A/N: Based on a meme about a new tradition called "Mistlefoe." You'll see.

Mistlefoe

a Fairy Tail fanfic

by Rhov

Natsu leaned against a doorway, sipping eggnog as he gazed out at the Fairy Tail Christmas party, when suddenly he felt a soft push to his arm. Confused, he looked over and saw an awkwardly smiling blonde redrawing her fist.

"Lucy? Did you just punch me?" he asked in astonishment.

She nervously rubbed the back of her head. "Sorry, Levy dared me. You see, you're standing under the mistletoe."

He looked up, and sure enough there was a bundle of green with white berries hung up with red ribbon under the doorway.

"Whoa, what? D-does that mean we have to kiss?" he asked awkwardly.

"No! Didn't you hear Mira's announcement yesterday?"

"Uh, I guess not. I was arguing with Gray," he admitted.

"To prevent sexual harassment, instead of kissing under the mistletoe, you fight."

His eyes lit up brighter than the Christmas tree itself. "You get to fight whoever stands under it?"

"She called it mistlefoe. I think that's a silly term for it, but she—"

His fists clenched as he shouted eagerly. "Fight me, Lucy!"

She backed off a step and held her hands up. "No way, I'd probably die, and I'm wearing this nice Santa dress. I'm not going to fight, but a punch or light slap is enough. You see, Freed set up runes around the doorway. There's a cone of silence, so if you're standing under the mistletoe, the rest of the crowd can't hear you. Like, they can't hear our conversation right now. If you start to fight, you can't escape the runes until you say Truce."

As soon as she said the word, Natsu saw a purple gleam of runes. Lucy stepped back, leaving the zone.

"This way, the fights stay quiet, and you can't fight at all once you step out. It's Mira's way of containing Christmas brawls and limiting the destruction. Seriously, she should have thought about this years ago!"

As she watched him, she saw the Dragon Slayer's mouth moving.

"Um, Natsu … the runes block all noise. I can't hear what you're saying."

He walked forward, but a wall of runes blocked him.

"Say Truce," she instructed. "Sheesh, you can't remember anything."

His lips formed the word, and the runes lit up. He stepped out and looked back at the doorway.

"That's so cool, although it sucks that we can't fight anywhere else."

"That's why she made this mistlefoe idea. It's the only place you can fight, the crowd can't hear the noise, and if you start a fight with someone while under there, you can't leave until one of you gives up by saying Truce."

"So what if I do this?" Without warning, he suddenly punched Elfman standing nearby.

"Natsu, no!" screamed Lucy.

Electricity sparked through the Dragon Slayer's body, and as he was shouting in pain, both he and Elfman were transported into the doorway. Lucy slapped a hand to her head.

"You get electrocuted as punishment, and you're both placed in the mistlefoe zone. Sheesh, you really should listen to Mira when she's saying something important."

However, Natsu's teeth gleamed with excitement. "I'm staying right here in the doorway all night. Now, fight me, Elfman!"

As the two brawled, Lucy watched with a weary sigh. She thought it was weird, seeing their fight but not being able to hear it. Just then, Mira came up to her.

"It was a good idea, right?" she said, watching her brother put Natsu in a headlock.

Lucy bolted around. "Ah, Mira! Yeah, it was. Although, Natsu's not going to leave that spot."

Her smile was sweet, but something about her demeanor felt devious. "If he stays there, then I know where he is, and I know the Christmas tree won't go up in flames again."

As soon as she said that, fire filled the area contained by runes. They lit up, and Elfman bolted out.

"-uce, truce, truce, truce…" He patted flames off his jacket. "Next year, no magic under the mistletoe, either. You can't leap away."

"You're right," Mira said, frowning as the flames flickered away to show the mistletoe singed and the wood floor blackened. "Oh, Freed!" she sang out melodically.

The green-haired swordsman left Laxus' side and bowed regally to her. "How may I be of assistance?"

"Be a dear and adjust your runes to revoke magic. Natsu is going to burn a hole straight down into the basement."

They saw Natsu howling in the runes and punching against them. He snapped Truce and finally could step out.

"Mira, no! That's half the fun."

"That's most of the damage." A menacing aura darkened around her. "You'll be paying for any damage, Natsu."

He shrank back. If any woman could come close to the terror of Erza, it was Mira.

"Done," Freed called out from the runes.

"So, I can't use magic if I stand in there? That sucks!"

Mira nodded. "And you can't fight out here."

He growled, but he stomped back over to the doorway, settling himself under the mistletoe—mistlefoe?—like some sort of ogre. Mira just tittered and tugged Freed over to the dance floor, at his bashful protest. Levy and Lucy drifted off to talk in a group with Lisanna and Wendy. Natsu remained in his doorway, although no one approached.

After a few minutes, he got bored. What fun was it to just stand there through a whole party? Fights broke out because people said the wrong thing, or acted stupidly. Fighting without purpose was boring.

"What are you doing, flame-brain?"

Natsu spun around and saw Gray standing behind him. Finally! Someone to fight!

"Gray! And we're under the mistletoe. Perfect." He chuckled lowly, so glad he would get to fight someone. "I've been waiting for this."

