. Her own hands retreated, brushing his ears from tip to lobe as they fell away to land on his shoulders. His breathing stuttered and she recalled how flustered he’d gotten when she first started touching his ears. She tucked that knowledge away for later. 

She noticed her fingers were tangled again in some of the thick curls, but she twisted them loose easily enough, pulling one spiraled lock playfully and watching it bounce back into shape with a giggle. 

“I like your hair,” she sighed. “God, you’re so beautiful, Bernard.”

“I think you’re beautiful too, Holly," he chuckled before a cheeky expression came over him. "And your ears are adorable.”

“Wha—'adorable'? No they aren't!”

“Are you kidding me, they’re so cute! All round and little. Absolutely adorable.”

“Sheesh, you would think that, you elf ,” she snickered. 

He smirked, one hand coming up to tweak playfully at her ear. She squealed and wiggled out of his embrace, wobbly skating away to escape his ticklish touch. 

He laughed and skated after her, deliberately staying one step behind her as they started making a loop around the frozen lake together. 

Curtis pulled away from the playful nuzzling of the taller elf beside him, a sudden thought occurring to him. “I think I forgot my luhkka!”

“Can it wait till morning? I’m sure it’ll be fine til then.”

“No, no, it was a gift from my family when I first left home. I need to go get it!”

“Well, if you insist, I don’t mind walking back with you, my dear.”

“Oh, no, that’s okay. You go on up and get a fire started in the room for us so it’s nice and warm. I’ll be quick.”

Quintin gave him a quick squeeze around his middle, pecking him once on his round nose before stepping into the large ornate four story cottage and heading toward the elevators.  

Curtis stepped back out into the snow and turned towards the wide deserted path leading back to the lake. It was odd that'd he'd forgotten something so important; he was sure that he'd checked their kotatsu before they'd left, but he didn't remember seeing anything there. But where else could it have gone? Hm, maybe he'd just been too caught up in his conversation with Quintin to notice that he'd left it behind. 

After a lovely night skating and chatting and drinking, they'd decided to forgo the carriages and had taken a walk to the nearby rentals. They had decided to get a nice little room on the top floor for the night. Curtis was new to this and so was Quintin, so he had no real expectations, but they wanted to escape somewhere warm for the rest of the evening at least. The walk back to Downtown Nord was long and cold, after all. 

Curtis was 900 years old and Quintin was only 400 himself, but neither were too young for a casual fling. Elves usually reached maturity around 50, but as a species, they were so work focused that apprenticeships ensured romance and sexuality weren’t explored until they were 400-500 when most elves would be considered skilled enough to work independently. And then of course, elves didn’t usually become masters in their crafts until they reached the quadruple digits, so many elves didn’t make time for serious relationships until they were much, much older than Curtis. 

And yet here he was with a cocky young elf man, considering something more than just a one night rendezvous when he was at the busiest epoch of his career. It was downright irresponsible. Bernard would definitely scold him for wanting to waste time that could be used for work. 

Curtis and Quintin were probably one of the youngest couples at the North Pole, if not the youngest. Well, not a couple, of course. They could be friends, maybe even let things get physical when there was time, but Bernard wouldn't allow Curtis to divert any time towards a relationship when things were still so busy in the Workshop. And it wouldn't be fair to Quintin, either. He deserved all the care and attention of a proper relationship, not just half-assed trysts here and there speckling what would undoubtably be years of neglect. No, things just wouldn't work out.

But at least for tonight, he'd be able to spend as much time as he wished with the cheery R&D Head. Until work tomorrow, of course.  

Peering into the nearby carriages showed they were empty, the drivers retiring for the night after the last group was carted out. He’d have to walk again, but that was okay. It wasn’t too far. 

They'd made relatively good time walking the first time, he'd thought. Or maybe he’d been so lost in thinking about the exact shade of Quintin’s eyes and how similar it was to the needles on the pine trees they were walking by and had lost track of time. Either way, the walk back to the party site didn't take too long, Curtist soon finding himself at the kotatsu pits near the forest. 

And there on the table closest to the tree line was his luhkka! Weird. That wasn't even the same kotatsu they'd been sitting at. 

He ran to grab it when an unexpected voice stopped him in his tracks. 

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite little elf!”

“Jack!”

Jack, indeed. The legendary figure stood just beyond the tree line, strutting down the foot path like he hadn’t a care in the world. 

Curtis picked up his forgotten luhkka and pulled it over his head before joining Jack on the path. “You missed the party, I’m afraid. Everyone’s already gone home.”

“Not everyone,” Jack said coyly. 

Curtis laughed lightly. “Oh, I just came back to grab my luhkka.”

“Not exactly what I meant, but I’m sure we’ll get there,” Jack quipped, a frosted brow primly arched. Curtis opened his mouth, confusion tinting his face, but Jack plowed on. “Anyways! Your what-a now?”

Curtis blinked at the mercurial legend. “My luhkka! See?” He lifted the edge of it to show Jack, who sneered in distaste. 

“Charming little outfit, I’m sure. You said you 'came back' for it?”

“Yeah, from the cottages. I’m just heading back there now, actually. Quintin and I are renting for the night,” he said, affection creeping into his voice as he pictured the charming elf waiting by the fire for him. 

Jack smiled, delighted. “That’s certainly a development! So you’re an item now?”

“Well, no, not exactly.” His feet shuffled along as he tried to keep up with Jack’s long strides. “Elves in our position don’t have time for serious relationships like that.”

“Well, some obviously do. Otherwise, there’d be no point to a Valentine's Party, would there?” Jack pointed out. 

They were reaching the top of the hill now, Jack’s gait slowing so Curtis could catch up. 

“Sure, but those elves are older, set in their careers like Judy. Elves my age can’t afford to waste time on stuff like that,” Curtis explained matter-of-factly. “Bernard would agree with me. Romance should be the least of my worries right now.”

Jack stopped walking, suddenly whirling around to face Curtis. They were at the highest point on the path now, but it was hard to see past the misty frost that hung over the snowy landscape. "That's too bad! You and Quintin would make just the cutest couple."

"Oh," he blushed, "you think so?"

Jack hummed his assent. “Bernard is old enough, though, isn’t he? Arch Elf that he is,” he sneered, “there must not be anymore career goals to even achieve at his level, right?” The legend straightened, arms behind his back as he considered the little elf before him with a mischievous grin. 

“Well, I mean, technically he could, but-“

“So it probably makes sense then for Old Man Bernie to be cozying up with his human honey. He must not be as busy as I thought.”

Curtis sighed, exasperated. “We’ve already been over this, Jack! Bernard isn’t interested in some nasty human.”

“Everyone needs a tender touch now and then, Curt-o.”

“Not everyone,” he shrugged.

Jack’s icy stare bore down on him. “So Bernie isn’t interested in that sort of thing, then?”

“Well, no, he is!” Curtis stumbled, trying to follow along with Jack's rapid fire responses. “I know he’s been seen with a few elves before, but just casually, you know? It's not just an age thing, he's insanely busy! We both are..." he trailed off, realizing that yes, in fact it really wasn't just an age thing. The Head Elf would always have more responsibility than anyone else in the Workshop. And Curtis, potentially in line to be Number Two someday, was signing up for the exact same sort of life. The thought that he most likely wouldn't have time for a relationship until hundreds, maybe thousands of years from now was sobering. Sighing at that depressing line of thought, he continued, "There’s no way Bernard would get seriously involved with someone, especially now when our Santa isn’t here. We have so much work we have to do—we’re barely keeping up. I’m stressed to my limit most days and I know he is too.” 

Jack’s fingers twirled subtly behind his back, frost in the air condensing onto the tips as the air in front of them started to clear. “Well, kid, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but your boss is currently canoodling with that human as we speak,” he purred. 

Curtis tilted his head, taken aback at Jack’s declaration. “What are you talking about?”

“See for yourself!” He inclined his head to something in the distance. 

Just then, the icy fog completely lifted enough to give them a clear look down at the frozen lake. And there, locked in a passionate kiss, were Bernard and the human. 

Curtis' stomach sank. 

He couldn’t believe it. Bernard was kissing a human ? Of all creatures, he’d lower himself to that ? Curtis felt his lip curl in mild disgust at the sight. 

“Doesn’t seem fair, does it?” the chilling voice of the winter spirit cooed. 

Curtis couldn’t take his eyes off them. The longer it went on, the more his lips pulled down into an ugly grimace. “What doesn’t seem fair?” he asked distractedly, still watching as the kiss deepened. 

“Why, that you would agonize over whether you should get to see your new beau because of how busy you are, when for days Bernie here has been blowing off work to spend time with that .” Jack tsk’d in exaggerated sympathy. “It just isn’t right , if you ask me. Downright hypocritical , even.”

As Curtis watched the two figures still locked in a lover’s embrace down on the lake, he saw a tinge of red color the scene in his mind. His eyes narrowed as the human laughed and skated away, Bernard chasing after her, his own laugh ringing out into the night. 

Curtis had never heard the Head Elf laugh before. 

“You’re right, Jack. That isn’t fair. Not at all .” 

Chapter Text

Bernard and Holly giggled as they fell through his open doorway into the foyer. The stolen kisses they shared while ice skating had left a lingering giddiness that followed them back to the house. She made to skip further into the room when he pulled her back by the sleeve, playfully wrapping her up in his arms and nuzzling her cheeks as she squealed. 

“Take your cloak off, you animal! Where’s your manners?” he growled, a wide smirk half hidden in Holly’s hair. 

“How will I keep warm then?” she retorted, a challenging gleam in her eye. Her arms wrapped loosely around his middle as she leaned into him.

“I can keep you plenty warm myself,” he retorted, pulling the cloak from her shoulders and stepping out of her embrace. Her cheeks were aglow as he hung it up in the closet beside the entrance. 

This was insane. The air between them was heady with the thrill of their confessions. They had spent the better part of an hour skating around, playing tag, and kissing all the way. 

He was a really, really good kisser. Which made complete sense knowing how old he actually was—he must have so much experience. She felt her ears burn at this line of thinking. It was kind of intimidating to consider just how much he knew. How much he’d lived.

She gulped and put it out of mind. 

As far as his experience went, the only thing she needed to think about for now was his kisses. She was still resolute about that. She really, really liked Bernard. She wanted to take this slow and enjoy the ride; it was only just starting, after all. 

His hand reached for his hat, stopping short when he noticed her faraway look. “Hey, why don’t you get the fire going again? I’m gonna grab us some drinks.”

She snapped back into focus, blinking at him tiredly. “More drinks, huh?”

“I was thinking some wine this time if you’re up for it.”

Holly’s brows lowered as she thought about it. Wine was nice. A good way to end the night, especially since she was staying there. 

On the way back, she’d yawned one too many times and he’d suggested she crash at his place for the night. She’d agreed on the condition that she could use his shower as well, and he’d conceded easily, laughing at her renewed energy from the promise of a hot shower and warm bed. 

Hey, who could blame her? She hadn’t had the luxury of either in months. 

But now, at the offer of wine, something occurred to her that she should have realized earlier. They had been stealing kisses and tender embraces for over an hour now. He’d invited her to stay with him. She’d asked to use his shower. Now he wanted them to drink wine.

Maybe she was giving him the wrong impression here. 

“Um, well,” she stuttered, mortified at the possible misunderstanding. “I’m not so sure about wine, actually.”

“I’ve got other things if you’d prefer something else,” he shrugged, busy straightening the different coats and other odds and ends in the closet. 

Oh, boy. She was just gonna have to say it, wasn’t she? “Look, Bernard. I really like you and all—“ she paused, unsure how to proceed. 

He looked over his shoulder at her. “Are you ending things already? That must be a record for me,” he said, watching her struggle curiously with an amused grin tugging his lips. 

“No! It’s not that. It’s just, well…” she tried again, hands wringing together. “It’s just that I want to take things slow, y’know?”

He blinked. “Okay? That’s fine, we can go whatever pace you want.”

She sighed, relieved. “I’m sorry if I misled you saying I’d stay over. It just doesn’t seem like the right time to jump into something like that, is all.”

His chin tilted up, mouth forming a silent ‘oh’ as realization sunk in. He shook his head at her apology as he turned to face her fully. “You didn’t mislead me, Holly Jolly. I had no expectations, I promise. I just thought since it was so late, I’d save you the trip all the way out to your camp, that's all.”

Holly's face went beet red. So then he really had genuinely been offering to let her sleep at his house. Just sleep.

“But I thought,” she said, “the wine—“

“An honest offer to relax!” he exclaimed, shrugging with a light laugh. “Look, I agree, it’s too soon. Let’s just take things easy for now.”

Oops. He hadn’t misunderstood—in fact, she was the one who had misunderstood. “Oh, right. Yeah, no, that's great! Just perfect. Sorry, I just thought...” she mumbled, looking away. “Uh, nevermind. God, I could die right now.”

“Please, don’t,” he snorted. “It’s fine, really. It’s good to establish anyways. We would have had to talk about it at some point, right?”

“…Yeah, true.” She felt a little better that he hadn't seemed bothered by her assumptions, but her cheeks still tingled in lingering embarrassment. 

“So… wine? Yea or nay?” 

“Yea!” she chirped, “I’ll go get that fire going!” She turned on her heel and rushed to the den, looking over her shoulder briefly with shy eyes. He faced the closet again, pulling his hat off his head and placing it on the top shelf of the closet. She had to avert her eyes before she could get a good look, however, coming to the step leading into the den area. She hopped down and scurried over to the fireplace with butterflies dancing in her stomach. 

Wine and kisses. What a night! 

She was glad he’d agreed to take things slow. Her feelings already ran deeper than any she’d ever had before. He’d all but told her that he was going to fall in love with her—which was apparently an elf thing—but she had no obligation to return his feelings. She already knew that it would be impossible not to, though. She fell for him more every time she saw him. He was right; what they had could be really special someday. 

And complicated. Obviously the rest of the elves, sans Judy and Belle, didn’t know about her. She didn’t know how common it was for elves and humans to date, but she guessed not very. But there would be time for those questions later. For now, she wanted to enjoy his company and maybe finally get a look at those ears of his. She’d been unbearably curious to see what they looked like properly, not just in the pictures. 

She stoked the fire back to life, adding a couple more logs from the pile beside the fireplace. 

She heard Bernard enter the den behind her, footsteps heading over to the couch and the sound of two glasses being placed on the fold out table they’d used before. Once the fire was sufficiently caught, she stood. Her eye caught on the pictures above the mantle again, examining them with a new perspective now. 

Judy and Belle were in many of the black and white pictures. There was one other elf woman that also made a regular appearance, but mostly in the more recent looking ones, although even those looked like they were taken before Holly was born. 

She zeroed in on the portrait of what she now supposed was a very young Bernard, curls piled high on his little head with big eyes and bigger ears. 

Absolutely adorable. 

He’d been an incredibly cute kid; although, knowing how young Judy and Belle looked at first glance, she wondered if he really was a kid here. He was obviously an adult now, but why wasn’t he as short as the others? Judy and Belle had adult bodies, but perhaps they were just much younger than Bernard and elves eventually got taller with age. The way Bernard talked about her, Judy was certainly hundreds of years old at least, but what did that mean exactly for elves? 

Whatever age he was in the portrait, he was a cutie, that was for sure. 

A picture flashed in her mind of a baby with his dark curls and her eyes, and her heart almost stopped at that intrusive image. 

He’d said kids probably weren’t in the cards for him. She wondered why that was, but didn’t feel like it was right to just come out and ask. Considering their new status and recent talk on one day being intimate though, it seemed like it might be relevant. Not now, of course. But someday, perhaps. 

“That reminds me—I need to eventually put this in a frame,” he said, walking up from behind her and setting a loose photo on the mantle, letting it lean against the other framed pictures. “Instant cameras are one of my favorite inventions of the past century. Handy.”

The picture he’d placed was of him earlier today, judging by the still lit party decorations and full food table. He was standing beside that elf woman that Holly didn’t recognize in the other pictures and a darker skinned elf with a big smile lifting a mug of cocoa proudly towards the camera. 

“Who are they?”

“Betty and Noel. Betty is sort of a protégée of mine, I guess you could say. Noel’s her partner.”

“They look like a nice couple.”

“They’re disgusting, really. So sweet they’ll give you cavities if you’re around them too long,” he chuckled. 

She could see that his head was bare from the corner of her eye and turned to face him. His profile was as handsome as ever, but with no hat to contain them, his curls ran in wild ringlets haloing his face. A flash of something pointy and skin colored within the locks made her eyes widen, but before she could really comprehend what she was seeing, he stepped back a few feet, examining the mantle display in full. She forced her attention back to the pictures as well. The new photo blended in seamlessly, although it could do with a nice frame like the others. 

“So is Betty the one you’re training to take over someday?”

“No, that’s Curtis. I don’t think I have any pictures of him, actually.”

“Just a colleague, then?”

“Yeah, that’s probably how I’d describe him. I wouldn’t say we’re close. He gets on my nerves like no one else, honestly. Always slowing me down and asking questions about every little thing.”

“Why’d you pick him to take over if he’s such a pain then?”

“Technically, I haven’t yet. He’s still in a trial period. But he isn’t a pain , exactly. He’s smart, y’know? Lots of potential. He could be greater than me someday if he works hard,” he said, a note of admiration coloring his tone. “He’s as cocky as a partridge in a pear tree, but not for nothing. He made Department Head when he was 700 years old—that’s young for a position that high up, by our standards at least.”

“Sounds like you do like him,” she teased, noticing that a log in the fire wasn't catching like it should. She reached down to grab the poker and adjust the logs. 

“Huh,” he started, a long contemplative pause following. “Y’know, I actually think I do. I guess he’s kinda grown on me over the past few years.”

“Maybe he should have a picture up here too then, huh?”

“Hmm, maybe.” 

“So then where does Betty fit in?” she questioned, placing the poker down again and she examining the pictures once more with a particular interest in the stiff looking elf woman with the sensible bun. 

“Ah, well I’d sort of taken her under my wing when she was an elfling—“

“Elfling? Oh my god, is that a baby elf?” she questioned, suddenly excited as she looked at the painted portrait of a younger Bernard. ‘Elfling’ was too fitting. 

“Uh, yeah—“

“Holy shit, that’s such a cute way to say that.”

“Holly,” his voice was flat. 

“Sorry, sorry! Go on,” she giggled. 

He snorted, giving away how charmed he actually was by her enthusiasm. Hey, at least she wasn’t panicking anymore. He was probably just as glad at that as she was.  

“Right, so Betty’s father was my predecessor, Raj. I told you about him.” His hand gripped her shoulder suddenly, warmth radiating between them where his front almost touched her back. His other hand appeared over her shoulder, pointing at a portrait of an olive skinned elf on the far left of the mantle. She nodded, sobering at the reminder of Bernard’s dearly departed boss. “We were really close. Raj’s wife—Betty’s mother—passed away not long after she was born. Then Raj passed soon after that.” He let out a deep sigh. “So I ended up looking after Betty.”

He let go of her, turning and walking away from the mantle, but she continued to look over the pictures, examining the different shots of the serious elf woman and comparing them to the portrait of Raj. They had the same eyes, she thought. 

“You adopted her?”

“No, I didn’t raise her. I just checked in on her, made sure she had everything she needed, things like that. We didn’t get close until she became an adult, really. I look out for her even now.” His voice had a familiar note in it that she usually only encountered when he was in ‘Saint Bernard’ mode and would fret over something small or silly—usually their schedule. “Although, she can definitely look out for herself. I’m not sure she ever really needed me. Betty’s always been such an independent little elf,” he chuckled. Holly tilted her head at his explanation, realizing what she heard in his voice was concern. 

In the loose picture, Betty stood with her arms behind her back, the same position she’d seen Bernard in dozens of times since knowing him. In fact, most every picture of Betty had her posed in a way that looked so familiar it brought a smile to Holly’s face. Betty may not be blood related, but Holly could see Bernard’s influence in the way she carried herself. 

“Sounds an awful lot like dad behavior to me,” she pointed out warmly.

A short hum sounded behind her, Bernard pausing a long moment before replying. “I love Betty dearly. Maybe not quite as a daughter, but definitely something close to it.”

Holly could tell. The way he spoke about Betty was very different from how he spoke about Judy or Belle or Curtis. He was definitely concerned for her—her well-being and happiness. If things continued between Holly and him, she’d probably end up meeting Betty too. The thought was daunting. Betty seemed like she was much more serious than Judy and Belle, and while she knew Bernard took his friend’s opinions seriously, something told her that what Betty thought of her would really, really matter to him. 

Whether Bernard wanted to admit it or not, Betty was practically his daughter. Hopefully when the time came, she’d make a good impression.

Holly inhaled and stepped away from the mantle after giving the fire one last look over. She turned back to her—Bernard. 

She still didn’t know what to call him. She’d have to talk to him about that. 

He was sitting wide legged on the couch, one arm hung over the back with a glass of red wine in the other hand. And of course, he didn’t have a hat on. His curls were even more voluminous than she thought, wild and wonderful. They framed his face so well, accentuating his sharp jawline. 

