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Charlie smiles to himself as he pours his coffee, overhearing Nick singing in the shower. They’ve both got quite a pep in their step on this sunny Saturday morning, given that they’ve just shagged each other’s brains out. Charlie sighs as he thinks of how satisfying this past year has been, in more ways than one. If it wasn’t for those pesky elves, he and Nick might’ve never gotten together. Charlie and Nick hadn’t lived together long before he realized that he was absolutely gone for the man, but it really was the meddling of those impish little guys that pushed them together.
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At first, Red and Green’s antics had been exceptionally wholesome. Bringing each other flowers and making breakfast for one another. But then the antics got... very specific. Charlie thought that Nick came out to him as bisexual using the elves, and then the elves started cuddling, and even kissed under some mistletoe. Each man thought that the other one was somehow reading into their likes and dislikes with an eerily specific lens. In reality, the elves are just tiny creepy omnipresent beings. One day, Red gave Green lilacs because they knew Nick loved them, even though Nick had never said that out loud in the flat before.
As the days went by, it seemed like the elves kept going on cute dates, with both Nick and Charlie assuming that the other man was arranging them in those positions. Ice skating, baking — all kinds of cute things. But then… the elves got naughty. It started simple enough. For example, Green bent over a ball with Red painting his bum. But then, one morning, it looked like Green was giving Red a blow job, and that really got Charlie thinking. There was no way to misinterpret that. He knew he didn’t put the elves in that position, so clearly Nick was trying to tell him something!
Did Charlie talk to Nick about it? Haha, no. That would’ve been logical. Instead, he kept his mouth shut, and lived in tense, horny, gay Hell as the elves got raunchier and raunchier; candy cane dildos and bondage even made an appearance! The sexual tension between the two men got thicker and thicker, until finally, they both snapped. It was only after fucking each other’s brains out that they found the note left by Red and Green, saying goodbye and begging them not to tell Santa about all of their antics.
It was only then, covered in red and green glitter (that they are still finding places), that they both realized that the elves were real. Everything had been Red and Green’s doing, and for the entire month, those impish little fuckers had been doing their very best to set Nick and Charlie up — while having some fun with each other in the process. Under any other circumstance, Charlie wouldn’t have believed it. But he trusted Nick, and he saw the look on Nick’s face — he was just as shocked as Charlie was. Ever since that day, Charlie thanked those cheeky diminutive buggers for helping him get together with Nick.
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Charlie chuckles to himself as he thinks back on the threesome he and Nick had just a few weeks ago. Red and Green had put the idea in their head, and apparently neither one of them could stop thinking about it. Yes, their sex life has been very, very active since they first started sleeping together. But more than that, they’ve grown closer and closer. Charlie knows that he’s madly in love with Nick, and more than that, he believes Nick when he tells Charlie that he’s gone for him. They’ve been honest with each other about their feelings, yet Charlie is still holding something back.
Charlie worries that it’s too soon to ask the question that is constantly on his mind these days. Every time he goes rifling through his underwear drawer, he remembers the small box that’s hidden in there. When Tao bought a ring for Elle, and dragged Charlie along with him, Charlie hadn’t expected to walk out with his own purchase, let alone an engagement ring for Nick. Tao looked like he wanted to say something, but for once in his life, kept his mouth shut.
Charlie’s had the ring now for two months and still hasn’t said anything to Nick. Nick has made references to their future - they’re even talking about getting a rescue dog named Daisy together that they fell in love with last week when they visited a shelter on a whim — but talking about being together in a year or so is a far cry from asking someone to marry you. With his past baggage, he’s still so afraid of being too much for Nick, even though he feels more secure in this relationship than he has in any other in his life, including his platonic ones.
Walking out to the living room, Charlie stops dead in his tracks as he sees it - sees them. Red and Green are set atop the mantle, arms intertwined, heads resting against each other. “Nick!” Charlie screeches, prompting his boyfriend to come running out in nothing but a towel, water dripping everywhere.
Charlie gets distracted by that towel hanging dangerously low when he notices Nick’s said his name several times. “Char?!” Nick shouts in his face, looking worried. Charlie just points at the elves, and watches as Nick’s expression morphs into one of shock, and then of glee. “They’re back!” Nick turns to beam at Charlie like its Christmas morning and he just got a puppy. “Char! They’re back! They came back!”
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On the days leading up to Christmas, Red and Green keep Nick and Charlie entertained with all of their mischievousness. There are some repeats from last year - it seems Nick and Charlie aren’t the only ones obsessed with a candy cane dildo! - and some new things. Overall, the elves' antics are more wholesome this year than some of their more deranged civilities from the year prior. Charlie and Nick muse out loud if its because last year they were trying to get the two men to fuck, and now that they are, a lot, the elves have another agenda.
By the time it’s Christmas Eve, Charlie is fairly certain that the overall theme of the shenanigans this year seems to be romantic in nature. There are a lot of instances of Red and Green making treats for each other, kissing, the giving of flowers, and finally, of the two elves lying side by side on a bed of rose petals. Charlie’s given up on trying to figure out where they even get these things from; if they are actually elves from the North Pole, he imagines they must poof roses into existence using magic.
On Christmas morning, Charlie stumbles out to the kitchen, bleary eyed, with Nick following closely behind him. That morning they’d had an exceptionally slow and long fuck in their bed, which is exactly how Charlie wants to wake up on every Christmas from here on out, if he has any say in the matter. The two men make their respective coffee and tea and then head out to the living room to see what Red and Green have in store for them.
Ever in sync, both Nick and Charlie choke on their hot beverages as they take in the scene: Green is on his knees in front of Red, holding out an… engagement ring?! An engagement ring fashioned out of bits and bobs he must have nicked from the tree. And Red has a nearly identical ring hidden behind his back! But how did they… what?! As if on cue, they glance to the side of each of the elves, where there are small velvet boxes. Both boxes are open so that they can see the smooth metal rings reflecting the lights of the Christmas tree back onto the elves’ faces. At the same time, they both gasp each other's names.
“Nick?!”
Char?!”
Turning to look at each other, their expressions match: pure adoration and joy. “Yes!” They both shout at the same time, prompting Charlie to add, “I was so worried it was too soon to ask!”
“Me too!” Nick agrees. “But I knew it’s what I wanted.”
Charlie smirks at Nick before turning to look at the elves again. “Apparently, Red and Green still had some magic in store for us this year.”
They both set their mugs on the coffee table and grab their ring boxes, with Nick putting Charlie’s ring on his long, slender finger before Charlie maneuvers the band onto Nick’s thicker digit. Holding their hands out in front of their faces, they both sigh with happiness. “It’s perfect,” Charlie murmurs.
Nick winds his arm around Charlie’s waist, pulling him close so he can kiss the crown of his head, nuzzling into the soft curls there. “Just like you.”
Charlie barks out a laugh. “Wow, Nicholas. Sappy as ever.”
“You love it,” Nick teases.
“God help me, I really do,” Charlie replies with a grin. Looking back at Red and Green, Charlie muses aloud, “So, what are we gonna tell everyone?”
Nick shrugs. “Maybe just tell them that we used the elves to propose to each other? I mean, it’s kind of true?”
“Hmmm,” Charlie hums in agreement. After a few more moments, Charlie asks, “I wonder what they’ll do next year?”