#bernard the elf x reader
Text
santa's sister in law ~ bernard the elf;the santa clause
word count: 4292
request?: no
description: in which he is adamantly against the in laws coming to the north pole, until he meets santa's sister in law
pairing: bernard the elf x female!human!reader
warnings: christmas fluff, sylvia sucking a little bit but that's just canon
masterlist (one, two, three)
Merry Christmas everyone! 🎄
a special christmas gift for @omeletdreamer 😌
Bernard was firmly against Carol's family coming to the North Pole. He liked Carol, don't get him wrong. She was a fantastic Mrs. Claus, and he loved her idea to start an elf school at the Pole. He understood that it was hard to adjust to life at the Pole, especially while she was pregnant. But bringing outsiders there was a big no-no. They were already pushing things by letting Laura, Neil, and Lucy in on the secret of Santa.
But all of his protests fell on deaf ears. Santa wanted Carol to have her family while he was going to be busy, and the other elves just wanted Carol to be happy. It was a thousand against one. So, Santa got into his sleigh and flew to get Carol's parents while the elves fixed up the Pole to look like Canada.
"This is never going to work," Bernard said to Curtis. "There's no way they're going to think this is Canada. Even if they believe these ridiculous store signs, they'll never believe Canada is inhabited by a bunch of children."
"Can you not be so negative for once?" Curtis asked. "It'll be fine."
"We are seriously pushing it with how many people know about the Pole and Santa. You can't blame me for being stressed out over it."
"Everything will be fine, Bernard. We have a plan. We got this."
Bernard huffed a sigh and walked away. He was tired of being brushed off like this. He didn't become head elf for nothing. He knew what he was doing. If only someone would just listen to him.
As he was walking away, he heard something in the distance. He looked up to see Santa's sleigh breaching through the entrance to the Pole. He couldn't see them yet, but he imagined Carol's parents in there, asleep from Sandman's magic, expecting to wake up in "Canada". He cringed to himself. There's really no going back now.
"I need a hot cocoa," he muttered to himself.
The kitchen elves were busy baking away when Bernard walked in. Carol had told them her mom's favorite cookies so they were hard at work making a batch to welcome Mrs. Newman. They were wearing comically large chef's hats pulled down to cover their pointy ears, which made Bernard glad his hair was long enough to do that naturally.
"Hi Bernard," Abby said, giving him a bright smile upon noticing him. "Want a hot cocoa?"
"I'd love one, Abby," he responded, sitting down at one of the tables.
She rushed off to make it for him. He picked up a cookie from a plate in the middle of the table to eat while waiting. Abby returned with his hot cocoa. He blew on it, disturbing the steady steam coming from the drink. He hoped that escaping to the kitchen would give him some time to prepare for Carol's parents.
He was taking his first sip of his hot cocoa when the kitchen doors opened again and in walked Santa, Mrs. Claus and her family in tow. Bernard nearly choked on his drink.
"And here's our kitchen," Santa was saying. "Oh, and Bernard's here too! Bernard is my, uh, he's my...assistant."
Bernard tried not to roll his eyes at the title.
He reluctantly stood and plastered a smile on his face. "Hi, nice to meet you...eh."
Carol's dad shook his hand while her mom pulled him in for an embrace. Bernard wasn't prepared for a third person to approach; a young woman with a smile so beautiful it left him speechless.
"This is my sister," Carol said. "We didn't know she was coming too."
"I'm (Y/N)," the woman said. "Mom and dad mentioned they were coming for a visit, so I asked Scott if it was alright for me to tag along."
"Of course it would be alright!" Sylvia cut in. "Scott's already had Carol from us for so long, he'd never say no to bringing Carol's loving sister with us to finally see her again."
Sylvia had a smile on her face but there was venom in her words. (Y/N) cringed and tried to ignore her mother's comment. "It's really lovely here so far. I'm glad I could come."
Bernard was still tongue tied. He kept opening and closing his mouth like an idiot trying to figure out something to say. (Y/N) was watching him, waiting, while Scott and Carol shared an amused look.
"Let's show you the rest of the place," Carol said, putting an arm around her sister. "We'll meet up with Bernard again later."
(Y/N) smiled and waved goodbye as the group left the kitchen. Once they were gone, Bernard felt like he was freed from a spell. He let out a long breath and slumped back down to the table. His hot cocoa had cooled down enough that he finished the rst of it in two gulps.
~~~~~~
Bernard was up late that night doing his rounds of the workshop. All the other elves had left for the night, but Bernard was often the last one up making sure everything was shut down and nothing was left out of place. With the in laws visiting, he was also making sure the workshop was locked up so no one would accidentally wander in and discover everything.
He was preparing to leave when he noticed the door to the kitchen was slightly ajar. He was sure all the baker elves had left for the night, but maybe someone had stayed behind. He poked his head into the room and almost gasped aloud when he saw it was (Y/N) who was leaning against the counter, a mug of hot cocoa in her hands. She was in her pajamas, clearly preparing for bed. Bernard was about to back away and leave her be, until she looked up form her mug and caught him. She smiled and waved to him.
"Good evening, Bernard," she said.
There was no escaping now. He stepped into the kitchen and cleared his throat, trying not to seem as weird as he had earlier. He discretely made sure his ears were tucked away under his hair.
"Hi," he said. Simple, easy. You can't mess up a "hi".
"What are you doing up so late?" she asked.
"I could ask you the same thing."
She giggled. "Touché. I was having trouble sleeping so I decided to come out for a hot cocoa. That nice baker, Abby I think? She offered to make me one before she left. I was told she makes the best hot cocoa in all of the town."
"Oh, she does. She's the one you go to when you want a good hot drink made."
"She works magic, I'm sure."
Bernard tried not to let his smile falter. "You have no idea."
A silence fell over them. (Y/N) softy blew on her hot cocoa before taking a sip from it. A small trail of foam stuck to her upper lip as she pulled her mug away. Bernard couldn't stop himself from chuckling.
"What?" she asked.
"You just...you have something..." He gestured to his top lip.
She ran a thumb along her top lip, only smearing the foam more.
"Here, let me." Bernard reached up and wiped the foam off with his own thumb. He was suddenly very aware of their closeness when he looked into her eyes. Any words he could ever say were stuck in his throat yet again and he could only imagine how insane he looked, staring at her with wide eyes.
"Thank you," she said. "And thank you for having us here, too. I know it's a busy time of year for you guys. We don't mean to impose."
It took Bernard a moment to remember the story they had been telling Carol's parents: that Scott was a toy maker in Canada and that's why he would be so busy this time of year and needed someone to be there with Carol while she was pregnant.
"It's not imposition," Bernard assured her. "If anything, I think it's going to make Sa - Scott feel better to have you guys here for Carol while he's working."
(Y/N) nodded. "It's very nice of him to have us here considering how my parents tend to treat him."
Bernard thought back to the comment Sylvia had made earlier. The strained relationship between Scott and his in-laws wasn't anything new to him. Scott had mentioned it a few times before, most recently when he was voicing his concerns about bringing Bud and Sylvia to the Pole with Bernard in private. It was evident that both Newman sisters also noticed how their parents treated Scott, and it seemed neither of them were too happy with it.
"I understand why mom and dad get upset," (Y/N) continued. "One minute Carol was a proud principal at the local middle school, and then the next thing we know she's writing us to tell us she got married to a guy we've never even heard of and moved off to Canada to be with him. I mean, even I was skeptical then. But when she'd write to me about Scott and about being here, it was clear that she was so happy and she found the man of her dreams. Who are we to judge the quickness that they got married? As long as she's safe and happy, which she clearly is. But mom and dad don't see it that way. Dad is still convinced that Scott is a cult leader who stole Carol away or something."
(Y/N) paused and looked at Bernard. He had been listening as she spoke, just nodding along and not saying a word. She chuckled a little and shook her head. "Sorry, I'm rambling on about my family drama."
"No! It's-it's fine. Trust me, I've heard similar stuff from Sa - Scott."
She gave him a look. "You keep stuttering on Scott's name."
"Yeah."
He couldn't think of a better explanation besides that. He felt an unfamiliar burning sensation in his cheeks. He wasn't sure if it was embarrassment or just from being so close to her that made him feel that way. She giggled, though; a sound more beautiful than any of the twinkling bells that were often heard around the Pole.
"I'm just glad to be here," she said. "And I'm glad mom and dad can be here for when the baby is born. Maybe that will help them be a little less harsh on Scott."
She finished what was left in her mug and looked around the oversized kitchen. When Bernard realized she was probably trying to figure out where to put the dirty mug, he said, "Oh, I can take care of that for you."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course. You're our guest, and I can handle this."
She smiled and passed him the mug. "Well, thanks for talking to me, Bernard. I guess I should try to sleep again."
"Goodnight, (Y/N)."
"Goodnight, Bernard." She started towards the door, but then paused to turn back to him. "I hope you're not too busy tomorrow. I'd like to spend more time with you."
His face was on fire as she left.
~~~~~~
For the first time in his thousands of years as the head elf, Bernard wasn't concerned with his head elf duties. Of course he was still there if Santa needed him, but he decided not to spend the entire day in the factory and to seek out (Y/N) to spend time with her. She was delighted to see him and was more than happy to accept his offer to show her around "Canada" for the day.
This became a regular occurrence for a few days. Bernard would make sure to check in often to see if he was needed, but if he wasn't he was with (Y/N). He would feel bad about taking her away from her time with her family, but it seemed her parents were more concerned with fussing over Carol than they were about all four of them spending time together. And (Y/N) also assured Bernard that she was making time for Carol and her family as well as spending time with him.
Bernard was more than well aware he was falling in love with (Y/N), and he was also more than well aware of how bad that was. Elves falling in love was nothing new; he had officiated quite a few elf weddings in his time. But falling in love with a human was out of the question. Elves were immortal, humans were not. Scott and Carol were different - upon becoming Santa and Mrs. Claus, their aging processes had slowed down considerably. They weren't completely immortal, but they weren't aging as fast as normal humans did. But that wasn't possible for a human that an elf fell in love with. Even if (Y/N) felt the same way towards Bernard, she would still continue to age while he would stay the same for the rest of time.
But he couldn't stop himself. He was falling fast and hard. Carol's due date was creeping closer, and once it came it would only be a matter of time before the Newman family would have to go back home, meaning that (Y/N) would leave and likely would not come back. That thought hurt Bernard.
Bernard was approaching where (Y/N) was staying one day when she slipped out of the house instead. He was surprised; she had never left before he had gotten there before.
As he got closer he realized that her face was tearstained.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
(Y/N) jumped and turned to look at him. "Oh, Bernard. Sorry, I didn't see you coming. Nothing's wrong."
He was about to point out that she was very obviously upset over something when the door opened again and Sylvia slipped out. She looked like she was about to say something, but she noticed Bernard and gave him a tight smile, one that he had come to learn was very much her fake smile.
"Hello, Bernard," she said. "I was just having a conversation with my daughter. We were talking about spending the day with Carol. We haven't had an all girls day since we arrived. So, unfortunately, I don't think she'll be able to spend time with you today."
"No mom," (Y/N) said. "I said I would join you later for girls time. Besides, you know Carol has an appointment with the doctor. She won't be ready till later."
Her mother was smiling but her eyes were glaring daggers into the younger Newman girl. (Y/N) held the glare before turning to Bernard and taking hold of his arm. She didn't say anything as she dragged him away. He followed anyways, wanting to get as far away from Sylvia as he could.
"God, I don't understand what is wrong with her," (Y/N) said, letting go of Bernard long enough to wipe the tears from her eyes. "I swear she just doesn't want Carol and I to be happy."
"What was she saying?" Bernard asked.
"Oh, she was going off about the fact that I spend so much time with you. Had her usual rant about Scott taking her precious daughter away from her and dad, and then said she'll be damned if she lets it happen with me too. Basically tried to guilt me into not spending time with you today by saying that Carol was upset that she didn't get to see me much, which I know isn't true because just the other day Carol was saying how happy she was that you and I were getting along."
She shook her head. "I'm so sick of it. It's like she can't wrap her head around the fact that maybe, just maybe, life is so busy here that Carol doesn't always have time to visit. It has nothing to do with Scott being manipulative or a cult leader or whatever conspiracy her and dad have cooked up on a certain day."
Bernard listened in silence. He felt bad that (Y/N) had to have these issues with her mother. Carol was hearing it all now, but he was sure (Y/N) heard much more of it when she was back home with her parents.
None of the Newmans could ever understand the way things were with Carol and Scott. They could never know why things were like this, but they likely wouldn't understand even if they knew.
Unless...
It was an idea that shocked even Bernard that he had it. Head elf of the North Pole, Santa's righthand man himself, considering such a thing? After being so against Carol's family coming to the Pole? It was preposterous. But his brain was so clouded by love for (Y/N) that he wasn't thinking proper.
"Come with me," he said. He didn't wait for an answer, just took hold of her hand and pulled her towards the workshop.
His heart was pounding so hard he could feel it in hips pointed ears. He had to remind himself there was no going back. This was going to be huge, and it could likely get him into a world of trouble.
He opened the doors to the workshop and (Y/N) stepped in. She looked around in awe at the working elves, most of which were not hiding their ears as the workshop was supposed to be off limits to the Newmans. None of them seemed to notice the two of them enter, and if they did, nothing was said.
Bernard watched (Y/N), nervously waiting for her reaction.
"Is this...what I think it is?" she asked him. "No, it can't be. I must be dreaming. I fell and hit my head and now I'm in a coma having a very vivid dream that all of these small people who are supposed to be Canadians have pointed ears like they're elves."
When she looked over at him, Bernard had taken off his hat and allowed his ears to peak out from under his hair.
"I've lost it," she decided.
"You haven't," he assured her. "All of this is real. It's why Carol hasn't been able to visit as much, or why you couldn't visit until now. Look, there's so much to know about all of this. So much that I want to tell you but technically I can't because there are strict rules about humans knowing about the North Pole."
(Y/N) had another quick moment of shock that she was able to very quickly recover from. "Rules that you're currently breaking by showing me...Santa's workshop. By admitting that you're an elf, these are all elves...oh my God, my sister is Mrs. Claus."
"It is all very complicated," he said. "But you deserve to know that Carol is truly happy here. She's not being held against her will, Santa isn't manipulative or holding her captive. He loves her so much that he risked you and your parents finding out about him - about us - so that all of you could be here for her while she's pregnant."
(Y/N) still seemed to be stunned. She looked around the bustling factory again, her eyes wide with wonder.
"Wait," she said. "But...if you all went through so much to make us think this was Canada, to keep who Scott is a secret...then why are you telling me now?"
Because I love you. Because I want you to stay. Because I want to be with you more than anything, even though I know that will never happen.
"Because I want you to know the truth," he replied. "About all of this. About...about me."
She was looking at him. He didn't know what else to say, so he just looked back. He waited for an answer. He willed her to say something, anything.
She didn't say anything, though. Instead, she leaned forward and kissed Bernard. It was quick, almost hesitant, and when she pulled away she looked embarrassed.
"Sorry," she said. "I...should I have done that? I should've asked first. Was it okay that I did that?"
He smiled. "It was more than okay."
"Okay. I'm...I'm going to do it again, if that's still okay."
Bernard chuckled and moved in to kiss (Y/N) first. He had only ever kissed one person before - when he was young one of the other elves had gave him a quick peck on the lips and ran away afterwards. Not exactly something glamorous or anything like that. So he was a little worried about whether or not he was a good kisser. Although, something felt so natural about kissing (Y/N), like he could never do it wrong even if he tried.
He paused when he realized a slight hush had fallen over the workshop. He and (Y/N) pulled away to see that all the working elves had stopped what they were doing to look at the two of them.
"Back to work!" Bernard commanded. They all quickly fell back into what they had been doing before. "Bunch of gossips, all of them. Everyone in town will know about this by nightfall."
"I don't blame them. I'd assume it's not every day that they see an elf kissing a human."
He chuckled. "No, I guess not."
They decided to step out of the workshop to talk more in private. (Y/N) looped her arm through Bernard's as they walked, a gesture that suddenly felt much more intimate than it had before.
"I guess it goes without saying that I can't tell anyone about this," she said. "Not even my parents."
"No. Which I know is a big ask, but we can't have the secret of Santa going around," Bernard explained.
"Not like anyone would believe me. They'd think I was crazy if I went home talking about how my brother in law is Santa and how I started crushing on one of his elves. They'd sent me to an institute for sure."
Bernard smiled at her word choice. So she had liked him this whole time, too. Had it been obvious? Or had she been trying to contain it just as much as he did?
"How...would things work...for us then?" she asked.
It was the question he was dreading. The one he continued to ask himself despite knowing the answer to: it wouldn't. He couldn't let (Y/N) hold on to him when she left the Pole. She'd likely never see him again, which was for the best.
Seeing the look on his face, (Y/N) stopped. "No, do not tell me it's not going to work."
"It can't work, (Y/N). There's too much complications between a human and an elf being romantically linked. It's never happened before, and for good reason."
"There's a first for everything."
He shook his head. "No, there can't be a first for this. I can't let you throw away any other romantic opportunities you have for me. We may never see each other after this visit."
"My sister is married to Santa. There's no way I'm not coming back after this. And besides, long distance relationships are a thing."
"This one would be...very long distance."
She slid her arm from his and took his hand in hers. "I'm willing to try. I like you too much to give up without a fight."
Every rational part of his brain was screaming for him to stop. He could not let things go further. It was better for her if they ended everything after that first kiss and went hteir separate ways.
But the less rational part of his brain was louder than the rest, telling him not to give up this chance at happiness outside of work. He deserved to love and to be loved, just like anyone else in the world. If it worked for Scott, it had to work for him too, right?
He sighed and squeezed her hands. "It won't be easy."
"I don't expect it to be."
"You won't be able to be here a lot unless you're willing to give up everything the way Carol did."
"That's fine, we can make that work."
"And if you do end up coming here permanently, you can't tell anyone who I really am, or who Scott and Carol really are. You'll have to lie to everyone in your life. Is that something you can be okay with?"
(Y/N) stepped closer to him so that their noses were nearly touching. "I'm already lying about Scott and Carol. What's one more lie about the man I love?"
Love.
It was enough for him to abandon all hope at resisting her. He closed the space between them, kissing her again so passionately that it made her head spin. She wrapped her arms around his neck to steady herself, while he wrapped his arms around her waist.
He could've kissed her forever. He could've stood there, wrapped around her and her wrapped around him, the cold nipping at them but barely bothering them, forever. He wanted to take this moment and freeze it, to never have to go back to his busy life as Santa's right hand elf ever again.
But she pulled away first, resting her forehead against his.
"I did promise my mom a girl's day," she said with a sigh. "And I think if I blow her off for this, she'll probably actually kill me."
"I guess I'll have to let you go then."
But he didn't, and she didn't let go of him. They laughed and kissed again.
It would be another several minutes before he would finally (and reluctantly) let her go.
#bernard the elf#bernard the elf imagine#bernard the elf x reader#david krumholtz#david krumholtz imagine#david krumholtz x reader#the santa clause#christmas#merry christmas#happy holidays#christmas imagine#imagine#one shot#fanfiction#fanfic#fandom
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Having sinful thoughts of riding bernards thigh😃 (the velvet would feel so good tho🤭)
"Not so silent night"
•Warnings: smut, thigh riding, mentions of being caught, mentions of female masterbation, FEM! Reader, let me know if I missed anything
•Synopsis: (Y/N) is feeling really neglected and Bernard doesn't seem to notice till she's practically humping him like a dog...
-----
Christmas Eve..now this was quite the sight. Elf's everywhere, Santa on his second check of the list, and Bernard...oh Bernard.
He was everywhere all at once, trying to make sure everything was in order making sure that no cookie was burnt, every wrapped gift looked perfect. Not to mention he had to keep Curtis in order.
And you knew how selfish you were being. You were always selfish when it came to your boyfriend. Selfish because you saw the way certain elf girls looked at him
You knew what a vital part of the workshop he was but you just couldn't bring yourself to care. You'd spent countless nights touching yourself since the start of November, moaning so loud..maybe even hoping he would hear and come accommodate for you.
---
You say in you and your boyfriends shared room watching a movie while he was out doing who knows what. And once again the same as the past two months. You were horny
You waited patiently for Bernard to arrive so you could ask for some desperately needed attention.
Everything seemed to be heightened, the way the sheets felt against your legs, the cold winters air on brushing your neck. It was almost like you were a dog in heat
If there was anyone to see the look on your face they would know. Anyone but Bernard.
He walked into the room with his brows furrowed carrying a bunch of rolled up blue prints "hi sweetheart" no response. "Bernie?" Nothing.
You say looking at his back as he sat down at his desk tracing his index finger over the words and print onto the blue paper and sighed
You were already built up as it was so seeing him moving his fingers around like that was just..wow
Before you could think your body was already moving, feet carrying you until you were standing behind him with your hands in his hair.
"Bernard..." you ran your hands down to his shoulders and collar bones rubbing and squeezing "please come lay with me" your voice pleading with him begging for affection.
"you know that I can't" his response was short and cold. I mean he didn't even look up at you when he said it.
---
He wasn't budging. Nothing..and you needed him. You needed to feel him...
You slowly walked over to the large fire place after you grabbed a box of matches off his desk. You watched the fire start as you walked over to turn off the lights so the room was just enough lit to seem romantic.
"(Y/N) I can't see the-" he halted when you sat down on his thigh resting all your weight on him "(Y/N)..?" You weren't wearing anything under your red nightdress...just in case.
The velvet of his pants..oh my god...
"mmm.." your hips started slowly moving forward and back and you placed your hands in his hair throwing your head back "m' love you.." your hips sped up
Bernard looked up at you with a sad look on his face.
"poor baby...so built up so horny...humping me like a dog" it felt so good to finally have your boyfriend's attention back. To have him look at you again like he needed you.
"I'm so sorry baby..I've been neglectful hm?" You looked up at him with doe eyes nodding your head "mhm.."
"we'll be a good girl and get yourself off on my thigh. Use me to make yourself feel good. You deserve it."
You sped up now moving your hips in small fast circles feeling your orgasm approach "Bernard...I-" you cut yourself off with a loud moan
"shh you don't want everyone knowing how you act when we're alone do you?" You shook your head "no sir"
Bernard loves being called sir. Being head elf and all, it really boosts his ego.