And out from that mass of dark curls stuck two little ear tips. 

She couldn’t take her eyes off them, walking over to join him on the couch. She sat down, a whoosh of breath leaving her. Judy and Belle’s ears had also caught her eye, but she’d tried very hard not to stare at them. A lot about them was different from what she was used to seeing; she didn’t want to be rude. But it was mystifying to see Bernard’s ears bare. 

She’d imagined them loads of times, he made it a point to hide them after all, so naturally she had been curious. And of course, in her imaginings she’d always pictured round ears—maybe ones that stuck out or were damaged in some way to explain his secrecy. She’d never pictured them like this. 

As she stared, they twitched. Her eyes widened and she gulped, a question at the front of her mind. She looked over at his eyes to gauge his reaction to her blatant fascination and found him watching her amusedly. 

Well, at least he wasn’t offended. Maybe she could get away with being a little more forward, then. “Can I... touch them?” 

“Sure, you already did before, remember?”

She blushed at the reminder of their kiss. 

She lifted a hand to push his curls away from his face and ear, bringing her other hand up to help pin them in place when it became clear just how thick his hair really was. He chuckled and pulled his hair up out of the way himself so she could have free hands to explore. 

Elf ears. He had elf ears. Feeling them was one thing, but seeing them made the whole thing feel a lot more real. They fit his face so much better than any ears she could have imagined; whatever it was about his face that made it seem not quite human was accentuated by the sweeping pointed peaks. 

They curved up and out into a delicate little point, and the biologist in her couldn’t help wondering just how much it helped functionally. She’d noted before just how much better his hearing was than hers. This would definitely explain why. 

She traced the edge with a finger, bringing her thumb up to gently rub the tip like she had before. 

“Mm…” he hummed shortly before cutting off the noise with a sigh. 

Aha! Just as she thought. 

She grinned at the flush spreading down underneath the shadow on his lower face and to his neck. She eyed the slight stubble, once again noting how out of place it was on Bernard's usually smooth cheeks. “Are you growing your beard out?” she asked flippantly. 

“We can’t grow beards,” he replied, still dazed from her ministrations. 

“But you can grow stubble?”

“No. No body hair of any kind.”

She released his ear and curiously brought her hand to his cheek instead. He let his hair fall and turned more to face her. She rubbed her hand over his jaw, the tell tale rough of new hair growing in making her pause. 

“So why do you have this then?”

“Have what?” He seemed genuinely confused by her questions. 

She grabbed one of his hands and brought it up to his face, urging him to feel for himself. He rubbed his cheek, a strangely disturbed expression on his face. 

He stood abruptly and walked hurriedly over to the mirror on the far wall, staring hard at his reflection. He squinted at the shadow on his face, lip curling in disgust. "What is this?” he whispered harshly. 

“I think it looks nice!" she chirped, thinking how handsome he would be with a light beard. "Makes you look rugged.”

“Elves aren’t supposed to look rugged," he said harshly. "This isn’t right.”

Holly was thrown by this turn in their conversation. Bernard seemed very upset by the revelation that he could grow facial hair, and she wasn’t sure how to react. Was it really such a bad thing? He must have noticed the look on her face in the mirror because his posture changed drastically, straightening up and taking on a more neutral expression. 

“It’s… probably nothing to worry about.” His smile was a tad forced as he turned away from the mirror altogether. “Let’s just have our drinks and relax.”

“Okay…” she agreed, still unsure how to handle the situation. Was this... like an emergency? Should she leave? Get help? “Are you sure it’s alright that I stay here? I don’t mind going back to camp for the night if you’re not feeling up to company anymore. Or I can, I don't know, go get Judy?” she offered, trying to throw out options. What does one do when their elven maybe-boyfriend suddenly grew hair where he shouldn't?

He waved her concern away, apparently set on moving past the whole thing. Although, she could tell from the stress lines around his eyes that whatever it was about his new stubble that had spooked him was serious. More serious than he wanted to let on. “No, no," he insisted, "it’s fine, really. I'm sure it's nothing. Anyways, it’s late, so you might as well stay," Holly opened her mouth, but Bernard beat her to the punch, "I want you to stay. It lets me get some use out of the guest rooms for once, so it’s a win-win.”

Alright, he obviously wanted to drop it. Whatever the problem was, it must not be anything immediately threatening.

“Speaking of wins, I still get that shower, right?” she redirected, mood brightening at the thought of properly cleaning up for the first time since arriving in the arctic. 

He chuckled. “‘Course. You’re free to use my shower anytime you want, Holly Jolly. I won’t make you go back to just cold rags.” 

“Much appreciated, good sir!” she giggled. 

He rejoined her on the couch, picking up his glass and taking a long sip. She followed suit. The wine wasn’t exactly to her tastes but she hadn’t had a drink in ages, so she didn’t mind. The slight burn of alcohol warmed her chest and made her lean back further into the plush couch. 

With wine on her tongue, she decided it would be a good time to ask some questions she’d been holding onto all night. 

“So besides the ears, is there any real difference between a human and an elf?” she asked. Elves in a lot of fantasy were known for being beautiful and regal, but the kind of elves that Sa—hm, that the North Pole should have were supposed to be small, right? Judy and Belle were short, but she somehow pictured those kinds of elves as even smaller. As for Bernard, she couldn't really see what set him apart from a human besides the ears. There was something there, of course, something otherworldly and strange. Inhuman, for sure. But she couldn't quite put her finger on it except that he was just very, very pretty. 

He hummed, thinking as he took another sip. After he swallowed, he replied, “Well, there’s a few key things.” He swirled his wine, looking pensively out the window. “Humans are pretty short lived compared to us. Elves typically live around 5-6000 years on average," he looked pained to say this aloud and Holly found herself also trying hard not to think about the implications of that. "Elves also have magic throughout their whole lives, whereas humans only have magic when they’re children.”

“Wha—we do?” she asked, bewildered. 

“Yeah," he blinked away his melancholy, suddenly revitalized at this switch in topic, "that’s what this whole thing is for! Well, that and just general good will. Human children share their magic with whatever they believe in.”

“But the magic goes away when we grow up…?” she asked, looking at her hands thoughtfully. 

“Yep, it’s just how humans work."

"How come?"

"No specific reason," he shook his head. "Some species just lose their magic once they reach maturity. Sludgewugs, uh, they're a kind of frog-like people—they also lose their magic when they grow up. And then their are species who don't become magical until they reach adulthood, y'know, like elephants." That threw her for a loop, but Bernard didn't seem to notice. "Anyways, elves are magic no matter what stage of life we're in. It's probably the biggest difference between our species. And we look sort of different from humans too, not just the ears.”

She looked up at him at that. “I guess? I don't know, you guys seem pretty human-like to me."

Locks bounced as he shook his head. "You just aren't used to seeing us as we are yet. Your brain is filling in blanks to make us look less... off-putting and scary," he flashed a smile at her with just a hint of too-sharp teeth. "That'll wear off the more time you spend around us, though."

Sweat dripped down her neck thinking about that. "You aren't gonna turn blue or something, are you?"

"Nothing as major as that!" he chuckled, "But you'll be able to see more and more differences as time goes on. They're subtle."

"And those differences are... scary?" she tentatively asked. Was he actually some kind of monster and her brain was just too freaked out to see it?

"Well, not to me, obviously, it's just my normal. But humans usually find them to be... uncanny, I guess is the word?"

Now, that made sense. She already got that vibe from him a lot. Sometimes when she looked at Bernard, he just didn't look quite right. He was still beautiful, of course, but whatever it was about his features that were distinctly elven made a part of her brain light up and say 'that's not human, danger, danger'. She got the same feeling from Judy and Belle as well. Which reminded her, "Oh by the way, I meant to ask you why you look so different from Judy and Belle. I mean, you're just a lot taller than they are, so are most elves that short or do they just happen to be little people elves?”

“No, actually, my kind doesn’t normally get this tall until around our 3000s. But since I’m Head Elf, I’ve spent a lot of time out in the human world running errands for the big guy. Being in magic dead zones like that saps the magic out of an elf and makes them physically look older than they are. For elves, aging just means growing a little taller, no wrinkles. If I actually looked my age, I'd probably be as short as Judy is.”

She thought about the pictures on the mantle where Bernard was much smaller than he is now. That's how he was supposed to look? Her brows twisted as she struggled to keep up with this new information. So, he physically looked like an elf twice his age. Was the change purely cosmetic or... “So, does that mean that you’re…” she couldn’t quite find the words to voice her question in a delicate way. "I mean, you said that elves only live to 6000, right? So..."

Luckily Bernard seemed to know exactly what she was thinking. “We don’t know for sure if life expectancy for elves who experience this is shortened or not. It’s kind of a new phenomenon. When we get very old the silver sparkles on our cheeks naturally turn golden with age. We’ve observed that when an elf experiences too much rapid magic loss in the human world, their sparkles change and they’re dead within a year, where normally they would have a good 1000 years left after turning golden. It’s the only conclusive thing we can say about it for now. Me and a few others are the first guinea pigs for what happens with built up exposure, though.” His face was conspicuously blank as he explained, which told Holly that he must be more bothered by it than he wanted to show. 

“God, that must be so terrifying,” she whispered. “Is that why you’re so concerned about the stubble?”

His eyes tensed, mouth downturned in a grimace at the reminder of his facial hair. “That’s not supposed to happen. Magic sapping or no. My species of elf doesn’t grow facial hair, no matter what age we get.”

Once again she was unsure how to comfort him. This was obviously a serious matter, but she couldn’t really do much in the way of offering solutions. She was very, very new to this world. Maybe a change of topic, then?

“Your species of elf? So then, there’s other kinds of elves?” She grabbed his hand and squeezed, trying to offer some form of comfort despite not fully understanding.  

He snapped out of his worried thoughts, bringing his focus back to her and their joined hands. “Yeah, there’s a few. My kind is the most common. Usually the big guy is another kind, though.”

She appreciated him avoiding saying his boss’s name. The thought of that, of him , was too much right now. She knew who he was, but she just wasn’t ready for that part of Bernard’s world just yet. Her brain still felt foggy when she thought about it. 

“So what’s the other kind like?”

“They're called The Panes. Olde Aelfs—immortals. Humans used to call them high elves. They’re also magical, but way more so than common elves.”

“So, wait. They don’t die? Ever?”

“Many of The Panes have chosen to pass beyond this realm to the higher plane, but no they can never die.” Holly looked completely overwhelmed. “Uh, this is kind of heavy stuff, huh? Maybe we should talk about something else.”

“Yeah," she agreed, face slowly regaining it's lost color, "right, good call. Sorry, this is just a lot.” He rubbed a thumb over the back of her hand soothingly while she gathered her thoughts. “Okay, um. So you said you’re the Head Elf? What’s that mean, exactly? Belle said you were in charge, but wouldn’t that be S—your boss?”

“It’s like I told you before, we’ve got a new boss who’s away right now while he gets his affairs in order. He’s human actually—it’s a new arrangement we’re trying. Long story, don’t ask. Before him, the title of Head Elf was for our boss. But well, since the new guy isn’t an elf, the title was passed on to me a few decades ago so I'd be able to help him adjust. My job hasn’t really changed much, though. It’s just a title.”

“So basically, you’re in charge for now?”

“Right.”

“Wow. No wonder you’re so high strung.”

“Watch it.”

The evening passed smoothly from there. Holly had a million questions, but Bernard didn’t seem to mind, answering every one patiently. 

“Are you actually Russian?”

“I am, yeah. I was born in a small Russian elf village, but I came here when I was about 20 or 30–still a kid by elf standards. I haven’t left since.” 

They continued slowly drinking their wine, tongues loose and hands soft, wrapped up in each other on the couch. 

“How do the trees grow? Is there ground below the ice here?”

“No, no ground. It’s just a magical place.”

Her mouth twisted as she considered that answer. 

“What is magic, exactly? Is it a force?”

“Yeah, pretty much. It’s just an objective force that acts on and through certain things in this world. You may be an adult now, but you still should instinctively know what it is and how it works.”

Something long forgotten warmed in her thoughts and several quick flashes of her childhood shuffled in her mind—a beloved toy, a trusted friend, pinkie swears, parties, and the scent of rain. “Yeah… I do, actually. God, this is so weird.”

“You’ll get used to it.” His hand squeezed her knee in comfort. 

At some point, the glasses had been put away and Bernard had laid back on the couch, settling deep in the cushions. Holly was half draped on him, laying between the back of the couch and his warm body. Her left leg was tangled up in his, pelvis snug against his hip while her top half cuddled with his. 

She had been partially sitting up before, but the lull in conversation and the wine warming her belly made her relax into his loose embrace. She laid her head on his chest while her left hand played with the curls that lay next to her face, their springy texture endlessly fascinating to her in her slightly tipsy state. 

“Bernard? Can I ask you a question?”

“You’ve been asking questions all evening, Holly Jolly.”

“This one’s different,” she insisted with a huff and eye roll. 

He hummed a soft laugh. “Let’s hear it, then.”

“We’re together, right?” 

She felt his head shift to look down at her still laying on his chest. 

“I really hope so. I’d like to be.”

She smiled and snuggled further into his arms, her face burying itself in the curls beside his neck. She breathed in deep, savoring that piney nutmeg scent of his. “Me too,” she murmured. 

“Great. That's settled, then.” Amusement colored his voice. “Anything else?”

She nuzzled his neck with the tip of her nose, tracing shapes in his smooth skin. She felt him shudder, his breath catching at the sensation. “What can I call you? I think we’re too old for boyfriends and girlfriends—you, especially!” she giggled. 

“Ha, ha, very funny. ‘Significant other’?”

“Ehh, I don’t think we’re there yet. Too much implication, y’know?”

“Yeah, I see your point. How about ‘partner’?”

“Hmm, I guess so. Technically we’re work partners, but I don't know. It seems like it’s not quite enough to describe what you are to me.”

He turned his head, angling it so they could be face to face. Her eyes lifted from his curls to that piercing gaze of his. 

“You’re my sweetheart.”

Her heart thudded in her chest at the tender look he sent her way as he said that. Those dark eyes would be the death of her. 

He was so unbelievably beautiful. Now, having seen others of his species, she understood that elves were quite lovely in general. But Bernard was especially attractive to her, his big brown eyes and dark curls driving her wild. Anytime he shot her that smug smirk of his after a biting remark, her stomach fluttered. He was a pain sometimes and could honestly be such an asshole about a lot of things, especially when working together, but she wouldn’t change anything about him. 

What she just couldn’t understand, though, was what he saw in her. Plain, human Holly. She didn’t think she was particularly unattractive, but compared to Judy and Belle? There was no contest. She really just couldn’t compare. 

“But why?”

“Why are you my sweetheart? Well, to be honest, I thought it was what you wanted,” he teased. 

“No, I mean, why me? I’m so… ordinary. Human. If the rest of the elves in your village are as gorgeous as Judy and Belle, then I can’t understand why you’d want to be with me.”

“Holly,” he sighed, ruffling her hair. “I know you have a hard time taking what I say at face value without worrying, but please, believe me when I say you are so incredibly beautiful to me. Okay? Don’t think you aren’t.” He pressed his lips to her hair. “I don’t want anyone else but you, I promise.” She felt his lips stretch into a smile as he breathed her in. 

Her heart thumped at hearing that endearment again. The worried lines on her forehead smoothed, a calm coming over her at his reassurance. 

“Yeah, okay. Sweethearts. And partners.” She shifted her body up and over his more, her mouth hovering above his. Both pairs of eyes were lidded with a shared contentment, lips coming closer together. 

“To start. And we’ll just see where it goes from there, okay?” he murmured against her lips. 

She inhaled his sweet scent, nose softly nuzzling his own. 

“Okay, sounds good,” she whispered before pressing her lips down against his. 

He immediately reciprocated, bringing his hands up to cup her cheeks. Her face was somewhat tingly from the alcohol, but she felt every soft pass of his lips as they caressed hers. His thumb brushed her cheek and she sighed happily into his mouth. 

Her hands tangled in the ends of his curls, arms still keeping her propped up on his chest. She readjusted to deepen their kiss, brushing her tongue against his bottom lip. A waft of peppermint hit her face as he chuckled at her eagerness. His hands slipped into her hair and gently massaged the back of her head, angling her into a better position as he slipped his tongue into her mouth. 

She only distantly noticed that she was completely on top of him now, their kiss getting rougher and faster as their hands started wandering over each other. She raked her nails softly down his clothed chest, feeling the sharp angles and hard planes there with much enthusiasm. His hands slid over her shoulders and down her curves until they firmly grasped her hips, bringing her awareness to the wetness that pooled at the juncture between her legs. Her body rocked unconsciously trying to ease the sensation. He groaned when she pushed her pelvis down into his own, the outline of something long and hard providing wonderfully sweet friction. 

She writhed on top of him, kisses becoming sloppy. The groans and grunts he made were lovely and masculine, shooting pleasure straight to her core. Her hips dragged sensually across his lap, the feeling of his desire straining against his pants sending her mind into a haze of lust. 

“Holly. Sweetheart.”

Oh god, she could love this man. This elf. She wanted to. So badly. 

“We’ve been drinking, Holly. We shouldn’t.”

That sounded like hesitation to her. Her brain struggled to regain some semblance of control as she pulled back to look him in the eye. He looked out of control himself, honestly. His curls were splayed in every direction and his dark eyes were clouded with desire. She had never seen a more enticing sight. 

“You said you wanted to go slow, remember?”

She did remember. She’d had a little too much wine and gotten carried away. But he’d stopped it, because he knew she wanted to wait. God, she really could love him. 

“Yeah,” she exhaled. “Yeah, you’re right. Sorry.”

“No need to apologize.” He leaned up and recaptured her lips in a slower, sweeter kiss before smoothing her hair down and helping her lean back. “I think it might be time for bed, anyways. How about I make up the fire in the guest room and you can go get that shower?”

“Okay,” she replied groggily. 

He chastely kissed her one more time, before rising and offering his hand to help her up off the couch. 

They headed upstairs and he showed her his personal bathroom, attached to his bedroom. It was too dark for her to get a good look, but she did notice the large plush bed and dark oaken furniture that matched the general aesthetic of his house. 

His bathroom was spacious and clean, a large bathtub in the corner that tempted her severely. But she was just too tired to bother and ultimately drug herself over to his large standing shower. It was nice, the glass walls giving her plenty of room to move about. The hot water was perfectly lovely, the pressure just right on her sore body. She moaned at finally being able to get fully clean in a real shower, spending a long time just standing beneath the hot spray. 

She used the products on the shelves, curiously noting the outlandish ingredients and packaging that marketed it for ‘elves with curly to coily type hair’. Everything had a fresh light scent. She expected the products to smell more, perhaps like something she hadn’t smelled before, but they really didn’t smell like much at all. 

She finished washing off and stepped out into the plush red rug. She opened the cabinet near the tub and found towels and other extra toiletries. She dried off and took a look at herself in his large gold framed mirror above the double sink. 

She looked the same as she always had, but she felt very different, somehow. Logically she knew she would look no different now than before, but with the revelation she’d had that elves and magic were real—as real as she was—she somehow expected that she’d be changed externally just the way she had been changed internally. 

But no. The same old Holly stared back at her, looking overwhelmed and tired, but more happy than she’d ever seen herself. 

The clothes Bernard had left for her on the corner of the sink caught her eye. A soft light green tunic and some loose matching pants. His clothes, obviously, but not day wear. Pajamas, she guessed. She pulled them on, hugging herself to feel the silky texture all over her skin. They were much too big, but damn, they were comfy! 

He was waiting for her when she stepped out and he led her to a room across the hall from his own. The fire cast a soft glow on the guest room, sparsely furnished with a dark oak nightstand and chest of drawers. The bed looked inviting, all made up with a thick golden comforter and plush cream pillows. She tiredly trudged over and collapsed in it, a groan of relief leaving her as she was enveloped in the soft blankets. 

Bernard chuckled and arranged her legs so that they were under the covers before pulling them up to cover the rest of her. She peeked an eye out at him, mumbling a quiet “Thank you, Bernard.” before her eyes slipped shut again. 

He smiled softly at her, his hands smoothing a crease on the top blanket. “You’re welcome, Holly. Good night.”

“Mm, g’night.”

He slipped out into the hallway, shutting the door quietly behind him before heading to his own room to sleep—the sweet human across the hall starring in all his dreams. 

Chapter Text

(February 16th)

Holly blinked curiously at the crisp parchment stuck to her tent entrance. If she hadn’t seen it appear in a burst of sparkles herself, she’d be worried there was some rogue mailperson lurking in the tundra. 

She lifted it away from the tent and noticed a familiar medal pinned to her tent underneath the letter. 

Bernard’s hat thingy—the gold medal with the ribbon!

He had a few different ones, actually; he would dress up his signature green beret to match whatever outfit he wore that particular day. The gold one was a favorite of his for sure, though, judging by how often he wore it. It had a red ribbon splayed like a comet tail and the golden inscription displayed a decorative ‘AA’ in the middle.

