❄11
Noel's POV
A fine dust of crystalline ice lines the ground, breaking with a crack every time I take a step.
Glancing up beside me at Elsa, I look away quickly, her beauty and sheer aura making me feel self-conscious.
For a while, we don’t say anything to one another, the only sound being our footsteps.
It was still early morning, the rays of early dawn just barely peeping out from the cracks in the bare trees surrounding us.
“Do you love him?” Elsa suddenly asks me, tilting her face up to look up at me.
I stare at her, her abrupt question catching me off guard. “Well, um-I mean, it’s been so little time and-“
I falter off in my words, the weight of her words sinking down to settle in the pit of my stomach.
Love.
Love was a funny thing.
“I-i-“ I stutter, trying to form my words. How could I tell her how all these weeks went by?
How do I tell her how much I loved the way Clyde smiled- the cheeky lopsided smirk on his face whenever he knew he was going to win a bet… how could I tell her about how stupid Clyde was in moments- his spontaneity lighting a blaze of fire that I had seemed to forgotten. How could I tell her about how his red hoodie and brazen grin were some of the things I had etched-burned-into the back mind. how his eyes lit up like fragile crystal ice- how he said my name-
Maybe there would be no way for me to sum up everything I felt for Clyde in words.
This winter-everything we did- it would forever lie buried deep within the hidden crevices within my heart.
To speak of it- to try and describe everything I felt- it would be a dismal injustice to Clyde because he was more than just the phrase I had a great time.
So instead of saying anything, I look at Elsa and smile shyly, hoping that would suffice for her.
Luckily, Elsa was a smart women-a strong one at that- and she seemed to know exactly what I was feeling and my reluctance to speak of it.
In response, a big smile grows on her lips, a look of approval shining bright in her azure tinted eyes.
We walk the rest of the way back to the winter quarters in a comfortable silence, the unspoken understanding resting between us.
This wasn’t the end- not by a long shot.
~*~
“-Thank you for your stay, you are doing the right thing,” the counsel women sugar coats.
I don’t even force a polite smile, the sinking feeling in my stomach churning all the while as I shake her outstretched hand.
It felt like some sick nightmare, being in the counsel room again- surrounded by the people that reminded me why I was leaving.
The only eyes that I really wanted to see right now though, was Clyde.
Clyde stands off in a distance, on the side of the counsel, leaving me to face them by myself.
When I try and catch his eyes, he avoids me, his eyes staring at his converses. His hands are shoved into the pockets of his infamous red jacket, his black hair as messy as it always was.
“So I guess this is goodbye,” I force through my teeth, boring a hole into Clyde’s body with my stare.
My palms are clammy, my inhale lodged deep within my rib cage, waiting-
Clyde looks up, his azure eyes the same but the hardness in them hitting me full force.
A feeling of raging despair and betrayal fills my body and I find myself straightening, staring at him full on-daring him to continue his coldness.
Clyde
I still didn’t really know how the mind link though but as I say the words in my mind- I really hope Clyde can hear me.
-But I doubt it, because nothing feels different.
So this is it?
I search Clyde’s face for the slightest change in his cold expression but it doesn’t give.
Instead of continuing to feel angry though, a sense of finality begins to settle in, the overwhelming gap between us seeming even wider than before.
The only thing that can come to my mind right now though, is serendipity.
“When you find your serendipity,” my father had once told me. “Hold on tight because that will be the best love you’ll ever find.”
At the time, I thought it was gibberish, the concept of love to far to grasp in my six-year-old mind.
But as I look Clyde in the eyes, every laugh, smile and touch racing through the pulse of my body, I don’t think I’ve ever heard my father’s words more clearly.
So much for holding on…
Clyde swallows hard and I run my eyes over his handsome face one last time.
“I love you,” I whisper quietly, ignoring everybody but the boy in front of me. with one last smile, I turn on my heel and walk away.
You’re my serendipity.
I wasn’t looking for you.
I wasn’t expecting you.
But I’m very lucky I met you.
~*~
Clyde POV
There is a distinct roaring filling my ears, the frivolous babble of the counsel behind me never ceasing.
I stare at the door, long after it’s been closed.
Her voice still bounces around in my head, the 3 simple words never seeming to stick until now.
My throat tightens, the muscles tight as I hear someone mention my name.
