So…I was sort of lying around when this popped into my head. And I just HAD to type it up. :] Enjoy! Don't own The Santa Clause, by the way.

Bernard paced anxiously, waiting. Where was she? He had just summoned the courage to tell her. This is ridiculous, he told himself. I'm 2000 years old for crying out loud! And she's…she's…His thoughts faltered as a slim female figure danced towards him. She was taller than most elves, as Bernard himself was. She was in charge of decorating and landscaping. Never afraid to get her hands dirty. Most other elves held her in high regard, because she was kind, sweet, and…a bit overdramatic. Somehow, her personality alone had pushed her title into a postition almost as high as his own, though she never seemed to take her work seriously. She's messing around. Typical.

"Eloise!" He said sharply, and the female elf stopped blankly for a moment before turning in furiously fast and exaggerated circles to seek the voice of her caller. Her long sheet of strawberry-blonde hair twisted around her body, and the bright, multicolored beret which sat on her head threatened to fall off. Bernard sighed. "Eloise!"

The elf stopped spinning and faced him. "Oh!" she said sweetly before skipping over. "Bernard~!" she called, and his heart skipped a beat at the lovely way she called his name in her lilting voice, turning his two-syllabled name into three. "I was just looking for you!" She came to a graceful stop in front of him and handed him a slip of parchment. "From Santa," she said. "He needs his watch fixed too, by the way."

"Really?" Bernard said, giving her a rather fierce and un-elfish look.

"Really, really, very truly!" She said, nodding. "And um…" Eloise paused, and looked down at her perfectly curled, pointed shoes. It was rare that she was so nervous.

"What?"

"Do you think that green is a nice color? On me, I mean"

Bernard looked at her incredulously. Green? Green was Curtis's favorite color. Did she…she didn't! Maybe…Thoughts of doubt clouded his head as he muttered, "I guess…What do you care?"

Eloise pouted. "Ber-nard!" She cut his name into two syllables sharply,. "I'm serious! Christmas is soon, and I need advice! Is green a good color or not?"

"I…like you better in red. And gold."

"Hm…" Eloise said, considering Bernard's suggestion. "I can make that work! Thanks Bernard!" She gave him a quick, two-fingered salute before walking away, each step holding measured grace.

"Eloise, wait…!" Bernard reached out to touch her shoulder, but she had danced from him reach unknowingly. He retracted his arm and covered his eyes. "Ugh…I'm never going to do this…"

"A party?" Bernard asked Santa Claus, also known as Scott Calvin when in the presence of normal humans. "On Christmas Eve? That's tomorrow!"

"Yeah, well…I figured you and the elves need a break, and since I'm out delivering presents, it would be the perfect time!"

Bernard raised an eyebrow. He had an idea of who had proposed this little party. "Who's taking care of it?"

Santa shifted uncomfortably before answering. "Eloise is."

Bernard groaned "Of course!"

"Eloise is happy about it," Santa commented before shooing Bernard out of his study.

"Hey Bernard!" Eloise sang, dancing towards Bernard that afternoon, tinsel draped around her neck, and mistletoe cradled in her hands. "How does it look?"

Bernard gave the hall an appraising look. "Pretty good," he said coolly. "Though colored lights aren't my favorite thing to be strung around the place. I like plain white lights for decorating halls, and colors for trees."

Eloise gazed at the hall. "I see…" she said quietly. Bernard moved to comfort her, thinking he had said something wrong, but Eloise suddenly nodded curtly at the hall before shoving Bernard out the door. "Wear something nice tomorrow!" She told him before shutting the doors in his face. Bernard shook his head and walked away.

Bernard approached the open doors of the hall slowly, listening to the conversations and laughter of the other elves. He stood under the doorframe and looked for Eloise. He spotted her near the Christmas tree, laughing at Curtis, who was red in the face for some reason. She looked…beautiful. Her usually free hair was twisted into a braid that reached down the back of her dress. Much to his surprise, she was wearing a red, half-sleeved and low-cut dress that came down to her knees and striped gold and red stockings. Her gold shoes weren't pointed, which rather surprised him. Eloise loved pointed shoes. He looked down at his own rounded shoes and thought about all the times he had asked her why she bothered with wearing the stereotypical Christmas Elf footwear.

Eloise turned, "Bernard!" She twirled and fluttered towards him. "You're here!"

"Where else would I be?" He asked her, bewildered.

"Your room."

"And risk having you choke me to death with lights later? No way."

Eloise laughed. Her laugh was like bells tinkling, like music playing. "Oh, speaking of lights…Look!" She gestured to the hall. Bernard gaped. The lights around the room were white, like he had suggested. "Do you like it?"

"Y-yeah. It looks good. Elegant." He gave her a rare smile. Eloise's face flushed slightly with pleasure.

"Want your Christmas present now or later?"

"What?"

"I want to know whether you want your present now or at the end of the party."

"Whenever you want," Bernard said, shrugging.

"Now then. Close you eyes.

"What are you going to do to me?"

"Oh, shut up and close your eyes," Eloise said sharply.

Bernard smirked slightly at Eloise's snappiness and did as he was told. His smirk disappeared as soon as he felt warmth reach his lips. His eyes flew open in shock. Eloise's eyes were shut tight. She must be as nervous as I'd been feeling the other day…He closed his eyes and allowed his body to react appropriately. His hands reached for hers and positioned them around his neck before wrapping his own hands around her torso and the back of her head to draw her body closer to his. He deepened the kiss, gently coaxing her mouth open. Her tongue skirted around his and flitted about uneasily. And suddenly he felt the need to breathe and cursed his bodily functions as he slowly pulled away from her. They were both wordless for a moment. "Um…" he said, rather awkwardly.

Eloise pointed to the doorframe above them. Bernard looked up. Mistletoe. He looked back down at her. "Um…Merry Christmas…" she said, before walking off briskly.

"Eloise!" Bernard said, trying to catch up to her as she disappeared into the crowd of elves. He sighed. "Damn…"

Bernard knocked quietly on the door to Eloise's room before letting himself in. He was not surprised to see her sitting on her bed, staring out her window at the snow. "Eloise," he whispered, walking to her and picking up her hand. She looked up at him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered hoarsely, her voice threatening to crack with tears.

"Don't be, silly elf," Bernard said before leaning down to kiss her. It was soft, and brief. Eloise stared at him after he had pulled back. "Merry Christmas."

Eloise smiled. "Yeah…Merry Christmas…" Eloise reached up and set her arms around his neck. She was surprisingly strong, and managed to pull Bernard down onto the bed. They lay on the bed, on their sides, facing one another. She kissed him again before pressing her head to his chest. "Stay?" she asked him. "Your heartbeat is so nice to hear…"

Bernard kissed her hair. "Yes," he murmured without lifting his head. Together, they drifted to the land of sleep and sweet dreams.

That's it. Hope you all liked it. Happy Christmas! And a Merry New Year! :D