FAIRY TAIL CHRISTMAS WEEK ~ DAY SEVEN

Nothing beats waking up Christmas morning and ripping open all of the presents you have received and handing out the ones you have purchased for your friends and family.

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Oh, there's no place like home for the holidays

Cause no matter how far away you roam

If you want to be happy in a million ways

For the holidays, you can't beat home sweet home

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CHRISTMAS

Title: The Pleasure of Giving

Natsu Dragneel woke up early on Christmas morning - before the sun even started to rise. He pulled himself up on his bed and glanced at the blue Exceed sleeping at the foot of the bed and then over to the end table by the couch.

Natsu smiled at the sight of the neatly wrapped present that he bought for his best friend and celestial mage, Lucy Heartfilia. If Natsu had wrapped it, it wouldn't have looked so nice. Luckily, the shop owner wrapped it for him a few days prior when he was in Crocus.

Eager to head over to Lucy's house, Natsu quickly got ready and made himself and Happy breakfast.

"Mornin' Natsu!" Happy greeted after yawning. He sniffed the air and smiled. "Mmm…smells good."

"Christmas morning special present for my little buddy!" Natsu answered with a toothy grin. "Pancakes with a side of grilled trout."

Now one would wonder who would make such a breakfast, but as seeing as it was for a cat, it should be expected.

Natsu placed the plate at the table and Happy came over and joined him. After eating and cleaning up, the duo headed to the guildhall to sneakily drop off their gifts to everyone else before leaving. They then made their way over to Lucy's house armed with her present. Natsu, instead of going through the window, actually decided to go to the door this time.

"I would have preferred going through the window." Happy jokingly said as he flew up the stairs as Natsu climbed the stairs.

Moments later they were at her door and Natsu lightly knocked on the wood.

"Coming!" Lucy yelled. A few moments later she opened the door with a very surprised look on her face. "What in the world are you doing here? At my door?" She asked confused as he pointed her thumb behind her towards the window they normally used as their entrance.

"Merry Christmas Lucy!" The duo yelled with huge smiles spread across their faces.

Lucy smiled back and welcomed them inside.

"You still didn't answer my question, Natsu." She teased as he found his spot on her couch.

He sheepishly grinned before answering her as Happy landed on the arm of the couch.

"I wanted to use the door this time. So what?" Natsu rhetorically asked as she came over and raised her eyebrow. "Okay, so I am trying to turn over a new leaf and not go through the window. Plus it's quite chilly out. I didn't want to get beaten up by you when I opened the window and came in."

Lucy cackled before she responded, clearly accepting of his explanation.

"Would the two of you like some hot chocolate?" She offered.

"Yes please!" they said simultaneously.

Lucy smiled as she walked to her small kitchen and prepared three mugs of homemade hot chocolate, complete with the tiny marshmallows. It took a few minutes, but she eventually came back into the living room where Natsu had now made himself comfortable on the living room floor.

"So what brings you by so early, anyway?" Lucy asked as she set the tray on the coffee table and handed him his mug. "I thought we agreed to meet at the guild around one thirty with everyone else." She added giving Happy his mug before she sat down on the floor next to Natsu.

Natsu inhaled the sweet aroma of her hot chocolate before taking a sip and answering her.

"I know. I just didn't want everyone to see what I got you at the same time as you." He said as he put his left hand on the present lying next to him. "It's not much, but I did get you something I hope you would appreciate." He said as he tightened his grasp on the gift and then handed it to her.

Lucy looked at him before slowly taking it out of his grasp. She put it on her lap before placing her mug on the tray.

"Well, if we're exchanging gifts now, let me get you yours." She commented before standing up.

Lucy walked over to her three-foot tall tree and grabbed two neatly wrapped packages and handed one to Natsu and one to Happy.

"But I didn't get you anything Lucy." Happy whined.

"It's okay Happy. I don't mind." She replied as she squatted back down in her seat. "On three?"

"Aye!" Happy replied while Natsu nodded.

"Okay. One. Two. Three." She counted and then the three opened their presents.

Happy ripped his gift open leaving scraps of paper everywhere revealing a few fish wrapped individually, and pre-cooked.

"Uh, Lucy?"

"Yes Happy?"

"Would you mind it if I ate one of these now?" The blue exceed asked as his mouth started to water.

"Go ahead. It's your gift." Lucy said with a chuckle causing the winged cat to smile and bite into the fish. "But eat it slowly. Mira is making a feast for everyone again today."

"Aye." Happy replied, as his mouth was full of fish.

Natsu carefully opened his as he watched Lucy's expression go from a simple excited smile to wide-eyed and blatantly surprised, which caused him to smile. He stopped unwrapping his gift to focus on her verbal reaction, which was sure to come momentarily.

"NATSU!" She screamed once the immediate surprise of his gift wore off. "YOU BOUGHT ME A SILVER KEY!?" She questioned excitedly as she turned to face him.

Since she was practically screaming in his ear, he covered them as he let out a chuckle or two.

"Yes." He admitted calmly. "Although I first I wasn't sure what I should get, and when Princess Hisui gave me that as a suggestion I still wasn't sure I should be buying you a key after – oomph!" He tried to explain, but Lucy cut him off by tackling him in a hug.

"It's fine! It's more than fine." Lucy spat out smiling from ear to ear. "I love it! Thank you!" She added as she got up and let him up.

