Here's a silly one-shot idea I came up with while at work. Hope you all like it.

Summary: Halloween and Christmas just aren't meant to mix. Natsu accepted this without any questions. That was, until the pink scaled dragon met a glowing angel. They were destined to be enemies, but sometimes fate is meant to be ignored. I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does.

I also don't own any of the songs mentioned in this story. The songs go as followed: "The Christmas Shoes", "You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch", "Baby, it's cold outside", "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", and "Wonderful Christmas Time".

Rated: T

Pairing: Natsu/Lucy

Genre: Friendship/Romance (With a tiny bit of angst)

Word Count: 6,909

Battle of the Holidays

"Thank you for shopping at Magnolia Mart. We will be closing in five minutes. Please make your final selections and bring them to the front. We will gladly check you out. We will reopen tomorrow at eight AM for your shopping convenience. And as always, thank you for shopping at your local Magnolia Mart."

Natsu grinned. Or, he tried to grin. He still had a while until the spell would activate, giving him and his fellow Halloween friends the gift of life. See, Natsu was a dragon statue. During shopping hours he was an item available to be purchased, but when the employees clocked out and the doors locked, the Halloween decorations came alive.

No one knew how it started, or who was responsible for casting the spell. Somehow they all just knew about it, and that was what they accepted as fact. Everyone was just glad for the spell since it gave them a little bit of freedom.

Of course there was another aspect of the spell that Natsu had not been a fan of at first. Halloween decorations weren't the only ones to come to life. Christmas decorations were the same way, and that infuriated him.

It wasn't Natsu's fault he had a hatred for Christmas. It was hardwired into his brain when he was built at the factory. All Halloween items felt the same way as him. It made it worse that Halloween stuff were set up the week after Labor Day, and Christmas was set up the next week after that.

Why the hell couldn't Christmas just chill out?

Could it not wait until Thanksgiving was over with before stomping its way into the store?

These were some of the default thoughts programmed into Natsu's brain. Natsu glared at the other end of the store. Halloween was set up in two aisles while Christmas got three aisles and a huge middle area for their decorated trees.

The nerve of them!

He loved it when it was just Halloween for a week. They partied, brawled, and had a grand old time. Natsu wished it could have lasted longer, but there was nothing to be done about it now. At least this gave him someone to fight!

Natsu heard someone make another announcement, claiming the store was now closed. It wouldn't be long until he could stretch his wings and join the fight. Yes, Halloween really disliked Christmas. As soon as the spell would take over, the creepy decorations would attack!

Natsu's marble eyes stared over at the Christmas aisle. It was only half-full since they were still setting up. It gave Halloween an advantage which they definitely needed. More customers were prone to buying Halloween over Christmas this time of year, so it made sense when their numbers started to drop.

No one blamed the items that were sold though. That was the goal, to go home with someone. Everyone was also programmed to want a home, a family to call their own. It was celebrated when a Halloween item was sold, but it still effected their fight.

Christmas seemed so pretentious. At first they didn't want to fight. They tried to say peace was the better option, but Halloween wasn't falling for it. After a few strikes Christmas had retaliated, then the war started.

Natsu felt his heart pulse. It was almost time.

He glanced over, seeing the cat skeleton a few shelves down from him. That was his best friend, Happy. He would have a hard time being sold, and that broke Natsu's heart. See, a few days ago a pesky kid took Happy over to the spray paint aisle and decided he would look much better in the color blue. The damage already took a toll on the poor cat. Most of his brothers and sisters were being sold, but he was left ignored.

It pained Natsu's heart, but Happy wasn't alone.

Natsu wasn't made correctly at the factory. All the other dragon statues were black or dark brown, their eyes glowing red. Natsu didn't know how it happened, but he came out with a pink tint on his scales, his eyes a flat black with green flakes in them. He felt awkward at first, but now he just felt crummy.

"Wow, look how silly this one looks!"

"Eww! Who'd want a pink dragon?"

"Maybe we should get it as a joke?"

Natsu wanted to growl at the rude customers, "words hurt ya know!"

