Stubborn Love

Rough Day At The Workshop

Coco and Curtis walked together, holding hands as they walked through the workshop.

Things had been going good, with little to no complications. Coco didn't know what Allie and Bernard had been so worried about. She also didn't know why they were always complaining and stressed. This was easy.

"Do you feel stressed at all?" Coco asked. "Bernard and Allie are normally freaking out with how stressed they are."

"No." Curtis shrugged. "I don't feel the slightest bit stressed. I think Bernard and Allie just overthink everything they do."

Coco smiled a bit, sweeping her hair over her shoulder. She glanced at the painters, noticing they were messing around. Her brows furrowed, and she called, "Hey! Get to work! What are you doing?"

The elves looked at her, mischievous looks in their eyes. They turned back to painting, and Coco and Curtis continued walking. As soon as their backs were turned, the elves began to mess around again. Coco and Curtis continued to the other side of the workshop, making small corrections and giving words of encouragement when needed. 

The next few hours went smoothly, and Coco joked, "Maybe we should be the head elves ourselves!" Curtis nudged her playfully, "Let's not speak too soon. It's only a matter of time before those mischievous sprites over there get an idea!"

Just as he spoke, a group of giggling elves huddled behind a pile of colorful building blocks. They were supposed to be working on a set of dolls, but instead, they began an impromptu game of hide-and-seek. Before Coco or Curtis could intervene, one young elf, Tilly, squealed and dove behind a stack of plush foxes.

"Hey! We're supposed to be working!" Curtis called, but his playful tone made it hard for the others to take him seriously. Coco sighed, her hope for a quiet day slipping away along with the elves' focus.

Minutes later, with Curtis distracted by Tilly's antics, he missed another group launching a paper airplane competition across the workshop. The little planes soared through the air, often colliding with half-finished projects. Coco jumped up, trying to catch one mid-flight as it landed squarely in the hot chocolate mix.

"Curtis!" she yelled, "We need to rally the troops!"

Curtis threw his hands in the air, letting out a laugh even as he helped Coco retrieve wayward toy parts. "Alright, alright! Time for the 'Rein in the Reindeer' speech!" With a dramatic flair, he cleared his throat, adopting a serious tone that was almost drowned out by giggles.

"Fellow elves," he began, "we are on a noble mission of craftsmanship! Let not our spirit of playfulness cause peril in our assembly line! For every doll delayed is a child disappointed!" The elves went silent for a moment, unsure whether to laugh or cheer.

But just as Coco and Curtis expected them to get back to work, a rogue idea sparked within the elves; a snowball fight began, flinging soft pom-poms crafted for stuffing the toys. Laughter echoed as snow-like fluff filled the air, sticking to hats and hair alike.

"Curtis, this is getting out of hand!" Coco exclaimed, laughing despite herself. "We have to do something!"

"I'm trying! I don't know how Bernard and Allie do this!" Curtis called, a pom-pom hitting him in the face. 

"Well, Bernard and Allie are naturally mean." Coco called, ducking out of the way.  "It's easier for them!"

Coco and Curtis tried to split up, hoping to get everything under control. They were failing miserably, and only did the elves get back to work when Santa walked out of his office, and called, "What's going on down there?"

The results were immediate. The elves quickly stopped their messing around, going back to their stations. Curtis and Coco found themselves at the front of the workshop, hoping to catch a small break before they continued their journey around the workshop. They leaned against the wall, beginning to think that Bernard and Allie's jobs were more then walking around.

"What do you think Bernard and Allie are doing right now?" Coco asked, flicking her hair over her shoulder as she crossed her arms, trying to catch her breath.

Curtis shrugged, adjusting his hold on the handbook. "I don't know. Probably sitting in silence, or finding ways to work."

Coco laughed a bit, nodding. "I bet you're right. I don't think Bernard and Allie know how to relax."

"They probably can't wait for their break to be over." Curtis answered. "I know I can't."

{}~{}~{}~{}

Bernard watched through his fingers as Allie climbed on top of the counter, struggling to get on top of the cupboard.

A mug fell, and Bernard jumped forward to catch it. He watched as she finally reached the top, pushing her hair out of her face. "Look, I told you it would be okay."

"Please don't break my things." Bernard practically begged.

Allie laughed a bit. "I'm not going to break anything, Bernard. How'd your hat get up here anyway?"

Bernard shrugged. "You tell me, Allison."

"I didn't put it up here." Allie said, scooting the best she could. 

Bernard only hummed, indicating that he didn't fully believe her. She grabbed the soft fabric of the hat, and tossed it down to him. Bernard caught it, placing it on his head. He crossed his arms, and shifted a bit. "Come down from there now."

"I don't know. It's pretty nice up there."

"Allison." He warned. "Get down before you break something or fall."

Allie rolled her eyes fondly, but began the journey down. Her foot slipped, and she let out a little squeal. Bernard let a curse, a real one, not an elf one, and lunged forward, ready to catch her. Allie stopped, laughing. She turned to glance over her shoulder, a bright smile on her face. "Got ya."

Bernard glared at her. "That's not funny, Allison."

The girl shrugged a bit. "I thought so."

She jumped down, and fixed her hair, giving Bernard another bright smile. "Come on, don't be so stuck up."

As she walked away, Bernard let out a huff. He watched her walk away, feeling irritation and admiration bubbling up in his stomach. He crossed his arms, shifting from foot to foot. He glanced at the cupboards, before a loud crash caught him off guard. He jumped, running into the living room, seeing Allie push herself up into her elbows. Bernard sighed in slight disappointment, pinching the bridge of his nose. She smiled sheepishly, shoving her blonde hair out of her face. 

"What did you do?" Bernard asked, resting his hands on his hips.

"Tripped." She winced.

"On what?"

"The air." She admitted.

Bernard sighed, rubbing his face. He guessed he never spent enough time with Allie to realize she was kind of accident prone. He stuck his hand out, helping her up. He brushed her arms off, and checked her over. She smiled at him, turning to walk over to the chair, only to almost trip again. Bernard jumped forward a bit, his eyes wide. This girl was going to be the death of him.