Noel didn’t know how long he’d been asleep when he was woken up by arguing. Jumping from the bed, he wasn’t surprised to find Tim still fast asleep. Carefully, he went out into the dimly lit hall toward the living room where all the commotion was taking place. He recognized one voice as Rudy’s but couldn’t place the second, gruff, more aggravated male voice.
“What were you thinking, Rudy? Do you realize they’re going to run a story about this in the morning paper? Word has already begun to spread. It’s going to be the Dasher scandal all over again, only much worse.”
“What was I supposed to do? Let them kill those two elves? Those toy soldiers were up to something, Jack. I could smell it.”
Jack? As in Jack Frost? He was here? Noel tiptoed closer and snuck a peek around the doorway. It was Jack Frost, and he looked furious. Noel had to admit, Rudy had some guts going up against the hardboiled elf. Jack Frost was huge, even bigger than Rudy, with pitch black hair and black eyes. There wasn’t an enchanted creature in the whole of the North Pole that didn’t fear Jack Frost. Next to Kringle and the Frost King, Jack was one of the most powerful enchanted creatures around.
“You should have called me. I would have put a stop to the story before it got off the ground.” Jack paced the room, running his fingers through his hair. “Now it’s too late.”
Rudy took a step closer to Jack, his voice calm and soothing. “You were busy working the Winter Wonderland case. I didn’t want to disturb you.”
“You know I would have dropped everything.” Jack let out a resigned sigh, his tone softening. “I always do.”
Noel felt a hand against his lower back and nearly jumped out of his skin. Sugar snaps! Tim’s blasted jitteriness was rubbing off on him. Speaking of, he looked over his shoulder and found Tim sleepily standing behind him.
“What’s going on?” Tim asked through a yawn, his hand still on Noel’s bare back.
“I don’t know,” Noel whispered hoarsely, feeling a tingle travelling up his spine. “Jack Frost is here, and he’s arguing with Rudy. Will you stop touching me?”
“Oh.” Tim quickly snatched his hand away, his face coloring. “Sorry.”
“Just go back to bed.” Noel tried not to grind his teeth when Tim completely ignored him, and instead of leaving, peered around Noel so he could get a look at the two bickering elves.
“Look, I know what this means, and I’m ready to face the consequences. To be honest…” Rudy took a step closer to Jack, his gaze meeting that of the larger elf. “I’m tired of hiding who I am, Jack.”
Noel figured it was Rudy’s friendship with Jack that was keeping him from being turned into an icicle. Rudy also didn’t seem the least bit intimidated by Jack, who appeared to be thinking hard on something.
“All right. Okay. If that’s what you want, you got it, but I’m going to be there with you.”
Rudy looked stunned. “Jack, you can’t. You could lose your post. What about your father? He’ll—”
Jack reached out and grabbed a hold of Rudy’s wrist, and before their very eyes, crushed his mouth to Rudy’s. Noel stood dumbstruck as the two most famous elves in the North Pole threw their arms around each other and kissed passionately. Holy holly berries, Jack and Rudy were… they were… together. Noel’s gaze landed on Tim, who looked as though he had just been hit by a sleigh, except his wide eyes weren’t on Rudy and Jack, they were on Noel.
“What?” Noel growled quietly, unable to keep silent under Tim’s penetrating gaze any longer. Tim shook his head and looked away, his cheeks flushed more than usual.
“Nothing, it’s just something Rudy said, that’s all.”
“You gonna share or just stand there like an idiot?”
“Don’t call me an idiot,” Tim snapped. “You’re the idiot.”
“You do realize I can fire you,” Noel warned, receiving a glare in response.
“Then do it already. If I wanted to be growled at all the time, I would have taken a job in customer service for the Department of Naughty Lists.”
“I’m not that bad.” Was he? Noel felt deeply insulted, but before either of them could say any more on the matter, Rudy interrupted.
“When you two are done acting like you’re back in Elf Elementary, I’d like you to come meet Jack.”
With a warning glare in Tim’s direction, Noel stalked into the living room with Tim on his heels. He stood back as Tim excitedly took Jack’s outstretched hand, acting like some swooning, ditzy sugarplum fairy.
