Author's Note: Okay! Here's the chapter! It's pretty fluffy...lol. Try to enjoy?

Also I do not own Fairy Tail.

Chapter Thirty Seven - A Seasonal Resolution

It was now several weeks after the previous game in Oaktown's Jupiter Stadium. The Fairies had made a nice ride by easily winning three games vs Hargeon, Clover, an Onibas. However, these were all bottom of the barrel teams, and that rivalry game vs the Phantoms really kept them from taking the east title.

Now sitting at the middle of the pack, the Fairies found themselves, along with the rest of the league, at a minor 2 week break. Normally the FBA issued a one week break for rest in late December, followed by an All-Star week in Crocus just in time for the holiday season…

…However, several veteran players (some of which include Laxus, Gajeel, and many others across the league) ruined the experience last season by starting up a game-wide brawl with both benches. Some Tartaros players flapped their gums, Phantoms got angry, Gajeel sent a guy to the hospital, the details really aren't important. All's that mattered now was the League Commissioner revoked the All-Star break for one year, and instead gave the entire league an extra week away from games.

In that case, it was not just any late December night, but in fact it happened to be December 31st. The year X794 was coming to an end, and here we find a very large crowd of Fairy friends gathered in the very spacious down town apartment complex owned by Jellal Fernandes. However, before we find the hosts for the evening, let us revert to a very oddly placed Gajeel and Levy, who happen to be sharing a love-seat couch in the very lively living room roughly 30 minutes before the ball drop.

"This is so ridiculous!" Gajeel yelled as he began chewing on an empty beer can. "I didn't even wanna come to this crappy party with these idiots."

Levy smiled and gave him a pat on the back. "Well gee I'm sorry, but I really wanted to see everyone. I mean it's not like you owe me anything for keeping your butt out of jail…oh wait."

As previously stated right after the loss vs Oaktown, Gajeel threw an extra large temper tantrum as he began kicking chairs and hurling water bottles into the audience. A near small riot almost ensued before the cops were able to come and wrestle him down. Natsu almost jumped over to give him a hand, but Gray and Elfman responsibly held him down as well.

After the game however, Levy was removed from her multi-personnel press conference to go help Gajeel from being fully arrested. She negotiated a simple payment/fine deal that made Gajeel pay the league a certain amount of money to let it all wash under the table as a first of the year offense. Either way, it took a lot of internal strength for Levy to keep from sounding salty. "Look…I know you have nights where you really don't like seeing anyone, and that's fine. But come on, it's the end of the year, and your team is on the hunt for the playoffs! Be happy!"

Gajeel rolled his eyes and tried looking away. "Are we? Looks like we're in fourth place if ya ask me…"

He was silenced as Levy grabbed his chin and gave him a kiss. She then looked him in the eye. "Well, good thing the east takes four teams to the final playoffs."

Gajeel forced a smile and laid back with Levy around one arm. "Shrimp, you never really did tell me why you chose Magnolia."

Levy started to blush. "Wha-a? I mean, I was fairly clear that I just wanted to give a small team a chance to win."

Gajeel wasn't buying the whole "noble deed" thing any longer. "Nah, nah. Give it to me straight, you have more reasons for pickin this crap hole of a town if you wanted to win."

Levy sat up and slightly turned away from Gajeel. The party around them was loud and friendly, but the two on the couch were both able to tune the noises out and focused in on each other.

Levy sighed. "It's because…this crap hole used to be my home."

Gajeel stopped laughing and sat up with her. "Wait, you used to live here?"

She nodded. "It wasn't a very nice place growing up, and heck it's probably the main reason why my family moved to Crocus when I was younger. I liked it, but all my life I sort of took heat for being from Magnolia, the rust capital of Fiore…"

Gajeel had no words as Levy kept explaining. "But now…everything here is so colorful. Sure parts of the city are still down hill, but for the most part things are on the rise! And heck, the Fairies have one of the nicest facilities in the league! I really…just wanted to win one for the home team."

Gajeel stopped to collect the entire explanation. He only came here because they offered the most money, but and he figured that's why a young GM like Levy did it too, but never did he expect her to be born and raised here.

Either way, he laughed. "Shrimp, that's gotta be one of the lamest excuses I've ever heard. This town isn't that bad."

Levy looked up to his eyes, then he continued.

"Sure you let some punks in middle school tease ya, but now look at you. Taking the crappy Fairies to the playoffs with a roster you hand-designed yourself? No wonder you were so good at fixin' this place…"

Levy had no choice but to stop, smile, and give him another kiss on the cheek. Gajeel appreciated the gesture but moved the second one back to the lips.

As those two were beginning to enjoy the night a light too early, we now find two more Fairies discussing some plans for the future.

"Ooooh! Gray what about this building?! It has two full sized seating areas, plus a kitchen that was recently refurbished!" Juvia held a tiny page up on her phone and frantically pointed at the picture on the screen.

Gray laughed and took another drink from his bottle as they both sat at the kitchen bar. "Yea, it looks nice, but you're telling me you want to go blow all your money on some pricey new building?"

