Nine Ladies Dancing
The poor, wooden doors had done nothing to deserve the punishment they routinely received. But when the master announced an impromptu trip into town, nearly half the guild burst through the front doors, almost yanking them from their hinges. Levy cheered with the rest of her friends when they saw the magic vehicle parked in front.
With everyone bundled in their warmest clothes, they set off for the edge of Hergeon. Erza drove the vehicle at a breakneck speed, it's thin wheels flinging snow high into the air behind them. The tiny Fairies flopped and tumbled in the back of the cart and did their best to avoid the motion-sick Natsu.
Blessedly, after only a half an hour, the vehicle screeched to a stop. The guild tumbled out the back, turning big in an attempt to settle their heaving stomachs. Levy placed her hands on her knees, breathing deeply through her nose. Her legs shook and she could still the cart rolling and bumping beneath her, even though she finally stood on solid ground. She lifted her head to see how the others fared, but her nausea was forgotten when she squinted at the morning sun glinting across the surface of a large pond.
She blinked at the brightness, taking a moment to realize the entire pond was frozen over. Small, makeshift shops were scattered around the perimeter of the pond and several families and couples were already gliding across the smooth surface.
"A little birdie told me that there was something special going on in town today, so I decided to take my family on a little day trip." The master moved to the front of the group and spun to look at them. "So what are you waiting for? Get going, you brats!"
Hoots and hollers echoed across the clearing. Levy grabbed Lucy's hand and tugged on Cana's scarf, dragging her friends down the small hill to the pond. They ran to a small stall with a hand-written sign spelling "skates" in bright, red letters. After waiting in line for a few minutes, they eagerly jumped up to the counter to tell the owner their shoe size.
The shopkeeper furrowed his brows and grabbed a notebook from the back shelf. "Can I get your names, please?"
"I'm Levy, and this is Cana and Lucy."
The shopkeeper nodded and set his notebook back among the skates. "Excellent. I have your skates ready to go."
"How much is it to rent them for the day?" Lucy asked, leaning her arms on the counter.
"Already paid for," the man said with a smile. "Three pairs...for the blue-haired Fairy and her two friends."
Levy's mouth dropped open and the other girls giggled, nudging her in the ribs. The shopkeeper chuckled and handed them three pairs of skates, each exactly the right size.
"Oh, and one more thing," the man continued and Levy closed her mouth with a snap, "the purchaser also wanted me to remind her to count."
Levy blinked, blindly reaching out for her skates. "I...what? Count?"
The shopkeeper smiled and waved. "Enjoy your skating!"
Lucy tugged her from the front of the line and led them to an unoccupied fallen tree trunk. Lucy and Cana quickly switched their shoes for the skates and swept onto the frozen pond. Levy slowly untied her boot laces, nose wrinkled.
"Now I know someone's doing this just for me. It can't be just a coincidence that this happened again." She tugged on her skates, tightening the laces. "And what did that man mean to count? Count what?"
She hummed and pursed her lips, leaning back on her hands. She stared across the lake at the people twirling and gliding across the ice. Evergreen whirled past and Levy straightened on the log, brows furrowing. She used her finger to point to each girl, whispering softly to herself.
"Lucy, Cana, Evergreen. Mirajane, Erza, Wendy. Bisca and Asuka. Including me that's…"
With a wide smile she jumped up from the log, falling backward onto her rear when the bottom of her skates stuck in the snow. She gratefully accepted Lucy and Cana's outstretched hands and let them rescue her from the snow pile. It took her a few minutes to find her bearings, but Levy didn't mind; she was just happy to join the rest of the girls as they danced around the frozen lake.
Gajeel smiled in satisfaction from his hiding spot behind a large tree. It was about time Levy joined her friends and stopped looking for him constantly. She was always encouraging him to join their group, whether it was the water park or just a random request. She was always worrying about him, checking up on him, making sure he was doing alright. He wanted her to enjoy her Christmas without the constant distraction of checking to see how he was doing.
He knew she would protest if she heard his thoughts, but he wanted to look out for her in the same way she always did for him. Levy was his closest friend in the guild, the one who had stood by him during the darkest moments of his life. She had been a constant companion but the more time he spent with her, the more confusing his thoughts became. He didn't know why he had the sudden desire to always be near her and he desperately wanted to run down the hill and join her in their ice skating.
Gajeel sighed, laying his head against the tree. No...even if she protested, it wouldn't be right for him to take her away from her other friends. This was the only way he knew that would show her how much she meant to him.
He peeked around the tree a final time, smiling when he saw Levy glide past, hand-in-hand with a line of Fairy Tail ladies, and ran up the hill before anyone spotted him. Mr. Darren's blacksmith shop was open and Gajeel needed to hurry if he wanted to get his projects finished.