Gray glanced up and saw the green plant. "Aww, really? Mistletoe? Are you standing under here hoping to get kissed? You're really desperate."

Natsu blinked. "What? N-no, that's not—"

"And you're waiting for this? Were you waiting for me?"

"I was hoping it'd be you, but that's not—"

Gray's cheeks went pink, and Natsu's throat clenched. What the hell?

"Hoping it'd be me, huh? You're one weird flame-brain, but … well, it's tradition after all."

"W-wait! It's not—"

Gray grabbed Natsu's chin, tilted his head up, and gave him a kiss. The squinted green eyes went huge. It was not even a mere peck for tradition's sake. Gray's kiss lasted long enough for Natsu to get over his shock and relax into it. Gray's lips were surprisingly warm and soft. Natsu's body heated up with the tenderness of the hand that drifted from his chin up along his cheek.

When Gray leaned back, he saw Natsu start to follow him, wanting more. He tisked and turned aside.

"You're weird, so desperate for a kiss that you'd just wait here and not have fun."

Natsu's mind drifted back to reality. "M- … mistlefoe."

Gray raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What? It's called mistle-TOE, you idiot."

"Nu-uh." Natsu pointed out to the berried plant. "Mira's idea. You fight under the mistlefoe instead of kiss under the mistletoe." He lightly slapped Gray's arm. "Jerk! I was waiting for a fight, not a kiss."

Gray cringed back until he hit the runes. "When the hell did this rule happen?"

Natsu realized, Gray had also missed hearing Mira's plan. Since Natsu had just slapped him, it also meant Gray could not escape the runes, since he did not know the magic word.

"We have to fight. That's the rules."

"You mean you weren't waiting for me to … to kiss you? You only wanted a fight? I thought—" He cut off, and for a second Gray looked disappointed. "Never mind."

Natsu's mouth dropped. "What the hell?" he whispered. "You mean … you … you wanted—"

"It doesn't matter," he snapped, and Gray hit the rune barrier. "How the hell do I get out?"

"What is it, Gray? Tell me!"

"I'm not saying it here." He pounded on the runes. "Let me out of here."

Natsu hit him in the back of the head and spun him around. "Tell me!"

"Nothing! I thought you were wanting me to kiss you." He shoved Natsu until he slammed against the opposite runes. "Obviously you don't, so forget about it. We'll fight, if that's how it has to be."

"I don't want to fight you now! You wanted to kiss me. Why?"

"Shut up!"

Gray leaped forward to punch Natsu, but the Dragon Slayer dropped and slid out of range, leaving Gray to smash his fist into the runes. He slipped around Gray and caught him in a headlock.

"Are you in love with me, Gray?" he asked as he squeezed Gray's neck with the crook of his arm.

"Like hell," he choked out. Then Gray grabbed Natsu just right to flip him over his head, slamming him to the floor. "Ice Make: Hammer!"

"No magic allowed here," he said, taking that hesitation to leap back up to his feet. "They can't hear us, either."

Gray paused, and his hands dropped out of his fighting stance. "They can't hear?"

"Soundproof," he said, knocking on the runes barrier. "So tell me."

"No! It's nothing."

Natsu folded his arms across his chest. "Are you scared to say something? What a cowardly snowman!"

"Shut up!" Gray's face went red. "Maybe … occasionally … rarely … I've sort of … thought about it. About how it might be."

"To date me?"

"No! Just … just to kiss you," he muttered awkwardly. "Not anything more than that. Just … it's crossed my mind, okay! But it's not like I'm in love with you or anything."

Natsu snorted out a laugh and shook his head to see how flushed his cheeks were. "Truce!"

The runes flashed, and Gray looked up in surprise.

"That's how you get out. Say truce. If you want to try just kissing again, meet me after the party. I wouldn't mind." He leaned up into Gray's ear. "Truth is, I've thought about it also. Just occasionally. I thought your lips would be chapped and cold. It was really nice, feeling how warm they are. Makes me wonder about how warm other things are," he said with a sly smile.

Then with a wink, he turned and walked out of the runes, leaving Gray to stand there looking stunned. His hand reached up and brushed over his lips as his heart raced.

Natsu halted sharply. "Oh, forgot!" He stomped back under the doorway, and suddenly he punched Gray in the gut, sending him doubled over. "Gotcha, haha! Truce!" he shouted, and he ran out of the runes with a wild laugh.

"You bastard!" Gray began to run after him, but he smashed into the runes. "Dammit! Truce." Just as he stepped out, Mira came up to him, forcing him into a halt.

"Lucy said you don't know the rules of the mistlefoe. You can't fight anywhere else in the party, or you get punished and sent back to the doorway."

"I can't fight?" he screamed.

Mira loomed in, her smile ominous. "No … fighting … Natsu!" Then she pulled back, and her face was sweet again. "But you can fight to your heart's content under the mistlefoe. Otherwise, take it outside."

Gray growled and went stalking off to find Natsu. Mira tittered to herself with a beaming face.

"This is the best idea yet!"

The End

Merry Christmas!

メリークリスマス