Chapter Text
FAIRY TAIL CHRISTMAS
It was christmas eve and the town of Magnolia were having a blast, especially the guild Fairy Tail. Each and every one of their members were partying like wild animals due to the holiday spirit dragging them along.
Except there was one member who was not so excited about the upcoming holiday as she usually was each year.
Erza Scarlet was saddened for the first time ever during the winter holiday. It was unfortunately something she wanted for Christmas that seemed to be unobtainable for her.
It was during the first day of the month when she had met up with Jellal and his group in order to fulfil their monthly report. She had truly believed that after the kiss they shared, the two of them were finally going to reach the next level.
All the “Will they, won't they” games they’ve been playing after it has been driving her up the wall. She had asked him very bluntly if he was okay with going on a date for Christmas, thinking he would say yes.
“I’m sorry, Erza… I wish I could but I couldn’t do that. Something so happy is not for me. Not after what I did…” Was what the cryptic bastard said to her. She had tried, really tried to make him understand that she had forgiven him. That it was not truly him who did it to her but the pseudo psycho that Ultear had created.
Yet the blue haired douche refused to listen. Erza decided to respect his wishes even if it hurt more than he would ever get to know.
His refusal had sent her into a dark place within her mind. Questioning whether or not they were meant to be together or not. It was such thoughts however that led to her wondering whether she actually did love him.
Of course she cherished him like she did all her friends, but was it love that she felt for him? The kiss they shared was enjoyable but it lacked the fireworks that she trusted to be there as her novels suggested.
It was a question she pondered for a few days before coming to the conclusion that she did love him. She still did as well, just not as head over heels as she used to be. The rejection must have dampened her affection for the criminal guild leader.
She was saddened by the revelation that she was unable to muster up the strength to party alongside her friends and family at the guild hall. Much preferring to stay in the far corner, wilting away with her less than joyful mood.
Away from everyone, just like how it was when she was a child.
Unfortunately, it wouldn’t go her way as per usual. There was one who noticed. He’s noticed the whole month that Erza hadn’t been her usual self. Always thinking, reflecting and downright moody.
Natsu Dragneel was angry.
He was not angry at Erza however… No, he was angry at Jellal. He had trusted Erza’s heart to him when he came back into her life after he’d already beaten him. He trusted Jellal to make Erza happy.
He knew it was his fault for his friend's lack of joy this time of year. The fresh scent of tears that would emanate from her was a clear sign. Only he was able to make her cry so easily.
He made a silent promise for if he ever saw Jellal again. He was gonna make him wish he had really killed him back at the top of that tower.
Firstly he must deal with what's more important. Making his friend happy again, even if it's just for the holiday. It had been a whole month worth of working overtime on as many jobs as he could to get as much jewel as he could.
He even learnt how to go into dragon force with his will alone to complete it. The perfect gift for Erza, one he knew that she would enjoy greatly.
The only problem was time. He didn’t want to make a big deal out of it because it was clear Erza was trying to keep her sadness on the down low. Even for an idiot like himself, he could tell.
But he would never stand by and let one of his friends wallow in their own sadness if he had anything to say about it.
All he had to do now was wait for midnight, wait for everyone to be passed out as they usually end up after parties. Then give her the gift if she sticks around, if not, he could probably sniff her out.
She had the distinct scent of strawberries and steel after all. He smiled at that because it reminded him of the time she showed up to the guild in a metal strawberry costume for halloween. Although he frowned at remembering her still being able to kick his ass in that costume…
He kept quiet for the night for the most part. The only times he really interacted with anyone was when they either approached him first or in the earlier hours of the day. Other than that, his eyes were trained on the clock above the guilds bar.
The literal moment the clock hit midnight and the guild exploded in an uproar of celebration due to it finally hitting Christmas, Natsu seeked his friend out in the crowd of people.
Still sat in the corner, looking as gloomy as ever. He wondered why nobody else went to speak with her. Then he noticed the dark looming aura that presented itself to him as he got closer to her. They were probably afraid of ticking her off.
He approached her silently but obvious enough that she could see him coming. No use accidentally causing her to jump in fright.
“Hey Erza! Merry Christmas!” he hollered as he sat down in the booth with her. The two were facing one another and Erza was kind enough to respond with a smile.
“Indeed. Merry Christmas to you as well.” her words were true, but Natsu could tell it was anything but Merry to her. The tone she used was forced.