Maybe he used it to send the letter just now? She was still kind of unsure of how magic worked exactly, but he’d mentioned yesterday morning when they were riding back to her camp, that he could teleport anywhere he wanted so long as his magic had a tether to another magical source to pull on. This source could be Dancer, his boss, another elf, a special object, anything magical basically.  

He’d been in a rush trying to drop her off quickly so he could return to the Workshop before it got too late in the day; he was already running late since they’d slept in and had a slow breakfast that morning. Man, those pancakes were to die for. 

He must have planted the medal there to have an easier way to get to and from her camp. Or to send letters instead? She wondered why he hadn’t come himself to talk if he could just teleport. 

She examined the medal in the light of her lamp, its symbol foreign to her. Holding it, she felt a warm buzz in her hand that made her think of a crackling fire. A little smile pulled at her lips as she fastened it to the front of her coat before reading over the letter. 

‘Hey Holly Jolly,

There’s been some unexpected problems that have come up here at work. I’m not going to be able to make it out there to see you until next week probably. 

I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’ll try to make it up to you.

-B’

Unexpected problems, huh? She wondered what was going on. 

Well, that was fine. She did just see him yesterday, after all. And while she wanted to see him again as soon as possible, she knew he was a very busy guy. He only managed to make it out to visit her about once a week for most of the time she’d been there. 

He’d come to see her a few days in a row leading up to Valentine’s Day, but she knew she couldn’t expect him to do that too often. 

Knowing what she did now about his position at the North Pole, she was surprised he was able to see her as much as he had. Belle and Judy implied that he practically ran their whole operation up there, and Bernard all but confirmed it himself. 

He was the Head Elf, apparently. Initially she might have thought that it was a silly title to have, but knowing what she did now about the existence of elves and magic, it was actually a very intimidating title for her partner. Supposedly, there were many, many magic elves that lived in the Village, all of them incredibly old and powerful. And Bernard— her Bernard—was Head Elf of them all. 

Of course he would need to take care of things at work. She wasn’t so selfish to think he would drop his whole life to be with her, just like she wouldn’t be dropping her whole life to be with him. 

She had work to do, anyways. Those polar bears weren’t going to track themselves!

(February 22nd)

When the next letter arrived, she’d been heating up breakfast over her stove. 

At first, it was hard to go back to normal field rations after being so thoroughly spoiled by Bernard’s cooking, but after a week, she was finally able to choke them down without gagging once again. She wouldn’t usually mind, she’d signed up for all this when she first started working with the Hale Company, after all. But when she and Bernard had shared that kiss and he’d told her she could use his shower whenever she wanted, she’d started to get her hopes up that she wouldn’t need to resort to rations and wiping off in the cold sanitation tent as much. 

But hey, he was an important guy. Obviously he wasn’t going to make her food all the time. 

And even if she had the courage to just show up at his house to casually use his shower, she didn’t really know how to get back there. The barrier might let her in, but that meant next to nothing if she didn’t know how to get to the barrier in the first place. That icy maze outside the Village was way too confusing to try to navigate by herself. She’d get lost for sure. 

Oh well. Maybe once Bernard came back, he could draw her a map? 

A flash in her face made her gasp and jump back away from the electric stovetop she’d been leaning over. Her eyes were wide as she watched the rain of sparkles float down through the air and onto her ration before dissolving as if they were never there to begin with. 

She looked around, expecting to see Bernard or something there, but she was alone in her tent. 

Eventually she shrugged and decided maybe it was just a fluke. Magic was weird. 

It wasn’t until the crinkling of paper sounded as she settled down on her futon to eat that she remembered she still had Bernard’s pin fastened to the lapel of her coat. 

There, stuck to the medal, was another letter! She set her food aside to read it. 

‘Hey Holly Jolly!

I’m so sorry about this, but we’re still having a lot of problems at the Workshop, so I’m not going to be able to meet up with you this week either. I’m having some trouble with my assistant, Curtis, and things are really falling behind. 

I can almost hear you now, telling me to remember to eat and take care of myself. That’s what you were thinking, wasn’t it? I promise I am. As soon as I get all this figured out, I’ll come see you, okay?

I miss you. 

-B’

Curtis was the one he was training to maybe take over for him someday. She remembered Bernard mentioning before how he was often annoyed with him, but Holly could tell he was quite fond of Curtis, really. 

What could possibly be the problem, she wondered. Maybe Curtis was being more of a pain than usual? She didn’t know him, really, but Bernard painted quite the picture. Her impression of his assistant was that of an arrogant, uppity elf that might often get too big for his breeches. She’d just have to wait until Bernard came to visit to hear the details. 

Whatever was going on must be pretty serious if he wasn’t even able to make it out for their weekly check ins. 

A frown appeared on her face as she thought about how hard he must be working. She was slightly annoyed that he had been right that part way through reading she’d had the thought that he might not be taking care of himself. But she wouldn’t be admitting that to him , of course. 

Anyway, she had good reason to worry! He didn’t have the greatest track record. And lately she’d been having nightmares of that time he’d passed out on her, and she’d had to drag him back to her camp. Why her unconscious mind was suddenly so worried about his health and safety though, she had no clue. She hoped it was just an overactive imagination and not something actually meaningful. Could magic give her prophetic dreams? Was that a thing?

I miss you.

She read the last three words over again, her heart beating fast as she thought of him saying them aloud to her. 

She missed him too. 

The past week had been harder than she thought it would be. The bears were especially active, which managed to keep her busy and on her toes. But every time she caught some great footage or recorded some extra interesting data in her logbook, she couldn’t help but think of what Bernard would say if he were there. 

Well, it shouldn’t be too much longer. He said he’d come visit as soon as he sorted everything at work. If he really could teleport like he’d said, then he might pop in at any moment. 

She blushed as she considered that he might come at a more… private time. Maybe she should put that medal some place specific so he wouldn’t just appear while she was changing. 

Or while she was thinking of him late at night in bed touching herself. 

Her blush darkened at the thought. 

She’d been doing that more and more. Their kisses had fully awakened the sex drive she’d so diligently kept under wraps since coming up there. It was almost a nightly ritual now to climb in her cot, get warm and settled, and run her hands over the bare skin under her many layers. She imagined the hands touching her were larger, coarser, with long fingers and trim nails that would skim over her heated skin leaving a trail of fire in their wake. 

She wanted to see him again so badly, but maybe some time apart would throw some water on the blaze that had ignited within her. They both agreed to take things slow, but who knew what that really meant? 

The subject of protection needed to be addressed before anything went too far, obviously. The last thing she wanted was a magical STD. 

But that didn’t mean they couldn’t enjoy each other in different ways, right? Or maybe he wanted to wait for that too? She’d have to talk with him about it and see where he stood with everything. 

At this point, she’d be fine with just a kiss, really. She missed him. But she’d be patient and let him come when he was ready. Not that she really had a choice. 

Soon he’d be back in her arms and they could pick up where they left off. 

Soon. 

(March 6th)

Holly’s eyes frantically darted back and forth as she poured over the maps she and Bernard had drawn. 

George was missing. 

She couldn’t remember the last time she’d spotted him, and reviewing the footage was proving to be an insurmountable task with only one person working at it. If she could find a pattern in George’s usual trails then maybe she could guess where he’d gone and narrow down the amount of footage she had to look through. 

But she just couldn’t focus. 

The neat loopy scrawl Bernard had written in the margins of the map explaining the different territories and trails was swimming around her vision. 

Every time she thought of him, she hurt. 

Her brows lowered and she squinted harder at the page when the image suddenly blurred. A stuttered gasp left her as drops fell onto the map, partially freezing onto the page. 

Where was he? It had been almost two weeks since his last letter and nothing. He hadn’t sent anything more and hadn’t popped in to see her even once. Not only that, but Dr. Branson hadn’t heard anything official from Bernard or Morozko in weeks either. Holly was in charge of sending weekly reports to her team, but Morozko never failed to have a monthly summary and action strategy for upcoming plans sent in as well. 

She had fudged her reports some lately, trying to keep things vague so she wouldn’t have to come out and say she hadn’t seen Bernard in weeks. But after that frantic call with Dr. Branson this morning, getting interrogated about what Morozko was up to and when they could expect further communication, she felt like things were falling apart before her eyes. 

Why was he just leaving her hanging like this? What was she supposed to tell her team? When was he going to come back?

She furiously scrubbed the tears off her cheeks before returning to trying to read the map notes he’d left. 

His handwriting was so pretty. Almost as pretty as he was. 

Had he forgotten about her out here? Or was he staying away on purpose? 

He certainly seemed too good to be true, so she wouldn’t really be surprised to learn this had all been some elaborate trick. Maybe he wasn’t magical at all and had just been leading her on to get what he wanted from her… 

No, wait, that was ridiculous, wasn’t it? They hadn’t even had sex yet. What could he possibly want from her? Her research wasn’t confidential by any means. He had nothing to gain from tricking her. 

And she knew what she’d seen. His Village was real. Those ears were real. Magic was real. She didn’t even have to see it to believe it—she could feel it. 

Her anxiety was just running a little wild here. Bernard didn’t deserve that. 

A deep breath had her feeling a little more in control of her emotions. She glanced at the watch sitting on her desk and blanched at the time displayed there. She’d worked through lunch and dinner. Not good. 

No wonder she was getting so emotional.

Now who wasn’t taking care of themselves? She could just imagine the scolding she’d be subjected to if Bernard was there. He’d probably try to seem more casual about it, teasing her for being so high and mighty before, but he wouldn’t be able to hide the concern in his voice. He never could. 

Her Saint Bernard. 

Her sweetheart. 

Cracks sounded as she struggled to her feet, sore bones and muscles loudly protesting their sudden mobility. She turned to her electric stove, dreading another ration when the letter stuck to her coat caught her eye. 

Her breath hitched as she spotted it, the paper facing her due to the angle of the coat hanging by the tent exit. 

Her feet stumbled as she rushed over, food once again forgotten. Shaking hands clasped the letter, and she started to read. 

‘My sweetheart,

I’m sorry I haven’t written sooner. It feels like I’ve put in triple the effort these past couple weeks just to find enough time to write this. 

I can only imagine what you must be thinking right now. Please, know that I wish with all my heart that I could come see you. Things are so chaotic here, I’m not sure what’s going on. I wish I could see your sweet face again. It’s so hard to get through the days knowing you’re out there alone and I’m still stuck here. 

My heart is gray without you. 

-B’

She read it over three times before finally lowering it with a weary exhale. 

His letter was a comfort and a curse. She was glad to hear from him at all, but she wished it had better news. While she knew some of her current emotional state was from not taking proper care of herself, she still did miss him terribly. 

It was so lonely up there. 

She’d met Bernard not long after arriving in the North Pole and he’d always made sure to visit her at least once a week since then, even if it was just a quick check in to see her progress. The regular conversation he provided was invaluable. 

Of course, her professors and the other researchers on her team had sufficiently prepared her for how isolating it could feel up there, but she’d been spoiled by his pleasant demeanor and steady company. But while it was hard to go so long without other people in general, somehow this felt like it was more serious than that. 

His absence was profound in a way that made her embarrassed to admit even to herself. 

They’d only just gotten together. She shouldn’t be this torn up just because he couldn’t see her—for a perfectly valid reason, no less. 

Nonetheless, as she ate her ration that night, a steady stream of tears left tracks down her cheeks, and this time she couldn’t blame it on a missed meal. 

(March 22nd, late afternoon)

Dusted. 

Complete memory loss. Or memory replacement? Probably record changes too so her team wouldn’t notice the sudden switch. Their memories would most likely be altered as well. 

Magical fuckery, basically. 

It was a terrifying thought that had been plaguing her for days now: what if Bernard decided he wanted to break up with her? He said he was going to fall in love with her, but that it wasn’t compulsory. He also said that if she decided to end things and be dusted, then their bond would be broken and they’d go about their lives. So obviously the bond could be broken, then. 

And it wasn’t just up to her whether or not that happened. She had already decided to go along with this elven bullshit, but Bernard also had a say, didn’t he? So he could just as easily decide that all this wasn’t worth it. That she wasn’t worth it. 

And why wouldn’t he? It definitely seemed like it was an awful lot of trouble to simply come see her. So maybe he’d already decided to break things off. Maybe he was just waiting til the right time to dust her. If he wanted to, she couldn’t stop him. She wouldn’t even know it, would she? 

Just, bam! Memories wiped. No warning and no way to fight it. 

The first time she’d seriously considered that notion, she’d sobbed all night, shaking in her cot. What a heavy thought to wrestle with all alone. 

Five days ago, another letter had appeared while she was sitting by the fire. She’d spent the night before crying, terrified that he’d come at any moment to steal her memories away. The flash of sparkles on her coat had sent her into a panic attack that ended with her crouched low in the snow, letter crumpled in her cold fist while she gasped for air. 

The very thing she’d been anticipating, was now a source of great anxiety that haunted her every waking moment. She couldn’t sleep most nights and she’d almost completely lost her appetite. The bears were the only thing keeping her going—the drive to track and film them reminding her of her purpose. 

Her heart ached for Bernard, but it beat for those bears. She knew it was kinda corny, and Bernard would poke fun at her for her bleeding heart optimism if he’d been there, but she fully believed she could make a difference. That’s why she was up there. For them. Not for him. 

And that thought actually brought her some peace. Even if she was dusted, she’d never lose her sense of purpose in life. 

The letter sat on her desk, unopened, for days. It still sat there now as she drove her snowmobile back from another supply run to the outpost. It was a pain to load things up on her own again, but she might as well get used to it. 

Last night, things had reached a head. She still couldn’t bring herself to read the letter, afraid of what it might say. She’d busied herself with all sorts of chores around the campsite to keep her mind from wandering, but it was no use. 

She’d met some of his friends, but obviously she was being kept a secret from the rest of the elves. Why would that be? Judy and Belle hadn’t acted like her being human was such a big deal, but maybe it was? She kept thinking about that story he’d told her about the monkey king. If fae thought so little of humanity back then, what did they think now? 

Was he embarrassed of her? 

Was she his dirty little secret? 

Or maybe he was hiding her because he was seeing someone else. It was seriously hard for her to believe that he wasn’t seeing another elf. They were so lovely, and she was so ordinary. It made no sense at all that he’d want to be with her. So then, maybe she was his side piece and he was trying to hide her from his actual lover. 

The thought made her sick. 

But then an insidious line of thinking shoved its way into her mind; what if he was just doing this for fun? Not that he was trying to trick her about the existence of magic though—she’d already been convinced that he really was an elf and magic really did exist. But c’mon. Him? With her? Now that was a joke. 

How many bedtime stories had her dad told her where some fae would fool a human into doing something dumb simply to watch them suffer? If myths and fairytales could at all be believed—and apparently they could to some extent—then faefolk loved causing humanity strife simply for entertainment. 

Because they thought it was funny. 

The sick in her belly rolled over itself until it had churned into an angry wave, the acid burning its way up and out of her throat as she screamed into the blank white tundra all her fears and frustrations from the past few weeks. 

Was she just some dumb human to him? Was that really all she was? 

She wished she’d never met him. 

With one final screech, she ripped the pin from her coat and threw it as far as she could away from her camp into the white expanse praying it would be swallowed and lost forever. And Bernard with it. 

The relief and sorrow twisted together within her as she realized what she’d done. The snow was falling hard and fast and undoubtedly had buried the pin quickly after it’d landed. She wouldn’t be able to find it even if she’d wanted to. 

She’d made a resolution then to stop waiting for him. It had been over a month now and he still couldn’t find the time to see her? Fine. She wouldn’t be shedding any more tears over it. 

She still didn’t sleep soundly that night, though. 

And now here she was the next day, riding back to her camp, that letter stuck like glue to her mind. Just as she’d promised herself, she hadn’t cried today. Which she thought was some progress, at least. 

But that letter was an annoying thread that she couldn’t help picking. She was tempted to just rip it up, snip the thread and be done with it so to speak. But that would be a bit hasty, wouldn’t it? Maybe he had broken up with her in that letter. Maybe he’d told her a specific day he would be coming, although it had been so many days since she’d first gotten it, that didn’t seem a very likely option. Maybe he’d revealed his trick and was waiting for her to read it so he could see her reaction and laugh before dusting her. 

How quickly her mind had turned him into a villain. 

But what could he expect? He said he would teleport to her, but instead of doing that, he’d pushed off visiting her for weeks to deal with some vague ‘problem’ at work, writing her a few meager letters like that was somehow a sufficient replacement. 

Seriously, what the hell? 

If anything, she felt justified in her anger. He’d kissed her senseless, promised her love, then basically ghosted her. He was clearly in the wrong here. 

But as she parked her snowmobile and started unloading the supplies, she kept going back to that letter. That last little doubt. 

Or maybe it was hope. 

Huffing at her own inconsistent thoughts, she stomped into her tent and snatched the letter up before beelining it back outside. She’d done two nervous laps around her camp, the letter held tight in her clenched hand, before she stopped abruptly and took a deep breath. 

Might as well just get it over with, right? Read it and then it’ll be done and she can move on from there. Easy peasy. 

Okay. She inhaled slower this time, eyes closing as she willed her heart to steady its panicked beating. 

Her fingers made quick work opening it and she immediately started reading. 

‘Holly,

It’s been over a month now since I’ve seen you. That’s almost a third of the time we’ve even known each other. Far too long. 

I wonder about you every day. I hope you’re doing okay out there. Have you seen any more of Catherine and Crystal? Did you know that Annise and Matteo are together now? Have you seen George at all? Every little thing I hear about them makes me wish I could talk to you about it. 

I love when we learn something new about the bears and your eyes light up brighter than my favorite stars. I love when you go off on one of your rants about arctic wildlife and how people should care more. As if it would be possible for anyone to care as deeply as you do. I love when you get so lost in your research that you don’t even notice I’m there anymore, and I get to just watch you work, so focused and beautiful it makes me want to kiss every inch of you until you can see yourself how I see you. 

I would give anything to be there with you, sweetheart. I’m at my limit here. All I want is to feel your touch again. My heart is in agony without you. I wish I could tell you when I’ll be able to leave the Village, but I have no idea. Until then, know that not a day goes by that I don’t ache for you. 

I’m yours. I hope you’re still mine. 

-B’

The quiet was smothering after she finished. 

Her hands shook and her knees threatened to give out. Her mind couldn’t hold onto a concrete feeling, let alone a thought. She struggled to swallow around the sobs that were building up in her throat. 

So much for her resolution. 

A familiar flash brought her attention to the white space in front of her. When she’d finally calmed enough to read the letter, she’d unknowingly found herself at the same edge where she’d raged and screamed before. 

Those same emotions bubbled in her now, but they were warping together with the sorrow and pain and confusion she’d been pushing down for weeks, finally, finally come to the surface. But even more confusing were the feelings of joy and elation at reading his letter, his reassurances. Feelings which had swiftly overtaken all the other emotions as Bernard’s handsome face stared back at her from several yards away, having just teleported to where she’d thrown his pin the night before. 

She didn’t know whether to kiss him or kill him.

Chapter Text

(March 21, morning)

“Hey, did you hear about Bernard’s secret lover?”

“No way! What happened to Deja?”

“You’re so behind, Duck. Bernard hasn’t been with Deja for over 200 years. His last one was Roger.”

“Woah, he’s bedding Roger? What a twist.”

“No! They broke up too, like a while ago. This is someone new.”

“C’mon, Goose, out with it! Who’s he seeing now?”

“That’s the thing—no one knows. Buddy and Amar heard Noel and Betty talking to the Head Elf himself at the Valentine’s party about his secret lover!”

“How do you know that? You never talk to Buddy or Amar—wait, which Buddy?”

“The one from Stuffing, but it doesn’t matter! Amar told Bob who told Nougat who told Candlewick who told Aliyah who told me that’s what they were talking about. Apparently he was trying to be real hush-hush about it all.”

“Why’s he keeping them a secret? It’s been ages since the Valentine’s party. If there really was a secret lover then they would have gone public by now, wouldn’t they?”

“Don’t know! That’s another reason everyone’s talking about it. Who are they and why is Bernard keeping them a secret? If they’d already broken up, we’d have heard about it by now, don’t you think?” 

“You know what I think?” A harsh voice cut into the two elves’ whispered conversation over their Elfcon consoles. “I think you two need to mind your holly jolly business and get back to work!” 

Duck and Goose jumped hearing their superior’s voice so close, immediately rushing to look busy pushing buttons and twisting knobs. 

Tamika shook her head at the two gossips. This was really getting out of hand. That was the third time she’d overheard someone talking about Bernard’s ‘secret lover’ just today . 

The Head Elf had been reckless, brazenly bringing his human to that party last month. As far as she knew, only Judy and her partner had seen them, but Noel’s big mouth had kicked off the rumor mill that night and now Tamika was sweeping up the pieces. 

She hadn’t given the gossip flying around a second thought at first. It was a Valentine’s party, after all, and whoever her boss chose to bed was none of her concern. 

But then she’d reviewed the Elfcon summary report the following week after the party. 

She was the only one who checked those reports. They were comprehensive and long, automatically printed off from the compilation database by their main computer once a week. 

