anyone. “And I do too.”
Fannar finally looked at him. His cocky smirk, which usually took up residence on his face, was completely gone, instead replaced by a welcoming smile. And for the first time, Noel took it for what it was—something truthful and all for him.
“We’ll work it out?” Fannar asked.
“Yes. I’m probably going to be bad at it and screw up, but if you’re patient with me, we’ll work it out.”
“I can do that,” Fannar said. “I’ve been doing that.”
“I know. And I’m still going to finish my degree. I’m not coming home yet. You need to know, in case it changes your mind.”
“I figured. So it’ll be long distance for a little while. I’m willing to put in effort.”
“That’s… good. I am too. Obviously.” They stood there, grinning dopily at each other, and Noel didn’t know what else to say or where they were going to go from here. He shook his head, laughed, and held out his hand. “Hey, you mentioned going on an ice-skating date with me. Want to? Like, right now?”
Fannar took his hand and looked like he was considering it—not the date part exactly, but what the date entailed. “You didn’t bring any skates with you.”
“They rent them out.”
Fannar made a hilariously snobby face. “Skates other people have worn? Do you mind if I magic ice blades to the bottom of my boots? I promise the humans won’t notice.”
Noel rolled his eyes but smiled. “I’m sure they won’t. Whatever you want.”
Fannar ended up renting a pair of skates too, and he didn’t make any more complaints about it. They made their way to the river and started an easy pace down the trail. The ice was fairly smooth: a small Zamboni had been used to clear it for skaters, but given it was a natural body of water, it wasn’t frozen perfectly. Of course Noel caught one of the bumps and nearly fell flat on his face, but with a bit of breeze and Fannar catching his elbow, he managed to stay upright. Fannar swung around to face him.
“You know,” Fannar said, leaning in close. “I never thought I’d be happy about a North Pole Christmas Crisis of Santa Claus going missing. But if anything, it brought me back to you. In truth, I’m grateful for it.”
Noel laughed. “I wouldn’t ever want that either, but I should probably thank my dad for it. Just this one time.”
“Yes, you probably should.”
“Can we stop talking about my dad?”
Fannar frowned. “I know you’re trying to take a break from the Pole, but you can’t pretend it doesn’t exist. What are you, human?”
Noel grinned. “It’s not that. It’s this.”
He leaned forward and brushed his lips against Fannar’s. He pulled back quickly, heart pounding so loud he could hear it in his ears. It might be cold out, but inside his mittens, his palms were sweating. This was stupid. Fannar doesn’t want—Noel shouldn’t have—
“Oh.” Fannar’s surprised expression melted into something sweet. “I get it. No talking about…. Nothing. Let’s not talk about anything. There are much better things to do.”
“Like skating?” Noel smirked.
“Shut up, you. You’re not funny.”
“I’m grumpy funny. You said so yourself.”
Fannar didn’t bother answering. Instead he cupped Noel’s face in his cool hands, but the skin against skin was the right kind of warmth for Noel. Fannar pressed a firmer, longer kiss against Noel’s mouth. Their lips slotted together, and they shared warm breath. Fannar tasted like peppermint hot chocolate and snowflakes, and everything Noel wanted but had tried to ignore. He wouldn’t any longer.
When they broke the kiss, they didn’t start skating again, instead staying leaned against each other. Fannar nosed along Noel’s cheek, and Noel sighed happily.
Fannar pressed a kiss to Noel’s temple. “This is just how I wanted this to go.”
“What, our first kiss?” There was no way he was counting a kiss on his cheek as their first. Noel felt the nod against his
Fannar finally looked at him. His cocky smirk, which usually took up residence on his face, was completely gone, instead replaced by a welcoming smile. And for the first time, Noel took it for what it was—something truthful and all for him.
“We’ll work it out?” Fannar asked.
“Yes. I’m probably going to be bad at it and screw up, but if you’re patient with me, we’ll work it out.”
“I can do that,” Fannar said. “I’ve been doing that.”
“I know. And I’m still going to finish my degree. I’m not coming home yet. You need to know, in case it changes your mind.”
“I figured. So it’ll be long distance for a little while. I’m willing to put in effort.”
“That’s… good. I am too. Obviously.” They stood there, grinning dopily at each other, and Noel didn’t know what else to say or where they were going to go from here. He shook his head, laughed, and held out his hand. “Hey, you mentioned going on an ice-skating date with me. Want to? Like, right now?”
Fannar took his hand and looked like he was considering it—not the date part exactly, but what the date entailed. “You didn’t bring any skates with you.”
“They rent them out.”
Fannar made a hilariously snobby face. “Skates other people have worn? Do you mind if I magic ice blades to the bottom of my boots? I promise the humans won’t notice.”
Noel rolled his eyes but smiled. “I’m sure they won’t. Whatever you want.”
Fannar ended up renting a pair of skates too, and he didn’t make any more complaints about it. They made their way to the river and started an easy pace down the trail. The ice was fairly smooth: a small Zamboni had been used to clear it for skaters, but given it was a natural body of water, it wasn’t frozen perfectly. Of course Noel caught one of the bumps and nearly fell flat on his face, but with a bit of breeze and Fannar catching his elbow, he managed to stay upright. Fannar swung around to face him.
“You know,” Fannar said, leaning in close. “I never thought I’d be happy about a North Pole Christmas Crisis of Santa Claus going missing. But if anything, it brought me back to you. In truth, I’m grateful for it.”
Noel laughed. “I wouldn’t ever want that either, but I should probably thank my dad for it. Just this one time.”
“Yes, you probably should.”
“Can we stop talking about my dad?”
Fannar frowned. “I know you’re trying to take a break from the Pole, but you can’t pretend it doesn’t exist. What are you, human?”
Noel grinned. “It’s not that. It’s this.”
He leaned forward and brushed his lips against Fannar’s. He pulled back quickly, heart pounding so loud he could hear it in his ears. It might be cold out, but inside his mittens, his palms were sweating. This was stupid. Fannar doesn’t want—Noel shouldn’t have—
“Oh.” Fannar’s surprised expression melted into something sweet. “I get it. No talking about…. Nothing. Let’s not talk about anything. There are much better things to do.”
“Like skating?” Noel smirked.
“Shut up, you. You’re not funny.”
“I’m grumpy funny. You said so yourself.”
Fannar didn’t bother answering. Instead he cupped Noel’s face in his cool hands, but the skin against skin was the right kind of warmth for Noel. Fannar pressed a firmer, longer kiss against Noel’s mouth. Their lips slotted together, and they shared warm breath. Fannar tasted like peppermint hot chocolate and snowflakes, and everything Noel wanted but had tried to ignore. He wouldn’t any longer.
When they broke the kiss, they didn’t start skating again, instead staying leaned against each other. Fannar nosed along Noel’s cheek, and Noel sighed happily.
Fannar pressed a kiss to Noel’s temple. “This is just how I wanted this to go.”
“What, our first kiss?” There was no way he was counting a kiss on his cheek as their first. Noel felt the nod against his
Similar Books
