CHAPTER 3 START

A/N – damn, I didn't manage to make it in time for Christmas.

The Fairy Tail Christmas party was in full swing. While most of the Guild was already in a rowdy, drunken stupor in the days leading up to the celebration, now was an excuse for them to go absolutely wild, and Mirajane had broken out a barrel of eggnog that had everyone feeling delightfully warm and jolly.

Raucous singing and partying was happening in every corner of the Guild, and most members stumbled about in fine spirits, arms linked about each other as they tried to participate in the various Christmas games while unable to see or walk straight.

Max and Nav were clearly trying to play darts, but they kept on missing the dartboard and spiking the trio of Elfman, Jet and Droy as they sang loud, off-key carols from their perilous position behind the target. The drunker they got, the dirtier the lyrics became, punctuated at key intervals by yelps of pain from misplaced darts, and eventually, they were hauled off and dunked unceremoniously into the fresh-fallen snow outside, leaving them (relatively) sober and nursing huge bumps as Erza scowled dangerously over them.

Macao and Wakaba were in a similar state of drunken revel, engaged in an uproarious game of cards with a straight-faced (but most definitely plastered) Cana and a slurring Alzack, who Bisca had to keep prodding upright.

Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Juvia, Loke, Lisanna and Bixlow, of all people, were engaged in an extreme version of musical chairs, which was complicated by Juvia trying to sit in Gray's lap every time the music stopped while simultaneously trying to push Lucy off her chair. Bixlow was obviously cheating, having his dolls claim multiple chairs, necessitating much shoving and cursing to claim a seat. Eventually they disintegrated into a fight that demolished chairs and participants alike, and had to be forcibly pulled apart by Master Makarov himself.

Mirajane allowed herself to be pulled away from her barmaid duties for a single song, and following her example, Gajeel took the stage right after her. To his immense surprise, everyone was actually sloshed enough to cheer, although Natsu did attack him the moment he finished. (But that was to be expected, of course).

Levy's job in this whole boisterous mess was to give everyone Santa hats. She had covered a good portion of the guild, and fluffy red hats were seen on a majority of heads, because how could anyone refuse her?

All the girls had dressed up for the occasion in matching Christmas outfits, and Levy was no exception, looking wonderfully festive in a strapless dress of bright red velvet that was liberally bordered with white fur on the hem and along the bustline. Matching red sleeves with corresponding white trim ran from her upper arm to her wrist, and a cheerful Santa hat and a pair of black, knee-high stiletto boots completed her ensemble.

She had to step carefully in the high-heeled boots, which had totally been Lucy's idea, but they did add about 3 inches to her petite stature! It was interesting being able to look people in the face, she thought, as she handed out hats left and right, a huge grin on her face as she ducked the odd dart and tankard flying her way with the ease of long practice.

She slowly made her way to the lull of activity near the back of the bar, approaching Gajeel as he sat with Pantherlily by his side, looking distinctly unpleased with all the rowdy celebration going on around him. She took the seat next to Pantherlily and started chatting with him, very much aware of how Gajeel had shifted slightly in his seat, turning his head at her approach to watch her.

Shyly, she offered Pantherlily a small red hat, which he took with surprising dignity and immediately capped over his ears. Levy squealed at how adorable he looked and instinctively picked up the black Exceed and kissed him, giving him an extra cuddle for good measure before setting him back down. Lily looked a bit shaken, but remarkably pleased. He turned and motioned to Gajeel, who was now facing the other way and sitting hunched with his arms crossed, looking extremely sour.

"What about this surly idiot? Does he get a hat too?"

Levy blushed and gripped her box of hats a little bit tighter before answering, loud enough that the surly idiot in question would be sure to hear.

"Of course Gajeel gets a hat! Otherwise he won't look ready for Christmas!"

She slipped off the bar stool to stand in front of the Iron Dragonslayer. He was looking particularly intimidating, with his eyes slitted and his fierce face on.

Pantherlily grinned and congratulated himself on turning Levy's attention to Gajeel. Not that he didn't like getting hugs and kisses from a cute girl, but it wasn't very dignified for a cat of his standing to be scooped up and cuddled like a small, black teddy bear. He emptied his cup of eggnog, turning it bottoms-up. Right then, he had the good fortune to see Happy waving at him from the ceiling.

