Mistletoe was known for being toxic and deadly to even gods in some cultures, so Lucy had no idea why families like Erza's decided to string it up all around their house in strands of garland and multicolored lights.

Lucy kept on her gloves as she strung up the garland along the ceiling, to combat both the cold in Erza's temporarily heatless apartment and the scratchy texture of the strands. Plus, the eleven previous months of storage had a good bit of dust built up on the holiday decorations.

"I hate mistletoe." Gray announced in his usual pessimistic way. "It's totally tragic."

Lucy looked down at him mockingly. "Totally."

Gray whacked her thigh before feeding her more garland and another thumbtack to keep it up. "I'm serious. It had a history of death tolls."

She could only roll her eyes. "I seriously doubt people would kiss under it ritually if it was so scary. However, I do agree that it can be possibly unhygienic."

"However." Gray mocked her in return. "You know, in Norse mythology the god of love, Balder, was killed because the god of deceit threw a mistletoe dart at him."

Lucy was never much into mythology or theology. "God of deceit?" She stuck a tack in the wall to hang up the garland before moving down off her step ladder, shifting it a few feet to the left, and getting back up again.

"Loki."

She had to give him that look, that Erza-like motherly look. "Loki is the name of the deceitful? How fitting."

Gray snorted, clearly not in the mood to talk love. "Yeah, all because Balder's mom wanted him to be immortal. Except making him immune to mistletoe slipped her mind."

Lucy let a low whistle slip past her lips. "Talk about protective parenting."

Her raven haired friend nodded in agreement. "Also, mistletoe kills animals."

At that point, Lucy gasped and tossed down the rest of the garland to Gray, where he caught it in his arms in a messy heap. "Not the animals." She huffed sarcastically.

Lucy and Gray silently agreed to trade places – especially since Gray's arms were longer and grew tired less quickly. "How do you know all this, anyway?" Lucy handed him a thumbtack, to which Gray saved between his teeth.

Gray shrugged and stuck a loop of garland to the wall. "I'm majoring in history."

Lucy had never thought about what she expected Gray to be. Had she put some thought in to it, her first guesses would've been more along the lines of some physical and hands-on. "Really."

The pale young man pulled the tack from his teeth and stuck it in the garland strand. "I'm not a big fan of reality."

Lucy found herself just smiling up at him. She of all people could understand that. Even with knowing how miserable the past was most of the time, it was still a romantic thought of something other than now. Because now was not always very fun.

"Why again are we slaving to put up decorations for Erza?" Natsu walked up beside Lucy, a tin of homemade cookies in hand.

Without really thinking, Lucy just grabbed a cookie and held it up for Gray. He took it and chomped it between his teeth to keep his hands free for the garland stringing. However the male still had time to roll his eyes at Natsu.

"We are putting up decorations. You're eating all the cookies Jellal has been spending all day baking." Lucy held her cup of thumbtacks in one hand, and with the other, quickly snatched the tin from her lover. "When Erza comes home to find all her strawberry creme cookies eaten then you're going to be dead."

Lucy and Gray has rather recently come up with a conspiracy theory that Erza coaxed people into friendships by giving them her strawberry creme cookies. They were vanilla logs dyed Christmas green and covered in strawberry marshmallow fluff. It was the only thing besides Ramen and tea that Lucy had eaten in days, so safe to say her stomach was incredibly satisfied.

Natsu pressed his lips together in displeasure when she took away the cookies. He flicked the crumbs from his fingers at Gray, leading the other male to brush itchy food particles off his usually bare torso. He scowled and just hung up the final few feet of garland around the living room.

"Erza loves me too much to kill me." Natsu smiled childishly and looped an arm around Lucy's waist, head laying down in the space above her breast and below her shoulder. "I have that affect on people."

Lucy grinned back gently and nuzzled her head against Natsu's fluffy hair as he leaned against her. To their right, Emily and Jellal stifled squeals in the kitchen as they put their second-to-last batch in the oven.

"They make a cute family." Lucy said in a hushed voice, her lips close to Natsu's ear still.

His head turned slightly in order to look across the apartment. "I guess. Luckily the little girl got her mom's looks, though." Natsu snorted softly.

Lucy would've hit him if her hands weren't full. "You're so rude."

"And a liar. Jellal is clearly more attractive than you." Gray smirked as he stepped off the ladder, yet Lucy's blank expression and Natsu's look of curiosity made him clear his throat. "You know, 'cause you're an ugly punk."

Wow, great cover, Gray. Lucy mentally face-palmed as Natsu moved off her. "Lucy, did you hear that? Did you – he – Lucy!"

If this was Erza's role in the group, Lucy really didn't want to take over the motherly role. "I don't care. Just eat more cookies and stop fighting." Lucy sighed and tossed the tin at the two boys.

