Welcome to the Fairy Tail Fanfiction Authors guessing game! [Requests to participate CLOSED] Once a month, we will choose a prompt for a oneshot and then accept 10 first come, first serve fanfiction authors who wish to participate. Once they submit their oneshots by the designated day, we will post them all by this blog anonymously, and have a game where the rest of the fandom guesses who the author of each story is by their ideas, ships, and style! Admins: lonestorm, mslead, and soprana-snap
I know I am really late for the party but I thought i had sent this message earlier. Just want to express my gratitude towards everyone organizing this awesome game and to all the writers who participate! I didn't have much time this semester to guess all the entries but I did read them all and they all were completely stunning! Can't wait for the next and hopefully will have time to guess them all! Thank you!
Thanks so much for your kind words! Hopefully things will be able to work out well later for you! :D
Game 2: prompt Masks has now come to an end! Thank you to the writers that participated and the readers that read the entries and took a guess on matching writers to stories!
Here are the correct answers: see if you got any right!
Entry 1 - Masquerade by obscurewriter05
Entry 2 - Starcatcher by gravity-chan
Entry 3 - Masks by the-heart-of-a-writer
Entry 4 - Round 2 Entry by weaboohoo
Entry 5 - Light and Fire by lovelystarlightbouquet
Entry 6 - His Life and Mine by nothingbutwordsstuff
Entry 7 - New Life Unmasked by akela-nakamura
Entry 8 - Die Another Day by t-chan-nekoi
Entry 9 - Love On The Dancefloor by cherrylolita27
Wow, so many amazing entries this month!! :O Well done, everyone! I have a sneaking suspicion that entry #2, Starcatcher, is by Gravity-chan, perhaps? XD sorry if I'm incorrect!
All of our nine entries for our game two prompt, Masks, are officially in!  I will link the stories here so that you can give them a read and a guess at which author wrote them.  Weâve read through them and weâve got some really talented writers here.  We will make the announcement as to whose story is whose on Monday, November 30.
Disclaimer: Fairy Tail and all related characters are property of Hiro Mashima. I make no money off the writing of this story.
Iâm curious if you can guess who I am? LOL well I guess we will find out soon!
-+-
Levy McGarden didnât drink often, but tonight was a special case. Three months ago she caught her boyfriend of three years in bed with another woman. What hurt her the most was that the guy didnât show any remorse for his actions, even going so far as to blame his dalliance on Levy for not being sexy enough to keep him interested. She was devastated, and angry, and hurt, but still couldnât help pining for him. After many weeks of nagging and begging, her best friend Lucy had convinced her to go out drinking for Halloween in the hopes of getting her over her ex and back into the dating game. Levy however, held some doubts; but she figured that it wouldnât hurt her to quit moping and spend time with her best friend.
So that brought Levy to this quaint little bar called Fairy Tail, dressed as a Burlesque Girl. She wore a light blue corset decorated with black ribbon and lace, black lace ruffle shorts, black garters connecting to sheer black thigh-high stockings, and black high heeled boots. Sheâd also foregone her signature bandana for a big blue and black flower clipped over her right ear, and covered her face with a blue mask. In retrospect, she was glad that Lucy had dressed her up and gotten her out of her house; it made her feel good to know that she could still turn heads after being told that she wasnât sexy, and decided that she would take someone home tonight.
The liquor was definitely doing itâs job of loosening her up. By the time sheâd finished off the third shot, Levy had finally relaxed enough to join Lucy on the dancefloor. By the fifth shot, she had forgotten whats-his-face and was fully immersed in the bumping and grinding of the sweaty bodies around her. She had been dancing with this one guy for the last three songs now, and Levy was definitely enjoying the experience.
The man had long black hair, a white half-mask, and a black shirt and pants. He was twice her size, made of solid muscle over warm tanned skin. Standing on her tip-toes, she reached up and grabbed his face before pulling him down to meet her lips. He had piercings on his nose and below his lips, and four studs on each forearm. In short, the man was gorgeous, and Levy had decided that she was going to get him into her bed tonight.
The beat started slowing down and Levy took her chance; she turned around quickly, wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to kiss his lips. Levy could tell sheâd caught him off guard by his momentary pause, but wasnât disappointed when he eagerly returned the kiss, his large hands settling on her hips as he pulled her close. Levy moaned into his mouth as his tongue sought her own and his hands lifted her up to his level. She wrapped her legs around his waist and broke the kiss to breathe some much needed air, while his lips fluttered down her neck and over her collarbone.
Levy was overloaded with sensation, her mind spiraling away into lusty thoughts. âOh, god⌠but this man knows how to kiss a girl!!â She thought as she rested her head against his, her hands gripping his shoulders tightly. âI know we skipped the general order of things, but I guess I should introduce myself. Iâm Levy.â
âGajeel.â The man replied with a smirk that sent shivers down Levyâs spine. âDo you want to get a drink?â he asked glancing over to the bar.
âOnly if you carry me over there.â She tossed back with a giggle and a cute pout. âMy feet hurtâŚâ
Gajeel laughed heartily at her cheeky comeback as he made his way to the bar. âGihee⌠sure thing, Shrimp.â
âShrimp?!â Levy said, mildly insulted as she struggled to get down from his arms to no avail. âIâm not a shrimp, youâre a giant!â she said as her tiny fists clenched against his chest, and her cheeks puffed in indignation. âYouâre lucky youâre cute⌠otherwise Iâd have slapped you by now.â
âOh? Well then, I guess I am lucky.â He said as he plopped her down in an empty chair at the bar. âWhat are you drinking?â
âI donât generally drink, but this is a special occasion⌠so whatever you want is fine with me.â She said as Gajeel sat down in the chair next to her and flagged down the bartender.
âYo, Cana! Can we get some shots over here?â He said as the pretty brunette approached them. She was tall and busty, and wearing a skimpy fortune teller costume.
âSure thing, Gajeel! What you want?â She asked, looking back and forth between the two of them.
âIt doesnât matter what you make, just hook it up.â Gajeel said before turning to Levy. âIs that okay with you?â
âAbsolutely!â Levy said with a smile.
âI got the perfect shots for you!â Cana said as she set about making the drinks.
âSo whatâs this special occasion? Other than Halloween of course.â Gajeel said as he leaned in closer to Levy. âIf you donât mind me asking?â
âIts the first time Iâve been out since I dumped my ex.â Levy said with a heavy sigh. âWe dated for three years until I caught him in bed with another woman⌠and he wasnât sorry at all about it! That jerk⌠Iâm glad heâs gone.â
âWell he was an idiot to pass you up.â Gajeel said before Cana showed back up, placing two shots down in front of them.
âAlright, you guys, here ya go! For the lady, I got you a Screaming Orgasm⌠because every woman deserves one.â She said with a wink at Levy who blushed furiously. âAnd for you, Gajeel⌠you get a Perfect Pussy!! Because, god knows, you canât find one on your ownâŚâ she said, earning an insulted huff from Gajeel.
âThere goes your tip for tonight, woman.â Gajeel said with a laugh. While Cana just shook her head.
âIf you stiff me, Iâll whoop your ass, jerk!â Cana said teasingly before walking off to help another customer.
âWell thenâŚâ Levy said, still blushing âI guess itâs bottoms up. Cheers!â They clinked the glasses before knocking back their shots.
Their conversation flowed easily as they ordered two more rounds, before heading back to the dancefloor for another song. Levy was having more fun than sheâd ever had in her life, and after sharing a few more kisses with the tall man, decided to make her move. Summoning her courage, she pulled him down to her level and whispered in his ear. âDo you maybe want to get out of here?â she bit her lip as Gajeelâs eyes locked with hers.
âI thought that was my line?â he said teasingly, a wolfish grin stealing over his handsome features.
âDoes it matter?â
âHell no!â
âWell then, get me out of here and we can go to my place.â she squealed in delight as she was hefted over Gajeelâs broad shoulder before he navigated his way off the dancefloor and out the front door.
-+-
The next morning Levy was woken by the sunlight filtering in through her curtains. Coming into consciousness, she noted Gajeelâs warm body pressed against hers and his arm wrapped tightly around her waist. She couldnât help the small giggle that escaped. Who knew that this rough looking man would be a cuddler? She rolled over to face him, taking in his form.
For the first time in a long while Levy was happy. Not just because of the extremely satisfying sex, but because she had met a man who accepted all her flaws, and made her feel beautiful⌠something that her ex had never really done.
Her logical brain told her that it was way too soon to be falling so hard for someone, that she didnât know if he even wanted a relationship; maybe he only wanted a quick fling. Any number of possibilities ran through her mind. Each more depressing than the last⌠and as hard as she tried, a tear fell. Gajeel woke at that moment, and seeing the tears sat up straight.
âWhatâs wrong, Shorty? Are you okay? I didnât hurt ya did I?â he asked as he wiped away a tear.
She sniffled softly, âNo⌠no itâs not thatâŚâ
âThen whatâs wrong?â He asked gently as she laid back down and sighed deeply.
âItâs just⌠I guess Iâm still hurt from my ex, and maybe itâs too soon to try and move onâŚâ she took a deep breath âBut, I happen to really like you, however⌠Iâll understand if you donât want a relationshipâŚâ She was cut off by his kiss. It was soft, tender, and filled with all of the emotions he felt in that moment and Levy responded eagerly.
They broke for air, and Gajeel smiled widely at her. âI donât do one night stands, Lev⌠at least, not anymore.â he added softly âAnd now that Iâve got ya, I donât ever want to let ya go.â
âDo you really mean that?â Levy asked, hopeful eyes bright with emotion.
âOf course I do.â
âGood.â she said with a smile before she leaned in to kiss him again. Her spirits raised and her doubts soothed, she surrendered to his kiss before rolling on top of him for another round of intense lovemaking, followed by a nap in the arms of her new boyfriend.
-+-
And there it is! I hope you all enjoy it! This is the SFW version. After the game is over Iâll be posting the full undedited NSFW version for you all to enjoy! Good luck guessing!
It was the sound of footsteps that first registered to him.
His head felt strange, kinda heavy. There was a pounding somewhere to his right side that seemed like King Kong found a drum his size and was smashing it with abandon inside his skull.
When he tried to rub his head to alleviate the pain he noticed his arms were restrained. THAT woke him up the rest of the way, even though he still felt slightly disoriented.
He was in a metal chair, hands bound to each armrest tightly. Legs tied in a similar way to the chair legs, and his upper arms and torso secured to the back of the chair as well. He noticed a strange leather band in his arm too, with a small box and red light blinking slowly.
Before those steps got close, he decided to burn away these restrains and give a WARM WELCOME to his âhostsâ. But his powers would not come forth. Not a single flame at all.
What in the fuck happened?
The door to the room was opened without warn, and he snapped up to his captors with a fiery look in his eyes that spoke of annoyance.
âHello there, Dragonslayer-san. Nice to see you finally awoke.â  The one in the middle, using a black  mask with gray lines that left only the eyes and purple mouth visible, grinned with the widest smirk he had seen so far.
With a not-amused face, the bound man replied with the same amount of sarcasm. âCanât say itâs nice to see ya ugly mugs, though. Awful way ta wake up.â
He guessed the next blow was a given after that.
Iâm gonna kiss, some part of
âYour smart mouth wonât help you a lot here. Youâll only talk when we ask, and if you donât answer, wellâ one of the other men brought forth a bag and threw it at the ground, the sound of many things clinking inside impossible for him to miss; âyou can see we can get really creative.â
âI kinda doubt yaâll can even make me flinch, but yerâ welcome to try.â His grin now was feral. âIf ya donât mind being burned, that is.â
The two lackeys (or at least he thought they were lackeys since their masks were just black with no ornaments) were moving while he talked, pulling a steel table from the wall and setting many things from the bag on top of it. Some of them he didnât recognize, but he didnât miss the shock rods and syringes in the middle of all that.