"You sure? I mean, I know it won't replace Aquarius, but -"

"Yes, Natsu. I am sure. I love it." She interrupted him. "The fact that you bought me a key for my collection means a lot more than you know. And I know I will never be able to replace Aquarius's key since I had to break it to summon the Celestial Spirit King, but it's fine."

Natsu smiled softly knowing that she completely loved his gift. He watched her eyes as she looked from her new key, to him, to the partially unwrapped present that luckily wasn't crushed when she tackled him.

"Open yours." She said calmly as she picked it up and handed it to him.

Natsu took it from her again and finished unwrapping it. He looked at the gift curiously before forming a large grin on his face.

"I get that they are spices, but – "

"Oh, right, so each are made with the three hottest peppers in the world. There's the Seven Pot Douglah, the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion, and then the hottest is the Carolina Reaper." Lucy nonchalantly answered with a smile. "Do you like?"

"Uh, yeah!" Natsu replied still grinning. "Thanks Lucy!" He answered her.

He put his arm around her and pulled her closer into a sideways hug and Natsu noticed that she was still absorbed in her present. Lucy stared at the key and Natsu stared at her.

Natsu couldn't help but think of one thing - that being next to Lucy like this felt right. And that thought scared him more than anything else.

"Say Natsu?"

"Yeah Lucy?"

"Do you even realize which one you bought me?" Lucy softly inquired.

"Well," He started as he removed his arm and sat up, "Since I technically could have chosen between five, yes." Natsu finished with a grin. "I thought that one was the better of the five."

"Why? Because it's Draco?" Lucy asked half joking. She then looked at Natsu's expression, but she couldn't figure out if he was shocked or hurt. "Oh."

"No, it's fine. I thought with it being a dragon you might laugh at the fact that I chose that one of all of them. I'm not offended. I promise."

Lucy pursed her lips together and scrunched her nose before sitting up.

"Shall I make a contract with it now?"

"Aye!" Happy finally chimed in after swallowing his last bite.

Lucy stood up and pointed the key out, but Natsu was worried. She was going to call Draco – a dragon. Had she not seen Igneel and Acnologia? Dragons are huge and would break this tiny apartment, possibly even make it collapse underneath its weight and taking them along with it.

"Wait! Lucy!" Natsu yelled but Lucy also opened the gate at the same time.

"Open! Gate of the dragon! Draco!" She commanded.

What appeared wasn't what he was expecting…at all. Instead of a huge dragon, a small dragon about three feet tall appeared.

"Eh?" Natsu said as he tilted his head confused.

Lucy smiled as she continued and introduced herself and got down to business of making her contract with her new spirit. Once she was finished, she sent a message with Draco for her spirits of a "Merry Christmas" and closed the gate. She then turned around to see Natsu still trying to process the small dragon spirit.

"You okay?" She asked with a bit of a giggle.

"Yeah." Natsu answered after shaking his head. "So, what time does Mira want us all to meet at the guild for dinner?"

"Well, I know she said dinner was at two, but we could always head over there earlier. I have a bunch of gifts to hand out to everyone so getting there early might not be a bad idea."

"Are you going to go in your pajamas?"

"What? No! Of course not!" Lucy replied in shock. "If you want to head over there now, you can. I'll meet you there."

"Nah, we can wait for you." Natsu answered as he pulled himself onto the couch and Happy joined him.

Lucy smiled and then headed into her bathroom to change quickly and fixed her hair. Once she was finished, she came out and Natsu helped her put her other gifts in two large bags and headed over to the guildhall.

"Didn't you buy anyone else anything?" Lucy questioned after noticing he was a bit empty handed on his end.

"I did. I already dropped them off before heading over here. They are all under the tree." Natsu boasted.

Lucy giggled as the two walked. Once they arrived they checked in with Mira, or rather Lucy did, and then she headed to Fairy Hills to find the girls who were busy getting ready.

"LUCY! Merry Christmas!" Levy called as she walked half-dressed through the hallway. "I am so glad you're here. I need help with my hair! And you look awesome!"

"Thanks and Merry Christmas to you too!" Lucy giggled as she hugged her friend. "Come on! Let's tame that mop of yours." She teased.

As Lucy brushed Levy's hair, Lucy had her open the gift. Once she was finished, Levy gave Lucy her gift.

"Why are you so happy, Lu?"

"Oh, well, Natsu gave me a key for Christmas."

"A key? Like a key to his house?"

"NO!" She said with a slight chuckle. "Believe it or now, he bought me a celestial key. And of course it was the dragon." Lucy added causing Levy to laugh as well.

They found the other girls and had a bonding discussion. Wendy asked for some assistance with her hair from Lucy, who obliged. Once Lucy was finished, the ladies then walked back down to the main hall to enjoy the rest of their Christmas with exchanging gifts with the other members of the guild.

A/N: I spent most of yesterday wrapping gifts and baking, so I was a bit wiped by the time my mom came home from work early. And my feet hurt like hell! Today, in about an hour, I'll be heading to my friend's to give her and her sons their gifts before my brother arrives.

Anyways, thanks for reading! And I know this isn't my best work. Sorry.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

JadenCage: Thanks for the review. I didn't realize you had been reading this too. Have a wonderful day!