“It’s an honor to meet you, sir. I’m Tim.”
“Tim, the honor is all mine. Your father was a brave toy soldier. It’s an absolute pleasure to meet his heir.”
“Wait, your father was a toy soldier?” Crabapples! Noel snapped his mouth shut as three pairs of eyes stared at him.
“Didn’t you notice his eyes?” Jack asked, studying him carefully.
“Of course I did,” Noel snapped. “I just found it hard to believe, that’s all. I mean… look at him.”
Tim shook his head and looked away, the hurt visible on his face.
Jack narrowed his gaze at Noel, his voice grave when he spoke. “Show some respect. And you are…?”
“This is Noel. Tim’s supervisor,” Rudy offered, leaning in to whisper something in Jack’s ear.
“Ah, I see.” Jack turned to Tim and gave him a pat on the shoulder. “Tim, it’s real late. Why don’t you go back to bed? We have a lot to discuss in the morning.”
Tim looked uncertain, but with a nod, he went off, leaving Noel to face Jack. The only reason Noel stuck around was because it was obvious Jack had something to say to him, and Noel wasn’t about to back down for anyone, not even the Prince of Frost. Rudy gave Jack’s cheek a kiss and left the room. It was just him and Jack. Fine.
Jack gave him a knowing look and took a seat on the couch, patting the cushion beside him. Reluctantly, Noel sat down. Not because Jack wanted him to, but because he just couldn’t be bothered to argue about it this late in the evening.
“Noel, let me give you a piece of advice.”
“Thanks, but I don’t remember asking for any,” Noel said gruffly.
“Well, here it is anyway. Lashing out isn’t going to make those feelings go away, and neither is making Tim pay for your fear and lack of self-confidence. You need to talk to him, tell him how you feel about him.”
There was no way in this snowy arctic land he was about to do what Jack was suggesting. “I don’t feel anything other than annoyance, and I sure as heck am not afraid of anything.”
“You’re in love with him.”
Noel’s heart slammed against his chest. “You’re nuts. Me? In love with that little mouse of an elf? Hardly. I hope you’re not charging me for this session, doc, because you couldn’t be more wrong.”
Jack smirked at him. “Now you’re hurting my feelings. Noel, it’s not his fault you’re broken, but if you play your cards right, maybe he can help put you back together. He has it in him, even if he doesn’t know it yet.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Noel fidgeted in his seat, doing his darnedest to avoid Jack’s eyes.
“You do know. Look, I understand you’re scared, and you’ve obviously been hurt before, but Tim is different, we both know that. I can see it in the color of his eyes, and you… you’ll just have to look deeper than most, but if you keep going the way you are, you’re going to lose him forever. Trust me, I’ve been there.”
“Because you’re the voice of experience? If it weren’t for whatever story they’re going to put in the papers tomorrow, you wouldn’t be standing up there with Rudy, who’s just as big a coward as you. I might have to hide what I am, but I don’t hide who I am. I’m especially not pretending to be some kind of hero.”
Jack leaned close, his eyes frosting over to white and the roots of his pitch-black hair starting to drain themselves of color. “Easy there, Noel. You don’t want to bring Rudy into this. We had our reasons for keeping our relationship a secre
t. What we do keeps this kingdom alive. There is no better pilot than Rudy, and if it weren’t for me, this city would have gone down the drain centuries ago after the Frost War. We couldn’t put our positions in jeopardy for something that isn’t anyone’s business anyhow.” He leaned back, his eyes and hair gradually returning to their former blackness. “It’s true, we have no choice but to reveal our relationship to the North Pole tomorrow, but if that’s what it takes to keep Rudy by my side, then so be it. If my father is foolish enough to sacrifice this city in the name of his archaic beliefs, then that’s his burden to bear, not mine, and I doubt that Kringle is going to dismiss Rudy three weeks before the big flight. Besides, Kringle has more important things to worry about than who his ace pilot is in love with.”
Noel shrugged. “I fail to see why I should care about any of this.”
