Since the holidays are swiftly approaching it felt appropriate to write a little Christmas Gajevy. Hope you all enjoy!
I am not worthy of claiming to own the masterpiece that is Fairy Tail or any of its glorious characters. I must give that honor to Hiro Mashima.
Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!
A tired groan rumbled against Levy's ear as calloused fingers untangled themselves from her hair, and a strong arm slipped gently underneath her shoulders before pounding the offending alarm clock into silence. That same arm then found its way back around her shoulders and pulled her up against the owner's chest.
Levy sighed happily and nestled into the warm embrace before cracking open an eyelid to peer up at her husband, whose ruby eyes glinted as he smirked at her.
"Morning," she smiled, stifling a yawn.
"Morning," he echoed back.
She buried her face against his chest and his chin found its place on top of her head. She hummed in pleasure as his hand started to rub up and down her back, following the path of her spine.
"How long do you think we have?" she asked, although she was perfectly content to stay in this position for the rest of the day; in their bed, in his arms.
He chuckled softly as he readjusted his hold on her. "We have, say, five seconds."
Levy groaned inwardly and waited for the sound of a swinging door which would be followed by incomprehensible squeals of pure joy that warmed her heart to no extent but were a bit too loud in the morning for her taste.
Three.
Two.
One.
Perfectly on que, the door to their room was flung open by a downright overjoyed five-year-old. Levy pushed herself up with one arm to see over Gajeel's shoulder. Their daughter, Mey-rin, stood in the doorway; dark indigo hair threatening to consume her head whole, and a smile spread wide over her rosy cheeks and her golden eyes danced with joy. She was in her favorite winter pajamas: a pink onesie decorated with snowflakes that were perfect for the upcoming holidays.
"Mommy, Daddy! Guess what!" she cried barreling over to their bed.
Gajeel turned over to catch their daughter in his large hands; hoisting her up onto the bed with them before settling her on his stomach, he raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"What?" he asked her, fully playing along even though they both knew the answer.
"Fifteen days until Christmas!" she threw her hands in the air and bounced excitedly on his chest with her knees.
Levy giggled, they'd received the same good morning from their daughter every day throughout all of December. Only yesterday had been sixteen days, and before that it had been seventeen.
Another figure appeared in the doorway, this one much darker and furrier, wearing white and blue pinstriped pajamas and a matching nightcap covering his round ears.
"What's with all of the racket?" Lily grumbled sleepily, rubbing one of his eyes. Levy wanted to laugh, he looked beyond adorable in the pajamas she had bought him for the winter, and he wore them with incredible dignity.
"Uncle Lily!" Mey-rin squealed. "Guess what? Fifteen days till Christmas!" she cried just as happily as she had before.
"You don't say," Lily smiled tiredly as he leaned against the doorframe.
"Hey, Daddy? Can we pwetty pwease have pancakes for breakfast?" Mey-rin begged.
Gajeel smirked at Levy before passing over the squirming bundle of child and climbing out of bed. "Sure thing, munchkin. Let me just get a shirt." Mey-rin giggled happily as Levy placed several kisses on her fluffy head.
"Where's your brother, honey?" she asked, half expecting her twin to come through the door at any moment.
"Jason is sleeping, so I came by myself." Mey-rin explained, cuddling up to her side. She smiled; their son and daughter may have been twins, but they were hardly alike. Mey-rin was happy and awake at all hours of the day but Jason was more than content to sleep until lunch time and was strangely mature for five.
Gajeel reappeared into their line of vision, a gray t-shirt now covering up his muscular chest. He scooped Mey-rin up and rested her on his side. "Mind gettin the boy up?" he asked her.
Levy shook her head. "You two start breakfast, I'll be there in a minute."
Gajeel grinned at their daughter. "You heard the lady, let's go." He said, carrying her out of the room.
"Lily! You come too, okay!" Mey-rin called over his shoulder. The black exceed smiled and nodded in agreement before following them out.
Levy sighed and stretched her arms and legs out across the warm mattress under the covers before slipping out. Sunlight was spilling in from the windows, prompting her to look outside. A fresh, thick powdery blanket was spread out across Magnolia. She could see the guild a little ways off in the distance several streets over; the tinsel and lights that they had spent days decorated it with were barely visible.
Making her way out of her bedroom, she turned in the hallway and quietly walked the short distance to the twins room before peeking her head in. Toys and paper snowflakes were spread across the carpet, and Mey-rin's pink bedspread lay in a messy pile near the foot of her bed. Across the room in a dark green bedspread, lay a still figure with one arm thrown across his sleeping face. Smiling, Levy crept silently across the room before kneeling next to her son. Dark, raven hair he'd inherited from his father fell over his closed eyes. and Levy gently brushed it away before kissing his forehead.
Jason, sweetie," she cooed, rubbing his back gently through his reindeer onesie in an attempt to coax him into waking up. "It's time to get up."
He grumbled and turned onto his side away from her. "Five more minutes, Mommy." he mumbled into his pillow.