The pink dragon watched as the lights started to dim. The Christmas trees provided a glow around the area, but Halloween would never admit it was helpful.

The motion detector for some Christmas bells was triggered when the lights went out overhead, causing them to ring out with their horrid song. It wasn't Natsu's fault he despised anything having to do with Christmas. It was just the way he was.

And he was okay with that, for now.

Natsu felt the pulsing spread from his heart through his limbs. It was almost here, the spell that would free them from their chains. The dragon tried grinning once again, but this time he managed to actually move his hips up a centimeter. He could already feel the blood pumping through his veins, his excitement growing.

Of course he could do without the Christmas music playing overhead, but he could deal with that for now. It was just more fuel for his hatred. Yet another reason to fight.

His sharp hearing picked up on the front doors closing, then locking. The rest of the lights around them went out, activating the spell.

Roars, yells, and laughter could be heard around the store. Natsu stretched, his little dragon arms lifting in the air while his tail whipped behind him. Happy jumped over to his shelf, curling around the dragon's side.

"Are ya ready, Natsu?" The chipper cat skeleton asked.

"Oh yeah!" He growled, wings spreading before he took off, Happy holding onto his back. "I'm all fired up now!"

The battle raged on for the next few hours. The store closed at eleven at night, and didn't reopen until eight in the morning, but employees would be in at five. That gave them roughly six hours to beat the crap out of each other before they had to return to their spots. The spell was pretty nifty. No matter how much damaged they caused it would all be erased once the spell went away, thus giving them more time to fight without worrying about clean up.

Natsu laughed as he punched a rather ugly elf with metal eyebrows, then watched as a little blue haired elf tried to come to his rescue. The dragon decided not to mess with a girl, not wanting to be 'that guy' who punches females.

Happy was somewhere by the stuffed animals, no doubt trying to talk to that white cat again. It wasn't a rule that Halloween and Christmas couldn't be friends, but most couldn't break past their default settings, which was to hate Christmas and everything about it.

As long as it didn't directly cause any conflict with Natsu, he would turn a blind eye to their friendship.

Towards the end of the battle Natsu was feeling pretty worn. His wings were scuffed, his nails dulled, and he was missing a scale or two, but he didn't worry. Everything would go back to before when the spell ended, which was soon.

Everyone felt it at the same time.

A rush of heat hit all the Halloween decorations the same time a rush of cold hit the Christmas. It was time... Time to pack it up for the day. Technically it was night-time, but most decorations used the day to sleep so they'd be well rested when the spell was activated.

Natsu was in the middle of trying to punch a naked elf when out of nowhere he was teleported back to his shelf. He felt his body hardening, his heartbeat slowly die out. He used the last of his energy to sigh, sad another day had already passed. As fast as time was passing, he wasn't sure he was ever going to be sold, and that worried him.

The dragon didn't let his concerns show up on his face. He turned back into the statue, looking as if nothing was wrong. Everyone in the area turned back to normal, the damage miraculously disappearing as well.

Less than a minute later Natsu heard the clicking sound at the front of the store, followed by some chatter coming from the early crew. The dragon would grin if he could. 'They have no idea...'

The day seemed just as boring as ever. Natsu watched through his marble eyes as a few employees stocked the Christmas shelves. The dragon wasn't very interested in watching, but there was nothing else to do. He'd already taken a long nap, and there was still a few more hours until closing time. If he could sigh, he would.

Natsu glanced over at Happy, seeing the cat skeleton perfectly still. He didn't know what he was expecting. No one could move during this time, so why bother investigating?

Flat black eyes flitted over to the Christmas section again. If Natsu could move, he would have gasped.

In the hands of an employee was a Christmas item, but this one was like one he'd never seen before. Long golden hair fell in curls, ending roughly at her lower back. A pure white dress adorned her short body, her hands clasped together in front of her. Tucked between her side and her arm was a little white snowman with a carrot nose.

But that wasn't what Natsu was focusing on.

Instead it was that porcelain face. Her skin was pale, with a tad of pink in her cheeks. It was hard to see from this far away, but he could see the brown in her eyes. Resting over her golden head of hair was a halo, attached by a band that disappeared into her dress.