Happy looked ridiculous. He was wearing a green elf outfit, complete with fur lining, pointy shoes, and…were those reindeer antlers? Was he a reindeer or an elf? More importantly, in one paw, he held a small green plant. Gesturing to Gajeel and Levy, Happy grinned and made shooing motions with his other paw. Lily winked and gave Happy a subtle thumbs-up before quietly setting his mug down on the bar.

Levy and Gajeel were in full conversation and Lily smirked at how much it looked like flirting. All the better for him, he thought, slipping discreetly off his bar stool and landing silently on the ground. When they were in that kind of funk, they tended to tunnel-vision in on each other and exclude everybody else. He slunk through the crowd to a seat further up the bar before giving Happy a thumbs-up and a huge grin.

Happy gave him a wink in return before he fluttered silently over the two mages and carefully pinned the mistletoe to the ceiling with a small nail. Job finished, he threw a salute at Mirajane, who gave him a grateful wave, before zooming back to Natsu.

An invisible rune barrier erected itself around the two mages right as Happy's tailtip exited the mistletoe zone, but they were completely oblivious, caught in the flow of their own conversation.

Gajeel had been trying to give Levy the runabout for a while now. He crossed his arms, trying hard not to stare at her way too short outfit (who the hell had been in charge of designing those?) and glared at her, but she absolutely refused to budge.

"I'm not wearing one of those hats," he told her flatly.

"But Gajeel..."

The Iron Dragon tried not to wince at her disappointed sigh. He wasn't prepared for her to step forward until she was uncomfortably close as she fished about in her box. He found himself edging backwards on the narrow bar stool until his back hit the bar. Trapped. He hissed sharply as Levy pulled his hat out and looked up, beaming.
"Well, if you won't put the hat on yourself" – her eyes practically sparkled with conviction – "then I guess I'll have to put it on for you!"

Holding the white rim of the hat in both hands, she advanced on him and tried to pull it over his head. He ducked instinctively, holding up one arm to ward her off, but she knocked it aside mercilessly and jumped forward to tug the stupid red hat firmly over his hair. She caught his hands as he brought them up, ready to uproot the stupid thing and hurl it across the room. Holding him firmly, she smiled brightly at him.

"Gajeel, you can't! I got it on, so now you can't take it off for the rest of the night! You have to promise!"

He gaped at her, trying to ignore how close her face was, trying (failing) to ignore the warmth of her slender fingers on his wrists, and most definitely trying to ignore the proximity of the warm, bare skin of her neck and shoulders and the tempting dip of her collarbones and, and – face flaming, he jerked his eyes back to her face. Finding his voice, he snarled "I don't remember making that kind of promise! What the hell?"

She gave him the Eyes. He'd long taken to calling it that because there was no other word or phrase descriptive enough to accurately describe what she did. It had to be some sort of mind control, because when she gave him that soft, pleading look, his brain would turn into oatmeal and without his consent, he'd find himself agreeing to do the most stupid things in the world for her.

So of course, when she gave him the Eyes and combo-d it with a "Pleeeaase, Gajeel?" Gajeel heard a voice that sounded suspiciously like his own saying "Erm. Yeah, sure. Whatever."

Levy let go of him and he could suddenly breathe again. He shook his head, feeling a little light-headed and trying to ignore how the fur-tipped pom-pom at the end of the hat swayed with his movements. Not Cool.

Levy was grinning at her small victory, looking so pleased that he wouldn't have been surprised if she broke out into a song and dance routine.

"Thank you so much, Gajeel! You look so cute, and now you and Lily are matching!" She reached forward to pat his face and he leaned away from her fingers, scowling, but at her hurt look, he cursed viciously under his breath and straightened, letting her hand land squarely on his cheek.

She gave him a radiant smile and turned to go, a skip in her step as she - ran headfirst into the wall of runes that sparked to life around them.

"Ow!" She cried, holding her aching forehead before she suddenly realized what had happened. Wasn't this…? She whirled upwards to look, eyes alighting on the incriminating cluster of green leaves and white berries above her head.

"N-no way!" She wailed, covering her face with both hands and turning hopelessly red. Mages around them cheered wildly and catcalls went up all over the Guild as people turned to see how things would play out.

"Fried! Fried, you jerk! You had better take this down or else!" She yelled, banging the barrier frantically with both hands.

Fried, who had just finished toasting a job well done with Mirajane, only glanced over and gave Levy a shrug and a smug grin.

"What the hell is going on?"

