Winter Dream (Bernard the Elf x Reader)

Chapter 32- Written in the Stars

I sighed as I arrived at the front door of Bernard and my cottage at the end of the day. I already was completely exhausted by the day's event's before the emergency council meeting, but that meeting amplified my exhaustion by 100%. It was already pitch black outside, making me hardly visible as I opened the door and entered our home.

Bernard was tending to the fire in the living room, and although he couldn't see my face due to the room being dimly lit by only the fire and our Christmas tree, he instantly knew something was disturbing me.

He came to me as I half-heartedly kicked off my boots, not even bothering to neatly place them by the door. He didn't say anything for a moment and only stared at my face, barely visible due to the lack of light. "Do you want to sit down?" He softly questioned after a moment.

"That sounds nice." I wearily spoke.

Gently, he took my hand and lead me into the living room. He sat down on the plush red couch in front of the fireplace and I seated myself beside him. I leaned into my husband and pulled my legs onto the couch as I did so. Bernard's arm wrapped around me, and I snuggled closer to him, breathing in his sweet gingerbread smell. We both watched the fire crackling before us, entranced by the flames that danced together. Finally, I let out a soft sigh. "My dad is going to let Jack Frost stay at the Pole and do community service for the next few weeks..."

I felt Bernard tense up at the mention of the icy trickster's name. "What? Why?"

"Jack was going to get suspended from the Council of Legendary Figures because of all the stunts he's been pulling these past few weeks trying to assume my Dad's job as Santa. He managed to convince Dad to give him a chance to redeem himself." I frowned, worry filling the pit of my stomach the more I thought of the situation.

I noticed Bernard's hand clenched into a fist as he heard me talk. "That icy son of a nutcracker...why would Santa allow that?"

"He doesn't..." I trailed off "He doesn't know that Jack has been hitting on me."

"He doesn't know!?" Bernard exclaimed. "Why wouldn't you tell your Dad about that, (Yn)?!"

"You've seen how strict he is! I don't want him to think that I can't take care of myself or start to think that he needs to become any more protective of me than he is already." It was true. When I first met Jack Frost a few months after moving to the North Pole with Dad, it didn't take him long to begin flirting with me when nobody was around, even though he knew I was in a relationship with Bernard. Whenever he came to the Pole for a council meeting (Which was rare because he hardly showed up to meetings at all), he would always hit on me and he would insult and mock Bernard, which ticked me off more than anything. Once, Jack even froze my feet to the ground in an attempt to kiss me. Luckily, I was able to use my magic to blast him away, but I never told my Dad about Jack Frost's antics. Dad had always been extremely protective over me and I didn't want to give him any more reasons to believe that I couldn't protect myself. I only ever told Bernard about what he was doing, and Bernard despised Jack because of it.

Bernard sighed. "You have to tell him. That guy is despicable and based on the way he's been treating you, you shouldn't have to put up with him at all."

"You aren't going to tell Santa, are you?"

He shook his head. "I won't. That's for you to tell him. It should be your choice, not mine." He gently cupped my face with his hand and stared into my (ec) eyes. "But if you want my advice, I think you should go to your Dad. There's only so much I can do to protect you, Snow Angel. I'm just an elf. I can't keep you safe against the power of a legendary figure."

I looked at him, trying to give him the most confident look I could muster. "It'll be okay. I can handle him." I gently kissed his cheek. "And by the way, you're not 'just an elf.' You are so so so much more than that, my love."

Bernard sadly smiled. "Maybe in your eyes..."

I gently took his hand in my own and intertwined our fingers. "What's on your mind, B?"

"I'm just worried about the love of my life." He chuckled ever-so-slightly.

I gave him a skeptical look. "There's something else. I know there is."

"No there isn't"

"I've known you for twelve years, Bernard." I put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm literally your wife. I can tell when something's bugging you."

The head elf sheepishly scratched the back of his neck. "Okay fine, you win. I'm paranoid about Mrs. Claus's parents coming to the Pole. The more people who know about the S.O.S., the more likely it is that the secret will get out. There's the reason why the whole world can't learn that Santa Claus is real. His secrecy protects the magic of the North Pole."

"Believe me, I know..." I sighed. "But this is important to Carol. I think it's worth a shot if we're going to help her get out of this depressive state she's in. Sometimes you have to be willing to take risks for the people you love." I gave him a small smile, and Bernard gave me a look that showed me that he knew I was right.

Bernard softly smiled down at me and he sweetly kissed me on the lips. I slightly blushed as I leaned into his kiss, my arms wrapping around his neck. My fingers entangled themselves in Bernard's soft curls, and I could feel his lips curl into a smile as they did so. Even after twelve years, every kiss with Bernard felt like coming home. Our love for one another only seemed to evolve stronger with each passing day, and I never once felt doubt in my mind that we were meant to be together. Time proved that Bernard was my other half, and I was his.

No force could ever change what had been written in the stars.