Levy covered her mouth as tears of happiness sprang into the corners of her eyes. He hadn't called her 'Mommy' for months. Gentle tactics vanishing, she bent down and rested her mouth against his neck before blowing a raspberry against his warm, tan skin.
He let out a squeal before flailing under his covers in an attempt to escape. He spun around to face her, dark brown eyes wild. "What was that for?!" he panted at her.
Levy just smiled. "Up and at em, sweetie," she winked. "We've got a very big day ahead of us."
It was December 10th, after all. The official Christmas decorating date for the Redfox's.
Levy smiled into her mug as she inhaled her cocoa, gulping down the piping hot, chocolatey goodness. She could never forget it; it was dubbed decorating day for every year since the twins had been born. This would make year number five.
Her daughter sat rocking beside her in her chair, smile widely as she waited for breakfast. She and Gajeel had practically destroyed the kitchen putting breakfast together; there was pancake batter on every cupboard and even on the ceiling, and dirty bowls and pans piled high in the sink. Jason sat across from his sister, staring hungrily at a fork through tired, dark brown eyes. Levy gently swatted his hand when he reached for it and he grumbled something before resting his raven-haired head on the table.
"Please tell me you're almost done over there," she called over to Gajeel's back as he cooked breakfast at the stove. "Jason is trying to eat the silverware again." She normally didn't end up fussing about whether or not Jason ate metal, but trying to eat utensils that were meant to be used for eating took it just a little too far.
"Don't see much of a problem with it." Her husband shrugged as he placed two more pancakes on a colossal, and still growing, pile held by a flying Lily with a spatula, who had changed out of his pajamas, and was now in his regular loincloth. Gajeel's messy, black hair was kept out of his face by a red and white striped bandana which had been Mey-rin's gift to him last year. Lily had teased him mercilessly about it, telling him he looked like a giant iron candy cane.
"You wouldn't but this is going to be the third time I'll have to go to the store for another set this year if you two can't keep your paws out." She reminded him, taking another swig from her mug. Christmas time meant no coffee, only hot chocolate. She couldn't complain though; it may not give her the same burst of energy she relied on each morning so she could keep her sanity in tact but it still made her feel all warm and toasty inside.
"Sorry, Mom." Jason murmured into the table. Levy sighed before smiling, reaching across the table to pat her son on the head; which he responded to be whining and insisting on not being a baby anymore. Levy quietly pouted against her mug; five years old was still a baby to her. Besides, it wasn't her fault that he looked beyond precious in his little reindeer onesie.
"Daddy, I'm hungry!" Mey-rin insisted. "Please can we eat now?" she pouted, sticking out her bottom lip pleadingly.
Levy resisted the giggle that rose in her throat as her husband let out an exasperated sigh. "Yes, munchkin, we can eat now." She knew he would never admit it, but big, strong Black Steel Gajeel was complete putty in their daughter's hands; one look at her honey golden eyes had that effect on most men and women alike.
Lily struggled to carry breakfast over, the staggering pile swaying with his every single move as he tried to balance it. He dropped the plate on the table with a triumphant grunt and Mey-rin gasped and clapped happily. Levy strained her neck to see the top of the pile and smiled when she saw that there was a slightly disfigured snowman made up of blueberries. Cute!
Gajeel took his place across from Levy before forking six pancakes onto his own plate. She gave herself three before serving Jason four and Mey-rin two and both twins didn't waste their time attempting to drown their pancakes in syrup. Lily sat politely in his stool next to Mey-rin eating the remains of a kiwi crumble Levy had baked last week. She sliced out a piece of pancake and dipped it into some of the blueberry juice that had burst out before shoving the tiny piece of breakfast deliciousness into her mouth.
"Can I help you on the roof this year, Dad?" Jason asked between bites.
Gajeel shrugged before ruffling his son's hair with a smirk. "Nothing wrong with that; you're a big kid now, right?" Jason responded with a toothy grin, the long canines he had inherited from his father gleaming.
"I'm not so sure that's a good idea," Levy cut in, staring directly at her husband while holding her mug. "You nearly broke your neck putting up the lights last year." She reminded him, recalling the memory of the girlish scream her husband had unleashed that could be heard from inside of the house. When Levy had found him outside he had been hanging upside down with a grumpy expression on the side of the house with his arms crossed, a thick coil of lights wrapped tightly around his boot and suspending him in the air.
Gajeel gave her a "you're being an immense party pooper, Shrimp" glare. "Come on, that ain't gonna happen again."
Levy raised an eyebrow. "And you can prove this how?" she questioned, glaring at him from behind her mug.
He responded with a shrug before raising his own mug. "Even if it did happen to him that's what the bushes are for." He murmured into it.
Levy slammed her mug down so hard that some of the hot, brown liquid sloshed over the brim and stood up, both hands placed on the table. "Not funny!" she yelled at him, which was echoed by Gajeel's cackles. The last thing she needed to think about was digging her precious baby boy out of the large shrubs that outlined the back of their house.
