Seven Swans A-Swimming
It was a bad idea. A terrible idea. A completely ridiculous idea that had no reason to be thought of as any more than a laughing moment with some friends before moving on to more important matters.
So why were all of the guys finishing their costumes with smiles on their faces and laughing their hearts out?
Gajeel sat cross-legged on his bed with his back propped up against the wall, doing his best to stay out of the way of Warren bossing and directing everyone in the room. Natsu, Gray, Elfman, Freed, Max, and even Laxus roamed around the room either rolling their eyes at Warren's repeated directions that they had heard multiple times already or focusing so intently on the scripts in their hands that they didn't notice the poor mage frantically waving his arms up and down.
Gajeel raised his voice to be heard over the noise in the room. "H-hey guys, I can think of somethin' else. Ya don't have to-"
"It's already evening and everyone is waiting." Warren waved him off, moving to help Freed with his costume; his long, green hair kept sticking into the feathers.
"Yeah, we don't want to put all of our practice to waste!" Natsu pumped his fist in the air, his left eye swollen shut as evidence of his struggle to wrestle Laxus into his bright white shirt covered in sloppily sewn feathers.
Gajeel shifted on the bed, making sure to not crease the papers in his hands. "But it's supposed to be my project and I'm making you-"
"You're not making us do anything," Max twisted his torso, frowning at the feathers dangling from his arms.
"I'm pretty sure it's the best Christmas Fairy Tail's ever had," Gray paced the room, staring at the papers, "at least for the master anyway. The flame idiot over there's been too distracted to burn down anything yet."
"Hey! Whatcha say about me?"
"That you're stone deaf, that's what…"
"If you mess up all of my hard work, I'll have Elfman sit on you," Warren growled, stepping between the two fighting mages.
They gulped and looked to the corner where Elfman dramatically practiced his lines. The activity in the room began to die down and Warren decided they were as ready as they would ever be. Gajeel took a moment to count the guys in the room one more time, his palms dampening at the thought of heading downstairs.
"Are ya sure the master said he wanted to help? This'll only work if we have seven."
"Of course!" Warren stood in front of the door and flipped through his papers. "We needed an extra person since you're gonna be reading the story, and he was all too happy to help."
Gajeel sighed and scratched his head, heart pounding. "I don't know why you chose me to do that anyway. I'm the worst-"
"Just keep thinking about what a certain someone will think," Max winked.
Freed stopped adjusting a feather and reached over the bed to pat Gajeel on the back. "She is the one who taught you to read in the first place, so it will definitely touch her heart to hear how far you've come."
"I guess…" Gajeel mumbled, jerking to attention with the rest of the guys when Warren clapped his hands.
"Alright, gents, it's showtime! I will be directing in the back and the rest of you...watch your cues! And try not to look like you're actually reading off your scripts, ok?"
Each Fairy, besides Elfman, hid their small leaflet of papers behind their backs and looked around the room in an intense study.
"Remember to cover up with the blankets until after intermission. Don't show your backs-"
"We know, we know...you've only been telling us all day." Laxus crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, his blanket and feathered shirt making his usually intimidating stance loose some of its luster. "How I got roped into this I'm sure I don't know…"
"You volunteered just like the rest of us, that's how. Ok then, everyone ready? Let's go!"
With subdued cheers to not alert the rest of the guild, Warren led the group of mages out of the room and into the hallway. With a huge sigh, Gajeel scooted off the bed and dragged his feet after them.
Levy sat in the middle of her group of friends, laughing and talking softly while drinking mugs of hot chocolate. Sometime during the day the large common room had been transformed. Tables had been shrunk and moved to the side of the room and every available chair was lined up in neat rows facing the bar, with a small cleared section. separating the two areas. Several items lined the countertop, but the dim lighting prevented Levy from seeing them clearly.
"I wonder what's going on," Lucy whispered next to her.
Levy shrugged, looking around the room. "I'm not sure. Where's-"
A few lights turned on overhead and the sound of footsteps echoed down the stairs. The room grew quiet and Levy's eyes widened when she saw her friends waltz into the room. Their shoulders were covered in grey and brown blankets and each of them held pieces of paper. Levy glanced at Lucy and the two girls shrugged.