He rested his hands on your hips to help you speed up "yeah you don't want anybody to know you're the head elf's little slut" he rested his lips on your neck "but we both know you are"
---
"please baby. Please stain my pants with your hot need" that was all you needed. You were pushed over the edge. The coil in your stomach snapped just as fast as it was built up "Bernard I'm cumming- shit shit shit oh my- nughh-"
His hand rested on the side of your face as you rode out your orgasm kissing you as you moaned into his mouth.
"t-thank you..."
#x reader#bernard the head elf smut#bernard the head elf#bernard the elf x reader#bernard x reader#bernard the elf#the santa clause#the santa clause movie#smut#generalkenobee#Bernard the elf x you#Bernard smut#req#requested#req open
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(Gif isn't mine)
Nightmares (Bernard The Elf x Fem!Reader)
Request from @zero-spacee ♥︎
(sorry if it's not the best, I'm a beginner writer and am still learning! i ended up getting this one out quicker than I anticipated ^^)
Word Count: 900+
Y/N L/N; Santa's daughter, the only human besides her father to live in the North Pole.
She couldn't say it wasn't odd, being surrounded by elves for all her life. It was most certainly not bad, per se, just a little strange, her and Santa being the only of her kind.
It wasnt particularly lonely-- She made friends with plenty of the elves, as they got along with her and enjoyed her company.
But, there was one that had caught her eye in particular; Bernard, the head elf. They started off acquaintances, Bernard asking Y/N to help out with simple little tasks every now and then, and she'd oblige.
One special Christmas, when the two were left alone, a strange mistletoe had appeared above their heads.
After that, they'd gotten closer and closer, falling in love each passing second they spent in each other's presence.
When they'd earned the title of dating, all the elves were overjoyed to hear.
Well, except for Curtis.
"Goodbye, Santa!" A group of elves called out in unison as Santa waved goodbye, the sleigh floating upward into an abyss that lead him to the real world. A large, velvet bag that carried gifts rested beside him, snugly tucked out of vision and nuzzled against his calf.
Once he left, all the elves talked amongst themselves for a little while, the jolly spirit of Christmas lingering in the air, even when the main source was gone.
Y/N smiled, glad that everything had been going smoothly so far. She'd worried about the holiday season, moreso about her dad and boyfriend overworking themselves.
She searched amongst the bustling crowd for Bernard, though he was nowhere to be found. Her heart ached; all she wanted to do was curl up in her sweet elf's arms, the crackling fire filling the soundless room.
But it seems that wouldn't be happening as of currently.
With a defeated sigh, she yawned, suddenly realizing how tired she was.
Y/N crawled into her bed, the fuzzy green and red blankets tangled into a mess. They smelled sweet, like peppermint, while the pillows smelled--and tasted-- like marshmallows. She laid her head down, eyelids growing heavier with each passing moment. Tomorrow was Christmas, the best day of the year; what could go wrong?
Y/N shot up, chest heaving up and down with each swift breath that escaped her lips. Beads of sweat dripped down her forehead, her shirt sticking to her chest. Her heartbeat elevated as distinct, vague memories of a gut-wrenching dream flooded her mind. The room was spinning and she could hear her heartbeat in her ears. It felt as if the unwanted knowledge of living throughout such a nightmare was overflowing, pouring out her mouth into a hopeless mess.
Y/N was used to having nightmares, as she used to have them all the time--nights similar to these stacking into a pile of horror, and though she was all too farmiliar with the situation, it still felt worse and worse each time.
But, no night terror she'd mustered through could compare to the one she'd awoken from just now.
Bernard had fallen off a cliff, inevitably dying.
*Her* Bernard had died.
In a panicked mess, she jumped out of bed; blankets that were wrapped around her legs securely had fallen to the floor. Tears pricked at her eyes, threatening to fall.
Running out of her room, she called for Bernard with fear laced in her voice. She'd checked the bakery; nothing.
The room filled with hot chocolate and marshmallow cluttered cabinets; nothing.
Y/N choked on a quiet sob. She sniffled, for she'd checked everywhere.
Everywhere except...
She raced to the stalls, her H/C hair breezing behind her as she ran.
She halted to a stop, noticing Bernard and Curtis.
Bernard's head perked up upon hearing footsteps enter the room. Noticing it was Y/N, he smiled for a moment, until he saw the tears streaming down her cheeks. "Y/N!-" He rushed to her, and she didn't hesitate to jump into his arms. He enveloped her in a warm hug, and the farmiliar smell of peppermint that often lingered on him comforted Y/N.
"Hey, hey, sweetheart, what's wrong? What happened?" He cupped Y/N's cheek with his hand, one arm still wrapped around her waist. Curtis peeked over Bernard's shoulder curiously, to which he shooed him off.
"I- h-had another nightmare...where y-" She choked on a sob. Bernard pressed a soft kiss to her temple, pulling her back into a warm hug. "Shh..you're alright, Y/N/N.."
He let her stain his clothes with tears; normally, he'd mind if it were with anyone else, but he'd always had a soft spot for Y/N.
"I'm not going anywhere, doll," He carded his fingers through Y/N's Y/H/L hair as she leaned her head on his chest.
"I l-love you.." She stifled words in between quiet sobs.
"I love you too.." He planted another kiss to her forehead. "Hey, what do you say we head back to my room with some hot coco?" The couple stood there in each other's arms comfortably, thankfully alone since Curtis had left the room, most likely going to check up on the workshop.
Y/N nodded, gazing up at Bernard. He wiped her tears, a soft smile playing on his lips. "Alright, honey.." He picked her up bridal style, somewhat catching her off guard, but once it had settled in what he was doing, she obliged happily.
(The End :D)
#bernard the elf#bernard the elf x y/n#tsc#x reader#bernard the elf x reader#tsc x reader#the santa clause#the santa clauses#bernard#bernard x reader#bernard x yn#fanfic#fan fiction
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I have a Bernard request 👉👈 maybe Bernard, right before the holiday season, works himself so much into a stress-induced anxious lather in front of you that he literally has a small panic attack and struggles to breathe, and you have to de-escalate him w/ kindness (and possibly cuddles)???
I combined this one with 🍀 anon’s ask, I hope you like it!
Bernard x Reader
You stick your head into the stuffing room, excited greetings ringing out when you’re spotted. You look around, spying piles of fluff, half stuffed animals, and hardworking elves.
“Hello, hi. Hey, you!” you greet a few of the elves, “Has anyone seen Bernard?”
“Last I saw he was headed toward the kitchen,” one elf pipes up.
“On a war path, I heard,” another mentions with a raised eyebrow.
“Uh oh,” you wince, “I better go talk him down.”
As you make your way through the hall, you don’t spot Bernard anywhere so you continue your hike toward the kitchens. Finally approaching the candy themed doors, you pull them open and head inside.
“How’s it going, everyone?” You ask cheerily as you pop in. Your smile falters a bit as you see the baking elves and their drained faces as they mumble replies to your question.
“Why the long faces?” You frown, looking around at them for answers. They avoid your gaze, halfheartedly rolling out cookie dough.
“Bernard yelled at us,” one of the elves finally admits and you grimace.
“Oh no, I’m sorry. You all know how he gets this close to Christmas,” you apologize.
“Do you know where he went?” You ask the elf nearest you.
“The toy floor,” she murmurs and your heart breaks at how downtrodden she seems.
“I’m gonna go find him, why don’t you guys take a break, huh? Have some cocoa,” you tell them and their faces light up. You grab a bagged cookie, tucking it in your pocket to use to talk Bernard down when you find him, and laughing as a chorus of ‘thank you!’ follows you out the door as you leave.
When you round the corner to the toy floor you spot Bernard right away. He’s gesturing and pointing while he talks to the painters, and you can see how tense his shoulders are from across the room.
“Oh, thank goodness you’re here,” You hear someone behind you exclaim. You sidle up to Bernard just before it seems like he’s really going to snap.
“Hey, I’ve been looking for you all over,” you smile, rubbing the velvet of his shirt over his bicep. He softens as soon as he hears your voice.
“Hi, sugar,” he smiles dopily for a second before his eyebrows furrow again. He looks like he’s about to turn and start again but you cut in as he opens his mouth.
“I’ve got something for you, c’mon,” you tell him, tugging lightly on his sleeve so he’ll follow you. He frowns, clearly wanting to stay and finish whatever lecture he’d started but he trails after you. When you finally make it off the toy floor he can’t stand it anymore.
“What do you have for me?” He finally asks.
“A break and a cookie,” you tell him as you reach the door to his office.
“I don’t have time for a break!” he insists.
“Yes, you do. You need one, you’re starting to take out your frustrations on the elves,” you argue.
“I can’t take a break, it’s almost Christmas!” His voice cracks.
“Santa has only checked his list once! The painters painted all the dump trucks green, the bakers aren’t meeting their cookie quota! The- the-“ he rants until his breath is coming out in short quick puffs and his hands are shaking.
“Whoa, hey, hey,” you reach out to hold onto his shirt as he sways slightly on his feet. You pull him into his office, and towards the plush couch against the wall. You sit the both of you down, scooting back to give him some space.
“Can you breathe with me?” You ask and he nods with wide eyes, breath rabbit quick.
“In, two, three…” you count a couple of breaths for him to follow, but it doesn’t seem to help calm him as much as you’d like.
“Can I touch you?” You ask and he croaks out a yes. You bring his hand up to press flat against your sternum, breathing deeply and encourage him to match your pace. The steady thudding of your heartbeat helps calm him down as he matches your breaths.
“Feel a little better?” You ask once you feel like his breathing is normal again and his hands have stopped shaking. You get a tiny ‘yeah’ and you can’t help but coo at how pitiful he sounds.
“Oh, honey,” you pull him to you, rubbing his back soothingly.
“C’mon, take some of this stuff off,” you murmur, taking his hat and necklace off, gently dropping them to the floor. He takes his bag off and deposits it in the pile as well.
“Lay down with me,” you suggest and he gives in easily. His head rests on your chest once you get settled, your fingers scratching against the nape of his neck. You hum an apology when he shivers at the touch, moving to pop open the button on the back of his collar to give him more room to breathe. By now you know better than to run your fingers through his hair and risk messing up his curls, so you move down to scratch his back lightly.
“Santa always gets the list done, he knows what he’s doing. The kitchen elves are doing their best. They seem to be on track to make enough, but you can always delegate a few more elves to help in the kitchen if you feel like they need it. And there’s nothing wrong with green dump trucks,” you talk him through his worries.
“I know it’s your job to take care of everything, but you have to take care of yourself too,” you remind him.
“What did I do to deserve you, sugarplum?” he wonders, voice muffled into your sweater.
“You must’ve been on the nice list,” you joke, poking him softly in the side to watch him squirm. You’re sure this must’ve taken a lot out of him, he seems ready to fall asleep any second and you’re more than willing to lay here as long as it takes for him to get a little rest.
“I love you, sugarplum,” he mumbles sleepily, arms wrapped tightly around your waist.
“Love you too,” you press a kiss to his unruly curls as his breathing starts to even out.
“Did you say something about a cookie?” He looks up suddenly and asks, and you can’t help but let out a startled laugh.
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Hiii❤️, are you taking requests for Bernard rn? And if so can you write a Bernard x reader (she/her) where she has a very flirtatious personality and he has a huge crush on her and he lovesss when she’s being that way towards him but when he sees her talk to other people like that he’s kinda jealous and maybe end in some smut ( ofc only if you’re comfortable writing that!<3)
Jealousy looks good on you
Bernard the elf x reader
A/N: ‘tis the season and the Bernard girlies have awakened. I’m shocked at all the support I’ve received from these one shots and I’m so glad to be writing more. This isn’t my best imo, I don’t know where I was going with it so I kinda got carried away, but oh well lol. I have another Bernard request after this one and then I’ll be back to my Beauty and the Beast rewrite. Hope you all enjoy :))
“She’s doing it again.”
“Who?”
“Y/N. She’s flirting with him again.”
“Your obsession with Y/N is becoming a problem.”
This wasn’t the first conversation Curtis and Bernard had had with each other about Y/N. This topic specifically. It was known by the other elves that she was confident, and very blunt when talking to others. That also didn’t stop in the romantic sense. And Bernard knew that. She wasn’t afraid to flirt with him in front of others, and that’s why he loved it so much. It made him feel good. And also slightly embarrassed. Only because he wasn’t used to that sort of attention, especially from a very beautiful girl. He wasn’t great at reciprocating her advances, but he hoped she wouldn’t stop. So far she hadn’t. But a new ‘suitor’ had entered the picture, and Bernard was not happy. Some tall, blue eyed elf that he hadn’t bothered learning the name of was also receiving the flirtatious attention from Y/N, and unfortunately he was much better at dishing it back than Bernard was.
“I’m not obsessed with Y/N,” Curtis rolled his eyes at that remark, “I’m just curious to know why she thinks it’s okay to talk with that guy when they both have a lot of work to do.”
The younger elf snorted. “You don’t seem to have an issue when she’s talking to you and wasting precious work time.”
“You’re not helping,” Bernard huffed, walking away from Curtis and towards the workshop, trying to get the image of Y/N and the tall, blue eyed elf out of his head.
**************************************************************************************
It had been a few hours since his last conversation with Curtis, and Bernard had quickly calmed down, busying himself with tasks he had yet completed for the holiday season. However, it hadn’t helped him get Y/N out of his head. From the constant flirting, to seeing her using that charm on someone else, Bernard was unsure where the relationship stood. Was it all a big joke to her? Had she been leading him on the last few months to mess with him? Before he could dive deeper into his existential dread, a soft voice sounded from behind him.
“Hey handsome.”
Bernard froze slightly, and looked over his shoulder to see Y/N walk through the door, a stack of paperwork in her hands and a bright smile on her face. Glitter on her cheeks and nose, sporting a new dress that glimmered in the light, Bernard thought she looked like an angel ready to be set atop the Christmas tree. He shook himself out of his trance, and smiled tightly back at her, unable to form any words. He quickly turned back around, continuing his sort out of different coloured wrapping paper. It wasn’t usually Bernard’s job, but he needed the distraction, and the wrapping room was a quiet place to come in the evenings.
“Curtis told me you’d be in here and I need you to sign these papers for Santa.”
Y/N held the paperwork out towards Bernard, their fingers touching briefly once he reached out to grab them. He placed them on the side of the desk and mumbled a ‘thanks’ under his breath, barely audible. Y/N let out a small huff and strolled around Bernard, taking in his tense form.
She smiled again. “So. How’s my favourite elf doing?”
Bernard didn’t bother looking up from his work. “He’s very busy at the moment,” his tone dull and unwavering.
A hand suddenly came into the head elf’s view, and hit the desk hard, jolting everything laying on top. Bernard jumped back and looked to the side where Y/N stood with eyebrows raised and her mouth pursed.
“Have I done something to upset you?” She asked, crossing her arms and popping her hip to the side.
Bernard wasn’t sure what to say, nor how Y/N might react. He’d never been great at showcasing his feelings, especially in the romantic sense. But this wasn’t just some random girl he’d found cute once and never interacted with. This was Y/N. One of his closest friends, someone he cared deeply for. Who seemed to care deeply about him too. She was also someone he worked with. The possibility of admitting how he felt, and for her to not feel the same, it would no doubt make things awkward. And he’d hate to ruin what they already have. Even if it killed him to see her flirting with someone else.
“You’ve done nothing, I’ve just had a lot on my plate and I can’t handle any distractions at the moment,” Bernard finally replied, trying to keep his voice level.
“Really?” Y/N bit back, “because I feel like you’ve been avoiding me all day. And since when do you spend time in the wrapping paper room? When Curtis told me you were here, I was worried you might be having a mental breakdown.” She ended with a joke, but part of Bernard knew there was truth behind her words.
The head elf felt himself boiling over. His temper was short, and everyone knew that, but when it came to Y/N he was unusually chill. Her presence was good for him. Not at this moment though. He could feel himself ready to lash out, and he was worried what could be said.
“Do I have to explain everything to you? Can I not spend time alone without you knowing where and what I’m doing every second of every day?”
“I’m sorry I care about you and want to know what you’re up to! Sure you can have all the time you want alone, I just don’t like it when you avoid me completely,” by now, both of their voices were shaking and getting louder.
“I thought you’d want to spend more time with your new tall, blue eyed friend,” Bernard instantly regretted his words.
Y/N opened her mouth but closed it almost instantly, her brow furrowed and confusion clear on her face. “What are you talking about?” her voice now considerably calmer.
Bernard could feel the embarrassment wash over him, desperate to think of some excuse, but coming up short. “This morning, I saw you talking to someone. It looked like he was flirting, and you seemed to be doing the same back,” Y/N’s face softened as she begun to realise what and who the older elf was talking about. “It got to me, okay? It bothered me that you were talking to him in that way when,” a slight pause, “you usually only talk to me that way.”
Y/N shook her head, a confused look returning briefly. “I don’t understand, you never showed any interest in my flirting, why is it bothering you when I do it to someone else.”
“Because I like you!” There it was. That barrier Bernard built high for years, keeping relationships at bay, had just been broken. And he didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing. “I’m not the best at showing my emotions. Romantically speaking, I’m an amateur at it. And I’m sorry I was never good at reciprocating your advances. I guess it doesn’t matter if it was just a joke to you.”
Y/N reached out quickly, grabbing Bernard’s hand and holding it close to her. “It was never a joke to me. I just didn’t think you liked me in that way so I stopped. Thought I’d try with someone else to help me move on from you.” She moved a step forward, standing toe to toe. “I knew it would never work. You’re the only person I truly care about, in that way.”
Bernard was speechless. He couldn’t stop staring into her eyes, brimmed with emotion but full of love. He mostly felt like an idiot. Never taking the chance before now to make a move or admit how he felt. He finally felt at peace. Like everything had finally worked out.
“What now?” Bernard awkwardly questioned, placing his hands on Y/N’s hips.
“I think you should probably kiss me before someone else does,” She jested back.
They both laugh and lean in, Y/N’s hands going to hold the head elf’s face. The kiss deepened, Y/N moving her left hand to the back of Bernard’s head, tugging slightly at his curls. This elicited a deep moan from Bernard’s throat, his pants growing tighter, as he tugged Y/N somehow closer to him and towards the desk still covered with wrapping paper.
“Why did we wait so long to do this?” Y/N mumbled out between wet kisses.
Bernard moved to sucking her neck, most definitely leaving bruises. “I don’t know. But I never want to stop.”
They continued making out, Y/N feeling the desk behind her and sliding on top, pulling Bernard in between her legs. She felt him growing harder, and slowly moved her hand down, palming at the front of his pants. Bernard couldn’t help but whimper slightly, gripping the side of the desk as well as Y/N’s thigh. Keeping one hand on his hard on, she moved her other back up and unbuttoned his shirt, rubbing her hand in circular motions on his chest. Bernard followed soon after, taking hold of the bottom of her shirt and lifting it over her head. The couple continued kissing and touching anywhere they could reach, seeming to care little to none about the door still being open, or whether someone walked by and found them in their current predicament. They were just glad to have finally admitted how they felt. In the back of his head, Bernard reminded himself to thank that tall, blue eyed elf for bringing out the jealousy in him.
(Sorry it seems to cut short, I’m terrible at writing smut or intimate stuff but I hope you all enjoyed anyways :))
#bernard x reader#bernard the elf x reader#the santa clauses#the santa clause#x reader#david krumholtz
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Hi can you do dating Bernard headcanons
Dating Bernard the Elf Headcanons
Masterlist
Request Something!
A/N: decided to combine these bc they’re both bernard headcanon requests and tbh i think he'd argue a lot, especially around christmas
***
His job always comes first before everything else
Sorry bbg
When you start dating, he tries to balance his work life and personal life better
But don’t be surprised when he can barely pay attention to you when Christmas gets near
“Bernard?” You called quietly, knocking on the open door of his office. Your boyfriend was scribbling away on paper, murmuring to himself things you couldn’t hear. “The day’s over, Bernard.”
He simply hummed in acknowledgment, but didn’t look up at you. Sighing, you walked over to his desk and stood beside him, hand resting on his shoulder.
“Workshop’s closed.”
“I’m not done.”
“It’ll still be here tomorrow.”
“I need to finish this now.” Bernard looked up at you briefly before burying his nose back in his work. “Y/n, you can go home. You don’t have to stay here.”
Even before you started dating, you were used to Bernard working himself to death. Sometimes, when you thought about it, you wondered how you ever found the time to fall in love because, more often than not, he was cooped up in his office.
Using as much of your strength as possible, you grabbed the back of Bernard’s chair and somehow pulled him away from his desk. He immediately protested this, but you ignored him and pulled him up by the arm.
“Ten minutes.” You say, dragging him to a couch in the corner of his office by the fireplace.
“What?” Bernard asked, huffing as you pushed him to sit down.
“Since you refuse to leave, the very least you could do is take a ten-minute break.”
Bernard wanted to protest. He had a mountain of paperwork, and Christmas was just around the corner. Plus, he was your boss. He shouldn’t be taking orders from you; it should be the other way around.
But he’d be lying if he said that the stern look you were giving didn’t scare him a bit.
“Fine.”
The week before Christmas is very stressful
Like, good luck getting him to go to sleep or even leave his office
This is probably the only time of year that you truly argue and get angry at each other
Ironic, right?
“Any ideas on what to have for dinner?” You asked as you set a mug of hot cocoa on Bernard’s desk. He took a sip, not even reacting to the scalding hot temperature. “Or will you even be home for dinner?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Bernard asked. You would’ve laughed at the question, but you could sense some tensions starting to rise.
“It’s almost Christmas; you usually don’t leave the workshop until after Santa comes back.”
“Well, yeah, that’s my job, Y/n.”
“Okay, then I just won’t wait up for you.” You say with a slightly bitter tone, ready to leave the office. You obviously knew Bernard’s job was like this, but that didn’t ease your sourness.
“Good.” He said, rolling his eyes. “Don’t bother; I’ll probably be here until Santa comes back.” You could pick up the slight mocking of your voice.
“Fine.” You grumbled, not bothering to look back at him as you opened the door. “Stay here, with your candy cane in a twist.”