Natsu had never thought he'd lose his breath over the sight of a Christmas decoration. Much less an angel!

But he couldn't deny the way his heart felt like it had pulsed for a moment after gazing at her beauty. She was placed on a shelf, next to other angels that just couldn't compare. Natsu felt heat rush through him for a split second when he realized she was in the opposite spot as him, staring right back at him!

He panicked, but it didn't show. He was still just a statue after all. No flesh or bones to speak of for the moment. Knowing she couldn't see his reaction, he decided to look at her. Natsu would be an idiot to try to say she wasn't beautiful. He might not be interested in Christmas decorations, but he couldn't help but feel strange when his eyes locked with hers.

He wondered what she was thinking. Was she even aware yet? He knew he was aware of his surroundings the moment he came out of the box and was placed on his shelf, so maybe she could see him right now?

If Natsu could move... Well he wouldn't do anything. What was there to do? He hated Christmas. It didn't get anymore simpler than that.

Solidifying his beliefs, Natsu looked away from the angel. He decided to focus his attention on a Christmas tree instead. The tree was covered in purple decorations, little butterflies and bulbs adorning the branches. He remembered last night seeing the butterflies floating around, trying to enjoy the night air instead of fight back.

Honestly he couldn't blame them. What the hell was a butterfly supposed to do anyways? Fly straight into someone's eyes and blind them?

If he could, Natsu would have gulped. He made a metal note to avoid the butterflies from now on, fearing they might realize they could cause some temporary damage.

The rest of the day passed by slowly. Natsu found himself looking back at the angel a few times, always cursing himself when he thought about how pretty she looked. He wondered if she had a name. Everyone was programmed to know their names. Some people shared names. He felt bad for all the red-nosed reindeer named Rudolph. That must get confusing!

Natsu tried to not let the angel get to him, but it was no use when the store closed, the doors locked, and the spell was activated.

His plan was to avoid her the entire time. To pretend like she didn't exist. However, his plan was ruined as soon as he saw a miniature zombie rushing right towards her. Instead of fighting back, the angel ducked, covering her face with a hand.

Muttering a curse to himself, he took off. His wings flapped, his claws extended, and he hit his target. A scream sounded through the area as Natsu grabbed the angel. She struggled in his hold, which she couldn't blame her. He was after all a dragon capturing a female. The only thing missing was for this girl to be a princess instead of an angel, then he'd really be making the cliché come to life.

Natsu ignored her screams for the mean time as he soared through the air. The girl quieted down after a few seconds, realizing she wasn't in immediate danger. This dragon could have torn her apart without even trying, yet he was carefully cradling her against his chest as he flew.

Natsu landed three aisles away in the stationary section. Notebooks, binders, pencils, and anything else someone could use for school surrounded the two decorations.

The angle quickly jumped away from Natsu when he loosened his grip. She dusted herself off, then set the snowman that had previously been stuck to her arm on the ground beside her. After inspecting the little item, she turned to face the dragon.

Natsu was already spreading his wings, about to fly off without another word. His actions were stopped as soon as the girl spoke, her voice sounded just as divine as her face was beautiful.

"Wait!"

Natsu startled, eyes snapping to see the angel approaching. He said nothing, waiting to see what she wanted.

"Thank you back there. I was ready to try to kick him, but I'm not sure how that would have gone, so thank you for saving us."

Natsu raised a scaled brow, then looked down at the snowman beside her. Without thinking, he asked, "what's wrong with him?"

The angel looked down, seeing her companion was wobbling, his entire body shaking as if he were cold and stuck outside in the snow. She felt a bead of sweat roll down her forehead, wondering herself what was wrong with the snowman.

"That's just Plue for you," she tried to sound casual, but Natsu could see right through it.

He said nothing, not wanting to make this angel uncomfortable. However, it seemed like she wasn't done with him just yet, especially when she asked, "what's your name? My name's Lucy."

"Lucy," he tested the name out. "That's a cool name, I guess. My name's Natsu."

"Natsu, huh?" She smiled at him, walking up to extend her hand. "It's nice to meet you."

