rain's blog

hi! i'm rain and i like writing and anime ♡ she/her - 23 - feel free to send me nalu/fairy tail requests, i need inspo!

[floertoer]

can't believe I've never made a proper social media au until now

[cherryrainxo]

mission: flirt with lucy (ch. 1)

♡ summary:

Thanks to Happy, Natsu has a semi-solid idea of flirting and what it entails. Is he going to succeed? Maybe not in the exact way he hopes to, but then again, when has anything regarding Happy, Lucy, and Natsu ever gone according to plan?

heavily inspired by this lovely fanart from @sporkteeth on tumblr and twitter!

♡ words: 2,757

♡ rating: T+

♡ author's note:

omg this has been in my brain for SO LONG but unfortunately, i was hit with the ao3 curse IMMEDIATELY after the upload of my last fic. like, life has gone completely off the tracks but you know what? nalu is a constant so i'm back here again

special shout-out to @sporkteeth on tumblr/twitter who gave me the inspo via this lovely fanart. i asked for permission and very much look forward to writing this scene out!!

♡ ao3 link: here

Natsu and Happy are usually, on a good day, pretty smart when they put their heads together. 

Natsu’s not quite sure if today is one of those days. 

“I dunno, Happy,” he mulls, scratching his head, “it seems risky.” 

“Wha’ could go wong?” Happy mumbles through a mouth full of fish. 

Natsu recasts the fishing line. “I think many things, actually.”  He’s not focused on where the hook lands in the water, his mind stuck on Happy’s earlier suggestion. 

“What do you mean, send signals to Lucy?” he had asked.

“You know, like flirting and stuff. Buying her things, like fish!” Happy answered. 

“What’s ‘flirting’?” Natsu had replied. 

Suffice to say, he’s not really confident about the whole premise. 

Happy swallows the last bites of the fish before reaching for his own fishing line. He casts it forward in a big arc, landing much farther than Natsu’s half-hearted attempt. He usually would be jealous of the cat’s fishing prowess, but he can’t quite seem to find it within him to care. 

“I think you’re overthinking this, Natsu. Even if Lucy doesn’t love you back, I’m sure she’ll still be our partner and teammate!” Happy chirps. 

Natsu winces. “Not quite a confidence booster, buddy.” He throws his fishing pole to the side and flops on his back, the rocky dirt pressing into his ribs. 

“I thought I was ‘sending signals’ this whole time.” Natsu huffs. Truthfully, he thought she would get the point by now; he’s always near her, tending to orbit around her presence, the gravity of her being too strong to draw away from. He thinks if there’s such a thing as the center of the universe, Lucy is it. 

“She’s kind of dumb, Natsu.” Happy hums. “It’s why you have to be more obvious!” 

“Well,” he sighs, “what else does flirting entail?” All he knows regarding flirting, based on Happy’s previous explanation, is it’s what those creepy guys who hit on Lucy try to do. He would prefer to avoid getting his ass kicked as much as possible in this endeavor.

“You’re being serious, right, Natsu?” Happy says, eyes not leaving his fishing line. He sounds serious, and Natsu’s a bit confused before the Exceed clarifies, “I don’t want you hurting her by not being serious.” 

Oh. That explains the Exceed’s sudden change of tone, then. Natsu’s chest warms at the sight of Happy protecting their celestial mage, even from him. It should hurt, Happy potentially turning against him, but if it’s for Lucy, Natsu would want him to. 

Natsu sits up, grinning. “Of course I’m bein’ serious, Happy! Flirting seems kind of dumb, but if you think it’s worth a shot, then I’m in.” 

Happy beams back, cheering. “Finally!” Natsu ignores this. “Okay, flirting involves being romantic. You have to be subtle, yet make your intentions clear.” Happy continues, grabbing a stick and attempting to draw out a plan in the dirt below them. 

“What’s ‘subtle’ mean?” 

Happy sighs, scratching out the words he’s written in the dirt. “Forget it. We’re gonna start from the basics.” 

Truthfully, Natsu thinks Happy is a genius. As it turns out, ‘flirting’ is essentially a method (or a justification) to do all the things he’s been wanting to do with Lucy, some of which he has been doing for a while: spending time with her, being affectionate, and his favorite as of recently, being touchy. He’s always been rather touchy, but those were sporadic, random touches, more of an excuse to be close to her in moments he could pass off as unintentional. Natsu’s been a little more deliberate about his recent touches. 

He started off small, a little scared of scaring Lucy off; a brush of her shoulder here, a grazing of her arm there. It’s a little bit odd at first, being intentional with where he wants to touch, yet his confidence has grown upon her lack of refusing him and his curious prodding. It’s nice, really, the tiny thrill he gets from it all.

“It’s your turn, Natsu-san.” Wendy says, across the table from him and Lucy. 

Natsu brieflly shakes his head, a useless tactic concerning his thoughts about the blonde, and looks down to his cards. He regrets tuning out Erza’s explanation of the rules as the small pot of jewels in the middle of the table gleams in the light. He half-heartedly throws down an eight of spades, as he’s eighty-percent sure he’s losing the game, anyways, and sags against the bench. 

Lucy giggles behind her cards at the move, and Natsu doesn’t bother watching whatever move she makes as he snakes his ankle around hers underneath the table. He watches her out of the corner of his eye, feeling her ankle briefly freeze around his before relaxing to reciprocate the touch; the tips of her ears flush red, a light dusting of pink rises on her cheeks, and her unwillingness to make eye contact and tease him over his misplay brings his heart aflutter. Aside from the touches, Lucy’s reactions are probably his second favorite. 

The game drags on, with Gray and Erza debating (arguing) over the rules and whether or not Cana was cheating based on her affinity for card-play, (Natsu brought this up within the first five minutes, but was promptly ignored, and usually he would say I told you so! but with the warm weight of another ankle against his, he can’t really find it in himself to care), as Lucy and Wendy tried to mediate. 

He leans back, throwing an arm around the back of the bench. Here, if Lucy were to stop waving her hands around in her panic to calm Erza down, she would fit nicely into his side. It would be like one of her puzzle’s she occasionally does, and if she were to try sidling into Natsu, she might discover a rather perfect fit. The thought warms him, and he leans his head back to doze off, content with only their intertwining ankles. 