“Candy canes are supposed to be twisted.”
“Shut up!” You barked, slamming the door behind you.
You always make up tho
This is like your routine
When Santa comes back to the North Pole, there’s always a big Christmas party to celebrate
But you and Bernard stay at home
“Ugh, I can finally relax,” Bernard said as he brought two mugs of hot cocoa to the table. He sat in his chair, stretching his stiff limbs before taking a sip.
“Yeah, until next year.” You laugh, bringing over a fresh plate of cookies.
“Don’t remind me.” He whined, giving you a pout that went away as soon as you kissed his lips. He rested a hand over yours, fingers closing around your palm. “I’m sorry for snapping at you.”
“I’m sorry, too.” You say, squeezing Bernard’s hand. “I shouldn’t complain so much. You’re the Head Elf; it’s all just part of the job.”
“Yeah, but I shouldn’t always be focusing on just my job. Especially now that I have you.”
You grinned at the sincere statement, kissing Bernard again.
“Looks like we have our New Year’s resolutions. Less complaining and less working.” Bernard laughed, and you followed along.
“I’ll do my best on that.”
***
Bernard the Elf Taglist: @katerinaval
#agaypanic#bernard the elf x reader#bernard the elf#the santa clause x reader#the santa clause#bernard the elf headcanons
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The Way it Was Before
Bernard the Elf x Reader
Fandom: The Santa Clause
Summary: Something is VERY wrong this Christmas, and it seems you’re the only person in the world who remembers the way things were before. Well, almost the only person. It’s up to you and the Head Elf to save the day before Jack’s wish becomes irreversible.
Note: I was literally possessed by the spirit of Christmas to write this. I still don’t understand how I whipped this up so fast. Also I have a few ideas kicking around for a sequel, so let me know if that’s something you’re interested in! Additionally, I will be uploading this to Ao3, so if you see it on there too, don't worry hahaha
Warnings: Language, a lil violence as a treat (nothing major just literally a few punches lol), a lil angst but a very happy ending <3
Word Count: 14k
Reader is: Female, 23
Well, that was it, then. It was over. You couldn’t help but feel a little torn up about it. You just weren’t cut out for the job, or maybe you didn’t have the magic for it. Whatever the reason, Mother Nature had made it clear. You were not the Spring Enchantress, and this would be your last foray into the Magical Realm for a very long time, if you ever set foot in it again.
Mother Nature had to visit Santa at the North Pole. You weren’t sure why, she didn’t tell you what she was there to pick up, but she did give you some time on your own to explore the Workshop for the last time.
Wanting to get away from the wandering eyes, you found a secluded nook and sat down, resting your head in your hands. You loved the Pole. It was so intricate and beautiful and whimsical and you would never see it again. You’d never step foot in Mother Nature’s Grotto or the Summer Isles, or even Halloweentown.
It hit you all at once and the tears came flowing before you could stop them. You just hoped none of the elves were around to find you. You didn’t want to worry them when they were already so busy.
“(Y/N), right?” a voice asked, drawing your attention to the doorway where he was standing. Bernard, the Head Elf. Your eyes wandered over his shoulder to the sign on the door. Of course, your crying spot had to be directly outside his office. Figured.
“Right. Yeah. Sorry.” You wiped at the tears, trying to compose yourself. You motioned to the door. “I didn’t realize…”
He shook his head. “That’s alright. Is something wrong?”
“I didn’t mean to bother you. I’m sorry, I can—”
“No, you’re no bother at all. Come on in. My couch is a lot comfier than that bench there.” He motioned you forward and you hesitated, but got up and walked into his office, a large, cozy room with forest green walls, hardwood floors, a small fireplace, a cozy couch, and a desk facing it. There was a shelf of snow globes on one wall, a shelf of old leather books on another.
Bernard motioned to the couch and you took a seat while he perched himself on the edge of his desk. He plucked a tissue out of the box and handed it to you, empathy etched in his brown eyes.
“What’s going on?”
“It um…Mother Nature…” You spoke slowly, composing your words. “She said I’m not the Spring Enchantress like she thought. So um…I’m getting my memory wiped and heading back to the Mortal Realm. Tomorrow, I think.”
“Wiped? Like entirely?” Bernard said, horror in his voice.
“I mean, I’ll still know who I was before I started training under her, but…all of the magic stuff, all of this…” You shook your head. “I knew it was all too good to be true.”
“I am so sorry this is happening to you.” He shook his head. “It’s not fair.”
“Yeah…” You nodded, wiping your tears on the tissue he’d given you. “I’m just glad she brought me here one last time. It’s so beautiful here.”
Bernard smiled softly. He reached into his satchel and pulled out a small snow globe, waving a hand over it before handing it to you. “Even if you won’t remember this place…I’d like you to take a piece of it with you.”
You took a shaking breath, more tears flowing at his words, at the sincerity on his face, at the beautiful snow globe he’d given you. You stood to accept it and found yourself hugging him instead, seeking comfort from the most powerful elf in the Pole. His arms wrapped tight around you, comforting you at your most vulnerable.
“Thank you. So much. Even if I don’t remember it, I…I think I’ll still know. That it’s real. That all of this is.”
“Believing is Seeing.” Bernard said, meeting your eyes. “Someday, you’ll remember that.”
You hoped he was right…
THREE YEARS LATER
Leaving your Irish Folklore class, you were absolutely buzzing with ideas. It had been an amazing lesson. Your professor was very knowledgeable on all sorts of legends and fantasy creatures, where they’d come from, how stories about them had started. You, as a writer, were planning on using this knowledge to write an epic fantasy romance. You weren’t sure what exactly it would be about; you were still waiting for it to click, but you were sure it would eventually.
You walked to your favorite coffee shop, a little ways from your apartment, and grabbed a hot cocoa with extra whipped cream, your favorite around this time of year, sitting down with your work at your favorite table in the corner of the shop.
You took out your notebooks, comparing the notes you’d taken in class to the ones you had left over from…before. The inklings, few though they were, that had lingered in your mind, even after Mother Nature, yes, that Mother Nature, had supposedly wiped them all from existence. Granted, there wasn’t very much left from your time with her, just a few things: the Northern Lights dancing across the sky as you…as you…no, see, there it was. Nothing.
That was all that was left, pieces. And the snow globe on your shelf that you knew was more than just a snow globe, but you couldn’t remember why. Or who’d given it to you.
Sometimes you felt crazy, pushing against the walls of your memory, begging it for just one more detail, but that was how it had been for the last three years. You knew you weren’t making it up, that it was more than just fantasy, but you couldn’t tell anyone. Not even your therapist. The looks wouldn’t be worth it.
So you kept these things to yourself, jotting them down to get them out of your head. Or, rather, keeping them safe in case someday Mother Nature came to finish what she started, wiping it all away for good.
You worked on an outline for a short story for your creative writing class, but you didn’t feel all that confident in it. You sipped your cocoa some more, which had cooled to perfection, and opened an article you were supposed to read for your Folklore class. Something about elves. Festive, you thought with a chuckle. It was indeed the season for that, especially since that had been your last class before Christmas. A perfect send-off for the end of the semester.
Once you’d gotten a decent amount of work done, you packed up your stuff and headed back to your apartment, setting your bag in your room. You checked a few things off of your To Do List.
Gleaming on the shelf, your snow globe caught your eye. “Believing is Seeing.” You whispered to yourself, eyebrows knitting together when you did. It sounded familiar, but…you weren’t sure why. Or what it meant.
Down in the living room, your roommates were watching Christmas movies. In a few days, they’d both be headed home for the holidays and you’d be left on your own for a few weeks. You didn’t mind all that much. You did well on your own, in the quiet. You were kind of sad about spending the holidays alone, though.
Maybe you could find a community event to attend. A holiday party or something. Maybe your college would be doing something for the students who were staying. You hoped they’d let you attend even though you were a grad student.
On the TV, a cheesy Hallmark movie played out, the city girl deciding the small town she’d stumbled into was actually the perfect place for her and the handsome lumberjack that worked at the Christmas Tree Farm at the edge of town was actually her soulmate. You chuckled. You didn’t believe in soulmates. Not like that, at least.
“Hey, we’re going to a party tonight. Down at the Kappa House. You want to come?” Your roommate, Cindy, asked.
“Oh! Thank you. I’m alright, though. I’ll order some takeout or something.”
“Alright.” Megan, your other roommate, nodded. “How was your class?”
“Good! Yeah, I’ve just gotta finish this essay and then I’ll be good for the semester.”
“That’s good.” She grinned, sitting cross-legged on the couch.
You sat with the two of them until they got ready to leave, dressed in short red dresses, fishnets, and Santa hats. “Call me if you need a DD.”
“Oh we will.” They giggled, stumbling out the door, each armed with a bottle of cheap wine, leaving you on your own in the apartment. You did as you’d said and ordered some takeout, cranking out the rest of your paper and turning on some Christmas movies. Elf, Home Alone, all of the classics were on.
You felt something in the back of your mind, a little tingle. You froze, staring at the screen. You expected another little piece, a sliver, anything, but the feeling faded as quickly as it came. You sighed, setting your container of Lo Mein on the coffee table. Suddenly, you were tired. Maybe some sleep would help. So, after putting your things away and cleaning up after yourself, you changed into your pajamas and headed to bed.
You stared at the ceiling for a while, trying desperately to jog your memory for the little inkling that was about to emerge earlier, but to no avail. You shook your head and turned onto your side.
Believing is Seeing…
***
The next morning, you felt groggy and decidedly weird. You jotted down the dreams you remembered in your journal and went downstairs to get some breakfast to appease your growling stomach. You poured yourself a bowl of cereal with milk and plopped down in front of the TV, all but dropping it in your lap when you saw what was on the screen.
“Come on up to the North Pole, folks! Christmas Wonderland right at your fingertips! This year, we’re opening our Winter Wonderland Water Park, Hotel, and Resort! Pet the reindeer! Take a photo with an elf! And don’t forget to meet Santa!”
“What the Fuck.”
“Oh! See! I told you! We should go! They have a two for one on the Mistletoe Cruise!” Cindy grinned, hopping over the back of the couch. “Rewind it!”
You did as she said, pausing when the prices were on the screen. It just so happened to be when this so-called Santa was also on screen. Taking one look at him, you could tell something was wrong. His height, his voice, but most of all, his hair, which was frosted and spiked up. He may have been wearing the suit, but that was no Santa.
Chills ran up your arm at the sight of him. No, that was no Santa. That was Jack Frost.
It was coming back to you a little now.
“What…the North Pole…?” You murmured, confused.
“Obviously. What, did your parents never take you as a kid?” Megan asked. “We went all the time when I was growing up.”
“I can’t say they did, no…” You shook your head. No, this was bad. Something was very wrong here. Your stomach sank, veins on fire and chills unending.
You got changed at the speed of light and headed out to town, stopping in the book store next to your favorite coffee shop, where on the front rack was this new Santa’s memoir. It was titled, “Becoming Santa” and you doubted anything in it was anywhere near the truth.
You scooped up a copy of it as well as a book on the history of the Pole. There had to be something in there, some hint, some…someone you could contact. You checked out at the counter and headed next door to the coffee shop, spreading out your books and notes. You grabbed a cocoa with extra whipped cream and a shot of espresso. You knew you’d need the caffeine for whatever lied ahead.
You combed the books extensively, rolling your eyes every paragraph as you waded through Jack’s stuffy memoir. It was…impossible. You couldn’t believe this had all happened overnight. Unless there was magic involved. You cracked open the history of the Pole book, which had pictures, thankfully. You were able to look through and see if there was anyone you recognized. The longer you stared at the pictures, the more it confirmed your suspicions. You had been to the Pole before, but not in the capacity your roommates were discussing. It hadn’t been a theme park, a tacky tourist destination loaded to the brim with money-grabs. No, you had been there when it was a gorgeous, beautiful workshop, full of joy and love and…for lack of better word, Christmas cheer.
A single tear slipped down your cheek and you sat back in your chair, taking it all in. You remembered. Most of it, anyway. There were still bits and pieces that wouldn’t click into place just yet.
“This seat taken?” Someone asked.
You looked up, staring for a long moment as his features came into focus, his kind brown eyes, dark curls, a pointed ear sticking out from under his hat. He was the exact same as the last day you’d seen him, right down to the red tunic embroidered in golden symbols, the tassel necklace around his neck.
You gasped softly. “Bernard?”
Click.
His face split into a grin and a wave of relief swept over him as he all but collapsed into the seat across from you. “Thank the stars. I didn’t think you’d remember me.”
“How could I forget?” You asked, mostly to yourself. You had forgotten him. Well, until now. But it was all coming together. Something about seeing him made everything else, all those loose, scattered pieces, finally come together.
“So far, you’re the only one who remembers.”
“Remembers you?”
“No, remembers…the way things were yesterday.” He lowered his voice and you nodded, eyes wide.
“Okay cool, I’m not crazy. Always nice to know.” You sighed, closing the book and sliding it over to him. “I’ve been looking for…I don’t even know what, to be honest, but I knew it wasn’t right.”
“That’s…yeah.” He nodded, flipping through the book before closing it again.
“So what’s going on?”
“No idea. I was on my way out of the Pole when it hit, which is probably why I was spared. All of the elves…” He shook his head, arms crossed. “I don’t have any magic. I didn’t know where else to go.”
“Why me?” You asked softly, voice breaking at the edges. “How did you find me?”
“I’ve been keeping an eye on you since everything happened. I’m really sorry. What happened to you isn’t fair and I understand if you want to stay out of it, but I need your help. You’re the only person I have left.”
“I was on your team the second you sat down.” You told him, earning a tired smile. “So I did find…something. Um…Santa. Our Santa, I mean. When did he…?”
“He put on the coat in 1994.” Bernard replied with certainty.
“Okay that’s not good.” You opened Jack’s memoir to his origin story, in which he claimed to have become aware of his Santa Powers in the same year on the same night. “That never happened. Jack…he must have gone back in time and overwritten things.”
“How would he even have done something like that?” Bernard asked, taking the book from you and reading through the section you’d underlined.
“Father Time,” you mumbled. “Maybe he did something to Father Time.”
“Maybe.” Bernard nodded. “He’s in London. Big Ben. We can head there. But first, we need to find our Santa and pray that he remembers too. If not, our goose may already be cooked.”
***
Bernard ordered a drink for himself and the two of you left the shop, sticking a nice tip in the jar on the way out. You led Bernard to your apartment. Your roommates were still there, buzzing about their impending trip to the North Pole.
“I thought you guys were going home to see your families for the holidays.” You said, prying to see just how much they had changed in this new reality.
“Oh right, right, we were, but this deal is just too good to pass up, you know? My parents will understand. We’ll just celebrate…over spring break or something.”
“Yeah, yeah same. It’ll be fine, I’ll just mail them their presents.” Megan agreed, going right back to vacation planning with Cindy.
You gave Bernard a look that he returned before the two of you went up to your room. You pulled open your laptop and sat on the floor, Bernard looking around your room, eyes careful, admiring every detail until he found it, the snow globe he’d given you still sitting on the shelf.
He smiled softly, picking it up and giving it a shake before setting it back. “You still have it.”
“Of course I do. I’ve had it in all of my apartments. I don’t move anywhere without it.” You smiled and paused, thinking. “Did you…use your magic on it when you gave it to me? Maybe that’s what’s bringing my memory back.”
“No, I only used my magic to inscribe the plaque.” He explained, pointing to where the words were inscribed in curling cursive words, Believing is Seeing. “Something else is protecting your memory, even now.”
“Mother Nature?” You wondered quietly. Then again, if she wanted to protect your memories, why would she have wiped them in the first place? It didn’t make sense, so instead, you turned your attention to Google. “Alright, what’s Santa’s government name? As long as Jack didn’t kill him, we should be able to find him.”
“Scott. Scott Calvin.” Bernard replied, sitting on the carpet beside you, leg brushing against yours. “When we found him, he was living in Illinois. He might still be close to there now.”
“Scott Calvin…” You said quietly, typing his name in the search bar along with Illinois to attempt to narrow down the search results. It was common name, but hopefully not too common. You scrolled through hits from Facebook, showing Bernard the profile pictures to see if there was one he recognized. After all, you never saw Santa when he was still human, only as the Big Man himself.
“There! There, that’s him!” Bernard pointed to one of the Scotts. You clicked on his profile and started scrolling.
Marriage Status: Divorced
Employment: Frost Toys, Illinois
“Frost Toys.” You read, sounding deflated. “Even he’s working for Frost.”
“Can you get a phone number? His business phone maybe?”
“Can do.” You hopped onto his LinkedIn and found his contact, punching in the number and handing your phone to Bernard.
He waited while it rang, shaking his head when it booted him to voicemail. There was a long beep and Bernard said, exasperated, “Hey Scott, this is Bernard. If you remember me, remember anything, please call back. We’re going to fix all of this.”
He hung up and handed the phone back to you, looking disappointed.
“It’s okay. It’s gonna be fine.”
“Having trouble believing that at the moment.” He exhaled, frustrated. “This is bad.”
“On a scale of zero to plastic Santa…?”
He chuckled, mood lightening the tiniest bit. “You heard about that?”
“It was the talk of the meeting that month.” You laughed, remembering. Your smile faded when you remembered who else had been at that meeting. Maybe that was where Jack had gotten his messed up little idea of world domination.
“I’d take three of that guy before this.” Bernard shook his head. “What now?”
You thought before shrugging. “I guess we’re going to Illinois.”
“You’re serious? You’re coming with me to get Scott?”
“Or what, let you do this on your own? No way. Help me get some stuff together. I just put gas in my car so we should be good for a while.”
He smiled, getting to his feet and pulling you up after him. “Alright, what do you need?”
As quickly as you could, you gathered up the absolute basics: a pair of pajamas, an extra set of clothes, your toothbrush and toothpaste, your hairbrush, extra fuzzy socks, and a phone charger. Once the two of you were done, you stopped in the kitchen to load up on snacks and drinks for the long car ride, garnering looks from your roommates.
“Hey, who’s the guy?” Cindy asked, having missed him on his way in, apparently.
“I’m Bernard, a friend of (Y/N)’s. We have, uh, History together. History class, that is.” He offered his hand, but neither of them shook it, still too wrapped up in their phones and the cruise tickets they were busy booking.
“Ohhhh, right, I think I remember her mentioning you.” Megan nodded, agreeing. “You two going somewhere?”
“Illinois.”
“Why?” Cindy asked. “What’s in Illinois?”
“We’re going to see The Bean. I’ve heard it’s lovely this time of year.” You shrugged. “Probably cheaper than a North Pole trip, too.”
“The Bean…” Bernard chuckled, shaking his head as he shoved a box of Rice Krispy Treats in the snack bag along with some Hershey Kisses and a bag of Twizzlers.
“Okay, Mr. Sweet Tooth, pack some salty stuff for me,” you muttered, elbowing him.
“Heh, right. Sorry.” He smiled sheepishly, packing a few saltier options that would appeal to your human taste buds.
“We probably won’t be back by the time you two leave, so…lock up good, alright?” You asked, meeting each of their eyes.
You loved your roommates. You knew they weren’t usually like this, dropping literally everything for a vacation. It was something about this timeline. Christmas wasn’t…happy like it was supposed to be. It was a bitter, greedy thing that was pushing these girls, who loved their families very much, away from their loved ones during the holidays. It made you sick.
“You alright?” Bernard asked, noticing the moment you began to space out. The last thing he needed was to lose you, too.
“I’m good, yeah. Let’s go.”
***
Hauling your little suitcase and your bag full of snacks, the two of you walked out of the apartment to where you’d parked your car. Thankfully, it was still there, one of the things the new timeline seemed to have no effect on. You slid your suitcase onto the back seat and Bernard set the bag of snacks on the floor in front of the passenger seat.
You settled into the driver’s seat, turning on the car and adjusting the temperature and the mirrors. Bernard fiddled with the radio, looking for Christmas tunes and finding them, catching the end of White Christmas just in time for an announcement from the radio host.
“We’re playing your favorite Christmas Hits all day, 24/7. That was White Christmas by Michael Bublé, up next, Santa’s new hit single, Come Meet Santa.”
“You’re kidding me.” You groaned as an insufferable song started blaring from the speakers, Jack singing about his fancy new resort at the Pole.
“He’s got the reindeer in a petting zoo?” Bernard asked, disheartened as he listened to the lyrics.
“Oh my god…” You shook your head. “We’ve gotta find Scott.”
You connected your own Christmas playlist to the aux cord, doing away with Jack’s twisted idea of Christmas and set up navigation to the Frost Toys office building in Chicago. You figured even if it wasn’t exact, it would get you close enough to Scott by the time he called you back. Well, you hoped he would. Hope was kind of all the two of you had.
You drove out the front gates of your college campus and started heading towards the highway. “Let me know if you need a bathroom break or anything.”
“Alright.” Bernard nodded, still looking tense.
“Did you…try to call the Pole? I don’t know if there’s a special number for that or…?”
“I did. Customer Service put me on hold.”
You blinked. “Customer Service?”
“Yeah we didn’t have that department yesterday.” Bernard crossed his arms and leaned back against the seat, eyes squeezed shut in what you were sure was the immense stress of the situation. “Sounds like Curtis is in charge up there now, though. It’s like I never existed.”
“Oh.” You said, turning on your blinker to get in the faster lane. “I’m really sorry, Bernard.”
“Yeah, it’s…we’re gonna fix it.” He insisted, repeating your sentiment from earlier. “We have to.”
“We will.” You assured him.
He chuckled darkly. “This whole time, all I’ve been able to think about is how…this…what I’m going through now is what you’ve been going through for the past three years.”
“If it makes you feel better, I didn’t really know what I was missing out on until today.”
“How do you mean?”
“Something about you showing up jogged my memory. Before that, it was just little tiny bits and pieces. If it weren’t for your snow globe, I definitely would have thought I was losing my mind. I remembered Mother Nature and the…role she played in this, I guess, but I could not have told you what she looks like. All I’ve had is the idea of her.”
“And now?”
“Now I remember. Pretty much everything, I think. Santa, the Pole, you, all of it.”
“Well that’s good for us.” Bernard chuckled.
