Read The Working Elf Blues Online

Authors: Piper Vaughn

Tags: #Fantasy, #gay romance

The Working Elf Blues (6 page)

BOOK: The Working Elf Blues
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Garnet hadn't heard that about Blink, the famous elf who vanished years before Garnet was born. But he
would
be happy. He'd make sure both he and Wes never had cause to be sad again, for as long as the fates allowed.

"Let's hurry," Poplar said. "He's missing you."

Garnet met Poplar's gaze. "It's been an honor having you as a friend. Thank you."

Poplar squeezed him tightly. "Thank you. I'll miss you, but knowing where you're going gives me hope."

He didn't have to explain further. Garnet knew Poplar longed for a partner and a family. His time would come. Poplar was the most loving and gentle elf Garnet had ever known. Any other elf would have to be a fool not to see that. "I'll never forget you."

Poplar's mouth trembled. "Nor I you, my friend." He turned to the dresser and gathered a few more items. "Come on. Let's get you back to your Wesley."

They finished packing in minutes. Then, after a few more apologies to his father and a long, teary embrace, Garnet went to stand at Santa's side.

He took one last, lingering look at Poplar and sent his father a shaky smile. "I love you both."

Scarlet cleared his throat. "Love you too, Son," he said gruffly. "Be well."

It was the last thing Garnet heard as he and Santa disappeared.

*~*~*

Wes knew the moment Garnet returned to the house. The atmosphere changed, lightening, and the dogs scrambled to the back door. It opened seconds later, and Garnet stepped inside, one bag in his hand, another on his shoulder. Behind him, Wes saw a flash of a red, fur-trimmed coat and a long white beard. Then his arms were full of happy elf and his face was being covered in kisses.

Shocked, Wes took Garnet's shoulders in hand and set him back. His relief was so intense his head spun and the agonizing knot in his stomach eased for the first time since he discovered Garnet was gone. "What… wh-where did you go?"

Garnet smiled tenderly. He reached up to cup Wes's cheek. "Santa came and collected me last night. I'm sorry. I know what you must've thought when you woke up alone. I didn't want to leave."

"But you're back?" Wes asked, still not quite able to believe Garnet had returned. "For good?"

Garnet nodded. "Forever."

Wes swallowed, so overwhelmed by emotion that the action almost made him choke. "H-How?"

"Santa let me go. I'm human now. I have everything I need to live and work here. Santa made sure of it."

Human?
Wes's brain stalled. He studied Garnet's face, and upon closer inspection, he noticed subtle changes. Garnet's eyes weren't as brilliant a green, his skin looked less luminous, his freckles more pronounced, and his ears—his ears! The pointed tips were gone. They were rounded now, as any other human's would be.

Wes's knees threatened to buckle. "I need to sit down."

Garnet's expression clouded with concern. He helped Wes to one of the stools at the breakfast bar. "Are you…? Did you not want—"

Wes shook his head. "I do want. I—I'm just—I—"

Garnet yanked him into a tight embrace. "I understand. I feel the same."

Wes buried his face in the curve of Garnet's neck, inhaling the familiar scent and shuddering. "Please don't leave me."

"Never." Garnet's voice was so fierce Wes might have smiled if he could coordinate his facial muscles. As it was, all he could do was sigh and let Garnet take a bit more of his weight. "Let's go to bed."

"Yeah." Wes pulled himself together and stood. He grabbed one of the bags Garnet had dropped and let Garnet lead him down the hall to his room and right onto the bed.

Garnet kicked off his boots and shrugged out of his coat before stretching out beside Wes. "I'm sorry again. I wanted to wake you before we left, but Santa forbade it."

"I thought you were gone for good," Wes whispered. He slid a hand beneath the hem of Garnet's sweater, seeking the tender skin of his belly.

Garnet leaned closer and nuzzled his nose. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm here until you get sick of me."

Wes gave a watery laugh. "That won't happen."

"Good."

For a long time, they lay there, snuggled together and breathing each other in. Then suddenly, Garnet bolted upright. "I have something for you. Your gift. I meant to give it to you on Christmas, but I worried it might not be enough."

"Gift?" Wes went up on one elbow as Garnet slipped from the bed to dig in one of his bags. When he climbed back onto the bed, he handed Wes a small box.