If there were immediate problems, then a machine would alert the Elfcon team and the issue would be addressed at once, otherwise they were filed away in the database. But all occurrences, whether they were an unexpected visit from a legendary figure or the benign monthly arrival of the supply planes, were summed up in the weekly reports. Surveillance was the name of the game here. 

She was the only one who even saw those reports since they were essentially tedious, low priority paperwork that the computer just spit out in an unorganized mess. But hey, Tamika was thorough. She never missed checking them off. 

Never. 

So imagine her surprise when, a whole week after the party, she noticed some especially odd points in the middle of the report. 

Her mouth hung open as she read through it once, twice, three times before finally comprehending the words printed out on the page. 

-Human female allowed entrance into Santa’s Village by the magical barrier at 11:23 pm, February 14th. Accompanied by Bernard, Head Elf. No threat detected. No alert sent to Elfcon. 

-Human female allowed to depart Santa’s Village by magical barrier at 8:14 am, February 15th. Accompanied by Bernard, Head Elf. No threat detected. No alert sent to Elfcon. 

This couldn’t be real. 

What was he thinking?  

But she’d double checked with the barrier and it had indeed allowed a human passage. Bernard hadn’t done an override or magicked the human in. The barrier itself had let her through. As if she was supposed to be there! 

Tamika decided to look a little closer at this before making any assumptions. She didn’t immediately go to Bernard, watching and waiting a few days before she approached him with her concerns and questions. 

“You want to explain yourself, boss?” she deadpanned once she’d gotten him alone in his office, slapping the report down on his desk with the damning points highlighted. 

He froze, staring at the page for a long moment before steepling his fingers and bringing them to his mouth. 

“Tamika, this needs to stay between us.”

“Good luck with that. Every elf in the Workshop’s trying to figure out who you bedded on Valentine’s. Noel can’t keep a secret to save his chestnuts” She shook her head deprecatingly. “This was dumb, sir. You’re lucky I’m the only one who reads these things.” 

His eyes were hard as he listened to her. 

“I don’t need a lecture, Tamika. Holly isn’t a threat.”

“You think I don’t know that? The barrier let her in. Beyond that, I did some recon of my own to make sure she wasn’t going to expose us.”

“You spied on her?!” He had the audacity to look upset at the news, hands slamming down onto his desk. Her arms crossed in front of her as she shot an unimpressed look at the Head Elf. 

“For two days, yeah. Listened in on all her communications and did a pretty thorough background check too. She’s clear. She’s a dork, but she’s clear.” He snorted at her assessment of Holly, despite still looking upset. Tamika smirked, brow quirking upward. “It’s my job, Bernard, remember?”

He scoffed, curls bouncing with the force of his dismissive head shake. “I trust her,” he stated simply, joined hands covering his mouth as he leaned forward. 

Now it was Tamika’s turn to scoff. “Yeah, and now I trust her too. Look, I had to be sure she wasn’t more than she seemed. You have to admit this is pretty out of character for you.”

“I can explain-“

“I’d love if you did.”

He paused, taking a deep breath as he angled his body slightly away and refused to meet the Elfcon Head’s gaze. 

“It seems,” he blushed, burying his face more behind his clasped hands, “that I’ve become heart bonded with her.” 

Tamika’s brows raised high on her forehead, taking a minute to process this new information. 

“Oh,” she said, “Well. That certainly explains some things.”

A wry chuckle echoed her assessment as he nodded. 

He gave her a quick summary of that night, recounting how the barrier had reacted to Holly and all about Judy’s involvement. Tamika was still partially annoyed to have missed something this big, but with Bernard and Judy working to cover it up, it was a wonder she’d caught it at all. 

Bernard urged her again to keep quiet about the whole thing, which didn’t make sense to her initially. He was bonded to this human, so of course, if things progressed, then the other elves would eventually find out. 

He said that at first, he wanted to keep things low key between he and Holly until she got more used to the idea. She had apparently broken out of her fog the night of the party and realized what they were, but Bernard hadn’t known for sure at the time that was going to happen. He had planned to make an announcement to the elves once things were more serious. 

Of course, Tamika wasn’t sure how much more serious it could get. It was a heart bond—practically as good as a betrothal. But Bernard insisted that Holly, as a human, needed more time to be sure. After all, her heart didn’t work like an elf’s. Tamika thought this was also a pretty weak excuse. Bernard’s heart wouldn’t have bonded in the first place if the human’s hadn’t allowed it. But whatever. 

Anyways, plans had changed. 

Apparently Curtis was on a warpath. He and Quintin were the hot new couple of the Workshop. The older elves, including Bernard, looked down on them both for committing to a relationship so young and in the same year as two major promotions, no less. They had only just become Heads and they suddenly wanted to start spending extra time together? It was absurd. 

But Curtis didn’t care what Bernard or anyone else had to say about it. He’d dug into the Handbook with gusto and found several rules that vaguely implied something about love and how beneficial it was to an elf’s mindset and work ethic. He’d taken these passages and twisted them into a justification for blowing off duties to hang out with his new boyfriend in R&D. Quintin, at least, seemed keen to keep up the good work he was doing, but Curtis had dropped half of his overseer duties, some of the paperwork organization, and all of the Workshop rounds which left Bernard scrambling to get everything back on track. 

Normally a reprimand from the Head Elf would set the little blonde straight, but not anymore. Curtis was talking back and standing tall, all with that book tucked against his side, ready to whip out some obscure rule to keep Bernard from questioning him. He’d even made a custom leather strap so he could keep it on him at all times. It was beyond frustrating for their overworked boss. 

And apparently, Curtis was now on an anti human campaign as well. He didn’t think Scott Calvin should be allowed in the North Pole—that no human should. 

This was way outside Curtis’ lane, but nevertheless, he’d begun telling anyone and everyone how incompetent and harmful humans could be. The worst part was, the sentiment was gaining some traction. Evidently, there had been a child named Sara last Christmas who had an extremely bad experience with their new Santa and this was being touted as proof that Calvin wasn’t a suitable replacement. Bernard’s own concerns earlier in the year about the human man potentially not being ready in time to check the list twice certainly weren't helping things. 

Within a week, the Workshop had become divided. Most elves believed Bernard and Judy when they assured everyone that Calvin would be a fine Santa. But some still had doubts and Curtis just kept fueling them, questioning Santa and Bernard at every turn. Things had never been so temperamental around there. 

Once Bernard laid things out like that, it was clear why he thought waiting to tell the other elves about Holly might be for the best. Human adults weren’t exactly popular right now. 

Technically, Curtis was right—about humans, at least. They were not allowed in the North Pole. That wasn’t being twisted, it was clearly stated as a rule in the Handbook. 

But it was obviously outdated at this point. Their last Santa had hand picked Scott Calvin as his replacement. No one was above the word of Santa, not Bernard, not the Handbook, and definitely not Curtis. But it was sort of a grey area, at the moment. The last Santa hadn’t stricken this rule before he left the earthly plane, so the only one who could possibly go against it would be the new Santa. But since the new Santa was himself a human, it could be seen as a conflict of interest. 

It was quite the hot debate in the Workshop. Noel was beside himself with grief about the whole thing. No one defended their new Santa like him. 

The only silver lining with the whole situation was that Jack had left the North Pole. Winter was officially over in the northern hemisphere, but it was just beginning in the southern hemisphere. So he had taken off down south to work his icy magic there. 

Good riddance—for now, at least. 

Tamika could only imagine the amount of damage Jack might do with Curtis so unhinged and rumors around every corner. 

Speaking of, the low buzz of a whispered conversation drifted past her ear and she turned back to Duck’s and Goose’s consoles once more. 

No matter what she tried, her workers just couldn’t resist the wild speculation of some controversial drama. 

“Hey! Do I have to separate you two?”

(March 22nd, afternoon) 

Bernard glared down at the smug little blonde elf sitting at the opposite end of the conference table, his hands flat on the shiny wooden surface as he leaned over it. 

Curtis always sat at the Head Elf’s right hand during leadership meetings, he was supposed to be his assistant after all. It was little things like this that were piling up and adding to the overall disrespect that Bernard was being shown lately. 

Quintin looked uneasily between his boyfriend and his boss, unsure how to react to the growing tension. The rest of the Department Heads around the table sat stiff in their seats, holding their breaths as they waited for someone to break the icy silence. 

Judy sighed, shooting Curtis a look of disappointment. He actually seemed briefly ashamed at her obvious reprimand, but still he stayed seated near his new beau who was looking more and more uncomfortable as time went on. 

She really wasn’t sure where all of this was coming from. Curtis used to practically worship Bernard, but now he acted like he hated him. 

Things had really reached a boiling point after yesterday. 

Curtis had made an absolutely ridiculous claim yesterday evening in front of half the Workshop that because Scott Calvin was human, he was sucking the magic away from any elf who had spent time with him and that was why Bernard suddenly had facial hair. 

Which was the reason for this little emergency meeting. 

Bernard exhaled in a great rush as he stood back up straight and locked his hands behind his back. 

“I think we all know the purpose for this meeting, so I’m just going to get straight to the point: these rumors are getting out of hand and they’re starting to affect Core Operations. This is absolutely unacceptable.”

“All due respect, sir,” Doug, the hot-headed Woodworking Head, piped up with a drawling tone that certainly didn’t sound like it gave due respect, “but if there’s some kind of… issue you’re having, then shouldn’t it be our right to know about it? If you’re, I don’t know, say… turning into a human or something-“

“I am not turning into a human, Doug,” Bernard ground out between his teeth. 

He’d been changing as the years went on; he was Head Elf, after all. Specific duties called him away from the North Pole from time to time. Bernard had been overseeing the Workshop for over 600 years now, and in all that time he’d grown to be one of the tallest elves in Santa’s Village. 

But lately he had been looking kind of different. 

His cheeks were just as rosey, his silver speckles just as bright. But the lower half of his face had begun darkening with a gray shadow. 

Facial hair? On an elf? Simply unheard of and downright disturbing. 

It only added to the confusion and chaos that Workshop leadership was devolving into. 

“But something is going on with you, sir; you can’t deny that,” Edie pointed out, shooting her sister, Tamika, a nervous glance. Edie was a relatively new Head, only promoted last century. She and Tamika couldn’t be more different, and while she was competent at her job, she often got thrown off when she butted heads with her sister.

 And they certainly were butting heads now. 

Edie was sympathetic to Curtis’ concerns, wanting to explore all the possibilities to this new problem. 

Tamika disagreed completely. 

“How is that any of your business, Edie? We still don’t know what kind of effect the magic dead zones have on elves long term. If the Head Elf is experiencing side effects from exposure then that’s between him and Doc Hismus,” Tamika shot back, arms crossed tight over her belly, “The rest of you need to keep your noses out of it.”

“If it’s as Curtis says and this is because the Head Elf spent all that time with Scott Calvin, then we deserve to know!” Doug cried angrily. 

“Hey!” Bernard shouted, “That’s ‘Santa’ to you, Doug. I won’t allow that kind of disrespect here.”

“He’s not my Santa,” Doug returned, “and maybe he shouldn’t be yours either. He’s human .” An ugly sneer twisted the elf’s face as he spat the last sentence like a curse. 

“Out!” Bernard pointed forcefully at the double doors, fury glinting behind his hard eyes. “Now, Doug. Get your stuff and leave, right now. I’ll deal with you later. ”

For a beat, nothing happened; both elves just continued glaring at each other in heated silence. Then Doug abruptly stood and gathered his folders, walking briskly to the exit. He tossed a “You’re putting us all in danger, I hope you know that,” over his shoulder and then he was gone. 

Bernard’s eyes closed and he took several deep breaths, lifting his head to address the room once more. “I understand that this is alarming for you all. It’s alarming for me too, believe me . But if the new Santa was the cause for my recent changes, then wouldn’t you think Judy would also have experienced some kind of change? She spent just as much time with him as I did.”

Every head turned to look at Judy sitting at Bernard’s left hand. Indeed, she was as she always had been. No changes whatsoever. 

Edie looked almost reassured at this. 

Curtis snorted, finally speaking up for the first time since the meeting started. “That hardly proves anything. Santa isn’t the only human you’ve been spending time with. What about that woman ?” Bernard’s brows pinched as he listened. “Just how much time have you spent with her, huh? You just don’t see it, do you? She’s obviously turning you into a human too.”

“And what proof do you have of that, Curtis?” Betty asked, a challenging gleam in her eye. “There’s never been a case where an elf has turned into a human, that’s ridiculous. Even if we give up our eternal youth, we’re still elves.” 

“Look, I’m not saying she’s doing it on purpose, but what other cause could there be? Bernard spent all that time with her, and now all of a sudden he can grow a beard like a human? It lines up!” he said, smugly folding his hands overtop the table. 

Judy hummed thoughtfully, eyes cast upward as she thought. “Y’know, it’s funny. I had actually noticed some changes in Bernard over a decade ago that made me question some things.”

“What?” Bernard turned toward her. “What changes?”

“Well, it’s not just the hair, is it? Quintin has been affected by magic dead zones as well and is just as tall as Bernard, but he still looks like an elf, doesn’t he?” Several elves turned to consider the normally confident R&D Head curiously. Quintin flushed, looking mortified as he hunched in his seat as Judy continued. “But Bernard doesn’t look completely like an elf anymore, right? His jaw shape, the width of his shoulders—they’re very much like a human male, or even an Olde Aelf, but not like a common elf at all.”

“See?” Curtis sneered, “That’s exactly what I—“

“However,” Judy cut in, “like I said, I noticed those changes years ago. I just brushed it off as my imagination at first, but in light of yesterday’s-“ she glanced at Curtis disapprovingly from the corner of her eye, “-outburst, I went back and looked at some old pictures.” 

She pulled out several pictures from her bag and laid them flat on the table for all to see. Several elves stood to get a better look. 

“These ones,” she pointed at a group of three black and white portrait style photos with Bernard in them, “were all taken between 1920 and 1940. While these,” she then pointed at three other pictures with Bernard in color, “were taken between 1970 and 1980.”

It was apparent what her point was; the black and white pictures showed a regular elf—prematurely tall for his age, like every elf who spent time in the dead zones or who lived long enough to reach that height. And like Quintin, he still had the soft jawline and slim musculature of a common elf man. 

But in the more recent photos, he appeared much like he did now: sharp jaw, broad shoulders, bulkier build all around. He looked like something between an elf and a human. 

Judy gazed at them all unimpressed, as she stated, “I propose that facial hair is simply the newest symptom in something that is happening solely to Bernard for unknown reasons, but which certainly has nothing to do with our new Santa or the human researcher. Not only does it have nothing to do with them, it has nothing to do with any of you either. This is Bernard’s personal business and I suggest we put this matter to rest and afford him the privacy he deserves. Honestly, he’s a wonderful Head Elf. The way you all have turned on him like a pack of unloyal gnomes is disgraceful.” 

Almost every Head around the table had the decency to look ashamed, except Curtis whose eyes glinted with confliction. 

“It could be an exponential thing, though!” he cried, frustration and fear coloring his voice, “We keep having to switch out the recon elves we send down to keep an eye on the new Santa and his son, because the effects of the dead zones are getting so out of hand. Who’s to say this isn’t just the next level in this—this sickness? Maybe with repeated exposure, elves turn into humans! The handbook specifically says ‘no humans are allowed at the North P—“

“Curtis.”

Everyone froze hearing the Head Elf’s voice again, calm and even. Bernard had sat down in his chair at some point, stress showing plainly in the lines of his face. 

“Listen, I don’t know what’s going on with you, but I need this to stop.” The weariness in his eyes was palpable. “Maybe I am turning into a human, y’know? I don’t know! If I did know, I’d tell you all, I can promise you that. But I don’t know. Something is obviously happening to me and it's terrifying, okay? I won't pretend it's not.” 

He tapped a finger forcefully against the table top as he leaned forward, locking eyes with his assistant. “But there is no evidence that the new Santa is the cause. Whether you like it or not, he was chosen for this by the previous Santa and there’s nothing anyone can do to change that. Let it go.”

The chair squeaked as he leaned back into his chair, exhaling as he looked around at all the attentive faces in the room. “Now, as for humans not being allowed at the North Pole. Let’s discuss that, shall we? Obviously Scott Calvin is human. He was specifically chosen to be the next Santa Claus and the Handbook also clearly states that Santa Claus must live in the North Pole. So we have an obvious contradiction there.”

Betty cleared her throat, lifting a hand slightly to gain Bernard’s attention. 

“Yes, Betty?”

“Sir, I’d like to remind everyone of the case of Antonin of Elgebara and Mad Santa.” Several gasps sounded across the room at the reminder of those dark, dark times during the 1600s. At Bernard’s nod, Betty continued. 

“As you all may recall, a rogue Aelf stole the mantle of Santa after forcing the previous one off the earthly plane. For 10 agonizing years we suffered under Mad Santa’s reign, until our Head Elf here-“ she nodded to Bernard, “-with the guidance of the spirit of St Nicholas, found a suitable Aelf to come to the North Pole and take on the title of Santa—none other than Lufodo of Elgebara. Mad Santa was banished, and Lufodo took his place, thus reestablishing the pure spirit of Christmas once more. But that wasn’t the whole story, was it?” 

She raised her brows as one by one she looked at each Head. They watched her intently, some of the older ones nodding thoughtfully at her words. “Antonin of Elgebara was Lufodo’s lover. His human lover. Antonin abandoned his home, his country, and his people , to travel here and help defeat Mad Santa—in fact, if Antonin hadn’t released the caged elves and gotten Lufodo’s saber to him, then who knows how things might have turned out.” Her brows tilted as she emphasized her words with a shrug. Hums of agreement buzzed around the table. 

She cleared her throat and continued. “The Handbook has been around since the first Santa and yet, Antonin lived all his days by Lufodo’s side until they both passed into the higher realm together. He was a beloved hero who deserves our respect no matter what his species was.” Betty sat straight in her chair, tucking in her chin demurely. “Of course, the Handbook is important. Rules are important. I think it’s clear that humans, in general, aren’t allowed here for obvious reasons. But adult humans are not inherently harmful. There has been an exception to that specific rule in the past, and I think that’s a precedent we should be considering here.” 

“Well said!”

“Here, here!”

“Good enough for me!” said Edie, shrugging with a bright smile. 

Most everyone around the table looked convinced by her argument. Betty took the praise in with a straight face, calmly blinking at the elves' enthusiastic agreement. 

“Thank you, Betty, that’s an excellent point,” Bernard nodded, clapping his hands once to bring the attention back to himself. “Well! Does anyone have any remaining concerns about having a human Santa?”

The majority shook their heads as they murmured their assent with Betty’s argument. Curtis’ face was conspicuously blank, but he said nothing more. 

“Great. I urge you all to tell the elves in each of your respective departments about our decision here. If anyone has any remaining concerns, send them to me or Judy and we’ll be willing to talk with them further until everyone’s fears are addressed. In the meantime, keep everyone working and on schedule. We’re falling behind and I won’t tolerate that. Understood?”

“Yessir!”

“Okie dokie!”

“Got it!”

He stood, grinning tightly at them. “Great. Dismissed.”

The Heads slowly trickled out, Curtis leaving first in a hurry, unable to look Bernard in the eye as he passed. Quintin ran after him, concern clouding his gaze as he shot an apologetic look at Bernard before swiftly darting out the door. 

Judy lingered behind. She walked up to Bernard and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. He exhaled, shoulders sagging under her touch. 

“What in the name of Christmas is going on, Judes?”

“I have no idea, but the stuffing’s really hit the fan, hasn’t it?”

“No kidding,” he sighed, dropping back into his chair. Judy sat back down in hers as well, leaning on the table as she listened. “He’s lost his mind! It’s like he doesn’t even care about being Number Two anymore! I mean, I’m sure Quintin’s a perfectly fine elf, but is he worth giving up everything Curtis has been working towards?” 

“I guess,” she sighed, “at least, Curtis seems to think so.”

“I’m trying to be patient here, but he’s really putting me in a hard spot. If he’d just come to me and asked about having more time for his boyfriend-“

“You’d have said ‘no’, of course,” Judy smiled cheekily. 

He snorted. “Okay, yeah. I’d have said ‘no’, but if he’s this insistent, I’d like to think I’d at least consider it. He’s a good assistant, I don’t want to let him go.”

“Maybe give him time, then? He might come around on his own.”

“I don’t know if I have time to give him. Production is behind,” he grimaced, “and I haven’t gone to see Holly since the party. She’s probably worried sick.”

“What?! You haven’t seen her since—Bernard that was over a month ago!” she cried, eyes wide in disbelief. 

“I know. I’ve been sending her letters but I know it’s not nearly good enough. Curtis has been slacking off on duties for weeks!” He tugged his hat self consciously. “I didn’t think it would take this long to get him back in line.”

She gaped at him for a long moment, finally letting out a scoff of disapproval, “She’s probably inconsolable at this point! You have a new heart bond with the woman, Bernard, you can’t just leave her like that!” 