“And when it’s over, I’m sure she’ll just…wipe me all over again.”
“I will see to it myself that that does not happen.” He shook his head. “I can’t believe she ever did that to you to begin with. Lead you on like that just to drop you like nothing happened.”
“Yeah.” You shrugged, letting out a sigh. “I don’t know, I just…like I said to you that day in your office—I think, it’s still a little fuzzy—I always knew it was a little too good to be true. I always felt like I just…I was the puzzle piece that didn’t fit. That there was this big, beautiful, magical world out there, but I wasn’t meant to…be part of it, I guess.”
“I don’t think that’s true.” Bernard shook his head. “I’m 1600 years old and I’ve never met someone who doesn’t have a place. And having met you, I can guarantee you do belong. If Mother Nature can’t see that, then that’s her loss.”
You smiled softly. “Thanks.”
“You know, we can always use a hand in the ornament department.”
“I’d work anywhere you stuck me just to be able to hang out at the Pole again.”
“See, that’s the spirit.” He laughed.
The two of you drove for a handful of hours and you did decide to stop for gas, just to be safe. That, and you were really craving a gas station slushee. So, you filled the tank while Bernard grabbed the two of you some slushees for the rest of the drive down.
While he was standing there, there was a weird, floaty feeling about him. For a moment, his hands began to fade, sparkles taking their place, but as soon as you walked through the doors, the bell jingling above your head, the feeling went away and he exhaled a sigh of relief, feeling solid again.
“You alright?” You asked, voice hushed.
He squeezed his eyes shut, nodding before daring to meet your gaze. Never in his millennia and a half had he ever felt so weak.
“Bernard?”
“I’m fine!” He insisted, raising his voice slightly, but softening when he met your eyes again. “Sorry, I’m…fine.”
“Hang in there.” You whispered, standing closer to him. “I can’t lose you, too.”
He nodded, but didn’t say anything. The two of you went back out to the car, sipping your slushees and turning the Christmas music back on when it was interrupted suddenly by an incoming call.
You looked at Bernard and he reached over, putting the call on speaker. “Hello?”
“Bernard? Is that you?” Santa’s voice came out of the speakers and you sighed in relief.
“Santa? Oh thank the stars.” Bernard closed his eyes, a long breath working out of his lungs.
“What the hell is going on? Where are you?”
“We’re about an hour from Frost Toys. We did some research and found this, uh, new job of yours.”
“Don’t get me started.” He chuckled. “I’ll send my apartment address. Does this number work? Whose phone is this, I didn’t know you had a cell phone.”
“I don’t. It’s a long story, but I’m with a friend and we’re on the way.”
“Good. Well then, I’ll see you two soon. The sooner the better.” Scott sounded very relieved. He hung up and texted over your new destination, which was just a little ways further than the building you were already heading towards.
With new fervor, you pulled out of the gas station and got back on the highway, reaching Scott’s apartment with speeds even Bernard was impressed by. You pulled into the parking garage, got your little orange slip to put on the dash, and took the elevator into the building. Scott buzzed you upstairs and you met him outside the door of the snazzy, modern downtown apartment. At the very least, this timeline had given him a cushy job. He ushered the two of you inside.
“Bernard.” Scott greeted, hugging his Head Elf briefly before the two turned back to you. “I’ve never been so relieved to see you.”
“Likewise.” Bernard sighed.
“And you are…?”
“(Y/N). (Y/N) (L/N).” You introduced, offering your hand. “I don’t expect you to—”
“Oh! You were Mother Nature’s apprentice for a bit, weren’t you?” He asked, remembering.
“Yeah. That was me.” You nodded, deciding to spare him the gritty details. “I’m here to help save Christmas.”
“That might be easier said than done…”
“(Y/N) thinks Jack might have used time travel to do this. We were planning on going to see Father Time to see if any of this is something he can fix, or…or if Jack did something to him and that’s how he accomplished all of this.”
“It wasn’t Father Time.” Scott shook his head. “Jack tricked me with a wishing snow globe. Made me wish I had never been Santa and…took the coat for himself.”
“Oh.” Bernard murmured, nodding. “The Escape Clause. Well that would do it, then.”
“There’s gotta be some way to undo this.” Scott said. “It can’t just be over. This can’t be it. Carol…she doesn’t even know who I am.”
“Mrs. Claus?” You asked softly and he nodded solemnly.
You’d met her on a few occasions and she had always been so nice to you, relieved to have another human-ish woman at the Pole, as she said, which always earned a laugh from you. And now, she was a school principal again at a public school who didn’t believe in Christmas anymore. Even Mrs. Claus wasn’t safe from Jack’s trickery.
“Okay, so…we go to the Pole, then. Get…plane tickets, I guess. My roommates were planning their vacation there when we left, so if they can do it, I’m sure we can.”
“Definitely.” Scott nodded, searching for tickets on his phone.
“We go there, find that snow globe, and undo all of this, set it right, the way it’s supposed to be.” You said, determined.
“You think it’ll work?” Scott asked Bernard and he thought over it for a long time before nodding.
“It has to.”
***
Scott booked three tickets for the earliest flight in the morning, at five. You changed into pajamas so you could attempt to get some sleep, and Bernard put something on the TV. You emerged from Scott’s guest bedroom, face wiped clean of makeup, hair freshly brushed, and cute little penguins on your pajama pants. Bernard grinned.
“What?”
“Penguins?”
“I thought they were cute.” You defended, shrugging as you plopped down on the couch next to him.
“I never said they weren’t.” He shrugged, kicking his feet up on the coffee table.
“Hey, pizza sound good, you two?” Scott called from the kitchen.
“Sounds perfect.” You replied.
“Yeah, that’s fine.” Bernard agreed, flipping channels until he found what he was looking for. Ah yes, the Christmas movies. Specifically, the stop-motion Rankin/Bass movies you’d watched during your childhood. Absolute classics.
You gasped, childlike wonder filling your features. “Oh, I love this one.”
“You like these movies?”
“I’ve seen just about all of them, I think. We always used to watch them when I was a kid. These were my childhood. I like them a lot more than the Hallmark movies my roommates are always watching.”
“Rightfully so.” Bernard agreed. “These guys just…got it.”
“Better than anyone else.” You sat criss-cross on the couch. “Riddle me this, Mr. Head Elf, is Rudolph real?”
“Sorry to burst your bubble, (Y/N), but no, he is not.”
“No! What? You’re lying!” You covered your face with your hands. “My life is a lie.”
“I wouldn’t lie about something like that.” He laughed. “Rudolph is not one of our reindeer. The rest all are, though. Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen.”
“Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen?” You asked.
Bernard smiled, proud. “Precisely.”
“Hey,” Scott held the phone away from his face for a second, covering the microphone with his hand, “pepperoni good? Thin crust?”
“Sounds good to me, Santa.” Bernard gave a thumbs-up. He could not, for the life of him, remember the last time he’d even had pizza.
“Yeah, I love thin crust.” You agreed.
“Great.” He nodded and walked back towards the kitchen again, finalizing the pizza order.
The commercial break hit with, of course, an ad for the North Pole Waterpark and Resort. There were clips of miserable elves playing games in the arcade, forced to work as lifeguards in the waterpark, facilitating the reindeer petting zoo.
You frowned, that familiar feeling of dread settling into your stomach again. This was awful.
“That’s Betty, there, in the green. Third in command. Second, now, I guess. She looks…”
“Miserable.” You finished.
“Yeah.” Bernard nodded. He let out a frustrated shout. “I can’t believe this is happening! Look at them! Look at what he’s done to the Pole!”
Bernard took a shaking breath and slumped back against the couch, his lack of magic hitting him once again and that floaty, sparkly feeling returning.
“Bernard?” You asked, voice rising in concern.
“It’s my magic. The magic of the Pole, of Christmas, everything. Elves are…well, we’re basically made of magic, so if we don’t fix this, and soon…” He shook his head, words trailing off into hopelessness.
“Take some of mine.” You said, quiet, but certain.
He stared at you for a long moment. “What?”
“Take some of my magic.” You told him, more confident this time.
“You still have magic?” He asked, eyebrows furrowing.
“And no idea how to use it, but you do. You need it more than I do right now.”
“O-okay.” He nodded, sitting up a little straighter.
You unfurled your legs, turning to face him. You turned his hands so they were in a receiving position and placed your palms on his, taking a deep breath and closing your eyes to focus yourself, tuning into the fragments of magic still inside of you and then pushing them towards him, through his hands, up his arms, into his chest.
He flinched a little at the feeling, the sharp, cold tingle, but his eyes widened when he saw it, your magic, flowing into him. It was iridescent, teal and purple and pink and blue, waves ebbing and flowing, its gentle glow lighting up your features in the dim room, your hair blowing around softly in the gentle breeze it created.
It looked like the Northern Lights.
He pulled away after a few long moments, stopping the flow. You opened your eyes to look at him.
“Do you feel better?” You asked, concern etched deep in your gaze, pulling at his heart strings in a way he hadn’t felt in centuries.
“A lot better. Thank you,” he said. “But save some for yourself. That might be what’s protecting your memories.”
“Right.” You nodded, thinking. “That makes sense.”
It was quiet, the murmur of the TV the only sound other than Scott in the kitchen, getting dishes out in anticipation of the pizzas arriving, their ceramic clattering against the fancy marble counters you’d spotted on your way in.
You looked at Bernard, really looked at him for the first time. You’d be lying if you said you hadn’t been crushing on him a little bit, back when you were acquaintances, when he was the knowledgeable, responsible, somewhat stern Head Elf with a heart of gold and you were Mother Nature’s apprentice, vying for a destiny you would not receive.
You remembered the way your heart would lurch when he peeked into the meetings you sat in on, with the rest of the Legendary Figures, and occasionally, the Guardians of the Seasons, if their presence was necessary.
One of the other elves, you were pretty sure her name was Abby, had given you a tour the first time you were there, she’d introduced you to him, and she’d also called to attention the way your cheeks went rosy the moment you walked away from him.
You wondered if he thought of you, if he had those memories too, tucked away someplace special, or if you were just another passerby in his long, long life. Sometimes you almost forgot he was hiding a thousand years behind that youthful face.
Sitting there, you weren’t sure if it was him who started leaning in or you, but it stopped as soon as Scott called for you from the other room, like a scratched record in the middle of a sweet, slow Christmas ballad, pulling you both back down to reality.
“Pizza.” You chuckled, standing up from the couch. Maybe it was the lighting, but you swore Bernard’s cheeks were rosier than they had been before.
“Right. Pizza.”
The two of you walked out to the kitchen together and sat on the barstools pulled up to the counter, grabbing slices of the thin-crust pepperoni.
“So, I booked the North Pole tickets. I also booked us tickets from there to London…Just in case.”
“Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence.” Bernard chuckled.
“Hey, you look better.” Scott noted.
“I’m feeling a lot better, too.” Bernard motioned to you. “(Y/N) here still has a few tricks up her sleeve.”
“Good. We’re gonna need all the magic we can get.”
***
You didn’t get very much sleep before your alarm went off. It had been about what you were expecting. You never slept well when you were stressed.
You did, however, have a dream.
You were sitting in a meeting with Mother Nature and the Guardians, the two of them that were left after the Spring Enchantress’ retirement. Of course, you were training up to fill the position, so it wouldn’t remain empty for long.
Mother Nature led the meeting, held in the giant tree at the center of her Grotto, glancing at her watch every few minutes until finally, he showed up. Jack Frost. Even then, chills ran up your spine, though, at the time, you were convinced it was a side effect of his existence in general.
“Sorry I’m late, ladies. Had quite the hold up in Toronto.” He shrugged, sliding into the fifth seat at the round table, a snowflake embedded in the crystalline mosaic on the table’s surface. “What are we talking about?”
“You, actually.” Mother Nature stated, sitting up straighter. “We were wondering how the search for the Aurora was going, since you’ve elected to take on the task yourself.”
“Ah, yes, well, it’s certainly not easy. Winter Guardians don’t just fall from the sky, you know. But I’ve searched all of the places she used to pop up. Hence my overlay in Canada.” Jack shrugged. “And besides, it’s been five centuries since we’ve had one, I think we’re doing just fine without her.”
“I wouldn’t say that.” The Autumn Witch, a gorgeous young woman named Amber Sanderson, interjected, meeting him with her sharp gaze. Her long, curly orange hair was as beautiful as the autumn leaves, brown skin smooth and ageless, even after her thirty or so years on the council. She didn’t look a day over twenty-five.
“Then what would you say, Ms. Sanderson?” Jack countered, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. “If you have a problem with the way I’m running things, I’d prefer if you were forward about it.”
“We have been.” Evangeline Cho agreed, the Summer Sorceress. As her season had just started, she was glowing even more brilliantly than she usually did. “Every year, winter creeps further and further into autumn and spring. And it seems you haven’t done anything to stop it.”
“What, I can’t control that! I’m getting more powerful! It’s merely a side effect.”
“Which is precisely why we need someone on this council who can control their abilities. Such as an Aurora, which you were tasked with finding nearly a century ago, Frost.” Mother Nature stated, her voice cool and even. “If you’d like one of us to find her instead—”
“Oh no, no, that won’t be necessary. I promise you, by next winter, we will have an Aurora again and I’ll go back to managing snow days and frosting window panes.” He drew an X over his heart. “Cross my heart.”
“Excellent.” Mother Nature nodded. “Meeting adjourned.”
You blinked awake in time with Mother Nature’s gavel, staring at the ceiling of Scott’s guest room. That wasn’t a dream. You were certain. It was a memory. You’d have to tell the others.
***
Once your alarm went off, you got dressed and met Scott and Bernard in the entryway of the apartment. Bernard, who hadn’t changed his clothes, had one pointed ear sticking out the brim of his hat, a dead giveaway if there ever was one. You rummaged through your carry on and produced a knitted hat you’d made a few years back, motioning to his ear.
“Oh. Right. Thanks.” He nodded, swapping his usual headwear for the hat you gave him, slipping it on with ease. “Where’d you get this?”
“I made it. I knit.”
He chuckled, checking his reflection to make sure he was covered well. “Well aren’t you just full of surprises?”
“As we’re both learning.”
Scott drove the three of you to the airport and you arrived early, hoping your plane would be a little ahead of schedule, but when you found it was actually delayed an hour, it gave you time to grab drinks at the coffee shop.
“Hot cocoa, shot of espresso, extra whipped cream, please.” You ordered, Bernard just behind you.
“I’ll have the same, but make it a double shot.”
“Coming right up,” the barista nodded, setting to work.
Outside, the sun was just beginning to rise, filling the sky with orange and pink, sunlight glistening on the icicles hanging from the windows. You smiled, appreciating the quiet moment despite the dread looming overhead.
Once your drinks were ready, you joined Scott on a chair near the windows.
“So um, I had a dream last night. I think it was a memory from before.” You said, not sure how else to bring it up.
“What was it about?” Scott asked, curious.
“I was at a meeting with Mother Nature and the Guardians. Jack was there, sitting in for…the Aurora, I guess.”
“The Winter Aurora.” Bernard replied, nodding.
“What is that?” Scott asked, unfamiliar with the term.
“Well, there’s a Guardian for each season, often a woman, gifted with the powers of that specific time of year. They work with their Legendary Figures to oversee the flow of time and ensure everything is on schedule. The Spring Enchantress, the Summer Sorceress, the Autumn Witch, and the Winter Aurora.” Bernard explained. “We haven’t had an Aurora at the Pole in 500 years…”
“Well that would explain why I’ve never heard of her.” Scott nodded, thinking. “So Jack took her job?”
“Yeah, they were talking about his…powers increasing, I’m assuming because he was getting buffed by her powers in addition to his. And how winter is creeping into autumn and spring because of it.”
“That’s not good.” Bernard shook his head. “The seasons have to be balanced. Jack’s hunger for power is messing up the eco system.”
“Mother Nature said he was supposed to be looking for her, and I don’t know…maybe he just…wasn’t looking.”
“Wouldn’t surprise me.” Bernard took a long sip of his cocoa. “I’ll add that to the top of my list as soon as we get everything else back to normal.”
As soon as you finished your drinks, the plane started boarding, so you followed after Scott and onto the plane. Through the windows in the walkway, you could see the plane, giant, winter blue, and emblazoned with a giant picture of Jack Frost’s Santa impression, giving a thumbs-up.
“I’m gonna puke.” You rolled your eyes.
“Ditto.”
The three of you boarded and settled into your seats, all in a row. Scott had brought his laptop along to do some research on the flight. He figured it was better to go in with something of a plan than be blindsided by whatever you found on the other side. You had a feeling the Pole would look a lot different than last you’d seen it.
You settled into the window seat and got as comfortable as you could. For a supposedly luxury flight, the seats were surprisingly stiff. Knowing Jack, you should have expected him to cut corners, even in his power fantasy brought to life.
“How are you feeling about all of this?” Bernard asked, voice soft.
“As well as I can, I guess.” You shrugged. “I’m glad I’m not doing this alone.”
He nodded, eyes meeting yours, soft and serious. “I am, too.”
A lady in a flowery dress walked past, her perfume so strong, you caught a whiff of it from the window seat, its floral scent immediately tickling your nose. You tried your best to suppress the sneeze, but to no avail. You sneezed two times, waiting for a third, but it never came.
“Jeez.” You shook your head, reaching for the Benedryl in your bag.
“What’s that for?”
“My allergies. That lady’s perfume was pretty strong.” You chuckled.
“You have allergies?” Bernard asked, eyes narrowing. “Spring allergies.”
“…Yeah?”
“You have spring allergies and Mother Nature thought you were the new Spring Enchantress?” Bernard asked, looking skeptical. He knew Mother Nature. She was an intelligent, almost all-knowing being. He knew she wouldn’t make a mistake that obvious.
“That part never made sense to me either.” You shrugged.
“She thought you were a Spring, but…you’re obviously more of a Winter. I might be a bit biased, though.” He smirked.
Your heart raced when he said it, the realization hitting you that he was flirting. You were getting hit on by Santa’s Head Elf. That was something not everyone could say.
“I mean, I was born in December. The 21st.”
Suddenly, his flirting demeanor was gone, replaced instead by a look of realization, like you had just given him the last piece of the puzzle he’d been trying to solve since the day you left the Pole. “The Winter Solstice…”
“What was that?”
“Nothing. Let me see that, Santa.” Bernard took the laptop from Scott’s lap desk, clumsily navigating with the mousepad and punching something into the search bar. “Where was it your parents are from, (Y/N)?”
“I grew up in South Carolina. We were supposed to live in Michigan, but Dad got a job opportunity at the last minute, so we moved right after I was born.”
“Whereabouts?”
“Traverse City.”
“Hmm…” Bernard clicked through articles a bit before finding a story that made your heart race. “Is…Is this the house?”
“Yeah. Yeah, that’s…Oh my god.” You covered your mouth, reading through the article. Three months after your family had moved out, there had been a freak snow storm that took out half the houses in the neighborhood. And your house had been hit the worst, the roof over what would have been your nursery was caved in completely.
“Jack hasn’t been not looking for the Aurora. He’s been killing her every time she’s popped up.” Bernard concluded, a horrified look on his face.
“Wait. So you’re saying…” You swallowed the lump in your throat. “I’m…”
“Mother Nature appointed you Spring Enchantress to throw him off of your scent.” He said. “That has to be it. It’s the only explanation.”
“Are you sure?” You asked, fingers shaking as you wiped your sweaty palms on your pants. “I…I mean, wouldn’t I know? I’m not…special. Not like that…”
“Are you kidding me?” Bernard asked, incredulous. “You’ve gotta be kidding me. (Y/N), I’ve seen your magic. It’s the only think keeping me alive right now. It…” He reached for your hand, positioning your palm so it was facing upwards and as soon as he did, a wave of stunning Northern Lights glowed between your fingers. “Do you see that? I’ve seen Aurora magic. This is that. I can’t believe I didn’t figure it out sooner…”
“Woah.” Scott muttered, eyes falling on the scene unfolding between the two of you.
You curled your fingers, pulling the magic back into yourself and extinguishing the light. You sat with it for a moment and met Bernard’s gaze. “He tried to kill me.” You murmured, tears brimming in your eyes. “He tried to kill me for…for power? For a title?”
“We’re not going to let him get away with it.” Scott stated, fire in his gaze. “We’re not going to let him get away with any of it.”
You felt a tingling on your head and watched as white trickled from your scalp down to the ends of the piece of hair at the front of your face. Your heart raced and you touched the hair with shaking fingers.
It was real now. You were the Winter Aurora. And you had a feeling the closer you got to the Pole, the more evident that would become…
***
By the time the plane landed, the three of you were settled on a plan. Scott, Jack’s biggest priority, would cause a distraction, buying time for you two. Bernard would find the elves and try to snap them out of it. You, as the only one Jack wouldn’t fully recognize, would go find the snow globe and get it to Scott so he could undo his wish and fix everything.
Was it a perfect plan? No. But it was all you had, so it would have to be enough.
You walked off of the plane together, hoping the streak of white in your hair wouldn’t draw too much attention. Once you were inside the gates, the three of you huddled, finalizing your plan.
“You’re going to be fine on your own? Do you know how to get to the snow globe room?” Scott checked.
“I’m…being here…yeah, I’m definitely gonna be able to find it.” You nodded, still completely blown away by the powerful waves of magic, hitting you all at once for the first time. “It’s all coming back to me.”
Bernard grinned, hopeful. “Good. Good luck.”
“You too. Stay safe. I…I really don’t trust him. What he’s capable of…” You said warily.
The Head Elf shook his head, confident. “Is nothing compared to what you are.”
“Let’s save Christmas.” Scott announced.
The three of you split off. You watched as Bernard and Scott walked away together, Scott playfully nudging Bernard. About what, you couldn’t be certain, but you had a pretty good feeling it had something to do with you.
Cheeks flushed for more reason than one, you took off, following the swirling feeling around your heart, dodging past security elves with a stealth and speed you didn’t know you possessed. It was like muscle memory, suppressed very deep in the core of your being. A power you had never tapped into, but one that was quick to embrace you. You felt it in your soul, the Pole wanted you there, and it was very glad you’d returned.