"Open it."

Puzzled as to why Garnet felt this was necessary right then, Wes quickly tore off the paper. The box he revealed made him pause. It was a View-Master 3-D Viewer. He hadn't seen one in ages, not since the vague recollection he had of his parents giving him one the Christmas before they died. It, and everything else he owned, had been destroyed in the fire that stole their lives.

Wes cut Garnet a confused look. "Thank you," he said slowly, still not understanding why Garnet found this gift so important after everything that had happened in the past day.

"Open it," Garnet repeated.

Wes shrugged and opened the box. If Garnet was insisting they do this now, it must have some significance Wes hadn't discovered yet. He withdrew the bright-red View-Master and looked it over.

Garnet handed him one of the reels. "Put this in."

Bemused, Wes slid the cardboard reel into the View-Master and brought the thing up to his eyes. It took him a moment to focus on the picture inside, but when he did, his breath left him in an audible rush. It was his mother, younger and more beautiful than Wes remembered her. She was standing in the kitchen he dimly remembered, laughing as she stirred what looked like a bowl of cookie dough.

Wes gulped and pushed down the orange lever, slotting in the next picture. This one was of the three of them—him, his mother, and his father seated on their old floral-patterned couch. Wes was holding a View-Master similar to the one he held now and smiling wide, displaying a gap from where he'd recently lost a baby tooth.

Another click of the lever, another picture. He continued on, taking them all in, remembering. At some point, his eyes had watered and tears leaked down his cheeks unchecked. He finished the reel, and Garnet silently handed him another one. This one contained pictures from his four years with Mitch.

Wes choked and lowered the View-Master. Garnet was watching him, his own eyes swimming. "I don't… How did you…?"

Garnet reached out and took his hand. "I told you Santa watches. People's entire lifetimes are recorded. I searched the archives and pulled all these pictures. I knew you didn't have any. I thought you might like to have some of them."

Wes closed his eyes, not bothering to wipe the hot tears that glided down his face. "Thank you."

He felt Garnet's arms wrap around him. "You're welcome."

"Why would you think it wouldn't be good enough?" Wes asked, opening his eyes to see Garnet's expression. "The View-Master."

Garnet gave a self-conscious shrug. "I thought it might seem silly. A child's toy. But that's what I am—was—a toymaker elf. It seemed appropriate at the time. Then later, I worried what you might think or that you might be offended, assuming I'd made a joke of it."

Wes shook his head. He captured Garnet's mouth, and they shared a tear-salty kiss. "It's perfect. You have no idea how perfect it is."

Garnet's tremulous smile made Wes's breath falter. He kissed him again, then pressed their foreheads together.

"I don't have the words to thank you for this. Truly. But you'd already given me a gift, Garnet."

Garnet blinked at him. "I had?"

Wes swept his thumbs across Garnet's cheeks, brushing away the moisture there. "You. You were my gift."

Garnet grinned. "And you're mine."

Warmth suffused Wes's chest. This was one Christmas he'd never forget—when an elf literally crashed into his life. Maybe it was too soon to give name to the feeling in his heart. But it felt a lot like love.

"Yours," Wes whispered back.

"So I can stay?" Garnet's cheeky look made Wes laugh, the sound clogged with emotion.

"Yes. Please stay."

Garnet flung himself against Wes's chest and they fell backward on the bed. Wes was laughing again as Garnet's mouth covered his. "I thought you'd never ask."

Fin

About the Author

Piper Vaughn wrote her first love story at eleven and never looked back. Since then, she’s known that writing in some form was exactly what she wanted to do. A reader at the core, Piper loves nothing more than getting lost in a great book—fantasy, young adult, romance, she loves them all (and has a thousand book library to prove it!). She grew up in Chicago, in an ethnically diverse neighborhood, and loves to put faces and characters of every ethnicity in her stories, so her fictional worlds are as colorful as the real one. Above all, she believes that everyone needs a little true love in their life…even if it’s only in a book.

If you have any comments, questions, or other feedback, you can contact Piper at [email protected]. You can also visit Piper’s website at
http://pipervaughn.com
.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

The Working Elf Blues

Book Details

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

About the Author

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

The Working Elf Blues

Book Details

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

About the Author

BOOK: The Working Elf Blues
9.25Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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