His face twisted in pain. “What choice did I have? Not only was work piling up, but every eye in the Village has been fixed on me since Valentine’s either to find out who my ‘secret lover’ is or because of this-“ he swiped a frustrated hand across his shadowed jaw, growling in frustration. “Curtis asked me point blank after the party why I was seeing her so much. In front of the entire R&D Department!” He rubbed the back of his neck, brows pulled low. “I panicked and told him I was doing some last check ups before I left her to it. That I wouldn’t be seeing her at all anymore after that.”

Judy gasped. “That’s why I haven’t seen any more reports about her! You dissolved the partnership?”

“Not officially, no. Elfcon thinks I have, though. Tamika’s running interference for me until I can figure something out, but it’s only a matter of time before someone finds out that we’re still affiliated with the Hale Company.”

“What’s Hale think of this?”

“No idea. I haven’t updated them about any of this either. They’re probably sweating right now too.”

“Gingerbread, what a mess!”

“Exactly. I feel like I’m stuck with not even a chance of a way out,” he exhaled, the sigh turning into a long and low groan as he leaned back in his chair. “I left my pin with Holly so I could teleport to her whenever I got the chance, but honestly, if I suddenly slipped away, how long do you think it’d take a nosy elf from Elfcon to track me down and find out where I’d snuck away to? With everyone on this anti-human brigade, the last thing we need is to draw more attention to her! This whole situation has gotten so much more complicated than I thought it could. Even if I did manage to get Core Operations back to normal, I can’t risk her safety.”

“Hopefully these radical anti-human ideas will die down a little now that we’ve addressed it,” she said, voice softening. “Everyone’s all stirred up but I’m sure the dust will settle soon.”

“Not soon enough for me. Maybe not soon enough for her either. I feel two steps from a breakdown and sick to my stomach near constantly, so I can only imagine what Holly must be feeling at this point.” His eyes were far away and unfocused, heart throbbing with the need to go to his human and comfort her. 

An uneasy quiet fell upon them as each elf was lost in their thoughts. This wasn’t a problem with an easy solution. 

She finally broke the silence after a few minutes. “I heard from some of the elves in town that Catherine was bringing Crystal out into the open for the first time.”

Bernard blinked out of his worried thoughts, coming back to the present with a start. “What? When was this?”

“Sometime last week. They’re hunting seal around the eastern flatlands, apparently.”

“Nutcrackers, I’m missing it! Holly’s probably over the moon-“

“She might not know. That area’s outside her jurisdiction, isn’t it? And,” she gave him a sly eye as she ducked her chin, “she probably would want to wait for you to join her, anyways.” 

He exhaled deeply. 

“I wish I could go see her, but what can I do? Her safety is everything to me. And really, there’s just too much that needs to be done around here.” A cry of aggravation filled the air as he roughly rubbed at the itchy stubble on his face again. “And I’m going at it practically alone now!”

“Let me help!” she offered. “Noel and the others don’t need so much one on one time anymore, so my schedule’s wide open. I’ll take on the duties Curtis isn’t doing and you can go see Holly.”

“But what if-“

“Who cares what if! Don’t you think it’s more suspicious to avoid her completely? So what if they think the partnership was dissolved, you need to go check in with her again because you’re the Head Elf and you say so!” She reached over the table to clasp his hand. “Bernard, I’ll take care of it. I’m gonna talk to Tamika and get her up to speed. Then I’ll push for us to ‘partner’ with the Hale Company again and say it’s cause I want the polar bears to appear in the upcoming Earth Day festival. If anyone pushes back I’ll just keep insisting that I need to consult an actual polar bear expert on a few things beforehand for the safety of the bears.”

“You don’t have to do that, Judes.” His eyes looked hopeful despite his words. “I don’t want anyone giving you a hard time.” 

“I’d like to see ‘em try!” she quipped. “I’m a big girl, Bernard, I can handle it. Plus I get to put the bears in costumes and maybe get them to do a dance number. I’ve been wanting to give that a go for years.” Judy shook her head in amusement. “Now, I don’t want to hear another word about it! I can see how much you miss your little human and I’m sure she’s beside herself at this point. Here,” she pulled a notepad out of her bag and handed it to him, “make a list of what needs to get done tonight for Core duties and I’ll take care of them after I talk to Tamika.”

His hand was a blur as he wrote out the list, feeling only slightly ashamed that he hadn’t fought harder against her on this. “You have no idea how much this means to me, Judy. Thank you.”

“Of course. Now go see her!” She shooed him with her hands after snatching the pad back and looking over the list he’d written. It was a lot but it was doable, especially if she got Belle and some of her friends in Wrapping to help. 

A sharp, excited grin was the only reply she received as he took off out the door, an extra skip to his step that had been missing for several weeks now. 

She smiled at his excitement. This may not be the smartest decision he’d ever made, but he was her dearest friend and she was going to help him in any way she could. 

Now… she’d better get started on those duties.

Chapter Text

Holly had no words for the emotions welling up inside her at seeing Bernard again after so long. Whatever she felt was hot and acrid, crawling up her belly into her chest to burn deep and scarring. 

He looked as bad as she felt. 

The circles under his eyes were even darker than the scruffy shadow on his face. Hunched shoulders were tense when he first arrived but gradually relaxed the longer he stood there looking at her. 

Her own posture was softening with relief at finally being able to see him again. The acidic churning in her stomach that had plagued her for days and days had dissipated, her headache rapidly easing. The sore muscles and joints she’d been trying to manage, so inflamed and painful lately, calmed immediately as if her body were suddenly cushioned in a soft, plush blanket. 

Instant comfort and contentment.

His eyes drank her in like a man lost in the desert, mouth pulled into the sweetest, gentlest smile she’d ever seen on him. 

Before she knew it, her legs had stumbled toward him completely without her permission. She tripped through the snow, eyes locked with his as he rushed toward her as well. They met somewhere in the middle and she jumped up into his waiting arms, legs wrapping around his waist as she buried her face in his dark curls. 

Tears spilled over her cheeks, running rivers into his scarf. She really couldn’t have controlled the sobs ripping from her throat if she’d tried. 

His whispered assurances were unintelligible to her, half words and phrases cut off by the kisses he pressed into her hair. 

Pine and nutmeg filled her lungs, and she greedily sucked in his comforting scent as she returned his kisses, pressing chapped lips into his dark curls, his pointed ears, his stubbled cheeks. 

Her eyes had slipped close at some point but she felt everything so clearly. His arms strong and solid around her back, his sharp jaw between her palms, and then—

His lips pressed desperately against hers. 

Bliss. 

Their noses bumped together in their haste, but neither of them seemed to care, teeth clashing briefly as well before they settled into a steady but frantic rhythm. 

The wetness on her cheeks was cold and sobering though, and she broke away, blinking more tears as she pulled back. 

He was a wreck with his red rimmed eyes and disheveled hair. 

Devastatingly beautiful. 

But while her physical ailments had left her, the emotional storm rolling around in her had only grown at finally seeing him again. She unwound her legs and slipped down to stand once more. He reluctantly released her, hands slipping up to rest near her waist as he sighed a deep, steadying breath. 

She had so many questions, one swimming at the front of her mind for just a second before two more drowned it out and so on. Not a single coherent thought managed to solidify in her mind as they stood there staring into each other’s eyes. 

A rumbling growl broke them out of their daze, neither sure who it had come from exactly. 

“Are you hungry?” she blurted out before she could think better of it. He swallowed and nodded wordlessly. With numb legs, she led him back to her camp, pulling out a couple of ready made rations for them to eat. It was certainly a testament to how little she’d eaten the past several days that it actually tasted decent to her. Bernard looked similarly content as he wolfed down his food in an uncharacteristic display of haste. He must have really been hungry. By the time he’d finished, she still had half her meal to go. 

He placed the food container down and moved around the fire to where she was sitting on the deployable cushion they often used as a couch, settling flush against her side and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. His head rested lightly against hers as they both relaxed against each other, staring silently at the fire. 

Her lower lip trembled as she swallowed the bite in her mouth, pausing in her meal as she considered what would come next. After what felt like hours, she finally worked up the nerve to break the quiet. “Why did you just leave me like that?” she asked brokenly. 

“I didn’t want to, I swear,” he whispered, both of them still staring at the fire. “Everything has been falling apart in the Workshop. I just couldn’t manage to get away.”

A long moment passed still and quiet. Tense. 

“What was the problem?” she asked, voice now muted and emotionless. A large part of her was still expecting something nefarious from him. Whatever explanation he had wouldn’t be able to undo the damage he’d done. Her jaw clenched just thinking of the many possibilities for his absence her mind had tortured her with those past weeks. 

“My assistant, Curtis—he’s gone completely rogue. He dropped most of his duties and I’ve been scrambling to keep things going. We were struggling before with all hands on deck but now,” he sighed, deep and slow, “now we’re drowning.”

“You couldn’t have teleported here for just a minute to explain that yourself?” The spite in her voice made him flinch and she almost felt bad. Almost. 

“Curtis has been on this anti-human campaign,” he started. The arm wrapped around her felt more uncomfortable and heavy as he spoke and she had to resist the urge to shrug it off. “He called me out for seeing you so much in front of a whole department. I panicked and said Morozko wasn’t working with the Hale Company anymore so I’d just gone to wrap up some things with you before dissolving the partnership. It was a dumb thing to say, I know, but he’d already been making the elves so nervous about humans by then, I just kind of blurted out the first excuse that came to mind. He’s making all these assumptions and spreading them around like they’re facts and now half the elves are convinced humans are evil and somehow causing my new hair growth-“

“Wait, what? Is that true?” Her head turned, leaning away from his own to look him in the eye. “Is it because of me that you have a beard now?”

“No,” he shook his head, eyes never leaving hers. “We’ve already proven that whatever is going on with me has been happening slowly for decades now, long before you were even born.”

Her stomach clenched uncomfortably at the reminder of how much older he was. It hadn’t bothered her too much before, but now it just further reminded her of the power imbalance between them. Her brain unhelpfully reminded her that he could dust her at any time. She took a shaky breath and shoved the thought away. 

“So why is it happening then?”

“We don’t know,” he answered, “but Curtis has a good chunk of the elves terrified that human contact will make the same thing start happening to them. I didn’t want to draw anymore attention to you while this was going on. I’m sorry I didn’t come see you sooner, but I was afraid of what it would look like.”

Her heart begged her to accept his explanation, but her mind just couldn’t. 

He’d stayed away to protect her, huh? Pretty convenient. 

“Are you embarrassed of me, Bernard?” She ground out between clenched teeth, eyes stuck stubbornly to her food. 

“What?! No!” His hand came up to her cheek, urging her to look back at him. “Holly, it’s not like that at all. I would tell everyone in a heartbeat if I could.”

Sure he would. 

Her eyes cut to the side, refusing to meet his as the pain and heartache of the past few weeks came back to the front of her mind. The relief and comfort his presence brought was a balm to her hurting soul, but she had too many questions and fears to just move on like nothing had happened. “So what was all the secrecy on Valentine’s for, then?”

He winced. “Look, at the time, we weren’t sure if you’d notice that we weren’t human and-“

“How could I possibly not notice?” she cried, furious eyes blazing as they met his. “Judy and Belle had their ears out like it was nothing, and you didn’t even try to hide those pictures!”

His hands fell away and his posture tensed. “And you still might not have noticed!” He laughed incredulously, brows tenting together in frustration. “You could have come up with some elaborate explanation for it in your mind to explain it away just like you did with all the unusual extremely not-human things about me. I conjured firewood and gloves and skis out of nowhere. You saw Dancer fly. My name is Bernard Evergreen—you said yourself it sounded like an elf name!” 

“Well, sorry for wanting to take you at face value, I guess!” she huffed, lip curling. 

“Holly,” he sighed frustratedly, “that’s not what I meant! I’m not trying to say you should have noticed sooner, I’m saying that this is what human adults do in the presence of magic.” His hand waved through the air as he talked, emphasizing his words. “It’s just an automatic response that you can’t help. The point I’m trying to make here is that you could have just as easily stayed ignorant of magic even after seeing our ears.” 

“But you were gonna ask me to be together that night anyway, right? So then, why not just sit me down and prove that magic is real instead of waiting until I figured it out and had a fucking panic attack?!”

This wasn’t the point of this conversation, really. She knew that. But now the floodgates had opened and she just couldn’t help but nitpick every little thing he said that didn’t make sense to her. 

Those dark knowing eyes of his slipped close as he took a deep breath, shoulders heaving with the effort. After a beat, he answered her. “Seeing isn’t believing—believing is seeing.”

Sheesh. 

And she thought she was the cheesy one here. 

“So what the hell does that mean?” she deadpanned. 

“It means that even if I showed you everything, if you didn’t believe it then you still wouldn’t see it.” Sincere eyes twinkled at her, pleading for her understanding. “You just weren’t ready to believe me. Just like how you still aren’t ready to believe in… Santa.”

Her heart sunk at the sound of that name, a whimper pulled unbidden from her chest. She placed the food container she’d been gripping down on the ground near her feet, nausea rolling through her stomach as her mind struggled with what he’d just said. 

Okay. Maybe she kinda saw what he meant there. 

His gaze softened. “I wouldn’t have hid you at all, but I thought you needed more time to get used to everything first. The elves,” he sighed exasperatedly, a reluctant note of fondness at the edge of his voice, “they can be a lot, trust me. The last thing you'd want while still coming to terms with the existence of magic would be to have to deal with hoards of nosy well-wishers.” She allowed him to reach over and grab her hands, his larger ones practically engulfing them. “I promise you, it was just bad timing. I’m not embarrassed of you, Holly. Not at all. I love being with you.”

The thumping in her chest had dulled to something more manageable, the blood rushing in her ears no longer so distracting. But where the rage she felt before had dimmed, the fear and sorrow remained. 

“And what happens when that changes?” she asked wearily, pulling her hands out of his grip. “And when you eventually realize that I’m not worth all this work? You’ll dust me and move on, and there’ll be nothing I can do about it, right?”

His brows pulled low, baffled eyes squinting. “Wha—dust you? I’m not going to dust you!”

“You might,” she intoned, eyes sliding away from his despondently. She swallowed around a trembling breath. 

“Holly, no! I’m not going to do that,” he insisted. 

“But you could. And there’s nothing I can do to stop you. Don’t you see how terrifying that is?” Tears shone in her eyes again as her words got gradually faster and more panicked. “You’re so much older and more experienced and gorgeous and magical and I’m just me! Just Holly! I’m so pathetically human,” she sucked in a wheeze that got stuck in her throat, voice thick and wet, “there’s nothing I could do to stop you from erasing my memories or even my existence if you wanted to!”

His expression was equal parts hurt, confused, and disturbed. “Do you really think I’d ever do that?” he whispered into the space between them. 

Her face twisted into a pained grimace as she fought to keep holding his heavy stare. He looked so wounded that she would say that, but it was the truth, wasn’t it? 

She swiped a coat sleeve across her eyes, clearing her throat uneasily before she replied. “I don’t know, Bernard! We really haven’t known each other for very long, have we? Is that something you’d do?” She shrugged, mouth pulled tight into a straight line. “I mean, you said before that if I wanted to break up, I’d be dusted and that was that. But what if you want to break up? Then what? You wouldn’t even need to tell me cause I’d forget anyways. So I’m just meant to live my life in fear that at any moment, you could dust me once you inevitably realize that this isn’t going to work out.” 

“Stop, stop.” His hands lifted placatingly to pause the frenzied avalanche of fears she’d suddenly unleashed. “You’ve completely misunderstood what I meant. I told you about dusting so you’d feel more at ease about this whole thing, not to make you even more afraid! I just wanted you to know about it, so if you decided you didn’t want to be with me, you could go back to a normal life—that it was an option for you if that’s what you chose. But Holly, I would never dust you if you didn’t want me to.”

“B-but,” she stuttered, “but no, you said it was to preserve your secrecy!” Her hands twisted restlessly at the edges of her sleeves. 

“That is what dusting is normally for, yes,” he nodded. “When a child wakes on Christmas Day and sees something they shouldn’t, when someone spots a sleigh flying through the night, or when a particularly perceptive person starts asking why the new kid in class has pointy ears, a quick dusting saves everyone a lot of trouble. Humans can go crazy seeing one little display of magic and believing it with no other proof or explanation. It’s cruel to leave them like that.” His hands cupped her shoulders, rubbing them gently as he faced her fully. “But for you and many other non-magical people who know about us, it’s not some accidental slip up. You’re in this world too now. If you don’t want to be with me and you also don’t want to be dusted, then that’s okay!” A hesitant smile broke through the tired expression he wore. “I hope that if that was the case, though, we could at least still be friends.” 

So… he wasn’t going to just dust her out of nowhere? She was officially part of the magical world now and… it was completely her choice if she wanted to stay there or not? 

Something in her chest that had been winding tighter and tighter as the days went on slowly started to unravel. A cloud of air partially blinded her as an exhale of relief rushed out of her lungs and into the cold air. The warm hands cupping her shoulders squeezed once and some of her lingering tension evaporated. 

“Really?” she asked quietly, another tear slipping down her cheek. 

“Really,” he answered, just as quiet. “Now,” his hands squeezed her shoulders again before dropping as he peered at her sternly, “don’t think I’m just going to ignore that you somehow believe I’m ‘inevitably’ going to leave you. Cause that’s not going to happen, okay? Maybe I’m just completely misremembering in my ‘old age’ but I could have sworn I explained heart bonds to you. I’m dedicated, Holly. I’m here for the long haul. And you can be sure that I am because you are, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” she whispered. “I am.”

He grinned at her reply, dark gaze holding her so sweetly she felt like she might cry for a whole other reason. His palms cupped her cheeks and her lip wobbled. 

“What your heart feels, my heart feels. That’s why they bonded in the first place. You don’t need to be afraid that I’ll suddenly change my mind. I won’t. I never will.” His thumb wiped away a stray tear on her cheek. “The only reason I mentioned dusting was so you’d know you still have a choice here. You don’t have to stay with me, and your feelings are your own. If you decide you don’t want to be with me for whatever reason, then our bond will dissolve and that’ll be the end. But I’ve already made my choice, okay? And I choose you.”

His saccharine words were everything she was craving to hear for so long, but the ache in her chest remained. 

His explanations were understandable to a degree, but it didn’t really make her feel any better. Like her anger, the sorrows and fears she’d had sitting cold in her belly were suddenly gone, as if he’d plucked them from her with his own hand. 

In their place now was a numb, nameless feeling that stole the emotion from her face and made his dark eyes look more inhuman and frightening than they ever had before. 

“You still could have come,” whispered Holly, “just once. Just to explain. You wouldn’t have had to stay long.” Blank eyes watched dispassionately as the warm tenderness slipped away from his expression. “Can you honestly say you were so convinced that the elves would notice you gone for just five minutes? Really?”

“I was constantly being watched, Holly, I couldn’t just-“

“I don’t believe you.”

Chapter Text

“I don’t believe you,” she said, heart twinging only once at the pained grimace overtaking his handsome features. “As you’ve so aptly pointed out, I’m human. You can’t just put me down somewhere to go fuck off for awhile and expect to just pick things back up again when it’s convenient. A month might not be long for you, but it is for me, Bernard.” 

His jaw clenched and he blinked, taken aback. The hands that had been cradling her face and neck had slowly been slipping away as they continued speaking, but now at her final declaration, they fell from her completely. He leaned away, chin dipping towards his chest as he averted his gaze back to the fire. 

Holly watched him cautiously. She wanted so badly to just take his words for what they appeared to be, to let herself be reassured of his good intentions. But they’d never had a serious fight before, had they? They’d never really had a reason to. Professional boundaries were easier, simpler. Personal boundaries were another bear altogether. Polar and vicious, with more at stake than a simple difference of opinion. 

It was important to her to know how he’d handle this. Whatever he claimed, he still could hurt her, quite easily in fact. If she wasn’t mollified by his excuses, then what? Would he force her to accept what he claimed was the truth or would he actually put his money where his mouth was? 

Anyone could say anything, after all. But actions were more deafening than any declaration of love or good will. 

“You’re right,” he said, the words stilted and deliberate. “I guess I was worried it wouldn’t be enough for me to just pop in for a short time. That it would be more painful to see you knowing I’d have to leave so quickly. So I thought staying away completely would be better… easier,” he sighed, eyes still fixed on the flames in front of him, “but you are human, I know. And that wasn’t fair to you.”

Her frown pulled lower, his dejected words falling like a stone on the numbness of her mind, rippling the calm surface. 

“No, it wasn’t fair,” she bit out, “And that’s a huge part of the problem right there, isn’t it? This-“ she waved her hand back and forth between them, “-isn’t fair. It’s not equal at all. You hold all the power in this relationship because I’m human. That’s not fair to me.”

“I don’t hold all the power, Holly,” his eyes sparked again with frustration, “you do have a say! How many times do I have to tell you,” he dragged a hand roughly through his locks. 

Her nostrils flared at his sharp tone. “Just because I have a say in whether or not we stay together or if I keep my memories, doesn’t mean we’re equals here! Maybe you wouldn’t dust me out of nowhere. I don’t know why you’d lie about that, so I’ll just have to trust you I guess. But that doesn’t change the fact that you still have so much more power than me in this relationship.”