A voice like grinding steel by her ear made her jump in surprise. It was Gajeel, and he looked angry. He hadn't been in the Guild for most of the past week, so he hadn't seen the rune traps in action during that time. His eyes were slitted dangerously now, and he looked ready to unleash an Iron Dragon Roar at the barrier.

"Oy, what the fuck is this?" He called over at Fried, rapping his knuckles on the invisible wall. "If you don't let me out of here in the next 5 seconds I'm going to break this barrier down and kick your pointy-haired ass!"

Fried smirked leisurely at the Iron Dragonslayer. "Right. Because that worked so well for you and Natsu last time this happened."

A vein popped out on Gajeel's forehead and with a snarl, he lunged towards Fried, barrier be damned – to be stopped by Levy's small hand on his upper arm and her cry of "Wait, Gajeel!"

He froze. She gave him an earnest look (why was she so red?) before letting him go, rolling her sleeves up confidently. "I can rewr-"

"Don't even try."

Fried flapped one hand at her as he hopped off his bar stool and cut through the boisterous crowd to reach them. "I made that one especially for you. You can try and write yourself out of it if you'd like, but without any reference books, you'd be stuck for a good week before you even managed to decode the first line."

He gave her a meaningful smile, flicking his eyes at Gajeel. "Besides, you know the easy way out of this."

Gajeel's eyes narrowed as he took in Levy's flaming blush, Fried's growing smile and the wild (mostly incoherent) cheering of the drunken mages surrounding them.

"Okay, just what the fuck is going on here?" he finally demanded, looking between Fried and Levy and trying to ignore the sneaking jealousy that was crawling up his spine. Levy looked down, blushing madly. "I-it's-"

"You're standing under the mistletoe." Fried pointed upwards, and Gajeel craned his neck to stare at the cluster of leaves, uncomprehending.

"So? What the fuck does that mean?"

Fried scoffed in disbelief. "You mean you don't know the grand tradition of having couples kiss under mistletoe on Christmas?"

Gajeel's mouth fell open and he stammered something unintelligible, a blush creeping up his neck as it finally dawned on him why he was trapped in the small box with Levy. Levy, already tomato-faced, was just staring woodenly at the floor. She suddenly jolted out of her daze.

"Wait! W-we aren't...There isn't just two of us, Lily's here too-?" She looked around frantically for the black Exceed, and spotted him sitting comfortably outside the barrier. He raised a paw and waved lazily at them as Fried snorted and downed the rest of his drink.

"As if I would make such a grievous flaw! The only variable here is how long you would like to stay trapped before following the rules," he smirked at them and walked back to Mirajane without a further word.

The crowd of mages that had gathered around Gajeel and Levy started whooping and chanting "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

Gajeel looked apoplectic with rage and embarrassment as he yelled for them to shut up, and Levy wanted nothing more than for the ground to swallow her whole. She'd seen this happen to Bisca and several others in the days approaching the Christmas party, and of course she had joined in the good-natured ribbing, but it was TOTALLY different when it was her turn! And why Gajeel? She thought desperately, covering her face again. All right, it was better than Jet or Droy, but of all the people to have to kiss…she would never live this down.

She hemmed and hawed, hoping that she wouldn't have to do anything, but Gajeel just stood there stupidly with his arms set like blocks of wood against his sides as they tried not to look at each other. When it became clear that he was going to be unhelpful, she sighed forlornly. There was nothing else to be done, and she really didn't want to be trapped in here for the next two weeks.

Let's get this over with, then, she thought resignedly, and without further ado, she turned stiffly in Gajeel's direction and ignoring his inarticulate stuttering, she braced her hands awkwardly on his chest to support herself as she leapt forward, brushing her lips across his for the briefest of seconds.

With the requirement met, the rune barrier went down with a sigh, and Levy instantly fled as the crowd around them roared in appreciation. People surged forward, patting Gajeel vigorously on the back and shouting their unnecessary congratulations.

Did they have a death wish? He thought darkly, gritting his teeth as someone particularly stupid tried to muss his hair through the hat that Levy had given him. Any other day, he would have blown them all the hell away, but right now, he ignored them (although a drunk, crying Elfman insisting on a manly kiss was extremely difficult to ignore) and searched in vain for Levy, craning his neck to try and catch a glimpse of her bright blue hair above the crowd.

It was impossible. She was lost in the sea of red hats and drunken mages, and with a growl, he too fled the bar, which was now a scene of riotous merriment as people began pushing each other under the mistletoe, waiting for the barrier to take effect again.