Regretfully, trying to find gifts for Lucy is hard. Natsu’s never really thought about buying her things aside from the necessities, such as covering a train ticket or two, but those were easy to buy. Those were also so he could drag her along on missions, so it was sort of a selfish gift, really. 

He wanders around the shop, overwhelmed as he eyes the different pieces of jewelry strung along on shelves along the walls. There’s lots of options, too many, and he can’t differentiate between any of them. He feels clueless as he tries mentally thinking through what he thinks Lucy would like, and settles on I have no fucking clue. 

“Excuse me, sir, is there anything I could help you with?” Natsu’s started by the shopkeeper’s sudden appearance by his side - he was so lost in his thoughts and subtle panicking that he hadn’t noticed her arrival. 

“Uh, I don’t know, really,” Natsu tells her, “I’m kind of lost.” 

The shopkeeper giggles. “Are you looking for something for a friend, or a family member?” 

He pauses to think. Friend?  

“Not really, but sort of?” Natsu tells her. Lucy is his best friend, but referring to her as that feels a bit less than. She’s also family, but not in the way he views Erza and Gray as family. He doesn’t really know what to call her, exactly. 

“I see.” the shopkeeper smiles knowingly, her ponytail swishing with the tilt of her head. “Follow me.” 

With no other options other than drowning in the too many choices, Natsu follows the woman to the counter displaying many other choices. The shopkeeper, sensing his unease, takes the initiative in pulling out a few rows of necklaces, bracelets, and rings. The pieces all catch the light, shining and dazzling and sort of hurting his eyes.

“Do you know what your ‘sort of’ friend enjoys regarding jewelry?” The shopkeeper asks. 

Natsu shakes his head. 

The shopkeeper hums. “Do you think they’d prefer gold, or silver jewelry?” 

Natsu’s head tilts as he mulls over the question. Silver or gold? He doesn’t really remember a time Lucy ever stated she preferred either or, and he’s not quite sure he’s willing to wager a guess on either one. 

“She loves pink, actually,” Natsu says, looking at the options, “and gold goes nice with her hair.” When he asked the Exceed for advice earlier, he has simply said “Lucy will like anything with thought put into it, Natsu. Maybe try thinking?” A rather rude piece of advice, Natsu thought, but he was pretty sure he was thinking right now. 

“Well, that’s a good start.” The shopkeeper says as she puts the silvered pieces away. “Anything else important about your friend I should know?” 

If Natsu were paying attention, he would have noticed the knowing tone in the woman’s voice, and the kinds of rings he was pulling out. He wasn’t that intuitive, though.

“She’s a kick-ass mage,” he grinned. “Got anything for that?” 

There’s a slight breeze in the air when Natsu makes the leap towards Lucy’s apartment window. It smells of spring – the scent of lilies catch his nose, and he stops himself just short within the windowsill before he knocks over Lucy’s plants. The last time he did that, he was banished to the front door for three miserable weeks. It was awful. 

He carefully manevours around the potted lilies and hops into the apartment. It’s suspiciously quiet, and as Natsu sets down his pack, he turns to see Lucy has decided to take a nap. Usually, he wouldn’t hesitate to crawl under the covers and join her, despite her insistence he not do that, but he’s far too excited from his recent marketplace trip. This is his first time with Lucy alone since he went out shopping, (curse their other friends are are equally prone to breaking in to hangout at Lucy’s,) and he wanted nothing more than to show her her new gifts. 

But as Natsu took in her sleeping form, her arms curled around a pillow and Plue snuggled in the blankets pooled at her legs, he felt an un-characteristic feeling of grace overtake him. He wouldn’t wake her, not yet; she looked far too comfortable and peaceful, her soft exhales blowing strands of hair across her cheek. Natsu would give his sleeping partner mercy just this once. 

He sat on the couch, crossing his arms. He pouts for a good three minutes, eyes flickering from the ceiling, to the bed, to the kitchen, to the bed again, to the coffee table, before finally resting on the bed. Natsu had no other plans for the day, a big ‘FLIRT WITH LUCY’ written in red on his mental calendar, and he was so bored. He wouldn’t wake her, now that he has decided to be a good friend (again, not a suitable word) but what else could he do? 

His eyes snag on a brown marker on her desk. An idea forms in his head as he casts another glance to Lucy’s bare arms around the pillow. 

Stealthily, Natsu grabs the marker and tiptoes over to the bed. He plans on doing only a few doodles; nothing much, not enough to fully wake or anger her, just only a few. To cure his boredom. No other reason. 

Natsu uncaps the marker, the scent of ink wafting through his nose, and puts a finger to his mouth to mime “shhhh,” to the celestial spirit who curiously poked his head up. Plue yawns, decides this fight isn’t worth taking (again), and curls back within Lucy’s legs. 

Natsu starts off with a few scribbles as he lightly presses the marker into Lucy’s arms. He’s gauging the limits of how asleep the blonde currently is, and as he accidentally jabs a bit too hard and there’s no reaction, he assumes he’s safe. Happy’s usually the one who wakes her, with his lack of patience to control the marker properly, so Natsu plans on indulging himself. When it comes to messing with Lucy, he can be rather patient, he thinks. 

He doodles absentmindedly, flitting between drawings of Happy, different foods, Plue, and sometimes just little squiggles. The whole experience is rather calming; the sun shining through the curtains, the rise and fall fo Lucy’s chest, Plue curled by her feet, and he finds himself actually focusing on making the drawings something Lucy would enjoy, a sharp redirection from his main goal of irritating her just to get her attention. He’s more than halfway up her arm when Lucy stirs, dragging a straight line through his current drawing of an angry Charle. 

“Natsu..?” Lucy sleepily murmurs, bringing her hand up to rub at her eyes. “That tickles.” Her voice is thick with sleep, a heartwrenching detail Natsu usually would be focusing on if he wasn’t scared shitless she wasn’t going to Lucy Kick him out of the window once she saw her arm nearly full of doodles. 