He shook his head and opened his mouth, but Holly immediately cut off whatever he was going to say, plowing forward as her anger reignited. 

“You do, Bernard!” she cried. “Don’t pretend you don’t! You left me here with no way to even contact you—that shows perfectly what I’m talking about here. There was literally nothing I could do but wait for you to decide for us both that it was the right time to come see me.” Her fists clenched in her lap and she saw his eyes flickering down to watch them as he turned away from the fire and back towards her. “That’s not fucking fair. We’re obviously not equals here and you acting like that’s not the case isn’t going to change anything.” The crease between his brows cut even deeper as he listened, and he swallowed heavily. Her fists shook with how tightly they were clenched now. “You made the decision for both of us, Bernard. I never got a say. How can you think there’s no power imbalance when there clearly is and you clearly used it to get your own way?”

For a painfully long time, no one spoke. She stared at his tense face, his eyes still fixed on her fists twisted up in the edge of her coat on her lap. After a few minutes, when he didn’t even move, let alone speak, Holly exhaled and forced herself to turn away from him, leaning back on the couch to watch the fire. 

Something about the ever changing flames dancing over the coals was hypnotizing. Her mind wandered, switching from frenzied thought chains to blessed static and back again and again. Her anger would burn bright and hot until the numbness would douse it for a while. Was he really that dense or was he being purposely obtuse? He may not think of himself as having power over her, but he absolutely did. Denying it was useless and downright offensive. 

“I don’t know how to fix this, Holly,” his voice broke through the quiet, startling her out of her spiral of thoughts. “I’m an elf. You’re human. I can’t change that.”

“I’m not asking you to,” she said, quietly. 

“So then, what? What do we do?” he shrugged helplessly, lashes hiding his eyes from view. “Elves are stronger than humans and here at the North Pole, I’m always going to have more power than you. So does that mean you want to leave me?”

“No,” she whispered, “I don’t want to leave you.” She sighed heavily, a groan mixed in the sound that broadcast a bone deep weariness. “I guess, I just want you to acknowledge that we don’t have the same amount of power here, and… I want us to try to equal it out as much as possible.”

He finally raised his head again, looking her in the eye with an interested spark. “How?” 

“I don’t know, Bernard,” answered Holly, exasperation warring with the fatigue evident in her voice, “I don’t have all the answers. I just know that this isn’t fair and if we want to continue being together we have to at least try to make it fair.” Her eyes searched the air for a moment before she nodded to herself and continued. “We can start with finding a way for me to contact you when I need to, so I’m not just sitting here helpless, waiting for you to come to me.”

“Okay,” he said, mirroring her nod with his own, “Yeah, we can do that.”

“And I want an apology,” she added with a stern jut to her chin. 

“I said you were right before.” Despite his words, his tone wasn’t argumentative, just confused. 

“But that’s not an apology,” said Holly, giving him a significant look with raised brows and wide eyes. “You never actually said you were sorry.”

Dawning realization lit his face, and he nodded again, measured and conceding. “You’re right. I was selfish, and I hurt you when I said I wouldn’t.” He sighed, jaw subtly trembling as his eyes slid away from hers. “I think I just let my own worries about work get the best of me and I…” he paused, throat bobbing as he seemed to struggle with his internal thoughts for a moment, “Holly, I’m so, so sorry. I told you that you had a say, but I didn’t act like it.”

“No, you didn’t,” she said bluntly, shoulders only starting to relax once she heard his apology. “You can’t just leave me out of the loop like that, okay? We’re supposed to be a team. We have to trust each other.”

“I do trust you.”

“Prove it, then,” said Holly, sighing at Bernard’s chastised, attentive face. “Don’t just decide for the both of us what’s right.”

A long moment passed while he seemed to absorb her words. “I will do better, I promise,” he said, gaze finding hers again. 

They stared at each other for a long tense moment before she spoke. “You promised before.”

“Yeah,” he winced, regret hanging heavy on his brow, “I guess I did.”

Her lip worried between her teeth as she took in his hunched shoulders and tired eyes. He honestly looked exhausted. Her stern expression softened with a short exhale, her own shoulders dropping completely as she realized that much of her anger had gone away with his apology. Clearly, he was trying here, and whatever his intentions or actions, he truly didn’t mean to hurt her. For Holly, that mattered. 

And anyways, she wasn’t completely blameless here either. She could admit that. He may have fucked up, but when she hadn’t heard from him in awhile, she made a lot of assumptions about his character that weren’t exactly kind. It had already been apparent long before this incident that she had some trouble accepting his affections as sincere. He knew that about her, but he never took it personally. Because her insecurities were never really about him, were they? They were about her. 

There were obviously some larger trust issues that they both needed to work on. 

“Maybe I can believe in magic now,” she said, her voice soft and gentle, “but I think it’s still going to take a while for me to believe in you. For now, though,” Holly dipped her chin, eyes peering up through her lashes to watch him, “this is a start. I’m sure there’s more we’ll have to figure out as we go, but it’s like you said, I am dedicated to you too. So as long as you can tolerate me, I wanna try to make this work.”

His face twisted with confliction, hand raising to cup her cheek. “I do more than tolerate you, Holly,” he said, thumb swiping slowly over the curve of her face. “I wish I could make you believe that.”

“Maybe someday.” She blinked through the tears suddenly blurring her vision, shocked at the feeling of moisture on her cheeks again. Her heart lurched with feelings that she hadn’t allowed herself to have during the last part of their conversation, all of it hitting her again now that her anger had been properly acknowledged and put to rest. The sorrow, the fear, the frustration, and the relief of it all dripped from her sparkling eyes, little hiccups encouraging their descent. 

Bernard dutifully wiped each one away, dark eyes watching expectantly. She wasn’t sure why, until she noticed the urge to say something had made her mouth fall open without yet having the words. 

Her brain felt sluggish and unsure, so she let her wounded heart speak instead. 

“I just,” she began, staggered words coming out between hitched breaths, “don’t understand why you’d want to be with a human. We’re nothing special, y’know? Not compared to elves.”

A deep sigh left him and he shook his head. “That’s not true, Holly.” Gears were clearly turning as his eyes darted over to some unseen thing on the horizon behind her. The corner of his mouth twitched as he thought and the expression was so charming, she felt her stomach flutter with fondness. “Humans are the main drive of creativity in this world,” he said, looking pensive. “Elves may have longevity but humans are innovators . Judy told you a little about what her job is, right?”

Holly blinked, and thought a beat before answering. “She said she was in charge of morale?” 

His hands slid down her face to her arms and all the way to her hands again. Holly’s eyes followed the motion down to their joined hands as Bernard spoke low and slow, the murmur of his voice settling her anxious mind. “Sorta. She’s Head of the Spirit Department. She and the elves who work under her make up half of the Workshop. Core Operations—what I’m technically in charge of as well as being Head Elf—is the other half. Core takes care of building toys, tech, security, scheduling, logistics, and everything else that could possibly go into making this whole thing come together. But Judy’s Department is just as important. They take care of making sweets and treats, creating art, singing songs, planning festivals, dancing, and anything else that bolsters the Spirit of the elves. Elves need Spirit to do our jobs. But that Spirit doesn’t just come out of thin air! So where do you think we get it from then?”

“...Humans, I’m guessing?” She blinked. “But why? How?” One of his hands released hers and she took the opportunity to wipe the remaining tears from her cheeks. 

“Elves have experience and can become experts at many things over our long lives but the flip side to that is that we’re slow to change our ways and aren’t very good at coming up with new ideas. We would still be stuck in the dark ages of art, philosophy, and technology if it weren’t for humans.” 

Although she kept her eyes down, gaze darting back and forth between their hands and the fire, she could still see Bernard’s one free hand gesturing wildly as he talked from her peripheral. A tiny smile pulled on her lips at the sight. 

He continued, “Y’see, we elves use human creativity by monitoring the human world and its advances. Judy’s got a whole team of over 100 elves whose only job is to discover new music, recipes, art, ideas in the human world to put into their Spirit work. Everyone in the Workshop then takes that Spirit and uses it to make amazing toys for human children. And when children receive those toys, they pour their love and belief and magic into them. The magic born from that makes us stronger, and the kids themselves get an extra boost of creativity that starts the cycle all over again.” 

“Woah,” she murmured, eyes following the flickering fire as she listened. “So that’s what all this is for?”

“Well, that and just general good-will. Children are wonderful no matter what species they are and they deserve to feel like someone somewhere out there is thinking of them, y’know?”

A throb in her chest almost left her breathless. The sincerity of the sweet sentiment he shared was almost enough to make her tears fall once more. “Bernard…” 

She felt him scoot closer until their knees were touching, his stray hand returning to the tangle of their joined fingers. 

“Listen, humans are wonderful in their own right. Elves aren’t inherently better, okay? Just because you aren’t magical doesn’t mean you aren’t still amazing. And you are, Holly.” A thumb rubbed the back of her hand, and she startled, looking up into his eyes. The expression he wore was so patient and kind. “You’re amazing. I’ve never met such a beautiful person in all my years. You care so much about the land, the bears, and your fellow humans. That’s why you’re even up here, right? Because you care?” She nodded stunned and he grinned, pressing on. “And not only that, you’ve taken the next step past caring and you’re actually doing something to make a change. It’s people like you that are gonna do real good in this world, Holly. So don’t think you’re nothing special, okay?” He lifted their joined hands between them, placing a soft kiss on the back of her wrist. “Cause to me, you absolutely are.”

A shiver ran up her arm from where his lips had brushed her skin, leaving fire in its wake. The relief of their candid conversation was quickly overtaking any remaining fear or sadness she felt. Gratefulness and something dangerously close to love bubbled up alongside the relief, filling her heart and spilling over into her belly and limbs leaving her whole body buzzing with euphoria so strong she could feel herself shaking.  

A stuttered breath past a wobbling lip, and then she was suddenly in his arms again. A startled grunt escaped him at the human unexpectedly flung into his lap, but his arms came up to cradle her nonetheless. He leaned back into the cushion and she shifted her weight so she was fully laying on top of him. 

Her cold nose nuzzled into his neck and he chuckled at the sensation, but the sound died on his lips when he felt moisture dripping onto his skin. 

“Hey,” he murmured, low voice vibrating the sensitive shell of her ear as his lips brushed against it, “you’re still crying?”

“I’m sorry, I know I’m being so weird right now. I’m not usually this emotional, I swear.” Holly’s body shook and her voice was thick. 

Bernard rubbed a soothing hand up and down her back, his own breathing shaky. “Me either, but we can blame that on the bond. Have you been feeling sick at all lately?”

She nodded into his hair. His answering sympathetic hum made her whole body buzz even more. “So that’s from the heart bond?” she asked. 

“Yeah,” he said, “we’re not supposed to be apart this long when it’s still so new. Judy’s taking care of things for me today, but you’re right, we’ll need to figure out a better way to see each other from here on out.”

Holly leaned back in his lap, meeting his eyes with a small sniff. “You said that you couldn’t teleport before because you were afraid the other elves would know, but won’t they know now?”

“We can thank Judy for that too,” he said, “She’s going to say that she needs your expertise on polar bears for an upcoming party. That should give us an excuse to keep in contact a few more times at least.”

“Is the partnership with Morozko really dissolved?” she asked, worry pinching her brows. 

He tilted his head back and forth a bit, before answering. “No… well, not officially. But most of the elves think it is. I’m really not sure what I’m going to do about that, yet.”

“Please don’t actually dissolve it!” she pleaded. “Hale needs that funding, and if Morozko suddenly breaks away, they’re gonna blame me.” 

“I know, I know,” he sighed. “I’ll figure something out, okay? Don’t worry. For now, let’s just focus on how we can see each other more often so this won’t happen again.”

“Could I, um,” hesitation stalled her words, a blush blooming on her cheeks as she shyly avoided his stare. “Could I maybe just come to your house? I mean,” she rushed her words out, hands playing restlessly with the ends of his curls, “I don’t want to impose and it’s totally fine if you’re not comfortable with that, I just figured if you can’t come to me then—“

“Then you can come to me instead?” His smile was sweet and open, making the little lines at the corner of his mouth that she was so fond of more pronounced. “Yeah, I think that’s a great idea! It’s nice and private and no one would give it a second thought if I spent time there. We’ve officially addressed the elves’ concerns about humans today, so hopefully things will ease up enough that we can introduce you to everyone soon. In the meantime, we’ll just meet at my place.” 

Her heart thumped hard in her chest at the casual declaration of his intent to eventually bring her in fully to his community. He was adamant before that he had plans to do so, but still, the reminder was more than welcome for her still somewhat worried mind. 

In an effort to match his casual energy, she asked the question she’d had on her mind for weeks now. “And I’ll get to use that shower of yours again, right?” She was half joking but not so secretly hoping the invitation was still open. 

Luckily, he chuckled easily at her obvious eagerness. “Of course. I’ll draw you up a map and directions so you can come by whenever you want, okay?” His fingers fluttered over the edge of her hood, pushing it back to reveal her hair. He began playing with the edge of it, twirling a lock with a serene expression on his face. 

“Okay,” she breathed, obvious relief in her voice. After a second, she leaned forward to give him a tiny peck on the cheek, relaxing into his embrace. Her nose found its way up under his chin and he laid out fully on the couch, letting Holly’s weight settle warm on top of him. 

Being in his arms again was bliss. Her heart practically sang, every muscle in her body melting to his touch. For a moment, it was enough to make her forget just how badly he’d hurt her the past few weeks. 

Her fingers twitched with a sudden urge. 

She slowly inched her hand up into his hair, taking the opportunity to pull on his bouncy curls a few times. At his soft amused hum, she let her hand creep further through the jungle of locks to his pointed ear, fingers rubbing the edge mindlessly as she reveled in his embrace. 

Almost immediately, she felt his own hand move into her hair, palm passing over the curve of her skull to her muffs, slipping underneath the protective wear to remove it like he had her hood. After setting them aside, his hands returned to her, fingers exploring her ear with just as much curiosity as she had with his. Shivers raced up her spine at the gentle touch. His hand was large and warm, thumb easily able to make a full loop around the curve of the outer shell several times before pulling playfully on her lobe. 

She grinned into his neck and let herself pull his own lobe in response. His chuckles were a welcome sound, the musical tones underneath bringing her such comfort at the familiarity of it all. She couldn’t resist letting her palm slide up and over to the elongated part of his ear to rub the sensitive tip, a smirk playing on her lips as she anticipated the reaction to come. 

His chuckles cut off with a soft inhale, the consequential exhale huffed into her hair as he turned his head towards her, pointed ear bumping further into her touch. He kind of reminded her of a cat at that moment and she fought giggles at the mental image of it. His ear began twitching at her onslaught, his legs shifting restlessly beneath her as his hand let go of her own ear to grip at her hair. His fist tightened its hold at the fine hair at her nape, not enough to hurt, but enough to evoke flutters low in her belly. 

The playful flirting was welcoming and familiar, but something about it felt off. As much as she was curious about where things might go, this wasn’t the time or place. They’d only just made up, after all, and while she had forgiven him, she still felt sore about the whole affair. The reminder was a bucket of cold water dumped on her heart, but she tried not to dwell on the chill it left her with. 

She released his ear, her hand slowly slipping down until it was on his cheek, the stubble on his jaw pleasantly rough beneath her palm. His arms squeezed her round her middle and they settled into a comfortable stillness. 

“So are you letting this grow out?” she asked after a long moment, fingers rubbing pointedly against his cheek. “It’s almost an actual beard at this point.”

“Ah, well, no, not exactly,” he said, hand moving across his chin to scratch at the new growth there. “I just haven’t really had the time to learn to shave properly, so it takes me a long while to do it. That’s time I just don’t have to spare these days, so I haven’t bothered for a while now.”

She tsk’d, raising up to face him and shaking her head. “You gotta practice your technique if you wanna learn!”

“Can’t practice technique when I’m still in the trial and error phase,” he shrugged. 

“Trial and error?” she blinked, “What do you mean?”

“Nobody really knows how to shave in the North Pole. There’s hairdressers of course, but elves like longer hair in general so even they had no clue how to use a razor. I’m kinda learning as I go here.” One side of his mouth lifted in a half smile that froze warily as she eyed him with an unreadable twinkle in her gaze. 

Uh oh. What was she planning? 

“Bernard.”

He gulped. “Yeah?”

She smirked, the twinkle in her eye now decidedly mischievous. “You want me to teach you how to shave?”

He blinked. “Um…”

Chapter Text

“So in one of your letters, you asked about George,” Holly said, fiddling with her electric stovetop. “Do you guys have any idea where he’s gone? Because I lost track of him a while ago and I’m really starting to worry.”

Bernard watched through the mirror as she poured the hot water from her kettle into a bowl and brought it over to him. She’d set them up a little makeshift boutique in her tent with her hand mirror and shaving supplies. The mirror was hanging by a crude rig on the tent wall near where they’d usually put the deployable cushion. It was too much trouble to drag the cushion back inside, so they ended up just setting a few layers of blankets on the ground tarp. 

“We don’t,” he replied. “I was hoping you had some idea of where he is, actually.”

“No clue,” she said, and he watched her shake her head in the reflection of the mirror. “I’ve been combing through the camera footage but it’s slow going on my own.”

“Want some help?” he offered. 

“Please,” she looked up at him, making eye contact through the mirror while she set the razor and extra towels beside the bowl, “that’d be great.”

When she had whipped out a brand new razor and cream, he’d been intrigued. She said she didn’t really shave often, just enough to stay comfortable, but for the most part the extra hair was nice—warmer, so she hadn’t actually shaved at all since being up there. He really didn’t mind body hair on humans, sometimes it was quite attractive in fact. But when it came to his own body, he felt incredibly self conscious about the new additions. 

He wondered if Holly liked chest hair or not. 

A clean rag was dipped into the warm water before being wrung out. “Ready?” she asked, handing him the rag. 

“I guess so.” He tentatively dabbed at his cheeks, chin and neck while she went to crouch behind him. She pulled his hat off and set it aside before gathering his hair in her hand, taking care that all the stray pieces were pulled back before using a clip to pin it in place. 

“Huh, you should wear your hair up more often. It looks nice like that!”

It really did. 

His sharp jaw and pointed ears were on full display; the cut of his features in the lantern light was stark in a way that reminded her of a Baroque oil painting. Quite lovely. She gently traced the edge of his jaw with a feather light touch and he twitched. She giggled at the sight, leaning over to give his cheek a kiss, unable to resist the urge to wrap her arms around his shoulders for a half hug. 

Her eyes cut up to peer at him through the mirror and she was pleased to note the spark of warmth in his tired gaze. The longer they were in each other’s company, the better they felt, both physically and emotionally. Holly’s body had felt immediate relief when he’d first appeared, her nausea and headache disappearing altogether. The exhaustion still remained however, not as easily fixed as her other maladies, although she felt like she could actually relax now that she was with him again. 

Talking through everything together had helped immensely with her tumultuous emotions, but her heart still felt a bit sore after everything was said and done. Bernard assured her that was a normal reaction to a strained new heart bond and it would heal up no problem if they spent the next few hours together. 

Already, she felt like the previous few weeks had been an overreaction on her part, even though Bernard was adamant that wasn’t the case at all. Heart bonds, maybe somewhat obviously, were not always ruled by logic. 

Either way, she found she had no real desire to try to control her feelings, going with whatever impulse struck her at any given moment and hoping things would stabilize soon. She nuzzled into the hair behind his ear, breathing him in deep. Another compelling feeling swept through her, and she couldn’t resist dragging her lips across his ear down to the lobe to give it a quick nip. Dark eyes glazed over as his breath stuttered. 

Success. 

She would never stop being grateful for Bernard’s sensitive ears. 

But then like a chaser, here came the sadness to quell her flickering desire and remind her that he had all but abandoned her for weeks on end. Sure they had talked; feelings were known and apologies accepted, but she still was pretty upset with him. The bond may want them to cozy up, but she needed more time before she could just move past it. Bernard had a lot of making up to do, honestly. 

She swiftly leaned back once the growing ache in her chest became too much, and saw him stiffen in response. Hot then cold—she knew it must be hurting him for her to be so easily affectionate with him one moment, then distant the next. Part of her felt bad, but another deeper part felt satisfied every time he looked hurt or guilty. 

She scooted up by his side, grabbing the can of shaving cream as she went. There wasn’t much more to say between them. He knew how she felt. Best just to try and move on and hope that the hurt would heal in time. 

“Okay, so here’s what you do,” she began, enthusiasm forced into her voice. “Take this cream and rub it over wherever you want to shave.” A hefty glob spewed out onto her hand and she rubbed it between her palms before starting to cover his cheeks with it. 

A flinch wracked through his body almost immediately. “It smells terrible,” he said, nose crinkled in distaste. 

“What, really?” Holly blinked, “I think it smells pretty good.”

“It reminds me of flowers but fake,” he said, the twist of his lip becoming more pronounced as he spoke. “And chemicals.”

“Huh, well I can’t really disagree with you there” she conceded. “I noticed a lot of your shower stuff didn’t really have a scent to it. Do elves prefer more natural smells then or is that just you?”

