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/Sleighbells Ring, are you listening?/ - Me and Seven-

To say that Winter was amazed - was an understatement. But he had come from the northpole, and watching him made her heart soar. They were alone on the rink, everyone else seemed to be slowly fading away and leaving the rink. As if some source of nature had slowly pushed them away. She didn't notice the man running the Zamboni, off to the side grinning and watching them. She didn't recognize the man there - but Bernard might, a rather chubby man, that usually was around about two months later. Hooking up couples. Was this a magical day for the pair? And was the world just trying to line things up for them? It sure seemed that way.

She laced her fingers with his - as he took her hand. She pulled him closer and skated backwards as she held on to his neck. Allowing herself this magical moment. This joyful Christmas, what would fill her with joy for years to come. When she was alone and on her own - in the holidays to come.
 
After encountering Mother Nature, Bernard had found himself on High Alert; members of the Council of Legendary Figures didn't typically take up retail jobs as a hobby, and if his suspicions were correct - specifically, that the big guy had set this whole thing up - then he would be encountering others.

Of course, it wasn't his primary thought right then because all he could think about was the way Winter's hair fluttered in the wind, or the the way her fingers curled against his; she turned skillfully on the ice, moving backwards and facing him, one hand at the back of his neck, moving them across the rink in a near-embrace, and the coldest season of the year couldn't even begin to penetrate the warmth that was surrounding them.

"You know," Bernard said, his tone conversational, almost casual, "You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."
 
Winter had no idea who these figures where. But yes, they were all nearby in some place. Father Time had worked with Cupid to set things up that they would have a long as they wanted in the rink - and only a small bit of time would have passed in the normal world. Not usually something done, but it wasn't often that the Arch Elf may start to find a mate. After never having found one in his life. It was a big even in their world. She didn't know this though.

She watched his eyes, her own seemed to take on a new light. Snow filtering around them, a few pieces catching her hair, and they were sliding together. Snow filtering around her - and her eyes focused on his. The skating was easy, really easy. She felt her breath catch at his words. "I have never had someone say that to me..." She whispered as she blushed darkly.
 
Bernard had to consider this moment; for humans, finding a significant other was a long and trying journey that could sometimes take a lifetime and the process was filled with varying levels of doubt, guilt, and anguish with alternating currents of relief and happiness. For an elf, things seemed much simpler. Perhaps that was why it was easier for Bernard to say what was on his mind than it was for Winter to hear it.

He watched her for a long moment as the world churned around them like they had been caught in a snowglobe,

"Then that's a travesty." Bernard replied finally, "Because you should be told that every day."
 
Winter twisted a little to pull back from him a little, holding on to his hands as she continued to skate backwards so she was facing him. Her features took on a new look - one of sorrow as the pain seemed to flash across her features. "You're the only one to say that...." She whispered as she found her breath catching in her throat. "The only one to say it - and mean it, and not try to use it as a ploy to my parents money..." She said as she found the pain increasing in her chest. She knew how this would go - unfortunately, that meant she was going to be alone again.

"Just because I should have it said everyday, doesn't mean it shall be said... I have just these moments - this holiday..." She whispered as she finally voiced what neither of them would. The pain that was sitting in blue eyes, as she watched the elf. He was taller then her, and she was shorter then him. He was human proportions, and she was elf proportions. How odd they were - pulled apart from their races by a slight difference of height. But more then that, they were going to be pulled apart as soon as the holidays were over.
 
The thought should have occurred to Bernard before then, but he had been too distracted - Winter believed he was only there for a day, just enough for her not to be alone for the holidays, enough to fulfill the wishes she had expressed in her letter to Santa, and now she was feeling the sting of something awful, certain that life would revert to what had become her normalcy. Loneliness.

No one should be alone on Christmas eve, that much was true.

But no one should have to be alone. Period.