She looks down at the source of tickling. She doesn’t say anything, just continues to stare at her arm. A few moments pass by, Natsu still crouched by her bedside, and he swears this is more torturous than if she just killed him outright. Somehow, her analyzing is more uncomfortable, and he shifts. 

As if remembering he was there, she turns to him. There’s a soft smile on her face. “They’re cute.” 

“Really?” He asks. 

“Yes.” She turns and twists her arm to look at more of the drawings, pointing out a slightly crude one of Loke as a lion he drew. “This one’s even pretty good.” 

He perks up. “I even drew him a tail!” 

Lucy laughs, most likely at his eagerness, but he doesn’t really care. She’s not mad at him, and she even grabs the marker from his hands to draw a little heart next to a fluffy Happy. 

Natsu stands, preparing to grab the gifts for her now that she’s fully awake, but Lucy catches his wrist and drags him onto the bed. He’s about to ask why, but before he can open his mouth, he feels the marker dragging across his skin. He’s silent for a moment, their roles never being reversed before, Lucy never even showing interest in pranks, but maybe this isn’t really a prank. 

Lucy says nothing, focused purely on her drawing. Natsu leans back on his other arm, enjoying the soft sensation of Lucy gripping his hand and the stroking sensation of the marker gently moving across his skin. She’s right; it is ticklish. After a few moments, he feels himself begin to get drowsy. It’s just so relaxing. 

Natsu looks down and discovers dozens of flowers, ranging from lilies to chrysthamums to roses intricately painted across his skin. There’s layers of detail in each flower, vines delicately carving from one to another to connect them all. Natsu’s not exactly an art guy, never cared for it, but he thinks if there’s anything he’d bother going to a museum for, it’d be what’s on his arm.  Lucy’s tongue is poking out in concentration, and he feels his heart give a rather painful thump in his chest. 

He’s not sure if this constitutes as flirting with Lucy anymore. It feels as though he’s spun out of control, his heart hammering in his chest, and it’s scary, he thinks, being on this side of the precipice. It’s one thing to flirt with someone, it’s another to have someone flirt with you. Is she flirting? Gods, he hopes she’s flirting. Natsu wonders if she knows exactly what she’s doing to him in this moment, her hands softly gripping his wrist and his arm to admire her work, and he swallows. 

Suddenly, she brings his arm to his eyes. “Ta da! All done!” 

He forces a laughter past the breathlessness in his chest, past the lump in his throat. “Jeez, really had to knock mine out of the park, Luce.” 

“Well,” she boasted, “I’m rather adequate with a pen in both writing and doodling, thank you very much.” Lucy’s hands are on her hips, a proud smile on her face, and the gifts are all but forgotten about in his brain. 

“Let me get another try.” Natsu grabs the marker from her hands, and before she can protest, he begins to doodle on her other arm. He knows his abilities were nowhere near Lucy’s, he wasn’t even going to try and rival them, but he didn’t want this moment to end. He wanted to sit here forever, doodling on each other until they ran out of room. 

[sporkteeth]

from my twitter: post mission staying the night at a hotel or something & happy's convinced natsu to send signals but he's going full throttle nd now happy's facing the consequences as lucy's personal stress ball

[cherryrainxo]

mistletoe misunderstandings

♡ summary:

“Isn’t it obvious? You need your first kiss, weirdo,” Natsu replies, matter-of-factly, as he takes a step towards her, “Plus, you need a kiss for your book, too, don’t ya?” “Novel,” Lucy corrects, “You strung it up for my novel?”

Lucy's not sure that Natsu knows what exactly a mistletoe implies. Natsu's pretty sure that Lucy's just oblivious.

♡ words: 3,617

♡ rating: general

♡ author's note: this was practice for writing in lucy's pov for my college au but it ended up 1. way too long and 2. somehow a christmas fic. blame it on my recent binge of hallmark movies

♡ ao3 link: here

Lucy sat at her desk, tapping her writing quill over, and over, and over again. She was far past the point of hearing the tap, tap, tap of it on the wooden grain; it was merely static noise against the numerous thoughts within her head. 

She re-reads her current page, ink still fresh on the paper, before ripping it out of the journal in irritation. Lucy tosses the now-crumpled ball of paper over her shoulder and resists the urge to slam her head on the desk. 

Her main issue with writing a romance subplot was that she has absolutely no reference for anything that a couple actually does. Lucy can write a solid meet-cute, she can write a slow-burn that is so slow it’s practically non-existent, and she can write tension so thick the reader can nearly feel it, but she can’t write a stupid first kiss. 

She can’t write it in a way that’s satisfactory because she doesn’t know what’s satisfactory. It’s not only frustrating as a writer, but wholly embarrassing as a young woman in her twenties. 

Should it take place in the rain? Maybe after a heroic battle, in the heat of passion? 

Lucy groans, cutting her own thoughts off. She doesn’t bother writing out either of the ideas, instead choosing to give in to the urge to flop over her desk. The window creaks open from the force of the only two who use it, but she doesn’t so much as turn her head. She would prefer to wallow in peace, but Natsu and Happy have an uncanny ability to interrupt her moping. 

“Luuucccyy!” Happy calls out, “You missed it, Gray pantsed Natsu at the guildhall during their fight! It was so funny, you should have seen Natsu’s face!” 

Against her will, and despite her self-wallowing, Lucy lets out a chuckle from where her head is buried within her arms. “I wouldn’t say I missed anything other than second-hand embarrassment, Happy.” 

“No, you definitely missed it,” Happy says matter-of-factly, “ Everyone laughed at him, and I think Reemus might have even painted it.” the cat finishes with a sly giggle. Lucy lets out a full-blown cackle, mentally making a note to ask Reemus if she could see it the next time she sees him. 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Damn stripper stripped me, too.” Natsu grumbles, sulking towards the kitchen. Lucy and Happy continue giggling as he rumages through the cupboards, his grumpy muttering still audible. 

Lucy relaxes into her desk chair, her head nestled comfortably in her arms; even though she might not have a reference for romance, given all her time spent with these two, silly moments like these tend to pull her out of her self-deprecating thoughts. She stretches, allowing her muscles a reprieve from the past few hours spent hunched over her desk. 