The dragon looked down at her hand, seeing the delicate skin. He glanced at his own hand, covered in pink scales with sharp talons at the ends of each finger. Natsu didn't even want to touch her, not wanting to taint the angel's flesh.

The only reason he ended up shaking her hand was so he wouldn't seem rude, even though a part of his brain screamed for him to insult her. She was a Christmas decoration after all, and that meant they were nothing but enemies.

With all that in mind he still stayed, finding it interesting when Lucy sparked up a conversation. She asked him about where he came from, to which he said he didn't know. They both agreed that they weren't aware until they came out of their boxes.

Natsu asked her if she wanted to fight him, playfully of course, but she said no. "I'd rather talk, if that's okay with you."

The dragon's tail flickered behind him, a little amused at this angel. He agreed, wondering what the harm would be if he just chatted with her for a while. However, a while turned into hours, which soon turned into the entire night.

Neither even realized their time was almost up until they both felt a rush of hot and cold, then a few second later they were teleported to their respective shelves.

Lucy was across the opened space from him, smiling her sweet smile as if she hadn't just talked to a dragon for the past few hours.

Natsu found himself wanting to grin, but his default setting was to frown. He was a dragon in the end, meant to look menacing. Of course the pink scales didn't help his image, but shy of going over to the spray paint aisle and spraying himself, there was nothing he could do.

Besides, if he spray painted himself black he would just end up pink when the spell wore off. The only reason Happy was still blue was because it happened when the spell wasn't activated, leaving the cat skeleton to live out the rest of his days with blue bones.

The cat didn't seem to mind, as long as the white stuffed cat would still talk to him and Natsu would still be his friend. There was no reason to worry about the latter. Natsu would remain Happy's friend no matter what.

As the dragon felt his heart die out, he couldn't help but think.

'I made a new friend tonight, and she's a Christmas decoration... Who would've thought?'

Maybe... Maybe they weren't so bad after all...

"Tomorrow's the big day," Lucy said, leaning against a stack of copy paper. "Are you nervous?"

"What? Me?" Natsu scoffed. "Why would I be nervous?"

Despite his carefree tone, Natsu was lying. The dragon felt anxious about tomorrow. It would be Halloween.

And no one had bought him yet.

The Halloween section was pretty bare now. The battles had died down a little at a time until finally no one fought anymore. Christmas wasn't interested in starting anymore wars, and Halloween didn't have a lot on their side seeing as most of the items had already been bought.

The only ones left in the Halloween aisles were the overly expensive decorations, some costumes, and the defected items. That included him and Happy. Said cat skeleton was curled up to the white stuffed cat a little down the same aisle. Natsu learned the stuffed animal's name was Carla. Going along with the cats was a short elf named Wendy, who hung out with more elves.

Natsu knew most of their names. There was Gajeel and Levy, the ones he encountered the night before he met Lucy. There was the naked one named Gray, who carried around a snow globe with a blue haired mermaid inside named Juvia. Also included in the weird group of elves was a red haired one named Erza. She was part of a couple's set, with a blue haired elf permanently attached to her hand.

Natsu didn't feel like he fit in with that group. They would often stare at his scales, or even raise a brow at his oddly-colored eyes. He knew he shouldn't be offended, he was meant to look creepy, but it still got to him. That's why he spent so much time with Lucy. She looked at him differently than everyone else, but in a way that made his heart flutter.

The dragon swore he even felt his heart beat randomly during the daytime, but he knew he was just imagining it. Decorations couldn't move or live when the spell wasn't in effect.

He felt a conflict he never thought he'd have to deal with. As much as he wanted to be sold, he didn't want to leave Lucy. She was like a bright light that never went out, and he wanted to bask in that light for as long as possible. She was just such a pleasure to be around.

At first he had been worried a beautiful angel like her wouldn't want to be friends with a dragon like him, but she proved him wrong. The next night after they met they hung out again, and then the next night, and the night after that. Soon it wasn't even a question, they both wanted to spend time together, and that was more than alright with him.

