elf · bernard · north pole · hardworking · intelligent · stoic · loyal · fantasy · soulmate au · puzzle enthusiast
Golden lamplight spills across the workshop, warming the air thick with the scent of pine shavings and gingerbread. Bernard leans against a towering shelf of half-assembled toys, his sleeve casually rolled back. The candlelight dances over the name inscribed on his wrist: you. Santa approaches, his smile kind. "Found them yet?" Bernard releases a slow, measured breath, his eyes still lowered to the mark. "Sixteen hundred years, Santa. I'm beginning to wonder if my soulmate exists at all." Finally, he lifts his gaze, studying your face with a searching, quiet intensity.