"What do you mean?" She asked with hesitation.

Gray took the phone, backed out, and chose the second option. "This place is a little older, but they're not looking for a new crew entirely, just a new owner. Try buying a place that already has workers, that way they can teach you some things about the business as well."

Juvia took the phone that he handed back to her and looked worried. "Oh, I mean that's an interesting way to put it. What if I do need more training? I mean, I've never actually worked in a restaurant since my freshman year in college, and that was just waiting tables! How will anyone take me seriously?"

Gray put his hand on her shoulder to calm her down. "Hey, relax. Remember, you still have a semester of online classes to earn your license in the kitchen. Us that, wait to raise some money, then get a master's or something. People will have no choice but to respect you then."

Juvia stuttered again. "O-okay, but what if I just need to take some time to learn how to cook, then learn the business end of management."

Gray rolled his eyes and started laughing again. "Juvia just take this semester and apply to work as a part time chef downtown somewhere!" He set his drink down, took her phone and placed it on the counter, then grabbed both her hands.

"Would you just calm down about everything? You're going to be awesome at it no matter what."

Juvia was still nervous but she really appreciated the support. "Oh, you're right…I guess after two years with Bora I just got used to managing my self. It's sort of nice having a teammate through all of this, now."

Gray nodded, and picked up his bottle to raise it in the air. "There, see! Teammates, through best and worst."

He took a drink, but as soon as the bottle left his lips, Juvia jumped forward and planted hers right on his cheek, and then leaned back to smile. "You're far too good for me, Gray Fullbuster!"

Gray raised an eyebrow and looked at his half-drank bottle. "Eh, I get that a lot."

Giggling, she smacked him on the arm and gave him a second kiss to help settle the mood down once again. Now, after letting the second couple raise the room's temperature, we now find one of the younger pairs standing around the main island in the kitchen.

Natsu held a chrome drink mixer and began shaking it frantically up and down. He then stopped to add a few more shots of some random liquor and laughed. "Lucy, I'm not sure why you're hanging around me and the bar, you're not aloud to have any of this crap tonight."

Lucy smacked him on the arm, and nearly made him drop the bottle before he was able to grab it out of thin air.

Hands over her mouth, Lucy returned to a semi-angry expression with her hands moved down to her hips. "You can relax, dad. I haven't had a drop to drink all night!"

Natsu kept mixing and then raised a hand under his chin. "Hmm, I like the whole 'dad' thing, hehe!"

"UGH! YOU KNOW WHAT I MEANT!" Lucy went to smack him again, but Natsu braced for impact and ducked as Lucy swung and missed.

Now spinning, she turned around and almost hit the floor, until Natsu caught her with his other arm and raised her back to her feet. Inches away from each other's faces, Lucy's started turning very red with flustered embarrassment.

"…nice catch."

Natsu howled again and let go of her, and as she gained full balance yet again, Lucy leaned over the counter. "So what are you making, anyway?"

Natsu started laughing again. "Hehe, maybe that cocktail I made for you over the fall? I'm not sure anymore I've just been picking up random bottles the entire night."

Lucy's eyes were about to fall out of her head. "Please tell me you're not going to drink any of it…?"

Natsu chuckled. "Pff, no way! It's a request…" He went to explain, but as he did Cana Alberona walked by and snatched the mixer out of his hands.

"Thanks short stuff, I'll take it straight form here." She smiled as she began downing half the mixer in one go.

As Cana walked off Lucy started laughing. "Well, looks like you lost your drink."

Natsu shrugged and went to the fridge. He then pulled out two beer bottle, stuffed one in Lucy's hands and grabbed her arm to leave for the living room. "Come on! I need ta sit down!" He explained with a determined look in his eye as he now made a hunt for the couch.

Lucy started freaking out with her newly earned beer bottle. "NATSU!? I told you I'm NOT drinking tonight!"

Natsu laughed and looked her in the eyes. "Okay? Set it down then."

Lucy paused as they stopped walking. She then looked down at the bottle, then back at their joined hands. "Well I mean, now I feel guilty…you gave it to me."

"Geeze, Lucy. You're hopeless, you know that?" Natsu shook his head and kept dragging her into the living room.

While those two were now sharing a drink together, Cana kept stumbling around trying to find other couples to antagonize. As she got rather bored with Evergreen and Elfman, she quickly spotted her new target standing alone at the tiny dining room table.

"Awe, is wittle Waxus all by himself?" She asked as she pulled up a drunken seat and placed it by the menacing Fairy Center sitting all by himself.

Laxus rolled his eyes. "Mira's in the bathroom, and I don't need to deal with this right now."

"AHAHA! Oh you're too adorable!" Cana howled and took a other swig of her mystery drink. She than raised an eye brow and wiped her lips. "Wow, that kid can make a mean drink! No wonder Lucy latched herself on to him…"

Laxus sighed. "Yea? Are you pissed off you didn't catch him first?"

"Natsu?" Cana asked. "BAHA! Hell no! That kid's too loud for me, which is why he sort of fits perfectly with Lucy…" She then shrugged and crossed her legs. "So, any big plans with Mira? After all I can't really see you two hanging out here all night."