Following the instructions Scott and Bernard had given you, you walked briskly down the corridors, slinking past bakery elves on their way to one of the many tourist eating spots. The workshop itself sat big and empty, barely an elf in sight. The few that were there looked tired, sad, working on tacky Santa Claus bobble heads and cheap gift shop pens. It broke your heart.
Distant voices echoed against the cavernous halls. In your mind, you heard echoes, too. Laughter and love and light, elves building toys, creating things together, working to make the kids of the world happy, no matter what it took. The workshop had been wrapped in pine trim and string lights, warm and bright.
Now, it sat dark and empty.
You wiped a tear from your cheek and continued down the hall, to where the entrance to the Hall of Snowglobes was. And at its entrance, was Betty, who stared at you for a long moment as though trying to place where she recognized you from, but quickly shook it off.
“You can’t be back here. No visitors allowed. I can escort you back to the main area, though.” She offered, smiling.
“Your name is Betty, right?”
She hesitated. “How did you…? Nevermind that, you’re still not allowed back here.”
“I have to be back here.” You told her. “It’s important. The fate of Christmas depends on it.”
“Well, the fate of Christmas depends on me doing my job, so if you’ll follow me this way.”
“I can’t do that, Betty.” You shook your head. “And I know you don’t want to either. Don’t you see that all of this is wrong? That what Jack’s done to the Pole, the capitalism, the resort, the gift shops, the reindeer in the petting zoo, this is not what Christmas is supposed to be. You know that. I know you know that.”
Betty’s features saddened and for a moment, you thought you’d won her over until she reached for a walkie talkie. “Security, we’ve got a tourist that needs to be removed from the Workshop.”
“Great.” You huffed, summoning your power to your hand, just as Bernard had shown you. But instead of sending a blast of energy at her, you let it slowly waft over, rainbow colors and dancing lights slowly enveloping her. As the magic hit her face, she blinked through it, eyes awash in the pinks and teals and purples. Yet another streak of white flowed through your hair.
She dropped to her knees and stared up at you, tears in her eyes as it all came flooding back. Her voice fell to a whisper. “You’re our Aurora.”
“I am.” You nodded, feeling confident in your title for the first time. “And I need your help. We don’t have much time.”
“Bernard, he’s gone! He—”
“He came here with me. We have to hurry. We need that snow globe.” You told her and she nodded.
You helped Betty to her feet and she ushered you into the Hall of Snowglobes, carefully plucking the little glass orb that had started all of this off of its pedestal and handing it to you. You held it with careful hands, admiring it. It was beautiful, if not absolutely dangerous.
“We’ve gotta get this to Santa.” You told her.
She nodded, following you out of the Workshop and into the bustling center of town, an absolute sensory overload if there ever was one. Tourists packed the streets, vendors were shouting over the noise, and above it all, speakers were blaring Jack’s Christmas Album, each new song worst than the one before it.
There was a massive stage, covered in fake ice and bright lights, and on said stage, was him, Jack Frost in all of his faux Santa glory, his red suit iced at the ends, hair spiked and ridiculous, like icicles. Behind him, was a row of toy soldiers and in their grasp was none other than Bernard, eyes wide in fear as Jack manifested a blast of snow in his hand.
“(Y/N)!” Scott shouted over the crowd, waving wildly to get your attention.
“Get this to Scott.” You handed the snow globe to Betty, urgency in your voice and your eyes. “I’ve gotta get Bernard.”
“On it.” She took the globe from you and weaved through the crowd expertly. You ran towards the stage as though everything was moving in slow motion.
“This guy isn’t Santa! He’s trying to ruin Christmas!” Bernard shouted, voice cracking as he did.
Jack laughed loudly, and the crowd assembled did the same. “Do you hear him? I am Santa! Without me, there would be no Christmas! What gives you the right to say any of this?”
“I’m the Head Elf!” Bernard insisted, struggling against the toy soldiers. “I’ve seen a thousand Christmases and dozens of Santas! You are nothing compared to any of them!”
“Alright, tough guy, you think I’m not Santa? How about I show you what a real Santa is capable of?” Jack threatened, ice in his voice. He raised his hand to freeze Bernard and you dove onto the stage, tackling Jack to the ground, earning a loud gasp and several concerned voices from the crowd.
“Don’t you dare touch him, you fucking narcissistic popsicle!” You shouted, getting a good punch in before retreating to Bernard’s side, kicking the toy soldier behind him and pulling apart the large ribbon bow binding his wrists. Parents covered their children’s ears, shielding them from the harsh language. Some of the crowd cleared out, retreating to a safer distance, while others pulled out their phones, desperate to go viral on YouTube.
“Come on.” You grabbed Bernard’s hand and he squeezed yours, following you off of the stage and through the crowd to where Scott stood with the snow globe. He shook it and made a wish, but nothing happened.
“What?” Scott asked, trying again. “It won’t work.”
“It’s the Escape Clause.” Bernard closed his eyes, remembering the rules. “Jack made this wish. He’s…he’s Santa now; he’s the only one who can undo this.”
“Oh my god.” A wave of dread flowed over you.
“And those, my dears, are the words I will never utter.” Jack said, dusting himself off and sauntering over to the four of you, his security not far behind, ready to apprehend all of you. “It was a nice try, though. Really valiant effort, all four of you. Scott, Bernard, Betty…and you. I can’t say I recognize you.”
“Maybe if you had half a braincell, you would.”
He scoffed, offended. “Well, I guess it doesn’t matter. They’ll figure that much out when they get you to jail, I suppose.” He shrugged and the security officers seized the four of you, taking the snow globe and giving it back to Jack. He tossed it in the air cockily a few times before chuckling. “You know, I don’t need this thing. I’m never going to wish all of this away.”
Frost tendrils crept up the glass dome and in a great burst of light, it shattered. You gasped, feeling the magic settle. This was it. This was reality now. There was no way to undo it.
“O-oh.” Bernard took a stuttered breath, faltering. He collapsed to the ground and you pushed away from security, rushing to his side and collecting him in your arms.
“Bernard?”
He shook his head. You raised a hand to give him more of your magic, but he lowered it with his own. “You have to finish this, Aurora.” He said, eyes serious, glimmering despite the pain you could tell he was in. “You’re the only one who can.”
He leaned forward, a hand brushing the hair away from your face, capturing your lips with his own, his kiss soft and tender, tasting faintly of peppermint, and then he disappeared in a burst of sparkles, his silver and gold magic drifting forward into your chest.
You gasped, tears rolling down your cheeks, arms empty and heart emptier. “No! NO! What did you do to him?” You turned, facing Jack.
“The only thing I could. Protecting Christmas from the likes of you.” He shrugged. “What was it he called you? Autumn? Is that your name? Autumn?”
“No.” You told him, rising to your feet, pure magic lifting you from the ground and setting you on your feet.
His eyes widened and he took a step back.
“I’m the Aurora.” You rose into the air, teals and purples and pinks swirling around you in a rush of power. You raised your hand, manifesting the snow globe within it, its broken shards reforming in your grasp, effortless and precise. Once it was whole again, you shook it, magic swirling within its waters, overriding the rules of the Escape Clause with rules of your own.
A voice came out of you then that you weren’t sure was your own. It came deep from your chest, echoing across the pole, accompanied by a wave of power, the same magic you’d used on Betty, but tenfold, fierce and fiery, prickling like static all down your arms as it left you.
“May Everything Return to the Way it Was Before, to the Way it was Always Meant to Be.”
And with one final rush of magic, everything went white.
***
It took a while for the picture to form in front of you, your hearing distorted, the colors slowly coming back one by one.
You were kneeling there in the center of the Workshop, which was full of elves, their work paused as they watched the scene unfolding. Scott was Santa once more, wearing his red undershirt and suspenders, looking jollier than you’d ever seen him. Carol stood beside him, looking confused.
Mother Nature was there, as was Tooth, and, of course, Jack Frost, wearing his signature blue suit as opposed to the red one he’d been wearing moments earlier.
You got to your feet, looking for Bernard in the crowd, but not finding him. Your heart lurched, your search brought to a halt by Jack’s nasally voice.
“Aw, come on now, kid, no hard feelings, right?”
Rather than replying, you wound up and punched him square in the jaw with more force than you were used to possessing.
“OOOOOOOH…” The elves murmured, wincing as Jack fell to the ground, gripping his face.
“I’m going to ask you one last time and you are going to answer me. What. Did you do to him.” You demanded, a fierce power zinging through you.
“I didn’t do anything to him! This is all a big misunderstanding! Right, Santa? Tooth? Back me up on this!” Jack groveled, shielding his face with both hands, cowering in fear.
“Can’t do that, Jack.” Scott shook his head. “You have to answer to her.”
“Where is Bernard?”
“I feel like there are more pressing issues at hand—” Jack deflected, shrinking further away from you.
“What’s that?” One of the elves asked, pointing to a column of sparkles manifesting beside you.
You turned to look, staring at it until it clicked. Reaching into yourself, you let the last pieces of Bernard’s magic flow out of your chest, where it had retreated for safekeeping. Silver and gold glitter rushed out of you, swirling from the ground up until he was standing there again, solid and real.
He all but collapsed into your arms, holding onto you tightly while he found his balance again.
“Bernard,” you sobbed, holding him close, your arms desperate to prove he was real again, that he was solid and wasn’t going anywhere.
“Hey, no need for tears, Aurora. I’m alright.” He grinned, meeting your gaze. His hand rose to your cheek and he wiped your tears away as he took you in for all that you were. “Thanks to you, I am.”
“(Y/N)?” Mother Nature asked, voice soft and warm.
“I…I can explain.” You insisted, turning to face her.
“No need, dear one. I know why you’re here. I’ve always known.” She smiled, bowing her head. “And now that you’re here, we can finish this.”
You looked to Bernard and he nodded, letting go of you to give you a gentle push forward, his eyes proud and supportive.
“Kneel.” She instructed, and you did, dropping to one knee in front of her.
The elves fell silent, desperate to witness what was unfolding for the first time in centuries.
“(Y/N) (L/N), through your bravery and selflessness, you have proven what I’ve known all along. You are the Aurora Borealis, the Winter Guardian, and Protector of the North Pole and all her Magic. For the first time in five centuries, the North Pole has an Aurora, which means…” She looked to Jack, who shook his head desperately.
“No. No way. I am not giving an ounce of my power to that…that…she punched me! Twice! Did none of you see that? She’s violent!”
“After everything you did to the Auroras before her, you’re lucky all she did was punch you!” Bernard snapped, arms crossed. “Not to mention the fact you destroyed her house in an attempt to kill her.”
Jack gasped in faux shock. “What, me? I…I would never—!”
“Jack.” Mother Nature reprimanded sharply. “You don’t have to give her the power. It was never yours to begin with.”
She outstretched a hand and, as easily as turning on a faucet, the power he’d been given, the magical, dancing light, was siphoned out of him and floated straight into you. Your feet lifted from the ground, head tilting back as your body slowly rose from the floor, power greater than you’d ever seen or felt ebbing and flowing around you, changing you into the thing you were always meant to become: the Aurora Borealis.
Your hair fully turned white, glimmering like fallen snow, a few stray streaks of pink and purple and teal scattered throughout. Your skin took on a subtle sparkle, every part of you becoming stronger, right down to your fingernails. Your clothes were replaced with a simple, glittering dress, the color of the night sky.
Gently, you touched down again, fully reborn.
The elves murmured and whispered in awe and you looked around to find a row of proud faces.
Mother Nature stepped forward and took both of your hands in hers, meeting you face to face for the first time in three years. “Dear one, I am so sorry for everything you’ve been through. I should have warned you, I should have done more to ready you, but I didn’t and…I let you feel alone.”
“I am alive because of you. Because you misled him. Everything you did was to protect me. I understand that now.” You told her, voice smooth and confident.
She touched her forehead to yours for a moment before pulling away to meet your gaze again. “Then, dear one, I have one last question for you.”
“I’m ready.”
“Hereby and Forevermore, your duty as the Winter Aurora is to the North Pole. You are tasked with its safety and secrets, to protect all of its residents and the magic they hold. Do you accept the Title of Winter Guardian and all of the responsibilities it holds?”
“I do.” You nodded, meeting Bernard’s eyes for a brief moment, only to find the warmest, proudest smile on his face.
“Then this belongs to you.” In her hand, Mother Nature manifested a small, elegant silver tiara, embellished with glittering snowflakes. She set it gently in your hair, completing your transformation once and for all.
Jack started sneaking towards the door, but you lifted your hand, a wave of power rushing around him, turning him back towards the rest of you and giving him a push back towards the rest of you. He stumbled forward, looking around the group nervously.
“You’re—you’re not gonna kill me, right?” He asked. “You still need me! I’m the one who oversees the snow days and-and the snowmen! Think of the snowmen!”
“We do need a Jack Frost.” Mother Nature said. “Which is why while you were here terrorizing Santa, I was locating your successor. Jack, come on in.”
The doors of the Workshop opened and in walked a much younger man with shaggy white hair. Your best guess put him in his early twenties, and his wardrobe was much more modern than the other Jack’s as well, a blue hoodie adorned with silver swirls. He carried a large stick with a curve at the end of it, somewhat resembling a scythe.
“Nice to meet you.” He waved casually, leaning against his stick.
“My successor?” Jack’s eyebrows shot up. “You’re firing me?!”
“Oh, we’re doing more than firing you.” Tooth chuckled. He looked to you. “Aurora, what do you think we should do with him?”
“He needs to be put…somewhere he can’t hurt anyone else.” You decided. You turned to the Head Elf and he perked up, interested to hear your suggestion. “Do you have a snow globe I could borrow?”
He grinned and reached into his satchel, pulling out a fresh one. “I like the way you think.”
“What? No! You can’t just—” Jack shook his head, looking to Santa, to Mother Nature, to even Mrs. Claus for some other solution.
“This is for all of the Auroras before me, for the elves you brainwashed and the reindeer you stuck in a petting zoo. You’ll have lots of time to think about what you’ve done. And maybe someday, in five hundred years or so, I’ll let you go live a boring human life.” You told him, taking the snow globe from Bernard and focusing.
There was a bright flash of sparkles and then it was done, Jack was trapped in the confines of the little snow globe in your hands and he looked very angry about it, but his complaints were too muffled to make them out clearly. Santa reached for the snow globe, so you handed it to him and he gave it an amused swirl.
“Well done, (Y/N).” He complimented, passing the snow globe to Curtis. “See to it that this gets locked away properly.”
“Will do, Santa.” Curtis nodded and headed off.
“Now, (Y/N), if you are going to be staying here, I suppose someone will have to show you around the place.” Santa smiled knowingly.
Bernard cleared his throat. “I believe that would be my responsibility as Head Elf, Santa.”
“Yes, I believe it would.”
The Head Elf offered you his arm and you gladly took it, letting him escort you up the stairs of the workshop and down the hall so the two of you could have a private moment. As soon as you were out of sight, he turned to face you, his hands cupping your cheeks, nose brushing against yours.
“See, I knew you were more of a Winter.”
“Do I look okay?”
“You’ve never looked better.” He murmured, closing the distance between you and pressing his lips to yours passionately. In your Mortal life, you’d had your fair share of kisses, but kissing Bernard was something else entirely. He was experienced, that was for sure.
After what felt like an eternity, he pulled away, resting his forehead against yours. “Now, where would you like to explore first?”
***
Bernard took you around the Workshop, showing you all of the departments, which were full of elves, all of them working hard to ensure Santa was on schedule to leave that night. Bernard checked in with each of them as he did, making sure everything was going according to plan. Tooth and Mother Nature had stuck around to help out, and some of the other Legendary Figures had arrived as well, introducing themselves to you when you came around.
Finally, as the end of your tour, Bernard led you to an ornate set of stained glass double doors. As if by magic, they swung open when you approached, giving way to a beautiful bedroom, tall, arched ceilings, dancing Northern Lights projected across them. Stained glass windows, a large, wooden desk, hardwood floors and shelves and shelves of books. There was a carved armoire in the corner of the room, and against the leftmost wall, on a platform, was a giant canopy bed.
“This is the Aurora’s suite. You can decorate however you’d like. I had some elves from the interior design department get it fixed up for you.” Bernard explained, your arm looped through his, hand resting on his bicep. “If you’ll turn your attention right over here…”
He led you to the desk, dropping your arm and plucking something off of the desk. Your snow globe! The one he had given you three years before, still inscribed with those famous words that had started your entire adventure to begin with, the last remnant you had from this life before it was ripped away from you.
“My snow globe! How did you get it here?”
He shrugged, handing it to you. “My magic came back. Which means I can give this back to you.”
Bernard lifted his hand and you pressed yours against it, palm to palm. Gently, your power flowed from him back into you, a light breeze blowing through the room. He brushed your hair away from your face and pressed a long kiss to your cheek.
“There’s still a lot to do, but…I think we’re going to be able to pull everything together by tonight.”
“Well then you better get out there, Mr. Head Elf.” You smirked, pressing a kiss to the corner of his lips.
He met your eyes, “You’ll be okay?”
“I’m going to be just fine.” You assured him, setting the snow globe back on the desk so you could rest your arms on his shoulders, his hands resting on your waist. “And after, you and I will have all the time in the world to figure this out.”
“Oh! I didn’t mean to interrupt…” Curtis muttered, standing in the doorway.
“Curtis!” Bernard exclaimed, his voice cracking.
You giggled when he abruptly pulled away to face his number two.
“The tree topper department needs an extra set of hands.” Curtis said, motioning back towards the workshop.
“Can I help?” You asked.
“Oh, Aurora, you don’t have to—” Curtis shook his head.
“Yeah, but…can I?” You asked, eyes curious.
Curtis grinned. “Yeah, of course.” He made eye contact with Bernard. “I like her already.”
Bernard gave you a nudge. “I do too.”
***
At Santa’s request, you met him and Bernard at the stable gates to see him off for your very first Christmas as the North Pole’s Guardian. Your heart was racing. You didn’t know what was expected of you or what you’d have to do, but Bernard was there, his smile ever so reassuring.
Some of the elves that worked with the reindeer helped get them all properly harnessed and ready for the flight, carefully attaching their reins to the sleigh. Bernard walked you through what you’d have to do. As one of the oldest elves in the Pole, he remembered the process well.
“It’s easy. All you’ll have to do is raise your hand.” He was standing right behind you and raised your hand with his own, positioning it just so. “And lower the barrier so Santa can leave. And if you can’t, we have controls for that now. It’s…mostly ceremonial at this point.”
“Well that does make me feel a little better.” You smiled, turning towards him.
“And, um, after, I think you should…check the armoire in your room. I left something for you.”
“Oh you did, did you?”
“Something for the party. You don’t have to wear it, though.” He shrugged awkwardly, cheeks extra rosy.
“And the party starts…?”
“The minute Santa gets back.” Bernard explained. “And then we get three months off and pick back up in March.”
“Alright.” You nodded, smiling. “Plenty of time for you to show me the ropes.”
“I was thinking exactly the same thing.” He smiled, looking both ways, but not risking a kiss, not with all of the elves assembled to send Santa off.
“Everything ready?” Scott checked, donning his famed coat and hat for the flight just as a few elves loaded the famous gift bag, filled to the brim and then some, onto the back of the sleigh.
“All set, Santa.” Bernard nodded.
Scott put a hand on your shoulder, the other on Bernard’s. “We owe this Christmas to you two. Wouldn’t be standing here without either of you.”
“All in a day’s work, Santa.” You smiled.
“I’ll see you when I get back. And then the real fun begins.”
“I’ll see to it that we have enough eggnog at the ready.” Bernard replied with a wink, which Santa laughed at.
“Excellent.” He climbed into the sleigh and gave you the signal.
Just as you’d practiced, you lifted a hand and focused on the barrier protecting the Pole, made of the same magic that flowed through your veins. Effortlessly, the veil parted, making way for Santa’s sleigh and the elves erupted into cheers as Scott flew off into the sky. Bernard cheered loudly, turning to you and scooping you up in his arms, spinning you around in his excitement. You squealed with laughter.
Once your feet were on the ground again, you met his eyes briefly before pressing the quickest of kisses to his cheek and walking over to Carol, who was smiling a proud, maternal smile.
“Let’s get you ready for that party, huh?” She asked, looping her arm around yours. “You’ll have to fill me in on everything you’ve been up to! It’s nice to have a human-ish woman around here again.”
“I missed you, Carol.”
“I missed you too, hon.”
***
The deliveries went on without a hitch and Scott was back at the Pole faster than you could sing the Twelve Days of Christmas. Carol, you, and Betty had gone into your room to prepare. Carol did your hair, perching your snowflake tiara perfectly atop your head. You felt like a princess.
Betty helped zip up the dress Bernard had left for you, an elegant silver gown with a layered skirt, a tasteful slit up the leg, and off the shoulder sleeves, a layer of tule on top that was embellished with silver stars.
“You look stunning.” Carol complimented, resting her chin on your shoulder as the two of you admired your reflection.
“Thanks to you.” You tilted your head. “I’m still getting used to the hair, but…I think it looks nice like this.”
“Makes you look like a superhero.”
“I kinda feel like one, too.”
“Well you should. Scott told me everything that happened. I’m glad you were there to help.”
“I’m glad I was, too.” You said, pausing before asking, “So…theoretically speaking of course, is there a rule prohibiting the Aurora from…dating?”
Betty gasped, smiling. “I knew it! You and Bernard—”
“You and Bernard?” Carol asked, interested. “I never would have guessed.”
“Never?”
“Well, maybe a little.” She admitted, pinching her fingers together. “Saving the world together is a very romantic first date.”
“So…I am allowed to…date him?” You asked, earning a giggle from Betty.
“There is nothing, to my knowledge, prohibiting either the Aurora or the Head Elf from falling in love,” she reported. “But I can check the handbook if you want me too.”
“That is good to know.” You tapped your temple, laughing a bit.
Downstairs, you could hear the music pick up and the three of you took that as your cue to join the festivities.
Soon, you were standing at the rail overlooking the Workshop floor, where Bernard was standing, chatting with Curtis, Santa, and some of the other elves. As soon as he caught sight of you, he froze, his glass of eggnog halfway to his mouth and eyes locked on you.
You smiled coyly and lifted the skirt of the gown, carefully navigating down the stairs. He ditched his glass on a cluttered table and met you at the foot of the stairs, taking your arm.
