#dorkneel

[ratretro]

Incorrect Fairy Tail Quotes

Natsu: So I’m thinking for our wedding we should have a giant fire pit... maybe have it in the summer?

Lucy: Wedding? We're not even engaged yet.

Natsu:

Natsu: That's what I forgot to do last night.

[phoneboxfairy]

Not sure why I'm laughing so hard over this but....😂

[ratretro]

The Heart Beats Chapter 3: Hot Stuff

Title: The Heart Beats

Pairing: NaLu

Summary: Soulmate AU mashup - Red Strings. Forgotten Dreams. Colors of Gray. Marked Skin. Unfamiliar Names. Soulmates have different meanings for everyone, and Lucy struggles to find the courage to take her next step forward. Will she finally claim her future or will feelings go left unsaid?

Rating: M – sort of??? probably??????

None of these characters are owned by me, they are all owned by the wonderful Hiro Mashima!

A/N:

May I first say: welcome to THB chapter 3. So, I’m hoping to be more frequent but I also started college yesterday so we’ll see. MEANWHILE, THB is changing. We’re going to have a sort of interactive story. At the end of this chapter you’ll have two choices for the main pairings of the chapter and depending on the choice picked the story line changes. So, it’ll be based on a voting system (sorry in advance) I’ll give voting about a week and then the tally will happen and i’ll begin the chapter. (the options are already planned out I just need the winning option to write the chapter)  ALSO THIS STORY IS FRAZZLED AND SO AM I SO LETS DO THIS GUYS

FF.net -- AO3

UPDATE: AO3 ADDED AND TWO DAYS LEFT TO VOTE

   Lucy watched her friend contemplate her options. Would she chase her soulmate, or would she allow herself to fall in love naturally? Socially, she’d be expected to locate her soulmate and then after a discussion they’d begin to date. However, Lucy’s group was a bit different since the choice was at the discretion of their friend. Gray flip-flopped between finding his soulmate and just doing as he pleased. While Levy was blatantly trying to find hers. She wanted romance out of a novel and Lucy could respect that.

   She fiddled with the cuff of her coat as she considered her own situation. The blonde never knew what she wanted to do. He was just a pen away but Lucy was always too scared to ask. Too scared and too unsure of herself. The blonde didn’t want to meet him with half-hearted feelings.

   And currently, that was her entire life. Half-baked decisions while running through the typical motions of general life activity. In other words, seasonal depression. She stopped, opting to focus in on her dear friend’s dilemma with hopes that she could help in some way. In any way, really.

   “I’ll look. It would give me the opportunity to meet him.” and then we can go from there, the words were unspoken but Erza didn’t really need to say them in front of the trio. They got it. They understood quite well what it meant to find a soulmate. They also wouldn’t fault her for giving up later down the line, though that would be unheard of considering who Erza was as a person.

----------------------------------

   It had been nearly two weeks, TWO WEEKS, of searching and Lucy, was beginning to lose herself in the frustration of her own inability to help her friend. Pale fingers clenched the handle of the porcelain cup she was sipping her orange-lemon black tea from. The aroma was strong and not at all calming but there wasn’t really anything she could do at this point. A dragged out sigh left her lips.

   “Miss, is something bothering you?” the question came from a young man roughly her own age with dark blue hair and a red tattoo above and under his right eye. It was strange to see a man with these features employed in a cafe but none of the patrons seemed to mind.

   “No, it’s nothing.” this was a personal issue. There was no need to bother a stranger. However, she did have someone she could trust. Her bag popped open with ease revealing several writing utensils. It looked like the kind of pack a serious writer would carry. There was even a light pink laptop for all her useless doogling needs.

   He gave a curt nod and returned to his station with a quick word to the bashful pinkette behind the counter. She tugged her sleeve up and began to write.

   ‘Who knew searching for a soulmate could be so challenging.’ She scribbled onto her skin in blue ink.

   Her soulmate was already aware of the situation and was plenty supportive of her efforts. Her eyes flitted as pink hair disappeared behind a door to what was surely his first, or maybe last, break. He’d already been there when she showed up so she couldn’t be sure.

   ‘I’m sure your friend is happy your helping’ His lack of care for the differences of you’re and your had always bothered her but she let it go for now.

   ‘But’ she paused, trying to decide her next statement.

   “It feels like I’m not doing enough,” she whispered under her breath.

   “For?” she jumped from the male voice behind her.

   “Shit! Sorry ‘bout that.” Natsu sat across from her, wild hair tousled in every direction, as though he’d maybe raked his fingers through it.

   “No, it’s fine.” she didn’t say much else on it but did pull her sleeve back down while hoping he didn’t catch the flash of blue lettering.

   “What was on your arm?” he asked, not admitting to the hope that sparked in his mind.

   “Novel notes.” she lied, hopefully, expertly.

   “OH! You’re writing a novel?” so was his soulmate. He wanted to grab her arm and look at the blue on her skin. But that would be crazy. He wanted to get closer to her not scare her away.

   “Yes,” her answer was short even as she awkwardly looked away from him. Maybe she just didn’t want him to see her work and he supposed that was okay too.

   “Wanting it to be a surprise, huh?” a soft smile graced his features. Lucy, glad for him understanding her false situation, let out a sigh of relief.

   “Exactly! It wouldn’t be fun if you know parts of the story already!” she waved a finger at him with a small giggle and Natsu Dragneel swore he almost melted.

   “Could I… get your number?” That was a surprise. He waited in shocked silence as the gears in his mind turned and he prepared for her rejection.

   “Sure.” she agreed, easily and without hesitation, much to her own surprise. The two sat in silence for what felt like an eternity before Lucy fumbled for her device and held it out to him.

   “Here! Type it in and call so you have my number too.” she waited until the buzz of his phone came on and she watched him fish a phone from his own. Mavis, she wished girls could have pockets too.

   “Oh! You have an iPeach too!” that meant they could even video chat if they wanted. Two weeks of flirting and this is where the pair ended up. She felt as though she was cheating on her best friend – her soulmate. This wasn’t normally acceptable. Still, she felt electricity flow through the two as their fingers brushed when her phone was returned to her.

   “I know. You’ve got the newest one too. So do I.” the pinkette waved his phone slightly before shoving it back to his pocket while standing. Natsu Dragneel would never admit he bought this phone specifically because she had one. He was due for an upgrade but it would be a lie if she hadn’t affected his choice at all.

   “I’ll talk to ya soon then!” he nearly skipped through the door to go back behind the counter for his job. Just as he sauntered back to the blenders in his dirty apron there was a ding on her phone:

From: Hot Stuff

3:36pm

Hey :D

A/N:

Hello! Here are the options:

NaLu: Ice Cream Date or Midnight Video Call?

Jerza: Run Into Each Other At THE Park or Meet At The Coffee Shop?

Sorry this chapter is so short. I’ve been working on this system for a bit to figure out a good way to make THB 1, get updated faster and 2, more unique and I think this is a great way to do that. Plus, i’ve been wanting to try something like this for a while. Also, next chapter goes more into what Natsu is involved in and a little Gruvia so keep a lookout. and we meet wendy depending on the choice you make ;) choose wisely

So, shoot your choice my way via: AO3, FF.net, Asks, or DMs

[ratretro]

Man, I can't wait for Lucy to accidentally overhear Natsu explain why he can't be in a relationship with the new girl. And then when asked if Lucy is his girlfriend, he'll obliviously say yes and then mention he's got to go. Lucy on the other hand, well she's not going to look Natsu in the eye for a while. Lol

Y E S

I think my favorite is Lucy would probably be super confused

“What are you talking about were not dating. We never even talked about that?????”

And its Natsu’s turn to be confused

“I said it didn’t I? That we’re going to be together forever.”

and Lucy just blushes the deepest red and then avoids him for two days.

When she finally stops avoiding and accepts his reasoning she still can’t look him in the face without getting nervous lmao

my babies are wholesome

[ratretro]

All Work; No Play - NaLu Fanfiction

Title: All Work; No Play

Pairing: NaLu

Commission: Spy AU

Rating: M;

Word Count: 6,595

None of these characters are owned by me, they are all owned by the wonderful Hiro Mashima!

A/N:

I’m extra garbage but I try here’s another commission!! Idk guys but me following my own deadlines is like my dog actually listening to me. Its never gonna happen. This is for the wonderful @random-rave and I appreciate the help he’s given me with my writing AND for commissioning me! There’s some softcore smut in here that i forgot to mark. it’s near the end though but just a heads up lmao

            The champagne was bitter on her tongue, and she even felt a slight burn as it slid down her throat. Truly, this had to be the worst champagne she'd ever had. This was supposed to be some elegant ball, but everything about this party was lacking. The decorations of silver lights strewn through the ballroom and across the ceiling.

            All in all it felt like her high school prom but with cheap alcohol. Well, come to think of it, it was actually just a copy of her prom. Honestly, this shouldn’t matter to her, and her focus should be elsewhere. It should be on him.

            Lucy watched blue hair move smoothly through the crowd, and her gaze could easily burn holes through his skull. Unfortunately, this mission was already going to be a difficult win if a certain white-haired woman had anything to say about it. She'd already seen two of Fairy Tail’s infamous best members in the room and the night was still young. Cana was situated behind the bar clearly absorbed in the glass she was drying. That wasn't an ideal sign. It was likely that the target had already been drugged. She clicked her tongue in annoyance.

            Mirajane passed by her once more to offer a glass of champagne as hers nearly came to a finish and for the fourth time that night, Lucy rejected her offer. She was going to start looking suspicious if she didn't find another glass soon, even though she didn’t want to.

            A hand rested on her shoulder, and though she could have dodged it, she opted not to. Appearances were everything at a party like this, and if she shied away from every person who approached her then it wouldn't look good. Besides, this was one hand she wouldn't mind on her body.

