I would like to thank The Jonas Brothers for creating super cute songs and helping me write this chapter. c':

I had this annoying writers block while writing this and I winged most of it but hopefully it came out alright? I hope you all like it.

Please review and tell me how you thought about this chapter! Merry Christmas in July! ˭̡̞(◞˃ᆺ˂)◞₎₎=͟͟͞͞˳˚॰°ₒ৹๐


"Merry Christmas, Lucy!" Miss. Spetto enveloped Lucy in a tight hug the next morning.

"Merry Christmas, Miss. Spetto," Lucy returned the hug with a growling stomach.

"Come to the kitchen, I made a special breakfast," Miss. Spetto waved her hand towards her as she walked to the kitchen.

"What did you make?" Lucy asked although she already knew. Miss. Spetto made this breakfast each Christmas, but for the sake of making her happy, Lucy pretended to forget each year.

"Here you go," Miss. Spetto presented the dish. It was a large pancake, the shape of a Christmas tree, surrounded by miniature pieces of French toast in the shape of stars. A bottle of syrup sat beside the plate with a cup of steaming coffee.

"This isn't what you make each year!" the blonde exclaimed, stepping closer to the dish with wide eyes. She then covered her mouth at what she said.

"I already knew you pretended to be surprised each year," Miss. Spetto laughed. "Go try it."

Lucy sat down at the table and studied her fattening but delicious breakfast. She poured the syrup over the pancakes and French toast and set it back down on the table. She poked one of the stars with a fork and inserted in her mouth.

"So good," Lucy moaned while chewing the soft bread. She reached over to the cup of coffee and sipped some to see how hot it was. She abruptly stopped drinking when the coffee landed on her taste buds.

"Peppermint?" she looked up at Miss. Spetto and back down at her cup several times. The mint of the coffee startled her.

"They started selling it in stores," her guardian said with a satisfied smile.

"Is there more?" Lucy questioned even though she wasn't close at all to finishing her cup soon.

With Miss. Spetto's nods, Lucy had already planned to make more cups later in the day. This was her favorite type of coffee after all.

"Thank you so much," Lucy thanked with as much sincerity she could offer. Miss. Spetto's breakfasts were one of the things that made Lucy not dislike Christmas as much.

Miss. Spetto glanced at the clock and went back to Lucy nervously. Lucy understood what her movements meant.

"Go to work, Miss. Spetto," Lucy forced herself to say.

"I just hate leaving you alone on Christmas!" she whined but already slipping on her coat. "Do you have any friends available today?"

Lucy shook her head, "They're all busy today."

It wasn't a lie. She was referring to her online friends but Miss. Spetto didn't need to know that.

"I'll be fine," she guaranteed. "The cake is in the fridge, right?"

"Just like always," Miss. Spetto walked to Lucy and gave her another hug. "If you need me, just call me."

"I'll be fine!" Lucy repeated.

"Okay," Miss. Spetto sighed. "I'll see you later tonight!"

"See you," Lucy waved, taking her last bite of her breakfast. She listened to Miss. Spetto's car engine come to life and drive away.

"What do I do now?" Lucy eyed the time. It was hardly going to be eleven. She had to wait eight more slow hours for Natsu to come on. Despite having to wait, she felt happy. She couldn't remember how many years it had been since she had something to look forward to on Christmas day.

"I guess I'll do what I always do," she made herself another cup of peppermint coffee and shuffled to the couch. It was her own small tradition to watch all the Christmas themed episodes that were being aired that day. She had seen these episodes a handful of times but some parts still had the ability to make her giggle.

Hours passed by and Lucy was absolutely clueless on what to do. Time seemed to be frozen while she wanted it to pass faster. She stepped outside to feel how freezing it must be. She stood out there for a while in the cold still air, ignoring her goosebumps. There was not one noise, it really was like time was frozen.

Then as if someone pressed the play button, a single snowflake floated onto her arm. It melted as soon as it came but more snowflakes started to fall, having their own destination. Lucy watched the white powder dip down for a bit more then turned on her heels to go back inside her warm house.

Whoever pressed the play button had the courtesy of making time speed up as well, because it was almost time for her to go online. It was a bit early but she decided to turn on her laptop anyway. While her laptop warmed up, she turned on the lights that wrapped around her miniature Christmas tree in her room.

