Dragons and Men Chapter 21, a fairy tail fanfic

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Fairy Tail.

Juvia had went with Gray outside to decorate the hedges in front of their house and put up a few plastic snowmen along the walkway to the front door. Juvia was frustratingly trying to untangle the 100ft stream of Christmas lights to string around the bushes, but eventually the Christmas lights won.

"Juvia?" Gray looked over his shoulder trying not to laugh at her, "You need some help?"

"Sorry Gray-sama" Juvia sighed as she looked down at the ground in defeat.

Gray just waved a hand as he wore a smirk while untangling the bluenette from the wirey jaws of Christmas. Accidentally Gray had tugged on the wire too hard and ended up causing Juvia to fall forward into his chest. Juvia grabbed on to Gray's bare arms to brace herself from falling completely. After stumbling backwards one step, Gray looked down at the blushing bluenette and immediately tried to divert his eyes from her cleavage smashed against his chest.

"Are you ok?" He asked looking away from her, trying not the blush as well.

"I… I think so…" Juvia stammered.

"Good" Gray grunted before pushing her forward so Juvia was standing up strait again and retracting his arms.

Even though Gray was the only one who could wear a sleeveless shirt in December outside, Juvia thought he felt really warm. That or his touch was what made her skin heat up the way it did just then. She was completely distracted the whole time and Gray ended up having to fix her mess of a light-job on the bushes.

"Juvia!" Levy popped her head out of the door, "Mavis is gunna sing the song!"

"What?" Juvia asked a little confused.

"The one we usually sing her her place for Christmas! Lucy's gunna use the guitar!" Levy shouted at her down the front porch before disappearing back inside and closing the door.

"You guys have a lot of Christmas traditions" Gray gave Juvia a sideways glance.

Juvia scratched her face a little before answering Gray's unasked question, "Well none of us have family that we really talk to besides Yukino and Mira, so we made our own traditions together."

Gray just nodded before he stood up from where he was kneeling at the bottom of the last bush he was putting the lights in. After dusting off his hands he walked towards the front door of the house without looking back at Juvia.

"Wait!" Juvia called out before he'd made the first step of the porch stairs.

Gray didn't say anything but turned around with raised brows that were asking a silent question.

"Uh…" Juvia froze with a blush on her face, "Would Gray-sama…" she trailed off.

"Yes?" Gray asked questioningly, trying to get her speak up, "What do you want?"

"You…" Juvia mumbled under her breath, but Gray didn't miss a beat when he heard it.

Gray just blushed then slapped his face. He knew this was coming. Juvia was blatantly obvious with her attraction to him and everyone including Gray knew about it. Gray was just trying to put it off for as long as humanly possible since he didn't feel like he was good in relationships, and he also wasn't completely over his ex, Ultear.

"Juvia…" Gray said softly as he walked towards her as she was on the brink of tears, "Can you give me some more time?" Gray asked softly in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her in a caring embrace.

Juvia froze for a moment in surprise before she lifted her arms to reciprocate the hug. After a few more seconds Gray heard a shout behind them.

"Gross!" Natsu shouted from the doorway, "You coming back in or are you two doing it in the grass?"

"Natsu!" Gray heard Lucy yell from behind him before she appeared next to him and punched him on top of the head.

After everyone had come back inside, Gajeel handed Lucy the guitar after she'd sat down on the couch. After strumming the familiar chords all the girls started singing the intro. (Wintersong by Sarabareilles and Ingrid Michaelson. All rights to the lyrics belong to them)

bum bum bum bum

bum bum bum bum bum bum

Mavis started singing the first verse as she stepped towards Lucy and sat on the arm rest of the sofa beside her.

This is my winter song to you

The storm is coming soon

It rolls in from the sea

Mira sang next as she walked away from where Laxus was standing in the door. Laxus was already bewitched by her, but after hearing her voice he felt entranced.

My voice a beacon in the night

My words will be your light

To carry you to me

After finishing her verse Mira grabbed Mavis hand in her own as the two of them sang:

is love alive?

is love...

Levy sang the next verse as she walked towards Mira with a smile, clasping the silver haired woman's hand as she finished singing:

They say that things just cannot grow

Beneath the winter snow

Or so I have been told

Erza was next as she walked towards the middle of the room, continuing the chain by clasping Levy's hand.