“‘Ey, wut’s tis?” Natsu asks with a mouth full of food from behind her. Lucy whips around to find him crouched down, reading the page she tore out and threw on the ground, his eyes scouring the words written. 

“Hey!” Lucy yelps, jumping out of her chair to wrangle the paper away from him. She’s too late; Natsu simply holds it with one hand above his head, the other pushing her back by the forehead. Lucy feels a flush creep up her cheeks, growing stronger as Happy flies over to read the page, too.

“Leandre leans over Nilah’s head, grabbing her hands as he does so…” Happy reads out. 

Lucy thinks she’s going to combust from embarrassment. 

“He looks into her eyes, promising forever..” Natsu continues. 

She can’t do this. 

Lucy resorts to tackling Natsu by the waist, dragging him down to the floor before he can read anymore. He lands with a big oof, his body cushioning Lucy’s fall. She scrambles up his torso, straddling him, and rips the page out of his hands. 

“That’s enough! How many times do I have to tell you two that you’re not allowed to read my writing!” Lucy all but shrieks. She glares at the two of them, trying to ignore the uncomfortable flush that’s settled across her face. 

“Hey! It was just getting to the good part!” Happy whines, but he’s pressing a paw against his mouth, surely holding back giggles, and Lucy’s never wanted to strangle the damn cat more. 

“Yeah, what Happy said!” Natsu exclaims, “They were about to kiss, weren’t they?” He finishes, arms crossed with a pout on his face. Lucy scowls. Since when has he cared? 

“Yes, they were going to kiss, but I didn’t get to writing that far.”  

“Why not?” Natsu asks. 

“It didn’t feel right, which is why the page was torn out.” She answers. 

“Why didn’t it feel right?” He continues. Lucy thinks she might strangle him, too. 

“It just didn’t!” She snaps. 

“Is it because you’ve never been kissed before?” Happy not-so-quietly whispers. He’s acting curious, but the sly grin on the cat’s face is too mischievous to be used for anything other than torment. 

Lucy didn’t think it was possible for her blush to get any worse, but yet it does. She cannot believe the audacity of these two; her earlier relief from laughing at Natsu getting pantsed has all but faded away into irritation. 

“Excuse me?” Lucy huffs, “I’m not answering that question, cat.” She crosses her arms and turns her head away, determined to not make eye contact. No, she hasn’t been kissed before - fighting for her life and trying to save the world have taken priority over her previous romantic pursuits. It also doesn’t help that she’s maybe, maybe not, in love with her best friend, which has done a sufficient enough job at keeping her single. 

“Wait,” Natsu asks, suddenly sitting up, “have you actually been kissed before?” 

Lucy’s jerked back to reality from the sudden movement underneath her. Her heart skips a beat; through their bickering, she had completely forgotten that she was not-so-subtly straddling Natsu in her mission to retrieve the stolen page. She momentarily forgets to breathe as his eyes, now suddenly a lot closer, bore through hers as his head tilts, waiting for an answer.  

She scrambles out of his lap, ignoring the heat that seems to now envelop her entire body. 

“I’m not answering that question!” Lucy exclaims, her voice raising an octave. “What does it matter to you, anyways?” 

She hurriedly stands, tearing the crumbled page to shreds as she stomps to throw it in the trash. Stupid boys, she thinks. I’m willing to bet neither of them have been kissed before. 

“Natsu’s been kissed before!” Happy chirps.

Lucy freezes in place. Did he read my mind? Actually, wait, he’s been kissed before? 

She spins around, trying and failing to ignore the pang of jealousy that strikes her heart. 

“Oh, yeah! One time, Mirajane made me and Lisanna kiss when we were kids because there was, uh,” Natsu pauses, struggling to find the right word, “kisslemoe, I think? It was something stupid for Christmas.” 

“It was only on the cheek, but it counts.” Happy says seriously, nodding sagely. 

Lucy resists the urge to sigh in relief. The thought of Natsu kissing anyone else made her more sad than angry; she knows the chances of him sharing the same feelings as her were slim, but that didn’t make Happy’s words and the thought of him with anyone else sting any less. A mistletoe kiss as a child is relatively harmless in comparison.  

“Mistletoe, you mean.” Lucy says, struggling to hide the smile on her face. “That’s actually kind of adorable, but I wouldn’t say it really counts.” 

She turns, ignoring Happy and Natsu’s protests of no, it’s definitely kisslemoe, why else would you kiss? as she tosses the torn page away in the garbage. 

-

Lucy stirs half-asleep as the moonlight shines through the window. She rolls over, attempting to cover the light from the streetlamps with a pillow over her eyes to fall back asleep, but her plan is thwarted by the familiar sound of someone breaking in. 

She doesn’t bother turning towards the source of the intrusion. “Please go away, Natsu.” 

Cold air from the open window seizes her as the blankets are cruelly ripped away from her. Lucy yelps, eyes shooting open as she lurches forward, her arms wrapping around her shivering form. 

“Nope, sorry Lucy!” Natsu stands there, grinning as he holds her beloved comforter. “Wake up!” 

“Whyyyy?” She whines, reaching out for the blanket. “It’s the middle of the night, Natsu. What could you possibly want right now? I’m not sneaking out for another midnight prank - I still have nightmares of Erza from the last time.” She shivers again, this time not from the cold. 

He holds the blanket farther back from her. “We’re not going anywhere at all.” 

Lucy blearily blinks up at him. “What?” 

“We’re gonna get you your first kiss!” he says enthusiastically.  

She blinks up at him again. 

She rubs the crusts out of her eyes, then blinks again, wondering if she’s dreaming. 

“What?” 

“C’mon, it’ll be fun!” 

“Natsu, what do you mean, get me my first kiss?” 

Honestly, she thinks, how exactly does one get someone else their first kiss? Lucy knows Natsu’s ideas can be a bit out there, and she knows he’s a very unconventional thinker at times, but this is still a bit of a stretch for her. 

“That’ll ruin the surprise!” He huffs. Is he that serious about this? Lucy wonders. She briefly contemplates if he bought kiss-shaped chocolates or something as equally ridiculous as some sort of cruel joke to rub in her face she’s never been kissed - whatever it is, Lucy decides it’s better to get it over with so she could go back to bed. 

