Day 4- Party

A/N: I wasn't quite sure where I was going to go with this prompt, but then this one ended up being my favorite! It was a lot of fun to write. Hopefully you'll have fun reading it!

Gajeel came into the guild on the wrong day, he noted bitterly as he sat at the bar. The guild had been unbearable enough lately, with all the weird smelling decoration crap. He didn't understand the need for all these candles when the guild was lit up just fine without them, or why there had to be trees and wreaths in every nook and cranny of the building. All the opposing smells gave him a headache.

But today, a Christmas party was being held, and everyone was being extra obnoxious. Mira was up on stage singing annoying songs, people kept trying to get him to try disgusting drinks, and everyone was wearing ridiculous costumes. It was all so stupid. All Gajeel wanted to do was get a mission and get out. But the request board had been taken down in order to make it a 'day of celebration'. Gajeel would have just gone home, but then Pantherlily, his cat, refused and told him to try and enjoy the holiday and flew off to join in with everyone else.

So Gajeel decided to try to deal with the festivities. But twenty minutes in, he was already done. After he finished this beer, he was going home. With Pantherlily or not.

Foreign hands appeared from behind him and placed something on his head.

Gajeel sighed. He snapped earlier at someone for trying to put a Santa hat on his head, but since it was her…

"Merry Christmas!" Levy said cheerfully, hopping into the seat next to him. She was also dressed for the season with a red dress and headband.

"You're a week too early." Gajeel grumbled.

"Still not feeling the Christmas spirit, huh?" She asked, smiling wryly.

"No." Gajeel said, taking another swig of his drink.

"It couldn't hurt just to pretend to enjoy yourself," she told him. "you might actually find yourself having fun."

"I don't 'pretend'." Gajeel said. "I'm heading out soon, anyways."

"What!" Levy said, shocked. "You can't leave! It's the Christmas party!"

"And?" Gajeel asked. "I don't do this holiday shit."

"Please don't leave," she pleaded. "Just stay a little longer!"

Gajeel turned to her and quirked a brow. "What do you care if I leave or not?"

She ignored his question. "What would get you to stay?"

A tone of desperation could be heard in her voice. Gajeel didn't get it. She's been acting weird all week. Just the other day she dragged him into making a gingerbread house with her and the other kids of the guild. The part that annoyed him was that he gave into it. He had a tendency to do that when it came to Levy. Agreeing to stupid crap he didn't wanna do. Gajeel hated it. Well not this time. He would stand his ground.

But Gajeel he had a feeling Levy wouldn't leave him without an answer, so he gave her request some thought. He surveyed the guild and his eye landed on Mira, who was still performing on stage.

He turned back to Levy. "I'll stay if you sing up there." He said, jerking his head towards Mira. Gajeel couldn't stop the smirk from appearing on his face at the sight of Levy's horrified look.

"S-sing? Up there?" She said, color draining from her face.

"That's right." Gajeel said, grinning wider. "In front of everyone."

"There's nothing else!?" Levy cried.

"Nothing else." He confirmed.

Levy began fidgeting with herself, biting at her lip and wrangling her dress. Gajeel snickered. He won. He knew it.

"And you promise you'll stay, if I sing." She asked in a shaky voice, looking up at him.

"Mhmm." Gajeel hummed, squinting in his mug. He was finished with his drink. As soon as Levy gave up, he could go.

"Excuse me!" Levy said suddenly, catching the attention of a bar tender. "Another drink, please!"

When a mug of beer was slid over to her, Levy took it and slammed it down in front of Gajeel. "Wait here." She commanded. And then she jumped down from her stool and disappeared in the crowd.

Gajeel snorted. Levy wasn't fooling him. She was good at putting up an act, but he knew better. For whatever reason, Levy had absolutely no faith in herself. Always comparing herself to other mages, calling herself small and weak, it was annoying. Gajeel didn't understand it. She was a smart mage, probably the smartest in their guild. Gajeel had witnessed her do amazing things. Not only has she saved Gajeel himself a few times, she's saved the guild multiple times as well.

But no, she still insisted on being insecure. And as much as it normally aggravated Gajeel, this time it was working in in his favor, at least.

Gajeel stared down idly into his newly gifted beer, watching the foam dissolve. He observed the bubbles dance on the surface of the liquid, clumping together in a white bunch. Suddenly, he was reminded of a mistletoe incident that occurred a few days ago.

He didn't know what came over him that day. When he saw that drunken moron stagger over to her, he had felt a rage he's never known before. It took all he had not to bust the guy's head in.

It was for Levy's sake. She obviously didn't want anything to do with that guy; it was written all over her face. Anyone taking advantage of that situation deserved to get their ass kicked. It all turned out to be a misunderstanding anyways. Gajeel had found that strangely relieving.

But then Levy had to go ahead and do that. It was a stupid gesture, really. Meaningless and trivial. He knew she was just showing her appreciation. And fulfilling the tradition, or whatever. That's all it was. Nothing more.

Believing it to be anything else would be a dangerous line of thinking.

In a spastic motion, Gajeel grabbed the mug and chugged down half its contents, drowning out the thoughts. The sooner he could get out of here, the better.