They say were buried in fall

Just like a distant star

I simply cannot hold

As they started singing the bridge to the song Cana joined in all of them harmonizing as she walked over to grab Erza's hand.

Is love alive?

Lucy and Mavis song the chorus as the rest of them harmonized singing "ooo's" to the musical notes Lucy was playing on her guitar, everyone joining in on the last line of the chorus singing together.

This is my wintersong

December never felt so wrong

Cause you're not where you belong,

Inside my arms.

After watching long enough, Yukino and Kagura grabbed each other's hand and walked towards the circle as they sang the next verse together, Kagura grabbing onto Cana's hand as Levy tried to gesture at Juvia to join while the shy bluenette shook her head blushing.

I still believe in summer days

The seasons always change

and life will find a way

After dropping out for a moment, everyone let Juvia sing by herself as she walked towards Yukino's outstretched hand.

I will be your harvester of light

and send it out tonight

so we can start again

All the girls sang the bridge and together as they harmonized.

Is love alive?

Lucy sang the chorus by herself as everyone else harmonized behind her with "ooo's" again, coming in on the last line of "inside my arms."

This is my wintersong

December never felt so wrong

Cause you're not where you belong

Inside my arms.

After singing the chorus by herself, everyone sang the first two verses from the beginning of the song again together.

This is my wintersong to you

the storm is coming soon

it rolls in from the sea

my love a beacon in the night

my words will your light

to carry you to me

All of them harmonized beautifully and swayed together holding hands as Juvia closed the circle by grabbing Mavis's hand, the circle they created encompassed a large portion of the living room floor between the sofa and the Christmas tree.

Is love alive?

Lucy stopped playing the guitar and set it down on the sofa as she stood up and joined the circle as they sang the last four lines of the song acapella.

Is love alive?

After finishing they all looked around at each other with big grins before trying to squish the circle together in a giant group hug as they laughed and fell over each other in cheers and laughter.

"If we keep doing this we're never going to finish decorating" Laxus grunted at the girls' antics and constant songs being played that seemed to distract everyone.

"Relax" Mira came over and put a hand on his arm with a smile, "We're having fun. You should try it."

Laxus just rolled his eyes with a "tch." Before pushing himself off of the wall that he was leaning against to collapse all the empty boxes that previously had Christmas decorations in them before moving them into the garage.

After decorating and watching a hallmark re-run of "Miracle on 34th Street" Natsu looked around to see limp bodies everywhere. Sting and Yukino were leaning against each other on the smaller sofa, both of their eyes closed, breathing deeply. Rouge was asleep in one of the arm chairs with Kagura leaning against the chair at his feet on the floor. Her head was reclined against his lap with her eyes closed. Gajeel was awake in the other arm chair, but Levy was asleep on the floor in front of him in much the same way Kagura was. Mira and Laxus were awake and sitting in wooden chairs they'd brought in from the kitchen, sitting next to each other. Mavis was curled up by the sofa at Natsu's feet while Lucy was curled up in his lap muttering gibberish in her sleep. Cana popped her head out of the kitchen to see the rolling credits of the movie. After taking a peek at the clock that read "1:35am" Cana decided to flip the living room light switch on and wake the people up who were sleeping, which was over half the group.

"C'mon Luce" Natsu whispered in her ear as he shook her shoulder to try and get her moving.

"No" she grumbled without opening her eyes.

"Don't make me embarrass you" Natsu said with a smirk hoping she would jump to her feet and take herself up the stairs.

"Looks like I get a bedtime workout" Natsu groaned in slight frustration before turning Lucy so her legs were straddling his hips and her arms were slung over his shoulders. After lifting her he put his forearms under her backside to support her weight before making his way up the stairs after he'd said goodnight to everyone else.

"Bet he was hoping for a different bedtime workout" Gray smirked to himself as he watched Juvia blush at his comment.

"Would you stop it already" Mira scowled at him, "You're one to talk y'know."

"What?" Gray scoffed, "Unlike the rest of you I'm not paired at the hip to anyone."

Juvia looked over at Gray with a slightly hurt expression before turning her eyes downward in disappointment. It didn't escape Gray's peripheral vision and he felt a small pang of guilt.

"Yet" gray added with a shrug, hoping that it made Juvia feel a little better.

Juvia only looked up at him with a slightly less sad expression before she stood up to leave with the rest of the girls as they walked back to their house next door.