âSorry but I doubt you can light a candle right now, Fairy. Not with the Power Nullifier on, you canât.â The leader gestured to Dragonslayerâs arm, then yanked the bound man by his hair making him grunt. So that is what this thing in his arm was? âSo, now if you could tell us: where is the Taishoku Prison located right now and which cell holds a man called âIvanâ?â
Ivan? Ivan Dreyar, known as Black Raven and one of the most ardent haters of the Fairy League?
The guy who have been trying to destroy the one place he felt he belonged to, AND almost killed many of his nakama?
Oh hell no.
Iâm gonna keep this secret
âIn your ass.â
Then the first shock rod was turned on and touched his shoulder.
Iâm gonna close my body now
Dragonslayer had to give it to the guys; they WERE quite thorough in the ways they hit him. Thankfully, he was no strange to physical pain (he had to deal with an angry Titania and even worse, an angry She-Devil before. THAT was scary and painful as shit), so it took a while for them to actually make him pass out from a blow. Even then, he didnât utter a single information. He grunted, yelled, and snarled. But no more than that.
I guess Iâll die another day
-x-x-x-x-x-
When he was woken up next it was a bucket of cold water to the face that greeted him.
Plus the leader of his torturers holding a familiar red-scaled and gold mask.
SHIT.
âYou have quite a pretty face under this thing, fairy boy. Now let us see if we can find out more about you.â
One of the other guys was typing away in a laptop perched on top of the metal table from before, and the hero worried about how long was he unconscious after that last blow.
âGot âim. Natsu Dragneel, 24 years old. Orphan, no known relatives aside from an adopted sister.â
SHIT SHIT SHIT.
âHeh, what a cute little girl. You are probably quite protective of such a pretty face, arenât you?â
The snarl in Dragonslayerâs voice was enough to make most men paralyzed. âDonât even think about it, you shitty bastards.â
They found out about him. About her. But it seems they didnât know sheâs part of the Fairy League too. Sheâll be protected if they even THINK about doing anything. He was sure of it.
But he canât help the absolute fury coursing through him at the mere thought of these pigs threatening his little sister.
And from the look of things theyâll use this to make him talk. Or so they thought.
âSo what will it be, Dragon boy? We can always go give your sister a visit, and maybe she might give us some help with our questions.â The man chuckled.
Siegmund Freud
Analyse this, Analyse this
Analyse this, this, thisâŚ.
The chair rattled, his pure anger almost making him able to break the bolts that kept the chair fixed to the ground.
âYA FUCKERS WONâT GET HER! IâLL FUCKING BURN YAâLL TO ASHââ More punches were thrown, and Natsu thought he saw one teeth flying.
âYou two go get some of the others and bringâ the boss checked the info in the laptop screen âlittle Miss Marvell over. Iâll keep our guest occupied.â
Natsu struggled against his bonds while the two black-masked man left, profanities flying from his mouth at top volume. He was going to lynch these guys to an inch of their lives if they even messed her hair! He looked at the damn blinking box in his arm that suppressed his abilities. If he can tilt the chair hard enough maybe he can smash it?
It was worth a shot.
Iâm gonna break the cycle
Iâm gonna shake up the system
A hand pulling at his hair brought him face to face with Fancy-mask, and the syringe in his hand that was getting near his neck. âA little gift.â
SHITSHITSHITFUCKINGDAMN!
What the shit was that bastard using now?! He knew his system was more resilient than most, but with these stupid nullifiers on, whatever they did to him was going to hit home hard.
He had to escape before the injection start working. But how?
He tensed, preparing himself mentally to the task at hand.
Iâm gonna destroy my ego
Iâm gonna close my body now
They clearly had underestimated his strength, probably thinking it was all superpower. Nope, he had done gym since ever, all his muscles arenât just for show. His first thrash in anger had loosed some bolts somewhere, because the next yank he gave to the chair was enough for the chair to tilt and his head hit Fancy-mask in the face hard. Taking advantage of this, he tilted to the side, making the chair come down more towards the right and making the nullifier scatter in a dozen pieces.
It was almost instantaneous; he felt his inner fire begging for release, for an outlet it could burn to a crisp in response to his adrenaline and earlier anger.
He wasnât going to let these guys win today.
I think Iâll find another way
Thereâs so much more to know
I guess Iâll die another day
Itâs not my time to go
He brought forth his flames at the same time his captor recovered enough from the blow to grab one shock rod and somehow turn his other hand all spiky to attack him. The Dragonslayer had some trouble to block the attack, because of his half-fallen, half restrained position but the flames were hot enough to do quick work in the cuffs. The shock was so bad he spasmed for a moment before grabbing the rod and yanking it from the other man.
âYa had your fun, now itâs my turn to play.â
For every sin, Iâll have to pay
A time to work, a time to play
I think Iâll find another way
Itâs not my time to go
-x-x-x-x-x-
Without doubt, this guy wasnât a disappointment in the fight department. He could turn his arm not just three times bigger than it normally was but also create spikes all over his body.
The Dragonslayerâs control over flames though, gave Natsu the needed advantage against a physical enemy. Either when he dodged or not, the fire did more damage to the purple-skinned man than the spikes did for the hero. They thrashed not only the room they originally were, but the one near it and part of the corridor.
It was a somewhat near thing because of his injuries, but with one good flaming right hook the super hero put his opponent down for the count.
Using his returning powers, he tried to hone his senses and locate himself. Wherever he was, it had no smell he could recognize quickly; too much artificial. He had to find somewhere with a window or something, then maybe he can get some inkling to where this place is.
But first things first.
His mask, back in place. Stupid purple guy, bound and being dragged by him so that Blue Pixie or someone else in the League can interrogate the dumbass.
Plus he needed to have the guyâs memory changed ASAP. This guy and the other two. Let Warren  take care of that. If Titania ever suspect he let his secret identity be discovered and did nothing about that, he would totally deserve the lynching sheâd give him.
Speaking of lynching something, he had to find the other two that saw the info on the laptop too. Maybe they hadnât left this place yet. He had to hurry.
Damn, his body hurt. He was dragging not only the guy but himself in that corridor.
While his nose wasnât able to help him, his ears could notice the sound of things being hit, and some distant yelling. A fight?
Maybe his nakama was finally here. Took them long enough!
The corridor he was ended up morphing into what looked like a labyrinth of underground corridors, and the sounds echoed enough that in his state, he couldnât pinpoint where theyâre coming from.
Cursing under his breath, he decided to ignore that and just follow the direction he thought was the right one.
Iâm gonna avoid the clichĂŠ
Iâm gonna suspend my senses
-x-x-x-x-x-
The drug he was given ended up being either poison or some other thing to cause hallucinations, because he was pretty sure a purple unicorn wasnât supposed to be walking near him. Nor the strangely shaped gray dragon with other animal parts for limbs poking his arm and asking if he could be his friend.
The world wasnât supposed to be tilting that much, either.
With one hand to the wall to keep himself from fully falling down, he doubled with the sickest feeling in his stomach. Goddammit, he was going to pummel these bandits for making him feel that sick and weak. Heâll show them what you get when you mess with a dragon.
But later. Now he had to find a way out, warn the guys about his not-so-secret-anymore identity, get Wendy to heal whatever they did to him, then heâll bash heads.
Maybe Lucy would be feeling like whipping something, too.
Iâm gonna delay my pleasure
Iâm gonna close my body now
-x-x-x-x-x-
When he finally met the noise he heard in the beginning, it was to his relief truly his hero friends and partner doing a number on the bandits from this shithole place. His nausea was worse, he was dizzy like no tomorrow, his body ached something fierce, but he wanted to punch something so much that it all didnât matter.
So that is exactly what he did.
Flame-punching two burly men that noticed him coming from the inner hallway, he greeted his partner Celestial with a âWhat took you guys so freaking long?!â.
The blond heroine launched one guy to the wall with her whip and turned his way, an angry retort in the tip of her tongue that died an early death at seeing his state. âAre you really okay to be fighting like that?â
âIââ he stumbled for a moment, world betraying his feet and making him almost greet the ground face first if not for the white-clothed arm that stopped him.
âThey really did a number on you, eh Flamebrain?â
âIâll beat ya⌠later, Ice AssâŚâ He definitely was feeling worse. âNo time⌠they saw my face⌠theyâre going after WendyâŚâ
If he wasnât so busy trying to put his breathing into order heâd notice the look exchange between one Black Steel and the IceMaker holding him up. With a nod, the taller hero left to warn the others while Celestial helped IceMaker lean Natsu to one of the walls.
âSkyMaiden is coming, she was told to wait outside to help treat the injured while we dealt with the band. Who saw you?â The heroine asked.
âThis guyâŚâhe made a very slow gesture with his eyes to the bound man he dragged since his cell, his head was torturing him. ââŚand two others⌠can sniff âem⌠I thinkâŚâ He coughed, and the blood that flew from his mouth to the ground had a purplish gleam to it that was very bad. He had to get up, had to help fight these guys, had to take the three that knew his secret to be interrogated, but damn his body for refusing to cooperate with him! Both the heroes looking out for him got one glance at the blood and decided to hoist him back up and out the building.
âAfter we round up everyone you can, right now youâre going to the Healer.â
I think Iâll find another way
Thereâs so much more to know
I guess Iâll die another day
Itâs not my time to go
-x-x-x-x-x-
Luckly for Natsu, they were able to arrest all members in the base at that time, including the other two that participated in his âinterrogationâ. According to Lucy, that was cutting some fruits for him in the infirmary, someone warned the League quickly after he was captured by the Ravens and so they went to rescue him much quicker than the captors expected. His rescue team ended up being her, IceMaker, Titania, Black Steel, RainWoman, SheDevil, Beastman, SkyMaiden and Blue Pixie (these last three stayed outside as backup team, intelligence support and first aid). All members of the Raven gang that went outside the main building were immediately captured, so he didnât have to worry about them catching his sister off guard.
When he asked about the guys who knew his identity, the blond smirked and assured him that they wonât be a problem anymore. He decided to not ask for details.
The only bad thing he was suffering now is the stay in the infirmary itself. Thanks to the poison that corroded his system before, the physical damage he received was not healing as quick as it should so he is on bed rest till further notice. Being an active type of guy, this was pure torture.
Natsu noticed Lucy looking distractedly out the window, fruits forgotten in the plate over her lap.
âLucy?â
âYou had me so worried.â Looking at his face after some moments, Natsu was worried to see the tears in there. He was not good at dealing with crying women!
âIf you could see your face when we were in that baseâŚâ She continued âI could see how deformed by hits you were even through the mask. And then the poisonâŚâ
âStop worrying, ya weirdo.â He leaned closer to her and put a hand over her head, messing a bit with the bangs. Since they were alone and each knew the other identity for months before, there was no need for masks between them. Not there. âIt takes way more than this to beat a dragon, ya know that. âSides, I promised you Iâd stay by your side no matter what, remember?â
That was their link. Their promise, since the very first mission they were assigned as a two-man team. She had been still nervous about her powers, so they sometimes tended to flicker when she lost concentration. He promised then and there that heâd be by her side to keep an eye on her, as her partner.
Since then, the meaning of the promise changed slightly, but it was their bond nonetheless.
She let her head lean too, making contact with his shoulder and hiding her damp eyes from his view. âDonât you dare die on me, you stupid. Or Iâll Star-kick you into the ground.â She threatened without heat.
