Chapter 16 Keir
KEIR
“Look at that.” I pointed to the big screen as we entered the huge room.
Santa's sleigh flew live and in color through the white storm all around him. Cameras were positioned at every angle. All were working perfectly. We could watch as if we were right there with him. It was impressive.
Fallon’s eyes widened. These cameras and angles were private for our team only. This was the first time Fallon had seen anything like this.
“Wonderful, isn't it?”
His head moved back and forth. “Wonderful doesn't even begin to describe it.”
I leaned in closer to him and whispered. “How are you feeling?”
“Elated. Thrilled. But if you're asking about the other matter, I'm functional for now.”
To my alpha self, functional wasn’t enough. As a co-worker, it was somewhat acceptable.
“You don’t have to stay here all night,” I said softly.
“I want to try. I want to be here.”
Fallon didn’t have a desk in Control anymore.
But I found him a seat with a computer and sat him down, then brought a chair over so I could sit next to him.
Whatever that might imply to others, I didn’t care.
I did care about my team, but I was keeping things private at this time until Fallon and I had a chance to openly talk.
I desperately wanted to know what he was thinking.
Santa began relaying information back to us in a low, professional voice. We would never lose radio contact this entire night and on into Christmas Day until his return.
Fallon’s scent, now that his coat was off, permeated the air around me. I could smell the powder he’d used to try to cover it. Luckly, no one else was reacting to it. I figured it was my proximity that allowed me to scent him.
No complaints. I loved his scent. But at work I preferred not to walk around with a pointed bulge in my pants. I did my best to focus on the screen and listen to the reports.
So far, so good.
“This is exciting,” Fallon said. He smiled, bouncing a little in the chair.
Adrenaline coursed through my system. Mostly, for him. But this was certainly the most exciting night of the year in Santa’s Village.
“It never gets old.”
For the next two hours, we followed Santa’s course as he began his deliveries. Lance brought by a tray of cocoa with marshmallows. The entire staff at Control was having some. Celebrating.
Actual footage of Santa became like a fast-paced film, sometimes blurred as time stretched for him but compounded into a few hours for our live feed.
And then there were things beyond our understanding.
Though the sleigh was huge, the compartments and the back of the sleigh were too small for all the toys Santa actually delivered.
He had his red bag, but it was full of tricks he’d never revealed to a single soul.
When Fallon began to adjust his seating and squirm harder, I didn’t miss a thing. “Do you need us to go home?”
His head dropped. “I want to be here for Santa’s return.”
That was hours away. “We can go and come back.”
I could tell my suggestion made him uncomfortable.
“Your decision,” I added.
He nodded.
But too soon, he was out of his chair and running to the restroom. I badly wanted to follow but stayed put. My fingers itched to trail through his hair, trace his face, cup it. Warm arousal pulsed at my lower back and through my balls to my cock.
About ten minutes passed before Fallon returned. He looked great. But his eyes were downcast. Without a word, he sat beside me.
“Okay?” I asked.
He nodded.
“We can slip away to your apartment and come back here right after.”
“Yeah.” He gulped, then looked up. “Are you sure we’d come back in time?”
It was a good question because we’d been getting very much caught up in each other. We were entering one of Santa’s time continuums when we were together, losing track of everything. Unfortunately, we didn’t have any sex navigation devices.
I chuckled at my thought.
“What’s funny?”
“Your question has merit. When I’m with you, you’re all that exists.”
His cheeks flushed beautifully.
“Come on. Let’s go.”
He didn’t say no and when I stood, he stood.
As soon as I informed Drake I would be out of the building but he could contact me at any time, we hurried to my car.
My knot came on so fast this time I couldn't warn Fallon. But as soon as he felt it he was begging me for it.
When I was in bed with him, I forgot all about Christmas.
My alpha mind focused solely on him. It was as if I could feel him inside me as much as I was inside him.
I could read his emotions clearly through the changing tones of his cries, his scent and the way his body moved against mine.
Nothing else existed but the two of us within our connection.
As I held him close, I felt his heart beating in tandem with mine. We steamed up his bedroom. Sweat dripped down my back. When we kissed, it was as if I touched him even deeper than my cock could reach. Which didn't quite make sense but I didn't care. That was how it felt to me.
My knot went down and I slid out to the sounds of his moans. His fingers gripped my upper arms hard.
“I want you to stay inside.”
I kissed him again and said, “I want that, too.”
I wrapped my arms around him and pulled us both onto our sides. Our foreheads met, our breaths mingling. We lay together like that as we reoriented in the world around us.
“Do you want to go back to Control now?” he asked.
I glanced at the clock on his nightstand. “Not yet. Do you?” Santa's return was still several hours way.
He let out his sweet sigh. “Not yet.”
“Good.”
We laughed quietly together as if sharing the same sentiment that this, what we were doing, was better than Christmas. Not that we dared to say it out loud. Yet.
I was so comfortable and warm and safe in his arms that I lost myself. I realized I'd fallen asleep only when I woke abruptly with the lightning speed thought that I had forgotten something.
Fallon lay with his head on my chest quietly snoring.
I craned my head to look at the clock, trying not to move too much so I wouldn't wake Fallon.
To my surprise, a couple of hours had passed. It made sense. We were both completely exhausted with very good reasons.
Fallon’s eyelids fluttered. His body stretched against mine.
I nuzzled his hair and whispered, “How are you feeling?”
He didn't answer my question, but asked, “What time is it? How long before Santa makes his return?”
“We still have a couple of hours.” I reached for my phone. “Good news. No new messages. That means the new flight programs are working.”