"Why is Natsu the only one who gets to keep a girl in his room?" Sting pouted after giving Yukino a goodbye kiss and watching her walk out the front door.

"Because you share that room with me" Rouge commented, "And I don't want to hear you two doing it while I'm trying to sleep."

"Well we don't have to do that" Sting grumbled with a scowl.

"Yea" Rouge scoffed, "But then you'll stay up and have pillow talk that I'll get to overhear for hours."

Sting blushed at how Rouge was hitting the head on the nail about Sting's habits.

"Alright from the top again" Levy said through her control room microphone that played into Gajeel's recording room. He sat there with his guitar and inwardly groaned before asking grouchily, "Why?"

"You tripped up on the end of the riff after verse two that leads into the bridge with power chords. That transition needs to be smooth" Levy scowled at him.

The girls had eventually gotten the hang of listening to the boys' musical parts and knowing what was and wasn't acceptable for recording. Erik found it super efficient that the girls were able to individually manage and record the boys' audio soundtracks for the CD.

"Then can I start from the beginning of verse two?" Gajeel asked with a defeated expression.

"No" Levy scowled at him, "There's no pause in your playing from the beginning of the song until after the bridge, if you started at verse two your playing would sound choppy if we used more than one recording for it."

"Fine" Gajeel groaned as he retuned his strings and fixed his posture on the stool he was using to sit.

Levy crossed her arms at his fidgeting, "We don't have all day" she snipped at him, "We need to be back in the main room in about fifteen minutes for Erik to hear you guys play as a group."

"I know shortie" Gajeel scowled back at her, "Cut me some slack. Last night was a late night for me and I didn't get a lot of sleep."

"Why didn't you sleep?" Levy asked for no particular reason other than conversation.

Gajeel gave her a playful smirk as he said, "Cause I was thinking about you."

"Stop that" Levy tried to scowl at him, but ended up making a ridiculous face between anger and embarrassment.

Gajeel chuckled, "gihihihi" before turning the volume on his guitar back up and playing the song from the beginning.

Thankfully he only had to play it one more time before Levy sorted the different play throughs onto a flash drive and then they walked back into the main recording room. After handing the flash drive to Makarov who was sitting at the main control board for the large room with Cana, Levy went and sat down next to Kagura who was filing her nails.

"I bet you and Rouge don't take that long to record, do you?" Levy sighed with annoyance at how long it took Gajeel.

Kagura laughed at her before asking, "Trouble in paradise?"

"It's never been paradise, you know that" Levy growled at her with a weary expression.

Lucy plopped down next to them with an equally agitated attitude as she looked at Levy with a smile, "At least you beat Natsu today."

Levy laughed, "Yea I guess it could be worse."

"At least Gajeel isn't flirting with you the whole fucking time you're trying to record" Lucy half laughed half sighed in frustration.

Levy didn't answer, but let a small blush make it's way onto her face at the mention of flirting, remembering Gajeel's smirk and suave words.

Cause I was thinking about you.

Levy slapped her face causing Kagura and Lucy to look at her with mild concern. Before waving it off and claiming she was fine, they all watched the boys record their newest song. They only had to make and record two more songs until they could release their first full album for the first tour that would start in summer.

"Oh" Erik turned to face Erza who was standing against the wall, "The president wants to see you, his office is on the fifteenth floor. Elevator is down the hall."

"Why?" Erza asked, a little nervous since she hadn't seen or heard from Jellal since their trip to the Maldives over a month ago.

"Beats me" Erik shrugged, "But I suggest you go see him."

Erza nodded before giving a look at Cana who winked at her to wish her luck before she walked out of the room to make her way onto the elevator that was just down the hall as Erik said. After stepping in side and pressing the button for the fifteenth floor she closed her eyes and dreaded every floor she passed that led her closer to Jellal. After the ding sounded Erza thought her heard would explode.

"Meledy?" Erza asked in shock as she stepped out of the elevator to approach the reception desk directly in front of her.

"The one and only" she smiled at Erza, "How ya been?"

"I'm… I've… I've been fine" Erza stammered.

It seemed she was running into a lot of people form her past lately and she wasn't entirely sure how she felt about it.

"I'll let him know you're here" Meledy smiled while punching in a few numbers on her phone and speaking into the mouth piece quietly and nodding.

"It'll be just a few minutes" she said after hanging up the phone, "But the kureig is right over there if you want some coffee. Just take a seat and he'll be ready for you shortly."