Lucy walked up to the kitchen, leaning over the half wall to watch Emily unknowingly spread hand-shaped flour marks around the counters. "Lucy, are you sure you can't come to our Christmas party over break? We can't eat all these cookies by ourselves."

From back in the living room, Natsu and Gray shouted in unison. "Yes we can!"

Erza's child didn't even attempt to hide her massive smile. "Daddy and I can make more. We'll make sure you have enough for the party."

That was when Lucy felt Natsu's arms slide around her waist and begin to constrict slightly. His hands grabbed and tickled at her sides before a short moment before he smiled at the little girl. "Lucy's a party pooper. She's going away to do smart people things."

Both Em and Natsu scrunched up their noses at the mention of it "That doesn't sound like fun. Miss Lucy, we'll be much more fun!" Emily stood up on her tiptoes to offer Lucy a crumbly cookie.

The blonde took it but subtly slipped it to Natsu anyway. She wasn't in the mood to eat what a messy child made, even if she was unbearably cute. Maybe later. "Em, I'll try to make it. But only if you save me at least ten of those strawberry crème cookies."

Emily held up her pinky as if it was a solid form of oath. "I'll try to make sure mommy doesn't eat them first. That's why daddy says her butt is so big-"

"Emily!" Jellal's face turned as red as the birthmark across his eye. He flashed Lucy - and even Gray laughing in the background - a flustered smile. "There's nothing wrong with mommy's love for cookies, you know that."

The purple haired child just pursed her lips as she held a cookie in her chubby fingers, nipping at it with her front teeth. After a moment of seemingly regrettable silence, Emily piped up again. "Will my butt be as big as mommy's one day?"

The entire apartment erupted into a fit of hysteria as Jellal attempted to hush his child and hide his blushing ears. Gray and Natsu might as well have been in a competition for who could shed the most tears of laughter. Just seeing Natsu doubled over in giggles made her smile uncontrollably.

The door opened and shut again with a loud slam, the sound of the chain locking in place. Erza stood with a paper bag of groceries in her arms and an inquisitive smile on her heart shaped face. "What's so funny?"

Natsu and Gray exchanged a series of punches and pinches in order to shut one another up. Lucy smiled and took a cookie from Emily just so she wasn't standing their plain and empty-handed. "Natsu farted really loudly." She said quickly, stuffing half the dessert in her mouth.

Emily scrunched up her nose again and began laughing from the kitchen. She mumbled a small 'ew' as her mother came to put away the groceries. "Typical." The redhead sighed and tossed her husband a freshly bought bag of sugar. "Make me more strawberry cookies."

Jellal caught the bag in his arms, looking like a dad awkwardly holding a newborn. "We just made three batches. And you haven't even had any yet."

The scarlet woman narrowed her eyes. "I can already tell it's not enough." And just like that, her intense expression faded and was replaced with a smile. Erza kissed Jellal on the cheek before leaving the kitchen to come greet her friends.

"Nice decorations." Erza spoke up, though she seemed to be talking mostly to Lucy rather than to a still bickering Natsu and Gray. "The multicolored lights look so fun at night. Thanks for helping out even though you won't be staying long."

Lucy shrugged softly. Her mouth still tasted like pure sugar. "I'll try my best to come, really. How can I miss out on such delicious cookies?"

Although the blonde picked up a little colorful cookie, Erza just plucked it right out of her hand and took a bite. Friends have no boundaries. It made her both happy and uncomfortable in a confusingly good way.

Natsu snuck up behind her again, yet this time he was less stealthy and less gentle. His arms wrapped around her stomach and picked her up, making Lucy squeal madly. He twirled her around a couple times before at least letting her feet touch the ground. "I'm ashamed to say this, but can we get real food? My stomach is rumbling."

Gray came up to them and snickered mockingly. "Awe, is little Natsu's tummy hurting?"

The pinkette scoffed. "Um, duh?"

Once he let Lucy go, she breathed deeply to let the air enter her free lungs again. "Fine, fine. We can stop by the pub and grab something on our way home."

As hungry as she was, she could handle a fresh made sub. It was probably better than those plastic wrapped machine-processed sandwiches from the vending machine, anyway. Her stomach needed a change.

Natsu grabbed her hand and tugged it childishly. "We're out, see you guys later!"

Erza snorted softly. "Finally, eat something other than everything in my kitchen." She teased before tossing Natsu a complimentary on-the-go cookie.

The two of them waved goodbye before stumbling out into the hallway, hearing Gray immediately lock up after them. Lucy sighed, her gloved fingers laced with Natsu's. "What do you want to get to eat?"

Natsu scoffed through a mouthful of cookie. "One order you Lucy to go, please."

By now, his terrible sexual innuendos had somewhat worn off on her. She just smiled and shook her head. "That's not nutritious."

"But it's delicious."

"You're awful."

Nalu Lemon Novel
Exy Koroleva © 2016
Thank you for reading.
Some triggering scenes
to be included, so please
do not report. Comments
& votes are appreciated.