“O-kay,” she starts, “what do you have planned?” 

“You’ll see,” Natsu says from across the room as he shuts the window, “I’ll show you.” He grins at her as he crosses the room, reaching for her hand to drag her out of bed - Lucy slaps it away, still a little cranky at being woken up, as she shuffles out of bed with her blanket wrapped around her shoulders. 

Natsu, undeterred from her attitude, instead walks behind her and gently pushes her shoulders towards the doorway. She relents, letting him steer her, the warmth of his hands and body too tempting to step away from. After a few paces, he stops her underneath the doorway. 

“Ta-da!” Natsu exclaims, leaning in towards her ear. Lucy cringes away; he’s way too loud for the middle of the night, and his breath on her ear just a bit too overstimulating as she shrinks from the heat of it. 

Lucy steps away from him, peeking around the corner of the entryway for whatever she’s supposed to be looking at in the darkness. Natsu lights a flame in his hand upon seeing her squint through the darkness, but her apartment is exactly how it was left prior to her going to bed. Lucy’s still not quite convinced this isn’t some wacky dream as she turns in a circle, inspecting every corner of the room for…something that’s clearly there, based on Natsu’s impatient tap tap tap of his foot. 

“What exactly are we ‘ta-da’ing here, Natsu?” Lucy asks, suppressing a yawn. She was at least hoping whatever he had planned involved chocolates, but it seems her attempt at guessing his plan was off the mark. She yawns despite her best efforts. 

Natsu huffs, his exhale flickering the flame and casting new shadows across the room. He looks expectantly upwards. 

Lucy follows his gaze upwards, her eyes catching on a small bundle of green hanging from the doorway; she freezes before hesitantly reaching out a hand to inspect it. Her suspicions are confirmed - her hand meets evergreen, small white berries hidden throughout, and a small red ribbon tied to the stem flutters as she releases the plant. 

“You strung…mistletoe?” Lucy asks, bewildered. 

“Kisslemoe,” Natsu corrects, “but yup! Did ya’ know we had the trees in the Magnolia forest?” He finishes, seemingly oblivious to the implication of the plant beyond a cheek kiss. She decides that his incorrect vocabulary is the least of her concerns as she stares at the small bundle. 

“I,” she pauses to swallow past the thickness in her throat, “I didn’t know, no. Why’d you string it up?” Lucy looks towards him, finding him grinning at her already. 

“Isn’t it obvious? You need your first kiss, weirdo,” Natsu replies, matter-of-factly, as he takes a step towards her, “Plus, you need a kiss for your book, too, don’t ya?” 

“Novel,” Lucy corrects, “You strung it up for my novel?” 

She tries to ignore the pang in her heart at the insinuation; Natsu was far from a romantic, she knew that, but Lucy’s heart will always be weak, yearning for just a little more than what they were. Hearing that the mistletoe may just be an odd favor was painful and yet another reminder that despite her best hopes, they’ll never be more than what they were, forever teetering on the edge of something beyond mere friendship. 

He nods, a bit boyish in his enthusiasm, and Lucy tries not to show her dejection. She opts to sigh instead, shaking her head with a small smile on her lips. 

“You dork,” she snorts, “you didn’t need to do this, you know. I was planning on asking Levy-chan for help with the kissing scene, anyways.” At least she had been kissed before. 

Natsu shakes his head. “No no, you can’t do that. You think that metal-head can actually be romantic enough inspiration for your novel?” 

“Hey!” Lucy protests, “He’s actually incredibly sweet to Levy-chan, and she means the world to him. You wouldn’t know, considering you two can’t stop bickering enough to have an actual conversation.” 

Natsu blows air out of his nose. It looks eerily similar to steam. “Would Gajeel spend the past three hours looking for a tree in the forest to make a kissletoe bundle?” 

“It’s mistletoe, Natsu,” Lucy sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose, “and he probably wouldn’t have to, because Levy-chan doesn’t need another first kiss.”  

“Whatever,” he says, rolling his eyes. The flame in his hand burns brighter. “It’s not like Levy is going to give you a first kiss, anyways.” 

Lucy resists the urge to slap him. She’s more disappointed than frustrated, and not only is he the reason she’s wide awake at three a.m., but he has the audacity to accuse Gajeel of not being romantic when his wife is literally pregnant. 

“Regardless,” Lucy says, taking a deep breath, “I want my first kiss to mean something, Natsu. I don’t want it to be done just as a favor.” 

“What does it have to mean, other than that you really wanted to kiss someone?” He asks. 

Lucy looks at him in the flickering light, finding him already peering at her. The fire lights his features, suddenly serious, in shades of rouge and amber as they stare at each other. For a few seconds, she’s speechless. 

“What?” She mumbles out, for lack of anything else to say.

“Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it? If you want to kiss someone, isn’t that all that matters?” Natsu extinguishes the flame as his voice cuts through the darkness - he says it less as a question and more as statement as Lucy suddenly finds him standing much closer, his shadow blocking out any residual light from the windows. She tightly clutches the blanket around her shoulders like armor. 

“I…guess, in a way.” Lucy replies, looking downward. “I just don’t want you to kiss me as a favor for my novel. I want my first kiss to be… with someone who wants to kiss me, not just kiss me.” She finishes, sucking in a breathe to stop her rambling. She doesn’t mention that her hopes are crushed about that someone being him.

There’s a small beat of silence before Lucy feels hands on her shoulders. “What if,” Natsu murmurs, leaning in so she can hear, “I just want to kiss you?” 

Lucy freezes beneath him. Her brain short-circuits, attempting to make sense of his words. She feels a flush spread over her body, the proximity of him suddenly far too close and the blanket around her shoulders far too warm. Kiss me? 

“You’re mistaken, Natsu,” she says as she lets out a shaky breath, “a mistletoe kiss isn’t just a kiss on the cheek. It’s an actual kiss.”

“Duh.” 

She gapes up at him. For the third or so time that night, Lucy briefly wonders if this is all still a dream. 

“.,.Duh? You want to kiss me?” 

“Obviously. Why else would I struggle tying a ribbon to a branch?” 