He just grinned, not letting his hand go from her hair. âNah, guess Iâll let that for another time.â
Lucy knew that Fairy Tail wasnât the most conventional of guilds. They regularly made headlines in Sorcerer Weekly for blowing things up and causing mass amounts of destruction. From what sheâd heard, Era was always calling for disbandment, but they never succeeded. Sheâd heard tell of the wild Salamander, the fierce Titania, whispers of a demon. Sheâd heard of the Ice Made that left frozen statues behind him and of the Lightning Mage and his bodyguards that were spoken of like an urban legend. There were more, always more, but other than the unconfirmed rumors of a man that even the master of Fairy Tail didnât know the face or real name of, they all paled in comparison to the rest.
Fairy Tail was like a fairy tale, spoken of in disbelieving voices and rolled eyes, but secretly people wished to join. To be apart of the insanity. Truth turned to rumor and rumor to legend until people romanticized Fairy Tail that its existence was sometimes thought to be mythical.
Right now, Lucy felt as if sheâd walked out of her world and into the world of Fairy Tail. Sheâd always dreamed of joining Fairy Tail, always dreamed of finding a place in the world with them. She just never guessed itâd be like this. Sheâd been trying to figure out how to join when an article in Sorcerer Weekly had given her a chance. It wouldnât get her a membership, but itâd get her into the damn building. Sheâd literally get a foot in the door, and that would help. The problem was that everyone at Fairy Tail that night would be trying the same thing. Theyâd all be sucking up to the members, trying to get in. And a lot of them would be stronger than she. Have more connections than she. Sheâd burned the bridges to the people who could pull strings to get her in. Sheâd have to keep her last name a secret, lest someone think she was buying her way in.
She could barely contain her excitement. It was a long shot, a shaky bridge to a chance of getting in, but to her it was worth it. if nothing else, she could say sheâd been inside, had seen the major members up close and personal. They probably wouldnât even notice her. She wouldnât be the made that walked into the guild, magic power pumping off her, and cause everyone to be stunned into silence. No, no one would notice her arrival, not unless she came in riding on a wave.
And there was no way Aquarius would cooperate with that.
Nerves trilled along her skin as she made herself focus on what was in front of her. Fairy Tail. The guildhall was bigger than sheâd expected, but still charming. It buzzed with years of magic, from having mage after mae walk inside its walls. Her gut tightened as she took it in just how many people were there. It was impossible to say if they were all mages or if some were non-magic folk who wanted entertainment or thrill. Faces were obsured with masks of varying styles and outrageousness. Outfits were either elegant or eccentric and there seemed to be no in-between.
For herself, Lucy had chosen a dress like black velvet, with stars and galaxies exploding on it in bright whites, deep blues and haunting purples. Thin gauze in blue so dark it could be black with purple humming through it covered her arms. Around her neck, Aquariusâs key hung. A dangerous decoration. The rest of her keys sat on her garter belt, the weight a familiar comfort. Her mask was bright white, curling out like smokeâŚor star dust. Glitter shimmered in the light, and in the corner of her mask, Aquariusâ symbol glowed. Her dark blue heels snapped against the hard ground, the sound giving her confidence. A man just outside the door bowed in greeting, waving her in.
Inside is organized insanity. People dressed in black and white with a plain white mask serve guests, somehow keeping up with the endless demand in a way that struck Lucy as graceful. She canât help but notice the overturned tables, broken dishes and a sulky mood settling over some of the guests. Even with an elegant event such as this one, Fairy Tail is still wild. She attempts to pick out members, she realizes itâs impossible. With their guild marks covered, and faces behind extravagant masks, anyone could be a member. Which meant one wrong comment about someone and you could end up insulting a member and be telling it to another member.
Fairy Tailâs short fuse was well known. It could explain the damage. She didnât know what would be enough to set someone off, but she suspected it wouldnât take much. Someone had slipped, she thought, and ended up fighting a tick-offed mage. Leave it to Fairy Tail to have carnage during a ball. It was part of the reason she wanted to join. Fairy Tail would never be conventional. Would never box her into a demand of how she was supposed to be. She could just be Lucy.
âYour dress rocks.â Lucy started but smiled warmly at the small girl addressing her.
âThanks.â The girl was short, petite, and had a wild mass of hair that not even her fancy updo could contain. Her dress was covered with words in hundreds of different languages, color, and script. Bright eyes glowed behind a s mask that constantly changed shape, each morph was an elegant word, framing her face like a loverâs tender hands. âI love your mask.â
âThanks. Cost a fortune.â The girl rolled her eyes. Lucy grimaced in sympathy. Her own outfit had cost money sheâd had to fight for.
âSo do you know why Fairy Tail decided to throw a Masquerade Ball? Doesnât seem like their style.â Lucy was dying of curiosity. Since its inception with the first master nearly a hundred years ago, fairy Tail had never thrown such an event.
âIâm not really sure myself.â The girl frowned, as if not knowing bothered her too.
âDamn.â Lucy signed. âWell no matter the reason, this is so cool.â
âYeah. Everyoneâs dressed to the nines.â
âDance with me!â A man grabbed the small girl, and by the way the girl rolled her eyes and grinned, Lucy figured she knew who was behind the sharp mask that spoke of speed.
âSee you around!â The girl waved, laughing. She vanished into a swarm of masks, glitter and fabric. Magic hummed in the air. She felt utterly alone in a sea of moving dresses and perfect tuxedos. There was no one she knew here. No one to pull her to the dance floor and to laugh with her. She was a beautiful women in a sea of gorgeous people, her back straighter than a ruler and her hands folded at her waist. She was trying so hard to appeal to the people here, for hopes that she could join this insanity. That she could belong somewhere. Once again, her feelings were being shoved aside so that people would see the perfect side of her.
So people would want her.
Suddenly overwhelmed, she sought out a calmer corner. It wasnât easy, but she found a table with only one occupant, a little away from the main party. It was impossible to get away from the music, but at least she was no longer in the center of the chaos. Sighing, Lucy scanned the party, watching some people show of their magic, while others chatted, calculation in some eyes. Wishing sheâd gotten a drink or some hor dourves to keep her occupied, her mind wondered just how she was going to get into Fairy Tail. Did they want the people who were showing off in the middle of the guild? Or the people slyly trying to make connections? Or something else entirely?
In an effort to keep her mind distracted, her eyes fell on her table companion. He was eating a small mountain of food. He wore a mask of brilliant red, no glitter marred the rough surface that formed scales. His suit was dark red with black accents. His sleeves were pushed up, his tie was a mess, and she had to wonder if it was laziness or lack of skill that had his tie in such disarray. Did he not care about getting into Fairy Tail? Had someone dragged him here as a date? The change of free food too much for him to resist? He could also be a member. Before she could explore those options, she realized his hair was pink.
For some reason, that struck her as beyond odd. Sheâd thought it was a part of his costume, but no his hair was pink. Had he tried to make it red and the spell failed? It was hard to imagine it was natural. Discreetly a drink was placed in front of her, along with a plate of food. She hadnât even noticed one of the servers approach. No, sheâd been staring at her pink haired table mate. Nibbling on the food, Lucy stiffened her spine. Closing her eyes, she let herself think about what was bothering her. She hadnât realized how much this ball would remind her of home life. Or how much sheâd resent that.
Fairy Tail was supposed to be a new start. A brand new life for a brand new Lucy. It wasnât supposed to merge with homelife. To make her remember the elegant, loveless halls. To remind her of the many, many lavish balls sheâd attended. Of her father telling her to be beautiful and say the right things. Of her own needs being shoved aside for the needs of the company. Of the future. She wasnât Lucky Lucy Heartfilia anymore. She didnât know what she was, not yet, and she hoped Fairy Tail would help her figure it out.
âFood no good?â Someone asked, making Lucy jolt. She smiled at the pink haired man.
âNo, itâs fine.â She took a bite to prove it and was mildly surprised her nervous stomach accepted it.
âCome on, relax.â The man grinned. âItâs a party.â
âI know.â Lucy couldnât help but smile backâbigger this time. âIt just doesnât seem to be Fairy Tailâs style.â
He rolled his eyes. âYeah, this is fancy for âem. Donât know why. But the foodâs good at least. I donât like that dancing crap though. And this mask itches.â Lucy giggled.
âThen why did you come?â
âFood.â He gestured to his plate. âAnd I was also kinda forced.â His smile turned sheepish.
âWell, I came to join.â Lucy looked over the partygoers. Oh, she wondered which ones were members. She just wanted to ask them what it was really like in the guild.
What it was really like to be family.
âI mean, I hope to.â Lucy corrected herself. âTheyâre all so crazy I hear, butâŚI donât knowâŚa little crazy in my life doesnât seem so bad.â
âWeirdo.â
âSays the man in a dragon mask.â She shot back.
âSays the girl in theâŚwhatâs your mask supposed to be?â She rolled her eyes at him.
âStardust.â
âRiiight.â He was obviously unconvinced. Or unimpressed. She couldnât tell. âAnd thatâs somehow not as strange as a dragon mask?â
âThereâs no point in arguing over this.â
âWhich means  I won.â
âWhich means neither one of us won.â
âI win!â
âNo!â God, he was so childish! And she was stooping to his level.
It wasâŚstrangely fun.
They teased each other, shooting insults and childish whines back and forth. She found herself enjoying the party again. The pump of the music was exhilarating instead of oppressive. The power in the air seemed to add spark instead of putting weight on her shoulders. It wasnât so much like one of her fatherâs parties when she was laughing and having a good time playfighting with a man she didnât even know the true face of, nor his name. Time passed, and she somehow coaxed the Dragon to the dancefloor. He looked put out, but obliged her. The night came alive for her, filled with bright colors and magick.
It was a night to be remembered.
People started to trickle out at around three in the morning. Even with less people, it was still impossible to tell who was a member, and who was a hardcore partier. Lucy stayed, because Natsu seemed inclined to. She was tired, and her ankles were weeping, but it seemed wrong to end it so soon. And really, for around three-thirty in the morning, she felt great. She swore her new found friendâs energy transferred over to her. He never seemed to tire, never seemed to want to stop eating or arguing, or laughing. She was nearly brain dead with exhaustion by the time four hit, but some people were still going strong.
One girl, in a dress that looked suspiciously like armour, was still dragging people to the dancefloor, and torturing them with her insanely intense form of dancing. The blue-haired girl Lucy had met earlier was still going strong too, even if the darker-haired friend of hers was snoozing on the table. More and more people left, and most revealed themselves as non-members by openly asking when theyâd receive notices on whether or not they made it in. None of the members revealed themselves to answer. Instead, one of the waitstaff kindly told them that those who asked that Fairy Tail was considering membership for some people.
It was still impossible to tell what Fairy Tail was looking for.
So Lucy just partied. There was nothing she could do to ensure membership, though a thousand scenarios were reviewed and rejected in her mind. She didnât want to screw this up.
It wasnât until five A.M. hit that no amount of laughter or annoying pokes from her dragon friend could keep Lucy from falling asleep. She simply curled up next to a barstool, and using it as a pillow, dreamt of faeries.
âHey, weird chickie, wake up!â Something was prodding her forehead. It was annoying but no matter how much she swatted it away, it wouldnât stop.
âGo away.â
âDonât be mean! Donâcha wanna know who made into Fairy Tail?â Finally, the voice of the pink-haired friend she made last night got through. Blinking open heavy eyes, she stared into the familiar gold flecked green eyes that had lit up with laughter last night.
âHi.â She muttered, her back stiff as a board and her neck cramped and twisted.
ââBout time.â His face stretched into a grin. It dawned on her that his mask was gone. âNameâs Natsu, by the way. Natsu Dragneel.â
âUm, Iâm Lucy.â She cracked her neck and sat up. People milled about, party attire in various states of removal. âWait, did you say something about who made it in?â
âYeah, you weirdo. Thought youâd wanna know.â Natsu offered her a hand up. âBut take off the goofy mask, would ya?â Rolling her eyes, Lucy obliged. It was uncomfortable anyway. It was a relief to take it off. She sighed in relief, cracking her back. She was not used to sleeping with a barstool pillow. Someone handed her some water, and she drank it gratefully.
