Summary: Fairy Tail gets banned from Santa's Grotto...Twice.
Pairings: Natsu/Lucy, Gray/Juvia, Erza/Jellal, Gajeel/Levy, Parental Lucy/Nashi, Parental Natsu/Lucy, Gajeel/Juvia friendship, Natsu/Lisanna friendship, Parental Master/Laxus, and other familial feels between the Fairy Tail guild.
Author's Note: Thank you all for giving me over FOURTEEN THOUSAND AND THREE HUNDRED reviews!
The Christmas market that Magnolia had set up this year was one of the most picturesque sights Lucy has ever seen in her life. The town itself was blanketed by snow as little, decorative, stalls filled with various hot foods, hot drinks, alcoholic beverages, Christmas decorations, and little gimmicks from nations far and wide lined up in the narrow streets. All of which emitted soft twinkly lights from their own fairy light decorations and were drenched in pine scented greenery and red bows.
Nashi's big brown eyes were wide in awe as she kept turning right to left and left to right to try and see everything she possibly could as she clutched tightly to both Natsu's and Lucy's hands.
At three years old, this would be the first Christmas that really mattered as Nashi would be able to actually remember this years to come, and Lucy was determined to make every memory as magical as possible for her baby girl.
Which was why when Lucy spotted the over the top decorated cottage with the sign that read Santa's Grotto and a long queue of parents and children, it suddenly became Lucy's heart's desire to join the queue.
(She had never gotten to go to a Santa's Grotto as a child. Christmas was big lavish affairs for adults to conduct business and Lucy had to be the perfect well behaved doll until the last business associate had left.)
"Ne, ne Natsu," Lucy said cheerfully, "let's take Nashi to the Santa's Grotto. It'll be a lot of fun, wouldn't it sweetheart? You want to go and see Santa?"
"Yes!" Nashi yelled excitedly.
"Erm, yeah..." Natsu said sheepishly, "it would be cool but...erm, maybe I should meet up with you later? And you should probably keep your guild mark covered...?"
Lucy's eyes narrowed in suspicion at that. "Why?" She asked warily. "What did you do ?!"
"Well you see..."
It was the first Christmas since Natsu joined Fairy Tail and Master had insisted on taking them all to see Santa.
"Urgh," Laxus groaned disgustedly, "how old do you think we are?!"
"It doesn't matter how old you are," Master said jovially as he patted Laxus' cheek. "You're always going to be my cute little grandson."
"Gerroff me!" Laxus wiggled away.
"You might be too old for Santa Laxus," Master said a tad more solemnly, "Cana too," he added as he glanced over the bored looking brunette who was too busy shuffling her cards to partake in any of the excitable babble with the other kids, "but your new brothers and sisters haven't had the luxury to have that experience to let alone out grow it yet. So you can suck it up, smile, and let them have their day."
"Whatever," Laxus grunted as he slid on his headphones, "and they're not my brothers and sisters."
He caught Natsu's eye at that point (who may or may not be earwigging on the entire conversation) and immediately scowled. Natsu stuck his tongue out in retaliation and leaped out of the way before the spark of lighting hit him.
Natsu rushed to Lisanna's side as Master led them down the newly built Christmas Village that Magnolia had become for the season. Natsu had great difficulty to stay still during the long wait in the queue and when they were all hustled into the room and he had to wait his turn to sit on Santa's lap. He shifted from one foot to the other and jumped up and down as Lisanna giggles egged him on.
Levy went first and boringly wanted another book, Elfman wanted a pet bird, Mirajane asked for some clothes, Gray had looked super embarrassed when Santa had asked if he needed clothes too but eventually (while very red in the face and looking as if he wished he was anywhere else) asked for some sort of game or something (Natsu hadn't paid attention he was too busy trying to not burst an organ from laughing too hard), Lisanna had asked for a doll, Erza had asked for cake, and then finally -
"Hi Santa!" Natsu said brightly as he threw himself into the old guy's lap (the man groaned and muttered something about these kids being way too old). "I'm Natsu and I've been very good-"
"Pfft!" Gray snorted.
" - and for Christmas," Natsu continued ignoring Gray for once (after all he had out right cackled during Gray's turn), "I would like you to find Igneel and bring him home to me."
There is a loud breathing noise as everyone in the room – barring Santa and his elf helper – inhaled sharply at that.
"Igneel?" Santa repeated.
"Yeah, Igneel," Natsu said, "you know, the Fire Dragon? He taught me Dragon Slaying magic. He's been missing for months now. I don't know if he had something important to do or he just got lost or something but I want him back. Can you go and fetch him?"