“Are you doing okay?” he asked.
“Of course, why would you ask that?” she questioned, looking away from him.
“Because, ever since you came back from that meeting with blueberry, you’ve been down.” he explained to her.
She regarded him with a shocked expression. She believed she did a good job at hiding her feelings from everyone but it appears she was mistaken.
‘No. I had done a good job, Natsu is just naturally good at knowing these things’ she smiled to herself.
“Yes… that would be true. I apologise-”
“Don’t apologise for him being stupid.” he interrupted.
She chuckled. Same old Natsu as he always was.
“Fair enough,” she leaned back in her seat. “So, what brings you over here besides my terrible mood?” she inquired.
“Oh it's nothing really,” he drawled out before turning and lifting a red present, accompanied by a pink bow. “Just this totally awesome present I got for you!” he chirped.
Her heart melted at that. She was used to getting gifts from the others but Natsu was different. His gifts came right from the heart and anyone was lucky to get one. The fact that he went out of his way to get her something made her mood lift significantly.
For the first time in a month, she gave a true, genuine smile. Natsu returned it with an equally genuine smile of his own, happy at seeing he managed to help his friend cheer up.
“Oh Natsu!” she started before getting up and ruffling his hair as she pushed his face in her chest in a hug. “Thank you, truly.”
“NM PRBLM” He tried to say but all that came out was a muffled attempt. He took a deep breath after she released him and took her seat next to him and in front of the present.
She delicately undid the bow atop the red present before removing it entirely. Her anticipation was high, excited to see just what the young dragon slayer had gotten her.
She hastily but gently removed the top off the box and moved it aside and peered into the box.
It was a set of cloth and what looked to be some unknown material etched into it. She lifted it up and noticed it seemed to be some form of armour. In her honest opinion, it looked beautiful. Barbaric as well, almost like you would see a viking wear it. Yet it also appeared magical in both feeling and design.
“It’s beautiful… what armour is it?” she asked, not even looking towards him. She didn’t need to see him to know he enjoyed her reaction, the deep genuine chuckle he gave was enough.
“That is actually Dragon Slaying armour.” he explained to her. He almost gave in and began laughing hysterically at the wide eyed face she gave him.
She didn’t believe it. Dragon slayer armour was one of the rarest types of armour one could find. It required real, authentic and fresh dragon scales to create. There hadn’t been a set found or made for hundreds of years.
The sheer magnitude of the armour in her hands was impeccable. If she were to put a price to it, she could purchase Magnolia twice over. He gave this to her as a gift, a very irreplaceable gift.
Her hands were shaking as she gently returned the cloth piece back into the box. She turned quickly to face Natsu and was about ready to berate him with as many questions as she could but was stunned and silenced when she saw that he held another box in his hands.
“I got you another too, it’s a continuation.” he happily answered her first unspoken question.
“What- how? Why?” she exasperated. She was truly grateful for the gift and already cherished it as one of her most prized possessions, but she was understandably confused as to why he went so far to get her it.
“Erza, I hate seeing you sad. I don’t understand it fully myself but whenever you are down, I get this overbearing urge to reach out to you.” he stated with his eyes firmly locked on her chocolate orbs. There was a fire in his iris that Erza just barely noticed and couldn’t help but be enamoured by.
“Now, wanna see the rest of the gift?” he held up the box with that big toothy grin of his. For some odd reason, she found him to be particularly more handsome.
“I do!” she replied with just as much enthusiasm as he had.
Without further talking, he handed her the box and she repeated the same process as she opened it. Only this time, the contents caused her to gasp loudly, getting the attention of a few of the other members.
Either the two didn’t notice or care and were too entrapped in their own little world at the moment.
“Natsu-” she hastily started but was interrupted yet again.
“Awesome right?” he said proudly. Inside the box were actual pieces of armour that would go on top of the cloth piece she opened before. There were two pauldrons in the shape of a dragon's head, a thick armoured waist band. Two gauntlets that reached elbow length with one gauntlet missing a glove piece. Two boots made of the same material as the rest with heels on their soles. All the same ebony black colour except for the eye’s on the dragon's heads that were a beautiful scarlet.
The mental image she acquired of the entire thing equipped her almost throthing at the mouth. It was truly a testament to badass and sexy in all the right ways, two things she would proudly admit to having a high percentage of.
