Day 3: Character A works as a Santa's helper. Character B has a small sibling/child.
"Can't you behave yourself for once?" Santana exclaimed exasperatedly, grabbing at her younger sister's hand, "You're acting even worse than Cesar when I took him to see Santa!"
Mariel gasped, turning to look up at her with an almost wounded look on her face. "San! You take that back!"
Grinning, Santana slowed them, hugging the small girl to her as they took their place at the end of the line. "Alright, alright, I take that back. Still, got you to behave, didn't it?"
Mariel pouted, crossing her arms, "That was mean." She squeaked, swatting at her older sister's hand when Santana poked her cheek.
"Eh." Santana shrugged, "We're here and it's hours until Santa goes home. Look. Can you see him yet?" She helped steady Mariel when she pushed up on her tiptoes, leaning down to point at the younger girl's eye level.
Searching, Mariel shook her head, frowning. "No, not yet. You sure he's here?"
"I am, but I'll still make sure, kay?" Scanning Santa's alcove and all the fake snow and trees and piled presents around them, Santana practically face faulted when she registered who the elf she was looking at, making her way down the line of parents and kids, was. "No freaking way…" she breathed, taking in the surprisingly attractive form of one Rachel Berry.
To her dismay, the elf-dressed Rachel had no compunction about greeting her, eyes sparkling and lips splitting into a wide, welcome smile as she moved her gaze from Santana to her sister. "Santana! Hi!" she chirped, all green and red and jingle bells and pointed ears, crouching down to reach Mariel's level, "And hello to you too."
"Mariel," Mariel supplied shyly, cheeks pinkening as she pressed closer into Santana's legs.
"Mariel." Pushing her hand forward, offering it to Mariel to shake, Rachel beamed. "I'm Rachel. You here to see Santa?"
As if a switch flicked, Mariel perked up, returning Rachel's shake. "Definitely!" she bounced on her toes, "You're… You're an elf?"
Rachel's gaze flicked to meet Santana's. "I am, sweetie," she nodded.
"You're certainly short enough," Santana snickered, barely hiding it behind her hand. However, before Rachel could really react, insult flashing across her face, Mariel whapped her leg, eliciting an immediate, "Hey!"
"You be nice," Mariel told her seriously.
Glowering, but giving in, Santana stiffly inclined her head. "Sorry," she muttered, not really meaning it in the least.
Rachel waved it off. "It's okay. It's what I get, being an elf and working with Santa." Quirking her brow at Santana, daring her to comment, a real smile crossed her lips when the older girl huffed but didn't respond. When Mariel asked, "Do you like being an elf?" she nodded, smiling broadly; after a few moments, she winked, adding, "The reindeer are my favorite part."
"They'd be my favorite part, too!" Mariel exclaimed, jumping up and down. "Who's your favorite? Rudolph? Blitzen? Someone else?"
Rachel hmmed, a finger to her chin, leading them forward with the advancing line, "Though they're all nice, I have to say… Comet. It's the astronomy lover in me, I think."
"You want to be the first elf in space?" Santana snorted.
A sharp elbow impacted her stomach, Mariel glaring at her. "San. Why are you being so mean?"
"I'm not being mean," Santana protested, but she gave in, rolling her eyes, lifting her hands in the air. "Fine. Whatever," she said dryly, "That's so interesting. Astronomy, wow!"
Rachel smiled at her. "Thank you, Santana, I like to think so too."
Before Santana could react to that statement, however, Mariel brought the attention back to her. "Wait, if you work with Santa," she looked between Santana and Rachel, "Then how do you know Santana?"
"…Because I've been working closely with Santa this year," Santana answered, "One of Sue's rules about being a Cheerio." Knowing her sister's almost star struck response to the Cheerios, she figured that would be enough.
Indeed, Mariel turned to her. Her eyes were wide. "Coach knows Santa Claus?"
"Of course!" It was Rachel that answered. "She… Likes to take over when Santa has some trouble delivering all of his presents."
Moving forward with the line again, Mariel barely stopped before crashing into the people in front of her, eyes still on Rachel. "Santa has trouble delivering his presents?"
"Oh definitely!" Rachel responded at the same time Santana started with, "With how many new babies are born each year…"
The two girls looked at each other, Santana finally shaking her head and giving in, turning to her sister. "He sometimes needs help. Where do you think I am each Christmas Eve?"
"You're not over at Puck's, getting silly and stupid?" Mariel asked innocently.
Rachel's laugh pealed, her hand barely stifling it.
Glaring momentarily at her, Santana shook her head again, giving her sister a pointed look. "No," she frowned, crossing her arms over her chest, "Not just that. I'm filling in when needed."
"Really?"
Both Rachel and Santana nodded, Rachel smiling at her. "Really."
Mariel smiled back. "That's so cool!"
"Yeah, yeah," Santana nodded at her before moving her chin forward, lips turning up as she urged her sister to turn and look forward, pointing, "Look where we are in line!"
Now almost at the front, Mariel's hand curled around Santana's, practically vibrating as her total attention turned onto the white-bearded man who was suddenly in view. Watching her affectionately, Santana only looked up when a soft touch brushed along her forearm.
"You going to want a picture?" The Rachel Berry elf asked quietly.
Briefly looking down at the small hand on her arm, Santana lifted her gaze, meeting the elf's. "Yeah." She nodded, voice just as quiet.
"Great." Giving her a small, sincere smile, Rachel took a step directly back, moving out of the flow of the line but keeping in step with her and Mariel. "I'll set it up with the," she made bunny ear motions, "Senior Elf."
Santana laughed. "You're absolutely loving this, aren't you?"
"The atmosphere?" Rachel grinned. "Absolutely. But honestly? At least your sister's old enough I don't have to worry about overflowing diapers."
Laughing again at the face the other girl made, Santana nodded again as well, moving forward with her sister. "I can't even imagine. Gross."
Rachel winked. "You have no idea." She smiled, "Okay. I'll get everything set up. If you'll excuse me…?"
"Yeah, yeah." Turning back to her sister, attention moving forward towards Santa and where the camera was located, Santana looked back almost in afterthought. "Awesome. …Thanks."
Rachel smiled softly, nodding, eyes sparkling even as she moved forward, out of Santana's line of sight, ducking momentarily behind a giant candy cane.
Watching her go, Santana only turned back when Mariel's grip tightened around her hand. "Yeah," she promised, smiling broadly at her sister, "I'll be there, adding my Christmas wish to yours. With our powers combined, I'm sure, one hundred percent, that we'll get you that new bicycle you want!"