“Elves have better noses in general.” As if to demonstrate, he leaned away from her hands as she tried to apply cream to his upper lip, his nose scrunching dramatically. “We don’t cover ourselves in perfume like humans do cause it would just mask what we really smell like.”

“And that’s… bad?” said Holly, confusion evident in her voice. 

She used one hand to cup Bernard’s cheek and keep him in place, while the other smeared white across his chin. He squirmed some but ultimately let her apply the cream where she needed to. “Smells are unique to each person,” he said, “so yes. It’s bad. It would be like walking around with a bag over your head. How’s anyone supposed to know who you are?”

“Okay…” she said, using a finger to even out the layer of cream and make sure it covered all his stubble, “we’re probably just gonna have to chalk this one up to a species difference cause I don’t get that at all.” She paused, a strange look coming over her before she worriedly asked, “Wait, what do I smell like? Is it bad and fake?”

He shook his head, a glob of shaving cream dripping off onto the towel around his shoulders, making Holly click her tongue. “No,” he answered, “you kinda smell like your soap which isn’t as strong as most humans, fortunately.”

“Ah, yep,” she nodded. “That makes sense. It’s a special soap provided by the station. The last thing you want as a researcher is to wake up to a bear sniffing around.”

Bernard hummed lightly before continuing. “That’s not what you actually smell like, though.”

Holly sprayed a little more cream in her palm and started going over the stray spots here and there that weren’t as thickly distributed. “So what do I actually smell like then?”

“Like fire and salt,” he said. 

Disgust twisted her features and she reeled back to look at him properly, offense clear in her expression. “Ew, what? That doesn’t sound good at all!”

He blinked. “Why not?” 

“Cause,” she scoffed, “nice smells are like lavender or roses, y’know?”

“But you aren’t a flower, you’re a person. You smell like a person.”

She dunked her hands in the bowl of warm water to wash off the excess cream before grabbing a spare towel. “Well, you smell like pines and nutmeg and those are great smells!” she said, cheeks tinged pink and irritation starting to creep into her tone. “Fire just means I smell smokey and salt doesn’t even smell like anything.”

“You only think I smell like that because it’s what your brain is translating my smell into, though,” he said, patiently. “So it’s the same with how you smell. Your scent just makes me think of fire and salt.” His eyes caught hers in the mirror again, dark gaze smoldering. “Delicious.” 

The effect was significantly lessened by his now fluffy white cream-beard. 

She snorted and gave his shoulder a light hearted nudge, unmoved by his amorous attempt. Tension effectively broken, he chuckled, eyes catching on his reflection in the mirror. He froze for a long moment, features falling gradually into a somber disquiet. 

“So what now?” he asked, eyes wide and unsure. 

“Now, you shave!” Holly replied, hand waving toward the mirror with some gusto. “You go down with the direction your hair grows so you don’t get ingrown hairs—but some people do go against the grain. It just depends on how sensitive your skin is and how close of a shave you want. Oh! And make sure you rinse the razor after every swipe.”

He seemed frustrated as he took all this in, eyebrows pinching as he examined the razor in his hand. 

“Can you show me first?” he asked, voice small. 

“Sure!” she chirped, “Give it here.”

After handing over the razor, he sat up straighter, blinking a couple times to steady himself as he watched her through the mirror. Holly gently turned his face so she could have a better angle to reach his cheek. “I’m gonna recommend we just go with the grain cause your hair is really curly and that could mean you’re more prone to ingrown hairs.”

“Whatever you think is best, I guess,” he said, throat bobbing as he swallowed nervously. 

“Okie dokie!” She briefly grabbed his shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze before returning her attention to his face. “We’ll see how you like it when it’s done.”

Carefully and methodically she swiped the razor across his face, being extra cautious around the sharp edges of his jaw and chin. It was strangely intimate and somewhat flattering—the trust he placed in her to do something so personal for him was touching in a way. Sure, it was just a demonstration because he'd never done it before, but still. She didn’t know how willing she’d be to have someone so close to her face with such a sharp instrument. 

After making a clean stripe down his cheek and neck, she dunked the razor into the warm water, giving it a shake to wash off the excess cream. With a flourish, she presented the razor to him once again. He still looked nervous, but took the razor in hand anyways and tried his best to copy what she had done with the rest of his face. 

He was shaky around the edges of his jaw and on his neck, needing her help with a couple spots that he felt were too difficult to tackle himself. For the most part, she was able to talk him through the process, although the whole thing took more time than either one had expected.

A whole hour passed before his face was all shorn, cleaned, and lotioned. He tilted his freshly smoothed face this way and that, looking at it from all angles in the mirror with a critical eye. 

“Will it always have that gray shadow?” he asked, dissatisfaction hard in his gaze. 

“Yeah, most likely,” she nodded, lightly rubbing his cheek before pushing a stray lock of coily hair that had escaped its tie back behind his ear. “Even if we got a closer shave, your hair is so dark that it’ll probably still look like that.”

He sighed, eyes drooping. “I guess I’ll just have to get used to it.” 

A sympathetic half smile twitched up on her face as she watched him stare dejectedly at himself. She rose up a little higher on her knees to be level with his now smoothed cheek, giving it a quick peck as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She pressed her face into his, nuzzling the side of his cheek before turning slightly to look with him in the mirror. “You look great no matter what, Bernard.”

His eyes were still tinged with sadness, but a half smile was pulled from him at her sweet words. 

“Thanks, Holly,” he murmured. 

They cleaned up the space together, Holly gathering the materials she used into a little care packet for him to take with him for when he tried by himself at his house. Bernard’s general disposition was very down, a tenseness hanging on his shoulders she knew was from him still coming to terms with the changes to his physical body. While she didn’t think there was anything wrong with how he looked—quite the opposite, in fact—she understood that it must be disturbing to look in the mirror and see someone you don’t recognize. 

This was all obviously quite hard for him. While the ache in her chest seeing him so upset urged her to comfort him further, the lingering bitterness from their conversation stubbornly held her back. Her emotions were so back and forth right now, the whiplash was jarring. 

Hopefully his cheer would return if they kept busy. 

“Okay,” she said once everything had been tidied away, “should we get started on that footage? There’s no way we’ll finish it all now, but we could get a decent chunk done before you need to head back for the night.”

“Actually, I think we should put that on hold for now,” he said, facing her with an excited grin. “I’ve got some news.”

“Oh, yeah?” she asked, head cocked. “What is it?”

“Catherine brought Crystal out into the open,” he revealed, grin stretched wide across his face. He squirreled away the shaving kit Holly had made up for him in his leather satchel, looking back up abruptly when he felt a hand clamp onto his forearm. 

Holly’s eyes were bright as bells, her grip insistent as she asked, “Really?”

“Really,” he said, letting his palm rest overtop hers. “And I know exactly where they are right now.” Releasing her hand, he lifted the arm she still held, his wrist gleaming when the lantern light hit his snow globe watch. He typed something in on it swiftly, nodding once to himself before looking back up at her. “Wanna go see?”

The hand on his arm gave a happy little shake, her smile as bright as her eyes. “You have to ask? Let’s go!”

—

Holly’s hands burrowed deeper into the folds of Bernard’s cloak, her arms locked tight around his middle. Rather than go to the trouble of him directing her to the right location, they agreed he should just drive her snowmobile himself. 

Usually she was adamant that it was registered to her and her alone, so she was the only one who could drive it. He would often tease her for the unnecessary strictness while they were working together, and eventually he started bringing his own snowmobile just so he could drive places himself instead of constantly side riding. 

But this time she didn’t say a peep to argue his suggestion. 

It was obviously a bait. He had been trying to get them to fall back into their normal banter and playful teasing, but Holly just wasn’t having it. She was civil, of course, even good natured. But her temper was quicker than normal and there was a stern, unrelaxed manner about her that neither one of them quite knew how to shake off. 

For Holly, the excuse to not think for a while and just let him direct the vehicle while she snuggled up against his warm back was perfect. Just what she needed—the comfort of having him close without the risk of his face or words making her upset again. When they had gathered the supplies for this excursion and started loading up, she’d noticed every inch of space between them as they moved around the camp. It was like a rubber band was looped around them both and where one went, the other felt like they needed to follow. 

The bond wanted them close so it could heal. 

Pressing her face into his back now, she felt nothing but contentment and relief, the rubber band providing plenty of slack for her to feel comfortable. The stretched feeling she got whenever he moved away was borderline unbearable and she hoped it would ease up soon. 

They parked the snowmobile at the edge of a jagged ice tower, making sure the vehicle was carefully hidden from the majority of the flatlands beyond. Polar bears might have allied with the elves, but Catherine was still a new mother. The last thing they wanted to do is make her think they were threatening her baby. 

Bernard led, staying close to the wall of a snowy hill with Holly just a few steps behind. 

A stiff hand was thrown up, making her pause as he seemed to spot something ahead of them just around the bend. After a minute of tense stillness, he looked over his shoulder at her, anticipation sparkling in his eyes. 

At his beckoning wave, she came to stand beside him, camera at the ready. 

She poked the lense around the corner of the hill and there on the flatlands, was Catherine. A little white fluff ball was running circles around the bigger bear, snorting and stomping. 

Normally these would be prime hunting grounds. Seal came here because of the holes in the ice—they were perfect for little seal babies who still couldn’t stay underwater for quite as long as their parents. But Catherine didn’t seem to be hunting at the moment. She would sprint in one direction then look back at Crystal, watching as the little cub chased after her before turning to sprint in another direction once Crystal caught up. The pair did this a few times before Crystal took a running jump and leaped onto her mother, the larger bear falling over in pretend defeat. The sound of bear grunts and chuffs echoed all the way over to where the human and elf were hiding. 

“Oh wow, she’s so big already!” exclaimed Holly, in a raspy whisper. “We were thinking she was probably born around mid December; looks like we were spot on.”

“December 18th, to be precise,” he said, the low hum of his voice carrying over the wind. 

“She’s so cute!” she said, a high lilt to her words. “Just look at that face—anyone would melt seeing those fuzzy ears.”

“I never get tired of seeing the new cubs,” he mused. “I remember when Catherine was a baby—absolutely adorable. There was this one time that she jumped into a pile of snow face first,” his breathy laugh was just as musical while muted, “her little legs were kicking all over the place!”

Holly giggled at the visual. She was unable to take her eyes off mother and cub, the sight of their playful wrestling a balm to her heart. Baby animals were endless entertainment, their big eyes and sweet faces a cure for any emotional ailment. She felt the rubberband of the bond slacken more as Bernard stepped closer up behind her, his heat radiating onto her back and sending a pleasant shiver up her spine. Crystal rushed her mother again, but stopped short to sneeze, the force of it causing her to fall back onto her bum. Catherine stretched her great neck out to boop her nose against the baby’s, snuffling in reassurance. 

Holly couldn’t keep the cheesy smile off her face. They were just too cute! She looked back at Bernard only to see him with an equally wide smile on his handsome face. But he wasn’t watching the bears, no. 

He was watching her. 

Once he realized she had looked back at him, his features schooled, gaze promptly directed back to the bears. Her heart thumped hard, something bittersweet welling up inside her chest that threatened to spill out of her eyes. 

Just when she was feeling better, a sweet look almost destroyed her all over again. He really did lo—like her. She could see it in that brief unguarded look. Something about his sincerity was a welcome relief, but the sentiment was burning hot. 

It was a hearth with a crackling fire, comfortable and warm. But the closer she got to it, the hotter her skin burned. 

As nice as it was, it hurt. 

She swiveled her head around, abruptly cutting off that train of thought and returning focus to the bears. A discretely shaky breath was turned into the wind, but the cloud of air that came with it was certainly noticeable. Her arms were starting to ache from keeping the heavy camera steady, but it seemed like the bears were settling down from their fun anyways, Catherine urging her cub to follow her as they headed out into the flatlands. They were most likely off to hunt. 

She swallowed, lowering the camera and watching the bears as they gradually got smaller the farther into the distance they walked. Without them, she was left with nothing else to act as a buffer between her, Bernard, and the still sore feelings she held. 

—

They packed the camera equipment back onto the snowmobile and started the drive back to camp, Bernard riding shotgun this time at Holly’s insistence. 

“So how’s Tiny Dancer?” she asked, not able to take much more of the dense silence that had fallen over them. 

A subtle stiffening of the arms around her middle told her that she probably wouldn’t like his answer. “Oh, well,” he started, the warmth of his breath on her ear a little ticklish. She angled her head away making a small noise of annoyance and he paused, stare burning the side of her face as they rode. 

He didn’t have to say a word. She knew he’d been hurt by her moving away from him. Her hands tightened on the handles of the vehicle, but she didn’t otherwise react, unwilling to address it if he didn’t. 

And he didn’t. He continued after a long tense moment, “Actually, I haven’t seen her. I’ve been too busy.” Impressively, he managed to keep his voice even and casual, but the fact that he sounded so unmoved actually lit her anger once more. 

“So it wasn’t just me you abandoned then,” she bit out. 

He didn’t answer. He might not have even breathed with how still he went. Guilt immediately churned in her stomach. 

“Sorry, that was uncalled for,” she muttered. 

“What can I do, Holly?” he said back, voice a soft murmur. “Please, if there’s something, anything I can do to even just start to make it up to you—scream at me, call me names, anything— just let me know. I know it’ll take time, but if there’s something that would make you feel even a little better right now, then let’s do it.”

“I’m not going to scream at you, Bernard,” she said. “I don’t know, dude. I’m sorry, I know you apologized and I promise I do feel a lot better about everything. I guess I’m just-“ her mouth opened and closed a couple times while she thought about how to articulate her thoughts. “I guess I’m just being petty. That’s on me, you don’t have to do anything more.”

“You aren’t being petty, Sweetheart,” he said, the nickname making her breath hitch and her heart stutter. “I know things are still… kind of tender right now. So listen, I know I don’t have to do anything more, but I want to. If there’s anything you need to feel better, just let me know, okay?”

“Okay,” she whispered, not caring if he actually heard her. 

Camp came up fast, and they pulled up into the outer area a few yards away from the main fire pit area where she normally kept the snowmobile parked. Bernard swung a leg over and quickly climbed up, starting to head towards the tent. Holly stayed sitting however, watching his retreating back with a numb detachment. 

His shoulders were wide and strong, the curls at the back of his neck brushing them as they swayed with his gait. From this angle, she couldn’t see any of the more obvious signs of his exhaustion. He looked as he always did, perfect and beautiful. Strange and magical. 

Poor Dancer, she mused. Deprived of Bernard’s company for so long. She knew how the reindeer must be feeling. Dancer was such a sweetie, she didn’t deserve his cold shoulder—even less so than Holly. Dancer had known Bernard way longer than she had. 

God, he was such an asshole. He couldn’t even find time to walk down to the stables and see his four legged friend? Really? 

Cold hit her finger tips and her first thought was that she’d forgotten her gloves again in their haste to go see Catherine and Crystal. Her next thought was that the weird numb mood she’d been in the past couple hours had given way to a white hot fury on Dancer’s behalf.

And finally she realized the cold in her palm was a densely packed snowball that she’d unconsciously formed and had poised to launch at Bernard’s broad back. She watched dumbly as the ball burst into a shower of sparkling snow dust against him, unsure when she had actually launched it. 

He froze, head raising slowly from where he had been watching the ground as he stepped carefully over her strewn research equipment and instruments. She blinked and those dark eyes were suddenly facing her, burning with mischief and a smidge of ire. 

Another blink and a snowball was flying in the air towards her. She collapsed against the seat of the snowmobile, only barely managing to avoid getting hit before scrambling off the vehicle to hide behind it. 

What was she doing? 

She wasn’t so out of it that she didn’t realize that picking a snowball fight with a Christmas elf of all creatures wasn’t exactly wise. She hadn’t even seen him make that snowball. But that didn’t stop her. She started making as many balls as she could, although in her haste, they were more like lumps. The sound of snow hitting her impromptu shelter was constant and she wondered how he managed to make and throw them so quickly. 

There was a pause in his assault and she cautiously peeked over the edge of the snowmobile, immediately getting smacked in the face with snow. Pushing through the shocking cold, she launched a lump at him. It fell pathetically short and he paused to watch it, a beat passing before he erupted in snickers. 

He had a pile of perfectly round, beautifully formed snowballs stacked into a pyramid beside him. Somehow, he’d been able to make them while also steadily throwing them at her hiding spot. 

Yeah, so she was definitely nowhere near a match for him in this. Of course not. That still wasn’t going to stop her, though. 

She threw two more lumps which also missed. One actually wasn’t too far off however, hitting the ground next to his boot with a splat. His snickers grew into full blown laughter and her face burned. She whipped around to her sad mound of half made snowballs, gathering a few clumps into her arms and running out from behind the snowmobile, throwing them as she went. 

Bernard watched in amusement as she missed every shot despite being much closer to him now. Holly flung out her arms wide, letting the remaining snow fling towards him. He took a half step back, smugly shaking his head at her display, but she never faltered, running wide around him and beelining to his pile of snowballs. 

By the time he realized her intention, it was too late. She whirled around, crouched, and started rapid firing his own ammo at him. Her aim hadn’t improved, but the shape of the snowballs certainly made things easier. While several still missed him, two of the balls actually did manage to hit him on the shoulder and the hip as he backed away from her, laughing still. 

His laugh was joyful now, caught up in their fun instead of mocking, and she was surprised to find that she was giggling with him. Neither of them had any cover to hide behind now, but it didn’t matter. Holly continued to miss, every once in a while making her shot, while Bernard continued to hit one after another, never anywhere more serious than her arm or leg though. He actually was missing some of his shots which Holly felt immensely tickled by since it was every 5th shot exactly . She wasn’t sure if he knew she had noticed or not, but her heart swelled nonetheless at his attempt at mercy. 

Whatever this had started as, it wasn’t about winning. They both knew he could beat her. 

After a while of lobbing at each other, Holly would grab her remaining snowballs and rush him. He would feign terror and retreat to a new spot, leaving behind a huge pile of snowballs for her to start up with all over again. 

They continued like this, getting further and further away from camp and each other as they went. Eventually her throws slowed, huffs of white breath clouding the air thickly in front of her as she slouched further into the ground snow. Her crouch slid until she was seated, heaving as she sporadically threw snowballs when she managed to catch her breath, but none of them landed anywhere close to Bernard anymore. 

His shots had long stopped coming. She eyed her remaining snowballs and considered the merits of one last rush before she called it quits herself. Her legs were cold and numb, her lungs screaming at the frosty air forced inside them so raggedly. But as she sat and calmed her erratic breathing, she felt it. 

That rubberband pulled tight between them.

He was the farthest away that he’d been since arriving, sitting quite a ways out into the snowy landscape. She dazedly glanced behind her and noted that her camp was pretty far away from them. It was still visible, but she hadn’t realized just how far out their play had taken them. 

She looked back at him, but he was too far away to gauge his expression properly. She imagined that he must be feeling similarly to her right now. 

And how did she feel at that moment? The anger that had sparked this whole thing had long fizzled out, the sadness and fear muted but still there in the edge of her mind. 

But overall, she just felt an overwhelming fondness for him. For Bernard, her sweetheart. The elf who was so kind and patient with her and her erratic feelings even though his own emotions must be all over the place too. Who had listened to her fears and accusations and taken it all in stride. Who had told her multiple times that he knew he’d messed up and didn’t expect that she would just get over it and forgive him like that. Who had told her he would do anything to start to make it up to her. Who had told her he was in it for the long haul, his dedication to her not just pretty words, but definitive action. 

She had no more tears to cry, but if she could, she would. 

With a dry half sob, half gasp, she struggled to her feet and took off towards him, the pressure of the rubberband hurrying her steps. As she got closer, his face became clearer. His eyes shined with hope, his lips parted around his own shallow pants as he watched her with tented brows. 

Neither knew exactly what they were going to do when Holly reached him, but breath bated, they both welcomed whatever happened. 

Just so long as they were together. 

Chapter Text

With only a few feet left between them, she fell to her knees. The icy ground slid her right into his arms, knocking him flat on his back. Her chest fit snug against his, and his arms tightened around her waist. 

For a long moment, they just held each other and breathed, Holly’s nose buried in his curls and his in hers. Then after what felt like hours of peaceful stillness, a hum broke the silence, its lovely buzz resonating in his chest and out to hers. After just a few notes, she recognized the tune, a smile lighting up her face and a somewhat embarrassed huff ruffling the coiled locks in front of her. Before she could say anything, the hum turned into more as he exhaled the lyrics into the evening air. 

“But the prettiest sight to see~ is the Holly that will be~ on your own~ front~ door,” the last syllable was whispered, his nose tracing the round shell of her ear before he pressed his lips to the side of her jaw. 

A trembling sigh escaped her at the contact, her fingers tangling up into his hair and under his hat. She felt it slip free, although with how he was situated, it didn’t go far. The scent of pine and nutmeg filled her lungs as she reciprocated his gentle nuzzling, nose dragging over his smooth cheek until their lips were next to each other. 