And though he knew it was more complicated than just throwing her over his shoulder and high-tailing it back to the North Pole, the Head Elf had already determined that it would be the last year that she spent feeling this way. For Bernard, it was already an unquestionable part of the future.

"It doesn't have to be just today. Or tomorrow." Bernard said, coming to a stand-still on the ice and causing Winter to do the same, his hands still entwined with hers, "I can tell you that you're beautiful every day."
 
Winter watched him, she would take these moments she had with him. Use them as the fuel to keep her happy for the rest of her days. Her breath left her as she watched him though, the subtle change of the look on his face. He went to stop - and so did she. Her body poised, leaning towards him. It seemed like time was standing still for that moment, as she listened to his words. The pain was slowly ebbing from her as she watched him. But she knew that truth - how would he ever be able to do that.

Her breath left her in a rush, as she leaned in towards him. "I'd like that - Bernard... but I'm just a human..." She whispered. As she looked up at him. Her eyes holding that sadness. Human conditions came with a price tag, if you weren't in a place that could keep you young - or constantly in contact with a magic strong enough.. you'd die well before the time period of another creature - like say an elf. She was fatally human, and she knew that he couldn't possibly want someone like her. How could he?

This was the human condition, doubt and fear. And when even a shard of happiness came - you were scared. "I want to believe it Bernard but... I'm just... I'm just a girl... " She whispered. Just a girl? She was a believer - one of the strongest ones, especially for her age. She believed in magic, but did she believe in love?
 
Holidays were meant to be joyful and care-free, but this Christmas eve was filled with such immense sadness that Bernard felt his heart twist a little - this was one young woman possessed with the anguish of someone far beyond her years, as though some cruel hand had aged and abused her spirit and left her to suffer.

But Bernard could see something glimmering there.

"Hey, I won't hold that against you," Bernard replied after a long silence, a slow, gentle smile showing on his face, "I'm not racist."

He lifted a hand to Winter's face, running a thumb beneath one of her eyes, touching her skin, brushing a stray hair away,

"You've believed for this long, right? What's the risk in a little more of that faith?" Bernard asked, a bright light in the face of the bleakness of it all, "It's Christmas Eve and anything can happen, you know that - and I don't break promises. So here's my promise. Winter, if you want me to tell you, every single day, that you are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, I'll do it. I will. Just tell me. I will make it happen."
 
Winter watched him, that pain seemed to ebb and flow now as she felt it twist like a knife in her chest. He was perfect, someone smart and funny that actually interested her. She released a long breath as she looked up at him. His hand touched her cheek, thumb brushing her skin. It not only caught a hair but a few tears. Had she been so close to crying - just at the thought of losing this. About the happiness that seemed like it would be so fleeting? The human woman wanted that... she wanted it so badly. The happiness that he was offering.

She didn't really know him. but he knew everything about her. At least his boss did - and for some reason he had decided they would make a good pair. "I'd like that Bernard - oh I would very much." She said as her breath caught in her throat, her hand coming up so she could press her hand over his. Her head tilting into his touch as she allowed his warmth to flow through her. "Please... " she whispered as she looked up at him. It was almost heartbreaking, how delicate that look was.

Her head was upturned towards him, head poised and tilted just a little. She took this chance to lean forward, wrapping her arms around his neck, allowing her hand to slip away from his as she pulled herself closer to him. Allowing her slightly frosted lips to press against his gently.
 
Bernard felt her hand on his; her touch was unsure, questioning, but it lingered in spite of that. He nodded, a confirmation of her request,

"Alright," Bernard said, voice quiet as she leaned towards him, "Then I promise."

The hand slipped away from her cheek, down to her small waist, palm settling just below her ribs as she kissed him and he responded in kind, eager and invested, breaking the kiss only when the need for air demanded it, but he didn't draw away from her.

"Your hands are cold," Bernard murmured, feeling her skin at the back of his neck, then leaning in to almost nuzzle her, an eskimo kiss, "Your nose, too."
 
