Disclaimer: I do not own any of the following characters, I'm just borrowing them.

*Laughs nervously* In my defense it's been a busy year and this chapter is three times longer than the last one. Enjoy this mess of unedited, oober-late Christmas fic.

The Christmas party was in full swing by the time Gajeel and Lily got there, Gajeel still proudly wearing his Christmas sweater. Since he had been sleeping off the last hours of a cold and thus couldn't make it to the guild that day, Lily had been highly amused when his partner had come home wearing the yuletide monstrosity, claiming that he was wearing it for a good cause.

When he had found out the "good cause" was getting Levy in a potentially revealing outfit, Lily had smacked Gajeel upside the head.

"Evening gentlemen!" Mirajane said cheerfully, wearing a long, white dress with a poinsettia pattern along the hem. Jet had been wearing her sweater, but a few hours before the party Mirajane had beckoned him to the bar and the sweater had been in flames a few moments later, Jet still inside. No one had said anything out of fear of being targeted next. "I see you're still wearing your sweater, Gajeel!"

"He hasn't taken it off except to bathe and sleep," Lily informed her dryly, a smile tugging at his lips. He'd had to sneak a load of laundry while Gajeel was sleeping the night before, so adamant was the Dragon Slayer to keep the damn thing on.

"I ain't takin' any chances," Gajeel added, looking very proud of himself. Mirajane just giggled, offering the two some of the eggnog that she had been passing around before flitting back into the fray.

Eggnog in hand, Gajeel made his way towards the back table, only stopping to gently tease Wendy, who was wearing an elf costume thanks to Bixlow. Gajeel made a mental note to thank whichever of the girls got Wendy a red dress that went down to her knees and covered her arms and collar bone, unlike the dresses some of the other girls were wearing.

Cana and Elfman were loudly enjoying a drink together, both boasting about how their sweater was the best. Gajeel was just about to go over and tell them exactly who's sweater was the best (Hint: it was his) when he caught the lingering scent of ink and sunlight - fuck off that's totally a legitimate thing for a girl to smell like - at the edge of his senses.

He immediately changed his course, heading towards the table in the back that might as well have his name on it, seeing as how he was normally the only one who sat there. Lily must have caught the scent too, because he gave Gajeel a warning look before flying up into the rafters, saying hello to all of the Exceeds that had invaded Fairy Tail for the special occasion.

Gajeel slowed down, trying to look casual as he approached his table, and more importantly, the young woman sitting there.

"Damn, I was hoping you had taken off the sweater," Levy said, pouting adorably. Gajeel just grinned, taking a long sip of the too-sweet eggnog.

"And I was hoping ya'd dress up, but it seems that neither of us got our wish," he said, nearly pouting himself as he looked at the long trench coat she wore. It practically swallowed her up, revealing nothing but her head. Her blue hair was let down in the usual mess of curls, which was a plus, and she was wearing a Santa hat.

Fuck, she was still gorgeous even when she looked like a marshmallow.

"Oh hush, I was just wearing this over it in case you didn't show up in your sweater," Levy grumbled, scooting out from behind the table and standing in front of Gajeel. She quickly unbuttoned her coat, looking up at Gajeel one last time. "Cannot believe I'm doing this," she murmured, taking a deep breath before shrugging out of the marshmallow jacket, letting it fall around her feet.

When Fairy Tail women made a deal, damn did they make a deal.

The sweater was, of course, red, with white fur trim curling around her shoulders. Her collarbones were bare, and Gajeel felt his throat go dry at the sight of the naked, tan skin. The sweater clung tightly to her body, following all of her curves and dips and that waist that Gajeel constantly wondered if he could fit his hands all the way around, until it stopped just below her ass. From there it was all white leggings that trailed into shiny, black combat boots.

Gajeel took a long pull from his eggnog. It was going to be a long night.

"Not bad," he said after he had spent an inappropriate amount of time oogling at her, trying to clear away the hitch in his voice as subtly as possible. Levy's quirked eyebrow told him that wasn't fooling her in the slightest, but her blush was disappearing past the scoop neck of her sweater, so he figured she had no right to judge. She coughed delicately, adjusting the hat on her head before laying her coat out on the bench where she had been sitting.

"There," she said, hands resting on her hips as she bravely met Gajeel's eye. "Happy?"

Gajeel nodded. "Very," he croaked.

"W-well, good! I'm going to go bother Lucy for a few minutes and maybe get something from the snack table. Want something?" Gajeel shook his head. "Alrighty then! Be back soon!"