“-We have everything planned, you’ll have a marvelous time and-“
“You have a meeting today with-“
“Well done, you kept your cool and-“
The counsel talks over each other, their call for attention failing.
The moment I take the first step, I know that I can’t keep it up anymore. Hitting the ground running, I know I have only a two/three second window to get out before they pull me back
I hear shouts of protest behind me, their surprise and realization quickly turning into outrage as I slam through the doors.
I hit the top of the stairs in less than a second flat, already hearing people chasing me.
Flying down the stairs and leaving a trail of ice behind me, I know that I’ve potentially ruined everything-the plans, the future, the certainty….
But I didn’t want any of it-not without Noel.
I was in love with the way her fingers gently trailed over the Christmas ornaments, the way she snorted when she found something particularly funny- all these little details added up to one gapping hole and I wasn’t going to let her slip from my fingers, not like this.
You caused her pain, the voice in the back of my head rings.
I ignore all of it, slamming out of the house door to hit the ice in the run of my life.
The only things I could pray were that I would reach her on time and that she would somehow mean the parting words she had said to me.
Because I was in love with her- in love with her stupid impulsiveness and her quick temper, how quickly she got offended-
I was in love with all of her.
~*~
Noel POV
“You don’t talk much, do you?” I ask, trying to start the conversation with the stone faced man walking ahead of me.
He doesn’t even glance back to acknowledge me.
We’ve been walking for sometime already and the two men escorting me haven’t done anything to even seem remotely interesting.
I huff in annoyance, gently placing my hand on the neck of the reindeer beside me.
These past weeks have been so weird already, I wasn’t even surprised when they brought out a reindeer-bells and furry cuteness bundled into one thing.
“Even though you can’t talk, you make better company than them,” I say quietly to the reindeer, nodding to the men in front of me.
Pulling my borrowed jacket closer to me, the smell of peppermint and cinnamon hits me with an overwhelmingly strong ache.
“He didn’t even say goodbye,” I mutter quietly, playing with the reindeer’s fur.
The reindeer emits a puff of air from its nostril, stamping the snow with its foot a bit before continuing to walk.
I was going to take that as a sign of sympathy.
“Why are guys so stupid? I mean, being cold and distant won’t help anyone…” I trail off, still speaking to Cinnamon (the reindeer’s new name).
Scrunching my nose together in annoyance, I hold on tighter to Cinnamon.
“Well it’s a good thing you’re nothing like them, right Cinnamon?,’ I coo.
One of his eyes rolls back to the side as if to give me a look translating to ‘you funny kid’.
I laugh softly, playing with the thin string of bells attached to his neck collar.
Cinnamon snorts-emitting another puff of air- before trudging forward a little bit faster.
I frown, pouting. “You’re leaving me too?”
“Hey, lady!” I hear a familiar voice call out from some distance behind me.
I freeze, my muscles coiling, his voice like a wave of pure nostalgia. There was only one person who called me that the first time we met and that was-
I whip around so fast something in my neck muscle clinches painfully but I hardly pay attention to this fact because the moment I turn around, I feel something cold slam into my face.
Stumbling back in surprise with an oof, I paw at my face to try and dispel the wet ice now dripping off my face.
There, standing a couple of feet away, in all his glory is none other than the next Santa Clause himself.
Too much in shock, I just stare at him, a strange choked out noise coming out of my throat.
His bright, azure eyes stare back at me mischievously, the vibrant emotion in them a stark contract to the cold, dull ones I saw earlier.
“Reindeers aren’t very friendly creatures, you’re lucky you still have your hand,” Clyde tells me nonchalantly, nodding to Cinnamon beside me.
So he saw that little exchange I had with cinnamon earlier…
I pick myself up out of the snow, narrowing my eyes.
“What are you doing here?” surprisingly, my voice comes out steadier than I feel.
Clyde’s smile drops a little, his eyes focused on a point behind me.
“Give me ten minutes, I don’t want to cause a scene so just do as I say,” Clyde says.
I turn around to see the two men escorting me nod briefly before entering the dense thicket of trees.
Now, it was just Clyde, Cinnamon and i.
Clyde gives a pointed look in the direction of Cinnamon, the amusement in his eyes never leaving.
“Um no,” I say, holding on Cinnamon. “You stay here buddy.”