            She shivered under the touch of warmth as it seeped through the skin of her shoulder.

            "They let men like you in here? Oh, how the standards have fallen." She mused though this man was one of the best field agents in Fairy Tail. He often chose brute force over smarts, but that didn't mean he couldn't pull off a role.

            "Men like me?" He moved in close to her, heat radiating off his body. A tingle ran down her spine, but she ignored it. Once more, she was the picture of innocence. Though, he knew better than that. Through their many run-ins, he had learned quite quickly of the threat that was Lucy Heartfilia.

            She could play any part necessary for the mission. Though, that wasn't a surprise. She'd spent her entire life acting as the perfect daughter and heir to the Heartfilia Konzern. This was before its utter demise; at her hands no less. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

            "Well?" he was pressed against her back now, though it wasn't enough to turn any heads. To the naked eye, he was just some man trying to hit on her. But to her? He was trying to shake her up. Make her lose her composure. She wouldn't fold.

            "You're such a flirt." She teased, pushing her hips into his. Natsu held fast to his position, though he was definitely starting to feel the pressure.

            "I'm the flirt? Pot meet kettle." His hand brushed her shoulder; gentle like a feather. He loved when she got like this. Her attitude was the entire reason he liked her, and while he didn't focus on looks – much – it wasn't like she left anything to be desired. Especially tonight. He'd been avoiding looking at her in hopes that he’d be able to keep his cool. The blonde averted her gaze, and he knew that she felt the same.

            "Oh, and he's a tease." Gloved fingers caressed his cheek, running over the scar that was left behind after a brutal showdown that both of their agencies had been involved in. She'd been scared then. Scared he'd die. Lucy pushed the thoughts from her mind as quickly as they came. Still, with her back against his chest like this it was easier to survey her surroundings. Plus, with Natsu behind her, it would take a daring man to approach her for a dance. Two birds; one stone.

            The distinct sound of a soft piano began to play in the background. It was merely a testing type of playing. Her eyes flitted across the ballroom in search of the man she’d previously had her eyes on. Fuck. He had already disappeared through the crowd and was nowhere in sight. Had Mirajane already gotten to him?

            Natsu stared at her as the piano flowed softly in the background, and then there was an abrupt switch to the tune. The pinkette couldn't place the song, not right away. He was stimulated, and there was no way he could try to focus on what damn song was playing. Though, he should have been. He almost missed the familiar tune. He released a soft sigh that brushed the back of her ear gently. A shudder rippled through her body at just the mere feeling of his breath brushing her skin.

            Lucy, however, was still of mostly sound mind – though maybe not sound body – and she caught the piece immediately. Db Minor, B, and then E flowed together for the start of a song she'd learned to play by heart. Consider it her ‘emo phase' if she'd ever had one. Her first sign of rebellion. She almost laughed bitterly at the thought. Still, ‘Moonlight Sonata' of all pieces? It was a song that should be played at a funeral, not a charity ball.

            "Care for a dance?" he was close. Too close. Yet, somehow, she wanted him closer.

            "It would be easier to keep an eye on you." Her voice a soft hush as she turned around to run her hands up his chest.

            "So, you're watching me?" His signature smirk planted right on his stupid face. Lucy wanted to punch him.

            "I can't enjoy the view?" she teased, as her hand slipped into his with ease, and a light caress was felt on her hip.

            "Can I?" there was that smirk playing on his lips. He pressed her closer to his body, their faces barely an inch apart. She was smirking now. Natsu Dragneel felt like he'd just played with fire and was about to get burned. But boy, he hoped he would.

            His fingertips made small circles on her bare back as they danced in a smooth motion to the sound of ‘Moonlight Sonata' which was truly a song meant for funerals, in Natsu's opinion. Still, his body never forgot the steps she'd taught him, and it was easy to synchronize, even all these years later.

            He'd met Lucy in High School in the music room, playing this very song. They'd split off for a year when high school had ended, and the next time he saw her was when he walked in to see Lucy mid-kill. He'd had a mixture of feelings then, just as he did now. Though, while Natsu was considered a spy, he was curious on what she was considered. Did spies normally kill? Fairy Tail didn’t.

            Still, their reconnection seemed to be fate because after that they ran into each other – literally – more often than not. Sometimes it felt like a setup.

            "You remember?" her voice was a whisper just above the music so as not to disturb the others around them.

            "As if I could forget." Their lips were barely touching now, and he was certain that he'd blow both of their covers if this song didn't end soon. He needed it to end soon.

            His hand skimmed lower, running past her hip and enjoying the feeling of her thighs. Her dress was the best he’d seen of her wardrobe thus far. It was tight against her skin, and her cleavage was cupped perfectly making him think it must have been tailored. This had been a dress made specifically for seduction. And, damn he was jealous of the man she would use this on. Although, he had to give her props, at least it wasn't a little black dress.

            It had a lace design on the torso, and the fabric flowed down to her ankles. Then again, it wasn't surprising considering he was dealing with the previous Heartfilia heiress. Still, she'd made one fatal flaw: the slits in the dress that ran all the way up her thighs. He licked his lips and gave the bare skin a soft squeeze, digging his fingertips into her flesh.

            She felt lucky that the lights had been dimmed while the song was playing; as though setting the mood. They were coming up on the spin which would, theoretically, make it impossible for him to continue exploring her body. But, she'd forgotten who she was with. Instead of spinning her away from him in a twirl, he just did a light turn without breaking their bodies apart. Surprisingly enough, the two managed to continue, because other than the change in the spin the rest of the dance remained the same.

            Lucy's stomach churned as they came up on the last stretch of the piece (even though it was just the first movement) and she came to terms with the fact that she and Natsu would part for the evening. They slowed to a stop as the music ended.

            "Unfortunately, I'd like to stick around, but I have a date." Her breath caressed his ear causing him to grunt softly while she moved from his body with a soft brush of her hips. Natsu watched as her entire being left him unbelievably frustrated. In more ways than one. A date? He clicked his tongue.

            As for Lucy? She was absolutely running away. Her cheeks were flushed a dark red, as she was swept by a wave of nostalgia.

              "If you two are done we have a mission to get back to." Gray's voice was gravelly through the earpiece, and he even added a retching noise at the end.

            "Shut up, Gray." He hissed. The pinkette had already gotten the bastard anyway. As it turns out, Gajeel could be pretty useful sometimes. The ring he wore held a hidden needle with a specific drug coating its tip. This made everything a million times easier, which also meant Natsu was in no rush to chase after the host of this party, besides he had the best view in the house from his corner.

            "I'm telling you to just grab him and go already." Natsu registered the words Gray was saying, but he had no intention of stopping the scene in front of him.

            "I think I'll wait a bit." Jade eyes focused in on the woman who now held his full attention, watching the swish of her hips. Of course, she was all he could see, and he had no fucks to give about their mission with her in the room. He licked his lips ever so slightly to wet the dry skin.

            "You fuck. I know you're not lusting after Lucy again." Oh, but he was. Gray knew that very well, and boy he was not feeling it. Not with this mission hanging over his head. The one who would face the heat for the failure would be Gray; not the pinkette. Somehow, the raven-haired handler knew that this mission would go down in flames with Natsu as their lead.

            "You know I am." At least he was honest.

            "Gramps should have put me in the field. But no, I'm stuck in the van hearing you two being disgusting." He made a fair point. It was almost like gramps knew she would be here, but that was impossible. He'd never risk a job like that.

            "As if Juvia would let you go to a ball with other women." He muttered into the earpiece serving as a communication device.

            "Did you at least get to the target already?" Gray opted to ignore the comment. It was untrue but he didn't have time to argue that his girlfriend wasn't a jealous monster.

            "Needle in the ring. I almost stabbed myself with it, but I bet Gajeel did that on purpose."

                          "Lucy, you should try that strawberry cake!" the redhead's voice came in loud and clear as she attempted to coerce the blonde towards the deserts table.

            "Weren't we here for work?" Lucy was harsh, as usual, in the face of Erza's sweets addiction. She refused to get distracted on this mission. Everything was riding on the information this man could provide.

            "Were we? Don't think I didn't catch you and Natsu just now." Her cheeks flushed ever so slightly from the blatant callout. Lucy had a habit of losing her impulse control when he was nearby. She opted for silence.

            "Oh? Just going to ignore me?" Absolutely. Her eyes scanned the crowd until she caught sight of the mess of dark blue hair just a few feet away.

            She was able to confirm his identity from the tattoo above his right eyebrow. This was definitely Bora, and upon giving him the once over she was cringing. He didn't look like the type to be at this party either, so she'd have to apologize to Natsu later.

            "Target spotted." She muttered into the earpiece designed to appear as an earring, effectively shushing Erza. She heard the clacking of a keyboard in the background and instinctively knew that Levy must be working her magic to check on her location from the cams. They'd provide her back up. A flash of soft pink caught her eye, and she received a wink and peace sign from Meredy. Yup, bases covered. It was time to move in.

            "Hopefully, Fairy Tail hasn't hit him yet. Mirajane is dangerous with a cocktail in hand." Speaking of cocktails, Lucy wanted to try one as it passed by on a tray. She shelved the drink into her mind for a later time.

            "Hopefully." She mumbled, putting on what she considered to be her game face. A small smile could get a girl anywhere. Which part should she play: the drunk or the average heiress? How about Both?

            She stumbled forward with a small giggle, catching Bora's arm in the process. He was currently the head of a human trafficking ring, and needless to say, Crime Sorciere was not just going to sit by and watch.

            "Are you okay?" Bora's smile reached from ear to ear. Clearly, he saw her as prey, which was fine by Lucy. That made it easier.

            "I maaaay…" she gave another stumble and a sigh, "have had a bit too much to drink." She was starting to pepper in slurring now, waiting for a moment to draw him in.