Erza nodded before taking a pass on the coffee and opting to just sit on the sofa instead. After a few more minutes there was a buzzing sound by the door before it clicked open and a man was shaking Jellal's hand before he turned around to exit the lobby and go down the elevator.

After the man was gone, Jellal peeked his head the rest of the way out of the doorway with a smile, "Come on back."

Erza stood and walked through the door and down a hall with another office door at the end. There was a gold plaque on the door that had Jellal's title of president on it as well as his name. After opening the door for Erza and letting her walk inside first, Jellal closed it behind him before going over to his desk and leaning his weight against it but not sitting down. Erza awkwardly stood and looked around slightly panicked. He hadn't sat down so she didn't want to sit and look rude, but standing was also just as awkward.

"So" Jellal said with a relaxed tone as he picked up a glass of water on his desk and took a swig.

Before he could start speaking again Erza bowed and then almost shouted, "I'm sorry!"

"What?" Jellal asked both confused and amused.

Erza raised herself back upright before rubbing her arms as she said, "I'm not sure if I did anything to offend you or make you mad, please don't fire me."

"That's what you think?" Jellal practically laughed, "That's not at all why I called you up here."

"Then…" Erza trailed off as she became completely lost at what this could be about.

"I wanted to ask if you wanted to get coffee some time, catch up. I don' think we really talked much at the resort." Jellal tried to smile but he was obviously nervous for Erza's answer.

"Uh… I uh… I mean…" she struggled to answer.

"You don't have to" Jellal tried to soften the blow he thought she was about to deal him.

"Well" Erza finally said, "I don't really like coffee."

"Oh" Jellal said, "Is there something else you like then?"

"Well, I've wanted to go ice skating, but haven't gotten to this year…" Erza grumbled while twiddling her fingers.

"I'll take you then" Jellal said with a grin, "But don't get mad when I skate faster that you."

"You'll eat my ice shavings!" Erza bellowed back at the challenge before quickly realizing who she was talking to and covering her mouth in embarassment, "Sorry… I…"

Jellal let out a bellowing laugh as he hunched over a little, "No really. It's fine. It's good to see you acting a little more like yourself."

Erza just nervously smiled before Jellal held his phone out to her, "Mind putting your number in here. I'll try to get in touch with you about a date and time for ice skating."

"Date…" Erza repeated with a blush as she took his phone in her hands.

Jellal tried to defensively wave his hands in front of her, "J-just two friend c-catching up. A calendar date, not a d-date date" he choked on his words as he stumbled to finish his sentence.

Erza nodded frantically as she started blushing along with him before handing back his phone wither number now placed in it. After pausing a few moments, Erza's phone dinged with a new text message.

"Now you have my number too" Jellal smiled sheepishly, "Let me know when you're able to go, ok?"

Erza nodded before she backed out of his office with her head still reeling. Was she going on a date with the company president? Or was it just a weird coincidence that her childhood friend was running the business she worked for? Either way she felt her heart slamming into her ribs until she had made it back inside the elevator to head back to the studio room. After walking back inside the studio room she was greeted by the Spanish inquisition.

"Were you in trouble?" Yukino asked worriedly.

"What did he want?" Mira asked skeptically.

Levy scratched her face before asking, "Why did he want to talk to you?"

Erza just slapped a hand over her face waiting for them all to shut up before she finally spoke, "He just wanted to chat."

"Pfffffft!" Cana spat before she turned with a smirk, "He was smitten wasn't he?"

"What?!" Erza asked with a blush.

"What do you mean?" Mira looked to Cana with a questioning glance.

"You guys didn't know?" Cana smirked, "Erza was childhood friends with the company president."

"Way to get in good with the company" Kagura remarked smugly.

"Why didn't you say anything?!" Yukino gasped.

After a few more small quibbling responses to Cana's explanation of Erza's past relationship to the president, Erza held up her hand in order to shush the squawking girls.

"He didn't want anything!" Erza almost screeched, "He just wanted to talk and catch up since it's been over a decade since we last saw each other."

"Ooooooo" Cana went half lidded with a knowing smirk, "He wants to tap that."

"Shut up!" Erza yelled while everyone snickered to themselves until the boys finished recording in the main room together.

To Be Continued...

Still have a few more Christmas chapters in store! Enjoy the fluff! :D