He swallowed thickly, admiring you for a long moment before murmuring, “You look beautiful, Aurora.”
“Thank you, Bernard.” You smiled, tucking your hair behind your ear. “You picked a great dress.”
“Would you like to dance?”
“I’d love to.” You nodded, letting him lead you over to where the rest of the elves were paired up, swaying to a slow song. Your arms settled around his neck as he tugged you closer, a hand on your waist, the other finding your free hand.
It was clear in seconds that he knew how to dance, as he expertly spun you out and then back into him with ease, his chest flush against yours, mouth right against your ear. It was one of those moments you were forced to remember he’d lived a hundred lifetimes. He carried them well; he always had.
When the music picked back up, he said, “Let’s go get some air.”
You nodded, letting him lead you back up the stairs to the railing, where a few stray elves were also hanging out, getting some space from the heat of the party. The two of you leaned against the metal, looking down over your new home.
You were quiet for a long while before finally asking the question that had been on your mind since early that morning, in an airplane in another timeline. “Did you know her? The other Aurora?”
He nodded, face serious. “I knew her, yeah. I wasn’t Head Elf at the time, only second in command. She and I were acquaintances, but she was nice.”
“Mmm.” You hummed.
Bernard reached over and touched your hand. “I much prefer what you and I have this time around.”
“And what is it you and I have?” You asked.
“I’m…not sure yet.” Bernard shook his head, tugging you ever so closer, a gentle hand on your waist. “But I do know that in all of my 1600 years, I’ve never felt like this before. Even before, when you left, when I thought I’d never see you again, I was waiting for the day our paths would cross. I wish it had been under better circumstances, but…”
“But, I’m glad you found me.” You interjected, taking another step forward and resting your head on his shoulder.
Bernard leaned in to kiss you, but stopped, noticing all the elves watching. However, when you pointed straight up at a bundle of glowing mistletoe, he knew there was only one thing he could do…
THREE MONTHS LATER
“Ladies, thank you so much for agreeing to meet here at the Pole.” Mother Nature smiled at each of you, seated at the large round table in your office, which was, coincidentally, right down the hall from Bernard’s office.
Around the table were yourself, Mother Nature, and the three other Guardian Spirits, Briar Flores, Amber Sanderson, and Evangeline Cho, each of you dressed for your respective season, but Briar was absolutely glowing, as though a halo of light was positioned just behind her head at all times.
“Thank you for having us, (Y/N).” Briar thanked, bowing her head. “My place is absolutely a mess at the moment. Bunny has paint on just about every surface in the building.”
“Any time, Briar. This place has been quiet since the elves started their break. Things should be getting started up again soon, though.”
“If you need any help saving Christmas this year, you let us know.” Amber chuckled.
“Knock on wood Christmas doesn’t need saving this year.” You laughed, knocking on the table.
“I am serious, though, as soon as Easter is over, we all need to get mimosas and brunch. There is this lovely little island that is just so flowery and perfect this time of year, you’d all love it.” Briar beamed.
The rest of you murmured and nodded in agreement, stopping only when Evangeline looked up at the doorway, biting back a grin.
You looked up to see Bernard standing there, a bouquet of snowdrops in his hand.
“Hello, Bernard. How can I help you?”
“Oh, Aurora, I didn’t mean to interrupt. The guys in foliage need a second opinion when you have a minute.”
“Right, of course.” You nodded, looking to Mother Nature.
“Meeting adjourned. I’ll see you all next month for a progress report.” She smiled, straightening up her papers. The rest of you all stood up from the table and began to exit the office.
Mother Nature rested a hand on your shoulder, glancing back at Bernard. “You look really happy here, (Y/N).”
“I am really happy here.”
“Good, I’m glad.” She gave your shoulder a squeeze. “I’ll see you next month.”
Once the others had scattered to the winds, Bernard walked into the office, closing the door behind him.
You quirked an eyebrow. “The guys in foliage, huh?”
“Partially. Partially just the Head Elf wanting to make sure his Aurora had something pretty to look at.” He whispered, an arm drawing you closer for a kiss that you gladly reciprocated.
“Your Aurora already has something pretty to look at.” You replied, a finger booping the end of his nose.
He shook his head, grinning. “Does the flirting never cease?” “Check in with me in a few hundred years.” You replied, setting the snowdrops in your vase before lacing your fingers through his, your other hand rising to rest on his arm as you walked out of the office and towards the large room you’d been using to train your powers. “Now, where were we with those lessons…?”
Tagged: @madameggroll, @capamericant, @midnightmisses, @five-hargreeves-apologist
#bernard the elf x reader#bernard imagine#bernard x reader#bernard headcanons#bernard#christmas#the santa clause
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Possessive Bernard the elf with a pregnant human!Reader Imagine
—
- After Scott and Carol have their baby it makes Bernard start thinking
- You go on a date after seeing baby Buddy earlier that day and Bernard seems really lost in his thoughts
- With some gentle coaxing you get him to tell you that he’s been thinking about children
- At first you think he just means Buddy and you agree with him that the Claus’s baby is adorable
- He lets it go, just nodding and agreeing with you but you can tell there’s still something on his mind
- Later on during the date you two get into a snowball fight
- He sneak attacks your snow fort and tackles you into the snow where you guys wrestle around trying to shove snow in each others face
- Eventually it devolves into just rolling around making messy snow angels
- Once you get too tired and collapse in the snow, he rolls over top you to give you silly tickly kisses that make you both giggle
- He’s still laughing when “I want to put a baby in you so badly” slips out
- You both freeze and he looks so panicked that he said that out loud but you’re blushing like crazy and ask if he’s serious
- He says he thinks he is and you shyly say you want that too
- He’s never looked so happy in his life and the silly kisses return, slightly more saucy than before
—
- Fast forward to several months later and there’s been random bursts of magic in the workshop
- All the elves start giggling and whispering anytime it happens
- You ask what’s up and Judy explains that uncontrollable magic bursts like that mean that someone’s got an elfling on the way
- Elflings are rare so everyone is super excited for the new baby and are trying everything to figure out who’s pregnant
- You don’t think it could be you since you haven’t had any symptoms and it would be really early if you were
- As time passes and no one comes forward announcing they’re pregnant, everyone is confused
- The magic bursts get stronger and stronger as time goes on
- One day you’re walking through the workshop with Bernard and a whole line of rocking horses explodes in a familiar burst of sparkles
- Every elf freezes as they watch the sparkles settle and then they slowly look over at Bernard and you
- Since Bernard is Head Elf, he’s got the most powerful elf magic in the North Pole and would be the only one capable of doing magic like that
- In one wild display of magic, everyone knows it’s you who’s pregnant
- Judy makes you cocoa to calm you down while you and Bernard try to wrap your heads around becoming parents
- Bernard seems very much in shock and kind of distant with you while Judy, Curtis, and Scott congratulate you both
- You start to worry that he doesn’t want the baby after all because he can hardly look at you
- But all doubts leave you as soon as you get home
- Once the door is closed and you’re alone, he falls to his knees and nuzzles your stomach, giving you so many kisses and refusing to leave your side the rest of the night
- You swear you see him tear up a couple of times when he thinks you aren’t looking
—
- He makes all your favorite foods during your pregnancy and you happily soak up all the extra love and attention he gives you
- He thinks you look so unbelievably beautiful while carrying his child and takes every chance to tell you that
- As you grow, even elves from out of town immediately know your baby is his because his magic is nestled within you now and can be easily recognized by other magical creatures
- Mother Nature takes one look at you and gives you and Bernard a knowing look
- Cupid won’t quit waggling his eyebrows at Bernard
- He rolls his eyes but you know he secretly loves it
- You feel strange sometimes knowing that everyone sees you as his because of this but it makes him so happy
- You start to feel self conscious about how you look. “Ugh. I’m so out of shape and weird looking now.”
- But he’s always so quick to reassure you. “Hard disagree. I love seeing how your body grows to nurture our child. In fact,” he purrs, sidling up to wrap his arms around you, “if you weren’t already pregnant, I’d put another baby in you right now.”
—
- The more time goes on, the more obsessed he gets with touching your belly and talking to the baby
- He never misses saying good morning and good night to his precious little elfling
- He gets more and more possessive of people touching you and will glare and snap at anyone who moves too abruptly around you
- The only one he seems okay with is Carol, which you are so thankful for since she’s the only one who you can talk to about the difficulties of pregnancy
- Bernard gives you lots of belly rubs to soothe the aches and pains and one day while he’s doing that he feels the baby kicking
- He cries
—
- Sometimes when the baby is keeping you awake at night with kicks he’ll roll over and spoon you and put a hand on your belly and push his magic into you and you can feel the baby push their magic back. You don’t know exactly what it is that’s happening but it calms the baby down without fail plus it’s really warm so you always fall back asleep no problem
- On the last leg of your pregnancy, you struggle to fit into a dress you had made for a holiday party months ago
- You’re so mad that you wasted the money and won’t be able to wear it. “God, this is so frustrating!”
- You see him watching in the mirror with a little smirk
- You groan at his look. “Stop smiling. This is all your fault. You’re the one who did this to me in the first place, you jerk”
- His smirk just gets wider. “I sure did.”
- He’s got no shame, that asshole.
—
- Elves are much smaller than humans, so while the pregnancy lasts around 10 months, you only look about 6-7 months pregnant before you give birth
- The actual birth isn’t too hard, but Bernard is so incredibly proud of you
- He keeps going back and forth between kissing you and the baby
- And of course he cries then too
#bernard the elf#bernard the elf x reader#bernard the elf imagine#tsc#the santa clause#bernard x reader#I couldn’t resist#I wanted to get my own hc down somewhere cause I am IMPATIENT#this won’t be exactly how it’s like in holly jolly btw but it does share some hc#tsc imagine#my writing
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HC’s for Bernard the Elf dating a Sweet!Reader
(gifs not mine)
I wrote this all the way back at the beginning of August during Summer vacation and just waited till now, since Bernard season was back
CW: GN! Reader, Pure Fluff
You two are complete opposites. You being the upbeat, positive, sweet one. Him being the sarcastic, grumpy, overthinker one. But opposites attract! You do occasionally have a few sarcasm battles with each other though.
Him being 2 inches taller than you.
I feel like he only uses nicknames when it’s just the two of you. Ex: Love, Sweetheart, dear, darling, (very simple but sickly sweet).
You use a few sweet ones too, but you also like to make fun of him sometimes so Mr. perfectionist, and grumpy it is.
If you use a sweet one in public, he will get embarrassed.
“I told you not to use that in public!”
You smile and laugh mischievously.
“Seriously, this is a work environment! Be professional!”
You lean in and kiss his cheek.
“Whatever you say sweetie.”
You walk away leaving behind a blushing annoyed Bernard.
Having snowball fights.
Him winning and you insisting it was a tie.
Making snow angels together.
Sitting by the fire and cuddling while drinking hot chocolate.
Ice skating together. That boy is one great skater.
You help him have more fun.
Stealing his hat (Doesn’t matter if it was on or off his head).
“Hey Y/N, have you seen-”
He didn’t even bother trying to get it back, you just looked so adorable.
Oh, and when you see him genuinely smile or laugh for the first time-
“Hey, love?”
Bernard waves his hand in front of your face.
You were just so lovestruck!
“Oh! Um I just never thought- you should do that more often.”
Being close with Charlie.
Coming with Bernard whenever he visits him.
Charlie looks up to you two.
He was so happy when you two got together.
And Bernard was so embarrassed-
Calming him down when he gets angry.
“It’s okay Bernard, we can figure it out together.”
You give him a comforting hug, linking your arms around his waist, leaning your head on his collarbone.
He hugs you back, puts his head in the crook of your neck, and sighs.
Kisses are full of love and adoration.
Him letting you play with his curly hair.
You two have definitely kissed under the mistletoe before (Scott & Charlie 100% had something to do with it).
Maybe when you two were just friends you only gave him a kiss on the forehead.
(Probably really blushes whenever you kiss him on the forehead, since it reminds him of that moment).
But when you became a couple.
You two had the sweetest most beautiful kiss ever!
Scott/Santa thinks you are one of the best things that have happened to Bernard.
He’s less uptight and seems to be happier at work now that you’re in his life.
When cuddling, if you are facing each other, your head will be in his chest and his head will be on top of yours.
Holding you like the teddy bear you are <3
If you’re spooning he’s most likely the big spoon.
But sometimes when he’s had a rough stressful day *cough* Curtis bugging him.
He loves for you to be holding him.
It’s very comforting and gives him the hope that tomorrow will be better.
Getting him to take breaks (ones that are longer than 5 minutes lol).
And possibly a vacation.
Might take a lot of an effect but it will be worth it.
“But Bernard-”
“No! Too much needs to be done!”
“Christmas is 360 days away! Can’t you spare 15 minutes?”
“I-”
He looks down and sees you with pleating eyes, and a small pout.
“Fine.”
You smile wide and you give him a great big hug.
“Thank you.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.”
He blushes and smiles ever so slightly.
He always tends to over work himself.
Sometimes he falls asleep in his office.
You'll come home and he won’t be there.
So, you head over to the workshop and open his door.
You find him slumped over his desk with his pen still in his hand.
You smile and walk over to him, removing the pen from his grasp.
You slightly nudge his shoulder.
“Bernard honey, you can finish that in the morning. Let’s go home.”
You make him eat a little bit of dinner before he goes to bed.
He falls asleep in your arms <3
You just care and love this elf so much, and as stubborn as he may be you wouldn’t want it any other way.
I really enjoyed writing this at the time, so I hoped you enjoyed reading them.
#bernard the elf#the santa clause#bernard x reader#bernard the elf x reader#bernard the head elf#christmas#santa claus#charlie calvin#charlie#scott calvin#1994 movie#bernard#fanfic#fanfiction#hcs#x gn reader#gender neutral reader#Best character in the franchise#david krumholtz
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Bernard x Human!Reader - Chapter 1 - The Strangest Dream
A/N: Alrighttt I crawled out of my hiatus to write this because I’ve been thinking about this for a year!!! So, this fic was heavily inspired by another Bernard fic writer on Tumblr who wrote reader as Scott’s daughter and wrote it SO WELL might I add!! I can’t find their account now which makes me so so sad but if I do I will edit this to give credit. 🙏 Anyways, I won’t write it exactly like how they wrote it, of course, as I want to give my own spin on the idea.
Christmas Eve was not going as planned. You had come down from your dorm at the nearby community college to visit your dad and younger brother Charlie. You had offered to help prepare Christmas dinner, but your dad insisted that he had everything under control. You loved your dad, but you also know when to ignore his word, so you brought some mashed potatoes and gravy along with some cheesy Pillsbury crescent rolls and mac n cheese that you had made in your dorm kitchens. You entrusted the turkey to your dad... but also secretly brought some chicken tenders and a bottle of Martinelli's apple cider in case plans went south. You would've made your own turkey for Christmas if you could, but you had roommates who also needed the kitchen.
Sure enough, when you arrived, the house was filled with smoke, and your dad was using a fire extinguisher on the very burnt turkey when you walked into the kitchen. You held as much food as you could carry in one trip in your arms. Your eyes traveled around the house, and landed on Charlie's disappointed face as he watched your dad put out the rising flames in the oven. You then looked at all of the burnt food on the table and sighed. Charlie saw you, and all the food in your arms, and his face instantly lit up. Your dad spotted you next, and a look of both guilt and relief washed over him simultaneously. "Look at you, always prepared." He spoke with a smile. "I'm sorry, I really though I had dinner covered. Must be something wrong with the oven.." He said, giving the oven an accusatory glance before walking over to help you set all the food down. You helped clear the table of all the badly burnt food, and then Charlie eagerly ran out to your car to help carry the rest of the food in.
Once all the food you brought was set out on the table, you dished Charlie up first, then your dad, and finally you sat down with your own plate. Charlie was looking much more chipper now, and you knew this was going to be a jolly Christmas. Everyone had enjoyed their food and apple cider, and now you could all get ready for bed with full stomachs.
You watched as your father read Charlie a Christmas bedtime story, and when it looked like he had fallen asleep, you began to sneak out the room. Just as your father was about to leave the room behind you, Charlie's soft voice broke the silence.
"What's that?"
"What's what?" Your dad questioned in return.
"A Rose Suchak ladder?"
You chuckled at this question, and watched as your father tried to explain what 'Arose such a clatter' meant.
Then, Charlie began to ask critical questions about the logistics of Santa Clause and how he gets around. Your dad struggled to come up with answers on the spot, and you found all of Charlie's questions to be adorable, and all of your dad's answers amusing.
Charlie eventually stopped asking his brilliant questions, and decided you and your dad should leave cookies and milk out just in case. You opted to make the cookies to save your dad the trouble of nearly burning down the kitchen a second time in one night.
Before you could even begin making the cookie dough, you heard loud thumping on the roof. You were just as alert as the rest of your family, and soon you all poured out of the house in a panic, one after the other, checking to see what the commotion was. You stared in shock at a man who appeared to be dressed up as Santa Claus on the roof, and then thought for a moment that maybe he was Santa after all, considering the sleigh and reindeer behind him. Charlie ran out last, just in time to see Santa take a tumble into the fluffy pad of snow below. Your dad and Charlie ran up to the man as you stood back in shock. Your dad checked the man for Identification, and all he found was a card that told him to put on the suit. Then the strangest night of your lives ensued.
You weren’t sure how this was physically possible, but you watched as your dad fit down chimney after chimney, lowered down by a floating bag of gifts into each house. Charlie was fascinated, but you were having trouble believing what you were seeing. You watched as your dad magically fit down every chimney and pipe until he had absolutely no gifts left. The next thing you knew, the reindeer were soaring thousands of miles in the air and traveling what seemed to be at the speed of light, and yet the ride was as comfortable as being on an airplane.
The reindeer began lowering the sleigh down onto soft white snow, and you realized suddenly that snow was all you could see for miles. Your dad’s irritation was increasing at the sight of this location, and your face felt like it was going to freeze off. A small child, who seemed to be around Charlie’s age, appeared out of nowhere, and with him, a tall red and white pole. “Look, dad, It’s the North Pole!” Your little brother exclaimed, as excited as ever.
“That’s the North Pole?” Your dad questioned, displeased. You just quietly waited to see what the child was going to do next. He walked to a keypad in the pole, typed out a code, and the sleigh began to lower into the ground. Surrounding you now was a sight you couldn’t believe. You knew right away that this was the North Pole. You stared in awe as your inner child squealed with delight. You and Charlie were swept up in the beauty of the workshop, and you found all the elves to be absolutely adorable.
The second the sleigh landed, your dad was off to find “who’s in charge,” and you and Charlie just walked around in awe. “Charlie, I think you might have to pinch me now, I can’t tell if I’m dreaming or not.” You whisper to your younger brother, and without a second thought, he pinches your arm as hard as he can. “Ow!” You exclaim, not expecting the pinch to be so painful, “...thanks.” You mutter as Charlie walks towards your dad, who seems to be talking to an elf, who is possibly the only one in the workshop who appears to be around your age. At the moment, he was very annoyed with your father being in severe denial of the situation. You were only having slight trouble believing what you were seeing, but Charlie’s sharp pinch helped with that.
You didn’t catch up until after the elf had introduced him, so when your dad forgot his name and he had to repeat it, you were a bit relieved. He introduced himself as Bernard, you couldn’t help but chuckle. It was childish to laugh at, but you couldn’t help it. “That’s the most elvish name I’ve ever heard,” You remarked. Bernard gave you an irritated blank stare, before turning his attention to your brother. You introduced Bernard to Charlie, and he gave him a beautiful snow globe, and when he shook it, you both could see a sleigh fly above the houses inside. It was fascinating, and Charlie made sure to thank him for the gift. After that, Bernard sent him with an elf named Larry to get something to drink, and you followed, wanting to keep track of your brother, and figuring your father could handle himself.
The tour of the workshop was everything you’d dreamed of as a kid, and the experience was something you never thought you’d get to check off your bucket list, yet here you were, struggling to catch up to Charlie as he quickly darted from place to place. You checked out the toys, then the candy room, and finally Larry grabbed Charlie a glass of hot cocoa, and you a nice mug of spiced apple cider. After you finished your drinks, Charlie quickly made his way back to your dad, with you trailing behind him.
It didn’t take long to catch on to the verdict being that your dad was now Santa Claus. It was a strange thing to try and grasp, but Charlie had no questions, only excitement at the idea.
Bernard had finally gotten Charlie and your dad to go to sleep in the room set up for them, and you had your own room as well, but you couldn't sleep. You had been longing for this kind of comfort for a long time. Ever since you moved out, Christmas hadn't felt the same. It was still wonderful, and merry indeed, but it no longer invoked the excitement it used to, the kind you saw in Charlie's eyes. But this... something that had only been cast off as a childhood fantasy in your mind, the fact that it was real, you could feel that child-like wonder bubbling inside you. You had to explore further.
You quietly snuck out of your room, and were relieved to see that no one was awake. You treaded carefully through the halls, your fingertips gently gracing the railing beside you as you gazed around at the dulled impressions of vibrant colors you saw earlier that day. You stared out the front windows of the workshop and considered going out into the snow, but figured you'd likely freeze to death in your flimsy winter attire that may be fine for where you live, but not here.
A few minutes into wandering through the empty shop, you heard quick and purposeful footsteps storming through the halls, shuffling through all of the items in the shop, section by section. Your eyes tracked the source of these sounds back to a shrouded figure in the dark as they began to descend the stairs, near where you stood. As they got closer, you could hear them muttering angrily to themselves as they continued to sort through the Christmas toys. Soon enough, they noticed you.
"What are you doing awake?" The familiar voice hissed. You took a moment to respond, trying to figure out why the voice sounded familiar, and who it belonged to.
"Bernard?" You whispered back finally, once your night vision adjusted to barely make out his features. "What are you doing?"
"I should be asking you that question, you should be asleep." The elf retorted disdainfully.
"I tried to, but I couldn't." You admitted as you silently wondered why it was so bad that you were awake.
"Why's that?" He questioned with growing impatience. Clearly, Bernard preferred everything to be in order, and you being awake messed with that order.