            "Perhaps, you should have a seat?" she thought he'd never ask.

            "Maaaybe." She grabbed onto his arm, using it to hold herself upright. She couldn't walk perfectly as a drunk, so a few stumbles would need to be flowed into her normal gait.

            "Let me get you a glass of water." He made sure she was sitting in the chair before he walked off. She continued her act even with him gone, kicking her feet softly, and humming offkey while awaiting his return.

            Natsu continued to hold in his bouts of laughter from her performance. Lucy Heartfilia was a lot of things, but he'd always been in awe of her ability to switch seamlessly between characters. She called this one: the ditz. And upon watching her it was clear on why.

            Her feet stopped kicking, and she giggled as she swayed from side to side. She knew she was being watched on all fronts. Her target, the party guests, and even Natsu so she couldn't falter now; no matter how embarrassing it was. And truly it was embarrassing.

            Natsu, however, loved watching her work. It was like a perfectly set play, and almost always it ended in a masterpiece. It was unfortunate that he'd already struck, otherwise, she would have definitely won the prize before long.

            Though, he suspected they had the same goal: information on the human trafficking ring that Bora had spent years building. The cops had no evidence on him but needed him off the streets. That was how Fairy Tail had gotten involved in the first place. Which was certainly the same for Crime Sorciere. The two companies always had similar agendas. The two should have just merged by now, but Jellal and gramps often didn’t see eye-to-eye.

            The blunette returned, a glass of water in hand, before rubbing the blonde’s back as she drank. Natsu bristled, this was the part he didn't like. Watching her with another man was, for all intents and purposes, annoying. They weren't dating so he didn't have a hold on her, and a large part of her work was seduction.

            He knew that the two wouldn't stop doing what they do for a living just because they wanted to be together. Though, they did sometimes entertain the idea of being together, but it always stopped there. A meaningless thought. Recently the talks they had were becoming increasingly serious. This morning for instance, when he'd run into her while she was scouting the location.

                         Blonde. Her hair flowed free of its normal bun and ran aimlessly down her back. He hadn't realized how long her hair had gotten since they'd met two months ago. He wanted to touch it. And so he attempted to without thinking too much about it. He'd always been a little impulsive. Like now, for example.

            Her body moved, quick like a serpent, as she stood to face him. He had expected a harsh glare, or a solid kick to the chin, but instead received a soft smile. Ah, they were in public after all.

            "Natsu." His name on her lips was always refreshing.

            "Lucy." She loved it when he said her name. Maybe it was like getting back that little piece of innocence from high school. Before she became a raging bitch, destroyed her family's fortune, and ended up working for Crime Sorciere as a… spy? They never had informed her of her job title. Spy sounded just fine to her.

            "What brings you here?" she asked, knowing full well he'd either lie or avoid the question altogether.

            "Maybe I'm here for you." He teased, going for the latter of her expectations.

            "Oh?" his hand brushed down her arm, nearly distracting her from her task.

            "Sorry, Salamander. I'm not here for fun." She maneuvered past him, slinking towards an air duct near the ballroom. While he was unsure what it would be used for he could only imagine with Gajeel's girlfriend manning the reins for their tech utopia.

            However, it was rare she called him by his codename, but he never hated it when she did. Her title in the underworld was much scarier than his after all. Mistress of the Zodiac. It was a mouthful, and honestly what idiot was making up the titles for the black market anyway? He got a lizard, and she was the mistress. Rude on all accounts.

            "Oh? What does the mistress have planned today?" this time he received the glare. She really hated that name. Though, he quite liked it. It’s not like she could control what nickname she got anyways.

            When her mother passed away she'd left her the servitude of 12 high-level mercenaries known simply as the Zodiac. Upon climbing into the ranks of Crime Sorciere the 12 joined her for her missions. Fairy Tail had even lost one of their own to her. To be fair, they'd had no idea Loke was actually Leo, but he bid them adieu rather easily; the bastard.

            This had been way before Natsu had reunited with her. He'd always wondered what happened to her but was absolutely surprised to find out that they were in the same field of work.

            "Nothing." Short responses. Natsu had really done it now.

            He annoyed her sometimes. He was overly friendly, which wasn't entirely surprising given their history, but it also impeded her work.

            "Leave me be, Salamander." Her tone was harsher than she'd meant it to be, but hopefully, it'd be enough to drive him off, so she could slip a camera into the vent that led straight into the ballroom on the first floor.

            "Maybe." it was whispered into her ear now, causing a blush to crawl up her neck and dust her ears in pink.

            She whirled around to face him and get a better angle for moving him away. Instead, they were nose to nose. Now, he was red. Yeah sure, he'd started this game, but this was a hell of a way to end it.

            Lucy's eyes fluttered shut, and he did his damndest to hold himself together. It didn't work. His overworked hands brushed against her cheek before fingers laced in the hair at the nape of her neck. A slight tilt and his lips pressed to hers; soft and gentle. Even though he hadn't seen her in two months he was still just as pure with his kisses. For now. She knew better.

            They'd had their fair share of coalescing in dark rooms in the middle of a mission, and he could still get wild. He had been her first in high school. Junior year. Music room on the second floor. The pair had continued, and even started dating before they graduated. Unfortunately, she dropped all communication with everyone, even him, when she'd made the decision to destroy her family.

            She wasn't sure how it would end for her, and she didn't want to drag her friends down with her. Still, it had been her choice to have no contact with them for an entire year after the conclusion. She would have continued that trend had it not been for her run-in with Natsu. That had been an experience.

            "Are ya sure you're here for business?" his breath was hot against her skin, and against better judgment, she grabbed his shirt and pulled him to her. He wasn't surprised, just awkward. It was unusual for Lucy to make the moves at first, though she could get her fair share of kinky after getting further into it.

            "No." she answered, pressing her lips against his in a display of affection. It was nothing new for the two, and they spent a lot of moments lip-locked instead of doing their jobs. He grunted against her lips as they finally stopped for air.

            "Ya know, last time we were like this ya left me tied to a bed. Wanna continue where we left off?"

            "You might get lucky. Who knows, maybe this could be a permanent arrangement." His heart skipped a beat, immediately wondering if he could learn to love how she did her work. He didn't think he could, but it wasn't like he'd never used his looks to get his way with a client. Natsu never had to do anything unsightly with them, but it was a helpful tool.

            "Permanent?" he pressed, but she had already shut down and was moving away from him.

            "It could be." He continued, watching a slight change in her expression. One of hope, but also concern. Honestly, they should really talk outside of missions to hash this out. Personally, he'd like to see her more often than every two months.

            "It could. We should… talk about it." She pat her hand against his chest once before moving on to her next task, whatever that may be. He didn't follow her; he was too busy trying to control the heat creeping through his skin. He was blushing, and his heart was thumping wildly beneath his rib cage. That girl would be the death of him.

            It was easy to continue his surveillance, and he never did run into Lucy again after. He did, however, run into Yukino and Sting. Well, ran into was figurative. He'd seen them while mapping out the third floor in his head.

            He doubted the pair were on their honeymoon which caused him to click his tongue. If Sabertooth was involved this was about to get really annoying. All three major players in one building? Now, THAT was a disaster waiting to happen.

               The scum had drugged her water. Lucy came to this revelation quite quickly. It had been the smell first, and then the following haze. She pinched the bridge of her nose in an attempt to get her eyes to focus. It wasn't exactly working, but anything was better than nothing. It had been a while since a drug influenced her body, but she'd also stopped her training against toxins when she turned 18.

            It had mostly been her father that had overseen the ‘project' of sorts. Not that it had become a useless skill, but nights of fevers and body pains had scarred her memory. Perhaps, it was time to jump back in and get situated with the new chemicals that had surfaced in the last few years.

            Her blurred eyesight finally began focusing again, and it was then that she realized she'd been moved from her original seat in the ballroom to what looked like a corridor. First, and foremost, she had no idea where the fuck she was. Second, her motor skills were still shot, and it would be another few minutes before she could move properly again.

            Props to her though for not immediately knocking out. She could faintly hear voices talking from a distance. Both were familiar.

            "Sorry, she troubled ya so much. Took my eyes off her for a second, and she just wandered off." It was Natsu's voice, loud and clear. He'd come to her rescue, she realized. He must've seen Bora's attempt at kidnapping her and decided to intervene rather than let the man take her.

            "I didn't realize she was here with someone. I was intending to take her to the sickbay where I have a doctor waiting on staff." A flawless answer from the perfect scumbag.

            "She can seem that way, but she's here with me. We'll be seeing ya around." Footsteps approached her carefully, and for a moment she wasn't sure who was going to be moving her next.

            "Hello, sleeping beauty." The pinkette murmured into her ear as he hefted her up from her place on the floor. She vaguely remembered being left there while the two began to talk.

            "Thanks." It was slurred, and her body still wouldn't respond to her but being able to formulate words was a start.

            "Progress." He stated. She'd been in rough shape when he finally caught up to her, and scumbag millionaire. He hadn't realized that Bora had even gotten to her until he watched the man slip out of the room with her on his arm, stumbling as though she was actually drunk. She hadn't even been moving when he got there, and he was damn near ready to kill the man had he not seen the rise and fall of her chest.

            It had been a… process to get the target to hand over his blonde friend. Lover?? Friend. He struggled to hold her and use the key to open his hotel room. Luckily, he was on the first floor. Unluckily, Lucy's coworkers had either seen or heard the commotion and would be raiding the building if Lucy didn’t call them off first.

            "Let's get ya some water." Her mind finally cleared, and her body allowed minimal movement. At least she was finally coherent.

            "That was miscalculated." She muttered, and a bark of laughter came from the bathroom.

            "I'll say." Was the response she received. Short, sweet. He was pissed.

            "Sorry."