“Yeah, I didn’t think that would do you much good.” Jack pursed his lips and got to his feet. “Just keep this in mind—the bitter cold that comes from your own heart can never compare to the warmth of having someone you love in your arms. It’s time to be brave, Noel. Whether or not you expose that bravery to the world is up to you. There’s only one elf it will matter to most.” With that, Jack left the room.
It was hard to tell how long Noel sat there thinking about nothing and everything. Why the holly had he followed Tim tonight? Because you felt guilty, that’s why. Darn it, he had to get out of here before things spiraled any further out of his control.
Chapter Four
Noel quietly let himself into the bedroom and turned on one of the small table lamps so he could look for his clothes. There were two dark armchairs with two sets of folded clothes, one on each side of the room. He headed over to one when movement to his side startled him.
“For the love of Kringle, Tim! Don’t sneak up on me.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to. What are you doing?”
“Leaving,” Noel grunted, feeling self-conscious with Tim watching him. “Do you mind?”
“Yes, I do mind. You can’t go out there. You’ll get yourself killed.” Tim’s concern only fueled Noel’s anger, and he gave Tim a shove away from him. Tim stumbled and fell back onto the mattress, his eyes wide as he stared at Noel.
“Why do you care what happens to me? You should be encouraging me to go. I make your life miserable at work, and, you said it yourself, no one cares about me. If I ended up at the bottom of the Yule River, you’d be happier.”
“That’s a terrible thing to say! I would never wish that on anyone, especially you. Of course I care about what happens to you, Noel.”
Noel froze, for the first time not knowing what to do. He turned to the one thing he was familiar with. Anger. “Don’t lie to me.”
“I’m not lying. You weren’t always like this. When we first met, you used to smile and talk to me. Now you just growl at me all the time. What did I do to make you so angry with me? What happened?”
“What happened? You happened, Tim. You with your singing, and offering me cookies, and smiling at me all the time, always being so damned patient, and helpful, and sweet when I’m being an absolute monster to you. Why? Why have you put up with it? Do you like it? Is it some sick game to you?” Noel was all but shouting now, and he hated it. Turning away from Tim and his bright eyes, he spun toward one of the armchairs. “Just forget it. I’m getting out of here.”
“Your clothes are on the red one,” Tim said softly, and with a grunt, Noel marched over and grabbed the clothes off the cushion, stiffening when he heard Tim say, “No, those are my clothes. The red one.”
Quickly he threw the clothes on the armchair and went to the other, aware of Tim’s silence.
“I didn’t hear you,” Noel muttered as he slipped into his pants. “Damn church mice are louder than you.” He heard Tim gasp, and Noel made the mistake of turning around, finding Tim staring at him. When the smaller elf next spoke, his voice was soft.
“That’s why you didn’t know I was a toy soldier’s son. You can’t see it, can you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Noel snatched up his shirt, and swiftly put it on.
“My eyes, you can’t tell what color they are because you… can’t see color.”
Noel paused halfway through buttoning his shirt and closed his eyes. He had to leave, just ignore the blasted elf and leave before things get any worse.
“And the cinnamon? Noel? You couldn’t smell it either, could you?”
Before Noel could stop himself, he climbed onto the bed and pushed Tim onto his back, straddling him and pinning his wrists up over his head with ease. His gaze raked over the disheveled young elf whose chest rose and fell rapidly, his breath nearly panting.
“You’re so blasted perfect, aren’t you? Your father was a toy soldier. Your eyes reflect the beauty and magic of the Northern Lights, beauty I can’t see, and, until now, I never cared about seeing. I can’t see color. I can’t smell anything, and I’m only half-enchanted because my father was a mortal. Are you happy now?” He sat back on his heels and covered his face with his hands. “I’m broken,” he whispered, fighting his hardest to rein in the grief he’d battled his whole life. What good was an enchanted creature whose world was filled with nothing but shades of gray? Who couldn’t smell or taste the flavors that inspired so much of their livelihood? All his life he’d pretended he was like everyone else, but he wasn’t. “Go ahead, say I disgust you.”
What was he doing? This wasn’t him. It was Tim doing this to him, messing with his head. “This is your fault.” He kept his eyes shut tight even when he felt Tim moving his hands away from his face.