All she would need is a hairstyle to accompany the whole outfit and she would be all set to wear it into battle, preferably with Natsu by her side.
“Natsu, while I do love this whole gift, it means the world to me and I cannot thank you enough… how did you acquire it?” she spoke with her heart. This was the greatest gift she had ever received and would love to know how he got it.
“I made it.” he said.
Her eyes shot open even further than they had been the whole exchange. How could he have made it if he had no skills being a smithy. She would be the first to know if he was capable of handling a forge.
“I went to that blacksmith fella you go to a lot. Asked him about what you would want and he gave me a list of names.” he sat down and motioned for her to join him, which she did. “Long story short, we ended up talking about how rare this armour is and what would be needed. The only hard part was the scales.”
She nodded, listening to him with all her being. She would need to thank her smith at a later date for helping Natsu.
“Anyway it got me thinking, I get scales whenever I enter that DragonForce thing Sting always boasts about before I kick his ass.” he snickered at that. “So I spent the first week training to be able to go into it so I could spare some scales.” he shrugged. It was surprisingly easy for him to make the scales pop off when he needed them too.
She nodded in understanding, having seen him use the power up state before, most notably when he saved her at the tower all those years ago. Natsu went on to explain the process of the armour being made but Erza had stopped paying attention as she caressed the amazing armour set in front of her.
Her mind was clouded with thoughts about how it was made by the same scales that set her free from her nightmare. The same scales that were used to keep her family at Fairy Tail safe at their most dire times. The scales of her closest friend.
All of that together was everything needed to break the dam. She couldn’t hold back anymore as her eyes let out a few droplets. Her hand reached out and grasped Natsu by the scarf and pulled him into another bone breaking hug.
The pink haired slayer didn’t resist, he knew she was crying but decided to let it slide just this once considering the situation. Made him remember that he still needed to kick the shit out of Jellal later.
“Thank you, Natsu.” she managed to get out mid whimper. “You have no idea how much this means to me-” she cut herself short while making a strange sound. It was a mixture of shock and surprise.
Kinda like that one time throat punched Gray that one time. Same choked noise of pure confusion.
He was able to free himself and step back slightly. He wanted to get a look at her in order to see why she made such a noise, hoping he didn’t accidentally hit her throat.
She was staring upwards with eyes wide and her jaw dropped. The tears had dried already and her form was stiff. He raised an eyebrow as he followed her train of sight to see what got her like this and only remained more confused.
Above the two was a simple flower. It looked Christmas themed so he knew it wasn’t there before the holiday. Though he did recognise it as the plant that was only put up during this time of year, and that everyone avoided it like a plague.
“What is it? It’s just a flower.” he asked. Not getting it.
Erza’s expression went back to one of amusement. She was surprised to know that he had no knowledge of the tradition.
She opened her mouth to speak but closed it again as an idea popped into her head, one she never thought would cross her mind. She took a second before giving him a very different smile than what he was used to.
For some reason, Natsu felt like he was prey to some mysterious predator laying in wait somewhere nearby. He regarded Erza with an innocent expression as he tilted his head to the side cutely.
Erza twisted her tongue in her mouth before giggling slightly. “How about I show you what they are for, hmm?” she began to slowly approach him, wrapping her arms around his neck. The slayer didn’t resist or protest.
He saw the look and gleam in Erza’s eye change slightly and couldn’t take his own away from hers.
Slowly and enticingly did she approach his lips with her own. Now he understood what she was doing. Part of him wanted to stop her, make sure she was sure about what it was she was doing. The other part of him was just as ready as she seemed to be.
Both of their hearts were thumping in their chests at incredible speeds. They were really about to do that and Natsu swore his breath hitched as she got closer.
Finally, their lips connected. They closed their eyes as she held onto him tighter and allowed all her being to be put into the kiss. She felt his hands grasp her waist and pull her in closer. Returning the kiss with equal passion.
They lost themselves in a world of their own as they continued to let their lips connect and disconnect on repeat. Erza couldn’t help but get all giddy at the butterflies that were fluttering within her.
‘So this is what the books meant about fireworks..’ she mused inwardly as she accidentally let out a soft moan from Natsu caressing her waist.
The noise stirred something awake within Natsu, something buried deep down. Some primal force that laid bare and waited for such a moment to occur.
He shivered slightly as he brought her waist closer to his and began to prod her lips with his tongue as if asking for entry.