The angel reached over, grabbing Natsu's clawed hand. She hummed along with a Christmas song, purposely not commenting on the way his palms sweat from his nervousness. She knew he was worried about getting sold, so she would do her best to distract him.

However, she didn't realize she could do it without even trying.

"This song is ridiculous," Natsu groused, changing the subject. "Why the hell is this kid out trying to buy shoes when he should be spending his last moments with his mother?"

Lucy giggled, leaning against Natsu's scaled arm. "He just wants his mom to feel pretty before she passes away."

Natsu scoffed, shaking his head. "I still think he should be racing home instead of bumming money off a stranger."

"If you say so," the angel closed her eyes, letting the dragon's heat warm her skin.

Natsu stayed quiet until the next song came on. There was no way he wasn't going to comment on it.

"Okay, seriously! You have to agree with me here?"

Lucy sighed. "What? He's the Grinch who stole Christmas. How can I agree that he wasn't at fault?"

"Because! Those people treated him like crap! If I was told constantly how horrible of a person I was, you better believe I'd steal something away from you."

The angel laughed, listening as he continued ranting about Christmas songs and how they were all horribly worded.

"This one is just awful!" Natsu practically shouted, a small ball of fire coming from his mouth.

Lucy nodded, finally agreeing with him. "Yeah, it does seem like he's being pushy."

"Pushy? It sounds almost like date rape!" Natsu shook his head. "She just wants to go home, and this guys like 'it's cold, you gotta stay!' It's despicable!"

He went on to criticize a few more songs, but really got into it when a song got under his scales.

"I wouldn't have done it," Natsu crossed his arms over his chest. "I woulda said figure it out yourself!"

At this point Lucy was in a fit of laughter. Natsu had been berating every Christmas song he heard, and she couldn't help but notice he had a few good points. This one really took the cake.

"So you wouldn't have helped Santa?"

"Hell no!" He narrowed his eyes, glaring at a row of staplers across the aisle. "They can go grab a flashlight for all I care!"

The angel patted his arm. "I guess Rudolph is just nicer than you."

Natsu snorted, "as if. He's just a pushover. They made fun of him for years, then once they need his help they're ready to praise him. No! That's not fair at all, and Rudolph should have had a backbone and refused to help."

Lucy's laughter increased. "I guess it's good you were made for Halloween. Compassion doesn't seem to be your strong suit."

Natsu glanced over, his earlier frustrations vanishing. "I can be compassionate!"

It was Lucy's turn to raise a brow. "Oh yeah tough stuff, prove it!"

The dragon didn't think twice before leaning in. He tried to be gentle, but his scales caused him to place a rough kiss on her soft cheek. Lucy's eyes widened, completely caught off-guard. When the dragon pulled away, he grinned.

"See! Compassionate!"

Lucy stared at him, her jaw falling open. Just as she tried to speak, a deep blush spread over her face. "N-Natsu, I meant compassionate, not passionate!"

The dragon cocked his head. "Aren't those the same things?"

The angel couldn't shake her head hard enough. "N-no! They're different!"

"Oh," Natsu pondered a moment, wondering if he did something wrong. With his smile still on his face, he said, "I'm sorry?"

Lucy was left speechless for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts. "I-It's okay... J-just warn me n-next time."

The dragon smiled brighter, happy that she implied he could kiss her again. He wouldn't take advantage of it, only kissing her when the moment felt right. "Sure thing, Lucy!"

Blushing aside, the angel stayed next to him. The later they stayed up the closer she got to him. She curled up to his side, not minding the hard scales over his body. They had become an odd comfort to her over time, and she wouldn't trade that for anything.

Truth was the angel had developed feelings for him. She knew it was wrong, but she didn't care. Why couldn't Halloween and Christmas come together? Even if it was just for an angel and a dragon. At least he wasn't a demon... That she knew of anyway.

The next song to come on surprised Lucy. Instead of insulting it, Natsu was actually mumbling the words.

"Simply... having... a wonder Christmas time..."

Lucy chose not to comment on it, not wanting him to stop. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to relax against him as he sang one of her favorite songs.