She scampered off, head held high as she made her tactical retreat as quickly as she could without seeming like she was running. The Iron Dragon Slayer noticed that her shoulders were flushed as well, a covering of freckles standing out more than usual, and finished off his mug of the holiday beverage in an attempt to drive out the thoughts of how much he wanted to count them all. With his tongue.

"You're so screwed," Lily chimed in helpfully from where he had appeared by Gajeel's shoulder, an elf hat perched on his head.

"Oh, way." Gajeel sunk into the bench seat, setting his mug down and groaning as he ran his hands down his face. His ears were burning, and he could feel his blush start to move down to his cheeks.

The outfit hadn't been anything special, she wore things like that all the time. But the knowledge that it was all for him? That was what drove him over the edge. Dragons were known to be possessive; be it over land, their hoards, or their mates (the females even more viciously than the males sometimes, if his memory from his time in Metalicana's nest was correct). It was a part of his nature he fought with daily, all too aware of how little he deserved even just her friendship, but at the current moment, he just wanted to rub it in everyone's face that she had dressed up for him.

But he was currently wearing her sweater as well, so he figured they were at least even.

"What are you going to do?" Lily asked, landing on the table and sitting crosslegged in front of the mage. "Should I be making plans to find other lodgings for the night? Shagotte's been trying to get me to come and stay the night in the new Exceed village for months, and now is as good a time as any."

Gajeel swatted at the smirking Exceed, frowning. "Screw off, ya dick, I ain't gonna pull that crap tonight. 'Sides, it's Christmas Eve, she probably wants to spend the night with the rest of the guild or whatever."

"You're part of the guild 'or whatever'."

"Ya know, I wonder if the Queen would like ya anymore if I skinned yer smarmy ass."

Lily flew off into the rafters as Gajeel made to grab at him, the Exceed's smug laughter trailing in his wake and echoing loudly in the Iron Dragon Slayer's head. Gajeel simply sighed again, sinking lower in his seat and closing his eyes.

It wasn't very long until he could hear her approaching, and he popped one eye open as Levy laid a plate full of goodies on the table. "So, I kind of grabbed one of everything in case you did decide you were hungry," she admitted, smiling at him in that shy, sheepish way that made his heart melt down his spine. "I call dibs on all the sugar cookies, however. They're my favorite, and Mirajane only makes them once a year."

"Weird, it's almost like it's a seasonal thing," Gajeel teased, laughing when Levy punched him in the shoulder before sliding into seat next to him. He could feel the warmth radiating off of her, and had to resist the urge to tuck his face against her neck, tug her into his lap, and just breathe. Her natural scent was mixed with that of mulled cider and pine needles from the too-large Christmas tree that dominated the opposite corner of the guildhall, and he never knew he could like those scents as much as he did.

They ate in silence for several minutes, just watching the other members of the guild party in the way only Fairy Tail knew how. Occasionally Levy would bump her shoulder against his to catch his attention, or tug on his sweater, and all of his senses would once again focus on her.

"So I hope you know I'm stealing that sweater back." Gajeel looked down at Levy with a quirked eyebrow, watching her watch the guild before her eyes darted to his for a short moment, and she grinned. "It's actually super comfy, and now it smells like boy and detergent, and everybody knows boy sweaters make the best sweaters."

"Okay one, I take offense at the 'boy' statement. This is a man sweater." Levy giggled and his stomach happily twisted into a complicated bow. "Two, who says I'd let you steal it? I happen to like this sweater."

"Oh please, you do that shoulder roll thing one more time and you're gonna bust out of it!"

"What 'shoulder roll thing'?"

"The shoulder roll thing!" Levy rolled her shoulders back while taking a deep breath, unable to hold back her smile when she let the breath out and shook her shoulders back out. Gajeel's eyes followed the rocking motion of her body faithfully, and he wished Lily was still around to smack him upside the head for being a pervert. "You do it all the time when you're agitated," Levy continued, oblivious to Gajeel's mounting frustration. "And going back on topic, that sweater is too small on you."

"Well if it's too small on me, you'd be practically swimmin' in it," Gajeel told her, leaning down so they were closer to eye-level with each other. Levy grinned at him, her golden eyes sparkling.

"That's kinda the point, big guy."

She was such a shit sometimes. He wanted to kiss her dumb face.

Gajeel opened his mouth - whether to try and make a witty retort or say something really stupid, he still wasn't sure - but was cut off when something smacked full force against his temple. He yelped loudly, scrambling to catch whatever had hit him, and felt his blush darken when he saw the ball of green leaves and white berries laying innocently in his palms.