"I guess I just... I wanted to see this place as it slept. It was so magical earlier today, but I really enjoy the peace and quiet as my inner child settles with the idea that a concept I deemed mythical for so long is actually.. real.. I mean, my dad is Santa, and the workshop is real, you, and the other elves, you're all very real. It's something I dreamt about happening as a kid, but I eventually gave up thinking would ever come true." You explain, and as you do, you watch the majority of frustration dissipate from Bernard's expression. He hadn't expected such a thorough response.
"That... makes sense." He responded, his tone softening. "Sorry for being short tempered with you, it's not even you I'm actually upset with, I just- Your father- Santa's denial of the fact that he is Santa, it worries me. The entire North Pole is at stake if he decides not to take the job-"
"He'll take the job, don't worry. My dad's always been like this, with everything. He takes longer than most to accept changes in his reality. He'll eventually get it, and then face it. You'll have your Santa, so let that be one less thing to worry about." You assure the anxious elf, and he calms even more after that.
He takes a deep breath, "Thank you for that." He whispers appreciatively. Then there's a moment where silence settles comfortably in the air, the moment of tension has passed. The cold wind from outside is beating gently against the windows, and then he speaks up again. "You said you wanted to explore while it was quiet... well what if I give you a tour of the North Pole tonight? I can give you winter gear that's guaranteed to keep you warm outside." He offers kindly, and you smile.
"I would love that." You agree, and soon he brings you a warm jacket, scarf, gloves, snow pants, and snow boots. You're fully equipped and ready to go, and he just remains in his regular wear. The blistering cold doesn't seem to affect him as much, which you suppose makes sense, because he is an elf from the North Pole after all.
He shows you all the back ways to the shop, all the areas you hadn't seen yet. Then, you got to see the town where all the elves live, and all of them lived in small quarters, amongst the snowy hills of the North Pole. It was the best town you'd ever visited, even if it was late at night and no lights were on. Bernard invited you to see his own cottage, and while it was slightly bigger than the others, it was still small. It was a cozy festive cottage. He had a fire going, and it smelled like cookies and peppermint inside. He made you both some hot cocoa, his own impression of Judy's recipe.
As the fire crackled, the snow flakes melted against the window, and the cocoa warmed your belly, you began to finally feel tired, and Bernard very thoughtfully wrapped a blanket around you.
The next thing you knew, you woke up in your own bed, dazed and confused. You very slowly rose in your bed, rubbing your eyes and trying to get a grip, and soon Charlie came rushing into your rooming yelling, "Merry Christmas Y/n!"
You looked at him, half asleep, and quietly muttered, "I just had the strangest dream."
#x reader#fem reader#y/n#fanfic#fanfiction#bernard the elf#the santa clause 2#bernard x reader#bernard the elf x reader#the santa clause
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Say My Name ( Bernard the elf x Reader)
Part 1 of Naughty or nice series, Smut next chapter, 18 +, Nsfw, Brat reader, afab reader, she/her reader pronouns
Summary: You decide to skip out on work and mess with your favorite head elf.
The snowy village was peaceful as you sat outside the small cocoa cafe waiting for your drink. You loved this blissful moment in the last moments of November before the holiday season swept everyone into a frenzy. From your spot you can see the front of the workshop, plenty of elves coming and going with a few loitering outside in groups planning their game of tinsel football. A few shops also had some elves bringing out their big Christmas decorations out early to start prepping. It was calm and happy, no stress yet with all the hope and excitement of the month to come. This moment was special and warmed your heart. A moment you doubted the others even noticing it happening every year like clockwork.
The calm was a nice ritual but is only one reason why you snuck out of your office. You knew here soon it would be too busy for you or any other elf to be anything less than perfect at your jobs. So one last opportunity to hopefully mess around with the very busy head elf you loved to tease was the top priority right now.
You take in the calm while you can though, knowing sooner rather than later he will come find you. The waitress comes by delivering your cocoa and you take a moment to admire the whipped cream and sprinkled mug before taking a sip. The cocoa warmed your veins, sugar giving you the energy you’ll need here shortly. Then you heard his voice clear as a bell from across the square.
“Not now, Curtis!”
Looking up you spot him charging down the steps of the workshop, head flicking frantically side to side as Curtis ran alongside him, desperately trying to keep up. Curtis spots you first and freezes to watch this play out, quickly giving up whatever purpose he needed Bernard for. You watch with your head resting on your palm until you see the head elf himself freeze as he spun around and catches your gaze from across the way. You reach your other hand up to give a simple wave and a cheeky grin, which is all he needed to push himself out of his trance as he continues his path over to you.
“You’re supposed to be working, not drinking coffee, does Santa pay you to drink coffee?” He says sarcastically after he stopped his march and crossed his arms.
“Oh, hey Bartholomew.” You toss to the side without taking your eyes away from the beautiful whipped cream towered mug in front of you.
“Bernard.” He spit out with a curt click of his teeth. “You have several reports I have yet to see on my desk, and you didn’t request a break. So you need to stop drinking your coffee and Get. To. Work.”
You smirked to yourself, taking a short sip of your mug letting the tall tower of whip cream coat your upper lip and skin. You loved riling him up, and it was so easy to do with him. His eyes scrunched up, his voice cracked with the volume he reached sometimes, and his cheeks became flushed the angrier he got. You had a tiny tree you decorated in his honor on your work desk with each little bobble a different shade of red for each stage of his anger.
“Don’t get your stockings in a twist there Bernie.” You smiled before turning to face him. Your chest always bubbled in excitement when you see him in his usual grumpy stance with hands on his hips. Maybe it was the look in his eyes, or you wanted a new red ornament to adorn your tree to commemorate another special memory between the two of you, but you knew you were going to try to push him to his limits today.
“And you do know it’s hot chocolate not coffee right? You should really get those old eyes of yours checked out.” You finished with licking up the whip cream before letting your tongue drag slowly back inside your mouth.
Your cheeks burned with happiness watching his eyes narrow in on your action, his face flaring a shade darker, and chest rising with deep breaths that flared his nostrils. Your whole body already wanted to celebrate but you had to keep it cool to push him to his breaking point. So much restless energy flowed through you already that you have to push it all down to wiggling your toes excitedly inside your plush boots.
“My name is Bernard, we have known each other for centuries, and we are the exact same age.” He grinds out once more, voice raising in pitch. “You will give me the production and quality reports I need by the end of today or else Y/N.”
“Or else what, Baxter?” You beamed up at him, realizing that he has inched closer to you and now towers over your sitting form.
“For the love of snowballs its Bernard! You need to get back to work, respect your superior elf by calling me my correct name, or I will bring you straight to Santa and let him deal with you.” He starts leaning down to get in your space.
You watched as the light snowfall collected on his hat, tips of his ears, and nose. Your own nose tickled at the soft minty breath that fanned across your face as he spoke, it warmed your heart a bit more knowing he indulged in some candy canes in secret today. You have caught him in the past hiding around corners to have his candy breaks, scrambling to hide the evidence whenever you jumped out.
Your breath always hitched a bit whenever he heated up like this and you craved it. This was still just a small altercation and you couldn’t wait to push and push until he popped like a jack in the box.
“Make me” You quickly stuck a finger into the mug and scooped a bit of the whipped cream before smashing it into his nose and dragging the cream covered digit down his lips, chin, and neck. “Barney.”
“For Frosty’s sake!” He snaps before roughly grabbing your waist and with a surprising amount of strength that makes you yelp, he pulls you over his shoulder.
“Jeez calm down Blaine, and theres really no need to drag Frosty into this, the poor snowball has been through enough.” You chirp as he bounces you along through town towards the workshop. Despite all the fun you’re having, you still take the opportunity to hide in his curly hair to avoid the stares of all the other elves. The younger ones were drawing more attention to you with their snickers and ooo’s. Most are acclimated to this sort of reaction when the two of you are involved together but with the war path he carves through the snow paved town they knew you were being nothing short of naughty.
“Isn’t Santa supposed to be gone taking Ms. Claus on a trip before the holiday season?” You mutter out, anything to distract yourself from the knot in your stomach. Every part of your skin tingled like frost in the way his arm wrapped around your waist, fingers kneading into your stomach. His other hand clung to one of your legs just above the knee to keep you from fleeing or kicking.
“He got back this morning and has had plenty of time to unpack. Now he can deal with you.” He grounds out, voice evident of his growing frustration.
“Jolly old Nick loves me Bailey! That big old softy can’t even hammer a toy correctly in fear of breaking it.” You yelp out an oof as he jostles you around roughly at yet another nickname you’ve presented.
“Luckily as top elf I can and will break it as long as I have his expressed permission to do so.” His hand flexes around your leg once more, sliding a bit more up the leg as he tries to get a better grip with your wiggling.
Your thighs instinctively clenched and your gut was pulsing from the way he grabbed onto you. You were faced once again to acknowledge the slight crush you’ve been harboring for centuries. Your mind is running laps in this close moment, nose being overwhelmed with his slight cinnamon scent as he pulls you through the workshop. You no longer care about the stares as your mind drifts off to fantasize and think about the surprisingly strong elf carrying you.
You’re more than guilty for stirring up trouble for him just to have the chance to speak to him. Although you report to him its usually just a brief moment of contact before he zooms off to be the strict, serious, and hardworking head elf he takes prides in being. The more you teased him, skipped out on work, and lead him on a series of chases meant the more time you got to spend with him.
You prided yourself a bit on helping him earn his strict reputation, most of the elves being scared straight just by seeing his most strict moments when he reprimanded you. He wasn’t just a hard gumball all the time though. He only gets so worked up because he cares, more than any elf you ever met, about Christmas. His bossiness just came with a deep need of it all to go right but you could always see the care behind his actions despite his angry tones and fell more in love every time.
Even with your bratty elf behavior he always gave you a beautifully wrapped gift every year. Always hand made and always perfect. Whatever current hobby you indulge in, books you are reading, or food you craved he always got something completely perfect for you. You hoped it was a small sign he didn’t truly harbor any frosty feelings towards you.
Your mind started twisting from nice to naughty fairly quick the more his hands squeezed. Now most of your wiggling was to shake away the tingling need begging for attention which only caused him to squeeze more.
Suddenly he pulled you back to the ground right in front of ‘the big mans’ ornate wooden door. Your heart clenched as his hands pulled away from your hips, your dreaming hazed state hoping it wasn’t just you imagining his fingers lingering for a moment. You didn’t have to endure the madness of his skin leaving yours though, as he quickly wraps his hand around your wrist and leans down to stare you in your eyes.
“You have been acting up nearly every day the past month so you are going to go in there and tell him everything you have done.” He clipped through some heavy huffs most likely from caring you the whole way.
“You don’t have to talk to me like I’m 200 and why do I have to be the one to tell him?”
“Because I’m head elf and my seniority means you have to listen to everything I tell you to do.” The more he bosses you around the more your mind clouds with dirty thoughts of listening to some different commands from him.
Without giving him a response you knock on the door and walk in with the call of puppets screaming to enter. You quickly bounce in as nice as sugar, twirling the bells adorning your skirt, and toss a wave towards Santa. Bernard marches in and stands tall right in front of Santa’s desk, ready to exert his rank. You happily slide up next to him and give him a small jab of your elbow.
“Uh oh.” The puppets immediately call seeing you and Bernard enter, causing Santa to laugh brightly.
“Oh Ho Ho, its never a good sign that both of you are here.” Santa chuckled, sparing a glance at Bernard and raising his eyebrows at the state the elf was in. “So what squabble brings the two of you here again?”
“I’ve been nothing but Jolly to him I swear Santa.” You smile brightly before leaning in. “And can I just say that you look positively glowing with that tan. We should put you at the top of the tree this year.”
“Rednoser.” Bernards quickly coughs out before looking to the side and up.
“Carol killer.” You snip back at him just as quickly under your breath.
“Blizzard box” He shoots back.
“Tinsel tool!” You raise your voice as you both continue slinging insults.
“Toy Twat!” He pivots his view from Santa to stare you down.
“Stocking sniffer!”
Both of you start raising your voices in unison, throwing insults and yelling every thought that can cram its way out of your throats. The volume in the room triples as the puppets start mimicking your fighting and start smacking each other with rolling pins.
“Hey stop it, everyone stop right now!” Santa’s voice cuts through, lacking any real bite but filled with exasperation. Every one takes a moment to collect themselves as Santa stares at both of you while rubbing a hand through his beard.
“Oh boy, those were some new ones. I really hope the younger elves don’t hear those.” Santa hums to himself quietly for a bit in contemplation before sighing and leaning back in his chair.
You shoot a quick glance at Bernard a shoot him a smirk as Santa makes a series of contemplating noises as he rubs his temples.
“Bernard do I really have to deal with this, I just got back and haven’t even taken my boots off, and I need to check on Mrs. Clause.” Santa huffs out in a plea.
“Of course not Santa, I just need your permission to deal with her.” Bernard easily slips back into his head boy pose.
“Alright but it’s officially Christmas season and I really need you both to work together so please go easy on her. Oh and go somewhere private, I don’t need the rest of the elves distracted by your boxing match or to hear your colorful language.” He ends with a chuckle.
“Of course, thank you very much Santa.” Bernard quickly nods and grabs your hand before pulling you out with him.
“And Y/N don’t try to shove a snowball down his pants again!” Santa calls out quickly.
“No promises!” You shout back before stumbling to keep up with Bernards pace.
The march to presumably his office is quiet besides the thud of shoes on the floor as he pulls you down hallways. His silent anger was frightening you just a bit so you decided to poke the bear a bit more for a reaction that would end this silence.
“Brad you really need to slow down!”
His grip on your hand tightens but for now he keeps quiet.
“You heard Kringle, you should be nice to me. I think your heart may be two sizes too small Ben.”
Again no response and the silence was starting to gnaw at you. You were desperate to be acknowledged by him, anything was better than silence.
“Bill? Did you hear me?” Nothing, the fear and guilt start climbing your throat.
“Bob?” Your hands are getting sweaty.
“Benedict!” You finally scream while taking note of how fast your approaching his office door.
“Son of a nutcracker!” He finally screams out, yanking open his door and pulling you in quickly.
“You know my name Y/N! You snarky sarcastic sadistic snowflake! We have know each other over 1,000 years and you still don’t call me, your superior, by my proper name!”
You relished in a brief moment of happiness when he spoke again but it quickly corrupted to a warmth spreading through you again as he paced in front of you. Every time he spared a glance in between each turn of pace his eyes bore into your own, melting away your resolve and making your legs shift under his gaze.
As he slowed his pacing down he leaned back against the wall, breathing deeply as he glared at you. Every muscle in his body looked tense as he awaited whatever snarky comment you were constructing in your mind. Usually your quick wit would take over but your eyes stayed glued to his teeth gnawing on his lip. You sat back against his desk unable to speak, pushing yourself up to sit on the flat surface.
After a few moments he pushed off the wall and approached you, step by step. Finally his legs stopped a breath away from your knees, so close the fabric of his pants brushed past your skin as he shifted his weight back and forth. He breaths out a huff, lowering his eyes to be at level with your own, and boxes you in with his hands resting at either side of your thighs.
Your lungs ceased working, time froze as you waited for him to talk. You’re left with endless amount of time focusing on how cold the room suddenly felt, goosebumps pricking your skin and air bubbles clogging the back of your throat. Your pelvic floor was clenching and it caused a pressure too sharp and needy for you to handle, and you’re quickly trying to unclench and relax.
“What do I have to do to get you to respect me?” His voice came out low, frustrated, and coarse.
Before you knew you even opened your mouth, the words tumbled from your lips. “Make me.”
#bernard the elf#bernard the elf x reader#bernard x reader#fanfiction writer#x reader#the santa clause#reader insert#fanfictions#fanfiction#Smut#I cant tell if love this or want to set it on fire#i hope you all enjoy#part 2 will come soon#part 1#smut in part 2#I proof read but not enough#mistakes probable
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Yes hi hello, do you write smut because you have Bernard the elf in what you want to write and nobody writes smut of him I swear.
Also, if not then I'd like fluff of any kind, say reader cuts their hand and Bernard patches them up!
Preferably a female reader, but if you want to do nb or male that is fine too 💞
New Rules (Bernard X Elf! Reader)
Fandom: The Santa Clause
Requested: Clearly (Sorry I don’t write smut, but I loved this request! Also, sorry, I may have taken the injury a little far as it was something I actually did at work but...I hope you like it <3)
Warnings: Injury depictions, lots of blood mentioned
Pronouns: She/her
W.C. 1301
Summary: The reader gets injured on the job, and Bernard helps her out.
As always, my requests and ships are OPEN
MASTERLIST // HITLIST
~~(^Google/Bustle)
There was not enough time. There was so much to do, and so little time to do it. Christmas was fast approaching, Santa was visiting the Millers, and Bernard was running like a chicken with its head cut off. Everyone was frantically trying to meet the deadlines, and everything was just so hectic! I was sitting at my station, screwing wheels onto trucks as quickly as possible. I must have been going too fast because before I knew it, my grip slipped.
Even with the blood dripping onto the table, I did not realize that I cut my hand until Curtis came up to me.
“Did you know that it is a biohazard and violation of rule 1627 to knowingly bleed at your station, and possibly, contaminate presents? I’m gonna have to report this to Santa,” He chastised as he opened the book to rule 1627. He started talking more, but I was not listening. I was focused on the growing pool of blood in my palm. “Are you even listening to me?”
“Why are you lecturing her, Curtis?” Bernard sighed with a roll of his eyes as he walked over to the station, immediately moving to take the book away from Curtis. “Just let them work. You are wasting her time.”
“I am not!” Curtis exclaimed, pulling the book back. “I am here to enforce the rules, and their injury is breaking rule 1627!”
“What injury?” It is then that Bernard notices the puddle of blood in my hand that has begun to overflow onto the table. I followed his eye line, finally actually looking at my injury, and I felt lightheaded immediately. In response, Bernard rushed forward to apply pressure on my hand, and he pulled a cloth from his pocket to clean up some of the blood to see the wound. Once he got a clear view of the injury, he came around the bench to help me stand, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. “Come with me. I’ll take you to the infirmary.”
“But I need to finish these before Santa gets back,” I tried to argue, but my thoughts were getting jumbled. I leaned more into Bernard’s side, suddenly not feeling strong enough to stand on my own.
“No, you are coming with me to the infirmary, now,” He said, pushing past Curtis, who was still going off about rule 1627 and deadlines. “Curtis, no offense, but shut up.”
“And that right there is a violation of rule 2256,” Curtis replied, smugly, “The head elf must treat all other elves with respect, regardless of personal feelings.”
“And you are breaking the only rule I remember,” Bernard said, pointedly, trying to move past Curtis. “Rule number 9, an elf's mental and physical health prioritizes deadlines and even Christmas.” Curtis was, for once, speechless. Bernard knew he finally won an argument against Curtis, but he suddenly became aware of the bloody cloth in his hand. “That being said, Curtis, do not stand in my way.”
In the infirmary, Bernard made quick work of cleaning and wrapping my hand. Thankfully, the wound was not too deep to require stitches since Bernard had no idea how to do stitches, but it was still pretty deep. He cleaned it up, apologizing after seeing me wince, and wrapped in it gauze. “Should stay put for the rest of the day, but don’t take my word for it. There’s a reason I’m not a medical elf,” he laughed.
“It’s better than I could do,” I joked back. “Thanks, Bernard. I really appreciate it.”
“Now, I don’t want you going back to your station today,” he started. I began to object, but he made a motion for me to stop. “You are going to go in the kitchens, eat something, and chill for the rest of the day. No exceptions.”
“Was that a pun?” I laughed, moving to stand up and adjust the gauze. I lost my balance for a second to which Bernard grabbed my shoulders to steady me.
“That’s all you go from that?” He replied with a weary smile. “And stop doing things so fast. You lost a lot of blood.”
“Sorry, didn’t think standing would be so strenuous,” I replied sarcastically. He gave me a pointed look before I changed my tone. “Fine, but I don’t know what you expect me to do.”
“Go eat, drink some hot cocoa, sleep, I don’t know! Just don’t do work,” He responded. “Simple.”
“Well, if it’s so simple,” I started, and I could see the gears turning in Bernard’s head along with what I was saying, “you’d have no problem with joining me?” I could not tell if it was the blood loss making me delirious or not, but I thought now, 4 weeks out from Christmas, was the best time to shoot my shot with the ever-so-busy head elf.
“There’s not enough time for me to take a break,” he sighed. “You know that.”
“Well, when was the last time you took a break?” I pressed. He hesitated, and immediately, I knew he could not remember the last time he took a break. “Maybe you need to take a page out of the rule book. Rule 9, what was that rule again?” I asked rhetorically, tilting my head in a joking manner.
“An elf's mental and physical health prioritizes deadlines and even Christmas,” he exhaled, knowing exactly where I was going with this. “Please, I don’t have time for this.”
“Not with that mentality,” I relented, grabbing his hand with my good hand, as I pulled him towards the kitchens. “If there’s one thing I learned from Carol, it is if you can’t remember the last time you took a break, it’s been too long. Now, you are going to chill with me before you work yourself to death.”
“Y’know, I didn’t think you would be this assertive when injured,” he laughed as he let me drag him around the square. Some of the other elves looked at us funny, and a couple of the yonder elves giggled at our antics but continued on with their activities.
“Oh trust me,” I chucked, pulling him into a little shop that did not have loads of elves inside. I pulled him into a booth beside me. I leaned into his shoulder and whispered, “I’ve always liked you, but maybe I just needed a push.”
“Well, you know what?” He whispered back, leaning closer to me as well. “I’ve always thought about you, but there are rules for that.”
“So many rules, Bernard!” I exclaimed, throwing my head back. “Don’t you wanna live a little? What is Santa gonna do? Fire you?”
“I don’t know?” He responded sincerely. “I don’t really want to find out either.”
“I’ll handle Santa if he tries anything,” A new voice responded from behind us. Our heads snapped around to face the one and only Mrs. Claus. “You two deserve to be happy. Forget about the rules for once.”
“Look at that, you’ve got someone in your corner,” I laughed. “Are you going to take the chance?”