She hadn't been on the drawing website for some time so she did what came naturally; key the first letter of the website in the URL bar and hit the enter key. The page loaded quickly and Lucy was met with an empty room. There was always someone online in the FT room, she had never seen it deserted before. With a slight eerie feeling at the silence, she exited out of the room and stared at the blank screen.

It was half an hour before the said time for Natsu and Lucy to meet. Lucy sighed and went ahead and logged on to wait for him. Though to her surprise, she didn't need to wait.

"You're early," Lucy typed.

"No, I'm pretty sure you're early," Natsu replied.

"I ran out of things to do," she conveyed.

"Me too," he said.

"How has your Christmas been so far?" she asked.

"Cold and snowy. I slipped on ice three times while walking outside," Natsu sent, making Lucy read the message with a smile.

"It's snowing here, too," she revealed. Just as she sent the message she heard strong gusts of wind flying past her window. She hoped Miss. Spetto would make it home without trouble.

"Does it snow a lot in Acalypha?"

"Not as much as it is now," she responded, the winds only getting louder. "It sounds like a storm is coming."

"Let's hope the storm doesn't affect your internet," he joked.

"Yeah, that wouldn't be good," she agreed. "Did you get any presents today?"

"For once, I did," he answered. "Even though I got it for myself. Did you get any presents?"

"What did you get?" she questioned excitedly. She always loved to hear what others had received on this day. She was about to type that she didn't get any presents, but then again the cake and breakfast left by Miss. Spetto was considered a present in Lucy's book. "Yes, I got a present," she said.

"I bought myself a microphone," he replied. Lucy read what he said a few times. Did that mean she was going to be able to hear what she's been aching to hear for the past two weeks?

"I want to try it out," he spoke. "Can I?"

"With me?" she asked.

"No, with myself," he teased, making Lucy cheeks instantly flush.

"How can you try it out?" she thought back to the website where one can record their voice. She wasn't sure if there was a chat.

"Here," he posted a link. Lucy followed where the website took her.

"Online video chat?" she inquired after viewing the website. She didn't think she was prepared to show her face to him yet.

"You don't have to show your face," he assured, answering her thoughts. "You can talk on there by typing or talking."

"I see," she replied.

"I named the room FT. Search for it on the website and it should be the only one," he explained.

"Very original," Lucy commented then searched for the room.

She typed the two letters in the search bar and clicked the only result that showed up. After typing in her name as her username, she observed how everything was set up.

There were two squares beside each other that had a speaker with a slash across it. One square was labeled Natsu while the other was labeled Lucy. Below the squares was a chat and beside that were the users online in the room. It was a simple layout.

"I really hope my microphone works. I don't want to slip on more ice to get a new one," Natsu said.

"I hope it works, too," she responded with complete honesty. She longed to hear his voice.

"Let's turn our microphones on at the same time," he proposed. Lucy eyes flicked to her square that had an icon which enabled the microphone to work.

"Okay," she typed with trembling fingers and a stomach filled with butterflies.

"When one minute passes, we'll turn it on," he said.

Lucy peered at the time on the corner of her screen. She couldn't figure out if she wanted the minute to slow down or speed up. Once she saw the minute pass, her heart pounded as she turned on her microphone. Her square and Natsu's square no longer had a line across the speaker.

Even though both microphones were on, Lucy and Natsu were both silent. Lucy couldn't make her voice work.

"I don't know what to say!" Lucy typed frantically. A noise came out of Lucy's laptop speakers, it sounded like movement. Then faint taps of Natsu typing filled her ears.

"I'll start," he sent. After Lucy read his words, a voice sounded out of her laptop that immediately gave Lucy the chills.

"Hi, Lucy," Natsu spoke.

Lucy gaped at her screen. His voice sounded exactly how she thought it would sound. It was even better than she imagined. He sounded like a whole other person but she knew the voice couldn't fit anyone better other than Natsu. She wanted to hear him say her name again.

"Can you hear me?" he asked.

"Y-Yes!" Lucy squeaked with her hands shooting to her face. "Hi, Natsu."

"You sound different when you're speaking on here," he stated.

"Is that bad?" she listened to her voice to see if it really did sound different.

"No," he replied.

"Well, I can't say anything about your voice," a small sigh escaped her lips.

"Have you been wanting to hear what I sound like?" he inquired. The smirk Lucy pictured Natsu with was more vivid than ever.

"No! Of course not," she exclaimed a bit too quickly.

"I wanted to hear your voice, too," his soft tone made Lucy's face as red as the stripes on a peppermint.