âSo, did you get in Natsu?â Lucy asked when the water was gone. Something wicked passed over his face. He tapped his shoulder, where a red Fairy Tail emblem lived.
âIâve been in Fairy Tail for years.â Lucyâs jaw dropped open. Itâd always been a possibility that Natsu was a memberâŚbut sheâd forgotten about it while they were talking. It didnât seem to matter.
âOh.â Lucy cleared her throat. âOkay. So, who got in? Oh! I bet it was that dude last night that was showing off his earth magick. Or that girl that used light magick.â Honestly, thereâd been a lot of people with really cool magick and skills.
âYou talk a lot.â Someone informed her. She looked down to see a blue cat on two legs. Odd to say the least.
âUm. Thanks?â She wasnât sure if it was a compliment or not. âSo, seriously, who got in?â
âWell,â The blue haired girl Lucy had met last night skipped up. âI should explain what we were looking for. Iâm Levy by the way. Levy McGarden. Iâm sure you know that Fairy Tail is a veryâŚloud, noticeable guild. Weâre in the headlines a lot. We get a lot of people who want to join, only to find out that they canât handle our guild, not magick power wise, but personality wise. It takes a lot of stubbornness and fortitude to survive Fairy Tail. We figured the best way to find out, was to subject possible people to a party. A Fairy Tail party, slicked under a formal party. Of course, if someone walks in wanting to join, we wonât turn them away. But this seemed to be a good way of getting some new recruits quickly. We like meeting new people, and Era likes to see steady recruitment.â
âSo you guys were testing people by seeing how long they could party?â Magick power had nothing to do with it? Intelligence? Just party prowess?
This guild really was unlike any other.
âPretty much, yeah.â Natsu leaned against the counter, sniffing a drink Lucy hadnât seen set down.
âIt may seem unorthodox,â Levy continued. âBut weâre unorthodox, so it works. Weâve added a few people to the guild ranks! Including you!â
âWait, what?â Lucy thought sheâd heard wrong. Her mind had still been trying to catch up with what was going on. She shouldnât sleep against bar stools. It seemed to slow her brain down. âI got in?â
âWell you partied pretty much all night.â One of Levyâs companions said.
âAnd you survived Natsu.â Another man walked up. He had dark hair, and a necklace like a sword.
He also wasnât wearing anything save for his boxers and a tie.
âWhatâs that supposed to mean, Ice Pervert?â Natsu snapped out.
âIt means sheâs lucky you didnât blow her up, you pyro!â
âOh, donât start, boys.â A pretty women with silver hair glided up. Lucy recognized her instantly.
âMirajane.â She whispered to herself. Mira was still scolding the boys.
âLucy hasnât even officially joined yet,â Mira smiled but something about it told Lucy that as pretty as Mirajane was, she was still a member of Fairy Tail. âSo try to calm down.â
âYes, Mira.â The boys intoned, glaring at each other.
âHere, Lucy, letâs get your emblem!â Mira guided Lucy closer to the bar. Lucy couldnât believe it. She was actually going to join Fairy Tail. She couldnât wait to get her emblem! She had to find a place to live too. Oh, so many things to do! Her heart swelled.
She gladly got her emblem on her hand, pink as her flushed cheeks.
âWait, weâre going to have another party?â Lucy asked in shock when Mira and another girl began discussing plans.
âWell of course silly!â Mira looked over and beamed. âGotta welcome the newbies!â
âOh boy.â Lucy wondered if she had another night of partying in her. âCan at least change first? If weâre gonna party again, I think I want more normal clothes.
Sheâd just have to accept that nothing would be ânormalâ in her life again. Not in Fairy Tail at least.
She couldnât imagine it any other way. Even if another night of partying just might kill her.
A/N: Writing this destroyed my brain. It is now mush. This had better be worth it. XD
Rated: T for family death mentions and harsh language
Character(s): Lucy, Natsu/E.N.D.
Pairing(s): NaLu
Synopsis: âTrue, Iâm not the friend you know. But tell me thisâŚdoes that make me any less real?â You think you know who your friends are. You think you know all their quirks and habits. You think you know everything there is to know about themâŚbut what if you donât?
This world is a cruel place, isnât it? It broke you. It kept stealing from you. Taking advantage of you. It kept hurting you, over and overâŚitâŚproved to be more trying than you could imagine. You couldnât handle living in itâŚnot on your own.
âŚ
ButâŚyou donât need to worry anymore. Thatâs why Iâm here now.
I will keep you safe.
ââŚLucy, I think there might be something wrong with me.â
âHm?â Lucy looked up from her book, flicking her long golden locks behind her shoulders and gazing at him expectantly with her deep brown eyes. âSomething wrong? Like what?â
âWell, uhâŚâ Natsu bit his lip and averted his gaze. âThe thing isâŚrecently, Iâve been forgetting things. A lot.â
Lucy raised an eyebrow. âYouâve been forgetting things?â she repeated as she closed her book and set it down on her mattress. âWhat do you mean? What things?â
âItâs likeâŚâ Natsu raised a hand and brushed his unruly pink bangs out of his dark eyes, his gaze still cast downward. âThere are times when I forget what I did, kind of likeâŚIâd remember going to school and going to all my classes and things, butâŚIâd forget what I did after my last class got out, and the next thing I know, Iâm home and awake in bed the next morningâŚlike the rest of that day was totally wiped from my head. I donât remember what I did in between walking home from school and being awake in my bed the next morning, and Iâm exhausted every time it happensâŚâ He let out a shuddering sigh, his expression uneasy. âAnd honestlyâŚitâs kind of been freaking me out. Itâs been happening a lot, especially really recentlyâŚand Iâm not sure what to do about it.â
ââŚOhâŚâ Lucy crossed her arms and frowned. âThatâs oddâŚwhen did you start noticing this? Have you talked to anyone else about it?â
Natsu let his hand drop, which made his bangs fall over his eyes again. âIâŚhavenât talked about this to anyone else,â he confessed, backing into the opposite wall and sliding down to the ground. âI didnât think anyone else would believe meâŚyouâre the only one who knows about this.â He began playing with the zippers on his black jacket absently as he continued, âAndâŚI first noticed this happening a couple months agoâŚa little bit after the funeral.â
âThe funeralâŚâ Lucy paused, trying to gather her thoughts. âWait, so it started after the accident?â She shook her head once. âItâs been going on for this long, but you havenât told anyone?â
Natsu shifted his attention from his jacket to his white scale-patterned scarf. âMaybeâŚI donât know. All I know is that I noticed it happening a few days afterward.â Natsu raised his free hand and gripped his forehead, his jaw tightening noticeably. âLucyâŚdo you think, maybeâŚa-am I going crazy?â
Lucy wasnât sure what she should say. âNatsu, I donâtââ
âItâs okay if you say yes,â he interrupted, lowering his hand and raising his gaze to hers in earnest. âI just want to know what you think about this. Because if you think I am, Iâll go see someone.â
Lucy bit her lip. Of all the things⌠âIâIâm sorry, butâŚI really donât know what to say, Natsu,â she admitted. âAll this just sounds so weirdâth-thatâs not to say that I think youâre going crazy,â she added hurriedly, noticing his crestfallen expression, âbutâŚmaybe itâs a side effect from the accident? You didnât exactly get out of it unscathed, soâŚmaybe thatâs why youâre having these memory gaps.â
Natsu looked uncertain. âYou think so?â
âWell, itâs only a theory, so I canât really say much else than thatâŚâ She played with the hem of her denim shorts as she tried to collect her thoughts. âHow often does this happen?â
He hesitated. âUmâŚpretty much every day now,â he replied in a mumble. âIt used to be just every so oftenâŚlike once or twice a week. But itâs gotten really bad the last couple weeks, and Iâm worried.â He smiled in a defeated manner. âI guessâŚthe accident really messed me up, huhâŚâ
Lucy leaned forward and asked reproachfully, âYou canât possibly be blaming this on yourself, right? Itâs not like the crash was your fault.â
Natsuâs smile faded. âIt might as well have been.â
âBut itâs not!â she insisted. âThatâs why itâs called an accident, Natsuâit was no oneâs fault!â
âIt wouldnât have even happened if I hadnât run away!â Natsu snapped, his voice shaking. âIf I hadnât been such a wimp and just stayed homeâthey wouldnât have had to go out to look for me, and they wouldnât haveâ!â He buried his face in his hands. âItâs hard enough being reminded of it constantly by the news and people that keep asking me about itâI have to deal with the fact that I got my brain messed up and my dad and brother killed!â His speech came more haltingly as his voice grew hoarser. âI justâI wish people would stop treating that accident like someâsome media spectacle! People fucking died, Goddamn it! What is wrong with peopleâŚ?!â
Lucy couldnât think of any worthwhile response. It wouldnât have sounded genuine, even to herselfâŚnone of that couldâve been comfortable in any sense. It was true that he shouldnât have run away to start withâŚbut the accident hadnât been his fault. He hadnât caused it, after all.
Then again, it wasnât like she could completely empathize with Natsuâs situation. She wasnât even sure what to think about his memory problem.
ââŚIâm sorry,â she said at last. âI guess I shouldnât have said anythingâŚâ
Natsu sighed heavily, his hands slipping off of his face and revealing a weary expression. âNahâŚyouâre right, actually. I know in my head that itâs not my fault.â He chuckled once humorlessly. âI just have a hard time believing it, is all.â
âButâŚâ
âItâs fine, really.â Natsu grunted as he got to his feet and fixed his gaze on her as he asked, âHeyâŚcan I ask you a favor?â
Lucy blinked. âU-um, sure,â she stammered, caught off-guard. âWhat is it?â
âSorry to bother you with this, butâŚâ He offered a hand. ââŚWill you follow me around for the rest of the day?â
âH-hang on, what?â Lucy rose to her feet in surprise. âFollow you around? Why? Itâd only make the both of us look creepyâŚâ
âI know,â he answered, his expression taut. âButâŚI mean, I know itâs going to happen again, andâŚI probably wonât remember anything after this tomorrow, so I want you to be there so you can tell me what I did. Or at least, tell me what happened.â He lowered his hand, his expression melting into a careful blankness. âYou donât have to, but I feel likeâŚthis way, half of my life wonât feel like a constant blank.â
âOhâŚâ Lucy nodded after a moment of silence. âA-all right, thenâŚIâll follow you. And tomorrow, Iâll tell you everything that happened.â
Natsu smiled in gratitude. âThanks a million,â he said as he turned the doorknob on Lucyâs bedroom door and pushed it open. âWell, then; after you.â
As per Natsuâs instructions, Lucy made sure to keep a safe distance away as she followed him that day. She dutifully kept to her word, and she didnât let him out of her sightâbut she had to admit that it was a dull way to spend her day. What was the point of being with her best friend the whole day if she couldnât even talk to him?
Most of the day seemed relatively normalâor, at the least, as normal as it could be while stalking her best friend, because Natsu had done nothing out of the ordinary so far. Since it was the weekend, he was spending most of his time at home, going out occasionally to shop for groceries and such (since Natsu was over eighteen, he was permitted to keep his home after his father died). And since she couldnât enter his house, she had to peek on him from outsideâwhich mustâve looked perfectly upstanding to the passersby.
âŚYes, people were definitely going to talk about this later.
Lucy sighed to herself from her spot behind a thick row of colorful snapdragon flowers in Natsuâs front yard, internally cringing at all the flak she just knew that she was going to receive for this not-exactly-low-profile stalking of a cute guy once the day was over with. Sheâd been at this almost all dayâthe sky was beginning to show hints of pink and orange, and a gust was picking up now. Of course, she could just tell people that Natsu had asked her to follow him around, but no one would believe that. Or theyâd jump to the wrong conclusion and believe that Natsu was that desperate for (even more) attention. Or they would just spin it into a completely different story that would serve to only humiliate them even more.