“...Why?” Is all she can think of to ask as her mind races with what feels like a million thoughts: he wants to kiss me? He actually wants to kiss me? Is Natsu Dragneel intentionally…being romantic? Why now? She can’t help but feel a small thrill course through her despite her doubts; Lucy lost track of when they stopped being best friends and started being something a little bit more, but ever since she recognized the transition, she couldn’t stop the pine of her heart for his, no matter how unrealistic it seemed. 

“I just told you,” Natsu says, his eyes still trained on her in the dark, “I want to kiss you.” 

“But why?” 

He groans as he tips his head back. “Lucy,” he huffs, “how many times do you want me to say it?” Natsu rocks her shoulders back and forth, the sway contributing to her already existing dizziness from the situation. 

“Well! It’s not my fault you’re being confusing!” She exclaims, her cheeks burning as she glares at him. 

“I actually think this is pretty straightforward.” He deadpans. 

“It’s not, Natsu. I want it to mean something!” 

“It means I want to kiss you!” 

“I want it to mean you like me!” 

“You’re my partner, of course I like ya!” 

“I want it to mean you love me!” She bursts out. It feels like a dam has burst within her ribs, her chest heaving with emotion as the words leave her mouth. All too late does Lucy realize exactly what she’s said; late nights tend to loosen her filters, the lack of sleep clouding her otherwise rational mind, and Lucy buries her hot face in her hands as dread seeps through her bones. 

Silence stretches on for one heartbeat, then another. She feels his hands leave her shoulders and her heart sinks. Stupid Lucy, she thinks. Way to ruin everything. 

She turns to flee from the entryway and the stupid mistletoe before she starts crying and embarrassing herself even more, but she’s pulled back by Natsu gripping her arm. Lucy raises her arms to push him away, but the action is interrupted by a pair of rough lips on hers. 

She freezes, eyes wide open, as her brain desperately tries to process what’s happening. It’s only upon Natsu’s hands cupping her face does something within her awaken, something so hungry it feels as though she’s been starving, as she tips her head to the side and kisses him back. A fluttery energy erupts in her stomach, making her lightheaded, and she drops the blanket to throw her arms around his neck. Screw it - if this is a favor, she thinks, might as well take it while I can. His hands drop to grip her waist, the heat of his fingers singing through the thin material of her pajama top. 

They kiss for what feels like hours yet at the same time only mere seconds as their lips move in tandem. It’s a little sloppy, a little rough around the edges due to their inexperience, but it’s so satiating that Lucy can’t help the small noise that escapes her throat as Natsu’s fingers trail underneath her top to trace her spine, and she curves into him. 

He pulls away, taking the taste of campfire smoke with him, as he grins down at her. Both of their chests heave against each other, and Lucy feels oddly dazed as she gazes up at him.

“I didn’t know kisses meant ‘I love you,” or else I would have done it a lot sooner.” 

“They do, to me,” she breathes out, "Why do you think I saved mine for you, idiot?” The insult carries no bite, coming out rather fondly, as a grasp to the only normalcy her scrambled brain can summon.   

He kisses her again. 

After a few more moments, and a few more kisses, Lucy finally pulls away to stretch for the mistletoe. She can’t quite reach, so Natsu grabs it for her. She plucks the berries off and re-adjusts the crooked ribbon. 

“I don’t have to hang this up everytime I want to kiss you, right?” Natsu asks, re-hanging the mistletoe. 

“No, you dork.” Lucy giggles. “It’s not even supposed to be up right now. It hasn’t even snowed, yet.” She leans up to kiss him again, cutting off any incoming protests. 

“You can kiss me whenever you want to, mistletoe or not.” Lucy says against his lips.

She leads him back towards her bed, leaving the mistletoe hanging and blanket draped on the floor, the exhaustion of the night catching up to her. They curl up under the comforter and Natsu doesn’t stop kissing her, leaving little pecks on her head, her fingertips, her cheeks, and then behind her ears once he discovers it tickles her. Only when she promises to kiss him as much as he wants tomorrow is she able to fall asleep, warmed from the inside out, as he places a final kiss on her forehead. 

[cherryrainxo]

debating on if i make natsu and gray hockey players or lacrosse players in my college au…

[cherryrainxo]

so like it's actually going to be neither.. it's going to be an underground fight club because that feels more like fairy tail

[cherryrainxo]

so that was a lie ❤️

[cherryrainxo]

debating on if i make natsu and gray hockey players or lacrosse players in my college au…

[cherryrainxo]

so like it's actually going to be neither.. it's going to be an underground fight club because that feels more like fairy tail

[soup-zuzu]

Messy nalu art i made on a whim anyone?

[cherryrainxo]

debating on if i make natsu and gray hockey players or lacrosse players in my college au…

[sinkdraws]

he's so clingy smfh

[kellinrk800]

First fairy tail post is this anything

[cherryrainxo]

jealousy, jealousy

♡ summary: on a mission to act as security for a gala, Natsu deals with a too tight tie, a stumbling heiress, and a jealous Lucy.

♡ words: 2,457

♡ rating: general

♡ author's note: this was first written for my other fic, but i didn't feel it fit quite right - i still enjoyed the concept, so i figured i would finish it & post it as a oneshot :')

♡ ao3 link: jealousy, jealousy // https://archiveofourown.org/works/72742516

Natsu claws at the tie around his throat. It feels far too constricting, tightened by Erza just below his throat, and he feels extremely naked without his scarf. 

“Hey flame-brain, can you try and have some decorum for just once in your life?” Gray snips from beside him as they walk down the halls of the castle. Natsu would usually turn and say says you, stupid stripper, or at the very least throw a punch, but he’s currently preoccupied with this damn tie. 

“Natsu, Gray,” Erza says from where she, Lucy, and Wendy have just rounded the corner. “I assume your perimeter check is all clear?” 

“Yeah, yeah, it’s fine.” Natsu replies, while Gray does a mock salute towards the redhead. 