"Don't worry Mommy!" Mey-rin grabbed her hand. "I won't fall off any roofs because I'll be decorating inside with you and Uncle Lily!" Levy sighed before sitting down to finish eating.
"Yesterday at the guild I was talking to Lu and we're invited to Christmas dinner at her place." She informed the family.
Gajeel snorted into his drink. "You're kidding me! You won't let the boy here go up on the roof for half an hour and yet you'll let both of them spend the night in the same room as Salamander! Besides, I'm pretty sure we agreed we'd just stay home this Christmas." He reminded her.
Levy knew he was right. After the guild party last Christmas and spending several nights in a row plagued by night terrors, they'd both decided they would take this year easy. But still, she didn't want to spend Christmas without seeing her friends at all!
"I like going to Aunt Lucy's! I get to play with Aiden!" Mey-rin announced, Levy winced at the sound of Gajeel's fork breaking in half between his teeth.
"You're not allowed to like that little punk until you're an adult." He growled, glaring straight past Levy's head and burning an invisible hole in the wall.
"But why not, Daddy?" Mey-rin questioned, blissfully ignorant to his overprotectiveness.
Levy suppressed a giggle; he was already hopelessly overprotective of their daughter but especially so when it came to the male children of the guild. This was especially the case for Lu and Natsu's son, Aiden. She was fairly certain it had started two years ago on Valentine's Day, when Aiden had kissed Mey-rin on the cheek. Most of her friends had found it adorable and fawned over the two toddlers, Levy herself included, but Gajeel had nearly given himself a coronary and had ended up starting a fight with Natsu since he couldn't beat up on a three-year-old.
"Don't worry, honey; Daddy's just being a grinch. You can like and play with Aiden for as long as you wish." She comforted her daughter, purposely ignoring Gajeel's comment that followed the lines of 'can't play with a dead man' and kissed the top of her fluffy head.
They spent the rest of breakfast eating in strange silence at their small table, except for when Mey-rin hugged Lily to her tiny chest so hard he was begging for her to let go before she crushed him. It was adorable how she sometimes treated Lily like her own personal teddy bear but her affections could sometimes proved to be life threatening. The pile of pancakes slowly became smaller as they all stuffed themselves. Levy was struggling to finish her sixth one when Jason shoveled down the remains of his ninth.
"Done!" he gasped before dropping his fork on the table. "Can we please go now, Dad?"
Gajeel raised an eyebrow towards Levy as a way of asking permission. She groaned and nodded before Jason took off in search of his coat, while Gajeel lingered long enough to brush a kiss against Mey-rin's forehead before following; leaving her to an avalanche of dirty dishes and spilled batter. She groaned inwardly at the thought of cleaning the mess up, but at least she'd have LIly and he was great when it came to helping around the house. It was almost like having a friend, nanny, and housekeeper all in one adorable, fluffy package.
"Well, if you'll excuse me, I've got some errands to run." Lily said before setting his plate on the counter near the sink.
"What! You're gonna leave me here! By myself!" Levy gawked, gesturing wildly around the room. "It'll take forever to just get breakfast cleaned up! And the there's hanging up the wreaths, putting up tinsel, decorating the tree!" she listed on her hands, desperately hoping to get Lily to change his mind about errands. She was only one woman; sure she had Mey-rin but she was too small to even reach the sink, much less wash dishes.
Lily sighed and held up an apologetic hand. "I'm sure you'll manage but I have a very busy day ahead of me and simply cannot spend the day on chores. I should be back in a few hours and then I'll be more than happy to offer you my assistance." He explained before flying towards the door.
Levy gave up on pleading, instead reaching for the closest sharp thing within her reach (a fork) and flung after Lily, praying that hanging out with Erza so often during the last few months would've meant she'd picked up on some of her skills in the art of intimidation. The fork ended up embedding itself next to Lily's head in the doorframe, and he slowly turned around with a beyond petrified look on his face.
"You're not going anywhere, cat! You're a part of this family, you hear me you kiwi munching freeloader!" Levy hollered at him, entirely aware of the dark aura emanating from her form. "So that means you're gonna act like a part of this family and help me whether you like it or not with a smile, got it?!"
Lily stared at her for a moment more. "Let me get my apron," he finally murmured before dashing out of the room so fast you'd think all of the lightning in the world were trying to catch him.
Levy sighed before leaning back into her chair. She caught Mey-rin staring up at her with wide, golden eyes; blinking quickly every once in awhile. Oh, fantastic. She'd probably just scarred her little angel for life, but it wasn't her fault. She was one woman! One woman wasn't capable of cleaning up an entire kitchen plus the house; not to mention hang up decorations, make sure the driveway got shoveled, and prepare lunch by eleven thirty so they could head to the guild at noon! Sometimes she had behave like a drill sergeant or nothing could have ever gotten done!
"Mommy, you're scary." She informed her as casually as if she were stating that it's cold when it snows before hopping off of her chair and strolling out of the room; her onesie covered feet making dull thuds against the wooden floor as she began to skip away.
Levy laughed awkwardly to herself once she was alone. "Most wonderful time of the year, right?" she asked no one in particular.