“Noel, look at me.”
Reluctantly, Noel opened his eyes. Tim’s sweet, handsome face was inches away, looking at him with a warmth and kindness he hadn’t expected. His gaze was drawn to Tim’s mouth, and he ran a thumb over Tim’s bottom lip.
“Being different doesn’t make you broken, Noel. Look at me, I’m the smallest elf in all of the AAD. My father was a toy soldier, yet I have no discernible skills whatsoever. I might feel a little lost at times, but I’m not broken.”
“But you have the potential to be great. Jack is sure of it, and if anyone knows magic, it’s Jack. You can’t compare yourself to me, Tim. You’re… amazing. You deserve someone like Rudy, or Jack, not an outcast like me.”
“Are you saying that all this time you’ve… you’ve actually liked me?” Tim asked, gaping at him.
Unable to pick out the right words from the jumble swimming around in his head, all Noel could say was, “I’ll replace your suits.”
Tim gave him a small smile and nodded. “That’s okay. I can wait. I know things aren’t easy for you, Noel. I know you’re scared and angry, but you don’t have to face the world on your own, and, although your behavior upset me, you could never disgust me for being who you are.”
This was the last thing Noel had expected. What was he supposed to do? Was Tim telling him the truth? What if Tim really wasn’t disgusted by him? Noel’s gaze went to Tim’s newly exposed shoulder, and his hand moved of its own accord, pushing the robe farther down to reveal subtly defined muscles. Needing to see more, he gave the robe a rough tug, drawing a gasp from Tim and leaving him exposed from the waist up.
Noel leaned forward until his lips were inches away from Tim’s. He traced Tim’s smooth jawline with his finger, reveling in the way Tim shivered at his touch. His head insisted he get out of there, that he was an idiot for what he was about to do, but before he could pull away, Tim’s soft lips were on his. Tim melted beneath him, his mouth unlike anything Noel had ever experienced before.
Taste was difficult for Noel, but at times it almost felt as though that particular sense was heightened when it came to tastes, to sensations, and right now, he was dizzy with the overwhelming awareness Tim brought him. His whole body felt like it was catching fire from the inside out, from the tip of his toes to the top of his head. He was so startled by this new responsiveness, he was forced to pul
l back, his breathing heavy and his heart pounding in his ears. What just happened? He had never felt anything like that with anyone. It was as if there was a white light in him, spreading to the rest of his body.
Noel had never seen a more delicious sight, and, although he couldn’t see the color of Tim’s eyes, he could see the faint, steady pulsing glow from them. They were so beautiful, and as Tim sat in the middle of the bed looking utterly sensual, his lips swollen from their kiss, face sweetly flushed, breathing erratic, and the robe clutched to him in the most provocative of ways, Noel knew he was a goner. The icing on the cake was that Tim had absolutely no idea how tantalizing he looked.
“It’s all right, Noel,” Tim assured him softly, reaching out to touch his cheek. Noel couldn’t keep himself from flinching and, at the surprised expression on Tim’s face, he quickly got off Tim.
“I’m sorry. I just… We should get some sleep.”
“Noel…”
“Please, Tim.” Noel lay down, curled up on his side, and stiffened when he felt Tim lie down behind him, snuggling close.
“You won’t leave in the middle of the night, will you?”
Noel took a deep breath, telling himself he was better off out there on his own than here with Tim and whatever that had been. “I won’t leave.”
“Can I put my arm around you?”
“All right.” Noel closed his eyes and braced himself as Tim slipped an arm under his, his smaller hand coming to rest on Noel’s flat stomach and making the muscles of his abdomen twitch.
“I know you don’t want to talk about it, but I just want to say that I really liked kissing you.”
Noel didn’t reply. He lay wide awake, pretending he was getting the sleep he knew wouldn’t be coming for a long time. Not until he could figure out what to do with himself. He had never been more confused or scared, although his fear seemed to be changing direction. The idea of being in love with Tim didn’t scare him nearly as much as the idea of being a disappointment to Tim. Either way, he was in trouble.
North Pole City Tales: Complete Series Page 3
