By the end of the day, Y/n was on top of the game, she had her agenda filled out and gave everyone tasks that had to be done by the end of the day. She was cutting it close but if everyone helped then orders and deliveries could get done. The agenda was working like a charm, as for Bernard, he had never been more absentminded and forgetful. He had been like this ever since he started having feelings toward Y/n that he kept trying to brush away. The day was finally over leaving Y/n a little time to find Bernard to talk to him.
"What's up with you?" Curtis asked as he saw his bossy companion completely distraught. "You're acting weird," the 900-year-old elf said as he studied his friend.
"I'm fine," Bernard stated as he finished up his paperwork, "don't you have somewhere you need to be?" he asked annoyed as he finished up a day's work.
But before he could even answer there was a knock at the office door. "I'll get it," Curtis announced as he made his way to the front door. Bernard was more than happy to be left alone in his misery, that was until he heard Y/n's voice.
"I'm looking for Santa's head elf, is he here?" Y/n asked at the door. Bernard's eyes widened at the thought of Y/n, she wanted to see him, to talk to him, but why?
Curtis looked back to see Bernard motioning a 'no' statement. "He's just in the back," Curtis announced as he looked back at a furious Bernard, "he'll be with you in a minute, Oh Bernard!" Curtis sang out in a low tone so that Y/n couldn't hear him, "Your girlfriend's here to see you!" He wanted nothing more than to kill Curtis, but at the same time, he was secretly happy to see her. Bernard made his way to the door covering his happiness with his usual grumpy face.
"Hi," Y/n said in a soft voice, Bernard couldn't help but look at her, he thought she was pretty. With him being so busy as head elf and her working as the top baker it was no wonder that they never spoke to each other. They didn't exactly run around in the same circles. Bernard snapped out of his thoughts and tried his best to focus on what Y/n had to say. "I just wanted to apologize about before, I was being rude and I'm sorry," Y/n announced, it was as if she prepared that little speech in her mind over and over again.
Bernard was hooked, he wanted nothing more than to be with Y/n. He had never felt that way ever before and that's why he knew it had to end here. He was Santa's head elf for a reason; because he had no distractions. Nothing ever bothered Brendard and the only way for that to work was if he didn't care.
"You want me to apologize as well?" Bernard asked with an icy exterior.
"Well, no- not if you don't want to," Y/n said honestly as she placed her hands behind her back.
"Because I wasn't going to," Bernard said while leaning against the door.
"Good to know," Y/n declared regretting even apologizing to him, how could someone be so miserable?
"So is that all?" Bernard asked brushing her off.
"Yes," Y/n said annoyed.
"Good," He huffed wanting to close the door.
"Fine!" Y/n spoke out raising her voice.
"Fine!" Bernard shot back. And with that, he slammed the door leaving Y/n to feel horrible.
Bernard stared at the door feeling guilty that he had pushed Y/n away, he was feeling beyond confused. He turned his face to see Curtis who witnessed the whole thing.
"You like her?!" Curtis declared as he read Bernard's face, "A lot by the looks of it!"
"I do not!" Bernard defended himself as he grabbed his coat annoyed.
"You do, you like the head baker- I can see it on your face!" Curtis proclaimed making the groundbreaking discovery. "What made her so mad? Is it something you said?"
"I don't know Curtis and I don't care," Bernard said as he grabbed his bag and put on his coat, "I don't even know her name!"
"I do," Curtis said in a mischievous voice.
Bernard froze, he wanted to know what her name was but didn't want to ask this know-it-all colleague. Bernard stayed silent as he fixed his coat.
"It's Y/n," Curtis said devilishly, "Bernard and Y/n sitting in Santa's sled, k-i-s-s-i-n-"
"Keep it up and I'll demote you to reindeer stables, capiche?" Bernard asked annoyed.
"Capiche," Curtis surrendered with a bright smile on his face.
That night Y/n went home to her snowy cabin in complete fury, 'he slammed the door in my face!' She thought to herself as she got ready for bed. 'Even after I apologized?! He was the one being rude!' Y/n couldn't believe how someone so important to Santa could be such a rude elf. That night Y/n went to bed with so much hatred toward Bernard that she could explode. Two things were for sure, 1: Y/n was never going to fall behind on her work ever again, and 2: Y/n could never like someone as disrespectful as Bernard.