"Your voice sounds funny," she ignored the temperature of her face.

"How?"

"You have a different accent than me," she informed.

"No, you have a different accent!" he countered. "Say coffee."

"Coffee," Lucy said.

"Why do you say it like that?" he chuckled.

"Why do you say it like that?" she retorted. "You don't need to stretch out the last part so much."

"Do you say soda or pop?" he asked.

"Soda," she replied.

"At least you're saying something right," he mumbled.

"Since I'm older, I'm the right one here," she declared.

"By two hours!" Natsu responded just as Lucy thought he would.

"It's a big difference," she pushed his buttons some more.

"Whatever," he sighed.

"Do you smirk when you talk to people online?" she felt a light feeling bubble up inside her; finally she was able to ask this question after a month.

"How did you know?" he asked with bewilderment.

"Wild guess," she shrugged with fulfillment.

The two started to speak with each other for the next few hours. She adapted to speaking out loud faster than typing. Lucy couldn't tell if it was because how comfortable Natsu made her feel or because she was more used to talking out loud. She didn't bother to worry about it.

"I can't believe they just started selling peppermint coffee in stores in Acalypha," Natsu said with incredulity.

"And Magnolia has sold it since you were a child," Lucy felt disappointed at her town.

Natsu started to say something but was interrupted by Lucy's ringing phone. Miss. Spetto's name flashed onto her phone.

"Be quiet for a second, Natsu," she turned away from her laptop and answered her phone.

"Yes, Miss. Spetto?" she spoke into her phone.

"Hi, Lucy! I have some bad news," Miss. Spetto's voice was shaky.

"What is it?" Lucy straightened her back and listened attentively.

"I can't come home tonight. There's so much snow on the roads, I can't drive," Miss. Spetto told her.

"Where are you going to stay tonight?" Lucy tried not to panic.

"My co-worker is allowing me to stay at their home for the night. I'll return as soon as the roads get cleared up!" Miss. Spetto informed optimistically.

"Alright," Lucy felt relief come over her. "I'll be okay here. Stay safe, Miss. Spetto."

"Don't worry about me, Lucy! Oh, my phone is going to die. Don't stay up too late," Miss. Spetto hung up before Lucy could say anything back.

Lucy slowly spun back around to her laptop. She didn't know what to say.

"So I'm going to be alone for the rest of the night," Lucy stated, still trying to process everything.

"No you're not," Natsu replied.

"What?" she raised an eyebrow.

"I'll stay with you until you fall asleep," he said simply.

"What if I don't fall asleep?" she challenged.

"Then I'll stay up with you all night until you do," he answered.

Lucy grinned until her cheeks began to ache. "Okay," she nodded.

"Can I ask who Miss. Spetto is?" Natsu asked hesitantly.

Lucy placed her hands in her lap and breathed in, her shoulders going backwards.

"Miss. Spetto is the person I live with," she told him.

"So you live with your parents and Miss. Spetto?"

"Not exactly," she stammered. Not even the people at her school were aware of this. Natsu was the first person to know.

"My mom died when I was young and I'm nearly nonexistent to my dad because of his work. Miss. Spetto takes care of me," she said, not ready for Natsu's reaction.

"That must be hard. I'm sorry," his voice was gentle enough to make Lucy want to burst into tears.

"It is," she swallowed down the lump in her throat and blinked away the tears waiting to fall. She didn't know what reaction she was going to get but this was the best.

"What about you? Who do you live with?" she questioned, eager to hear about Natsu's life. With how he was, he must have a family just as compelling as him.

"I live alone," he revealed.

"Where does your family live?" she asked curiously.

"They all passed away," he responded.

"I'm sorry," was the only thing she could say.

"You sound so sad," he said, not really bothered with his situation.

"Of course I'm sad!" she proclaimed. "Do you work to pay for your apartment as such?"

"I come from a really wealthy family. Everything got sent to me," he admitted.

"That must be nice."

"I don't really like to spend it," he continued. "I sell my drawings to people and make my money that way."

"Speaking of drawing," Lucy recalled. "Nobody is in the room on the other website."

"Really? I've never seen it empty before," he replied with the same shock Lucy felt when she saw it hours before.

"Want to go on it?" she suggested.

"Let's go," he accepted.

Lucy touched her mouse, which had become cold from not being touched, and opened a new tab to go to the drawing website. It was just Natsu and her.

"It looks so weird not seeing random people draw really bad stuff," he laughed.