Clyde quirks an eyebrow, a challenging smile playing on his soft lips.
Cinnamon seems to huff, prancing restlessly from one foot to another.
“I’ll give you an entire bag of sugar cookies and carrots,” Clyde persuades lowly, enticing Cinnamon to leave.
Cinnamon stands still for a moment and I feel a sense of relief that maybe he’ll stay and won’t leave me alone with Clyde.
-but that relief lasts for only about two seconds because the next thing I know, Cinnamon begins to walk away.
“Hey!” I hiss. “Wait!”
Desperately trying to latch myself onto Cinnamon, I swear I see him roll his eyes before easily escaping my hold to disappear into the-you guessed it-forest.
Cursing lowly at the thicket of trees that barrier Clyde and I off into a secluded atmosphere, I look up to see Clyde staring at me, the light amusement fading off his face.
His eyes soften, strands of messy hair ruffling in the cold draft running through the trees.
My heart takes off into an unhealthy speed, the look in his eyes making my feelings of longing arise again.
“Aren’t you going to get in trouble?” I ask, my voice wavering.
Clyde shrugs, the tense atmosphere between us not hostile but more constrained….almost as if both of us still had things that we weren’t saying.
I love him-
And standing here-feet away from him, both of us just staring at each other- that one true thing overwhelms me.
I am in love and I’ve only known him for a couple of weeks. We came from different worlds-
“What about the counsel? Your duties? The girl they have for you?-” I question, firing off all the reasons why we wouldn’t-couldn’t work.
“-Screw them all,” Clyde exhales, the sheer determination in his eyes never wavering as he crosses the distance between us in a few steps.
Slipping his hands up my neck, Clyde tilts my face up to crash his lips down onto mine.
Electricity shoots down my body, all the way to my toes as he kisses me.
Pressing myself closer to him, the feel of his cold hands on my flushed skin sending a rush of exhilaration through me, the voices in the back of my head ceases to a low hum.
-and just like that, the tension was gone. This, is what Clyde was waiting to do and this, was what I was trying to delay.
All the determination to move on when I left the castle escaped me the moment Clyde chased after me because I missed him-
And as desperately shallow and nieve it seems for me to say that I love him with all the assured hope that we’ll never part, I can’t deny the fact that I feel like crap without him.
“Is this your way of proving you loyalty to me?” I ask breathlessly, breaking briefly from the kiss.
Clyde chuckles- the sound low and enticing- as he kisses the tip of my nose.
“Is it working?”
I smile, playing with the zipper of his red jacket. “I don’t know how I feel about a creepy Santa Clause kissing me though.” I tease.
Clyde rolls his eyes, lowering his head so our foreheads are pressed together, the sincerity in his eyes making my breath falter in my throat.
“You’re going to have to get used to it, because this isn’t goodbye,” he tells me softly, his thumbs brushing a delicate path down my cheeks.
“You might have a bit of competition with Cinnamon though,” I laugh quietly.
Clyde laughs loudly, wrapping his arms around me in a tight embrace.
“He’s got nothing on me,” Clyde response confidently.
I smile, burying my face into his chest.
He was right. Nobody could smile or laugh like Clyde did. He was irreplaceable-as weird as it will be for me to adjust to the whole Santa Clause idea.
It’s only the Santa Clause act, remember? I don’t actually have a beard and rolls of fat.
I roll my eyes, his voice entering my head again.
Oh, so now you hear me.
~*~
A/N- THIS IS NOT THE END. I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT THE END :) with that said, i think there may be like one or two chapters left so yeah :) How did you like this chapter? i know some parts may seem a little cheesy but come on guys, humor me a little ;p Did anyone catch how Clyde catches Noel's attention by calling her 'lady' and then throwing a snowball at her? if you recall, Noel threw the first snowball at Clyde when they first met so it seemed only fitting to have some payback lol.
i sincerely hope you enjoy this story, i've honestly had the greatest time with this story. You guys are all amazing <3
Just for furutre references, after this story is done, i will focus on 'My Hired Boyfriend' (first and foremost) and then update 'Just keep Swimming' (my spring and summer novel) and 'The Night Vigilante'(my superhero novel). MHB is humor/romance/drama-ish, JKS is going to be more light and short (like this story) and TNV is going to be action and romance hehe.
Ciao lovelies! <3 (don't forget to comment and vote!)