Pantherlily ambled slowly to Gajeel, calmly taking his place next to his partner. The Iron Dragonslayer had escaped the main crush of the crowd and was sitting at one of the long tables upstairs where it was marginally quieter. Gajeel had chosen the higher vantage point so that he could keep an eye out over the festivities (not for Levy, he told himself unconvincingly). He scowled darkly at his cat as Lily turned to him with a grin.

"Jealous, Gajeel?" He patted the spot on his cheek where Levy had kissed him. Gajeel snorted, his jaw settling into a stubborn jut that was reserved for arguments with his cat.

"Whatever. She kissed me too."

Lily laughed heartily, slapping a small paw on the wooden counter. "Yeah sure, if you could call that sad brush a kiss! She was forced into it! Plus, she hugged me too," he added smugly.

Gajeel turned away from the Exceed with a sour expression. He couldn't really say anything to counter that. Lily patted Gajeel's arm patronizingly. "Don't worry, you'll get your chance someday."

The Black Exceed barely had time to duck as Gajeel's testy swipe nearly knocked him off the table. Sauntering away, he called back "Looks like someone's got a case of sour grapes!" before taking off from the second-story railing and soaring easily over the crowd to land on the bar next to Mirajane, hailing the white-haired barmaid and receiving another cup of eggnog along with her greeting.

Gajeel watched him go and crossed his arms angrily, resting his elbows on the table. He wasn't jealous at all, goddamit. He wasn't. He was just…fuck it, he felt like an idiot. Why the hell hadn't he just grabbed her and got the stupid thing over with? Why had he waited for her to make the first move? He buried his face in his arms, fighting back his blush as he recalled the whisper of her lips on his. Why had he hesitated?

Heaving an exasperated sigh, he let his chin thud onto the table, fighting back an irritated snarl when the stupid pom-pom flipped into his face as he continued scanning the crowd for a telltale shock of blue hair. He kept on coming back to Juvia, who was wearing the exact same hat and outfit, but Juvia was staring at Gray with a look of soppy adoration that he hoped to never see on Levy's face. He scanned the crowd again and cursed darkly, starting to worry. Where the hell had Levy gone?

The girl in question was hiding outside, her breath frosting in white clouds over her face as she blew on her hands to warm them. It was freezing, but the cold night air felt good on her burning face, and she really didn't want to be subject to Lucy's inevitable interrogation about that…that kiss (!) the moment she walked back into the guild, so she was waiting for everyone to down a few more drinks and forget what had happened before venturing back in.

Did it really happen? She asked herself again. Did I really just kiss Gajeel Redfox under the mistletoe? Her face flamed to life and she pinched herself just to make sure she wasn't dreaming, fighting the urge to scream with…Victory? Happiness? Embarrassment? She couldn't tell!

She was wildly, deliriously happy, but at the same time, she couldn't believe that she'd been bold enough to pull off something that daring in front of the entire Guild! True…most of them were so sloshed that they wouldn't remember a thing in the morning, but Gajeel…Gajeel hadn't been drunk, and he wouldn't forget this. She was sure of that.

But then again, how would you know, girl? She asked herself. It's not like you kissed him deeply enough that you got to taste any alcohol or – "AHHH!" She really did scream now, shaking her head violently as her blush returned, fivefold in intensity. Why was she thinking about tasting the Iron Dragon at all?

"Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!" She moaned, hitting her forehead with one fist before stopping with a halfhearted "Ow…" remembering that she had run into Fried's barrier at the exact same spot. Twice.

She sank down into a crouch, shivering as she hugged her knees and leaned her back against the wall, balancing her weight on the pads of her feet (because her heels were deadly and unreliable.) She sighed miserably, sending a huge cloud of frosty white puffing upwards. Cool. She did it again, laughing as the white cloud ballooned around her face before drifting slowly upwards. This was actually kind of fun, she thought, trying to make shapes in the frosty air, then puffing out steam like a dragon. Speaking of dragons…

"No!" She said sharply, emphasizing it with another shake of her head. She rested her cheek against the soft velvet of her sleeve with another despondent sigh. Was she really that lame? There was really no reason to be so embarrassed, but she was, because Gajeel's opinion was important to her, and she had most definitely tarnished that opinion now that she had practically forced him into an unwanted kiss.