The sound of the front door opening pulled Lucy out of the terrible daydreaming sheâd unwittingly subjected herself to, and she looked up just in time to see Natsu exit the house. He walked briskly down to the sidewalk and then up the blockâhe clearly had a destination in mindâŚbut this late in the day?
Lucy emerged from behind the flowers once Natsu was out of sight and hurried catch him again before he escaped. He was some distance away, close to crossing over to the next block, still maintaining that brisk pace from before. Lucy had to jog to keep up with him and keep him from disappearing on her.
Natsu, where on Earth are you going? Lucy wondered to herself, a sense of unease settling upon her the longer she followed him. The breeze was picking up now, and the chill cut straight through her jacket, making her shiver slightly. The cold air whipped against her face and made it difficult to keep her eyes open.
Pretty soon, theyâd left the residential area and had entered the local city park, which was virtually empty now since it had gotten lateâthe sky above them was a brilliant shade of red-orange thanks to the waning sun, and shadows stretched back eerily in its light.
It wasnât until theyâd reached the central clearing of the parkâan enormous, wide-spanning tree acting as the centerpieceâthat Natsu finally came to a halt. It was so abrupt that Lucy almost tripped in her effort to avoid getting too close, and thenâ
âHey, you.â
Lucy flinched at the sound of his voice, which had gone low. Natsuâs back was still turned to her.
âY-yeah?â Lucy tried to regain her bearings. Something wasnât rightâŚhad Natsu always been this abrasive?
âNow that weâre finally alone, I got a question for you.â Natsu finally turned around to face her. âDo you have any specific reason youâre following me, or are you just being creepy?â He was eyeing her critically. She could see an intensity burning in his eyes that she was sure had never been there beforeâŚand it made her nervous. âWell? Which is it?â
âWhaââ Wait, that couldnât be rightâŚhe couldnât have forgotten his own request, right? âWhatâre you talking about? You asked me to follow you around today!â
He looked baffled. âSince when? I havenât even seen you until today.â
âŚThis was getting seriously weird. âThis isnât funny, Natsu,â she began, doing her best to keep her voice as even as possible. âI remember you specifically asking me to follow you around all day. I donât know if itâs just you forgetting what happened, but Iââ
Natsu interrupted her with a groan and a palm to the face. âUgh, waitâŚI see what this is,â he muttered. âThat explains quite a few things. He blabbed to you about me, didnât he?â
Lucyâs heart leapt once in trepidation. âWhatâwhatâre you talking about? Who blabbed to me about who? It was clearly you!â
âNow hold on a second.â Natsu raised a hand to stop her, and Lucyâs own thoughts faltered at the gesture. âLetâs try to get things straight here, yeah? Seems like weâre both confused at whatâs going on.â
Lucy took a step back. Confusion levels were definitely spiking now. âH-huh?â
âFirst things first.â He singled out his index finger as an indication, staring at her intently. âSorry for the confusion, but Iâm not NatsuâŚor at least, not the one you know.â
âYouâwait, youâreâŚnot Natsu?â Lucyâs thoughts were spinning so wildly that she felt nauseous. âH-hang onâif thatâsâthen whatâsâ?!â
Natsu made a face. âGeez, lady; breathe. Youâre freaking me out.â
âIâm freaking you out?!â
âAnyway,â he continued, ignoring her, âI guess he technically didnât blab about me, specifically. He doesnât know about me, after allâŚbut I guess he noticed something was up.â He raised an eyebrow. âOh, and I technically am Natsu, by the by. Just not the side that you know.â
This was only serving to confuse her even more. What in the world was happening? âYâknow,â she noted breathlessly, âyouâre still not really helping with the whole confused beyond belief thing here.â
Natsu(?) scoffed. âPlease; itâs not that confusing. Youâre just having a hard time believing it, am I right?â
Lucy bit her lip. She had the sinking feeling that he was right, but she wasnât about to tell him that.
âCan you just explain to me one thing?â she asked. âIâm still trying to wrap my head around this. I mean, the real Natsuâs going to want to hear about this later, soââ
âWell, isnât that a bit harsh.â He crossed his arms and glared at her, shutting her up. He almost lookedâŚinsulted? âAre you calling me fake?â
âWhâI never said that!â she protested. âAll I meant wasââ
âBut youâre clearly implying it, yes?â Natsu (he was still Natsu, right?) wouldnât tone down his glare. Lucy felt about ready to disintegrate under its intensity, and her instincts were screaming at her DANGER! She tried to ignore it, because she knew that there was no way her best friend would actually hurt herâŚright? âTrue, Iâm not the friend you know. But tell me thisâŚdoes that make me any less real?â He then unwound his arms and stepped closer to her, and Lucy had to fight the urge to run as he leaned in so closely that she could see the flecks of gray in his eyes. âIs this all a dream to you? A hallucination? Are you talking to someone thatâs imaginary? Someone whoâs not real?â He pulled back enough so that she could see his face and grinned slyly. âOr perhaps youâre the one thatâs going crazy.â
This was unbelievable. Lucy backed away the moment she gathered her wits, her heart pounding madly. Oh, God; was she blushing? âCan you just please explain yourself?â she hissed, trying to control her heart. Damn it; this was not the time for this. âIf you really arenât the Natsu that I know, thenâthen who are you? And donât just give me the Iâm technically Natsu excuse,â she added heatedly, prompting him to blink in surprise. âIâd like a clear-cut answer to give to my friend tomorrow, if you donât mind. So give it to me straight!â
He didnât respond for a moment, still wearing that bewildered expression from before. He looked at a loss for wordsâand then he let out a chuckle.
âWell, I suppose I do owe you an explanation.â He then stared down at himself and sighed resignedly, his expression growing noticeably softer. âAnd by all accounts, he does deserve to knowâŚit is his life, after all.â
Lucy frowned. ââŚWhat?â
âHeh, never mind me.â He then stuffed his hands into his pockets and strode straight past her. âAnyway, itâs getting cold. Why donât we talk about this at his place?â
The walk to Natsuâs house was incredibly awkwardâbut that was nothing compared to the actual conversation.
The moment they entered his home, Natsu began flicking on the lights, turning on the heater, and hanging up his jacket on the coat rack next to the front door, as if he owned the place. Though Lucy supposed that he technically did, it just wasnât himâŚshe stopped herself. She didnât want to suffer through another headache.
âWell, make yourself at home,â he offered, indicating the couches in the sparse living room as he headed into the kitchen. âIâll be with you in a moment.â
Lucy couldnât think of a response that wouldnât sound remotely embarrassing, so she just obliged without a word, taking a seat on one of the two-seaters. She ran her fingers through the velvety surface of the couch, her thoughts beginning to wander. Some part of her was wishing that all this was a dream, butâŚwell, she couldnât really say, even to herself. It had just been a really surreal evening so far, and she wasnât sure how much weirder it would get once their conversation actually started.
This person definitely wasnât the Natsu that she knew and called her best friend. That was what weirded her out so much about this whole situation. Even after getting an answer, how in the world was she to explain this?
âHot chocolate?â
The words pulled her out of her thoughts. She looked up and saw that Natsu was offering a mug of it to her.
âOhâum, thanks,â she said, taking the mug. It felt warm to the touch.
âI apologize if itâs too sweet,â he said as he sat opposite of her on the other two-seater couch. âI was never great shakes at preparing food or drinks.â
âI-itâs okay.â Lucy blew on the hot chocolate and took a careful sip. It tasted perfectly fine to her. âDonât worry; it tastes fine.â
He looked relieved. âWell, thatâs good to hear. Didnât want to accidentally poison you.â
âOf course you didnât.â She turned the mug around in her hands carefully, her thoughts wandering yet again as she warmed up her cold fingers. âSo, umâŚâ
âIâll get right down to it,â he said, with hints of laughter in his tone. âItâs kind of difficult to explain, so Iâm sorry if I confuse you further.â
âI really couldnât be more confused than I already am, to be honest,â she muttered out loud without meaning to. She probably shouldâve kept that to herself, but she couldnât really bring herself to care that it slipped out.
âIâd be worried if it didnât.â He placed an elbow on the closest arm rest. âSo to start, you want me to tell you who I really am, yes?â
Lucy nodded firmly. âWithout any riddles or word games, please,â she said. âCut straight to the chase.â
âRight to the point! I like that.â He straightened slightly with a knowing grin. âThough reallyâŚI really am Natsu. Not sure what else I can say to you about that to convince you.â
âYeah, you said that before,â she sighed, taking another sip of the hot chocolate before continuing. âWhat exactly do you mean by that? You said that you are Natsu, but not the one that I know. Am I missing something here?â
âWellâŚyes, to put it mildly,â he said with a chuckle. âI guess the more accurate phrasing is that Iâm his mask, so to speak.â
Lucy felt her brow knitting together in confusion. âHisâŚmask?â
âBasically.â
âSoâŚin other words, youâre just a face that he puts on?â
âWellâŚIâm more than just a face.â He raised a hand. âI mean, itâs the same face. But itâs more like Iâm a  front that he puts up around people.â His expression darkened. âAnd considering the circumstances surrounding the accident that he suffered, who wouldnât? The trauma was heavy.â
âIâI seeâŚâ Lucy set down the mug onto the coffee table in front of her. âBut a mask is something you put on consciously, right? Wouldnât he know about you, if thatâs the case?â
âHe probably would, if this was a normal case.â He sighed as he crossed his arms. âBut itâs not. His brain basically pulled me out unconsciously in order to deal with the pain. When people are hit with trauma, their minds come up with the best defense mechanism they can use to combat it.â
ââPulled you out?â You meanâŚ?â
He nodded. âI was always there. Buried deep. Iâve always been a core part of his personality, butâŚwell, the accident caused his mind to cut me out into a separate entity.â He tapped his forehead with a finger. âThatâs why he doesnât remember anything that happens while Iâm conscious. Itâs because Iâm here to take the brunt of the stress so that he doesnât feel it. In other wordsâŚIâm not just his mask.â He grinned wearily. âIn a way, Iâm also his shield. Protecting him from the world that kept on hurting him.â
Lucy could hardly breathe. Now it all made a whole lot more sense in her mindâŚthe memory lapses, the exhaustion, the fear that he was actually âgoing crazyââŚNatsu wasnât going crazy. There was just one more of him now that his body had to deal with.
ââŚWowâŚâ she murmured. âSo thatâs what it isâŚâ
âIn a nutshell.â
âThenâŚâ Lucy smiled in spite of herself. âI guess I should say thank you.â
He raised an eyebrow quizzically. âFor what?â
âWellâŚyou said you were his shield, right? I should thank you for taking care of him.â
âYou give me too much credit.â He sighed and straightened. âBesides, youâre mistaken. Iâm not doing it on my own.â
Lucy tilted her head slightly in confusion. âWhat does that mean?â
âThat is to sayâŚâ He smiled knowingly. âIâm not the only one on the job.â
Lucy just sat there and stared at him blankly for about half a minute before sighing heavily. âThere you go again being all cryptic.â
âOh, but Iâm not.â He jabbed a finger in her direction, making her start in surprise. âThere are more people helping him deal with that accident than you think. You just donât know it yet.â
Lucy batted his hand away and looked at him patronizingly. âYouâre still not making any sense.â
âIt will eventually.â He then blinked, as if a thought just occurred to him. âOh, that remind me.â He leaned forward curiously. âWhatâs your name again? I donât think I ever got it.â
Lucy felt all the color drain out of her face in her disbelief. She was just about ready to face fault. She couldnât believe that theyâd gone the entire evening without her ever mentioning her name.