Winter breathed into the kiss, pouring the hope she had into this moment. Those creatures watching - realized there was magic in this moment. Was it really likely that one human female could remember so strongly for so long - if there wasn't some sort of influence in her genetics? Perhaps she was more then just a normal human, with just a spark of access to magic. Who knew - but what those watching did know, was that the pair seemed to positively glow while they kissed. It was a sweet kiss, to those watching. Who had been used to the Arch Elf never interacting in this manner.

Winter stopped as air was needed, her breath coming in in shallow but needy gasps. Her eyes watching him as her cheeks flushed. He said she was cold, and that's when time seemed to return to normal - and she realized as well that she was cold. So very very cold. Her breath left her and turned to crystals, as she shivered a little. Why didn't the cold bother her that much? Because he was there. That was the answer. He was there - and she had no need to complain about the cold.

"So? What should we do? I know there is a cocoa vendor nearby..." She whispered as her breathing took on an even pace. A soft and normal pace.
 
It was only as he became aware of Winter's uneven breathing that he realized his was just as shallow; he quietly reminded himself that both humans and elves had a need to breathe and that he would do well to ease up a little sooner next time, lest they both end up unconscious from refusal to stop kissing. Unlike Winter, however, Bernard didn't really feel the cold - he had adapted to it long ago, though not all elves had. Especially not the ones in the California sector.

Without hesitation, he shrugged off his jacket, slipping it around Winter's shoulders,

"Yeah, cocoa's a good idea - maybe we can get your hands warmed up a little,"
 
Winter released a long breath as she stared up at him. Hesitant to step away from him. She didn't want to leave his side, and she wasn't quite so sure why. Her breath left her in a rush as she closed her eyes and stepped back from him. Only to be stopped as his coat slowly slipped over her shoulders. The warmth of his jacket, the smell of him. It was odd, something heavily like christmas - and more then that it seemed further along then that. She frowned a little as her head tilted to the side. Her face turned into the coat as she listened to him. The scent of the shop he had come from. All sorts of scents covered that jacket. But it was Bernard - through and through.

"It's... ok... I can easily wait a little. It's not a problem to wait to get something warm in me. I want to still spend time out here with you." She said as she smiled up at him, her breath leaving her in a soft rush as she skated to the edge of the rink. The man on the zamboni was tipping his hat towards her. She frowned a little - and rather confused.
 
Bernard eyed the guy manning the Zamboni with justified suspicion before turning his sights back to Winter,

"We'll spend time together with you getting warmed up, how about that?" Bernard said, following after her as she moved to the edge of the rink; the last thing he wanted was for Winter to end up with frostbite from the cold, and judging by how her fingers had felt, she could use something to warm them up.
 
Winter sighed and smiled at him. "Alright, alright." She said as she skated to the edge with him. Taking her blades off of her boots, and then stuffing them into a offered bag by one of the people. "Alright, back to my place then." She said as she smiled at him. Stopping for a moment to put her fingers on his cheek. She blushed darkly and then started to run, giggling faintly. Perhaps going back out to play in the snow, was a wonderful idea. But he was right, she needed some cocoa at this point.

She hummed faintly as she ran, blue eyes cast backwards at points to see how far behind her he happened to be. She just wanted to keep track of him, even if he got right up next to her.
 
Bernard gave a little smile as she succumbed to his gentle nagging; admittedly, he was briefly distracted by watching Winter remove her skates, his eyes once again drawn to the sparkling, whirling patterns on her tights - though he found himself less and less capable of convincing himself it was just the pattern he was distracted by.

When she started to run, Bernard froze only for an instant as his mind figured out exactly what was happening, and then he moved to chase after her, realizing only too late that he was still wearing ice-skates. For what he was sure was the third time just that evening, Bernard the Head Elf did a glorious face-plant as the skates caught up in the rubber matting outside of the rink, skidded, and sent him sprawling backwards over a chair and nearly knocking over one of the rink employees.