Her head rocked from side to side ever so slightly, her moistened lips brushing his with the barest hint of pressure—a caress more than a kiss. His eyelashes fluttered but he kept his gaze locked on her. The peppermint that wafted her way as he exhaled made her head swim. 

“Holly?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you want to watch the sunrise with me?”

Oh, right. It was March, wasn’t it? The only sunrise of the year in the North Pole would be happening in just a few hours. 

The long night was officially coming to an end, putting winter in the arctic to rest. Spring was here and the sun would make its debut very soon. Once the sun had actually risen, it wouldn’t set again until September. Holly had gotten used to the constant night, but she had missed the sun dearly. The stars were beautiful company, but nothing beat the mood boost from a clear sunny day. 

She’d really been looking forward to it. 

Actually, she meant to ask Bernard at some point to watch the sunrise with her anyways, maybe even make a date of it. But well, things hadn’t worked out that way. 

Or maybe they had? 

Really, the important thing was that he was here now and so was she, and soon enough the sun would make three. Might as well enjoy the dawning day as it was instead of lamenting what it could have been. They wouldn’t have the chance again until next year after all. 

She began shifting her hands up underneath herself, palms flat on his chest. Once she had lifted herself up enough to put some space between their faces, she replied. 

“I’d love to.”

—

They knew the exact location the sun would be rising, Holly from her education and Bernard from experience, and together they rearranged the campsite to better watch it. The deployable cushion was pushed up against the left side of the tent, the entrance partially covered by their couch setup. Bernard dragged out extra sheepskin and throws to make it more comfortable, even adding some bedding from Holly’s cot. The fire was a little farther away now but the couch was fully supported and, with the extra layers, perfectly warm. 

Sunrise wouldn’t actually take place for another few hours, but they would be ready when it did eventually happen. 

Not long after they’d gotten everything situated, Holly received a message from Dr. Branson that shook her to her core. She’d been putting him off for awhile now while she dealt with Bernard’s, and George’s, disappearance. It seemed as though Dr. Branson had reached his limit of patience with her silence, however, sending her a very pointed message. She was officially at risk of losing not only her arctic assignment, but also her position at the station. Reading between the lines, Holly guessed that if Hale found out Morozko was cutting ties then she’d be dropped from the company completely. 

All her years of hard work and sacrifice flashed before her eyes, the thought that it all would be gone so easily making her sick to her stomach again. 

Bernard was silent as he read the message over her shoulder. His presence was bittersweet, the company appreciated after missing him for so long. But the message was a sharp reminder of why she’d been so upset with him to begin with. His actions didn’t just affect their relationship. Her career was on the line. 

She liked Bernard a lot, but nothing was more important to her than her mission. If he got her fired, she’d never be able to forgive him. 

“I can fix this,” he muttered, turning away from her and fiddling with his snow globe watch. 

Holly watched him, curious. “What about Curtis?” she asked in a small voice. 

“He can get jingled for all I care,” he growled, keeping his focus on whatever message he’d typed up. “It’s not like he keeps up with our human partnerships anyways.”

“You have other human partnerships?”

“Sure, why not? Human organizations can be great allies sometimes.” He finished typing his message, sending it off with a final flourished push of a button. “There. Hale should be happy with that. I’ll just make sure Judy and I are on the same page when I get back.” Seeing her look of doubt, he continued. “Really, Holly, don’t worry. Judy and I will make sure everything works out. That’s our job, remember?”

“Yeah, I guess,” she relented. After a beat, her gaze softened. “Thanks, Saint Bernard.” 

A gentle smile met her whispered words, his dark eyes simmering with such fondness that Holly felt momentarily breathless. 

“Any time, Holly Jolly.”

The foldout table that acted as Holly’s desk sometimes was too tall to use while sitting on the couch, so they got some seats from inside the tent and gathered the camera and tapes that she’d been looking through, setting it all up outside. When the sky lightened more, they would move to the couch and wait for the sun to make its appearance, but for the moment, they wanted to try and see if they could find George in any of their recent footage. 

Bernard was quick and dexterous, much more so than Holly was, speeding through the footage until he found a clip of George from last month. Holly noted the bear’s location and the date while Bernard started going through the tapes chronologically from there. His fingers were a blur, expertly pushing buttons and twisting knobs as his elven eyes took in the sped up footage, combing for any sign of George. 

When they had first started working together, Holly had to show Bernard how to use all of her equipment. Which made sense now, of course. His tech was often blended with magic, so relying on something completely man-made would be foreign to him. 

But damn, he was a quick learner. After just a few times of showing him how things worked, he was practically an expert, working her equipment even faster and more competently than she did with her years of training. 

She was thankful for his help. They would be going through everything at a much faster rate now. Bernard would tell her the time stamp, date, and location whenever he saw George, and Holly would write it down in a list. She kept everything organized in order so he had no trouble going from one tape to another seamlessly. 

“Next sighting at 3:17 pm, March 2nd. Camera 4, the underpass,” he said, already ejecting the tape and replacing it with another from her stack. 

“Gotcha,” she nodded, scribbling it down. 

After several minutes had passed with no further word from him, she looked up from her notes. He was still concentrated on the small screen on the recorder, brow furrowed and a frown pulling at his lips. The pop of the tape ejecting startled her, but he didn’t pause in switching it out for another and speeding through that one as well. 

Her eyes slid to his hands, so steady and as lovely as ever. His nails were clean and trimmed as always, but shorter than she remembered. Huh. Of course they would be; it had been a while after all. They had been getting a little long when Holly had last seen him. 

She really had a thing for his hands in particular. Every part of him was beautiful to her, but those hands always seemed to make her heart stutter when she really got caught up looking at them. Long fingered and lovely, the way he so confidently moved them always made her mind wander to certain possibilities . 

“Damn, your hands are pretty,” she said, face completely straight. “You know that, right? Like, you seriously have some banging hands.” 

Maybe it was working side by side again that had finally switched a flip in her mind and made her want to return to their old teasing way of talking to each other—candid, no judgment, saying whatever silly thing they wanted. She missed it honestly. It was strange to have spent the past several hours together, to have done and said so much, but have this key part of their relationship be so noticeably missing. 

He snorted at her words, a smirk flickering on his lips. “Thanks, Holly Jolly,” he said, not pausing in his footage search. “Your hands are pretty okay.”

“‘Okay’!” she cried, grinning. “Just ‘okay’, huh?”

“They’re cute, but I can’t say they’re my favorite part of you,” he shrugged. “Holly-hands are all well and good, but they’re no Holly-ears, y’know?” 

Said ears tingled with heat. “What’s with you and my ears?” 

He peered up at her briefly, grin quirking even wider. “What’s with you and my ears?”

“Bernard,” she huffed. 

“What! You have cute ears, don’t even try and deny it.”

“You’ve seen human ears before, dude!” She couldn’t quite look at him anymore, face flushed and pink but still smiling in spite of her shyness. “I’ve never seen elf ears before so of course I-“ she stopped abruptly, stuttering, “-I, uh, you know, I-I’m—“

“You…” he continued for her, drawing out the word with a teasing tone coloring his voice, “are a little obsessed?”

“Not obsessed!” she protested. “Just, uh, interested.”

“Oh, sure, right. Interested.”

“Yeah,” she said, squinting. “I’m a scientist after all. Studying new phenomenon is kind of what we do.”

“So all those times you rubbed all on my ears, that was—what, for science?” he laughed. 

She joined in with her own embarrassed giggles, red cheeked and bright eyed. “Yeah, totally!” she replied, “Purely academic, you understand.”

“Oh sure,” he said, “same for me, really. In fact,” his mouth twisted in cheeky amusement, “I think more research on the subject may be required.” His eyes darted back up at her from under thick lashes, a subtle wink punctuating his playful suggestion.

Her throat suddenly ran dry and she swallowed nervously, trying to think of how to reply to that . 

At her silence, Bernard snorted good-naturedly and went back to work without another word, not even trying to hide his smug smirk. 

They hadn’t had a chance to really settle into their new status as a couple yet. They’d danced around each other a lot in the weeks leading up to Valentine’s, which in hindsight could certainly be considered flirting, but at its core was just two friends hanging out and having fun. Now there were all sorts of implications to their teasing and she wasn’t sure how to take it. 

Was he serious? Would she be leading him on if she matched his energy? 

Would it actually be leading him on if she kind of meant it? 

Certainly she had missed his company, but Bernard's absence had really put the brakes on any plans to get more physical with him. She still needed to talk about some things with him before they got more serious, but was this the time to bring it up? 

Whenever she tried to think about broaching the topic of protection with him, her thoughts spiraled a bit. Because while protection was good and important for safety against STDs and other nasties, it was also important for other obvious reasons. Her chest clenched at thinking about a baby with little pointed ears and big brown eyes, but that just wasn’t an option for her right now for a lot of reasons. She had just gotten started with her career for one, and she had worked much too hard to be put on expedition research to give it up now. Also, and perhaps more importantly, she was still getting to know Bernard. It was way too early in their relationship to even think of sharing something so big. She didn’t even know if humans and elves could have children together or if STDs could cross species like that, but she’d rather have the talk and be embarrassed than take the chance and be sorry. 

And then thinking of that made her wonder: well, if they could have a baby together, what would that baby’s life span look like? Would they be more like an elf? Would she never live to see her child fully grown? Would Bernard have to watch their kid die before him someday?

He definitely would have to watch Holly die someday, and wasn’t that a heartbreaking thought? Her life was just a drop in the bucket for him. And that was what she couldn’t manage to bring up whenever she voiced her doubts about him wanting to be with a human like her. 

Because she could believe that maybe he really did find her beautiful and interesting, although it was still difficult. But how could he possibly be okay allowing himself to love her knowing she would die in less than a century and he would live on for thousands of years to come? He would most certainly forget her and move on to love another eventually anyways, right? So why bother with her at all if it was going to end in pain? 

There was a lot to consider. 

It was ridiculous that her mind went to such a dark place when she was simply trying to think how to talk to her new partner about safe sex, but anxiety was and continued to be the bitch on her back. 

And it wasn’t like none of those things were real problems—they were! To her at least. She’d need to talk with him about them all eventually, but just… not now. Not yet. It was admittedly a lot to spring on a guy out of nowhere in a new relationship. 

One step at a time. Birth control. She was already on the extended pill since periods in the arctic were inconvenient at best and deadly at worst, but she still needed to talk to him about protection. 

Really, he was just flirting, though. No need to bring all that up now, right? It was just some harmless fun that wouldn’t necessarily lead to anything physical anytime soon. 

God, why was she worrying about this so much? She’d had sex before, she shouldn’t be this weird about it. 

“You’re panicking, Holly. Breathe.” His voice snapped her out of her frenzied thoughts. “Did I break you or something?” he asked wryly, concern showing in the crinkle between his brows. 

“No, sorry,” she said, “I’m just thinking too much, I guess. Sorry.”

“That’s okay, Sweetheart. Wanna talk about it?”

“I don’t want to bug you. We’ve probably talked enough about serious stuff for one night, don’t you think?” she said, forcing humor in her tone that she didn’t truly feel. 

He swapped the tape he’d been looking through for the next one, dark eyes watching her warily for a moment before returning to his task. “If you’re still worried about something then no, I don’t think we’ve talked enough. I can’t find George in these more recent tapes, but I’m checking anyways just in case,” he lifted the camera slightly in emphasis, never slowing his search, “It’ll probably be a little bit before I finish so I’ve got time to talk if you do.”

Holly gnawed on her lip for a long moment, watching his profile as she thought it over. Finally she seemed to gather her courage. 

“Do elves get STDs?” she blurted out. 

He blinked once, voice casual and curious as he asked, “What’s that?”

“Oh! Uh,” she started, not expecting his ignorance on the matter, “um, well, they’re like diseases or infections that people get from having, um, y’know, having sex with someone.”

Bernard was silent as he absorbed this, blinking rapidly with a confused expression. “Huh, I... didn’t know humans had those...”

“Not everyone! It’s just a risk, y’know? I mean, I don’t have anything like that. I got all checked out before I came here for this field assignment, so no worries there. I’m totally clean, I promise.”

“Oh, okay…” he said, brows arched, “that’s good?”

“Yeah!” Holly said, cheeks bright red now. “It’s just, well, I wanted to bring it up because if we, uh,” her hands twirled the pen in her hand restlessly, eyes stubbornly looking anywhere but at him as she explained, “if w-we have sex then we’ll need protection in general, right? So then-“

“But you said you don’t have any of these diseases, so why would we need protection from them?” he asked, confusion heavily coloring his voice. 

“Well, it’s not just for STDs, y’know. Cause… y’know!” Holly flapped her hands around in the air trying to emphasize her point without actually saying it. 

“Obviously I don’t, Holly,” Bernard said, amusement ringing in his voice as he noted her embarrassed fidgeting. “Just tell me! What other hidden terror haunts the sex lives of humans?”

She let out a big sigh, deflating as she realized she’d have to be more direct. “C’mon, man, for real? I’m a woman, you’re a… elf-man.”

He paused the tape to shoot her an incredulous look. “And?”

She huffed in exasperation, eyes rolling. “I don’t know about you, dude, but I’m not quite ready to be a parent!”

His confused expression melted into realization, eyes widening and sparkling cheeks darkening. His mouth fell open and he struggled to speak for a few seconds, forming half words that never actually got voiced. 

After Holly anxiously cleared her throat, he came back to himself, inhaling sharply and clearing his throat himself before speaking. “That’s not going to be a problem,” he said simply. 

“O-oh, I see...” she said, hands rubbing over each other. “Um, not that I don’t believe you, but can I ask why? I mean, are half-elves just not a thing then?”

Bernard took a moment to gather his thoughts before answering her. “I don’t know for sure, actually. Humans and elves don’t usually have relationships like this. But really, even if I was sure it was at least possible, it’s most definitely not probable. Elves have very low fertility rates. It takes many centuries for elves to conceive and that’s usually if they’re lucky and also happen to be heart mates.”

“You have to be heart mates to have a baby?” She blinked, wondering about the mechanics of that particular piece of their biology. 

“It’s not a requirement, but it helps a lot. We think that’s why we evolved to have heart bonds in the first place. But yeah, I don’t think we need to worry about that. I’ve never come across a half-elf and I’ve never heard of an elf couple having a baby any earlier than at least 3 centuries of trying for one.”

Something solidified in her mind then, the question pulled from her before she could think better of it. “So we probably won’t be able to have children together at all then?”

“No,” he said quietly. “I guess not. I’m sorry, that’s probably something I should have told you earlier.”

She raised her hands in front of her, waving them dismissively “No, no, it’s okay. It’s kind of a hard thing to bring up, so I get it. I know you’ve mentioned before that kids weren’t going to be in the cards for you, so I kind of figured honestly.”

A long heavy silence followed her words, both of them looking off in different directions. Bernard started back up with the tapes while Holly looked over the notes she’d written so far. 

Eventually, Bernard broke the quiet, his voice resigned. “If you don’t want to be with me because of that, then I understand-“

“No!” Holly cried immediately. “Bernard, no. It’s okay, really. I was on the fence about kids myself since I’m pretty career focused. I don’t even know how I’d be able to care for a baby when I’m out on expedition.”

“But still,” he said, voice still tinged with wariness, “being with me would take away the option completely, so…”

“Really, it’s fine,” Holly repeated, sincerity clear in her tone. “I’m open to having kids, but I didn’t think I was going to have them anyways, y’know?”

“Yeah,” he said, shoulders relaxing, “that’s how I feel too. It would be nice, but realistically, most elves don’t end up having elflings so I never really expected I’d have any of my own.”

They fell silent again, but this time the atmosphere was much lighter. 

“Well,” said Holly, an easy casualness in her manner now that some of her concerns had been addressed, “I guess protection isn’t an issue then.”

“No, I guess not,” he looked at her from the corner of his eye. “So if you’ve been thinking about that kind of thing, does that mean you want to…?”

Have sex? Boy, oh boy. That sure was the question, wasn’t it?

Her mouth opened and closed a couple times while she struggled with how to answer. “Maybe. Kind of.” The stress holding her body rigid fell away as she admitted her desires. “Okay, yes. I do,” she said. “I mean, I still want to take things sort of slow, but… yeah, I’d like to get more physical. Only if you want to, of course.” She swallowed as her eyes met his, sheepishly watching him from under her lashes. “Is that okay?”

A look of subtle wonder and excitement burned in his eyes, the sparkles on his cheeks twinkling as his smile made them dance in the firelight. “That’s more than okay, Sweetheart.”

—

Bernard popped the last tape out with a sigh, shaking his head. “Nothing. That sighting on March 2nd was the last time George passed through the northern bear territories. He might have circled around the mountains where Catherine was and gone further in that direction, but I don’t know.”

“Do the bears usually go that far?” she asked. 

“Not really. It’s not the best for hunting that way. I can talk to some people back at the Village and see if anyone can find where he’s gone.”

“That would be great, thank you,” she nodded. “I know George can take care of himself, but I need to keep track of where the bears are going. Especially when they go outside the normal territory. The ice is thinner in some places now, so if they’re switching up territories altogether then I might need to move my camp or tell Hale to get another researcher out here.” After a moment, her face fell. “Hale might already be planning on sending another person out here anyways.”

She was still worried about being replaced. Bernard said he’d taken care of it, but she wouldn’t feel better until Hale sent her confirmation. 

Bernard watched her carefully, understanding her plight. He thought to reassure her, but knew only Hale could do that. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” he said simply. Then after a short breath, he continued in a more lighthearted tone. “I don’t want to have to keep an eye on two humans.”

Holly snorted. “Cause I’m such a handful, huh?”

“Very much so,” he said, grin sharp and cheeky. 

“Yeah, yeah,” she said, giving him a shove as she grabbed the camera and tapes and started toward the tent. 

Bernard watched her go with a thoughtful expression, indecision glimmering in his gaze that steadily turned to warmth and fondness as he watched Holly bump into the edge of the couch as she entered the tent, a muffled “The camera’s okay! And so am I!” shouted out from inside. 

Resolution took hold in his mind. 

—

“So about those ears,” said Bernard, throwing an arm over the back of the couch, Holly automatically snuggling up to his side. 

They’d finished their work for now, deciding that there was no real way to move forward until Bernard could get back to Santa’s Village and ask Tamika about tracking down George. Sunrise would be happening in just an hour or so, so they moved to the couch to watch the sky get gradually lighter until the first rays of daybreak finally peeked over the horizon. 

“This again?” she replied, coyly tilting her head to give him a proper side eye. 

Holly was pretty tired, and despite how much he tried to hide it, she could tell Bernard was too. But their time was limited, so they both had an unspoken agreement to try to get as much out of it as they could. 

He promised to be back in a day or two to show her the way to his house so she could come by whenever she wanted. While she was hesitant to believe him, she knew that if she didn’t give him a chance to prove himself, they could never actually build trust back up between them. 

“They really are cute,” he murmured, letting his fingers just barely skim up her jaw and around the shell of her ear, brushing the hair back and tucking it into place as he went. 

Holly inhaled sharply at the motion, catching on to Bernard’s mood immediately. “You must have seen millions of human’s ears before,” she protested lightly, trying and failing to hide the smile creeping onto her face. 

“Yeah, but none of ‘em were yours,” he said matter-of-factly. 

She could feel his gaze burning dark and intense into the side of her face, but she couldn’t bring herself to look over at him. The speed of her heartbeat picked up as he placed his warm palm on her knee and leaned closer until his head was right beside hers. Together they watched as his hand squeezed her knee once, giving a gentle rub before leisurely traveling up her thigh. 

Before she could register the aroused panic she felt welling up inside her, he flicked his hand up off her thigh in a flourish of sparkles in front of their faces, the medal she’d thrown into the snow earlier now held up in his long fingered grip. 

It had a blue gray tint to it now that she distantly noted was probably due to the gradual lightening from the impending sunset. In fact, the whole camp looked rather washed out from the effect, making everything seem hazy and dreamlike. The fire was low, its orange glow not reaching them at all now—overpowered by the gray lowlight. 

The medal twirled between his pretty fingers and she shook herself out of her muddled musings, realizing she’d just been staring at it dumbly. 

“You found it,” she said, “I thought I might have lost it forever.”

“I can always feel the magic in it, so don’t worry about losing it. Speaking of,” he brought the medal closer, presenting it to her with a playful bounce, “will you keep it? I know we said we’re going to find better ways for you to reach me and vice versa, but y’know,” he shrugged, the medal bobbing with the motion, “just in case.”

She took it wordlessly, examining it for the dozenth time before reattaching it to her coat. Back to where it had been before. 

The feeling she had initially when she wore it came back in full force, a sort of wild giddiness at wearing something so signature of his. It was no letterman or class ring, but it sort of felt like that. 

He wanted her to have his favorite medal. Just in case. 

The subtle protectiveness in the display was endearing, but also exciting in a way. She never felt like someone who needed to be taken care of. Sure, she’d had her difficulties in life, but they never overcame her. She pushed through every obstacle and so far, she’s managed to come out on top. Bernard had often acknowledged her strength, determination, and capableness, expressing admiration for how well she handled struggles and problems both in their work and with her personal history.