Still…there was nothing to be done about it now, she concluded sadly. All she could do was carry on being bright and cheerful and pretend that it had been the spirit of the holidays and Fried's rune barrier that had caused her to do something so rude.

But…but she didn't want that either! She didn't want to pretend like she hadn't wanted to kiss him, because in the end, she had wanted to kiss him (very much, she admitted reluctantly), and what's more, she wanted Gajeel to like it, and maybe even to kiss her back. Was that asking too much? She buried her face into her sleeves. Why did love have to be so complicated?

Deciding that she'd deal with her tangled emotions later, she shivered, teeth chattering as she waited another 30 seconds before slipping back into the welcome warmth of the Guild, letting the rowdy laughter and holiday cheer wash her conflict away as she searched for her dropped box of hats back at the bar.

It was perfect timing, because right as she found her misplaced hats, the overhead lights dimmed, and Master Makarov, dressed as the world's smallest Santa in a red and white suit, complete with a fake, flowing beard, stepped onto the bar to make an announcement.

"Yo everyone! Well, it looks like you're all having a good time so far, but without further ado, let's move onto the part that REALLY matters!"

He clapped his hands twice, and the enormous Christmas tree burst into glowing fairy lights that drifted towards the ceiling before bursting into silent fireworks that sent multi-colored sparks drifting downwards towards the dazzled mages. Everyone ooh'd and aah'd at the beautiful sight, reaching upwards to try and catch a few of the bright sparks. Master Makarov grinned at the members' obvious delight before using Titan to transform into a very close approximation of Santa Claus. Patting his now-ample belly, his amplified voice boomed throughout the Guild.

"Merry Christmas to all you troublemakers! It's midnight, so go open your presents!"

A resounding cheer shook the Guild as there was an instantaneous scramble for the Christmas Tree. Bright wrapping and shiny ribbons flew into the air as the cacophony of ripping paper filled the Guild Hall. Master Makarov sat on the bar with his arms crossed and smiled contentedly at the sight of another successful year passing by as he watched over his beloved Guild.

All across the Guild, cries of delight rang out as overenthusiastic mages ripped open their long-awaited presents.

Erza, with far more savagery than was really necessary, tore open the small silver package that had been haunting her mind for the past few weeks. What she saw inside brought tears to her eyes.

"C-cake…"

It was a gift certificate to her favorite (and most expensive) patisserie in all of Magnolia. The lacquered card fell from her nerveless fingers as her mind danced over all the delicious assortments she could purchase. Natsu, his wrapped present still in hand, waved a hand across her eyes, with no response. Erza Scarlet was dead to the world, dreaming of sugarplums and shortcake.

Natsu shrugged at her blank expression before tearing into his own present, yanking out a small, silver lighter.

"AWESOME!" He yelled as he clicked it on and off repeatedly, pausing only to inhale the flames. "Oh man! This fire is so tasty!" He roared, tilting his head back and loosing a huge plume of dragonfire that caused shouts of alarm all around him. Ignoring the slightly-scorched mages around him, he ran to Gray, shouting "Gray! What did you get?"

"Dunno, I'm opening it now." Gray held up his present to show Natsu before tearing off the pink, heart-patterned wrapping paper. Juvia, who had ignored her own presents in lieu of watching Gray open her gift, gasped, tears swimming to her eyes. "S-such resolve, Gray-sama! So much passion for Juvia's present!"

Gray pulled out the simple box inside, opening it to hold up a simple bangle with a bewildered expression. "What the heck is this?"

Natsu shrugged, equally perplexed as he clicked the lighter again and again, eating the flame each time. "Is that all?" he asked, his mouth full.

Gray dipped his hand back into the box, and came up with…a tiny black speedo. He blushed wildly and threw the offending article of clothing away with a shout as Natsu choked with laughter. Unbeknownst to him, the speedo landed right on Juvia's face, and she fainted with shock, hearts drifting slowly out of her unconscious body.

Elfman tore through the fairy-decorated wrapping of his small present with a bellow.

"A MAN OPENS HIS PRESENT IMMEDIATELY!"

His manly shouts faded into a puzzled silence as he pulled out a silver chain with a simple oval pendant that – he looked a little closer – seemed to be made of some kind of opalescent lacryma?

"Keep it on you at all times," a cool voice called from behind him.

He turned around, jaw dropping in shock as he saw that it was "Evergreen!"