            "Do ya even know what you're apologizin' for?" his tone had taken a darker turn.

            "I worried you. And put myself in danger." He had to give her credit. She knew her failures, and she was willing to own up to them.

            "Damn right ya did. Idiot." Stern. It was rare that he was the one doing the scolding.

            "I overestimated myself." She admitted, adding toxin tolerance training to her list of things to do.

            "Who just takes a drug without even thinking about it." He was ranting now.

            "My body is trained against most poisons, toxins, basically anything that would threaten the heiress of a major company with dealings in the black market." Her words stopped him in his tracks. It was her wording that bothered him here. ‘Trained'. He'd heard stories in Fairy Tail where the children of tycoons were put through rigorous conditioning to force the body to become accustomed to foreign substances.

            His mind ran through several different moments during high school where his best friend had either spent the entire day in a cold sweat with labored breathing or she would just completely collapse. That was during freshman year alone. The ‘illnesses' continued well throughout the years up to the end of senior year, right before she disappeared off the face of the Earth.

            How long had she spent being tortured by her own father?

             "Lucy! Lucy!?" Erza's voice rang loud and clear in her comm.

            "Yes, Erza?" Natsu stopped all movement, though they likely knew he was there. Erza was scary, and he was not about to deal with that right now.

            "Are you okay?" She was relieved, Lucy realized. Well, of course, Erza would put her safety at top priority.

            "I'm fine. We can continue the mission as planned."

            "Are you sure? I can have Meredy take over from here. I doubt the master would mind." A true hero. Lucy thought about taking her up on that offer but opted against it. She'd made a blunder but it wasn't irreparable. Probably.

            "I've got it handled, it'll be fine, I promise." Her reassurance did nothing to ease the redhead's concern, but Erza gave her the leeway anyway. Though, she shouldn't have. For different reasons.

              "You're back up and running?" Jade peered into amber as he took stock of her entire being. Pupils were no longer dilated, breathing had normalized, vocal patterns were steady. She should probably wait just a bit more before doing strenuous activity, but she'd definitely gotten through the rough patch. Any other girl would be a sack of potatoes, and yet here she was, mostly fine.

            "Mostly," she grunted, and with a loud groaning noise, she moved to a standing position.

            "Hey, Natsu?" a pink eyebrow quirked, but his lips remained shut. He crossed his arms over his chest and waited for her to speak. He was being uncharacteristically patient.

            "Thanks, again." He hated it. She was thanking him for saving her from her own idiocy. He'd prefer she just be careful.

            "Just don't be stupid next time." That was fair but getting into dangerous situations was a hazard of the job. Though, she supposed it wouldn't hurt to minimize the damage.

            "I won't." he seemed to relax at her confirmation, and it occurred to her that he'd probably been as worried as Erza. If not more so.

            "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." Her voice was a hushed whisper but that wasn't his true concern. He knew she meant it, and to harp on it wasn't exactly in his character. She'd already said she wouldn't, so against his better judgement he'd trust her on that.

            "Should we get back to fighting over a man?" he asked her. He was relatively certain they had the same target and there was no way she hadn't caught on to his mission already.

            "I always did love a good catfight." She made a small purring noise while pawing at his back. Week's worth of flashbacks entered his mind from many a drunk night he'd spent trying to keep his distance from the blonde; lest she ask him to ‘make her purr'.

            "Sorry, Luce. I don't have time to make you purr right now." His favorite activity was teasing the blonde and getting her riled up. It made their competitions all the more fun.

            "Oh? And here I was hoping to tie you to another bed." A shiver ran up his spine as her implications registered in his mind.

            "Well, I can always make time for you." His voice had dropped an octave and Lucy flicked her tongue across her bottom lip. The thing about them was that they could switch on a dime from one topic to another. Before, they'd been having a serious discussion about her poor actions, and now? Well, she had a feeling this would be going in a completely different direction.

            Pale fingers gripped his button-up dress shirt. It was slightly firm under her touch, meaning it had an iron run across it to smooth out the wrinkles. She tugged, gently, and the pinkette complied as his body flowed with the movement and pressed against her.

            She'd be the death of him, he decided. Calloused fingers brushed her thighs for the second time that night, though this time he had both hands free to do as he pleased. She whimpered softly at the thought and even though it was barely audible he still caught it. Fingers dug into her milky flesh, and a growl filled the air.

            "Oi, Natsu! You'd better not be doing what I think you're doing! Not again!" it was true that he'd done this more than a few times with Gray on the comm, and he hoped the dark-haired male would just excuse himself from the line like he always did.

            "Lucy, can't this wait until after the mission?" this happened every time the two ran into each other. Erza grimaced as she figured that their operation was officially over. There wasn't a way to recover. In fact, the minute Bora drugged Lucy, and Natsu stepped in was the moment where the entire plan had fallen apart. Both, Fairy Tail and Crime Sorciere had their covers blown.

            Well, Meredy and Mira could jump in to take over. Mira had rapport with Bora which gave them an in, but she’d already been seen speaking with Natsu on more than one occasion. Besides, these two had been the field agents for a reason, and replacing them on such short notice would really be a hassle.

 The redhead was pulled from her thoughts by the lewd sound of wet moaning, and a male's grunt. Her cheeks flared red, and a small squeak escaped her. Levy, however, was smirking at the amount of blackmail she was gathering.

            "N-Natsu!" she stuttered, and his hips bucked into hers while a large clattering noise signified her banging into the table the room had provided, “The mission!”

            "You alright?" he nipped at her neck, causing her breath to hitch in her throat. When she finally gave a confirmation, he continued, “Mira can handle it.”

            "But--" Her voice was cut off by a whimper as he worked the flesh between his teeth and began sucking gently on her pale skin. Leaving marks on her was a personal pleasure, and making them hard to cover was his specialty. He liked when she had them on display and he could watch the irritation of men around her.

            "Natsu! I swear to god don't you dare!" Gray slammed a fist against the panel of the communications station in rage as the noises persisted. The bastard was going to ignore him and fuck her right there! Even if he continued to listen to it. He pressed his hands together; whispering a silent prayer to the lords above. Maybe, he'd stop. Maybe the pinkette would just stop.

            "Natsu! Not there." Her breath hitched in her throat, followed by a low pitched ‘Ah!'. Gray cursed the day he had been assigned as Natsu's handler.

            What signified Natsu to Gray's disconnect was the ever so soft click! in his ear. Now, the real fun could begin.

            Lucy didn't know when it had happened, but Natsu's shirt and jacket were hanging loosely from his elbows and her freshly manicured nails were digging into his back. She was no longer pressed to the table but was now on top of it.

            His tongue trailed wet heat up her chest, but he was blockaded from her nipples by the torso of her dress. While her lower half was easily accessed, the bodice of her dress was firm and acted more as a corset. Needless to say, Natsu was becoming aggravated with every passing second.

            "How?" he growled, nipping into the soft flesh at the top of her breast.

            "What?" she was breathless as her leg wrapped around his hips to pull him closer.

            "How does this stupid thing come off?" she felt a soft caress in her inner thigh that drew a moan from her throat.

            "Zipper. The back." Short, to the point. Good, Natsu thought as his finger pushed her panties aside and he touched wet heat. Her hips bucked into his hand as though begging for him to slip anything inside of her. He didn't. He was a tease like that.

            He moved from the flesh between her legs to the zipper on her back as he ignored the aggravated whine she was giving him. The irritated one should be him, having to deal with this bullshit dress she'd chosen.

            It was then, at that moment, that the single most annoying thing he'd ever experienced finally happened. The building shook as a loud explosion went off in the distance. It sounded like it came from the kitchen. Yukino and Sting flashed through his mind, reminding him that it wasn't just Lucy he had been competing with. Flashy was the Sabertooth style after all.

            Instinctively, Natsu's grip around Lucy tightened, and she was pressed into his chest. The explosion would never come this far, but Natsu wouldn't chance a single injury to Lucy if he could prevent it.

            "You okay?" his tone reverting from gruff to serious in a matter of moments.

            "I'm fine." Lucy wore irritated like a fine gown; perfectly. She slipped from the table to the ground, thank the gods that her appearance hadn't changed much. Sure, the hickeys on her neck were swollen and fresh, but she'd appeared drunk to half the ballroom. It wouldn't be out of the ordinary if she showed up with the pinkette a little disheveled.

            The pair rushed from the room with Natsu still buttoning up his shirt. There was no time to lose, not now that someone had taken Bora. They didn't even need to confirm it, they were 100% certain the man was already long gone by the time they reached the large hole in the wall that led into the kitchen. Lucy cursed, kicking a large rock with her heel.

            Gray was going to be pissed. So would Erza.

            "Well, at least I'm not tied to a bed this time."

 Lucy's laugh echoed through the kitchen; softening the atmosphere.

            "You could be." She teased once more before slipping a piece of paper into his hands. She'd been wanting to give that to him all night, but of course, it had been particularly difficult to find the time to do so.

            He waited for her to slip off with Meredy before reading the note she'd provided him. It was simple. There wasn't even a single word on it. The only thing he had now was a string of 10 digits.

            A smirked quirked on the corners of his mouth. He wasn't the type to not call a girl after sex, after all. He tucked the note into his pocket and with a hum, he began a walk to his own personal beat down.

[ratretro]

Under The Light Of The Full Moon - NaLu FanFiction

Title: Under The Light Of The Full Moon

Pairing: NaLu

Prompt: NaLu Week Day 6 - Sensation

Rating: T;

None of these characters are owned by me, they are all owned by the wonderful Hiro Mashima!