“What a relief.”
I felt his hard cock against my thigh. I could be ready for him in seconds if he needed it. But he said nothing. He got up and went into the bathroom.
I sat up and grabbed my laptop opening the window to Santa's live flight. Lots of white fog surrounded the sleigh but the pink light shone. The reindeer appeared tireless. When I turned on the sound, Santa was relaying new coordinates.
The bathroom door opened. Fallon stood before me already half dressed in his thick, black wool pants.
“I want to go back.”
“Of course.” He wasn't quite done with his heat but I could deny him nothing.
When we walked into Control, all heads at their stations turned to look at us. Some people were smiling as if they were in on our secret. Clea had no expression, but Drake was grinning.
All right, then. Maybe we couldn't hide as well as we’d thought. I let that go for now.
“Merry Christmas, everyone.”
“Merry Christmas.” A sea of happy voices responded.
“All right. Let's get Santa safely home.”
It was time. Santa was on his return flight having accomplished all he set out to do. He'd land in about an hour, but to him time was stretched and it would feel longer. But the hard part was over. The reindeer knew the way, now. Santa could relax if only just a little bit.
Fallon and I sat at the station from earlier.
The two chairs were still there side by side.
He brought up multiple windows on our private computer screen.
One was of the tarmac. The storm looked horrendous out there.
We'd just driven through it and it had taken us longer to get here than normal because of visibility.
But the reindeer could be counted on with their animal senses. Santa should have no problems.
More trays of cocoa came. Neither of us had eaten anything back at Fallon’s apartment. We were starved and took handfuls of cookies to eat with our hot drinks.
Soon, we all put on our coats and scarves to go out and welcome Santa's return.
A skeleton crew was left behind, all volunteers.
We grabbed our laptops and ran across the snowy roadway to the hangar.
Soon we were crowded together in the viewing space.
Normally we'd all be looking to the skies but tonight we couldn't see a thing and everyone was staring down at their tablets. It was a strangely solemn scene.
The sleigh cameras were all in perfect working order and gave us fantastic pictures of Santa flying through the storm. The sleigh swayed back and forth in the high winds, but the force field protected it.
Now he was minutes away from landing. I held my tablet in one hand and with the other reached out and placed it against Fallon’s mittened fingers.
He looked up at me, eyes wide, pink lips parted. I watched him glance about the crowd to see if anyone noticed.
“It's okay,” I said. “Unless you say no.”
The wind whipped my voice away and I wasn't sure he heard me. Then I saw his mouth move. His voice was stolen by the screeching storm but I was pretty good at reading lips, especially when there was context.
“Does this mean you're not going to stay away from me now?”
I leaned in close to him to answer. “Why would I ever want to do that?”
“This was a favor you were doing for me.” He frowned as if unsure. “Wasn't it?”
“Never. Not for one minute, honey. Never just a favor. And not because it's Christmas, either. Unless you have a different opinion?”
He stared at me for what seemed like a long time but wasn't more than a few seconds. It was as if he was waiting for the punch line, the end of the joke.
I squeezed his mittened hand.
“I don't.” His voice came out hoarse and loud.
“Good.”
At that moment, a shout went up from the crowd. “Here he comes!”
We both looked up through the roiling and windy fog.
There was motion in the clouds. The gusts thrashed and snow fell all around us like speeding pellets of ice.
Suddenly, a dark silhouette of eight reindeer appeared followed by a giant red sleigh.
The bright lights over the hangar and tarmac shown on the gold trim.
It was coming in fast. He had a long landing that would take him past the hangar, around it and then hopefully allow him to come to rest right in front of us in the viewing space.
The legs of the reindeer moved fast as if they cantered on land, not air.
The sleigh whipped in the air. For a moment, it looked like they were headed straight for the hangar building.
But the reindeer knew their way and as the sleigh touched down, it sped past us on the far side of the hangar and disappeared for a few seconds.
Every breath in the crowd was held. And then we heard bells as it rounded the building and drew up alongside us.
“Merry Christmas!” Santa yelled in his deep, bellowing voice.
“Merry Christmas!” We all shouted back. There were shouts of merriment and hurrahs. The caretakers of the sleigh and the reindeer ran forward immediately.
Santa disembarked, waving to all of us, then went immediately to his reindeer and gave them treats. It was tradition. For a long night's work, everyone got compensated, even the shifted beasts themselves.
The reindeer were led, still towing the sleigh, back into the shelter and warmth of the hangar. Santa followed, waving and thanking us over and over again.
Fallon turned toward me. “That was amazing!”
“Like I said, it never gets old.”
Through the storm, we followed the crowd back to control to warm up and celebrate more. Finally, people could get food and sleep now.
“Do you really mean it when you said you weren't doing me a favor?”
“I did. I do.” It pained me that he would question me about that again. That he was the least bit worried.
“But you needed my numbers and I needed you so I could concentrate and get the work done. Work comes first, doesn't it?”
“Usually. But not this time, Fallon. When I saw you… When I knew what you were going through, your well-being became my priority.”
“Because you're my boss, though, right?”
“No, honey. Not because I'm your boss. Because I want to be your mate. If you'll have me. I want you to be my Christmas reindeer. Forever.”
His eyes sparked with tears. “Your Christmas reindeer?”
“Make no mistake about it. You already are.”
He threw his arms around me and buried his face in my chest. Then he looked up at me and said, “Does that make you my Christmas elf?”
“Yes. I’d like that.”
He hugged me harder and I put my arms around him never wanting to let go.