“Come on Nick, please?”
Nick scowled as Kris gave the best pleading puppy eyes an elf could manage. Which was actually pretty hard to resist. “I told you, I don’t want to be a delivery elf,” Nick grumbled. “How is that any better than what I do now?”
Kris snorted and crossed his arms. “How is delivering gifts to kids on one night better than spending every day of the year helping naughty kids get on the nice list? Is that even really a question?”
It was no secret that Nick was tired of being a naughty elf. While the job sounded scandalous, most of the time he was trying to keep three year olds from throwing temper tantrums. There was no time for love in his life. “Seriously, I’m about half a year away from getting promoted to a toy elf. Half a year, Kris. You think I’m going to risk that just because there’s one delivery you don’t want to make? And what about all your other stops?”
“I can make the other deliveries. It’s just this one. The kid is the sweetest thing. I think you need a bit of cheering up. You know - a reminder that not all kids are bad.”
Kris had a point. Some naughty elves would negotiate with their manager elves to do a single delivery on Christmas just to lift their spirits and refill their Christmas Cheer. Nick didn’t think he was short on that, though. “I know not all kids are bad. That’s why I wanted to be moved to toymaker elf, remember?” He snorted out a short laugh. “Or is your memory only good one night a year?”
Kris pouted. “Fine. It’s not about cheering you up. It’s about me. I don’t want to make the delivery. It’s part of the magic to take a bite of any Christmas cookies left out and this kid’s dad makes total bricks. I think I chipped a tooth last year.”
“That sounds more honest,” Nick said, rolling his eyes. “You whined for three years the last time you had a splinter.”
“Ha ha, very funny,” Kris grumbled. “Will you do it?”
“No.”
“Please, Nick?” Kris asked again. “I’ll offer you - I’ll talk to a Santa elf for you.”
That gave Nick pause. Santa elves were important. While list elves determined who was naughty and who was nice, Santa elves decided what gift the nice children received. They’d been known to grant the occasional wish or two - and sometimes did it for elves, too. “A real Santa elf?” Nick asked. “Not an applicant?”
“Yeah. You know Lucy’s sister-in-law has a cousin who got accepted,” Kris said. He rubbed at his nose as if embarrassed by his girlfriend’s connections. “He wouldn’t do any favors for me, but he’d at least listen and see if there was anything he could do. Toymaker elf isn’t exactly a miracle, you know. He might be able to manage that much - especially if you do a good job on this delivery!”
It was a bribe, plain and simple.
“I’ll do it,” Nick said.
“Now tell me the real reason you want me to make the delivery.”
“You already agreed-”
“Which means you shouldn’t have any problems telling me why,” Nick countered before Kris could get too far off track.
Kris sighed and rubbed at the back of his head where his hair was starting to grow out. “I’m planning on asking Lucy for our first kiss.”
“Wow,” Nick said, honestly surprised. “That’s big. The real deal?”
“Real deal,” Kris nodded. “Next time you see me I might be bonded!”
“If she agrees to kiss an elf who slacks off,” Nick teased.
“It’ll be romantic,” Kris grumbled. “A kiss at midnight on Christmas. It’s every elf’s dream.”
Nick couldn’t disagree. A bond - marriage - it was special. And for an elf Christmas was one of the most magical times of the year. Getting married on the Big Day was like a fairy tale come true. Nick was more realistic, though. That would never happen for him. He could be satisfied with a small dream.
He was going to be a toymaker elf.
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