Santa's Deliveries (l.s)

v 1.2

"Did you find the kid?" Liam stirs his coffee as he takes papers from his secretary. He has his phone tucked between his ear and shoulder as he flips through paper work, but stops when he hears silence on Harry's end. "Harry, did you find him?"

"I searched the whole hotel. He isn't here, and now the green dot is gone." The manager pinches the bridge of his nose as his friend and colleague cries out of frustration. "Some child didn't have the best Christmas of his life because of this stupid ipad! How's this my fault!?"

"It isn't. It's not." Liam sits on his desk, his papers long forgotten, and he tries to think. "Breathe, H. You're the best gift deliverer in the company. You'll do fine. Isn't there an address?"

There's a beat of silence, and Liam looks at Niall as the computer whizz enters his office. "I'll have Niall send you more information. It's odd there's no address, but it'll be fine. Take a breather— matter of fact, take those bubble baths you like so much."

"I have to get this kid his gift, Liam. Now is not the time for bubbles." Harry grumbles.

"It's always time for bubbles." When he hangs up, Harry tosses his phone onto his bed and looks at his computer. The screen is black, it isn't turned on, but that's because Harry doesn't know what else to do besides stare at it. Unlike regular jobs, any worker in the St. Nick Company is polished and groomed for their job. So much so that many, like Harry, can't rest or be comfortable until they know every child is happy and every wish is fulfilled.

His phone chimes, and he takes his time to go and grab it. He figures it's Liam with an update, but it's not. Instead, it's an unsaved number with an ambiguous text message.

"If you have something to give me, meet me here in an hour." Harry reads, and clicks the location to a coffee house. He crinkles his nose in confusion. "Give something? Give...?"

He gasps, and jumps. "Is this the kid!? Did that lady find him!?" He stops his excitement so he can rethink, and puts a hand on his hip. "What child texts an adult they don't know? I really need to teach him stranger danger. What are these parents doing nowadays?"

He continues to mumble to himself about the dangers of texting unknown people as he gets ready for the meet-up. He finds his way to the coffee house, ipad in hand so the child can write his wish, and smiles as he watches snow fall only to pout and remember that the kid had to go through Christmas without his true wish.

The bell above the door rings as he enters the small shop, and he snuggles into his scarf as the warmth hits his face. Not many people are present, and he looks around. The ipad beeps, and he looks down to see a green dot. Harry bounces on his toes, and bites his lip in anticipation.

He looks around, and finds the same man from last night sitting in a booth in the back corner sipping from a cup. He looks at the device, and something in his gut— call it gift delivery intuition— tells him to approach the stranger. He makes his way over slowly, and blue eyes look up at him. He turns the ipad towards the man, and holds it out.

"Do you know where I can find him?" Harry asks, and the man stares at the screen before sitting back.

"Well, would you look at that?" He motions to the seat across from him. "Take a seat."

Harry shakes his head. "I'm looking for—"

"You found him." The man points at himself. "I'm Louis."

Harry looks at the screen, then the man, and then the screen again. His face turns pale, and he collapses into the seat. "You're joking."

"Hardly." Louis sips his tea. "What do you want? I heard you had a delivery from my parents?"

"Uh, yeah." Harry stammers as he tries to think of a way to explain his predicament. "The thing is that... you see..."

"My parents are dead. Mum died a few years ago." Louis gives him an icy look. "What do you really want? Money?"

"Huh— No!" The gift giver shakes his head, and taps the ipad. "See, my job—"

"You want a new job?" Louis sips his tea calmly as he spins the alpha into a web of stress. He can tell the curly-haired man isn't used to speaking, and a large part of him finds the stranger cute. He smirks as Harry stammers again, and watches him in amusement.

"No! I— Gosh, you aren't going to believe me." Harry groans. "Why did I have to get the wish so many years later?"

"Wish?" Louis raises his eyebrow. "What wish?"

The alpha shows him the screen, and Louis takes the time to read it. "I work for Santa. I make deliveries to children."

"...you work for Santa..." Louis looks at him. "Like, the guy in the red suit?"

"He likes blue now." Harry mumbles. "We deliverers wear the red."

They stare at each other in silence, and Louis slowly pushes his cup to the middle of the table. "Don't contact me again."

He stands, and leaves alpha frazzled in the booth.