âI-itâs Lucy,â she answered, her cheeks flaming. âWow, Iâm sorryâI probably shouldâve introduced myself firstââ
âNo; no! Itâs all good; donât worry about it.â He grinned. âSo youâre nameâs Lucy, huh? Was that all that you wanted to hear from me?â
âY-yeahâŚI think thatâs all.â She tried to calm herself down, and just about managed toâuntil another thought struck her and made her bury her face in her hands. ââŚOh, man.â
âWhatâs wrong?â
âI really shouldâve recorded a video of our conversation,â she complained, letting her hands drop onto her thighs. âHow am I supposed to get Natsu to believe something like this just by telling him about it?â
He shrugged. âWhy not record one right now?â he asked matter-of-factly.
âBut what would be the point?â she moaned. âRecording now would defeat the purpose of this whole conversation!â
He waved her down. âRelax, itâll be fine. Listen; how about I just explain to him what I just explained to you on video? Iâve been meaning to say a few things to him, anyway.â He paused before amending his statement. âAnd by explaining, I mean the abridged version. So that I donât fry his poor brain.â
âUhhâŚâ Lucy crossed her arms and stared off into space as she wracked her mind for the analogy. âYou mean his brain, which is also your brain?â
He stared at her blankly. âLetâs try not to get technical with the terminologies here, Lucy,â he said at last.
âI try really hard not to, but I just canât help it. Itâs just soââ
âYes, yes; I know. Crazy, weird, ridiculous, unbelievable, among other assorted adjectives describing something unusual. Just get recording, please; Iâm getting tired.â
It was one thing to learn that her friend was in fact actually two people. It was a completely different thing having to break said fact to said friend via the other half of his friend.
âŚGood grief; even her train of thought was muddled because of that experience.
Natsu had wasted no time calling her the next morning to report of her findings. They arranged to meet at her homeâwhich was thankfully empty for the day because both of her parents had already gone out for work by the time sheâd woken upâto talk about all that had happened.
Quite frankly, she was all-in-all relieved that sheâd recorded a video so that she wouldnât have to do the explaining.
Hardly ten minutes after their phone call, Lucy heard her doorbell ring.
She sighed as she rose to her feet and headed to the door. Well, there he isâŚThis was definitely going to be awkward in all respects.
Lucy opened the doorâand sure enough, Natsu was standing there, looking breathless. His pink hair was even more frazzled and messy than usual, he had dark circles under his eyes, and both his mint-green long-sleeve shirt and beige jeans were rumpled. He didnât even have his scarf on. In other wordsâŚ
âYou look like a mess,â she remarked. âI meanâŚmore than usual. You okay, Natsu?â
âWhat?â He looked down at himself. âSorry, I know I donât look so great, butââ He looked to her frantically. ââI mean, you can tell me what happened, right?â
Lucy shifted her gaze and bit her lip. âWell, yeahâŚkind of.â
Natsuâs expression went slack in confusion at her response. âW-waitâŚwhat does that mean? I didnât do anything weird, did I?â He blanched. âOr waitâŚdid I do something illegal? Or something horrible? Or maybe Iââ
âN-no, no, Natsu; itâsâitâs nothing like that!â Lucy winced internally. She shouldâve been smarter with her response. âJustâŚjust wait, okay? Youâll see what I mean in a bit.â She stepped aside so that he could enter. âBut for now, come inside.â
Natsu gave her an odd look, but he obliged. Lucy couldnât settle the hyperactive mosh pit of butterflies in her stomach at what was about to happenâŚhow would Natsu react to this reveal?
âSit down,â she instructed him, indicating the living room sofas.
âUhâŚokay.â He looked apprehensive as he obeyedâand really, she couldnât blame him. She had to be acting strangely, at least in his eyes. âMind telling me what happened?â
Lucy sighed and settled down next to him, her phone in her hands already queued up to the aforementioned video. He looked between her phone and her face quizzically.
âSoâŚwhatâs the last thing you remember?â she asked him, making him start.
âOh, umâŚâ He scratched his head. âI remember going out to shop for food during the afternoon, and thenâŚI came home.â He pressed his lips into a thin line. ââŚTh-thatâs all.â
âAll right, thenâŚâ So it had been some time before heâd left the house without warning⌠âAnywayâŚI recorded this for you.â She held out her phone toward Natsu, who took it curiously. âI watched you all day, like you asked me to. I only remembered to record what happened pretty late in the day, so itâs not really the meat of what happened, butâŚwellâŚjust watch the video. Youâll see what I mean.â
Lucy could feel her heart hammering in her chest as Natsu tapped the screen to play the video file.
âOkay, Iâm recording now,â her own voice sounded from behind the slightly shaky camera, which was showing Natsu lounging on his own couch. âStart whenever youâre ready.â
âThose phones should really have alert noises to let people know that theyâre recording,â the Natsu in the video complained.
âQuit whining and talk already,â Lucy heard herself scold him. âYou said you were tired!â
âAll right; all right.â She kept her eyes fixed on the video, which was now showing Natsu sighing before leaning back and crossing his legs. She wasnât quite ready to see what Natsuâs reaction would be like until after the video was over.
âWell, then,â he began with a friendly smile. âIf youâre watching this, other me, then hello there! Nice to finally talk to you, even if itâs only possible through this video. Iâll cut right to the chase, because Iâm going to guess that youâre really confused right about now.â Video-Natsu raised a hand. âYou know those memory gaps that youâre so worried about? Well, those are because I tend to pop up randomly to take your place sometimes. Sorry about that; Iâm not trying to freak you out. So relax, youâre not going crazy or anything. You just have two people living in your head; thatâs all. No biggie, right?â He lowered his hand and uncrossed his legs, his expression becoming pensive. âAnd the reason for that, wellâŚitâs because of the accident you were in. Your brain did a sort of âwhoa, screw thisâ thing and pulled me to the surface to block out the trauma, and thatâs why I just come out at random times. I donât hijack you on purpose or anything like thatâŚnot that I would even if I could do something like that to start with.â He chuckled once. âBecause who am I to steal your life, huh? Iâm just a part of your head that your brain decided to make in order to keep itself from going kaput. I probably shouldâve let you know that I was a thing sooner, but then again, I wouldnât have gotten to meet your friend otherwise.â Video-Natsu then smiled warmly. âAnd that brings me to my next pointâŚIâve actually wanted to say a couple things to you ever since I first realized that I was in your head. I was never sure how to put it all into words, but now is better than never, as they say, right? I apologize in advance if any of this sounds awkward or corny, because it very well could sound that way to you.â
Lucy couldnât even imagine how surreal it must feel for Natsu at this moment in time, watching a video of himself that he didnât remember recording, talking about things that he never couldâve dreamed. She was still afraid to see his reaction, however, so she desisted from looking. She could still feel his tension, which was rolling off of him so strongly that Lucy felt uncomfortable sitting there next to him, but she didnât move.
âSo like I said before, Iâm here because your brain thought it was necessary to protect itselfâand by extension, protect you,â Video-Natsu was saying. âAnd thatâs all I amâIâm just a mask it forces you to wear, a front that your brain conjured up. Rest assured that I didnât ask for this. How could I, since I didnât even exist until after the accident? Just wanted to clear that up before you jump to any conclusions.â He then sighed and stared off into space for several seconds before returning his fatigued gaze to the camera and continuing, âWellâŚI guess I should really just get to the point. Iâm about ready to pass out.â
It was coming now. This was the moment of truth. Lucy had to work to avoid turning away.
âNatsu,â Video-Natsu said, his words firm, âI just want you to know that youâve got an amazing life ahead of you. Youâve got me. Youâve got friends that care about you. I know that youâve had to suffer quite a bit in such a short span of time, but donât let the media or insensitive gossip from strangers bother you. They donât understand your experience, because they donât want to understand the whys and hows. They only care about the whos and whatsâand itâs not something worth stressing about. Trust me; theyâll eventually forget about this, and the craze will die down to a tolerable level.â He flashed another smile at the camera. âBesides, youâre a strong guy. Youâre a survivor. Youâre a fighter. I hope that lifeâs ups and downs wonât trick you into forgetting any of that, so donât let it get to you. You can do this.â He then held out a fist toward the cameraâa fist bump. âTo be honest, I donât know how often Iâll pop out from now on after you see this. I might not come back at all; who knowsâŚall I know is that Iâll be sticking around so long as you need me as your shield.â He pulled his fist back and promptly flipped it into a thumbs up. âOne of these days, you wonât need me anymoreâin which case, Iâll become you, and youâll be back to being me, like you used to be. Youâll take back the mask that your brain stole away and gave its own identityâand youâll be able to face the world without my help. And I donât know about you, but I, for one, will be looking forward to the day that happens.â He glanced away briefly before looking back at the camera contritely. âDang, itâs gotten late. I guess Iâll be going then; you really need your rest.â He waved. âAll right; stay strong, other me! Youâve got this!â
The video ended.
The silence was heavy in the air. Neither of them spokeâLucy was afraid of breaking the silence, and she still wasnât sure if she wanted to see Natsuâs reaction.
But then Natsu spoke.
ââŚHeyâŚLucy?â
Lucy flinched, not having expected him to speak. âY-yeah? What is it?â It was at this point that she finally lifted her gazeâNatsuâs expression was unreadable. If anything, that was even more unnerving than a visible reaction.
âCan youâŚsend me a copy of this video?â
His voice was understatedâquiet, but loud enough so that it couldnât be called a whisper. He sounded as if he was on the verge of breakingâwhich seemed odd to Lucy.
âOhâŚsure.â She looked on in concern. âIsâŚis everything all right?â
Natsu nodded once and gave her a small smile. âYeahâŚI think so. Iâm okay.â
Lucy wasnât so sure, but the look in his eyes dissuaded her from pressing further. ââŚIf you say so.â She hesitated. âButâŚwhy do you want a copy of the video?â
âWellâŚâ He handed her phone back to her. âI think itâll work great as a reminder.â His smile faded. âI didnât thinkâŚwell, I guess no one thinks that theyâd end up being their own big brother they never knew they had, right?â He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs and training his gaze to the ground. âIt was almost like I was getting lectured by my younger self. Kinda humbling, yâknow. Stuff like this typically doesnât happen every day.â
Lucy simply nodded. Any verbal response wouldâve been redundant at this point.
âThanks, by the way.â
Lucy stared at the sudden words of gratitude. âH-huh?â
âIt had to have been weird for you, too, right? Him suddenly switching places with me like that.â
âO-ohâŚwell, yeah; I guess so.â Yes, rightâŚunlike Natsu, Lucy had to experience it first-hand. Sheâd found it hard to think about. âIt was definitely weird.â
âMustâve been.â Natsu raised a hand and clapped her on the shoulder with a grateful smile. âThanks for that, really. I owe you one.â
âIt was nothing,â she said quickly. âYou donât owe me anything just becauseââ
âI say I do because I want to, Lucy,â he said, rising to his feet. âNot because I have to. So Iâll pay you back someday, even if you donât want me to.â
Lucy followed suit and trailed Natsu to the front door, protesting, âNatsu, I really donât want you to go out of your wayââ
âYouâre not going to change my mind.â Natsu slipped his shoes back on and smiled at her as he took hold of the doorknob. âAnd if it makes you feel better, then I want you to do this every day to compensate. Next time you see me as him, tell him thanks from me. Be our go-between. You can do that, right?â
âUhââ Lucy tried to regain her bearings. âI, umââ
âSeriously, relax. Iâll be fine.â He turned the doorknob and swung open the door, letting the cool morning breeze sweep inside. âIâve got a pretty decent mask for the time being, anyway. Iâll manage.â He glanced back at her pointedly one last time. âDonât forget to send the video, yeah?â
All Lucy could do in response was nod mutely before he turned around and exited the house.
She wondered which of the two sheâd be speaking to next.
