Twelve Drummers Drumming

It was deceptively quiet in the common room.

Levy peeked around the corner, searching for anyone out of the ordinary. Her sharp gaze traveled the length of the bar counter where Mira calmly prepared dinner, over tables and chairs and finally rested on the large double doors at the front of the guild hall. She didn't see anything suspicious.

Most of the guild was busy with last minute decorating and wrapping of presents and she was certain Cana was off buying an entire village-worth of drinks for the festivities the next day, but Levy didn't trust the innocent atmosphere in the air.

Tiptoeing her way around the corner, ears pricked for any sudden movements, Levy almost made it to the doors when an ominous bang thumped behind her.

"Master!" she screeched, "They're doing it again!"

With a yelp she turned small and darted through the hole in the top of the door. The loud banging followed close behind her and she didn't need to turn around to know each Fairy had a wide grin on his face. She flew around the building, zipped up and over the roof and flitted around the chimney in a vain attempt to shake off her pursuers. She could hear their raucous laughter over the sound of the drums they beat wildly.

"Leave me alone! Don't you have anything better to do on Christmas Eve?"

Wings aching from her long sprint, she darted through a tree branch. Her smaller body twisted nimbly through the leaves and gave her a few precious seconds to escape the guys and their cumbersome instruments. She launched herself through the small hole in the door and slammed it shut with her back. Her eyes darted frantically around the room, searching for a place to hide as the beating of drums became louder and closer through the wooden door.

Mira worked behind the counter and Levy launched herself off the small door and toward the kitchen. She managed to dart behind the counter just as the front doors burst open and the guys stormed into the room. Tucking herself behind jars of boysenberry jam on the middle shelf, Levy willed her breathing to quiet and her heart to calm its racing pulse.

She could hear the guys prowling around the tables and chairs.

"Where'd she go? Is she hiding again?"

"Aww, no fun!"

"He's gonna kill us, you know...he's gonna figure out our plan to get him out of the house eventually."

"No he ain't. And anyway, this is payback for that silly play he made us do."

The voices came closer to her hiding spot. Levy froze, not even daring to breathe.

"Come on, let's see if she snuck back outside!"

More bangs and drumming echoed around the room before disappearing entirely. Levy remained frozen for several minutes until she was sure all of the guys had left. Confident that none of the boys would be returning any time soon, she heaved a great sigh and rested her forehead against her knees.

"Don't worry, they'll get bored of their little game after a while," Mira whispered, leaning down in the pretense of collecting a few jars of canned peaches, "Hide as long as you'd like. I won't rat you out."

Levy gave her friend a grateful smile, not wanting to risk talking out loud in case she was wrong and the guys decided to charge back in the room. After spotting a spare rag that was thankfully clean, Levy created a small nest for herself. Her wings ached from the constant flying she had been doing all day and she closed her eyes, her grateful body sinking into her makeshift bed.

A small thump jolted her awake. Levy jerked up, her eyes blinking rapidly in the dim light as she tried to remember why she was sleeping on a shelf. Shaking her head at how easily she fell asleep, Levy stood and stretched, ready to fly to her room. She hoped she could still get a proper night's sleep after her impromptu nap.

Another thump made her freeze, her entire body poised and ready to sprint away from the guys if they dared try to chase her again with their drums. She listened to the soft footsteps on the opposite side of the counter, the floorboards creaking with every step the owner took. Her tense body relaxed and her wings lowered; she would recognize those footsteps anywhere.

She silently watched the dark, Gajeel-shaped shadow walk around the counter and settle softly onto the floor. The moonlight through the front windows gave her just enough light to help her see the stars on his blanket that he carefully tucked around himself. She could just barely make out Lily settling himself next to Gajeel and kneading the blanket with his front paws. Levy smiled, realizing the elusive cat must have been keeping Gajeel company while he was holed up in the room.

Not wanting to startle her dragon, Levy slowly sprinkled her magic into her hands, purposefully dulling the glow. Only when she saw his head jerk to the shelves did she allow the magic to return to its normal brightness. Forming the word LIGHT, she draped it across the top counter and stretched it over Gajeel's head. Magic in place, she fluttered to his spot and sat on a knee that wasn't quite covered by the blanket.