A/N:

Honestly im just using this as an excuse to write werewolf lucy because goddamnit ive wanted to for an eternity also I forgot I wrote this so here y’all go im hella late to the party lmao

FF.net

The air was thick with the scent of dragon, and against Lucy's better judgement, she decided to follow it to the end of its trail. Tonight, she was at the peak of her strength, and every sense was on fire as she followed her curiosity. Dragons were secretive creatures, and very rarely caught doing who-knows-what in the forest. Personally, she'd never met one. She only knew the scent from descriptions her favorite pack member gave her. For all she knew it may not even be a dragon she was hunting.

Well, if it wasn't a dragon she could worry about that later. Instead, she followed the enticing scent of smoky firewood, and an underlying sweet smell she couldn't quite place. If she could, Lucy would be humming right now as she vibrated with excitement. This was the perfect time after all. With the full moon hung high in the sky; vibrant and clear with no signs of clouds. As a werewolf, she was in peak performance which meant if needed she could make her escape without fear. She was intelligent and quick, only second to her packmate, Jet.

A clearing appeared up ahead on the very edge of her territory. If she tread too far it could incite a large-scale war, and she wasn't about to be the cause of another dispute. Her father was the pack leader after all, and that meant she had to be the perfect lady. What a load of bullshit. What was the point of having wolf blood if you couldn't truly be free?

The bushes rustled as she pushed through them to enter the opening where the large creature no doubt was hiding. She shook her entire body to get the leaves from her fur, and as soon as she was absolutely certain they were gone, she gave an aggravated huff. It was then that she lifted her head to look at what she considered to be her prey since she'd been stalking it for 30 minutes now.

Surprised. That was the emotion Lucy Heartfilia felt as she looked upon what could not possibly be a dragon. His hair was a shade of pink she'd only ever seen when passing the flower shop next to her favorite bookstore. His skin was sun-kissed even in the shade of silver that came from the pearl in the sky above her. Truly the scene was breathtaking, and yet the scent that radiated from his body was the same one she'd followed all the way here.

Now, it could be that he was a drake. She'd heard stories from the elder pack members of dragons who'd taken human mates, and given birth to half-breeds. How did that work? She had absolutely no idea. Who was she to question another species' mating rituals anyway?

Perhaps, he was a half-breed. He did hold attributes similar to a dragon. Sharp, curved black horns protruding from his skull, bright red scales moving across his cheeks and up to his temples, the claws where hands should be. Everything screamed dragon, except, that he wasn't a giant lizard like she had expected. Perhaps, she should be grateful she hadn't run into the fully formed dragon that her packmates had been so scared of.

"What are ya doin' here?" it was a simple question, soft and barely heard above the gust of wind that tore through the clearing. Of course, Natsu wasn't expecting an answer from a wolf. He'd never attracted wildlife before so he would consider this one to be rare. He took a moment longer to stare the creature down in hopes it would run off, and leave him to his own thoughts.

Although, a deeply buried part of him yearned for the company, and hoped the female wolf would stay. She was gorgeous after all. Her fur was long and seemed to be painted by the starlight above as tones of blue and silver drenched her smooth coat.

Though, it was the eyes that pulled him in. Dark chocolate. Normally, wolves of the color white had eyes in shades of blue, yellow, and even on occasion brown and blue at the same time. She had solid brown. It was unique, and he found himself smiling before raking his claws through his hair.

"Ya know, I'm kinda glad you're here. I didn't really want to be alone tonight." Lucy couldn't respond to him, but he seemed to recognize and accept that. He seemed deep in some kind of thought. Obviously, a sad one. She hoped her presence would help him in some way, besides she didn't want to hunt or run around just to get dirty and have to scrub the mud off her skin in the morning.

It was a slow, graceful trot as she met him in the center of the clearing, and sat beside him to share his company. Maybe he'd even speak more, she liked the sound of his voice. It had a soothing calm to it even if it was rough around the edges.

Natsu let himself fall to the grass with an aggravated sigh as he looked for the words to say. He was talking to a woodland creature who couldn't even talk back, in the middle of the night no less. To say he felt a little crazy would be an understatement. Hey, maybe he needed this. Maybe he needed to let out his emotions. Even if it was only to a lone wolf in the middle of the forest.

He was startled as the creature curled into his side and laid her head on his chest. There was some blinking, a crinkle where eyebrows would normally be, and then an annoyed huff. Was she telling him to continue? He supposed it wouldn't hurt to do so.

"I don't want to be king, ya know?" King was much higher than Pack Leader, but she could understand the sentiment.

"I love Igneel, and being his son is great. But I love the wind through my wings, and fighting with the younger members, visiting the towns as I please. Ya can't do that as a king. Ya gotta be responsible." She longed for the freedom he spoke of. They were different in that regard. He had the freedom she sought. To have that ripped away would certainly make her aggravated as well. She gave a small whine to try and signal her agreement, and sympathy. Not being able to speak made this troublesome.

"Trying to make me feel better?" it sounded to him like she'd understood his plight in some way. He was glad for that much.

"Thank you." Soft, but serious. He meant it, and even if the wolf didn't understand him he appreciated her willingness to listen to him. A noise went off in the distance: a howl. It was obviously the call of a wolf. Maybe one from her pack. White ears twitched, and then a small noise from her. It sounded like a ‘no' if he'd ever heard one.

The next howl was louder, and when she finally picked up her head, all she did was bark. Like a kid saying ‘I'm coming!' when their parent calls. The wolf eased up from her position and stretched; first backward and then forward.

"Will ya visit again?" Lucy's head tilted at the idea. She'd seen a dragon, thus her curiosity was quenched, but she hadn't thought about seeing him again. Her head tilted to one side, and then the other. Yes, she decided. She'd come again the next full moon.

The dragon sat up slowly, and as soon as his cheek was high enough she gave a soft nuzzle before turning and disappearing into the night. If she didn't get to the hideout soon her father would give her an earful. That much was certain.

Natsu, however, remained in the clearing till sun up, claw resting upon his cheek, and a soft smile on his lips.

---------------------

Lucy was practically vibrating with excitement even as her packmate Levy stared at her from behind a book.

"Lu? Are you okay? You normally hate the full moon." A correct statement. The blonde nodded in agreement, but still, the feeling did not fade. She'd see him again tonight, surely he'd be in the clearing. She was betting on it, and Lucy was not one to lose a bet. They didn't call her ‘Lucky' Lucy Heartfilia for nothing after all.

Currently, she had her chin resting on her hands as she took in the strong smell of roasted coffee beans and whipped cream. Both of these, however, was second to an old book. The wonderful thing about this shop wasn't the café, although it's a nice bonus, it was really the fact that it was attached to a used bookstore.

Levy had already chosen a classic from the fiction section depicting a war between werewolves and vampires, where Lucy had opted for a more classic romance set in a world of wizards bonded together by loyalty and friendship in a place where they'd built a new family. She was excited to start and finish the book in the next few days.

"I do. Tonight is different though. It's special." The blonde was certain Levy would understand. Levy was the one who'd told her about how dragons smell. Though she'd thought there might be some fibbed details but she wouldn't question her on that.

"Oh. Meeting a boy are we?" she flinched which was all Levy needed. The blunette smirked.

"Hmm-hm. Who's this mystery man?" Levy was personally excited to see her friend intrigued by a male. She'd always talk about boyfriends but never seemed to have an interest in anyone.

"It's just… a man I met in the woods on my last run." The blonde averted her eyes from Levy's and waited for her friend to stop gawking.

"You just. Met a man? In the woods? As a wolf?" Levy recognized that Lucy had already explained that, but damnit she wanted elaboration.

"Between you and me, I followed the scent of a dragon like you said. And I found one!" her grin went from ear-to-ear. Levy swallowed, but her mouth was as dry as cotton. Her best friend had found a dragon in the woods, and subsequently gained interest in said dragon. There was no way Levy had heard right.

"A dragon. In the woods." She repeated, but as a statement instead of a question as if willing her friend to continue.

"Yes. His scales were bright red, and he smelled of smoke. But the kind you bbq meat in, not a forest fire." Lucy finally gave Levy the information she needed to understand what had happened.

"You met the Fire Dragon King's son?" Levy was dumbfounded by her friend's unique ability to fall into troublesome situations.

"He mentioned something like that. How'd you know?"

"I'm dating the Iron Dragon King's son, Gajeel. It was easy to draw the conclusion." Lucy buzzed at the information. She'd known Levy was dating someone but didn't know who until now.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me that!" was all the blonde could manage.

"You know how our pack is Lu. You know interspecies isn't allowed." A rule decided by her father when he first took over as leader. Lucy made a pfft noise and shook her hand in the air.

"We all know that's a rule for me, and no one else. He's just disguising it to keep pack control." While the blunette agreed with Lucy she wasn't going to test that theory.

"Regardless, I'm glad for you. You always hated the full moon until now."

"It's not the full moon I hate. It's the forced transformation." She corrected. Lucy loved the stars more than anything, and each forced transformation was spent staring into the sky. Until now.

"I know that. I'm just surprised. Dragons have keen noses, he should've been able to smell the magic on you. That's how Gajeel found out what I was." Speaking on keen noses. Werewolves definitely didn't match up to dragons, but they still had a hell of a sense of smell. And right now, all Lucy could smell was smoke.

She froze on the spot as a familiar voice chatted outside the window with a large man covered in piercings. Pink, but this wasn't from the flower shop next door. Her breath hitched in her throat, and with a small whimper, she faced away from the pinkette. Their eyes hadn't met, and she was fairly certain he didn't know she was there. It needed to stay that way.

"What are you doing?" Levy's voice broke through her inner monologue with a chiding tone.

"That's him." She whispered. Surely, they could still hear the conversation so Lucy held up a hand, and shook her head before Levy could manage her next question.

"All right. But you better have an explanation in the morning." The blunette was awarded a mock salute from her incredibly nervous blonde friend.

"Wait, are you leaving already?" the question startled Lucy, but she nodded in response.

