Page 1 of Wrap Me Up

Chapter 1

Tinsel

Christmas music and cheerful sleigh bells play over the PA system in the North Pole’s huge party hall. It’s Halloween and our official start of the holiday season celebrations. The wooden ceiling beams are strung up in sparkling lights, and I dance the night away with my best friends, Dylan and Snow, at my side.

I’m dressed in my sparkliest of shorts, and a pair of calf-height boots. Didn’t bother with a shirt, but strapped into my favorite blue leather harness. To finish my look, I dusted my cheeks and nose with glitter. We always get a little crazy at the celebration and this year is no different. Sweat gives my skin a glossy sheen, and I drown out all thoughts while shaking my booty.

My heart still aches from rejection, but I’m determined not to let it get me down. There are so many more elves in the North Pole than Noel. It doesn’t matter that we’re so compatible we finish each other’s sentences. For whatever reason, Noel decided for us that we were done without asking for my input.

The scent of peppermint fills the air and I breathe it in. Then the hint of gingerbread follows. My stomach flops. I know exactly who that combo brings and I can’t resist him at the same time I’m still so mad at him.

Noel strolls through the door as if he didn’t take my heart and stomp all over it ten months ago. Unfortunately, the elf looks amazing in a pair of nice dress slacks and a bright red button-down shirt. His dark hair is bedhead messy in a cute way. Those green eyes do something to me every time. I squeeze my eyes shut and turn away, trying to let the music take all my cares.

Soon I’m lost in the techno beat of a funky version of Carol of the Bells. Someone’s hands ghost over my hips from behind and I suck in a breath. But when I turn, no one is there.

“I need a drink,” I call to Dylan and Snow.

Dylan, being the tallest elf in the North Pole, towers over everyone in the room. He stoops down to ask, “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, just thirsty.”

Snow’s dark eyes dart to Noel. I’m too embarrassed to tell my friends what happened. One day Noel and I are friends and the next he tells me, “great job, see ya ‘round,” and never answers any of my text messages.

Who does that? What the holly berries did I do wrong?

I push my way through dozens of dancing elves to reach the refreshment table. It’s laden down with treats, cookies made by Dylan using his gran’s recipe, fudge from the fudgery, candy canes, and hot chocolate. But none of that will satisfy my need.

“Want something stronger?” Fruitcake, of all people, hands over a flask and despite my usual irritation towards him, I take the offering and gulp down a few mouthfuls of buttered rum.

I hand the flask back, and he lifts it as if to toast, then takes a swig himself.

“Thanks, needed that.” I wipe the back of my hand across my mouth.

Fruitcake gestures towards Noel. “What’s that all about?”

“Nothing.” My teeth grind and I push away from the table to rejoin Snow and Dylan. Fruitcake always used to bully my besties. He’s mellowed out over the year, but that doesn’t excuse him for past behavior. And doesn’t mean I want to share my relationship troubles with him.

My besties dance a little awkwardly with their height difference. Dylan is six foot something, with Snow being five foot. But they make the best out of it and always have a blast. They’re being trained to be the next Santa together. They’ve been marked by Christmas magic or fate or something. They’re so cute and sweet that sometimes it makes my teeth hurt. But holiday cards I want that too. And I thought Noel and I could have it all.

I tug on Dylan’s harness to grab his attention. “I’m gonna head out.” His brow furrows.

“Are you okay?” Snow asks.

“Fine. Just ready to shower and get into pajamas. See you two in the morning.” I don’t even wait for them to say anything before I turn to leave. Once outside, I drag in deep breaths of the warm-ish air. Snow and Dylan’s training has brought in a more stable weather barrier. We can go out sans coats now and I take full advantage of it. Not that the cold weather before stopped me. I’m almost always in a pair of shorts regardless of the temperature.

All around me, the North Pole is sleepy. There may not be snow on the ground, but it still feels like a winter wonderland. The Christmas lights keep the streets lit as I make my way to my apartment behind Leather Bound, my leather workshop. The air smells like baking spices. I’m the only one on the deserted streets and I soak in the calm.

Once I get into my apartment, I beeline it to my bedroom to change, but I catch myself in the mirror.

My blond hair dusts my brows. I have a nice jawline, lean limbs, and the half-moon scars on my chest are so faint they’re hardly noticeable now. The packer in my underwear gives me the outline I crave.

I’m a good-looking guy, if I do say so myself. It took a lot to get here, and I’m so grateful that not once did any of my fellow elves disrespect my pronouns or name when I finally revealed my true self. Tinsel.

But I have to wonder if me being Tinsel is what drove Noel away.

I dig the packer from my shorts and lay it on my dresser. It’s an average sized elf cock made in my pale skin tone. Dylan created it for me as a present once we got our respective studios. As a sex toy maker, he’s my cock whisperer and I’m so grateful he gets me. He always has and if not for him, I’m not sure where I’d be now. He encouraged me to be me, despite how other elves mocked him just for being tall. Dylan could see the pain in my eyes for years and finally, in the middle of what’s the equivalent of high school for elves, I took the leap and became Tinsel.

I’ll never go back to the past. I was never that person. If Noel doesn’t want me as I am, he doesn’t deserve me. I still wish he let me ask why he broke off our friendship. Was my flirting too much? Did I make him uncomfortable? I was going to ask him out on an official date, but he chose to run instead.

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