"What're ya doin' down here?"

"I could ask you the same question," she answered, trying not to frown at the weariness she detected in his voice. With the light hovering above him, she could easily see the dark circles under his eyes.

I knew it...he hasn't been sleeping again.

Gajeel huffed quietly and rested his chin on his raised knee. His slanted eyes flicked to hers for a moment before resuming their intense study of the floorboards beneath them. His hand trailed in Lily's fur and the cat's loud purrs filled the stillness of the night. With a small huff she fluttered to Gajeel's shoulder and tucked the edge of the blanket around her. She managed to keep her balance when he straightened and rested his head against the back wall. Holding onto his ear just like she used to when they first started doing requests together, she silently and patiently waited for him to speak.

His heavy sigh vibrated through his entire body and shook her spot on his shoulder. She stroked his cheek, resisting the urge to turn big and wrap him in her arms; with the direction her heart had been going lately, she wasn't sure if she would be able to let him go.

"Well, to answer your original question...I was hiding from the guys and I guess I lost track of time." She played with a strand of dark hair and remained quiet.

She knew Gajeel heard her answer and also knew he wasn't trying to ignore her. He always found it difficult to reveal his innermost thoughts and the struggle was even more apparent whenever he was exhausted. She hated that his inner demons still came to haunt him. It wasn't right that his old life had such a hold on him and it broke her heart that even after all of this time he still wasn't fully healed.

But think of all the ways he's gotten better!

Levy nodded silently to herself, continuing to play with Gajeel's hair while she waited for him to be ready to talk. It had been weeks since she last saw the deep fatigue under his eyes, signaling that his nightmares were back in full force. He hardly ever flinched at loud noises anymore and he only sometimes panicked if they were running late during a request. He sparred on equal terms with Laxus and the scars on his back never seemed to bother him.

It was the scars on his heart that she was afraid would never heal.

"I guess I'm hidin' too…" his soft voice whispered in the dim light.

Levy tucked her knees to her chest and rested a hand on his cheek. "From what?"

"Christmas tomorrow."

How can he be scared about Christmas?

It was on the tip of her tongue to gush about the holiday. About how much fun they would have, all the games and excitement that came with celebrating with their family, all the good food they were going to eat. Her mouth opened to put a rest to his fears, but something held her back.

It was not the time to ramble. It was his first Christmas since he escaped from his dark cell and although he tolerated the rambunctious guild on normal days, they probably celebrated much differently than he was used to. The fear of the unknown must be weighing heavily on his mind if he resorted to sleeping behind the counter again.

"Do you think you'll feel up to it?"

"Huh?"

Levy dropped her hand and played with her tail. "You've been in your room for days now, so I thought you might be sick or something."

"Oh...no, I wasn't sick or anythin'. I was…" he scratched his head in the adorable way she loved.

She wiggled on his shoulder. "Well, you don't have to tell me right away, because you'll never guess what I've figured out! You've been really busy lately, but someone has been doing the 12 Days of Christmas for the guild! Well, sometimes I thought it was just for me, but then I decided that couldn't be right, but I'm still really suspicious. But there were chocolates, and pears, and we went ice skating and then a group of singers came yesterday with these instruments called bagpipes and someone gave me a bird-watching book, and-"

The shoulder underneath her shook the longer she talked. Levy clamped her mouth shut and flew to hover in front of his face. His eyes flicked to her and darted away, his mouth in a tight line and body still shaking in silent laughter.

She crossed her arms and huffed. "You know something, don't you?"

Gajeel coughed and peeked at her. "I had a feelin' you'd like strawberries in yer milkshake."

Her jaw dropped open. "Wha...how'd you know that?"

He chuckled and pointed to himself. Levy squinted and frowned, until he reached a hand up and gave her a small wave.

"It was you?!" she screeched, slapping a hand over her mouth when her words echoed in the dark room. Lily lifted his head and glared at her.

"Gihee, did I surprise ya, Shrimp? Hey, hold up!"

She pounded his chest with her tiny fists. "You set them up for that, didn't you!?"

"Now wait a sec," he gently grabbed her and held her up to his face, "The drumming thing wasn't my idea, I promise. I was thinkin' of another skit or something, but the guys said they needed more sticks and sent me off. Didn't know what they were up to until Mira spilled the whole thing."