It was a good thing Bernard had a strict no-swearing policy right then, because the temptation had been strong.

Moments later and the Zamboni driver was leaning over him, looking mildly concerned,

"Geez, you okay, Bernard?"

Bernard stared at Cupid. Cupid stared back.

"Are you guys spying on me?" Bernard asked.

"Think of it more like 'rooting for you'." Cupid replied, offering the elf a hand.
 
Winter realized pretty quickly he wasn't following. She stopped and ran back after him. Blinking rapidly as she heard the man talking to Bernard. She was stopped by the thought of his words, staring at the man. Then connecting a few things together from earlier. Her eyebrows furrowed a little as she put her hands on her hips. A rather, Bernard like tone in her voice. "Excuse me sir, but I think I have some right in knowing what's going on." She stated firmly. A harsh look in her eyes. Was this all planned, the emotions between her and Bernard, she was part of it - and she should know what was going on.

"This is my life too, and if this has all been a setup, I jingling think you better tell me. Because there isn't an Icicles chance in the Bermuda that I'm letting you get away without your diaper in a twist." She snapped.
 
Cupid's eyebrows shot up at the sound of Winter's voice behind him and he turned, regarding Winter with a healthy sort of mild fear; women, he had learned, could be incredibly frightening when incensed - he had spent enough time around Mother Nature to know.

"A set-up?" Cupid repeated, briefly astonished by Winter's fury, "No. I mean - I wasn't involved in this, if that's what you're asking. I didn't, you know. Do my thing, or influence any of this. Everything that's happening is just a result of your letter, Winter - Santa sent Bernard as your answer."

Bernard, who was still getting his balance back, looked mildly concerned; at some point his beret had come off, and his curly hair stuck out at odd angles.

"And," Cupid said gently, "Frankly, I think this was the big guy's way of trying to do something for Bernard, too. I mean, no offense, but if there's anything i've learned from doing my job for as long as I have, it's how to recognize people who need eachother. And you know, sometimes it takes a bit of a push to get people in the right direction, but - I think you guys can already see, without anyone's help, that you've found something special here."

There was a brief pause before he added:

"So please don't hurt me."
 
Winter's arms crossed over her chest, eyes going as cold as the ice in the North Pole. Her eyes remained like that as she listened to the man talking, and her head tilted up a little higher. A low sound leaving her as she snorted faintly. He was babbling and trying to distract her, so she got the gist of it. "Look, I know that you all want to see him happy - but being around is only going to look suspicious. You have your own holiday to get ready for. I don't need any of your arrows, and neither does Bernard." She stated as she continued. Anger sometimes made people do the funniest of things.

"I really like Bernard, alright. It was difficult enough believe at first, that he was going to be leaving after the Holidays. But we fixed that part, I think I may even love him. But I think the Legendary figures, or whatever you call yourselves... have had enough influence. No offense but your arrows don't have a good track record. And many of the other figures though powerful - have issues of their own. They need to focus on themselves and what they are worried about, and let Bernard worry about Bernard... and me worry about me." She stated as she kept her arms across her chest. Of course this perked them up rather nicely, and the anger ended up creating a cold fire in her eyes.

Probably something terrifying, and altogether arousing for the male elf.
 
Cupid was holding his hands up in front of him, palms facing Winter, partly as a sign of being passive and partly as protection,

"I'm not here to interfere with anything," Cupid said as kindly as he could, "None of us are. Honest. And besides that, my arrows don't work on Bernard."

Bernard's eyebrows dipped downwards, confusion clear on his face.

"How do you know that?" he asked.

Cupid looked sheepish,

"That's not important."

Bernard's confusion switched to a look of alarm.

"My point is," Cupid said, "None of us are trying to influence anything - trust me, you guys don't need it. We're - uh. We're kind of here because Santa asked us to be, alright? And, ah geez, please don't be offended here, Bernard, it's just - well. Santa was kind of worried about you, it's been a while since you've been outside the Shoppe, you know?"