Erza sees him messing with the tie, and wordlessly smacks his hand away from the knot he is desperately trying to loosen. Natsu opens his mouth to protest that he is clearly at a disadvantage for fighting should anything go wrong during their mission and he can’t exactly breathe, but quickly closes it at the sight of her glare behind her bangs. Even donned in one of the sparkliest red dresses Natsu thinks he’s ever seen, Erza is still too terrifying to disobey. The thought of her sharp heel on his throat keeps his hands glued to his side. 

The group continues walking towards the hall the main event is taking place. The five of them were hired by some rich company that Natsu forgot the name of to act as security for their annual charity gala; last year, some thieves managed to break in and steal the prizes set for the blind auction, so the higher administration of said rich company decided to request one of Fairy Tail’s strongest teams. 

“Natsu,” Lucy whispers as they enter the main hall, “hold on.” 

She pulls him aside, behind one of the ice sculptures Gray made for the gala. Natsu thinks they all look stupid, but Lucy had threatened to kick him should he tamper with them (she says it’s because it’d be mean to mess with them, claiming Gray had tried really hard, but he really knows she’s trying to protect the extra fifty thousand jewel they offered to pay for the sculptures), so Natsu resists the urge to melt it. 

“Here.” Lucy brings her hands up to the tie around his neck, her nails hooking around the intricacies of the knot much easier than his did. She tries her best to be fast at unhastening it, but Erza did an incredibly fancy knot, and Natsu sighs as he knows it’ll be at least a few more minutes until he can breathe comfortably again. 

While Lucy is fixing and re-fixing his tie, Natsu takes the opportunity he has to study the celestial mage. Her hair has been curled at the ends, smoothly gliding down her back, which has been revealed through the open-back dress she’s wearing. It’s a light pink color, a shade similar to that of his hair, which makes him pleased. Her wrists, still preoccupied on his neck, are cuffed by the loose sleeves that flow down from her biceps. 

She looks beautiful. Not any more beautiful than she usually is, and Natsu’ll always favor Lucy in her fighting dresses the most after all, but she looks so soft tonight, so demure, that he wants to pick her and her gauzy dress up and flee the gala to somewhere he can get out of his tie and into her arms. 

The thought of running off with her is so tempting that Natsu’s fingers twitch at his sides. He resists.  

“There,” Lucy murmurs. “All better?” She looks up at him, brown eyes shining from the chandelier lights, with a small smile on her glossed lips. Natsu briefly thinks of asking Erza to re-tighten the tie so he has another chance to be this close to Lucy. He resists that, too. 

Natsu stretches his arms above his head and breathes, thankful for the full breath he’s able to take. “It’s perfect, Lucy. I owe you one.” 

She snorts. “Just don’t destroy the castle, please. I do have rent coming up, you know.” Lucy turns, about to join the growing crowd on the ornate floor, before she turns back to him with a sharp glare. 

“And don’t you dare tell Erza.” 

Despite all the pomp and circumstance, Natsu smiles. 

-

Natsu feels incredibly restless; he’s never quite fit in at places such as these, where guests are glittered in gold and opulence is threaded into the very air - it feels heavy on his chest, watching the people around him adorned in diamonds drink out of gilded goblets with their pinkies up and look towards him with eyes cast down. Natsu’s never really cared what people thought of him, always content with knowing that he has his friends, the guild, and Happy; he really couldn’t ask for much more than that, but that doesn’t mean he feels comfortable in a place that places elegance above all else.

Natsu wishes Happy were here to agree about how stupid all of this fancy stuff is, but the cat is flying above the castle with Charle to keep an eye on things from outside. While he walks around the ballroom, Natsu keeps an ear out for Lucy; he would feel much more comfortable with her by his side, but he would even settle for the sound of her keys jingling to soothe his nerves. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Natsu spots her a little less than halfway across the ballroom. He turns on his heel and is about to force her into a competition of who-can-eat-the-most-desserts-the-fastest, before he’s stopped in his tracks by someone stumbling into him.  Natsu instinctively lurches forward to catch the culprit, a young woman who latches onto his arms to stay upright. She immediately blushes and stutters out apologies while Natsu pulls her to her feet. 

“Oh my, I’m so sorry! That was so clumsy of me,” the woman says in a rush.  “I can’t seem to walk properly in these heels, I fear. Thank you for your help.” She finishes, looking up at him with an embarrassed smile on her face.  

Now that Natsu can get a good look at her appearance, she registers to him as the heiress of the rich company who hired them. He can only vaguely remember that her name starts with an S. 

“It’s no problem, really.” Natsu flashes a grin at her, grateful to have someone else who can’t quite nail the elegance required of the night, if only for a moment. He releases the heiress now that it seems she’s regained her balance and turns, about to continue the path towards Lucy, but the heiress stops him with a hand on his shoulder. 

“Natsu-san, I apologize if this comes across as too forward,” the heiress begins, a light flugh on her cheeks, “but I must say, your reputation extends far and wide, even here at the edge of Fiore, and I can’t help but be intrigued. I have to ask, do you have a partner?” 

Natsu grins. “Yeah! We go on missions together. We’ve been partners ever since she joined the guild!” 

Speaking of Lucy, Natsu casts a glance towards where he last saw the blonde; he can no longer see her, but her scent has become stronger in the mix of smells in the room, so he hopes she’s making her way towards him. The heiress chuckles, dragging him from his search for Lucy. 

“I apologize, I fear I misspoke. I meant to ask if you have a girlfriend, or fianceé?” 

Natsu blinks at the heiress, momentarily stunned at her question. “Uh, I’m sorry?” 

“I was wondering if you wanted to dance, perhaps.” The heiress says, as if that clarifies any of this for him. Her blush has deepened, stark against her dark hair, but she maintains eye contact. 

Natsu is incredibly confused; this wasn’t in the mission request, was it? He suddenly regrets not listening to Erza’s debrief on the series of events. He opens his mouth, not sure what to say but wanting to say something to break the silence when he’s interrupted.

“Natsu! There you are!” 

Natsu turns to see Lucy has appear from the throng of people. She’s smiling as she steps toward him, sliding her hand around his arm as she fits herself into his side. 

“Lucy?” Natsu asks. He’s not sure what he’s asking, but she’s being a bit odd; despite the smile on her lips, irritation is flashing within her eyes and she’s also very, very close to him. His hearts beat a bit faster at the realization. 