"Ok fine, you're forgiven. But why didn't you join us with ice skating?" She stomped her tiny foot against his hand and crossed her arms. "It would have been nice to have you with us."

The image of her skating alongside Gajeel flashed through her mind. She could only imagine what it would have been like to have his strong hand holding hers as they glided across the ice, his smile wild and carefree as he laughed in the wind.

"I wanted to...to get my project done before Christmas."

Gajeel's voice shattered her fantasies.

There was something in his voice, something that he wasn't telling her. She hovered in the air and poked his nose.

"And what else?"

"Wh...whaddya mean?"

"I mean that you're not telling me everything. So spill."

He stared at the top of Lily's head, not looking at her in the eyes. "Promise you won't get mad?"

"Cross my heart." She placed her hand on her chest.

"I just...I wanted to give you some time with yer friends, ya know?"

Levy frowned at his words. "What do you mean? I'm always with my-"

"Exactly! Yer always with me, looking out for me, and I..." Levy was worried he'd draw blood with the way he scratched at the scales on his neck, "And it's not right. You deserve time with your own family without constantly lookin' over yer shoulder to make sure I'm not havin' a panic attack or something stupid."

She pursed her lips and barely managed to bite back a growl.

And here I thought he was done having silly thoughts like that.

"You do realize what this means, right?"

"Huh?" Gajeel's hand froze and she turned big, leaning down to smirk at his bewildered face.

"You're stuck with me all day tomorrow. Gotta make it up to me somehow, don't you think?"

She winked and he stuttered, "But, I-"

"No buts. There's usually a small group of us that hangs out on Christmas and we do everything together. So you'll just have to join our group like you always do."

She turned small and landed on his shoulder, his head moving to continue his protest.

She tugged on his ear to hush him up. "Do you really think you'll win this one? Might as well admit defeat and enjoy yourself. Christmas isn't supposed to be stressful, so take some time to just enjoy being with your family."

Gajeel hung his head and groaned, giving her a half-hearted scowl as he adjusted his blanket around his shoulders.

"Oh, and another thing…" she fiddled with her tail, thankful that the dim light helped mask the silly grin forming on her lips, "Thank you, Gajeel. I've never had a 12 Days of Christmas before and I loved every moment. It was so very special and it makes me so happy to know you did all of that for me. So...thank you."

"Oh, yeah, no problem. But um…" he fiddled with his blanket, folding it and smoothing it back over again, "It's only part of yer present. I didn't know how much you'd actually like it, so I got ya another one just in case."

"Gajeel, you didn't have to do that! I can tell how much you worked on the daily surprises!" She hovered close to his face.

He shrugged, looking directly at her as he spoke. "It's nothing compared to everythin' you've done for me, Shorty."

His red, slanted eyes warmed as they gazed at one another. Her heart pounded, trying to reach for the Draak sitting in front of her. Did he feel the same draw she did? Had he noticed the same, strange pull that drew them closer to one another, one that was quickly becoming something deeper and more profound than just friendship?

A chime echoed on the wall behind them, startling them both and breaking the growing connection between them. The clock struck midnight, its soft chimes announcing the beginning of her favorite day of the year.

Levy smiled, a blush still warming her ears, and pressed her tiny body against Gajeel's cheek in a small hug. "Merry Christmas, Gajeel."

His hand rested gently on her back. "Merry Christmas, Levy."

She bit back a smile and ignored the way her heart thrummed at the rare use of her full name. The last chime of the clock gradually faded. They looked at one another and in a silent agreement Gajeel rose from his spot on the floor, Levy claiming her spot on his shoulder. She waved a hand and released her magic, plunging the room into darkness once again.

Like a shadow, Gajeel rounded the counter, carefully avoiding the black shape that darted between his feet, and made his way up the stairs. He paused at the fork in the hallway and Levy reluctantly left his shoulder. With a whispered goodnight, and a final hug to his cheek, Levy flitted away and quietly entered her room. She curled into her hammock and snuggled against her blanket, eyes heavy with sleep and heart warmed to the brim.

She couldn't wait for morning to come.