"Alright everybody, I'm going to take a little break," Mira announced into her microphone. Immediately voices protested the news. Gajeel attention perked up. "and let a special guest take over for a one-time performance! Give it up for Levy!"

Gajeel whipped his head around, nearly spilling his drink. No freaking way.

There on stage was Levy, illuminated by the spotlight. She was shaking. Gajeel could see it from his seat. After the applause subsided, Levy was still staring wide-eyed into the crowd.

A few more seconds of silence stretched out, waiting for Levy to perform. Some murmuring began through the guild, wondering why she hadn't started yet. Levy flinched suddenly, and then hesitantly she brought the microphone up to her mouth. She cleared her throat, and begun.

"Sleigh bells ring, are you listening. In the lane, snow is glistening. A beautiful night, we're happy tonight. Walking in a winter wonderland…"

Her voice was shaky. She was clearly suffering from stage fright. It didn't help that the guild was completely silent, all eyes on her. Levy was cemented on the spot, clutching onto the microphone like a lifeline. Gajeel couldn't watch this.

As she wobbly began the next verse, Gajeel got up, taking off the ridiculous hat as he did so. He scanned the room and spotted Warren sitting at a nearby table. Gajeel made his way over until he was behind him and then slammed a hand down on his shoulder. Warren jerked his head around, surprised.

"Sing." Gajeel said, glaring him down.

"What? Sing?" Warren sputtered. "Why would I – "

"Sing." Gajeel repeated in a lower voice, pulling up his most threatening sneer.

Warren jolted, and spun back around. At the next verse, he sung along with Levy in an equally shaky voice. "He's singing a song, as we go along…"

Gajeel then turned his glower to the table of people behind him, all who collectively flinched and in unison joined in with the singing.

Levy seemed surprised at the addition of voices from the crowd, as she looked around. Her shaking subsided.

One by one, more voices from the crowd joined in with Levy, until the entire guild was singing along in unanimity.

"Later on we'll conspire, as we dream by the fire,"

Voices from all around him sang, growing in enthusiasm. Some started clapping out the beat.

Gajeel folded his arms, satisfied. Levy was smiling now, her voice steady and strong. She was even swaying a bit. It may have been an annoying song, but at least he didn't have to witness Levy struggle through it anymore.

A tug on his pant legs caught Gajeel's attention. He looked down. Asuka, Alzack and Bisca's brat, was frowning up at him.

"You're not singing!" She accused, over the mass of voices. "You have to sing!"

"I'm not going to sing." He told the little girl bluntly.

"You have to!" Asuka insisted, pouting up at him. "Everyone else is singing!"

Pantherlily appeared by his shoulder suddenly, nodding his head.

"You sing all the time on stage," The exceed pointed out to him. "It won't hurt just to join in with everyone."

Gajeel rolled his eyes. "Alright alright, fine."

He turned back to the stage, and started muttering along with the lyrics.

"In the meadow we can build a snowman, and pretend that he's a circus clown,"

Levy caught his eye from stage and her smile stretched a little wider, if possible. Gajeel subconsciously raised his voice.

The guild sang even louder as the song approached it's final verse.

"We'll frolic and play the Eskimo way, walking in a winter wonderland!"

Cheers and applause broke out, as drinks were raised and members laughed. Levy took a big bow, popping back up with a light blush. She waved as she walked off the stage, handing the microphone back to Mira.

Gajeel pushed through the crowd, back towards his drink. By the time he found his seat and got situated again, Levy was back at his side, grinning widely.

"I did it." She told him excitedly, as if he didn't just witness it himself.

"You did." Gajeel acknowledged. "I'm impressed, shrimp."

"And you sang along!" Levy added, bouncing in giddiness.

"Only 'cause you were quivering like a leaf."

She chucked, and rubbed an embarrassed hand over her neck. "I was a little nervous," she admitted."

"A little?" Gajeel snorted.

"Well, either way," Levy continued, brightening up again. "Now you have to stay!"

"Alright. I'll stay." Gajeel conceded. "But there's only one way I'll actually enjoy this party."

"How's that?" Levy asked, head tilted.

"Like this," he said, before he took his goblet and chugged its remaining contents. Then he scanned the guild, took aim, and chucked it across the guild.

"What are you doing!?" Levy squeaked from next to him.

"Wait for it…" Gajeel watched the cup soar through the air in a perfect arc and then land right on target.

Erza's head.

Levy gasped.

The reaction was immediate. "WHO THREW THAT!?" Erza's bellow resounded throughout the guild.

"Wow!" Gajeel said loudly, in an impressed voice. "Nice aim, Salamander!"

"WHAT!?" Natsu yelled, from another spot in the guild. "That wasn't me!"

But it was too late, Erza was already charging. And before he knew it, a guild wide fight had broken out. Gone was the holiday cheer from moments ago.

Levy's mouth hung open, watching in horror what had unfolded in front of her.

"Now here's a party I can enjoy," Gajeel grinned, cracking his knuckles. He turned to Levy, and in a moment of inspiration, picked up the Santa hat and placed it back on his head.

"Merry Christmas, Levy."