AN: Hello everyone, and Merry Christmas! I'm here once again to treat you to a wonderful (albeit short) Fairy Tail fanfiction to suite the festive occasion, so I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimers: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, and the inspiration of this fic came from a Percy Jackson Headcannon made by 'mistletide' on Instagram, so the plot isn't completely mine either. (Also, if you're a fan of Percy Jackson, go check her out! Her stuff is amazing!)
"You can almost reach it! Just lean in a bit more!" Natsu ordered Lucy, causing the girl to almost lose her balance for the umpteenth time as she tried desperately to grab the object of their conjoint attention. Lucy knew it would have been much easier and safer to use a step ladder, but Natsu insisted it would be much more fun if he lifted her up on his shoulders to put the star on the top of the Christmas tree, and Lucy simply couldn't take anymore of Natsu's persistent, annoying pleading.
"I'm already leaning as far as I can!" Lucy huffed back in response, perched precariously on Natsu's shoulders as she grabbed for her Christmas tree's pointed top, glittering gold star ornament tucked under her arm. Looking down at the determined pinkette, she sighed to see he was almost at one with the Christmas tree, half his body engulfed by prickly green pine needles and colourful decorations, before giggling at the sight. "Natsu, you're basically in the tree, just let me down and find a ladder," Lucy said, amused by the situation despite having to give up on their "Christmas tree-topping mission", as Natsu put it.
"No! We've almost go it," Natsu insisted, leaning dangerously on the Christmas tree. "Just a little more – "
Then, with a sickening creak, the tree lost balance and tipped over, taking them both with it. Lucy screamed in terror, trying desperately to keep her balance atop Natsu's shoulders as he fell with the tree, too unbalance and tangled within its branches to keep from falling. The wooden floorboards shuddered with impact as they both came toppling down after the tree, the two mages scratched by branches and covered in pine needles, yet miraculously mostly unscathed. After a few moments of stunned, motionless silence, the two untangled themselves from the branches and each other with a few pained groans and stood before the fallen tree, wordlessly staring at the aftermath. Pine needles covered the floor and ornaments lay scattered across the room (luckily Lucy had bought shatter-proof ones in case of an incident much like this). Lucy walked silently over to a red bauble, picking it up and looking at its intricate, swirling gold pattern blankly.
In a moment of rare seriousness, Natsu stared after her in remorse and uncertainty, bitting his lip. Natsu knew how important Christmas was to Lucy, it being her mother's favourite holiday and the source of many of her few happy childhood memories, and he had singlehandedly destroyed one of its most iconic symbols and decorations (one that he and Lucy had spent a long time planning and decorating). Knowing that he had screwed up (again) and that Lucy was probably extremely mad or upset or both, he was quick to apologise.
"I'm so sorry Lucy, I shouldn't have pushed you to – "
A sudden attack in the form of a Christmas-ornament-turned-missile smacked Natsu right in the forehead and cut him off, the force and abruptness of the assault sending the boy staggering backwards. A giggle escaped Lucy, who despite wanting to be mad at her partner for causing her Christmas tree to come crashing down, couldn't help but laugh at the pure shock and bewilderment on the unsuspecting teen's face.
Quickly regaining his senses, Natsu's fiery competitiveness come rushing back at full force with his trade-mark grin, concern for his friend's reaction overtaken by the mischief glinting dangerously in his eyes as he took advantage of the blonde's distracted laughter, and retaliated with a green and silver bulb to the nose.
Lucy immediately stopped laughing when the force of the ornament coupled with her laughter-weak knees sent her falling back ungracefully to her butt – Natsu roaring with laughter at the sight. Narrowing her eyes at Natsu with half-hearted anger, Lucy smirked wickedly as she grabbed yet another fallen decoration and hurdled it at teen, shrieking with laughter as she sprinted away from the pinkette as he dodged it and gathered more ammo before yelling his signature "I'm all fired up" catchphrase.
From that point on, war ragged as the two mages chased and fled from each other as they attacked with Christmas-themed weapons – catapulting bulbs from across the room and sword fighting with decorative plastic icicles, laughing all the while.
After a long-ragging battle, Lucy finally had Natsu cornered – the dragon slayer trapped between the corners her living room walls, couch, and her – and was going to finish him off once and for all. Grinning deviously, Lucy approached, enjoying the look of panic in Natsu's eyes as he realised he was trapped with no ammo and his enemy closing in quick. Desperation began setting in as she took the last few steps towards him, candy-cane-sword in hand, when something above them sparked cunning mischief in Natsu's eyes. Not liking the sudden triumph grin splitting across his face, Lucy faltered, looking up at him beneath furrowed brows. Yet before she could ask what on Earthland he was grinning about (after all, he was the one cornered here), those dark mischievous eyes met hers.
"Oh Luce~," he cooed, smirking deviously as he leaned towards her. "Look up," he whispered.
Confused and slightly wary, she did as directed, only to spot some unfortunately placed mistletoe hanging from the ceiling between them. Her faced paled, and just as she was about to make up some sort of lie to counter what the plant truly implies, Natsu's lips captured hers in an unexpected kiss. Her eyes went wide with the sudden action, but slowly she felt herself melt into the kiss, eyes sliding shut as her lips moved in sync with his. Natsu's hands found her waist, gripping her hips as he held her close to him while Lucy's own hands replied in kind as they made their way around his neck, pulling him closer to her and fully embracing the kiss. Then, with a sudden sense of dread, she felt Natsu smile into the kiss before flipping her around so she instead was pinned against the wall as he swiped the packing tape sitting on the couch to his right and taping her hands to the wall quicker than she could blink.
Lucy looked up him, eyes confused and hazy as Natsu gave her a victorious, devious smirk before leaning in to whisper in her ear. "I win," he purred softly. And in that moment, Lucy realised – it was a trap.
"H-hey! Natsu, what are you doing!" she stuttered in protest, realising too late his devious plan as she struggled against the tape at her wrists. "And why the heck is this stupid tape so strong?!"
Leaning back away from her ear, he met her eyes and smirked at her, before replying, "It's magic sticky tape, Luce – designed to stay untearable till Christmas morning, and keep presents from being peeked into. You should know, you did buy it after all." Her mouth dropped open in horror.
"What… hey! Let me go! Take it off!" she shrieked as the realisation of those words set in. Natsu only grinned.
"Nope, I won fair and square. See you Christmas morning Luce."
"NATSU!"
~ The End ~