Author's Note: hey, everyone! I've never done one of these daily prompt challenges before, but I've wanted to give it a shot for a really long time. I see all these challenges on Tumblr and they always sound like so much fun, but for some reason, I never end up doing them. But I decided to give this one a try, because I love winter, I love Christmas, so the prompts seemed like something I could do and have fun doing it. Since we're already several days into December, I'm just going to post the first three chapters today and then post a new chapter every day for the rest of the month. I'm really excited! Hopefully this will get me out of the rut I'm currently in with "Ardor." It's been a while since I've even worked on it, which makes me sad. I am going to finish it, don't worry, just most likely not in a timely matter. *nervous laugh*

I don't have a specific word goal in mind, but I'm going to try and keep these chapters short and drabble-esque, around 1,000 words each. I also wanted to do a fun interactive thing with this one. Every chapter, I'll ask you guys a question at the end, something that has to do with the prompt, and you guys can give me answers in the reviews! Sounds fun, right? Each chapter is going to be in the cannonverse, just to let you guys know.

Here's to getting my creative juices flowing, and to a wonderful December. Let's finish this shit-storm of a year on a high note, yes? Hope you guys enjoy!

Day I - Ice Skating

Lucy stared at the rink with trepidation. She'd never done this before. She really didn't want to fall in front of so many people, but she knew it was inevitable. She knew no one would laugh at her or make fun of her for doing so, but still. She didn't need to be laughed at to get embarrassed.

She almost didn't even agree to this. She can't ice skate, at all! She tried a few times when she was little, but she was never able to pick it up. But this is what her friends wanted to do, so she would at least try. She didn't want to be a party pooper and sit off to the side for the whole outing.

She jumped when she felt a hand gently clap onto her shoulder, turning to look at the owner of that hand. She was greeted with Natsu's bright grin, the sight allowing her to relax some.

"Hiya, Luce!" he chirped, his eyes beaming with glee. "You ready to go?"

"Um," she drawled, swallowing nervously as she stole a glance back at the rink. She was about to back out, but felt her heart give a pang when she saw their friends on ice, Erza leisurely gliding across the rink when her hands clasped behind her back, Gray standing behind Wendy with her hands being held in his, giving her support while she awkwardly shuffled forward. The young girl slipped, but Gray caught her before she could fall, and Lucy could see her smile and offer her thanks while he just grinned in response.

Lucy wasn't the only one who didn't know how to ice skate. She didn't need to feel so self-conscious that she couldn't hang out with her beloved friends. So she nodded resolutely in response to Natsu's question, ignoring her trembling legs as she tried to take a step toward the rink.

"Yes, I'm ready," she declared, her ankle giving out a little bit when she took another step toward the ice, not used to standing in ice skates. She wobbled, her arms stretching out to try and regain her balance. Natsu stepped up, gently grabbing her sides to steady her. She held onto his arms, taking a deep breath. "I-I think."

"You sure?" he offered, his brows furrowed with concern. "You're shaking."

She waved him off, trying to harden her posture as she leaned against the railing next to the rink's entrance. "I'm just nervous. I don't want to fall." She craned her head to look at him when she heard a soft chuckle, preparing herself to yell at him for laughing at her. But she stopped when she noticed the look on his face, filled with his trademark warmth.

"You won't fall," he assured her, stepping in front of her whilst he grabbed her hand, giving her a gentle tug. "Not on my watch." Lucy gulped, not moving from her spot by the railing. She anxiously looked down at his feet, seeing that he was standing firmly on the ice, sturdy as ever. Her eyes flickered back to his, seeing an amused grin dancing on his lips. He gave her hand another gentle tug. "C'mon. I gotcha." Swallowing down the mass that formed in her throat, the stellar mage waddled closer to the ice, one hand planted on the railing while the other one gripped Natsu's for dear life. She carefully stepped onto the ice, feeling the difference in texture instantaneously. Her nerves skyrocketing to new levels of anxiety, she took a long, deep, cleansing breath before putting her other foot onto the ice as well.

"There you go," said Natsu's encouraging voice, and she barely registered that he was now reaching for the hand she kept on the railing, trying to uncoil her fingers. "Let go of the rail, Luce."

"I ca-can't," she stammered, keeping her fingers clamped tightly.

He scoffed. "You don't need it. You got me. Now let go." After a brief debate with herself if she should do as he said or not, she decided that he was right.

She could trust him to keep her from falling. He's proven that time and time again, after all.

Finally letting her fingers unfurl, she sighed in content as the cold metal was replaced with her partner's warm hand instead. She felt her cheeks heat up in a flush as she looked up at him, seeing his sweet, iconic grin as he stood in front of her, both of her hands in his.

"Now we're off," he hummed, gently pushing backwards and bringing her along with him. She squeaked and tightened her grip on his hands, her body going rigid. She glared as best she could when she heard a laugh from Happy as he passed them, wearing skates of his own. He glided down the ice with ease, his wings out to help him keep his balance.

"Lucy, you look like a statue!" he sang teasingly.

"I'm scared, okay?" Lucy snapped, shouting at him as he got farther away from them. She narrowed her eyes when his tail flicked at her like some sort of taunt, extending his wings as he jumped into the air and spun a couple times before landing back on the ice like a feather. She scoffed. "You little cheater!"

Natsu laughed, giving her hands a tug to get her attention. "Hey." She huffed as she turned her gaze to his. Seeing her distress, he softened his features with a warm smile. "Don't be scared. I told ya, you're not gonna fall. I promise I won't let you. You need to relax, okay? You're thinking about it too much." Lucy sighed, closing her eyes to take a breath. She opened her eyes after she exhaled, letting her body relax. "There you go." He pushed back once more, coaxing her to follow him. She wobbled a little bit, biting her lip as she tried to focus. After a couple laps around the rink, she seemed to be getting the hang of it. So Natsu allowed a playful smirk, carefully withdrawing his hands.

"I'm letting go, now," he sang, pulling his hands away from hers.

"Wait!" Lucy cried, reaching for his hands. "I'm not ready!" Her arms flailed around for a moment as she attempted to get her balance back on track. She succeeded in steadying herself, breathing heavily. Natsu chuckled.

"You got it, Luce!" he cheered, holding his hands out to her. "Now come to me." Lucy gulped, hesitantly pushing herself toward him. She staggered, but stayed upright. She beamed, getting ready to celebrate her victory before she hit a nook in the ice, throwing her off. Natsu reacted immediately, reaching out and catching her before she could hit the ice. She clutched onto his jacket for dear life, pouting cutely when she heard him chuckle. She smacked his chest.

"Why'd you let me go, you jerk?" she huffed, her cheeks puffing out. "I wasn't ready!"

"It looked like you were getting the hang of it!" Natsu defended, still laughing. She smacked him again. "Hey, I caught you, didn't I? Like I said I would."

"Whatever," she griped, ignoring the blush as she continued to hold onto him for support. His chest rumbled with a few more chuckles as he put his arms around her, rubbing her back.

"Don't be discouraged, Lucy," Gray chimed in as he passed them with Wendy. Lucy blinked and turned to look at them, giggling when she saw the younger wizard was now sitting on his shoulders. He gave her a friendly grin. "You're doing a lot better than Natsu did the first time he tried. He ate shit ten times by this point."

"Shut up, frostbite!" Natsu snarled. "I can skate circles around you now!"

"Yeah, right," Gray scoffed, skating away from him with practiced ease. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, dragon breath."

Can any of you guys ice skate? I can't. I've never even tried, I don't think. Never had the opportunity. It looks like a bunch of fun, though, and I would totally love to try it one day.

Tomorrow's Prompt: Scarf