Gajeel strummed his guitar, humming a Christmas tune softly.
Levy looked up from her notebook, stopping mid-scribble to gaze at her iron dragon slayer. She placed her calligraphy pen back into its holder and capped her inkpot to prevent the ink from drying out.
Her lips curled into a small smile, enjoying her boyfriend's melody, albeit off-tune.
"That sounds lovely, Gajeel," Levy said brightly, her smile lighting up the room.
"You think so, shrimp?" Gajeel replied, raising an eyebrow at his blue-haired solid script mage. "I'm not sure I'll even get to play at the Christmas festival.
Levy sighed, closing her book, and then walked toward Gajeel. He grinned as she approached, placing his guitar down delicately at the side of the couch and then pulling Levy into his lap.
"I'm going to talk to Mirajane about penciling you into the show." Levy wrapped her arms around his neck and brushed her lips against his into a chaste kiss.
Gajeel tilted his face, parting his mouth just enough to deepen their kiss. He sighed into her, sharing breaths with her as they gasped for more air.
"Are you done writing in your notebook? Or do I have to wait another hour to get you upstairs?" Gajeel snaked his hands around her tiny waist, drawing circles on the small of her back.
"Just about. I'm going to need another notebook by the end of the week." Levy buried her face into his neck, peppering little kisses on his rough skin. "Come on, big boy, let's go upstairs and see if you can sing my name for me."
Mirajane shook her head, pursing her lips at Levy. "I'm sorry, Levy, but the show is all booked."
Levy whimpered, batting her eyes flirtatiously at her platinum-blonde friend. She gave her the look she usually used on Gajeel, and it seemed like Mirajane lived up to her reputation. "It would mean the world to Gajeel if he got to sang at the Christmas show."
"I would be doing the world a favor if I kept that man off the stage."
"I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to add two extra minutes. No one would even know," Levy pleaded, grabbing Mirajane's delicate hands into hers and looking her straight into her eyes. "Please. I'll give you anything you want."
The begging had worked. Mirajane's face softened and her lips curled into a sly smirk. "Hmm, anything, you say?"
Levy was all too eager and ready to give up her soul, completely missing the insidious tone in Mirajane's voice. "Yes, yes, I said anything. Whatever you want."
Gajeel walked the streets of Magnolia, hands deep in his pockets and wearing his signature black vest in the cold winter day. The weather did not affect him like the rest of the world, and he flaunted that proudly.
The jingling bell inside the bookstore startled Gajeel. His muscles tensed, and he positioned his hands close to his face like he was ready to block a punch or a jab. "What the fuck?"
"Young man, may I help you?" An old man with thick glasses peeked out behind a bookshelf. He was carrying large old books, and Gajeel immediately grabbed them from him. It was like instinct for him, helping short people carry heavy things for them—something he picked up from all the years he had been with Levy.
He slammed them to the nearest table, dusting his hands off after releasing them from his grip. "You have a lot of books here," Gajeel nervously muttered, looking around the room like it was the first time he had stepped inside the bookstore.
"I certainly do. Can I help you find a title or a specific author?" The old man raised an eyebrow at Gajeel, almost confused that the dragon slayer had accidentally walked into his store.
Gajeel cleared his throat, averting his eyes away. "I was wondering if you sold blank notebooks, nice leather-bound ones."
"Of course, I do. I hand-make them myself. You're not a, uh…" the old man's voice trailed.
Gajeel shook his head fervently, chuckling nervously at the suggestion. "No, no. Hell no I'm not a writer. My girlfriend Levy…"
"You're Gajeel?" The old man interrupted, his voice chirped in surprise. He took off his glasses and rubbed them with his shirt, cleaning them dramatically. He placed it back on his face and stared at Gajeel quizzically. "Hmm, somehow I was picturing you more…"
"Handsome? Cultured? Nerdy?" Gajeel's tone hinted at annoyance and frustration. The last thing he wanted was to defend his and Levy's relationship. It was obvious that they didn't equal in the attractiveness scale. And she was the smartest person he knew. They were not a match-made in heaven, but they loved each other, and she wanted him as much as he wanted her. There was no arguing that.
"Smaller." The old man blurted. "She's a tiny little thing and you're a… How the hell do you…? Never mind, young man, don't answer that."
Gajeel's lips tugged into a small smile, amused by the old man's curiosity about their sex life. He wanted to brag about how he could make that tiny little thing scream his name and how she bended in all different ways, but he remembered this was Levy's favorite bookstore and she would kill him if she found herself banned from that place.
"Levy needs a new notebook, sir."
"Ah, you're in luck. I just made this beautiful one-of-a-kind book that Levy would love," the old man said, taking out a white box underneath his desk. "This is a bit more expensive than what she normally pays, but the leather is smooth, and the tanning took weeks to prepare."
Gajeel's eyes lit up, admiring the craftsmanship. "Fuck, it's perfect."
CHRISTMAS EVE
Gajeel and Levy sat next to each other on the couch, both fidgeting in anticipation.
"Oh, God, you go first," Levy said excitedly, the delicate envelope in her hand tapping at her knee.
"No, no, you go first. I want to savor your reaction when you open my gift," Gajeel replied, holding a large box in his lap. "Fuck it, let's exchange our gifts at the same time."
Levy nodded happily, humming in agreement. "Okay, on the count of three, we hand off our gifts and open immediately."
"One, two, three."
Gajeel's fingers tore right through the envelope and he stared at the card in his hand. It was hand-written, beautiful lines with curled letters in black ink. "You have been selected to play at Fairy Tail's annual Christmas show," he read the words aloud, sighing at the last part. He looked over to Levy, her eyes bright compared to his sullen ones.
Levy ripped through the wrapping paper and lifted the heavy lid to uncover a beautiful black book, with intricate designs on the cover—perfect for her new spells. "Oh, wow," she gasped, her smile dropping and sinking along with her heart. She looked over to Gajeel, whose expression matched her gloomy face.
"I got you the wrong color, didn't I?" Gajeel asked, slapping a hand on his forehead.
Levy wrapped her arms around his shoulders, calming her boyfriend down. "No, not at all. This is perfect, Gajeel. I love it. I'm just sad because…" She paused for a moment, and tilted her head to look at Gajeel. "Wait, you don't like my gift, do you?"
Gajeel jolted, a bit hurt at her assumption. "I fucking love your gift, shrimp. I can't believe you pulled through and got me a spot last-minute," he explained, pulling Levy into his lap to hold her tighter.
They pressed their foreheads together, sighing into each other as their lips graze.
"I sold my guitar so I could buy your book."
Levy pulled back, her eyes flew open at his confession. "Oh, my God. I gave my calligraphy set to Mirajane in exchange for the last spot on the show."
They stared at each other for a while. A rosy blush formed on Levy's cheeks as Gajeel chuckled, scrubbing a hand over his face.
"We're a perfect pair, aren't we?" Gajeel continued to laugh, cupping Levy's face, planting soft kisses on her cheeks.
Levy giggled, clutching her hands around his neck and returning his kisses to his chest. "I guess I don't need a fancy pen to write in my new notebook."
Gajeel crashed his lips to hers, parting them with his tongue to deepen the kiss. "And I don't need my guitar to sing my song."
Levy nodded softly, adjusting her thighs to straddle Gajeel's lap. She twisted her fingers into his hair, pulling him into a passionate kiss. "Merry Christmas, Gajeel. I love you."
"Merry Christmas right back at you, Levy. I love you, too." Gajeel hummed a Christmas tune into her ear and carried her upstairs where they continued to sing their praises to one another.