A wide grin spreads across my face as the water cascades over me and Operation: Fuck My Big Brother circles through my mind.

I barely hold back my eye roll as I walk into the factory behind Arthur. Pepper skipping up to greet us both, causes Arthur to give me a knowing wink before he walks towards the machine that needs the repair.

She runs her candy cane decorated nails down my arm, biting her lip. That apparently is my limit though, as I can’t hold back the shudder her touch elicits from me, acid burning my throat as my coffee threatens to come back up.

Pepper’s eyes narrow at my reaction, but it doesn’t deter her from continuing her conversation like I hadn’t just almost vomited from her touch.

“Crazy how your brother walked in on us last night, right?” She squeaks, the sound of her voice like nails on a chalkboard, while twisting her fairy floss colored hair around her finger in an attempt to look cute. 

“Yeah, crazy.”

I wanted to tell her it was even crazier when he dropped to his knees and finished the job she started, only a million times better. I didn't think she would appreciate my commentary though.

Instead, I speed up and lengthen my strides, making her practically have to run to stay by my side. We weave between the hundreds of machines designed to build, process and wrap the toys according to their exact specifications in their Santa letters.

When I first arrived, this was all done by hand, production taking literally all year to process the sheer amount of toys needed for Christmas Day. Now these machines, overseen by the elves, do this in less than half the time. If children sent their letters in late and there was an urgent need for a toy, it worked exceptionally well.

Machines hum all around us, production well underway. The wrapping machine is one of the most important in the line during these final crunch days before Christmas.

Currently, elves grouped in stations at the start of the wrapping machine line were wrapping by hand till we got the machine fixed.

It always surprised me how quickly they could work. A production line of nimble fingers more than capable of any task required to ensure Christmas went ahead no matter what issue may arise.

Though I had plenty of experience with those nimble fingers, none of them held a candle to their boss.

Arthur had already begun work on the machine by the time we arrived. Pepper still hot on my heels, although now she was visibly out of breath, her chest heaving as her hands rested on her hips and she gulped down air.

“So I was thinking maybe tonight,” Gasp. Breath, “I could come by after …” A hopeful grin brightens her face, a flush that might be from the running or her desire, I couldn’t tell.

“No.” I bark a little too aggressively, cutting her off before she could finish her sentence. Her shoulders deflate and hurt flashes across her face at my refusal.

“I’m swamped with work and Klaus will have my ass if it’s not finished on time.” It was the wrong thing to say. Leaving the possibility of that door being open in the future perks her right back up.

“Oh yeah, of course.” She scuffs her foot on the factory floor, curling her hair again. This time I didn’t hold back my eye roll as I took out my tools, laying them on the ground next to Arthur.

“Nothing is more important than Christmas.” She said with so much fucking cheer, I have to hold in my grimace. My eyes deadpan and my lips press into a straight line, hoping to hell like I was showing her I was done with this conversation.

When I say nothing, she awkwardly glanced between Arthur and me, then around the room. “Right, so I’ll be off. See you around sometime.” I mumble a noncommittal hum as she leans up on her toes, lips puckered, waiting for me to lean down and give her a kiss.

The fuck I was. My eyes flick up to the row of glass windows on the second level, at the end of the factory, overlooking the entire work floor. Klaus stands at the window, taking in production from his ivory tower, and next to him is Nick.

With his arms crossed, and a scowl he can’t hide, he looks so much like his father when he’s mad. Clearly me talking with Pepper was making him so fucking pissed off.

Leaning down, my eyes never drifting from his, I avoid Pepper’s mouth instead whispering into her ear

“I have work to do Pepper. Kindly fuck off.” Leaning back, I give her my biggest grin, before flicking my gaze back to him. At this point, I’m surprised that actual smoke isn’t coming out of his ears. I knew what my whispering looked like, but part of me knew his jealousy only meant he wanted more of me. That I could get behind.

I shoot him a wink before turning my attention back to the machine and Arthur, who now has half of his body shoved underneath the conveyor belt adjusting some of the internal cogs.

As much as I loved to fuck around and piss off Klaus, I love my job and do it well.

No part of me wanted to ruin Nick’s first year as Santa, but the fire that burned hotter in my core as I felt his eyes ghosting over me the entire time I worked, yeah, that was something I wanted more of.

“Good work Son, I hadn’t thought of clamping the pipes to those rotators.” Arthur claps me on the back as we pack up our tools, sweat glistening across both of our foreheads.

“Yeah, just a lucky guess.” I shrug, throwing the last wrench into my bag before zipping it up and tossing it over my shoulder. Running a hand through my hair, I glance up at the windows to see Nick still looking down at us. An idea popping into my head.

“I’m just gonna let Nick know it’s done.” I yell back to him as I move across the factory floor, not even waiting for his reply.

I practically fly up the stairs to the corporate suites. I could feel the electricity buzzing through my body after being under his intense gaze for the past hour.

Nodding to his receptionist, a blond elf whose name I never bothered to learn, I approached the double door and knocked with my knuckles.

He gruffly replies with a simple “Enter,” and a fleeting smile tugs at the corners of my lips before I school my features into a neutral expression. I walk inside, clicking the door shut behind me, relishing in the satisfying sound of the lock engaging. I make sure to leave a greasy hand print on the otherwise pristine white door.

I turn, taking him in. He sits at his desk pretending to be going through paperwork. That scowl is still evident even if lacking the ire of before, but the way he swallows as I move closer, gives away his nervousness at my presence.

I drop my work bag on one of the two chairs set up for guests in front of his glossy red desk, before dropping myself into the other.

I had always hated these offices, each one carrying a different theme. Klaus’s is what you would expect from Santa Claus’ office: an enormous mahogany desk, red and gold trimmings everywhere, a literal Christmas tree in the corner with fake presents, next to a mammoth fireplace. It wouldn’t surprise me if he had found a way to make actual snow fall in his office.

Nick’s office has a candy cane theme with white marble floors and red stripes across white walls, which matched his red desk and office chair.

“Do you ever feel like a peppermint threw up in here?” I say, trying to break the tension. It must work as a small smile softens his face, and he lets out a small scoff.

“Every damn day.” He lets himself look at me then, a slight blush crossing his cheeks as he takes me in, sweaty from work, covered in grease. Sitting in this pristine office, I couldn’t feel more like his opposite.

Scratching at his temple, he fumbles with the paperwork in front of him before giving up and placing both hands firmly on the desk between us. He inhales deeply, icy blue eyes finally looking into mine, body tensing.

“Listen.” I cut him off before he has a chance to tell me how much a mistake last night was to him. His words don’t mean shit when I’ve felt his eyes on me for the last hour.

“The machine is working again. You can cancel the ambulance for Theodore’s heart attack. It should be running fine now.” He relaxes at my quick change of subject.

“Ah, right, thank you. I’ll let Dad know.” Smiling softly, the lines around his mouth and lips become clearer and my heart clenches at the sight. I feel a desperate need to run my fingers along those smile lines, to memorize every minute detail of his face.

I snap back in my seat, dropping my gaze as I snatch my tool bag and stand. What the fuck was that feeling?

I wanted to fuck him.

That was it.

Right?

It’s one thing to have a few hook ups with him, but to feel something more for my stepbrother would be a colossal disaster. The village would erupt. We could literally ruin Christmas.