The look of alarm switched back to confusion.

"Wait, Santa sent you guys to make sure I didn't, what, get lost or something?"

"More like - he wanted to make sure things were okay. I guess he wanted to know he was doing something that was good for both of you." Cupid said weakly, "But I get it Winter, I do. We'll back down."

There was a long pause, and then Bernard did a double-take, looking at Winter as though everything had just caught up with him.

"Wait, you might love me?" he asked, eyebrows jumping up, a stupid little smile creeping across his face.
 
Wnter's anger slowly faded as she listened to the man speaking. "I appreciate you trying to help him, but Bernard's a big boy... It just kinda felt like... my happiness had been set up in some way..." The female said then as her cheeks brightly colored with a blush. Her teeth catching her lower lip as she blushed even darker. "Oh Jingle Bells, I'm sorry Cupid... I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings..." She said as she pressed her palm to her lips and blushed even darker.

She seemed to do a lot of that around Bernard. She stopped as she looked towards Bernard, as he finally asked his question. Her cheeks darkening as much as they could. Her hands flying over her lips. Her breath picking up as she squeaked faintly. "Yes..."
 
Cupid rubbed awkwardly at the back of his neck, offering a little smile,

"Hey, no, it's alright." he said, waving it off, and taking a few steps back, "But, uh, I can see this conversation is going somewhere, so I'm just going to let you two - you know, have a bit of privacy."

Bernard, meanwhile, was staring at Winter - she had gone vaguely scarlet with embarrassment, and he couldn't seem to immediately find words; he glanced over to where Cupid had been, only to find that he had dissappeared entirely.

"I hate when they do that." Bernard said, turning his eyes back to Winter; he reached out and took her hand, gently lowering it from where she had been covering her mouth and he offered a lopsided little smile that was somehow different than all of the others had been; though it was just as warm, there was something extremely playful about it,

"Come on. Let's go get you warmed up."
 
Winter blinked rapidly as the man vanished. Staring ahead at the dark haired male that was staring at her. His hand came and took her own, and she slowly felt the blush leave her cheeks. "Ok..." She whispered softly as she stepped towards him. Glad for the warmth of his palm within her own. Her eyes closed partially as she released a long sigh. Her eyes closing now as she shook a little. Laughing mostly to herself, and at the situation that had happened. She was utterly exhausted from the whole ordeal.

She opened her eyes again and started to walk then, her palm in his. Firm and warm, he was keeping her from falling apart it seemed. "Yeah... let's get back to the house..." She whispered softly as she shivered a little. Snow was falling again, small flecks of white falling from the sky and making it like a winter wonderland for them. It was - nice.
 
The two of them would walk in silence for several long minutes, holding hands in the snowfall, before Bernard spoke again:

"I'd really like to know how he's sure his arrows don't work on me." He said, voice somewhere between amusement and concern; after a moment, he shrugged it off,

"The only important part," Bernard added, offering Winter another of those impish-looking smiles, "Is that they don't work. So you can know, Winter, without any doubt in your mind, that what I feel for you is genuine."
 
Winter walked with him, her hand in his and her heart beating rapidly. She was still nervous from what she had said earlier, it was still causing an effect to rush through her body. It was odd, to say in the least. She had never felt like this before. Sure, she had a kiddy crush on Charlie at one point. But they were just friends in the end. Nothing would ever come of something like that, she lacked what he was looking for. Plus, her parents and his really didn't get along.

She turned her head a little when Bernard spoke again, her eyes widening a little and her head tilting down now. That blush crept across her cheeks again as she smiled. "Perhaps cupids arrows can't work on you because you are protected by the place you reside in?" She commented as she bit her lip a little and chuckled. "As for the feelings, I'm glad. What will we be doing though, will I be going with you? Or how will we make things work?" She asked him gently.
 
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