Before either of them knew it the spell was dissolving and they were all being sent back to their spots. Natsu once again hardened, but for some reason he felt his heartbeat pulse even after the doors to the store opened. Sure it wasn't as strong as it was when he was alive, but it was enough to startle him.

Why was his body acting this way? Without magic?

Hours passed by and Natsu still didn't have an answer. He watched Lucy, letting her be the distraction he needed. Today was the big day. It was Halloween.

Customers trickled in, browsing what was left of the Halloween selection. A few people looked at Natsu, but none wanted a pink scaled dragon. He tried not to let it get to him. The longer he stayed on the shelf, the longer he got to spend with Lucy.

He was upset at himself for the most part. Last night he had not even had a chance to say goodbye. The spell ended without much warning, leaving the dragon feeling a little hollow inside.

If only he could have kissed her goodbye.

It was getting close to closing time. Natsu worried, wondering if he really wasn't going to be sold. He knew what happened to items that passed their season. They would be marked as clearance. He definitely didn't want to suffer that fate.

Natsu was so wrapped up in that thought he didn't notice when someone went to pick him up. "Daddy! Daddy! Can I have this one!"

It was a little kid, clumsily holding onto the dragon statue with her small hands. He was apparently heavier than the kid originally thought. Less than a second later he felt himself slipping through her fingers, falling straight to the ground.

He was caught at the last second, but not without taking damage.

A man, probably the little girl's father hoisted the dragon statue up. He frowned, mumbling that there was a crack on the dragon's cheek. He glanced around, seeing no one in sight. Without any shame, the man put Natsu back on the shelf, then grabbed his daughter's hand to pull her away.

The dragon was left stunned and heartbroken.

No one was going to buy him now.

On the other side of the store Lucy internally gasped. She'd seen the whole thing, and she already knew without seeing that Natsu was devastated. How was he supposed to be sold now?

A selfish part of her was happy. She knew it was horrible of her to think that way, but she was glad she would get to spend more time with the dragon. However, this wasn't how she wanted it.

Feeling awful over her own thoughts, Lucy closed her eyes. Of course the angel she was trapped in remained the same, seeing as the spell wasn't activated. She couldn't look at the dragon, feeling like she didn't deserve to even gaze at him.

That night when the spell was activated, Natsu was still on his shelf.

He allowed Happy to crawl on his back so he could fly them both to the ground. He was slow with his movements, sadness the only emotion he could feel. Since the crack in his cheek happened when the spell wasn't activated, he wouldn't heal. No, this was something he would have to deal with for the rest of his life, however long that was supposed to be.

Happy and him walked to the stationary aisle where they met the others. Sad looks were exchanged, knowing both Halloween items weren't bought in time. A big yellow tag would be attached to them soon, but that wasn't the worst part.

What if they weren't bought then?

They had a week to be sold, and if they couldn't get that, they'd be sent back to the factory to be destroyed and reused for next year.

Everyone tried to cheer them up. Even Carla offered to snuggle next to the cat skeleton for comfort. Both Natsu and Happy just wanted to be left along for a while, to deal with the ultimate rejection that came with not being sold in time.

They were made specifically for Halloween, so imagine how they felt to be looked over for so long.

Natsu eventually allowed Lucy to join them. She sat in silence next to him, waiting patiently for him to say something first.

He didn't. There wasn't much to say. He felt like a failure, like he would never amount to anything now.

The next few days didn't help either.

Even with a half-off tag, no one bought Natsu or Happy. All the Halloween items were condensed to a single shelf, yellow tags all over the place to try to entice shoppers.

Every day more Halloween items were sold, but the dragon and cat skeleton remained.

Every night they sat in silence, listening to the Christmas music as they accepted their fates.

The last day was finally here. Natsu and Happy had to be bought by the end of today, or else they would be sent away. The night before he finally opened up to Lucy. He told her he was scared, that he didn't want to leave anymore.

She gave him a kiss on the cheek, telling him everything would work out. She had faith that he would get a happy ending. A sweet dragon like him deserved it. When he said he didn't buy it, she took matters into her own hands.

"I would pick you every time," Lucy said, leaning in to give him a quick kiss on his lips.