He looked again at the small necklace (which wasn't very manly at all, his inner voice commented, but he got the feeling that if he wanted to keep his balls, he shouldn't say that while she was around)

He settled for asking "What is this?" as he dangled the necklace between thumb and forefinger.

She snapped open her fan, and a wave of anxiety rolled through him as he noticed that she had switched her old fan out in favor of the elegant fan that he'd picked out for her with Lisanna. It was painted in a shade of forest green with hand-drawn fairies flitting gracefully across the wooded landscape on the canvas. And it complemented her eyes perfectly, making them look very green and soft, even behind the hard glint of her glasses, he thought vaguely.

"It suits you," he blurted out, and cowered as she glared at him.

"I'm not done talking!"

Clearing her throat and bringing the fan a little higher to hide her completely unreasonable blush, Evergreen continued speaking, and he listened silently.

"That necklace is made of a lacryma that was designed especially for mages who use Take-Over magic," she explained. He stared at her, uncomprehending as she continued, fanning herself casually, her eyes cast casually downwards.

"It allows one to focus their mind more fully on their original form…so that a tragedy like yours will never have to repeat itself again." Her eyes flicked knowingly to Lisanna, who was cheerfully ripping a bright ribbon off her present, and then back to him as she snapped the beautiful fan shut, placing it back by her waist.

"Do you like it?" She asked, the barest hint of telltale nervousness wavering in her otherwise silken voice. Elfman looked at the talisman, then back at Evergreen. Despite himself, his eyes started to water, but Evergreen didn't expect Elfman to throw all 200-odd pounds of himself at her and crush her into an overwhelming hug.

She was ready to scream and beat him off when she realized he was trembling as he tried to contain himself, and she was so surprised by this that she stood rooted in place and just let him hug her. Finally, she turned her head to rest her face against his chest and placed her hands soothingly across his broad back, a reluctant, contented smile spreading slowly across her face.

Elfman swallowed tensely before he could finally manage a blubbery. "Thank you. It's the best present."

Evergreen smirked. What else would it be, coming from her?

"I thought that crying wasn't manly," she said.

He snuffled thickly. "Sometimes a man's tears are a sign of his appreciation,"

Evergreen laughed despite herself, hugged him a little tighter.

"I can allow that, I suppose."

Alzack grinned at the western-themed wrapping paper decorating his present before tearing into it with gusto. Two large boxes tumbled out, and he grabbed the larger one, flipping the top open to reveal…His jaw dropped and his eyes practically glowed with awe as he ran his hands lightly over the tooled surface of the leather boots, testing the sharp edge of the silver spurs with the tip of one finger.

Setting down the box reverently, he turned to the other part of his present, opening the lid slowly this time, savoring the thrill of anticipation. He gasped as he saw the gorgeous holsters with their twinkling silver details, already imagining how unbearably awesome he would look wearing them.

An anxious voice cut into his daydreaming. "D-do you like it?"

He looked up to see Bisca, and his heart twitched as he realized she was holding his present under her arm, still unopened.

"Bisca," he gasped, breaking into an instant blush. He still hadn't gotten over his embarrassment from kissing her under the mistletoe, and this was the first time he'd really seen her since that incident.

She bit her lip nervously, blushing as well. "Is it too much? Is it too gaudy? I still have the receipts if you want to return it…"

He looked from his presents to her in sudden realization. "Bisca, you're my Secret Santa?"

She nodded timidly, breaking into a shy smile before glancing at his gifts again.

"Oh, I knew it…you don't like it because it's too flashy, right? I knew I should have chosen the other-" He held up a hand and shushed her gently. When he was sure she wouldn't start criticizing herself again, he kicked off his shoes, sitting down to pull the boots on and adjusting the silver spur to his liking. Pulling his revolvers out of their old holders, he twirled them expertly around his thumb before sheathing them in the new leather holsters, grinning roguishly as he fixed them firmly to his belt.

"Well, how do I look?" He asked shyly.

She was staring at him with a strange mix of adoration, respect and surprise, and it made his heart flutter wildly in his chest as he waited for her answer.

"Like a real cowboy," she finally replied, awestruck.

He laughed quietly, blushing and glancing down at himself before remembering that she hadn't opened her present yet. Motioning to the package under her arm, he asked. "What about your present?"

Bisca was so busy staring at him that she had totally forgotten about her unopened present. She jolted back to attention with a startled "Oh!" looking down at the package in consternation before laughing sheepishly. "Yeah, I guess I should, huh?"