The guys lined up in front of the crowd. Laxus looked as if he would have preferred to be anywhere else while Natsu and Elfman beamed wide smiles at everyone. Warren rushed to the front and bowed his head.
"Thank you all for coming to the first annual Fairy Tail Christmas Play. The story should be one that all of you know very well, but we hope that you will still enjoy it. Now without further ado," he spread his arms wide, "I present to you The Ugly Duckling, performed and narrated by the men of Room 1A."
The room filled with quiet applause.
Cana nudged Levy and rolled her eyes. "So they're calling themselves men now?"
Levy shushed her friend when she saw the guys shifting into position. Another light lit up the room and Levy's jaw dropped. Gajeel stood at the end of the counter, sheets of paper clutched in his hands. But what shocked her the most were his clothes. Gone were his characteristic black jacket, black, baggy pants and heavy boots. They were replaced by a crisp white suit, complete with a collared jacket, dress shoes, white pants and of all things, a red tie. A white, wide-brimmed hat sat on top of his mass of dark hair, but his fingerless gloves were still pulled onto his hands.
Oh...oh my...
She could hear Lucy and Cana's gasps of surprise next to her. Gajeel's eyes flickered around the room until they settled onto her. She smiled slowly, praying to the mages that he could not see the slow blush creeping up her cheeks. He gave her a shaky smile in return and after giving his tie a small yank away from his neck, began to read.
"One...once upon a time, there was a mother duck…"
His deep voice filled the room. It shook and wavered and stumbled over words. His throat bobbed up and down and he coughed into his hand, a bead of sweat dripping down his temple.
He's reading in front of the entire guild!
Her heart filled with pride for her closest friend. It warmed her clear to her toes and her wide smile never left her face, not even he lost his place and looked to the back of the room where Warren sat with his two fingers to his temple.
She turned back to the front and sipped her drink, eagerly listening to Gajeel narrate the familiar bedtime story. She laughed along with the rest of the guild when the guys acted out the tale.
Elfman launched himself into his role with gusto, not seeming to understand that the main character in the story was much quieter than he portrayed them to be. Gray read his lines with the same calculated precision he used when wielding his ice magic; his dead-pan expression and clipped voice making Levy laugh until her sides hurt. Surprisingly, Natsu stumbled over each and every line. Sweat poured down his face and he never once looked up at the enraptured crowd, not even when Warren abandoned his Telepathy and yelled directions across the room to the stuttering mage. After the brief intermission, and after Gajeel downed an entire pitcher of water, the Master himself joined the group. He was also dressed in a white, feather-covered shirt and his appearance made Natsu stutter almost incoherently.
He was able to clearly deliver the story's famous line of "You sure are ugly," which caused Elfman to burst into tears. Gray cuffed Natsu on the side of the head and Natsu punched him back. Another intermission was announced as the Master and Warren attempted to pry the two fighting mages apart.
Soon the other actors joined the fray. Feathers flew through the air, shirts were ripped, and Warren's screeching voice carried over the din. Gajeel inched away from the counter and hid behind her chair.
"Well...at least I don't need to keep readin' anymore," he whispered, ducking behind the chair when the master happened to glance their way.
Levy smiled and slouched in her chair to whisper in Gajeel's ear. "I thought you did a wonderful job."
"Um...yeah, uh...thanks, Shorty." He took off his hat and plopped it onto her head, a small smile on his lips.
She chuckled and adjusted the brim of the hat so she could watch the new entertainment in front of them. The room cheered and jumped to their feet in a standing ovation when the master turned huge and sat on all of the guys, promptly subduing them.
She heard Gajeel snort next to her. "Well, they ain't swimming, but I guess swans fightin' works just as good."
Levy twisted around, ready to ask what he meant, but at the same moment the lights turned on throughout the guild and the Fairies began to organize the tables and chairs into their normal positions. Gajeel jumped up and moved to the back of the room to help them organize. Levy huffed at the bad timing, but moved to his side to help him move the chairs.
And to sneak glances of him in his very well-tailored suit.