The next morning Y/n woke up and put ribbons in her curly elf hair. She then got dressed in her favourite working dress along with an apron. Well rested she was ready to take on the day with a spring in her step, she had no time to feel sorry for herself.
Bernard on the other hand a restless night. He tossed and turned at the thought of himself falling in love, he was taking this way harder than he should have. Throwing a heavy pillow over his head he closed his eyes and tried to think of nothing, but every time he tried his mind was racing. By the time he woke up, he looked like a complete mess.
"Yikes," Curtis said as he saw Bernard walk into Santa's office, "what happened to you? Bad night?"
But before Bernard could say anything Scott walked in clasping his hands. "Alright guys, I need a big favour to ask you!" Bernard and Curtis shared a look of anticipation. " how would you guys feel about lending a helping hand?" He asked with a jolly smile.
"That depends, where?" Bernard said raising an eyebrow.
"The Kitchen!" Scott said concocting a plan.
❄️
With the help of Y/n's new agenda, her morning was going as smoothly as icing on a sugar cookie. She made sure to give everyone a task and was preparing orders for around the world, plus the cafés, and last but not least the workshop. Even with the new agenda they were still a little bit behind on elf-power in the kitchen. What she would need is a couple of more baking recruits. Soon the morning slipped away from her and it was already noon, she remembered she had plans to meet up with Judy at a nearby café for some lunch. Grabbing her coat and bag Y/n made her way through the freshly fallen snow to one of the North Pole's café.
She took a seat outside, ordering two cocoas. Not long after Judy showed up with a smile. The girls had their lunch and drank their cocoa chatting about everything and anything. "So you gotta boyfriend?" Y/n asked taking a sip out of her hot cocoa.
"I'm seeing someone in wrapping," Judy smiled, "what about you?" She asked leaning in.
"No," Y/n said bashfully as she rested her cup on the table.
"What about the head elf who was supposed to help you the other day," Judy asked raising her eyebrows.
"Bernard?!" Y/n said choking on her own words, "Absolutely not!"
Judy smiled as she sat back in her chair, "I'm just saying, I saw something in your eyes when I mentioned him."
"Ya," Y/n huffed as she leaned in closer, "that look was anger."
"No," Judy said cutting her off, "it was something else." Y/n jokingly rolled her eyes as she took one last final sip from her cocoa.
"He's cute, don't you think?" Judy asked the baker elf, causing her to look up unexpectedly.
"I- didn't notice," Y/n announced brushing it off, "I only saw him once-"
"But you do think he's good looking right?" the long-haired elf asked once again.
"I guess so," Y/n finally started thinking back on the bossy elf, "he does have nice eyes, and he's taller than most elves." Y/n became lost in thought of the grumpy brown-eyed elf.
"Oh hi Bernard," Judy said raising her her gaze.
"WHAT?!" Y/n shouted embarrassingly as she spun her head around, only to find no one near, turning around she couldn't help but laugh out of her own embarrassment.
Judy gave out a little giggle, "I'm only kidding Y/n," she reassured her friend, "but seriously there's more to Bernard than meets the eye," Judy explained with a soft smile.
Y/n stayed silent for a moment, just then the work bell chimed. "Ugh I gotta go," Y/n announced gathering up all her things.
"Same time tomorrow?" Judy asked looking up at her.
"Sure thing," Y/n said with a smile, she was glad to have made a new friend like Judy.
Departing the café she made her way to the baker's kitchen ready to work. She grabbed her curly elf hair and tied it up in a ponytail along with putting on her apron over her pretty dress.
"Y/n!" She heard one of her colleagues call out to her.
"Yes?" she asked as she made a bow on the back of her apron.
"Santa sent over some extra workers to help us!" the elf said leading her to the kitchen, "isn't it great?"
"That's- perfect actually!" Y/n said wholeheartedly as she made her way into the kitchen, only to see Bernard with his sleeves rolled up hard at work at her station.
"You've gotta be kidding me..."