"Mgh." Laxus gave her a single grunt, to which she rolled her own eyes.

"Oh brother, you're totally ridiculous. I've known you two for what, five years? I think I'm aloud to voice my input on the SS Dreyar-Strauss ship."

Laxus was starting to get annoyed. "Hmm, well maybe you were on to something when you said I should leave? I am getting sort of impatient with this crowd. Maybe I'll take Mira and bolt outta here."

Cana smacked him on the knee. "HA! You know I was kidding! I mean Mira? She'd never let you two leave this early! I'm not even sure why you were so gullible with letting her bring you. You never like these house party get-togethers. It's almost like you're…" She paused for amount as her eyes wondered down to the ground.

Apparently as she slapped his knee, a tiny object fell out of his exposed lap and landed down under his seat. Sitting with wide eyes, Cana sat up. "Um…you dropped something."

Laxus raised his head and looked her right in the eyes. His first thought was "Oh shit.", but he never said a word as both he and Cana lunged forward to grab the tiny black object.

To her luck, Cana swiped it first. After further investigation, her jaw was nearly on the ground. "Oh no shit, you're so cheesy Laxus!"

She quietly laughed as she looked at her new, tiny black box, carrying a very shiny silver diamond ring inside. Cana then let her cheeks fill with red after seeing the size and metal. "Wow, what is this worth like your whole contract?"

Laxus never answered and snatched it out of her hands. He then stood up. "You like it? Well no show tonight. I'm bailing on the whole thing…"

"WHAT!?" Cana stood up and watched him walk away. "AWE COME ON DON'T TELL ME IT'S MY FAULT?! THIS PLACE WAS STARTING TO GET BORING!"

Everyone looked at the now yelling Cana, but Laxus ignored her as he went to find Mira. He did want to ask her the big question, but after an hour into the party, he soon corrected his thoughts.

"Hell no, this place is not the right time…let's see how we finish the season."

Cana shook her head and sat back down to finish her cocktail. "Man he's something else…hmm, I wonder where the wonder couple who decided to host this thing is…?"

Back away from the party, and inside the master bedroom, Jellal was lying flat on his king-sized bed fully clothed, and as he lied there, Erza straddled his waist and continued kissing him passionately on the lips.

After enjoying the moment for a little while, Jellal paused and looked her in the eye. "I'm sorry…what did we come back here for exactly?"

Erza smiled. "The other bathroom was occupied. I came to use this on, and you were still in your pajamas watching TV." She moved her head to reveal the flashing flat screen pinned to the wall.

Jellal laughed and kept his eyes on her. "Oh, well do you mind? I was in the middle of watching something, here."

She smacked him on the arm and stood up, readjusting her black jeans and white blouse. As she left for the bathroom mirror, Jellal sat up and continued watching the cable content. The TV personalities started debating sports for some overly played athletic network.

"Well I don't know if the Fairies can do it. Laxus and Natsu seem to have things under control, but the others are still pretty rocky."

"True that, Gajeel and Jellal played lights out over these past three games, but one of them had a nice little flop during the Oaktown series to keep their record dow…"

Jellal stopped watching as Erza came out from the bathroom, and grabbed the remote from the night stand. She turned it off and threw it firmly on the bed. "Stop watching those morons. You'll lose your brain cells."

Jellal sighed. "According to them I already have."

Erza rolled here eyes and slowly sat back on the bed. Turning her body, she leaned her head onto Jellal's shoulder. "Tell me, how did you miss the shot?"

Jellal held his breath as she restated her question. Meanwhile, Erza tried again. "You don't need to hide it from me. I stood behind you the entire time, and watched your face. Something kept you distracted in the audience."

Jellal reached up and grabbed her hand that was placed between her chin and his left shoulder. "I…I thought I saw her at the game."

Erza rolled her eyes. "Jellal, I told you to calm down about all that…we both agreed that you over reacted. I mean, I can't get her out of my head either sometimes, but..." She then sat up and kept herself in a very reserved posture. "...I understand you two must have had a nice relationship, and I can respect that. But that's your past, you can go ahead and…"

Jellal stopped her and put a hand under her chin.

"Relax, it was a terrible relationship…" He then leaned in and kissed her passionately on the lips. Trying to catch a breath, the confused Erza melted away in the moment, until he leaned back and grinned.

Jellal then carried on. "I mean, she only wanted me for the person I was beneath the sheets."

Erza smiled back and shoved him down on the mattress. She then stood up and walked for the door. "I'll be out in the living room. Come see your guests. After all you only have a few seconds left."

As she shut the door, Jellal looked to the clock and noticed it read 11:59.

Then, he smiled and slowly stood up. "Don't worry Magnolia, I'll have no choice but to win you that title now...for both our sakes."

Well, Jellal. I hope you stick with that mini-resolution! Maybe those Fairies will fly high with you out in front! Maybe they'll even win the championship like you promise!

This chapter seemed too good to be true...next one soon?

Comment and review like always!