Erza was surprised by the unspoken request but made no attempt to refuse as she opened her lips enough for him to enter.
The second he was able, he began to claim her mouth as if it always belonged to him. Entangling his tongue with her own and making her elicit the same sound he enjoyed only seconds before.
Her head was cloudy, her vision lacking and her entire body was heating up at the level of passion Natsu threw her way with their kiss. All she could think about was Natsu and how she wanted him to kiss her more.
He couldn’t hold back any longer as he claimed her soft, strawberry tasting lips over and over again. How had he never done something like this with anyone else before?
He idly thought of how kissing some of the others would feel but something about it felt wrong to him. Like it wouldn’t be the same as it is with Erza.
Erza was in pure euphoric pleasure. Her heart roared out in ecstasy every time they connected. Why was she enjoying it so much?
Her mind couldn’t help but compare the kiss to the one she shared with Jellal well over a year ago. The difference was so obvious but the reasoning was less so.
She racked her brain with the last of her functionality for a reason. Her mind went back to their first meeting. How she idly thought of him as cute.
How he has grown so strong over the years and only keeps improving every day. The trust she had started to give him during their first mission together to stop Eisenwald.
The way he proved himself by defeating their master all on his own. How he dedicated himself to preventing Gray from sacrificing himself idiotically on Galuna Island.
Then with Phantom lord and how he showed her that he could indeed surpass her when the need arose. The pride she had felt that day.
Her heart clenched tightly at the next thought. About how he risked everything he had to protect her from Jellal in the tower that dark and gloomy night. Going so far as to eat Etherion and access an ancient magic to defeat her greatest nightmare. Pulling her out of the Lacrima with nothing but his willpower alone.
The beach… now she understood. It was never only Jellal that her heart beat for. She had unknowingly fallen in love with Natsu. Her love for Jellal had ceased to allow her to see that.
The way he held her so close and protectively, much like he was currently. Demanding that she treat her life as something to not just simply throw away because it was the only option.
She could remember those caring and heartbroken Onyx eyes bearing down at her as she laid in his arms. Then she agreed to the words he spoke to her about living for the friends you hold dear.
That was when she first fell in love with him and finally those deep feelings had surfaced to lay claim to what they desired most. To be connected to him as one.
She opened her eyes to stare into his half lidded ones. She never wanted to let go of him like this. She separated from his lips and leaned her head back but kept her arms around his neck.
“Natsu… Thank you, for everything. For being there for me.” she placed her forehead on his. “I love you.” she added firmly. Allowing her heart to take all of her feelings and direct them outwards in her tone, conveying just how serious she was.
Natsu was stunned. He was sure he misheard but the look she was giving him told him he had heard her crystal clear. He could tell that those words made his heart soar with emotions he couldn’t place.
But he knew that he felt the same. That was the most clear to him at the moment. When he began to feel that way about her was unknown and he didn’t care. All that mattered to him right now was the present.
“I love you.” he responded. Quickly re-taking her lips and gently pushing her back so she was laying down on the booth sofa.
Only the sounds of her moaning into the make out session were heard by him, nothing else mattered to him.
She was so happy, all of the sadness she had been building was once again taken and destroyed by her pyromaniac of a dragon slayer.
Sure, she still had feelings for Jellal but it was his own fault for making her lessen those feelings. Natsu didn’t reject her when she gave him her love like he did. She was happy with this.
They continued to make out for a few minutes, fully letting their emotions take control. At least, that is what they wanted to do but were shocked out of their states by a loud gasp and a scream of their names.
Still on top of the lying woman, Natsu looked towards the origin of the sound and found none other than Mirajane staring at them with a bewildered look. He didn’t blame her.
“Holy shit, are they making out?” Asked a completely stocked still Gray, currently fearing for his life if both Erza and Natsu decided to come after him like Natsu already did.
Erza wrapped her legs around her lover and used her left hand to send the armour pieces he gifted her into the requip storage she had.
“Quick, now is the time for you to run!” she shouted. Seeing where she was coming from, Natsu stood up with her tightly wrapped around him and began to sprint at full speed out of the guild hall and ignoring the shocked gasps from the other members.
“Haha! Merry Christmas!” he shouted as he continued to sprint down the road towards his home as Erza giggled, now positioned so she is on his back.
“Merry Christmas!” She cheered!