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.