A quick glance up revealed that Levy had also noticed what had been thrown at them, and her blush was back full force. They both stared at the mistletoe for a few moments before Gajeel noticed laughter on the edge of his hearing.

"ALZACK!" he roared, turning to glare at the laughing Gun Mage. He wasted no time in throwing the mistletoe back at his friend, grinning when it smacked Alzack in the face so hard he fell out of his seat, his wife and daughter fussing over him. Gajeel sunk back into his seat, sliding down so he was nearly shorter than Levy, and crossed his arms over his chest.

"... You're pouting," Levy told him after a few moments, grinning, and Gajeel huffed at her.

"No I ain't."

"Yes, you are."

"Shuddup."

Levy laughed, shaking her head. "Oh, so you'll wear an ice-skating cat sweater for three days, but don't want to kiss me?" she asked with a snort. "Nice to know where your priorities lie." Gajeel stared at her, wide-eyed, and had to fight back a smile as he watched the realization of what she just said dawned on her face. He was tempted to call Wendy over in case the Solid Script Mage busted a vein with the sheer force of her blush.

"T-that's not what I-! I mean- It's not like I want to- you don't have to-!" She groaned, tugging the brim of her cap down over her eyes. "Ignore the woman that seems to be missing her filter," Levy joked weakly, looking about two seconds away from curling up on herself.

Gajeel couldn't help but be grateful that she couldn't see the fond smile that found its way onto his lips without his knowing. She was such a mystery of a woman, bold and flirtatious one moment and then a blushing mess the next. It wasn't that he didn't want to kiss her; in fact, some days it was all he could think about.

It was that he didn't want to kiss her with the whole guild watching, and he was afraid that once he started, he wouldn't be able to stop. He'd just want to keep kissing her for the rest of time.

The Iron Dragon Slayer straightened back up in his seat before gently tugging up on the white-trimmed brim of her hat. Levy's bangs were in disarray, hanging messily in her face, and when she did meet his eyes, it was with a miserable expression that made him want to curl up around her and protect her from the world.

Gajeel grinned at her weakly, trying to ignore the way his heart was attempting to hammer its way out of his chest. "Do you want me to kiss you?" he asked quietly, watching her reaction carefully. Blushing madly, Levy pulled in on herself a little more, playing nervously with the fluffy neckline of her sweater. Gajeel would have worried that he had pressed her too far if it wasn't for the fact that she kept sneaking glances at his mouth, her teeth digging ever so slightly into her bottom lip.

"Well, it is traditional," she said quietly. Gajeel nearly laughed. She was always teasing him about his attention to the culture he had been raised in, constantly calling him a "traditional old lizard". He figured it was payback for all the times he called her "Shorty" or "Bookworm".

"Damn, guess I have to do it then," he teased back just as quietly, one corner of his mouth pulling up in a grin. Levy uncurled a bit, looking up at him with her shy little smile, and his heart skipped several beats. He coughed nervously, letting go of her hat and scooting back a bit. "Um, first," he stammered, looking around the guild hall. Natsu was doing some sort of weird table dance with Lucy across the guild, Wendy was chatting with Lisanna happily, and Juvia was sitting in the corner with Cana, a bright blush on her face as she fiddled with the ridiculous mistletoe headband he had seen her wearing earlier. It took a little longer to find Lily, but once Gajeel spotted him curled up with the Exceed queen on one of the higher rafters, he grinned.

All the major meddlers in his life were distracted. Good.

Gajeel snatched an empty tray out of Kinana's hands as she passed, glad that she didn't call him out on his strange behavior and simply kept walking towards the kitchen. He turned to look back at Levy, and she was covering her mouth with her hand, her eyes crinkled with mirth. He felt his own blush move down to his cheeks. "Don't want anyone spyin' on us," he offered in explanation, holding up the tray. Levy's muffled laughter got louder, and he grinned at the sound.

"Oh, get over here, you goob," she said, still giggling as she grabbed a handful of his sweater and gently tugged, drawing him in towards her. He complied easily, bringing the tray up as a partition between the two of them and the rest of the guild once they were close enough. Levy had to move onto her knees in order to be at the right height, but Gajeel was too busy staring at the way she bit and tugged on her bottom lip to tease her about it. If all went well, he'd be the one tugging on that lip with his teeth soon.

Gajeel took a deep breath, watching as Levy moved closer. He let her lead, moving when she tugged on him and staying still when she pressed her thin hands to his chest gently. He could feel her playing nervously with a strand of his hair, and the soft, repetitive movements nearly drew a content rumble out from his chest. Levy was properly in his personal space now, leaning in close to his face and drawing steadily closer. He couldn't look away from her eyes, not until he felt her soft lips press against the corner of his mouth and his eyes nearly fluttered shut with bliss.