"Yes, I wanted to get ready for the change. I know it's still early, but…" Levy understood completely. While most of the pack had a seamless transformation, herself included, Lucy did not. Many believed that it was because of her human mother's blood that she had what was regarded as the most painful transition. It was why she never willingly shifted forms.

"I'll see you in the morning, Lu." A small wave from the blunette was Lucy's signal that she was good to head out. With the doors of the café opened all she could hear was what sounded like the end of a conversation that had left the fire drake irritated. Maybe that was usual for him? She didn't know, but a part of her wanted to find out.

"Are you okay?" the words slipped out before she'd even realized it. Her mouth, and her brain, were clearly working against her.

"Huh? Who are you?" gruff. Not at all like the voice from the clearing. Put in perspective she could see where she went wrong. She'd approached an irritated drake and then tried to question him as though she was his friend. She held up her hands in a surrendering fashion which calmed his features ever so slightly.

Features that she found insanely different. He was definitely able to pass as a human if you ignored the fangs. His claws, the scales that adorned his face, and the horns that curved from his temples were all gone. She nearly frowned but caught herself quickly. She missed the man from the clearing, she realized.

"Sorry." His voice was closer to the tone she'd remembered.

"For? It was my fault. I shouldn't have intruded on a personal issue."

"No. I shouldn't have been rude about it." His tone hadn't really bothered her, but this conversation had already gone on too long. Any longer, and he might realize who she was.

"Don't worry about it. Whatever it is, I hope it gets better." She turned with a wave, leaving him to watch her go. And he did. She'd smelled familiar, like the scent of pine, and vanilla. Which he hadn't recalled smelling before, but still his senses were screaming as though he knew her. Which was impossible. There's no way he could. He would've known if he'd met a girl like her.

Still, she smelled of magic which meant she was, at the very least, not human. Never the less, he didn't want to worry about that. His only worry was the wolf. He hadn't seen her in nearly a month, and with fur as white as snow she couldn't possibly be able to camouflage in the dense greenery that surrounded Magnolia. Though, he bet she thrived in the winter. He worried that she had possibly been killed by a hunter. Those were common after all. Especially with the possibility of the wolf being a werewolf. The only difference between a were, and its counterpart was size.

This was especially true with wolves. Werewolves are abnormally large, and barely look anything like a natural-born wolf. Come to think of it, the wolf in the woods that night was rather large. At least larger than normal, but most of the ones he'd seen were much bigger. Though, she could have been a runt.

If she was a runt that was even worse. His anxiety skyrocketed as he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet. He needed to move. He gave a grunt and trudged back toward the nest. He'd just check again tonight. Like he did every night.

----------------

Lucy's hands dug into the hard concrete of the dungeon she was currently locked in. It had to be this way after all. She didn't want to ruin her home like she had the first time she'd transformed. That had been an experience she didn't want to relive a second time. Below her, the solid foundation of the building began to crack, and a yowl ripped from her throat. It sounded like a mix between human agony and raging wolf.

It was several minutes of her bones cracking to break down her human form into something dangerous, and far more primal. When it was finally over, and her senses began to return to normal, she cautiously moved her limbs. Hind legs, front paws, neck, jaw. It was all in working order, and the blonde almost wanted to spend the rest of her evening laying on the cold concrete that had already begun to soothe her sore body.

However, she forced herself to her paws and began to bounce up and down to test the boundaries of her body. She wouldn't be running any time soon, but if she kept hidden it wouldn't be too risky to keep a slow trot to the clearing where she hoped he'd be waiting. Who knew at this point.

He could have stopped going by now. She also could have visited, but shifting took a lot out of her, and she normally spent a few days recovering in bed after. Pack work had to be done, but she also had a job at the library downtown.

A doctor's note easily allowed her to get the few days after the full moon off each month, but anything after that would be testing her luck. While she was ‘Lucky' Lucy Heartfilia she'd rather not test how far that went.

Claws raked on the metal door, causing a rather annoying screeching noise on the iron as it protested to the unfair treatment. Creeeeeeak. The door moved open at a steady, slow rate to reveal Michelle. Her cousin was also a hybrid like herself, but the human genes had won out in the end, and she'd yet to show any signs of being a werewolf. Although, from what Lucy had seen, Michelle had no problems with it.

Michelle bent down to a crouch to rub Lucy between the ears and make soft cooing noises. She was giggling with joy at the motion, and Lucy didn't put up a fight. Not that she wanted to, she quite liked the feel of hands in her fur and she even gave a low rumble of appreciation.

"Well, get along now. He won't be happy if you stay here for too long." Her voice echoed in Lucy's mind, and the wolf gave an angry snort before dipping her head and making her exit. Michelle wasn't wrong (which only infuriated Lucy more), but she was hoping that someday her father would lighten up a bit, and allow himself the opportunity to move past her mother's death. She knew for a fact that her mom wouldn't have wanted to see him become this… monster.

The grass was scratchy beneath her paws and even grazed her underbelly. She had to keep low to the ground that way she wouldn't draw attention, though it was easier said than done. She may be a runt, but she had the physique to match her werewolf genes, plus she was bigger than the average mutt.

She wasn't concerned, though she should be, considering this was her turf and she knew these woods like the back of her paw. Though, there was a small problem: the section without shrub to hide in. This was one she had to pass through to make it to the clearing that he would theoretically be waiting in. She hadn't been paying attention the first time she'd traveled to him, but now in her weakened state, she had to be careful.

The first time they'd met she'd already had time to brush off the transformation aches but having left immediately after she was still sore. Sure, she could escape if she needed to, but honestly, she didn't want to. If at all possible. Her ears twitched as a rustling came from her right. Hunters. She cursed internally because of course there would be hunters. Why the hell not. Every lean muscle in her body tensed as she pressed as far as she could into the ground.

This was dangerous, and she needed to be careful.

--------------------

Again. He waited under the cover of night. His form warped by the darkness to the point that if you looked he would appear to be a human by any other standard. His chin rest in his palm and his brows were scrunched in irritation. He'd waited for the wolf to grace him with her presence again, but it was day 30 and there was no sign of pale white fur. Feet tapped anxiously as he stared into the bark of the tree in front of him. His eyes glazed over as his mind wandered leaving his body an empty shell.

He would have stayed in that mindless trance had he not been snapped out of it. Bang! The metallic scent of blood crashed his senses making him think distinctly of pennies. That was neither here nor there. His mind switched immediately to defense as the crashing sound of footsteps echoed around him.

Branches breaking, leaves crunching, the collision of bodies. Whatever was bleeding was frantic, and whatever was chasing it had a partner. A partner it couldn't stop running into. Boy, was their teamwork bad.

He stood still as he waited to see exactly what was causing this kind of commotion in HIS woods. A flash of white caught his eye which caused a flutter of panic in his chest. That was impossible. Another shot fired, and the sound of a yelp! had him ready to run to the rescue.

She crashed to the ground, her breath labored, and a soft whimper leaving her body. They'd gotten her good, and if she managed to live her father would not be pleased. She urged her body to move, and somehow it complied. The calm didn't last as the sound of a small branch snapped beneath a heavy boot. A noise rose above the rest: growling. She wondered when exactly she'd began growling and it took her a moment to realize that she hadn't. That's when she realized exactly where she was. The Clearing.

Which meant to her left was the one person she'd never been happier to see. He'd waited for her. With the hunters distracted she leapt into the clearing and booked it to his side. She ignored screams of protest and the sound of cocking guns. She just needed to reach him. She slid to a stop behind him, her breath leaving her body in heavy spurts. Warmth spread through her entire body as his hand laid upon her head. It was urging her to rest. It was like he was saying, ‘Leave it to me.' And she did.

He never thought he'd be so MAD. Her beautiful fur was matted with blood from an injury on her backside, and her body shook with exhaustion. Wings extended from his back, and the original growl turned into a loud snarl which evolved until a roar was echoing for miles.

"Leave." He bellowed his command into the air. He was every bit Igneel's son, and damnit he was the Fire Dragon King's heir. They'd leave if they wanted to live. Guns clattered to the ground and with wild scrambling, the hunting pair took their abrupt departure. He huffed, blowing out a puff of smoke. These were his woods, his territory, and he'd be damn if someone attacked a friend in his presence.

Her body quivered next to his, and when he crouched down to check on her she shoved her muzzle against his face and rubbed furiously.

"Hey! Cut that out!" she didn't take him seriously as she watched him light up with laughter, and his mouth contorted into the same grin she'd seen the first time they'd met. She'd been worried. The expression he'd made when he'd ran off the hunters had made him look like a demon. It was someone she'd never seen, but also someone she knew he'd be unhappy to become. He'd looked like a king protecting his people.

Her whiskers tickled his cheek as she nuzzled him. She must've felt scared, which wasn't surprising all things considered. Then, he caught it. A soft scent just past the smell of pennies: Vanilla. His eyes widened, his mind flitting to her. The blonde who'd been a stranger. The one who checked to see if he was okay after his fight with Gajeel.

"You…?" he whispered. A howl sounded off in the night, the call to beckon her home. Just like before. A nod and the wolf was gone. A roar sounded off in the distance, his own call home, and he knew he'd have explaining to do.

--------------------

She stood, slowly, from her chair at the library. She'd been adamant about returning to her job even through her father's distress. It seemed like his only daughter almost dying had lit some kind of fire in him. He'd been more caring, and dare she think it, tender. Still, she wouldn't just sit, and wait for her wound to heal.

That'd be boring. Plus, she couldn't stop thinking about that night. The pink-haired man waiting under the moonlight, and how he'd saved her life. They wouldn't have killed her. No, they would have sold her.

She shuddered and gripped the book in her hand even tighter. Lately, she'd been having trouble controlling her strength so when it snapped in half she wasn't surprised. Even so, it would surely be docked from her pay.