Lucy ignores him, looking towards the heiress. “Oh, hello, Syvena! I hope you’re enjoying the night, your father has really outdone himself with this event!” she exclaims.

“Thank you, Lucy-san. It’s been quite an amazing night!” The heiress, who Natsu now knows as Syvena, replies. “I was just enjoying chatting with your teammate, Natsu.” 

Natsu wouldn’t really say they were chatting, but regardless, he’s grateful Lucy is here to take over the conversation. 

“Charming, isn’t he?” Lucy winks towards the heiress. “I hate to take him away, but Erza has requested me to grab him for another perimeter check; as much as we are all enjoying this lovely night, security is our top priority, after all.” 

. Syvena looks between the two of them, her eyes settling for a moment on their linked arms. “Of course; we thank you humbly for your services. I shall leave you two to it.” 

The heiress smiles at them, bowing slightly as she casts one last glance at Natsu. She looks a bit amused by the whole interaction, waving as she departs. 

Lucy, still attached to his arm, turns to lead him from the crowd and towards the edge of the ballroom floor. 

“Did Erza see anyone suspicious, or did Happy and Charle report anything odd?” Natsu asks. The castle was locked down for the event, guards stationed around the entryways, so another perimeter check seems a bit excessive. 

“Hm?” Lucy hums, distracted, as she walks them towards the empty halls, slipping past stranglers on the edge of the ballroom. “Oh, no. Erza didn’t say anything.” 

Natsu blinks. “What? Why are we doing another perimeter check then?” 

Lucy decidedly looks away from him. “I thought you needed help.” 

He stares at her. “Help with what?” 

“Syvena.” Lucy’s still not looking at him, eyes cast towards the ornate decor around the empty halls, but Natsu can see a slight rosy hue on her cheeks. 

“Why would I need help with the heiress?” he asks. 

“Because she was hitting on you.” 

“What? She didn’t hit me at all.” 

“Hitting on you.” 

Natsu huffs. “I think I would have remembered if she hit me, Lucy.” 

“Are you that dense? She was trying to make a move on you; she asked if you had a girlfriend, and if you wanted to dance!” Lucy looks to him, finally meeting his eye with a glare. Irritation laces her words. 

Oh. 

“I didn’t realize.” Natsu mumbles. “But still, why come help?” He’s grateful for it, of course. He was one second away from just running away from the heiress before Lucy interrupted. 

She snorts. “What, and have you unknowingly hurt the woman who’s father is paying us? Plus, I sort of felt bad for her.” 

Natsu gapes. “What do you mean, felt bad for her?!” 

“The terms Natsu and dancing, when combined, leave much to be desired.” 

Natsu narrows his eyes at her as they continue walking. Sure, he’s not the greatest dancer, but Erza did teach him the basics, and he can dance if necessary. Lucy is also way too irritated about a situation she claims to have “felt bad about.” Her hand is still laced around his bicep when Natsu jolts to a stop. 

“Wait a minute,” he asks outloud, “are you jealous?” 

Lucy freezes, jaw dropping. “What?” 

“Are you jealous she was hitting on me?” He quirks his head at her. It doesn’t make much sense, but it would explain her odd behavior. 

“E-excuse me?” Her cheeks erupt in a flush. She drops her hand from his arm, crossing her arms across her chest. “Why would I be jealous?” 

“I dunno.” Natsu shrugs. She’s kind of acting how he does when he’s jealous, but in a lot more subtle and Lucy-way. 

Lucy huffs, turning her nose up. “I was not jealous.” 

He grins. “You’re getting defensive, weirdo.” 

She puffs her red cheeks. “I am not. I just wanted to help spare the both of you your dancing, that’s all.” 

Natsu’s heart is jumpy and fluttery at the thought of her being jealous; it sends a little thrill through his veins, seeing her possessive in her own way towards the heiress. It’s nice to know that he’s not the only one that wants to keep his partner all to himself. 

Lucy turns to walk, or more likely stomp, towards the ballroom. He reaches out to stop her with a hand around her wrist. “Thanks for the big save, Luce; I tried telling her I had a partner, but she was persistent.” 

Lucy spins around, sputtering. “And she still asked to dance?!” 

Natsu knows that he is drastically exaggerating the details of his and Syvena’s conversation, but he really can’t resist upon seeing Lucy so worked up over it. He nods, trying to hold back his laughter as her face scrunches up annoyance. 

“And she said that my reputation is what ‘intrigued’ her about me.” Natsu solemnly says. 

Lucy’s jaw drops for the second time that night. “Reputation? What about your reputation?!” She disgruntedly breaks off into mutters about must have watched the Grand Magic Games and did she even watch my fight? 

Natsu really thinks that this couldn’t get any better. When Lucy’s angry, it’s usually directed towards him; it’s nothing short of entertaining to watch her lose her cool over someone else for once. 

He slings an arm around her shoulders, turning her back towards the empty hall. As much fun as this is, they do have a job to do. 

“C’mon, let’s do that perimeter check. I need a break from the snobs in there.” Natsu interrupts her muttering, twirling a blonde curl around his finger. 

“Fine.” Lucy grumbles, leaning into him. 

Natsu looks down at her; her cheeks are still flushed, her glossed lips still in a small pout, and he resists the urge to chuckle as his heart thumps a bit harder at the sight.  

It’s not often Lucy gets jealous, but he thinks he wouldn’t mind if it became a regular occurrence as they start walking the empty halls. She does look incredibly adorable while flustered, after all. 

[shiiro-arts]

Who missed me

[cherryrainxo]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

final chapter of my nalu fic is up :')

i really love how i started writing this with the aim of it being 4k words max. what a silly thought!

[lintelli]

quick nalu sketch 🎃

tg: lintelli

inst: lintelli_

tiktok: lintelli_

[bunniberry]

lets go on an adventure

[cherryrainxo]

i am receiving extraterrestrial messaging urging me to write a multi-chapter slowburn college au nalu fic

[cherryrainxo]

how i look re-watching fairy tail with my bf and pausing every 2 minutes to analyze the development of natsu and lucy’s relationship to him (he’s never seen the show before):