"Kid," Santa snorted, "there's no such thing as Dragons any more. They're extinct."
Master coughed loudly at that and made some weird hand gestures at Santa but they appeared to have gone unnoticed.
"So how about you stop wasting my time and tell me what you really want?" Santa continued, "It's been a really long day and you're clearly taking the piss considering how you're too old for this shit to begin with."
"You're the one taking the piss!" Natsu snapped. "Igneel is REAL. You would know that if you checked your Nice List because Igneel was the nicest Dragon ever!"
"Will someone get this fucking kid off of me?!"
"You know the fact that you don't know that Igneel is on the Nice List tells me that you're not the real Santa!" Natsu exclaimed. "This is for being a big fat liar and saying mean things about Igneel!"
And on that horribly bitter note, Natsu set fire to Santa's fake beard...
"...Gray tried to put it out but he just froze Santa instead," Natsu continued obliviously to Nashi's wide eyes and Lucy's furious expression. "Erza shattered the ice but she probably got a little too carried away because she cut up Santa's clothes and made him bleed a little. Lisanna then bit him, which was awesome, and Mirajane slapped him, and Levy even hit him over the head with her book! It was so cool. I would have done more but that's when Laxus electrocuted the guy and Master broke the grotto by becoming giant and stomped on the fake Santa. Since then Fairy Tail hasn't been allowed back."
"That's totally unfair!" Lucy said indignantly. "That horrible excuse of a man deserved all that and more! Who talks to children like that?!"
(Though underneath Lucy's self-righteous fury on Natsu's behalf, a large part of her was sweat-dropping at the usual over the top reaction of Fairy Tail. Wow...you literally couldn't take them anywhere, could you?)
Natsu gave Lucy a blindingly beautiful grin that told her how much he loved her and was grateful for her defence.
"It's all right," Natsu shrugged, "we did kinda ruin it for all of the other kids."
"Still!" Lucy hissed.
"That guy never did Santa again but just to be safe – and 'cause we really were too old – we've never gone back," Natsu said unbothered, "I think you and Nashi should be all right in there as long as you keep your mark covered."
"What about you?" Lucy asked hesitatingly, "will you be all right on your own?"
"Sure!" Natsu grinned. "I'll go and check out that hot meat stand we saw a while back. You and Nashi go and have fun and I'll catch you up later."
Lucy smiled and quickly pecked Natsu's cheek before she hurried towards the Santa's Grotto with Nashi. She was pleasantly surprised to find Gajeel, Juvia, and Jellal at the end of the queue holding their children's hands too.
"Let me guess," Gajeel muttered as Lucy approached them, "you asked why they got banned from a Santa's Grotto of all places?"
"I was curious!" Lucy snapped defensively. "And that Santa totally deserved it!"
"Gihihihihihihihihihihihihi," Gajeel snickered, "no arguments there Bunny Girl."
"Gray-sama was so heroic freezing that big fat meanie!" Juvia chimed in dreamily.
"What that Santa said was uncalled for," Jellal agreed solemnly.
There was a moment's silence as they shifted in the cold and looked at one another awkwardly.
"...Ever worry that their brand of insanity is infecting us?" Lucy asked quietly.
"All the time!" Jellal breathed out.
"Heh," Gajeel smirked, "neither of you have a leg to stand on. You were both nuts before you joined this madhouse of a guild."
"Like you weren't!"
"True," Gajeel nodded, "but have you seen my best friend?"
He jerked a thumb in Juvia's direction who was gazing longingly down the street with hearts in her eyes. "Juvia wishes Gray-sama would infect her more with his everything!" Juvia cried out melodramatically.
Lucy, Jellal, and Gajeel all sweat-dropped at that.
The wait for Santa's Grotto was rather pleasant and went quite quickly as Lucy, Gajeel, Jellal, and Juvia chatted amongst themselves and kept an eye on their children. All of whom were on their best behaviour though this might have something to do with the fact that Edward and Gillian placing themselves firmly between Nashi and Ur to prevent them from fighting one another.
Before they knew it all four of them got hustled into the Grotto as one group and then -
"THIS IS FOR HURTING MY DADDY'S FEELINGS YOU BIG FAT FAKE MEANIE!"
Lucy could only watch in horror as her daughter set fire to Santa's beard.
Fairy Tail was once again banned from Santa's Grotto.
Gajeel blames Lucy.
("...you just had to ask for the story in front of your kid, didn't you?!"
"SHUT UP!")