The truth is plainâthe world is a harsh place. Itâs a place where you have to struggle for survival. Itâs a place where when fighting through the trials, you have to conquer the hardships to move forward.
Life isnât all about victory. Itâs about experience. Stop to smell the roses. Appreciate every little thingâeven the misfortunesâŚespecially the misfortunes. They are your best teachers. Learn from them.
Pretty soon, you wonât need me anymore. But until thenâŚ
uhh i see there were some late submits (or at least less fics posted than authors listed), so does that mean their entries won't be accepted or something?
Ah no that's not it at all! Sorry about that -- the admins did not have time to post all entries last night. (Considering how the one posting is still under the command of her parents to go to bed XD) We will get them up around 4:30 pm Central Time today.
Lucy hadnât been to an event like this since running away from home. Home. Home? She thought about the word for a moment. Though she had many fond memories, dear and precious memories, made with her mother at the Heartfilia estate, it had stopped being a âhomeâ long before she ran away. She supposed that meant she needed to find an alternative expression to âI ran away from home.â Perhaps something more along the lines of âI escaped a stifling existence which kept me from practicing my life in the manner I saw fit, overseen by a distant parent only interested in my usefulness as a bartering chip in the business world.â Yeah. That seemed to sum things up pretty nicely.
But sheâd be lying through her teeth if she said this extravagant ball wasnât bringing back memories. Her feminine, princess side enthusiastically took in the tinkling crystal chandeliers, the gentle hum of genteel voices blended with the floating music of an orchestra, the air that seemed to shimmer around the attendees bejeweled and bedecked in finery fitting their stations as the rich and famous. And titled. Her father could be here, for all she knew. It was his kind of scene, filled with people he considered âworth his time.â Lucy grimaced at his treatment of other people, especially herself.
No matter how strong her princess side squealed, however, Lucy was even more satisfied to be there with her guild mates from Fairy Tail. Tonight, she wasnât a debutante to be fought over, pawed and discreetly prodded by men of all ages, and the victim of jealous eyes and remarks from other slighted girls. Tonight, she was a hired wizard, strong and capable of helping, a being who could act, not just a doll standing there prettily and waiting to be acted upon. Tonight, she was strong, bold, showing her true self to all those who had pandered and lied to her.
She shot her hands up to make sure her pretty red mask was firmly secured to her face. No one said she couldnât be bold and strong while hiding her face. And it wasnât like it was her choice, anyway. This was a masquerade. Everyone was wearing masks. It would be wrong of her to show her face when their client, Baron dâEtudes, had clearly declared it to be an event of secrecy and mysterious excitement. To disregard his wishes and efforts in planning this event by not wearing a mask would be the height of blatant rudeness.
âIsnât it so pretty, Lucy?â Levy asked, adjusting her own dainty cream colored mask. âIâve never been to an event like this before. Lucky weâre sharing this job, huh?â
The two girls stood in a curtained alcove upstairs, peeking through to see the wonderful sight over the banister. When Erza came out from dressing, they would descend the ornate stairs and begin their mingling with the guests.
âItâs very pretty,â Lucy agreed. She didnât mention anything about her having grown up in this world. The guild knew, but they kept the secret to themselves in respect to Lucyâs wishes. It was just not something sheâd felt the need to bring up elsewhere. That wasnât who she was any more. That was in the past. âWhat do you think is taking Erza so long? Youâd think that requipping into her gown and mask would mean she was the first one ready.â
âYeah, but she also is the one looking after the guys,â Levy reminded her friend.
âOh, yeah. The guys. Weâll probably never make it to the party.â
Levy laughed, but didnât say anything in disagreement. Natsu and Gray were an interesting duo, to say the least. Getting them to polish up, and, in Grayâs case, keep clothed, would be an event in and of itself. Especially since Natsu just wanted to go straight to eating. As hired security, itâs not even like they had a specific person to keep an eye out for. Just making sure things ran smoothly and people were safe. The chance of anyone attacking the baronâs estate wasnât high, but as a gathering of such rich and important people could be considered as a temptation to some more daring criminals, Baron dâEtudes had decided to err on the side of safety. He contacted the Fairy Tail guild due to its reputation as being the strongest guild. Lucy thought the man had made a severe tactical error when he asked Fairy Tail of all guilds to be the subtle, discrete undercover agents of safety at his fancy party held at his fancy estate. If Natsu and Gray started bickering, the whole place would come down around their ears.
âHey, is that Jet?â Lucy asked suddenly, pointing out a tall man with orange hair.
âYeah, I think it is. Does that mean the rest of the guys and Erza are already down there, too?â Levy demanded incredulously. âWhat happened to the plan of meeting up here?â
Lucy shrugged. It wouldnât be the first time a plan had fallen through on a whim. âYou know, I donât think Iâve ever seen Jet without that hat of his.â
âHe is attached to it, thatâs for sure,â Levy responded, then thought for a moment. âHeâs actually kind of cute.â
Before Lucy could accept or deny the statement, a gruff voice barked out from behind them, startling the both of them into an odd stance halfway between hugging each other in alarm and preparing to battle.
âI asked who you thought was cute,â Gajeel repeated, arms crossed. âSuch a pansy word.â
For once he wasnât taking advantage of the situation to make things more embarrassing for people, and Lucy was very grateful for that. He could have had lots to say about their âbattle skillsâ and being prepared to face danger.
Levy, however, wasnât taking his new disregard for Lucyâs embarrassments as a blessing. âSince when were you on this job, Gajeel?â
âSince there were no real fighters cominâ, thatâs when,â Gajeel said.
âAre you saying weâre all weak compared to you?â Levyâs hands were now on her cream and tangerine clad hips. She may be small, but she was a spitfire.
âDonât feel bad about it, shrimp.â
âWhat?!â
In an attempt to keep peace, and therefore maintain their cover, Lucy ventured a compliment. âGajeel, you clean up nicely.â
And he did. Dark suit, dark hair pulled back from his face with a dark headband, and garnet eyes glimmering through a dark mask. With his imposing height and pronounced muscles, he made quite the picture of tall, dark, handsome, and a taste of danger. Of course, the people who knew him knew there was more than a mere taste of danger in Gajeel.
The only response Lucy received in answer to her nicety, however, was a grunt. Levy was blushing, though. That was response enough for Lucy to be satisfied. Now she had something to tease her friend over when they were talking about the job later on, and Levy knew it, too, which was why she refused to look at either Gajeel or Lucy.
âI came to get ya,â Gajeel said after a moment. âThe others already went a different route. Yer the only ones left up here.â
Lucy sighed. âSo much for planning!â
The three of them entered into the fray, soon becoming just the girls once more when Gajeel split off from them to raid the food tables at the side of the room. After grabbing some drinks from a passing waiter, the girls began to wander about the room, chatting a little. When they reached a quiet corner, Levy commented quietly, âItâs weird not seeing pink on your hand.â
Looking down at her white gloved hand, Lucy agreed. âI know. But itâs hard to blend in and hide the fact youâre a wizard when youâre waving proof of it in peopleâs faces.â Theyâd all found ways to cover their guild marks for this mission. Luckily, gloves were acceptable at masked balls.
âBut you look gorgeous,â Levy continued. âRed really suits you. I thought youâd have gone for the pink gown, but red is definitely wow.â
âThank you. You look great, too.â Lucy felt gorgeous in this red gown of hers, with its off the shoulder sleeves, fitted waist, and flaring skirt that swished as she moved. She felt exotic. Levy looked like a delicacy in her creams and splashes of tangerine, like something youâd see on top of a fancy cake at a patisserie. And Lucy knew who sheâd like to stick up there along with her little friend. âBy the way, didnât Gajeel look rather dashing?â
She was rewarded with an outstanding blush from Levy. âWell, you canât tell me you havenât had your eyes peeled for a certain someone this whole time.â
âI donât know what youâre talking about.â
âSo who were you looking for then?â
âWe were hired, in case youâve forgotten, to be on the lookout for security purposes. I wasnât looking for Natsu.â
âI never said Natsuâs name,â Levy crowed in triumph.
âYouâre just cocky since youâve seen Gajeel, and itâs given your girly satisfaction a surge.â
âAnd youâre just sour since you havenât seen Natsu and so he hasnât been able to feast his eyes on you.â
âI didnât pick this dress to impress him!â Lucy insisted.
âSo whyâd you pick his favorite color instead of yours, then?â
Before Lucy could retort, some raucous laughter broke through to their conversation. âLetâs go check it out,â Lucy hurried, glad for the escape. Levy just snickered as they hustled along. They made their way over to a group of people gathered near the dancing crowds. Coming closer, they could hear some of the worst of it.
âOf all the guilds, Fairy Tail is the most uncouth of them all. Theyâre absolute maniacs, incapable of proper decorum or refinement.â
âDisgusting, to be sure.â
âAnd Iâll have nothing to do with any of them,â continued the first man. âWho would want to associate with their ilk?â
âCan their members even read?â laughed a third man.
Levy stiffened. Lucy would wager Levy could read more languages than that man could, and Freed would put many to shame with his books and learning.
âAll they can do is destroy. Perhaps Iâll call on them should I ever find myself in need for a demolition service.â
âImagine if some of them were to attend an event such as thisâŚâ the second man trailed off.
The first man almost choked on his drink. âI donât think I want to imagine that, thank you. Picturing their dancing methods, eating habits, and the destruction of clothing, goods, and quite possibly even people is sickening.â
Lucy was becoming rather angry at this point, but there wasnât much she could do without blowing their cover as Fairy Tail wizards themselves. She briefly gave thanks that Natsu wasnât around to hear this, since he was definitely the most protective of the guild and its reputation. Then again, knowing Natsuâs hearing⌠Oh, no. She looked around to find her worst fears confirmed. A head of pink hair atop of body quivering in barely suppressed anger was stalking towards the group of men. Sparing half a thought towards the fact Natsu looked very good in a suit, and that his tie and mask were incredibly close to the same shade as her dress, Lucy tried frantically to think of something that would stop this situation from becoming a train wreck.
âThere is that blonde mage, though. The celestial wizard. I wouldnât mind if shewere to come as my escort to a function or two.â
âShe is a beauty, isnât she? Maybe we can convince her to come and join the civilized world. I bet she wouldnât mind it once she met me,â laughed the first man again.
âOh, no!â Levy gasped, horrified.
âItâs alright, Levy,â Lucy sighed in longsuffering, taking a moment to place her gloved hand daintily against her cheek. âIâm used to it. With this beauty, itâs impossible to avoid, actually!â
Levy shook her head, saying, âI wasnât worried about you. They just made things so much worse. Everyone knows not to do that.â
âYou should be careful, though,â came a new voice from the right. It was a woman, red-haired and beautiful in her purple gown. And with an extra-large fan that could definitely double as a weapon, Lucy knew Erza had joined the fray. This could end well or very, very badly. âEveryone knows not to do that.â
âTo not do what?â Lucy asked, confused. Erza had repeated the exact same thing Levy had just said. But Natsu was getting closer, and she still had no solution to the impending disaster. Perhaps she should faint? It worked in all the novels.
Some light clapping sounded as the dance ended, and in the brief pause in music before the next song started, Lucy could have sworn she heard knuckles cracking in preparation for the punch. And was that Gajeel, too? Oh, no. Everyone was going to die, and theyâd never get paid. Theyâd never get paid, and those nasty men would be proven right. Theyâd be proven right, and Lucy would have no money, and with no money, sheâd have no rent money. Sheâd have no rent money, and therefore sheâd have no apartment anymore. Sheâd be homeless, a starving vagabond. Then the music came back. She knew this one. Lucy sent praises and thanks to all things holy, grabbed Levyâs arm and shoved her into Natsu who was now right beside them. âKeep him calm,â she ordered.