Natsu didn't think about it when he wrapped her in a hug, tears finally springing from his eyes. "I love you, Lucy. I-I don't want to leave."

She cried, allowing him to hold her. "I love you too, Natsu."

That was a comfort last night, but it did nothing to help him get through the day. He watched people pass him and happy by. They were now marked to ninety percent off, and still there were no buyers. Natsu had already given up hope. He was just glad he had Happy with him. At least if they were sent away, they'd still have each other until the very end.

Natsu spent most of his day staring at Lucy. His heartbeat was weak, but he definitely felt it. He wished it was enough to help him, but it didn't. Lucy was now on sale since Halloween was over. She was starting out at thirty percent off. If only Natsu was a human, he would buy her without hesitation.

Natsu felt his heart sink when a couple walked over to the Christmas section. They looked around for a few minutes, admiring all the items and adding things to their cart as they went along the aisle. The dragon statue watched as elf after elf was placed into the carts. Wendy, Gray, Gajeel, Levy, Erza and Jellal, they were all picked.

The dragon wanted to scoff when even Carla and the snow globe containing Juvia were selected by a pink haired man accompanying the woman. Natsu didn't think it was fair. They were made without defects, easily getting picked for purchase.

Natsu thought it couldn't get any worse, but it did when the couple walked by the angel section. He felt himself screaming on the inside when the blonde woman grabbed Lucy. She checked her out, smiling at the little snowman in her arm before placing Lucy in the basket as well.

If Natsu could cry, he would.

The only person besides Happy keeping him sane was Lucy, and she was now about to leave his life forever. He thought he'd get tonight to be with her before he was sent away tomorrow morning, but that hope was tarnished.

Natsu watched as the couple walked away, his eyes locked on those brown orbs until they turned a corner.

The dragon felt like his heart was ripped out. It wasn't fair! Why was she being taken away from him! Couldn't they have waited one more day before buying her?!

'Why did I have to be damaged? Why did Happy have to get painted?' He yelled at his own mind, but there was no answers returned.

Minutes went by, his hope shattering into tinier pieces with every passing second. Lucy was gone, ripped away from his life so quickly. He just wanted one more night with her before he died. Was that really too much to ask?

"Oh look Honey!"

Natsu looked over, still feel his heart broken as he searched for the voice. It was a blonde woman. No! Not just any blonde woman! It was the woman from a little bit ago! The one who took Lucy!

Natsu tried glancing down, but he could only see a little of the shopping cart she had. Inside he saw the top of an angel's golden hair and halo, as well as Carla, the stuffed white cat.

Hope.

It sparked in Natsu far stronger than he thought possible. He barely heard how the woman told her significant other about the blue skeleton cat she was holding. "I'm sure this paint will come off with a little work. He's only a dollar."

"Yeah, we can get him," the pink haired man said, absentmindedly looking at one of the left-over costumes.

Natsu saw Happy being placed in the cart. As much as he was glad Happy was being chosen, the dragon panicked worse. He was truly alone now.

Despite the spell not being in effect, Natsu struggled. He tried his hardest to jump, to fall into that cart with his friends. Once he saw the woman take another step away he fought harder against his current state. There was no way he was giving up without a fight!

Natsu's heart raced in his chest. He even felt a bead of sweat drip down his scaled neck. It was working! He was overcoming his fate!

However, with all his efforts, all he was able to do was jump half an inch in the air, only to land in the exact same spot that he was. What he considered a loss, turned out to be the greatest thing he could have done.

The blonde woman stopped, then snapped her head to find out what made the noise. She narrowed her eyes, then leaned in to inspect the dragon statue. "Honey," she mumbled, poking Natsu's snout with her finger. "Can I get this one too?"

The pink haired man looked at Natsu, then frowned. "He looks kinda weird, don't ya think?"

"I think he looks cute," the woman smiled, picking Natsu up.

"He has pink scales," the man pointed out.

"And you have pink hair. You'll match! You're always calling yourself a dragon anyway."

"He has a busted face," the man's eyes zeroed in on Natsu's cracked cheek.