She sat down next to him and ripped into the gold and green wrapping paper to reveal a pink-and-white striped…hatbox? Laughing with surprise, she yanked the lid off to reveal a white cowboy hat made of velvety suede and decorated with black stitching and silver trimming. Gasping with surprise, she lifted the hat out of the box, running her fingers across the smooth fabric.

Alzack smiled at the open joy on her face, his heart doing strange aerial acrobatics in his chest.

"That's not all," he said quickly, pointing to the pink mass of tissue paper inside the hatbox. Bisca glanced at him in surprise before turning back to her present and upending the hatbox. Tissue paper flew out, and with a whisper of fabric, a beautiful silk scarf eased its way out of the box, floating down to land softly among the pink Heart Kreuz wrappings. Bisca stared at the Heart Kreuz brand, sudden comprehension dawning in her eyes as she shot Alzack a surprised glance.

"You! It was you! Alzack, you're my Secret Santa!"

He nodded shyly, motioning to her opened presents. "Aren't you going to try them on?"

She just looked at him with her mouth open, clutching her presents with nerveless fingers, and he chuckled at her thunderstruck expression. "I guess I'll have to do it for you, then."

He scooted close to her and gently palmed her hat, before reaching over her to undo the tie of her scarf. Bisca blushed violently at his proximity, the warmth of his fingers against her neck.

Wordlessly, he tied the new scarf around her neck and placed the new hat on her head, pressing it firmly around the crown of her head before sitting back.

Well, how do I look? She sat up straighter as she asked him the same question, beaming and breathless with anticipation.

"You look like the most beautiful girl in the world," he said, and the pure honesty and sad longing in his eyes compelled her to leap into his arms and pull him into a crushing hug.

"Thank you," she murmured, and he replied vaguely, but she didn't hear what he said, because he cupped her face in one hand and leaned forward to kiss her and nothing else really mattered.

Levy shoved her way through the crowd, using her knees and elbows liberally in her haste to get to her presents. Nothing was going to stand in her way! Finally reaching her assigned square, she fell to her knees and eagerly grabbed her Secret Santa present, sliding one slender finger under a seam and ripping with enthusiastic abandon to reveal…a cardboard box.

Hands shaking with anticipation, she carefully undid the tape sealing the top, opening the flaps to reveal blocks of packing foam and colored tissue paper. She counted to three slowly before pushing aside the tissue paper, and what she saw inside the drab cardboard box took her breath away.

Her present was a pair of elegant steel bookends, crafted in the likeness of twin dragons, heads bowed to guard the books between them with shining silver teeth and claws. The level of detail worked into the steel dragons was so fine that it looked like filigree, and Levy held her breath as she gently touched an individual steel scale, which was so delicate that she was afraid that it would break under her touch. It remained firm and Levy ran her fingers carefully over the entire length of the dragon on its solid steel perch, silent with awe at the feral, carved beauty of the bright red gemstones that served as eyes.

Lucy bounced over to her friend, eyes alive with happiness. "Levy! Levy! Look at what Natsu made me! What did you get? Ohhhh..."

Lucy's voice died into quiet awe as Levy held her present up.

"Oh my god, it's beautiful," she breathed, reaching forward to carefully touch the metal nose of one dragon. Levy just nodded, still unable to speak.

"You do know that there's only one person who could do this, right?" Lucy asked, an understanding smile spreading over her face as she looked at her dumbstruck friend. Levy looked down at her present, gently stroking the silver nose of one dragon as she cradled it lovingly in the crook of her arm. When she looked back at her best friend, her face was tinged pink and she was smiling shyly as she nodded.

"Yeah. It…it has to be Gajeel-kun, huh?"

Lucy nodded enthusiastically. "Bingo! I KNEW that this would happen!" She caught Levy's wrist, grinning hugely. "I told you that he liked you."

Levy blushed under her friend's dancing eyes, but she couldn't find the heart to deny it anymore.

"Anyways, look what Natsu made me!" Lucy said, letting Levy go and hitching her belt up to show Levy a red keychain in the shape of Fairy Tail's Guild insignia, already attached to her keyring. Levy leaned closer to look, making the necessary sounds of appreciation, but she stopped and gasped with surprise as she realized that the surface of the keychain was cut with subtle black facets, creating a shifting flow of color that seemed to reflect endlessly from a point of fire somewhere within the heart of the keychain.

