Page 6 of Santa & His Elf

“It’s okay, Nick. I do the same,” he admits, and the traitor in my pants twitches.

“You dream of me?”

Pepper twiddles his thumbs. “I feel you every day, all day. I think of you when I’m asleep and awake.”

I cup a hand over my groin to keep them from seeing the evidence. “Do you get…”

“Erections?” he whispers.

“Yes. Those.” My voice cracks.

“All the time when I think of you… and other things happen, too.”

“What other things?” I ask, afraid to know the truth.

“My…” Chewing his bottom lip, Pepper looks to the floor. “This is… um… personal. It’s… I…”

“Please. I need to know,” I beg, desperate to hear more.

“I know you do. I can feel you’re…”

“Turned on,” I tack on for him, so he doesn’t have to say it.

Pepper nods shyly. A lock of hair falls across his forehead. “Yes.”

“Does it gross you out I’m not female?” I ask, hoping with everything in me, it doesn’t.

“No. Not at all. Does it bother you I’m not?”

“No. I know it probably should, but it doesn’t. You’re handsome, and you smell amazing.” Too amazing. But hedoesn’t need to know that. It’s weird, given our unusual situation.

“Oh. Ha.” He laughs awkwardly and tugs at the collar of his shirt. “Um. Thanks?” Nibbling his lower lip, Pepper rocks back on his heels. “So…” He clears his throat. “Does your… um…” Those golden-green eyes tilt back to look up at the ceiling. “Bottom get wet when you’re aroused?”

“My bottom… you mean my asshole?” I check to be certain.

“That. Yes.” Pepper’s cheeks turn as red as my Santa suit. “Does it… like…”

“Self-lubricate?” I guess.

“Yes! That!”

“No. But I’m part human, so that’s probably why.”

“Oh. Yeah. Um. That makes sense.” Pepper nods, then looks at Doc for guidance. “Do you know? Is this… normal?”

“That your anus self-lubricates when you’re aroused?” Doc replies.

“Yes. Yes. A lot.” Pepper smiles awkwardly, then winces before continuing. “So does my penis. It gets very wet—the tip. You know, from the hole. Not from anything weird. I am normal down there. I promise.”

Doc chuckles warmly, and I smile because a flustered Pepper is one of my favorite versions of him. It’s adorable when his face gets redder, and he wrings his hands together in front of his obvious arousal. The best is the chewing of his lip. It’s plump and juicy, and when he nibbles the meat, it gets redder and swollen. I think about it. When I shouldn’t. When I should be working and doing my job as Santa, not fantasizing about it—him.

“The penis precum is perfectly normal,” Doc explains. “Males of our species are like humans in that regard. Some ofus produce precum. The anus part I’ve not heard of before, but I could examine you if you’d like. Maybe run some tests. Though I’d say, it’s most likely tied to your pairing with Nicholas. He will need heirs at some point. Unlike normal elf relationships, who must seek a magical plum from the Christmas Giving Tree to become fertile, you both ingested the golden sugar plum, which, in the past, has never needed further magical aid to conceive.”

Pepper’s eyes round to the size of Christmas cookies. “Meaning I’m a freak?”

“No.” Doc’s firm. “You are one of a kind.”

“I’m male and female now?” my head elf shrills.

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