christmas with lamia scale
wc: 780
lamia scale never did anything halfway.
if they were going to celebrate christmas, then it would be with:
— fake snow falling inside the guild,
— an improvised stage,
— and a choir that sang more out of tune than in harmony.
and you were walking right into the middle of all of it.
members rushed around shouting instructions, hanging crooked decorations. the tree topper had collapsed three times already. someone was trying to tie garlands to the top of a beam that very clearly wasn’t going to hold.
and in the middle of all that chaos stood lyon vastia, wearing a serious expression, as if he were overseeing a military operation.
“this is completely out of symmetry,”
he muttered to himself, frowning at the christmas tree.
you approached slowly, amused.
“it’s symmetrical enough, lyon.”
he looked at you like he’d just heard a christmas blasphemy.
“symmetrical enough?”
his hand flew to his forehead.
“this is christmas, not an artistic catastrophe.”
you laughed.
and that—just that—was enough to make lyon’s ears tint slightly red. just a little. barely noticeable… to anyone who didn’t know him as well as you did.
sherria ran up to you, almost slipping.
“you came! i knew you would! i knew it! i knew it!”
she hugged you tightly, nearly knocking the air out of you.
juvia wasn’t there, but if she were, she probably would’ve attacked:
sherria was an affectionate hurricane.
master jura supervised everything with his impenetrable calm, while everyone else created a sort of “improvised christmas festival.”
the music was loud.
the lights were bright.
the chaos was… well, expected.
but lyon?
he was desperately trying to keep everything aesthetically acceptable.
and when you came near him again, he pretended to be busy, adjusting a bow that was already perfect.
“you look… elegant today,”
he said out of nowhere, trying to sound casual while his face betrayed everything.
you smiled.
“thank you. you do too.”
“hmph.”
he looked away.
“i tried not to overdo it. but… i suppose i wanted to make a good impression.”
your heart beat faster.
did he really just say that?
after some time helping set the tables, hang lights, and stop dan from running someone over with an improvised sleigh, lyon called to you:
“do you… want to step outside for a bit? it’s snowing out there. the real kind.”
you walked outside together.
the night was quiet, cold, but pleasant.
lights dyed the snow with golden reflections.
and lyon walked beside you like someone trying very hard to seem completely in control…
even while glancing sideways at you every three steps.
when a cold wind blew, you shivered.
lyon immediately—
“…here.”
he took off his own coat and placed it over your shoulders with almost ceremonial care.
and then promptly froze like a statue, realizing what he’d just done.
“it’s… just so you don’t get cold,”
he cleared his throat.
“don’t read too much into it.”
you didn’t answer—just held the coat closer to your chest.
lyon looked away, embarrassed.
you stopped near the frozen river, where the lights reflected like stars on the icy water.
the silence was comfortable.
until lyon took a deep breath and said:
“i…”
you turned to him.
he looked like he was about to internally combust.
completely red.
completely nervous.
“i wanted you to know that…”
he touched the back of his neck.
“i… like your presence.”
another second passed.
“i like you.”
your heart jumped.
and before you could respond—
sherria appeared out of nowhere.
“you two are out here!!! the tree fell again!!! and we need help!!!”
lyon closed his eyes, defeated.
“…please let me finish this later.”
you laughed and took his arm.
“finish whenever you want.”
he gave a small smile—rare, sincere.
“i want to.”
when you went back inside, the tree was down. again.
dan was stuck underneath it, asking for help dramatically.
master jura calmly tried to push it off.
sherria ran around in circles.
and when you walked in—
sherria looked at you, looked at lyon, and—
“you two look so different!!! did something happen???”
you and lyon answered at the same time.
“n-no!”
“of course not!”
the entire guild didn’t believe it for a second.
“hmm,” ren said doubtfully.
“interesting,” yuka added.
“smells like a couple!” toby declared.
lyon turned red all the way to his neck.
but when no one was looking, he leaned closer to you and murmured softly:
“i promise i’ll tell you everything… when we’re alone.”
you laughed.
lyon vastia might be ice—but that christmas, he was melting for you.