"I remember someone tried to draw a horse but it looked like a hippo," she reminisced with a smile.

"I remember that, too. Then everyone told him that he should stick to—"

"Drawing stick figures," they said together.

The two laughed together at the memory.

"Why didn't you talk when you were on here?" Natsu questioned.

"I was scared," she answered.

"Of what?"

"I don't really know," she sighed.

"People on here are pretty scary," he said with a touch of sarcasm.

"You're the scariest of them all," she quipped.

"With my amazing drawing skills," he added.

"Can you draw something again?" she asked greedily.

"What do you want me to draw?"

"Something Christmas?" she submitted her idea.

"Why can't I ever say no to you?" Natsu muttered but Lucy heard it loud and clear. Her cheeks had started to become sore after so much smiling.

Lucy watched Natsu's familiar cursor float up to the board. He began to draw as he always did but this time was completely different. This was only something that could only be experienced while on voice chat. Natsu hummed while drawing. His humming soothed Lucy more than music ever could.

"Are you humming Christmas music?" she asked softly, not sure if speaking would interrupt his concentration.

"I have to get into the mood," he replied as if it was obvious.

"Of course," she giggled and resumed watching him draw and listening to his smooth hums.

Once Natsu had finished the drawing, she couldn't tear her eyes away from it.

"Hope you enjoyed that, Lucy," he said after he finished, making Lucy's heart jump into her throat.

"Thanks," she gazed at the drawing. It was a Christmas tree with presents ringed around it. One of the presents was partly open. It was a laptop with two letters on the top, Lucy could only see the letters as an N and L. She felt the urge to take a picture of it.

"You draw so well," she admired.

"Consider it your present from me," he announced.

"Thank you, Natsu," she beamed with bright cheeks.

"Do you want to draw something on it?" he offered.

"No way!" she declined with her hands up. "I'd only ruin it."

"It's okay if you ruin it," he assured.

"I don't know what to add," she confessed after scanning through the drawing.

"The top of the tree looks a little bare," he said, making Lucy's eyes shift to the point of the tree.

"You want me to put the star on the tree?" she inquired.

"Virtually," he responded.

She hovered her mouse over the various colors. She picked the shade of yellow she liked most and moved to the board.

"I'm going to mess it up," she warned.

"It's okay," he confirmed.

Lucy focused on the point of the tree and slowly drew the best star she could create.

"It's crooked," he commented.

"Stars are always crooked on the top of the tree!" she defended.

"Are they?" he asked with complete seriousness.

"I think so," she replied. The only memories she had left of Christmas with her mother and father had gone blurry over the years.

Before the conversation went dark, Lucy heard a drink begin to call her name.

"I'm going to get some coffee. I'll be back," she started to rise from her chair.

"I'll get some, too," shuffling started to sound through Lucy's speakers.

Lucy's Christmas night went on filled with laughter, joy, and cups of coffee. She felt like she was speaking to the true Natsu. She loved every aspect about him.

"The coffee isn't helping anymore," she yawned out.

"You should sleep," he advised.

"I will," she spoke with her eyelids falling down and widening again after a few seconds. "Thank you for spending Christmas with me, Natsu."

"Well, it's not Christmas anymore," he remarked.

"Thank you for spending December 26th with me," she fixed with a small smile.

"See you tomorrow," he said.

"Goodnight."

Lucy was a few more movements of a mouse away from the exit icon but Natsu stopped her.

"Wait," he raised his voice to get her attention. "I just thought of an order for you."

"I forgot about that," she remembered. "What is it?"

"I want you to spend Christmas with me next year," he ordered coyly.

"That doesn't sound like an order," she teased him slightly.

"It sounds weird to say order," he grumbled.

"I look forward to next Christmas, then," she said before she realized how embarrassing it actually sounded.

"Me too," he agreed. "Goodnight, Lucy."

"Goodnight, Natsu," she repeated for the second time. She exited out of the website and breathed out a breath she didn't notice she was holding. Several seconds later, she heard a beep come from the regular chat.

"I'm so happy my microphone works," Natsu's message said. Lucy felt content that she could read it in his voice.

"I'm happy, too," she truthfully told him. She was overjoyed but she kept that to herself.

Lucy logged off before Natsu replied back. Drowsiness had taken over her body so she lugged herself to her bed. She fell asleep with a bubbly feeling in her chest but she was too tired to detect what it was.

At last she had heard the voice of the person she loved and she wasn't disappointed in the slightest.