He turned his head ever so slightly, catching her mouth with his and she hummed happily, her hands sliding up his chest and shoulders and into his hair. Gajeel could already tell that he had been right to worry about becoming addicted to her kisses; he could feel himself falling into her completely. His hand hovered by her waist as she kept pressing short, chaste kisses against his lips, never lingering too long.

After a few more of her soft kisses, Levy pulled back a little bit, laughing breathlessly when Gajeel leaned back in towards her before he could stop himself. Her fingertips ghosted along the edge of his jaw, tracing the metal under his lip with a shaking finger, and he sighed.

"Damnit, now I have to apologize to Alzack for throwing that mistletoe back in his face," Gajeel muttered, still unable to look away from her eyes. Laughter bubbled up out of Levy, and this time when she kissed him, she didn't hold back.

Gajeel had the distant thought that now he knew how those books of hers felt, because he was pretty sure Levy wasn't going to stop kissing him until she had every reaction and shiver tucked away in that huge brain of hers, cataloged for future reference. He's distantly aware of one of her hands sneaking under the collar of his sweater and skimming across his skin, but he's more focused on how his arm managed to make its way around her waist and how Levy's not stopping him from tugging her closer. They were pressed together now, the tops of her legs bumping against his hips and her arms wrapped tight around his shoulders and his lips skimming up the delicate line of her jaw and her-

There was a delicate cough from the other side of the tray/partition, and Gajeel felt his blood actually stop in his veins.

Levy turned her head, not pulling back like he expected her to, and he slowly lowered the tray until they could see over the top. Mirajane was smiling serenely at the two, holding the biggest turkey Gajeel had ever seen like it weighed nothing. Levy cussed under her breath.

"Just wanted to let you two know that dinner is almost ready!" the Take Over Mage chirped happily, seemingly not phased by the fact that she just interrupted the Kiss To End All Kisses. If Gajeel wasn't terrified of her, he'd throw the damn tray at her. "Everyone's washing their hands right now, so I figure you have, mmm, two minutes to finish up your little," she gestured between the two of them, "thing. After that, any teasing that falls on your head is no ones fault but your own."

Levy and Gajeel both nodded at her, Levy squeaking out a "Thank you". Mirajane's smile grew even wider.

"Congrats you two, and Merry Christmas!" she sang, turning on her heel and floating across the guildhall towards the large buffet table that had been set up earlier. They both watched her go, before turning to look at each other with wide eyes.

Levy was the first to start laughing, and it wasn't long until Gajeel joined her, the two holding onto each other as all their nervous energy bubbled out of them. Levy had her face tucked against Gajeel's shoulder, and he could feel her laughter rumbling through her whole body.

"Well, that happened," she managed to get out between giggles, finally pulling away and sitting on her knees. She ran her fingers through her bangs, making a face when she realized that her hat had somehow gotten dislodged while they were kissing. Gajeel chuckled lowly, reaching past her to grab the red eyesore off the bench and plop it on her head, his laughter getting louder when it landed crooked and dipped low over one eye. She pouted at him, but it wasn't long until she was grinning at him again.

"Still think I don't want to kiss you?" he asked, and it was his turn to realize what exactly he had said and stammer dumbly. He choked on his own tongue when Levy simply laughed and kissed him quickly on the cheek, her lips brushing against his own fleetingly before she pulled away.

"Nah, I think you proved your point. You know, it's a shame Mira saw us," Levy mused, leaning back against the bench. "She'd get suspicious if we left now." Her eyes cut towards him and a clever grin curled across her lips, and if her blush wasn't back in full force, he'd think he was the only one who couldn't believe those words had just come out of her mouth. But they had, and they were hanging between them now, and if nearly two years of trailing after the Solid Script Mage had taught him anything, it was that words had power.

So he swallowed his nerves, grinned back at her, and simply said, "Night's still young."

Her laughter was still echoing in the hall when Natsu somehow managed to light half the buffet table on fire, and the flashbacks to Thanksgiving were enough incentive for the Iron Dragon Slayer to grab Levy's hand and book it out into the streets before the real chaos could start.

IT IS DONE. Ngl, I had like 1k of this written last year, but just lost all inspiration and dropped the fucker until a couple months ago when I was just like "... oh fu-"

The file of GoogleDocs is titled "Comfy Cozy Motherfuckers". Just thought you'd like to know that.

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