"Wow! Lucy, it's beautiful! How did he even make this?" Levy asked, gently fingering the familiar shape of the symbol. Lucy laughed nervously, a faint blush creeping across her face.

"He told me that he fired it up with his heart, but I think that he's just making things up!"

Levy giggled at her friend's discomfort. "Really? That sounds awfully romantic to me!" She sat up straighter and thrust one fist forwards in an imitation of Natsu's stance, pitching her voice lower and mustering the most romantic tone she could manage. "Oh Lucy-hime, I used the unquenchable flames of my passionate heart to create your precious present."

"Oh stop it! Now you're the one making things up!"

Levy dissolved into giggles and threw a handful of ribbons at her friend. Lucy huffed with indignation and threw some back, and things quickly escalated into an impromptu wrapping-paper war as they laughed joyfully, completely content with the world in that moment.

Gajeel tore into his beautifully-wrapped present without preamble, ripping off the bright bow and tearing easily through the glossy paper. He wasn't prepared for…of all things, a blanket(?) to tumble out into his lap. He stared at it in complete surprise before gathering up the soft fabric in his arms, tossing the trailing ends over his shoulder.

He looked around quickly to make sure no one was watching him before he buried his nose in the plush, closed his eyes and breathed. The entire blanket was suffused with the smell of her, the familiar, sweet smell of asterflower overlaid with hints of parchment and linen and ink and god, it was glorious. He flushed hotly at the thought that it might be HER blanket, but quickly put that idea to rest as he saw his name, neatly embroidered in a corner with a small heart behind it. He ran his hands through the plush and grinned as he saw steel buttons running along the edges of blanket. Cute. He shot a quick glance towards Levy's little square of presents, right in time to catch her reaction as she unwrapped his gift, and the look on her face made his heart stop and float giddily in his chest. God, that smile…and then the Bunny-chick had to barge into the scene and ruin it and he looked away with a scowl.

Gathering the blanket to him and grabbing the rest of his presents, he made his way to the empty second floor where he could unwrap the rest of his gifts without being jostled and watch Levy in peace.

As the excited shouting died down to delighted murmurs, Master Makarov clapped his hands again, and everyone looked up at him. He beamed at them before announcing "Now that you've all made a mess, tell your Secret Santa partner who you are! Let them know what present you got them!

Levy looked wildly about for Gajeel, clutching her present in its box as she made her way through the press of bodies to his space under the tree. It was empty, and there was no other sign of him save for discarded wrapping paper. Her heart sank and all the anticipatory excitement that had been swelling in her chest died with a whimper.

She looked down again at the amazing set of bookends, at the intricacy of the steel detailing. There was no one else who could possibly do this besides him, but he hadn't thought it worth his time to actually tell her? Wrapped up in the glow of everyone else's cheer, Levy had never felt so particularly small or drab, but the night wasn't over yet, and she settled down in the vacated space to wait for him, putting on a brave smile as everyone hugged and laughed, cheering around her.

She saw Lucy grab Natsu's hands and pull him into a thankful hug, and she smiled brightly for her friend as Natsu's face flamed a brilliant red, a goofy smile spreading across his face. He burst out of her arms to yell and loose an overenthusiastic roar, and a pillar of fire shot out of his mouth…setting the enormous Christmas tree on fire. Mages stared at the crackling tree before screaming and running helter-skelter in all directions to get away.

Gray and Juvia were quick to combine their efforts and douse the fire, and everyone gave a rousing cheer as the fire gave a last feeble sputter before dying out. Juvia swooned breathily as Gray turned to ask her if she was all right, and collapsed into a dead faint as he put his hand on her shoulder, confused by her silence.

With that dramatic ending to wrap things up, the merry partygoers began to drift away in small groups, grabbing their presents and talking in excited murmurs as they compared gifts and called goodbyes for the night.

The Guild started to empty as mages filed out in twos and threes, but Levy continued her silent vigil, waiting for Gajeel under the scorched tree.

CHAPTER 4 END

A/N - Didn't go into as much detail as I could have for every single couple. Sorrys. I'll probably edit because I'm unsatisfied with some details so far. Anyhow, Where did the Gajeel go, I wonder? That jerk, leaving a girl waiting for him all by herself...

We're not done yet. Last chapter wraps things up with Gajeel and Levy. Will be posted around January.

Thanks for all your support. Your reviews make me smile, and I hope everyone had a great Christmas and got plenty of loot!