The woman only shook her head, placing Natsu in the cart. He was shocked, wondering if he was just dreaming. He didn't even register when the woman said, "and you have a scar on your cheek. Once again, you'll match. I'm getting him. He's only five dollars."

"Fine," the pink haired man leaned over, placing a kiss on his significant other's cheek. "I guess I can try to fix his cheek with some super glue."

"Thanks Honey," the woman smiled before rolling the cart towards the front of the store.

Natsu felt his heart soaring. He was finally picked, and he was going to be going home with Lucy! If he was dreaming he hoped he never woke up. He didn't think his heart would be able to handle it if this was all made up.

Christmas items and Halloween decorations were placed on the conveyor belt. Natsu swore he would explode if he could when he was scanned, then placed in a shopping bag. Happy was placed in the same bag, making the dragon's heart warm.

He was going home, with his best friend and the angel he loved. The other friends were a bonus, but at the moment Natsu couldn't think much about them.

During the ride to their new home the Christmas decorations and Halloween items all sat together in the trunk. About ten minutes later they were being unloaded into a small house. A little boy ran up to them, followed by a young woman.

"How was he?" The blonde woman holding a few shopping bags asked.

"He was a little rowdy, but nothing I couldn't handle."

Natsu didn't catch more of the conversation because he was being hauled upstairs with Happy. They were both put in an attic next to a box marked 'Halloween'.

"Guess we'll see you guys next year," the pink haired man said before leaving the attic.

Natsu expected things to be dark and quiet, but as soon as the attic door closed, he felt that familiar tingle in his limbs and heart. Within seconds he was brought back to life, along with Happy and the other items in the attic.

The small window on one of the walls was enough to provide them with some light, allowing Happy to see the large grin on Natsu's face.

"Happy," the dragon started, tears coming to his eyes. "W-we're home."

The skeleton cat leaped into Natsu's arms, purring as he said, "I know! I'm so glad!"

Less than two months later, Natsu and Happy were pretty used to their new environment. The attic was better than they originally thought it would be, which they already had high hopes.

They got familiar with the other holiday decorations up there, finding a few more friendships along the way. Of course that didn't stop the dragon from fighting a few times. He was always down for a good brawl.

The day had finally come that Natsu was waiting for. It was finally after Christmas, so he would soon be reunited with his love.

Natsu and Happy felt the magic fading at the same time he heard footsteps approaching. They all teleported back to their spots, Natsu and Happy staying together in that same shopping bag from before.

The attic opened at the same time Natsu's heart slowed. The magic was gone, but he still felt nothing but joy when he saw that pink haired man bringing up a few boxes labeled 'Christmas'.

Five minutes later the man left, closing the door and unknowingly activating the spell once again. The two newest boxes burst open, elves jumping out to gauge their new surrounding.

Natsu flew high in the air, swooping down to grab the gorgeous angel that never left his mind for a single second while they were separated. Lucy greeted him with a giggle and a kiss, enjoying the smooth ride as he flew around the attic.

"I love you's" were shared, as well as more kisses.

So what if they had to be separated for a few months during the year?

So what if the attic sometimes felt a little cramped with all the different holidays hanging out?

That didn't matter.

All Natsu and Lucy cared about was being together, finally. And no 'defects' or clearance tags were going to keep them apart. He'd be damned if he allowed his default thoughts to control him. Christmas wasn't that bad after all, as long as Lucy came with it.

But there was something they both could agree on.

"Easter sucks."

"I know, right?"

"I mean, does the rabbit poop out an egg filled with candy, or what? Who thought that up?"

"Clearly someone was high when they came up with that idea."

Chuckling, Natsu grabbed Lucy, then flew her over to where all their friends were gathered. Before he landed, he whispered, "I'm so happy we're together."

"Me too, Natsu." Lucy closed her eyes, leaning against his chest as he held her. She sighed, feeling relieved everything worked out. "Me too..." They were never meant to like each other, but neither could stop themselves from falling for the other.

Merry Christmas! (2016)

Or Happy Holidays for which ever holiday you celebrate! Or even if you don't celebrate anything, have a great day/night! Hope you all enjoyed this silly one-shot.