"It seems weird for a librarian to be destroying a book. Aren't ya supposed to like those?" she recognized his voice easily. It was the same tone he used when they spoke in the woods the first night.

"You thought so too, huh?" she sighed, but set the destroyed book down on the cart beside her.

"Interested in anything?" she meant a book, obviously. The pinkette had something a little different in mind.

"You." He watched her body stop on a dime, and her cheeks exploded in the color red. A part of him wanted to chuckle and stroke her hair to calm her. The other part told him not to. Even if she was the wolf in the woods (he still wasn't sure) it wasn't likely she'd care for being treated like an animal.

"W-What do you mean?" her voice sputtered, but then evened out. Did he know? It was entirely possible, though she wasn't in the mindset to be playing this game. Fake it ‘till you make it. That was her motto.

"Nothing. I just saw ya from the window. We met a few days ago so I wanted to say ‘Hi'." It wasn't a lie, not entirely, but he wasn't prepared to try and out a werewolf even if it was an empty bookstore.

"Oh. Well then, hello, stranger." She teased, shelving another book into its rightful place. This was the tricky part, having to walk forward to the next section of literature without him noticing her wound.

"Stranger." He said it with a bitter aftertaste in his mouth, "What's your name?" if they exchanged names they would be acquaintances. Then, maybe the anger creeping into his chest might subside. She knew him and she'd heard his inner-most concerns. He'd saved her life. They were hardly strangers.

"Lucy. Lucy Heartfilia." She held out her hand to him, a soft gesture, hoping he'd take it. Then, perhaps they could be more than just the wolf and the dragon who met under the light of the full moon.

"My name is Natsu Dragneel." There. Acquaintances. Next step: friends. "Can I help?"

She considered his offer, maybe if he was elsewhere in the store she could maneuver with ease. Or at the very least she'd be able to keep her secret.

"Yes. That would be great." She smiled, soft and sweet. "The system is alphabetical." It was nothing special like the Dewey Decimal system.

"Got it." He grabbed a few hardcovers and stared at their titles before wandering off. She'd heard him whisper the letter ‘P' and that was at least two rows over. Now, she just needed to place the book she currently held in her hand. ‘Starlight', it was a children's book that her mother had read to her when she was a child. It detailed the story of a young girl with the power to control call upon the stars. It was her favorite. It was also, unfortunately, on the top shelf.

She grimaced but still pushed to the tip of her toes to push the book into its rightful place. The wound where the bullet had lodged deep into her hip was screaming in agony. She should have had him put it up. He was tall, probably? Her mind pictured him as she confirmed his height. She hadn't really been paying attention to his physical features due to her internal panic.

Move on, her mind urged. She agreed and switched to the next title. ‘Roses Be Damned'. This was supposed to be some classic, cheesy romcom and she couldn't wait to purchase it and let it consume her life for the next month. If it was good anyway. It was here, that Lucy made her mistake.

She shifted to the right accidentally bumping right into the heavy cart full of books. She let out a scream of pain as she toppled to the ground, holding her hip tightly as though that would help. As if the tighter she squeezed the less pain she would feel.

Natsu, two rows over, stared at the book in his hand. It was an informational guide on Werewolves. Now, while werewolves had outed themselves – for the most part – that didn't mean all of the packs had. It was more a pre-emptive strike than anything else. He should probably buy this book. He was making his way around the corner when the scream and clatter of books had him rushing.

There she was, lying sprawled across the floor with small whimpers leaving her lips. He cursed. He'd gotten complacent. Of course, there's no way she would have healed by now. Werewolves and Dragons were fundamentally different after all. While he wouldn't be slowed down by a bullet, she wasn't built as sturdy.

"Are you all right?" his voice sounded like it was miles away as her mind seemed shrouded by the pain her body was experiencing. Fuck. Maybe she should have stayed home. This was shaping up to be a great day already.

"Nnn." Her grunt seemed to be an affirmative but she still hadn't moved from her spot on the floor so he decided to take it with a grain of salt.

"Why are you pretending?" her entire body froze from its position on the ground.

"What do you mean?" she feigned ignorance for a moment. She couldn't allow him to figure her out so easily, though it would just be easier to come clean.

"Actin' like you're okay, but clearly you're not." She'd been scared when he asked the question. He wasn't entirely sure why she would be. Either she was scared of him, or someone else. It had to be a someone, not a something. He hoped so anyway.

She stared into the carpet as though it was the most interesting thing she'd ever seen. It wasn't. Lucy couldn't just avoid him forever but maybe she could feign passing out and deal with it later. No, that was a bad idea too. She cursed under her breath and gathered all of her courage to face him.

"I'd say you're right. I was in a sticky situation and got injured a few days ago." He knew that already. He was there. He saved her. It had taken a bit of time to find her though, in fact, he probably wouldn't have without Gajeel's girlfriend to help him out. Apparently, the girls were in the same pack. Now, that was a plot twist.

"I know. I saved ya didn't I." there wasn't a question; it was another statement. Yep, he knew. Would he be mad? First, he shares his secrets with her in the woods under the guise that she was a regular woodland creature. And then, she hides her identity and pretends they never met. Lucy regretted her train of thought because of course, he'd be mad. She'd be mad too if he had done the same thing. Ah, but he hadn't done it. She had.

"I should start with an ‘I'm sorry.'" She mumbled. His heightened hearing caught her words whereas a normal human would have experienced some difficulty. That was not helping him understand why she was sorry. There wasn't really anything to be sorry about, right?

"Why are ya apologizin'?" Theoretically, there shouldn't be a reason to apologize. Not unless she'd run rampant and telling the story of the dragon who didn't want to be king. That sounded like a shitty romance-drama movie waiting to happen.

"Well, you confided in me, and I didn't bother to tell you that I wasn't human." she felt bad about it. Rationally speaking, how could she have told him anything. Speaking was NOT a skill that wolves had. Mostly, it was that she never went back to that clearing – as a human – to explain herself.

"Ya realize wolves don't talk right?" he wasn't quite sure what she was feeling so guilty about. He wasn't mad. He'd shared a secret with a wolf on the night of the full moon. It wouldn't have surprised him in the least if it'd been a werewolf.

"Well, yes, but--" she sputtered to a stop as he interrupted her.

"No harm, no foul. I'm not mad about it. As long as ya didn't run around tellin' every damn person on the street about it, then who cares?" she cared. Obviously.

"It was still a betrayal of your trust! Let me make it up to you." she silently pleaded that he'd agree and just let her take him to lunch or something. The pinkette was uncomfortable. Again. His fingers raked through his hair, displacing the messy locks, and then he gave a groan of annoyance before nodding.

"Fine." he didn't elaborate, instead he placed his hands on his hips and waited. Lucy found herself drawn into his gaze. When they met she could've sworn they were the color of midnight, but in the day with the sun high in the sky, they were a dazzling green. To her, they equated to the vibrant journal decorated in white daisies that lived in her desk at home. It had reminded her of spring, and the same was true of his eyes.

"Hello?" he waved a hand in her face. She'd suddenly gone blank on him and while she could've been thinking of what to do to ‘make it up to him' – he got a distinct feeling that wasn't the case. He was caught in his own trance as well. She was definitely the wolf in the woods.

The second he looked into her eyes he knew. It was the same dark gold that he'd seen then, only this time the face staring back at him was a human's. The human was blonde, beautiful, and admittedly a little weird.

"What about lunch?" she blurted, as though she'd finally came back to reality.

"What about it?"

"Let me take you to lunch. To make it up to you." she elaborated for him, and honestly, he buzzed with excitement. He could eat any day, any time.

"Absolutely." no hesitation. Lucy's brow quirked in response.

"Well, then. Would now be a good time? I'm due for a break."

"I'm ready when you are." he held his hand out to her and she gladly took it. She'd need the support if she wanted to make it anywhere in the next millennia.

[ratretro]

The Heart Beats Chapter 2

Title: The Heart Beats

Pairing: NaLu

Summary: Soulmate AU mashup - Red Strings. Forgotten Dreams. Colors of Gray. Marked Skin. Unfamiliar Names. Soulmates have different meanings for everyone, and Lucy struggles to find the courage to take her next step forward. Will she finally claim her future or will feelings go left unsaid?

Rating: M – sort of??? probably??????

None of these characters are owned by me, they are all owned by the wonderful Hiro Mashima!

A/N:

Old Bullets is on hiatus. Cause I wanna focus on this story tbh

lmao ill update  the info on it so everything is fancy official (I have to update my author page anyway lol) more info at the end!!  Also, let me send a little love to my girl @petri808 for being the beta for this chapter to make sure my prescription brain didn’t completely destroy it lmao

FF.net - AO3

He watched her carefully from his position near the blender. He didn’t have the best view but the top of her head was visible and he could see brief movements that made him think of what actions she may be taking. Was she laughing, shaking her head, or just listening to each word coming out of her friend’s mouth with intensity.

The pinkette bounced from one foot to the other, wondering what exactly was being said beyond his outrageously good hearing. Behind him, the blender chirped and the whirring of the blade faded as it finished the selected setting. It jolted him from his thoughts, sort of, and reminded him: ‘Hey! I have a job!’. The frappucino was poured into a plastic cup with the typical fluff of whipped cream on top. From there, it was a handoff to Juvia with high hopes she didn’t fumble and drop it on the woman in front of her. He’d originally replaced her on the register so she could go to break but now that she was back he could safely hide in the corner and make the drinks. He could also reply to her.

What did she think he was anyway? Some kind of criminal? He tugged roughly at his sleeves until the blue smudges came into view, ‘Shit!’ She’d give him hell about it later. His eyes flitted around for one of the dirtier rags. It would be gross on his skin, but it’s not like she’d have to feel it. Once he was done all he had to do was scrub his hands down and throw the rag in the designated dirty rags basket. Done. Easy Peazy.