“If that’s your way of saying that today’s events are considered a date,” he paused. I was giving him the side-eye as he pretended to contemplate his choices. “I accept, but I need to tell-”
“No worries! I will take over your responsibilities for the day,” Carol offered. “You two enjoy your day.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Claus,” I responded. She headed out of the shop, and it was just the two of us again. “So, no more working, no more deadlines, no more stressing, no more Curtis, and no more rules for today.”
“Well, there are still rules! We can’t have disorder everywhere!” He interjected.
“Well, I’ve got some new rules for you,” I replied quietly, “and none of which relate to work.”
~~~~~
© BAD268 2022. DO NOT REPOST WITHOUT PERMISSION.
#bernard the elf x reader#bernard x reader#bernard the elf#bernard the elf x you#bernard the elf x y/n#the santa clause#the santa clause 2: the mrs. clause#bernard x you#bernard x y/n#bad268#ship268#thing268
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Fuck it. It may be November still but-
Bernard requests open. It’s officially time.
#bernard the elf x reader#bernard the elf#bernard the arch elf#the santa clause#Christmas#kinkmas#request#reqs open#smut#fluff#angst
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Hey I was wondering if you can do a bernard x fem reader where when he comes back she's pissed off because he left and there's angry fucking
Bernard x Reader
Merry Christmas you filthy animals!! My first Bernard smut 😈
You’re going to kill Bernard.
It’s Christmas Eve and everything had gone to plan all night, until it hadn’t.
Bernard showed up to tell you that Santa needs help and that you’re in charge, quite literally blinking out of existence right in front of you before you could get a word in.
You wanted to scream, knowing all of his duties just fell onto your shoulders without warning. You powered through, fixing everything you could at the pole while Bernard fixed the problems on Santa’s end.
It had all turned out fine in the end but now you’re fuming in the aftermath, you can’t believe he just left you like that.
~
“Hey, sugarplum. Merry Christmas,” Bernard bends to kiss your cheek when he finally returns, looking as perky as ever. You scowl up at him from your chair, arms crossed over your chest. You had retreated to your room once everything was done and you’ve been waiting for him to arrive back.
He falters a bit at your lack uh of greeting, your cold stare stopping him in his tracks.
“S-sugar? Y’okay?” He trips over his words.
“What were you thinking,” you growl, standing up and stalking over to him. You poke a finger into his chest, pushing him back until his knees are against the side of the bed.
“Leaving me there with absolutely no warning,” you poke him again and he folds, landing on the mattress with a thud.
“No explanation,” you frown, crawling into his lap.
“What am I going to do with you?” You snap as he avoids your eyes.
Your fingers curl into his hair, pulling his head back until he’s forced to look at you. He goes a little slack as you tighten your hand in his hair, his eyes half lidded as you lean in to mouth at the point of his ear. He lets out an indecent moan when pull the tip into your mouth and suck before pulling back to look at him.
“Punish me?” He asks, looking delighted.
“You’re such a brat, way too excited about a punishment,” you shake your head fondly.
A light hand against his chest has him falling back into the sheets, already pliant underneath you. You grind against him teasingly, smirking as you feel him already hard.
“Excited already?” You tease and he blushes, squirming under you.
“Take this off,” you ruck up his shirt and he hurries to comply, his hat coming off with it. As you run your hands down his chest you stop to tweak a nipple just to hear him gasp. He looks so pretty all spread out. You reach down to rub him through his pants and he arches into it. You let him thrust against your hand until he’s begging for more, which you grant him. You shuffle his pants just out of the way enough for his length to slap against his stomach and he sighs happily when you take him in hand, groaning as you spit into your hand to ease the slide. Soon enough the pre steadily leaking from his tip is slicking the way easily. You palm over the head a few times and he’s practically shaking. He’s starting to breathe heavily underneath you, a telltale sign of his impending orgasm.
“You close, baby?” You hum and he nods frantically, bucking into your fist. You give him one more stroke before letting go and he groans in disappointment, cock twitching sadly against his stomach.
“Please,” he uses those big puppy dog eyes on you, but you’re not giving in that easily.
“Mm, maybe next time,” you hum noncommittally, starting to jerk him off again, “maybe not.”
He’s writhing under you, begging for you to let him come. You can tell that he’s trying to keep his reactions lowkey to trick you into letting him come, but you know better. When he starts to gasp between his pleas for release, you let him go again and he moans sadly at the loss. He looks bewildered when you stand up.
“Maybe I should just leave you here, hard and aching for it,” you muse. His eyes are bigger than you’ve ever seen them as he whines pitifully for you not to.
“But that’s not my plan. Strip,” you order and he rushes to get his pants and shoes off. He stares up at you reverently as you take your clothes off, taking in your form like it’s the first time. You grab a condom and roll it onto him, keeping your touch light to avoid giving him too much stimulation. You straddle him again, huffing a laugh as his cock kicks under you desperately.
“You wanna be inside so bad, huh?” You coo and he groans.
“Yes, yes, please,” he begs, hips bucking up.
You decide to tease just a little more, grinding against his dick pressed between you and his stomach. He groans as you slide slickly against him, his head catching on your entrance. You finally give in mostly for your own sake, finally lifting your hips so he sinks into you. You sigh happily, grinding your clit against his pubic bone. He reaches out to grab your hips, but you smack his hands away. Grabbing his wrists, you bring them up over his head and press them into the mattress.
“Uh uh, you’re gonna take what I give you,” you grumble, “I’m in charge now.”
You raise your hips and drop them down hard, a strangled moan coming from Bernard. You fuck yourself on his cock, chasing your own pleasure. He whines as the slick sounds of the two of you fill the air, craning his neck as far as he can to wrap his lips around your nipple and suck. You let out a pleased hum at the vibrations as he moans around it.
“I’m close, please let me come,” he begs, hips flexing to try and buck into you.
“Sure, baby. You can come whenever you want,” you tell him and he looks thrilled, “but I’m not stopping until I’m finished.”
His face drops as he lets out a pretty moan.
“‘M so close, I’m not gonna last,” he whines.
“You gonna come? Just can’t help yourself, huh?” You tease and he can’t take it, throwing his head back with a groan as he comes. It exposes the length of his neck to you and you can’t help but lean down to give him a love bite. You’ve slowed down, but you don’t stop fucking him and he’s writhing underneath you. You let go of his wrists after you suck a couple more marks on his neck to brace against his chest, changing the angle of his cock deliciously. He’s hitting your gspot now with every thrust and you can feel your orgasm welling in your belly quickly.
“I’m- I think I’m gonna come again,” he whimpers, entirely overstimulated.
“Make me come,” you plead as you bounce desperately, his hand shooting down to rub your clit. It’s only a couple more thrusts before you’re both crying out. A steady stream of curses leaves your mouth as you come around him and you feel him pulse into the condom again. Once the aftershocks subside you go boneless, collapsing against his chest, his softening cock still inside you.
“You okay? Was that too much?” You make sure, petting his sweaty curls away from his face as he rubs your back.
“So good. Merry Christmas to me,” he smiles blissfully and you snort.
“Such a brat,” you laugh, pulling him into a kiss.
#bernard the elf x reader#bernard x reader#bernard the head elf#bernard the santa clause#bernard the elf#david krumholtz
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Hi I was just wondering of you can make a Bernard x reader and maybe just a little lime or smut please thank you so much ❤❤❤
Sugar and Spice
Bernard the Elf x reader
Working as a baker at the North Pole was no easy task. Especially when the overbearing head elf is breathing down your neck. When true feelings are brought to light, how will you deal with them?
Thank you for the request! It’s not really smut as I’ve never written that before so it’s not intense but I’ve mixed this fic with an idea I already had. I kinda went off the rails lol. Hope you enjoy❤️
( gif credit to @corrodedcoffins )
It was an as always cold, winter morning at the North Pole. Elves scrambling around, making sure everything was complete and ready for Christmas. Less than two months to go and they were falling behind. Santa had only checked the naughty and nice list once, the workshop needed major renovations and three of the reindeer have fallen ill. Safe to say that everyone was on edge. Especially head elf, Bernard.
Striding across the grounds, his expression was anything but happy. Having a less than pleasant conversation with Curtis, he needed time away from the chaos, just for a moment. Bernard hated to admit, but he didn’t do well with stress. The constant pressure put on his shoulders, always feeling like if anything goes wrong, it’s all on him. It’s tough. And he needs some time to relax.
Making it to the front doors of the bakery, he walks through, immediately hit with the smell of fresh cookies and gingerbread. Bernard continues through to the main area, dodging elves holding steaming trays. He arrives by the ovens where he finally sees you. Messy hair, flour down your apron, and what appears to be sprinkles stuck to the sleeves of your shirt. Raw dough scatters the once clean tabletop and Bernard rolls his eyes at it. Mess was never good.
You turn around and spot the head elf, smiling wide. “Oh hey Bernard! Wasn’t expecting to see you this early.”
“Y/N,” he replies in a less than cheerful tone. “Working hard I see?”
“Well I was decorating some of the gingerbread houses and realised there was some icing left over from the cookies, so I had an idea,” the young elf’s eyes light up. “Rather than wasting time and making more red icing, I’ll just use the remaining green icing I already have for the gingerbread houses and have it all matching!” You breath out and spread your arms, happy with your work. Bernard, less so happy.
His eye begins to twitch and his teeth clench. He didn’t want to lose his temper, but the day had already set him on that track. “You can’t do that. You have to follow the recipe exactly as it’s written. You can’t change it without consulting the others otherwise the other bakers won’t make it like you have.”
You blink, taken back by his blunt response. “Sorry, I didn’t realise it would be a big deal. It’s changing one colour and better yet, saving ingredients. Which I thought you’d be all for.”
Bernard knows you’re right, but he can’t seem to drop the sudden grudge he’s holding against you. He grabs for the icing. “No, there’s not enough time to change things so just stick to what you’re supposed to do.”
Sadly, you were equally as stubborn. Furrowing your brow, you snatch the icing away. “Who put coal in your stocking?” You jest, but the metaphorical question still stands. You’d been in a pretty good mood until Bernard showed up, seemingly ready to put up a fight with anyone who got in his way.
He reaches for the icing once more, but you pull back. This continues on, both of you acting like a young child unwilling to share their new toy. The other elves in the room have stopped to watch the display you’re both apart of.
“Y/N this isn’t funny either give me the icing or I’ll have to ask you to leave the bakery for today.” “Make me.”
You both glare at each other. Bernard pulls one last time on the bag and you squeeze, the icing pouring out fast and covering both of you in the sugary treat. The elves gasp. You both stand there in shock.
“Bernard I’m so sorry I didn’t meant to-” you’re unable to finish the sentence before the head elf turns and walks away, leaving through the back doors, slamming them in the process. You stand alone, feeling defeated and childish. You didn’t meant to go off on him. It all just seemed to blow out of proportion. Grabbing a kitchen towel and trying to wipe off the icing, you dash after Bernard.
———
You find Bernard in his office, using a worn rag to rid himself of the mess caused, muttering over and over again. You knock on the door and he looks up. His face turns blank. He huffs out and nods, you taking that as your sign to enter. The place is filled with tension, unsure who should break the silence first. You take the leap.
“You ran out of there quick. Didn’t give me any time to apologise.”
“It’s fine, just needed to clean myself up.” Bernard scrubs his top vigorously, the icing unwilling to leave. You make your way further into the room, arriving in front of him with your towel. “Here, you’re just making it worse.”
Bernard admits defeat and allows you to swab at the remaining sugar. He avoids eye contact, looking anywhere but you. Whether it was because of the scene you both caused, or the current close proximity, you didn’t know.
“I didn’t mean to snap at you,” Bernard whispers, still looking off into the distance, “your idea was really smart, helpful. It’s just been a rough few days.”
“It seems to me that you only ever have rough days,” you stop what you’re doing and look up at him, “you can talk about it you know. Never bottle these things up.”
There’s a silence for a while, the only sound heard from the towel rubbing the icing off a shirt which definitely needed a proper wash.
“I sometimes wonder if I’m good enough to be head elf.”
His response shocks you. Sure the last few months seemed to have Bernard on edge, but he’d always been able to handle it in the past. Hearing him question his abilities made you feel sick, wondering how long he’d felt this way.
“Bernard, you are an incredible head elf. We’d all be in shambles without you!” He shakes his head but you continue on. “Everyone looks up to you; you make sure deadlines are met and the elves are at ease. Santa wouldn’t be able to do this job without your help.”
You take his hands and he finally looks at you, a slight blush covering his already rosey cheeks. “Bernard, you don’t need to do this by yourself. You can’t put all this pressure on you when things fall slightly behind. And you certainly can’t quit as head elf. We all need you,” you take a deep breath, “I need you.”
Bernard’s eyes grow wide, as do yours, shocked by what you just said. Sudden thoughts rush through your head. You’d always known there was something there when it came to the head elf. You found him attractive, and blushed anytime he was near. But saying it out loud now felt strange. You felt vulnerable. You felt stupid. Coughing awkwardly you step back.
“That was out of line, I’m really sorry if that’s made things awkward I didn’t-” before you can muster up a lame excuse, Bernard steps forward, grabbing you by the waist and pulling you in for a kiss. It takes you a moment to understand what’s happening, but soon after you place your hands on the sides of his face and kiss back. He pulls you closer, the movement forcing you to stand in between his legs while he leans back against the desk. You hate how cliche it all feels, but sparks were truly flying. One of your hands moves up into Bernard’s hair, slightly pulling at the curls, eliciting a moan from his mouth. He turns you both around, now with your back against the desk, as he lifts one of your legs to wrap around his waist. It was intense. It was surprising. It was definitely long over due. Who knew slightly switching up a recipe would result in this?
Bernard moves his kissing down your neck, biting hard and more than likely leaving a mark. You pull harder on his hair and tilt your head, giving him more access.
“God, you’re amazing,” he says in your ear with a slight husk. “I could stay in here with you forever.”
Sadly he doesn’t, as there’s a sudden knock on the door, throwing you back into reality. A small voice is heard from outside the room. “Bernard, you’re needed down in workshop.”
He pulls away from your hold, turning to the door and clearing his throat. “I’ll be right down, thank you.” There’s a slight wobble in his voice and you smirk, knowing it’s because of you’re previous activities. He looks back at you, reaching for your hand and smiling timidly. You smile back and shuffle your feet, a sense of awkwardness setting. Bernard doesn’t know what to say, but thankfully you beat him to it.
“It’s okay, we’re okay. We can talk about this later tonight,” you move closer, winding your arms around his neck and playing with the shorter hairs at the back of his head. “Go be the best head elf the North Poles ever seen.”
His smile widens, and he leans in for one last kiss. After a few moments, you both let go and he strides out the door with a spring in his step, feeling a lot better than he did earlier. You can still feel his lips on your neck and his hands on your waist. It was definitely a good way to start the morning.
#bernard the elf x reader#bernard x reader#x reader#the santa clause#david krumholtz#the santa clauses
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Break (Bernard the Elf x Reader)
Request: Ok I've been brainstorming an idea for Bernard and ok here's what I got ok Reader is Santa's introverted kid and them and Bernard are in an established relationship and he's like the reader's emotional support so they follow him everywhere like an introvert dragged to a party but they would totally back off if he told them to
A/N: @fo-babes I believe this was your request ;) just in time for the holiday season and some new Bernard content next week. Part 1 of your birthday one shots. No matter how retired I am on this blog, I'll always room to post for you. This blog brought us together and I don't know what I'd do without you in my life, you've kept me sane this year when nothing else would. Here's to another 19 years of life for you, hopefully that I'll be able to tag along for! I wouldn't rather be anywhere else. Also, yes you did make me that gif I used of Bernard. Thanks!
“Make sure the painting gets done before Santa gets back or he’s going to freak out. Nice work though!”
Bernard stood up straight from where he’d been bent over, assessing one of the many jobs that needed to be done in the workshop. Christmas was still, thankfully, a ways off. Just over 100 days to be exact, they had time to perfect every little thing before it came. He was in good spirits today. There was a lot of time to get things ready and Santa was out, visiting the Millers, leaving him to run the workshop on his own.
He loved having Santa around, but sometimes it was nice to have him gone so he could keep all the elves on task.
Another reason for his good mood was the lack of Curtis, the keeper of the handbook. Normally he was attached at Bernard’s hip, talking his ear off and giving him a splintering headache. Today, however, it seemed he decided his talents would be better used elsewhere. Bernard was grateful for that, he began to continue on his way.
In Curtis’ place, was you. Santa’s eldest child, you’d made the move to the Pole with him when he came to stay here full time. Your relationship with the Millers from what he understood was rocky, you rarely left the Pole with your dad to visit. The only way you would come was if Charlie, your little brother, specifically requested your presence.
He wished he understood why. Laura and Neil had been a little too much when he’d encountered them, but they were generally harmless. In his opinion, at least. Santa enjoyed spending time with the family so that had to account for something.
He wouldn’t pressure you to tell him, though. Some things were just better left unsaid.
When Santa was gone, you always hung around him, even if you hated being around the workshop. The alternatives were hanging out with the other elves or sitting at home with Carol, who you were still getting used to and neither were super appealing to you.
Bernard had noticed when you first arrived here that people (or elves) were not your thing. In the beginning, being around anyone but Santa and Charlie would immediately cause you to shut down. He had been determined to win over both the Calvin kids, and his persistence was eventually rewarded tenfold. The two of you ended up becoming close friends, then later a couple. Everyone was really surprised you warmed up to him, none moreso than your father.
He felt extremely blessed to be in the fortunate few who got to see the real you.
You huffed behind him as he walked to the next table. The long hours in the workshop were starting to get to you, he knew. But there was no way you were going to leave, unless he told you to and he wasn’t about to force you out of the comfort that being near him brought.
He did feel a little guilty though, this was probably very exhausting to endure and he wasn’t about to be finished any time soon.
He smiled apologetically back at you as he bent down to oversee the teddy bear fluffing.
While he offered his advice, your gaze wandered around you to the bustling around you to get work done. The amount of elves here made your head spin, back in the regular world being in a place like this would be something you avoided, of course, you had to date a guy… an elf… who worked in one of the busiest places in the world.
“... we can go somewhere quieter.”
You came back to your senses when you realized Bernard was talking to you, his hand gently went up to rest on your forehead. You leaned into the touch, bringing yourself back to reality as his concerned eyes searched your face.
“I’m fine, you have work to do. You can’t leave the workshop,” you swallowed the lump in your throat. Soon dad would be back and then you could spend more time with Carol without feeling awkward. You could make it until then, but Bernard didn’t seem convinced.
He set what he’d picked up from the work table in his other hand back down, patted the elf seated there on the back and turned back to you. Taking your hand, he pulled you along with him to the front doors of the workshop.
“Bernard, what are you doing- you have work and dad-”
Stepping out into the cool air where there were less loud noises and bustling immediately calmed you inside. You still felt tired from the long exposure but at least your senses weren’t being constantly inundated with new stimuli.
He pointed to the edge of the little North Pole village. “Do you remember when we grabbed cocoa and snuck out here while Santa was busy being distracted by a mess Curtis made? And you still wouldn’t talk to me so I did most of the talking?”
You did remember that day. Back in those days, Bernard often looked for moments to steal away with you. He had been so determined to spend time with you, it didn’t seem to bother him in the slightest that you weren’t too keen on making friends. It had been a huge shock for you, so used to the people back in Lakeside. Back there, if you weren’t super extroverted and talkative you just kind of fell to the wayside.
You had never told him but you’d been super bummed that day, it was one of those rare days where you wondered if moving to the North Pole was a good idea. You missed your brother and weirdly, your mother and Neil. It had been a shock to find yourself missing them, considering you’d always been closer to your dad. During the divorce, you’d taken his side which had stung your mother. The relationship ever since had been rocky, but you knew she still wanted the best for you.
Sneaking out for cocoa with someone had been exactly what you had needed that day.
“Yeah. And dad found us hours later. He dragged you back to work, I’ve never seen him so annoyed with you,” you laughed as the two of you began a leisurely stroll.
His cheeks turned slightly red, as he looked away. “Not one of my brighter moments, I’ll admit. I’ve never had a Santa lecture me like that in the thousands of years I’ve been working here.”
There was comfortable silence between the two of you for a few moments after that as you thought about what he’d said and wondered why he’d brought it up.
“The next time we talked, you spoke to me for the first time outside of forced, curt introductions. I was ecstatic, I think getting in trouble really broke the ice.”
“I felt bad for getting you in trouble. After all, you only suggested leaving because you noticed I was getting uncomfortable in the workshop. And dad shouting orders wasn’t really helping. I felt like I owed you something,” you kicked the snow, smiling, “you just did it again. Risked your spot, even though dad’s not here, to comfort me.”
He looked at you. “It was worth it then and it’s worth it now. You’re worth it, I mean.”
You nudged him with your shoulder, not knowing what to say. After all, everyone here knows Bernard is proud of his position as Santa’s Head Elf. To hear him say he’d risk it any time for you, is a little surprising.
The shock must’ve been apparent on your face because he suddenly stopped walking. At his side, you stopped yourself from walking forward abruptly not expecting the sudden stop. The stop made you lose your balance and he reached out to steady you, realizing that he should’ve warned you vocally before randomly deciding to stop.
“Are you surprised?”
“To hear you’d prioritize anything over work? Surprised is an understatement. I know I can be a little much, especially when dad’s not around-”
Bernard nudged you with his shoulder. “You’re not a little much. You just need time and patience, the best things in life do.”
Your face heated up at his words, it was hard sometimes to be the way you were. To struggle with speaking to people, to fight the urge to isolate yourself from everyone. You had always assumed that was a burden to everyone around you, even the ones who managed to crack your hard shell.
To hear Bernard speak as if it was just perfectly normal…
“We should go get cocoa! On me!” You broke the weird mood that had temporarily settled over the two of you and before he could say anything, began to pull him along in the direction of the nearest spot for cocoa.
He let you drag him.
Sure, there were a lot of things about you that other people might find annoying but seeing you in moments like this made it all the worthwhile. He rushed to keep up with your pace, wrapping his arm around your shoulders as he caught up with you, no longer needing to be dragged.
You smiled and he felt his heart skip a beat.
He needed to take breaks more often.
#bernard the elf x reader#bernard imagine#the santa clause imagine#gender neutral reader#disney imagine#happy birthday luis!!!!#I love you so much
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