It looked no different than any other time. He recalled the song about a silent night with bright stars and decided that this must be true. But this legend of a man traveling the whole of Midguard in one night?
Why, he would've never believed it.
He had seen strange beasts but even he would laugh at the idea of flying reindeer.
"The stories Midguardians create to tell their children." Though he denied, he still continued to watch out the window. "He will be proven wrong."
No, Thor did not believe in this Santa of Claus.
AVAVAVAVAVAVAV
Santa's elves were supposed to be cheerful. So why couldn't both of his be?
Tony adjusted the white beard, eyeing himself in the mirror, turning this way and that, before deciding he was still too thin.
"Another pillow, Mr. Stark?"
"That would help, wouldn't it?" he smiled at Pepper who had donned the green felt elf costume. "This is one role I have no intention to physically fill, so to speak."
"Quite" Pepper's lips quirked upwards in a suppressed laugh.
He jammed the pillow up his suit, feeling more like a stuffed turkey than Santa but his reflected suited him now. That done, he turned with a frown to his second elf who was still cursing.
"Going to kill you, Stark. Going to effing kill you."
"Goodness no. If I get any say, please kill me before that."
Clint scowled when the billionaire righted his cap, giving the bell a whack. "Why?"
"Why? Point Break has never even heard of Santa. Don't you feel even a little compelled to brighten up his night and give him just a little of that childlike wonder that we all once had?" he watch Clint's face darken. "Oh. That. I'm Santa. I'm always Santa."
"Well, all you need are a few extra pounds for next year and you'll really fill in the suit."
Tony loomed closer to the archer, pointing accusingly. "Just remember…if you screw this up, you're banned from electronics for a month. The instant you walk in my tower, you're cut off. No phone, no laptop, no PlayStation… screw this up and JARVIS won't so much as let you make yourself a cup of coffee. Got that?"
Clint rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, but you owe me one. Hell, you owe me about five for this one."
He pasted on an indulgent smile, flicking the bell on Clint's hat again. "If you're a good little elf, Santa might leave you a few goodies."
AVAVAVAVAVAVAV
The Asguardian sat at the couch, sipping the brew called eggnog and watching the little red dot on the computer screen. "I would not believe the man of iron, but even this…technology can deceive, my friend."
"It's a Santa tracker, Thor. So somewhere out there they've got satellites—special ones—monitoring this." Bruce tapped the screen. "See? That's Winchester. He's not far from here. I'd estimate about…fifteen minutes."
"Friend Bruce, do you really believe in this Santa of Claus?"
Bruce leaned back. "I know you're a god from another realm and some of our traditions must look, well, pretty stupid to you…"
"On the contrary. They make very much sense. You celebrate human parts of life—birth, love, joining, patriotism—but I do not see how one man can be all this." He laughed. "Why, the man of iron told me this Santa of Claus comes down the chimney into every house and leaves gifts for those who are good and coal for those who are not. One man cannot travel the entire of Midguard in a single night."
"Some things can't be explained. And, yes I believe in Santa."
AVAVAVAVAVAVAV
"Man, I wish you'd gotten Steve for this. He's more touchy-feely."
"Hey, it was your idea to send him and Natasha out on a date. Why the hell weren't you complaining then?"
"She needed time off. I swear… you waited the minute they were gone to stick this on me."
Pepper consulted her watch. "Bruce should have him in the kitchen by now."
"Giving us five minutes to get in position"
"He won't go for it," muttered Clint. "Damn stupid ideas from the smart ass wearing four pillows."
"One more smart ass comment from you and I'm burning the Star Wars Holiday Special over every single disk of your Terminator collection."
"You. Wouldn't."
"Can and would. Now shut up." Tony reached the level first and peered out to make sure the coast was clear. Nodding to the others, he took up position near the tree.
AVAVAVAVAVAVAV
"You forgot to set out the cookies and milk."
Thor took another cookie himself from the tray. "And he will come? This I do not believe. Midguardian things are oftentimes most simple but this is another thing entirely." However, he assembled a place of sugar cookies—an assortment of reindeer, stars and trees and thought to add a glass of milk. At least, that is what the man of iron had instructed him to do.
"That's good. Now make sure to set them out by the fireplace."
Thor took the plate and glass back to the commons room, only to stop in astonishment when he saw the red-suited stranger unloading presents from a sack. "What…what is this?"
The stranger—it couldn't be Santa of Claus!—turned to face him. "Ho ho ho. So you must be the mighty warrior Thor from Asguard."
"How do you know this?" Thor came closer, ready to call Mjölnir to his hand. "How long have you had this tower under observation? Speak"
"Oh c'mon, you know the song. He sees you when you're sleeping; he knows when you're awake. He knows if you've been bad or good…"
Why it was the archer. And the other in funny clothes was the Lady Potts. "You both are associated with this…" he sized up this Santa of Claus "…this individual?"
"You imagine how busy Santa is this year. And sometimes we he hasn't got enough elves to help, we're more than happy to assist him." Pepper smiled gently and moved past the Santa of Claus to point out a package to him, which he drew out.
Clint forced a smile. "Yeah, it helps. He, uh, pays really well."
"This is logical," agreed Thor.
Santa of Claus came closer to hand him a red-ribboned box. "I understand the ways of this world are strange to you, but the exchange of gifts crosses realms, doesn't it?"
Thor accepted it. "There is much I do not understand of you, Santa of Claus. The people of this realm hold you in high regard. Why, if the man of iron were only here to see he was right!"
Clint stifled a laugh, which Thor chose to ignore. How extraordinary to learn that this man existed. On Asguard there had been nothing of this sort. Now that he was before Thor's very eyes, it was so easy to believe.
"Might I offer you some victuals?" he held out the plate of cookies.
"Oh, he has to keep up his figure, don't you?" Clint nudged Santa of Claus . "Go ahead. Take one…or four." To emphasize his point, the assassin took a santa cookie, biting off the head first.
"I am not against leaving coal for my elves," said Santa of Claus, accepting a star cookie. "In fact, I had a bag of it in here…" he leaned back into his sack to search.
"Santa, you have several more stops to make," pointed out Pepper. "Shouldn't you be going so you'll stay on schedule?"
"Excellent idea, Ms. Potts. Well, ho ho Merry Christmas, Thor!" He tossed Thor a second box, one the demi-god recognized as poptarts before he gathered up his sack and turned for the chimney. "I appreciate your help, Ms. Potts, Agent Barton… until next year."
Pepper waved; Clint gave a half-salute and then, before Thor's very eyes, Santa of Claus was up the chimney!
AVAVAVAVAVAVAV
Tony returned to his room, chuckling as he pulled off the costume to store it in the back of his closet and quickly pick up an entertainment magazine before Thor burst in.
"I have seen the Santa of Claus, my friend! You were right in your belief. Why, he was in the very common room!"
"Aw, you mean I missed him? What a shame…"