Pen in hand he was ready to respond when a man walked up and stared at the menu. Natsu vaguely remembered that he was sitting at the table with the blonde from earlier, and for one reason or another, that bothered him. It bothered him a lot.

“Of course! Natsu, one strawberry-banana smoothie.” a girl’s drink, in Natsu’s opinion. Though, he could easily be ordering for one of the girls he was with.

“Got it.” He supposed that reply would have to wait.

“You seem… familiar?” the voice was deeper, meaning it must have belonged to the dark-haired male. Was that a pick-up line? If so, it felt like one lifted straight out of a book.

“Juvia thought so as well.” it was the tone that got Natsu. It was higher than normal, and she definitely sounded… excited. Not that he cared about that, he wasn’t interested in her anyway, but Juvia was always gushing about her dreams. Mostly, the man in her dreams. She’d never been interested in a guy until now. She was surprisingly dedicated to a man she’d never met in person.

He lost track of their conversation as the blender once again whirred to life and blocked out most of the general noise of the cafe. The blender had about 2 more minutes left which meant that, if he was quick about it, he could get a response in.

Rude.

I work normal jobs like a normal person.

He was sure she wouldn’t believe him but he didn’t have time for an argument during a work shift. Though, argument was a strong word here. It was more like bickering. They rarely fought, but if they did she’d start drawing on her face in permanent marker. Shit like hearts or the one time she wrote ‘NERD’ in red on his forehead. He just messed up her notes in retaliation.

Natsu wondered, ever so briefly, what kind of girl she was outside of notes. Was she like the blonde sitting 10 feet away from him or was she like the bubbly blue-haired girl next to her? He wanted to meet her. It’d be easy too. Literally, a dab of ink on his skin and he could ask. Yet, he was somehow scared.

He was the punk who got into fights frequently. Who knows how many bruises she had to hide because of him. Once again, his nervous ticks returned. His ball-point pen tapping on the metal counter that held the equipment. His foot tapping incessantly. Nervousness quickly became agitation followed with a groan of disappointment.

Surely, he’d made things difficult for her without thinking about it. Especially, before the point where he’d learned they were even connected. Not that he could help it. Besides, while he had told her he worked normal jobs that wasn’t exactly the case. The shop they were in now was a cover for a mission they were working.

It wasn’t a big job, but all the same, it had to be handled. They just needed some information on a cocaine dealer. That dealer was also working in human trafficking. Mostly women. Mostly sexual. It disgusted him and he’d needed a new mission so he offered himself as the ‘tank’ so to speak. If they were talking game terminology.

Besides, it was legal. They were hired by the police after all. That was how their company worked with most of their revenue coming from the cafe,  the bar, and finishing up with the occasional work sent their way by the police.

Personally, he was happy he’d taken this job. After all, it placed him in the same city (hopefully) as his soulmate. Or at least he thought it was. She’d mentioned ‘Magnolia University’ and they were in Magnolia right now. He’d been stationed in a smaller city and jumped at the opportunity to move to the main branch for Fairy Tail.

The chairs screeched as the blonde and her peppy friend stood to follow the dark-haired male as he left with his newly acquired smoothie in hand. They’d mentioned their friend seeing color so they were probably meeting her now. He wished her luck in trying to find whoever her soulmate was. Juvia was having a hard time so he imagined others had similar issues. That caused him a pang of guilt.

“Natsu.” Juvia’s voice cleared his mind and brought him back to focus.

“What’s up?” there was a lull as the cafe emptied; as though they were following the blonde and her group.

“Did you know that Jellal’s back?” no, he hadn’t. Not until now, except that was pretty typical of gramps too. Jellal had been living across the country with his father until now.

“Nah. But you know how gramps is. He doesn’t really explain himself.” he gave a shrug in tangent with his answer.

“Juvia thinks he might work with us on the trafficking case.” she was suddenly back to being soft-spoken even though she had been surprisingly animated with the male from earlier.

“Probably. Didja get that guy’s number?” from the look of surprise, and the immediate flush of her cheeks, he guessed she hadn’t.

In all honesty, they kinda needed the help anyway. Natsu had already been in two brawls since he started two weeks ago. The area was great at looking like a safe middle-class section. But he’d stopped one kidnapping and a mugging since he came here.

------------------------

Lucy hated Blue Pegasus. Hated was a strong word, or so her mom would say, but it was the truth and she wouldn’t lie to herself. She didn’t like coming here for a few reasons. One, her dad caught it on her bank statement and grounded her for a month. Two, the idea and sight of strippers always gave her unease. Three, Hibiki, Eve, and Ren. Her friends called her pure-hearted but they still insisted that she spend her 21st birthday here. So, she did.

Unfortunately.

Her dancers at that time had been Hibiki, Ren, and Eve which was fine until they discovered she was a light-weight. And a touchy one at that. At one point, they became the one receiving the show and she had to be dragged out of the club by Erza, and Levy. Now, every time she saw them she became unbelievably embarrassed.

Coincidentally, this was also where she met Gray. Not on THAT night, but it was a few days after when she’d mustered the courage to come back and apologize to the trio. He worked a different job now, but occasionally he still picked up a shift or two if he needed the extra cash.

“Don’t worry! They’re not here today!” the chipper voice of Blue Pegasus’ owner and bartender rang through the air.

“Master Bob!” surprise was laced in Levy’s voice as she came face to face with Pegasus’ one and only owner.

It wasn’t exactly rare to see the master. In fact, he probably spent most of his waking hours behind the bar even though all of his staff could make drinks and were certified to do so.

“What is my favorite worker doing here on his day off?” Master Bob’s voice was always high-pitched and sing-songy. While most thought it could be annoying, they actually enjoyed it. Master Bob was a happy man, and as such, he exuded that aura which made Blue Pegasus a comfortable location to visit.

Really the only thing preventing Lucy from liking the place was her own humiliation.

“Hello, Master.” a curt nod was given to his direction. He gave her a chuckle and a knowing wave before pointing to the door.

She knew it was Erza walking – strutting – in the door like she owned the place. She didn’t but she exuded the aura of dominance which made it hard to tell the difference.

“Erza--!” A man bumped into the blonde’s shoulder and while she’d normally fight for her ‘honor’ this man smelled like a beer refinery. She opted for silence. It also wasn’t hard to recognize the male as a regular here. Lucy had seen him more than enough times and was fairly certain he was in love with Jenny.

The blue-haired male stumbled a bit and then spread his arms as if trying to remain steady. He did, somehow, before continuing on. Really, nothing about him was attractive. In fact, she thought his appearance, and demeanor, both sucked. He even had a tattoo of an ‘X’ above his eyebrow. Speaking of eyebrows: hideous.

An obnoxious snort rolled from her lips and Levy clicked her tongue. Gray did nothing, as per usual, but his posture had changed to one a slight bit more aggressive.

“Lucy. It’s good to see you.” Erza’s voice wasn’t loud, per se, but it was commanding. Deep, but soft. If that made any sense. It wasn’t something that Lucy herself would put on paper. In fact, she’d probably skirt around the subject entirely.

“Is there a problem?” the redhead drew her back from the contemplation inside her mind: fight or flight? In the end, wasn’t it always flight that won?

“No, everything’s okay. Right guys?” the blonde prompted for answers.

“Yeah. Men with ugly eyebrows definitely didn’t walk off drunk.” Levy’s sass was newfound to Lucy. The blunette wasn’t normally this saucy but she’d been hanging out with some man she’d discovered in a bar a week or to ago. Lucy didn’t know who and Levy wasn’t providing the information so the pair was at an impasse. All she knew was he was ripped with piercings. He looked like the guy her dad warned her about on many an occasion.

“Definitely didn’t run into anyone, either.” Gray’s backup was quick; no hesitation.

Erza remained quizzical for the most part. She gave a casual glance to the man with ugly eyebrows. The redhead really wasn’t too focused on it, Levy had been oddly specific. She tensed as he threw an arm over a woman’s shoulder but, upon seeing it was consensual, she let it go. Truly, it wasn’t the group’s business.

“So, Erza. What’s up?” it was Levy who broke the red head’s thoughts and brought her back to the issue at hand. The blue-haired male disappeared in the crowd which aided in the loss of her attention.

“Yes, I’m actually quite excited.” her face lit up. Though, it wasn’t like a little kid on their birthday. More like, someone who got a small promotion and was celebrated with a beer. I

The group waited in hopes it would prompt her to continue.

“Colors. It seems faded at best but… I can see them.” No one spoke for a moment. Faded could mean one of two things. He was coming near to her, possibly even the same city, or he was passing through on his way out of the area. They all hoped for the former.

“This is a good thing right?” Levy prompted the question. ‘Did she want this?’

“I think so.” Truth be told she wasn’t sure. The thing about soulmates was that you had to meet them in some capacity. It wasn’t like you had to speak to them. It could be simply passing by, a bump on the shoulder, a one-time meeting on the playground as children. You never really know.

Did she want to know a man she could’ve met briefly as a child? Passed by in a coffee shop? She didn’t know.

A/N:

Hello my loves it’s me ya boi back at it again with a chapter I wrote on an impressive amount of prescription medication. Things had to be adjusted more then once and it caused quite a delay in the chapter. (plus that writers block) if you follow my tumblr i’ve been giving updates on the situation and now I should be back up and running unless a plethora of drugs are thrown my way again. Ive got the brain issues and stuff so thats a struggle. Everyone who has been waiting so patiently I appreciate ya fam. I’ve got a question for you guys and I want to see your theories:

What did you catch in this chapter? Did you guys see the little hints I dropped? ;)

I can’t wait to see you all next chapter!

[ratretro]

I’m hollering lmao it’s like a fourth wall in a fourth wall 😂😂 Also that’s a date and no one can tell me otherwise