âBut youâre the one he-â
Lucy wasnât listening to Levyâs protests; she was already moving forward. If Levy could keep Natsu from exploding, they might be able to turn things out to their advantage. She put on her most beguiling smile and approached the first, and most slanderous, of the men whoâd spoken. Giving a small curtsy, she proffered a hand. âA dance?â
The manâs eyes showed surprise. It wasnât often a woman openly asked for a dance rather than hinting at her wishes to be asked. Lucy, however, had no time for such shenanigans. Levy was small in comparison to Natsu, and without use of her magic, Natsuâs muscles would probably win out in a fairly short amount of time. Besides, the man had basically already declared his desires to dance with her when speaking of her acting as his date events such as these. She was really just accepting the offer heâd unwittingly made.
âYou know this dance, mâlady?â the man asked.
âWhy donât you see for yourself, sir?â
The man, who was very handsome from what Lucy could see of his face, smiled in return of the challenge, accepting her hand and whirling her out to the floor. This was a dance full of complicated steps, varying tempos, intricate moves, and minute details. It was generally played only once an evening, and not many people actually participating, instead choosing to use it as a breather and a chance for drinks without missing out on the opportunity to âreally danceâ to a calmer song. That meant Lucy had longed to step these steps from the sidelines of the ballroom too many times over the years. This was a dance that moved and excited her. And now she would finally dance it. Her heart was already racing.
âWhatâs he doinâ?â she could hear Natsu demanding in the background.
âNatsu, calm down! He doesnât know!â Levy replied, holding onto his arm to keep him from going anywhere.
âThat doesnât make it okay for-â
âAt a masked ball, it is impossible for him to be aware of all the facts,â Erza cut him off.
Lucy shut out their voices, ignoring him and everyone else besides her partner. The songâs introduction was ending, and man placed one hand behind his back and another around her waist.
And they started. He pushed her back, leading with confidence. Lucy followed his cues, but did so meeting his eyes with pride, feminine grace, and utter charm. The man faltered a little in his step, but pulled himself together quickly. His eyes sparked with interest. Lucyâs self-esteem was boosted, just a little, by the fact she had so easily won over this snobbish man. She would show him what Fairy Tail was capable of, even off the battlefield. It had been a while since sheâd danced at all, let alone something this complicated, but she was fiercely proud of her guild, and she was just as determined to stand up for her family as Natsu. She would just do it without punching anyone.
As she spun around, Lucy could feel her skirt lifting with the motion, flaring out before twisting back in closely to her body as the skirt continued to move when she slowed. Her feet delicately picked around her partnerâs and they stepped between, behind, forward, and back, spinning and pausing. The music was beautiful, full of life and fire. She smiled brilliantly. She loved this dance! She loved the pull and push, the give and take of dance partnership. And, despite being a total loser when it came to his conversational opinions, this handsome man was surprisingly good at keeping his hands in respectable positions along her waist and lower back, though there were many opportunities for a little grabbing here and there.
They were alone on the floor now, just the pair of them dancing. Everyone else was watching the rare performance. And Lucy definitely didnât mind attention. She was used to it, being as beautiful as she was. Her guild mates, especially Happy, enjoyed making fun of her vanity at times. But it didnât change the fact that Lucy knew she was gorgeous, and she knew she had talents. This was something she could do to stand up for her guild that no one else could, even though they were all stronger mages than her. Her love for her family fueled her energy and steps. She felt like she could just fly right now, fly off like a spark of light and burst with happy satisfaction.
The music finally slowed, then came to a stop. Lucy, dipped forward in her finishing curtsy, was breathing deeply. What a workout! Maybe she needed to do some more aerobics; she would talk to Capricorn about adding that to her regimen. At least her partner was equally winded. That was something to make her feel a little better. While she was at adding items to her to-do list, she wondered if she could ever get Natsu to learn this dance with her. A pattern of steps aligned with fiercely beautiful music surging to the beat of life: Natsu embodied that same description. A gentle pull on her hand brought her up and out of her thoughts from her partner in the guild to her partner in the dance. When her eyes met his, she was gratified to find his gaze full of respect and appreciation. Now that was what she wanted to see!
âThank you for the dance, sir,â Lucy smiled. Pulling her hand from his, she began her glide off the dance floor as the audience clapped politely. She held her head high, hands clasped before her, taking tiny steeps in that even pacing that had been pounded into her head time and again in training and lessons. It had been a while since leaving home, but she still knew how to be a proper debutante if she wanted to be.
âWait!â She heard some footsteps following after her. âWhatâs your name?â
She didnât stop moving; her eyes had met Grayâs and he was frantically directing her to look to the left. Glancing over, she didnât see much of note, just that the crowd was moving into the dance space a little in preparation for the next dance.
âWho are you, mâlady?â her dance partner called out again, grabbing for her arm. She turned to face him, but looking down to see his hand wrapped tightly around her wrist in much the same manner as Natsu held her when he took off running like a maniac and wanted her to come along.
A low, dangerous growl sounded out. Gray was now moving quickly through the crowd. Lucy wondered if a threat had been spotted. She needed to deal with this man quickly and then get over there to help handle whatever scenario was taking place.
âNow, sir, donât you think that would ruin the point of a masquerade?â Lucy laughed coyly, really letting out the feminine charm. No need to anger the man, but she couldnât reveal herself before all the guests. That would be a breach of contract, as good as announcing loudly there were guild wizards in attendance.
âBut how will I find you if I havenât either a slipper or a name?â he begged, returning Lucyâs smile with his own handsome smile. If asked, she wouldnât actually tell anyone, but she would think about how much she preferred a certain fanged grin to charming smiles.
âPerhaps you never will,â Lucy said vaguely, ready to leave. Although, he really was good looking. Maybe she should bring him along with her; maybe she would have had he not slandered Fairy Tailâs good name. Smiling, she removed her wrist from his grasp and began working her fingers from her right glove.
âDo you mean to leave me with only a glove?â the man asked. âThen I definitely shanât find you without all due diligence!â
âPerhaps you never will,â Lucy repeated, getting the glove off. âUnless, of course, you should need help from wizards. Until then, farewell.â Lucy turned, raising her hand so he could see her proud pink guild mark over her shoulder, and continued off the floor as other couples came surging on in response to the start of the next dance. As soon as a little distance was put between them, Lucy hurriedly shoved her hand back in her glove. How foolish was that? She brandishes her guild mark during a secret assignment? Was she going to wind up homeless after all?
It was satisfying, however, that the man didnât follow her any more, most likely stunned that the difficult dance just performed was successfully pulled off by someone of that âuncouthâ guild. Her self-satisfaction didnât last long. It was run over by a quickly moving Erza.
âYou did very well. Now put some more distance between you, and that will be fine,â Erza muttered at Lucy from behind her giant fan as she passed by. Lucy was shocked to see Erza run straight to the man Lucy had just left and drag him out to the floor to dance a waltz. Or what looked like a waltz. A very spirited, spin oriented waltz. What was she doing, though? Hadnât there been some kind of disturbance earlier? Oh, well. Sheâd go ask Levy for information.
After a few minutes, Lucy decided that was a rotten idea since there was no way to find her tiny friend in a large room like this. She hadnât seen any of her companions, actually. The upstairs balcony hallway seemed like a good idea: excellent for reconnaissance work, definitely. She didnât make it ten steps before she was grabbed by the waist and dragged off to the same alcove she and Levy had been standing in while waiting for the others.
âGray?â Lucy gasped out when theyâd stopped. âWhatâs going on? What was wrong out there? Did you guys manage to solve everything? And how are all your clothes still on?â
âErza glued them to me,â Gray said, obviously answering the most important question first. âBut we got things mostly settled down before too much damage was done.â
âThen why did you drag me here? Dramatic much?â
âHe could tell guys were still looking at you, and heâs not calm enough to handle that yet.â Gray peeked out of the curtains, taking in the lay of the battleground.
Lucy scrunched her nose in confused response. âIâm not getting you. What in the world are you talking about?â
âJust stay out of sight till things calm down,â Gray pleaded. âItâs not usually this bad, but weâre on thin ice right now.â
âThen make more ice,â Lucy deadpanned.
âIâll get right on that,â Gray agreed, leaving.
âWait, I still donât get whatâs going on!â
âJust wait a while, then come out. Act like everythingâs normal. Have a drink. Talk. Mingle. Do your job. That kind of thing. Just wait a while first.â
And then Gray was gone, leaving a thoroughly baffled Lucy. Well, as long as they had a handle on whatever was going on out there, Lucy figured she could wait in here a few minutes. There was even a nice cushioned bench to sit on. Perhaps one of the other men had caused some trouble during the dance, Lucy mused. Or maybe some other altercation broke out?
Though there was no clock, Lucy guessed it had been at least ten or fifteen minutes by the number of songs that had played. She stood to exit the alcove, hoping to find some answers. Her original idea of higher ground to scout out Levy proved correct: she found the girl in minutes. Going over to her, she loosed the questions that had been stewing in her mind during her miniature exile.
âLevy, what happened? Did someone cause a problem? Is everything alright now?â
Levy gave a humph! sound and replied while they maintained their stroll around the room, âEverything is fine now. Next time you want Natsu calmed down, though, do it yourself!â
âWas he very angry already? He seemed like it. Sorry to throw you to the wolves like that.â
âAn angry Natsu is not a rational Natsu. He didnât accept the fact the man didnât know who you were, since youâre wearing a mask and all, but that wasnât good enough for him. He almost lost it!â
âWas Erza the one who calmed him down? And what do I have to do with any of this?â
âHe didnât stop shaking until the dance was over, but we managed to keep him between us the entire time.â Levy stopped walking to meet her friendâs eyes. âYou danced with him, thatâs what you have to do with it.â
âYes. I did dance with someone,â Lucy verified. This was not new information to her. âIn fact, I think most people were probably watching.â
âYou did really well, by the way. Your dress really matched the dance, too, with the way it swirled and flicked around,â Levy complimented. âI take it you had lessons before?â
âIt was my favorite dance, actually,â Lucy smiled. âAnd he was actually a really good partner. I was impressed with his leading.â
âAnd I with your following,â came a voice behind the girls. They jumped in surprise and turned to find Lucyâs dance partner. Levyâs eyes immediately became cautious, darting about as if searching for someone. Lucy wondered yet again what was happening.
âThank you, sir,â Lucy accepted his compliment with a bow of her head.
âMy name is Theodore Lawrence,â he said bluntly. âThere, you know who I am. Iâll give you my address, too, if youâd like more information about me.â
Lucyâs hands came up before her. âUm, no, thank you, thatâs quite alright.â
âYou know my name now,â Theodore went on. âMight I ask if you are Miss Lucy of Fairy Tail?â
Lucy merely smiled, unsure of whether or not she should actually respond. She knew she technically blew her cover when she showed her guild mark, but perhaps they could still keep things hush-hush enough to get their reward money after this.
Levy, however, jumped in at this point, pushing the lot of them into another little curtained alcove much like the one sheâd been in before. This one, though, was only half closed off. âListen, if you know that, then you donât want to do anything rash.â
âDonât worry, I wonât tell anyone. Whether youâre here working, or here as a guest, I donât really care. Itâs obvious youâve been trained as a lady, from the way you walk, dance, and comport yourself. You deserve to be here.â
Once again, Levy broke in, lifting her forefinger in a âhold on a minuteâ gesture. âYou should be very careful, sir.â
Theodore turned his smile on Levy. âReally, donât worry. I wonât tell anyone about you either, if thatâs whatâs worrying you.â
âActually, no, Iâm more concerned for you,â Levy said truthfully.
âWhat? Why?â Lucy demanded.
âPlease, let me say what I came to say,â Theodore said, not allowing Levy to answer. Lucy was getting frustrated, but bit her tongue in hopes that what he said might answer some of these riddles. âIf you heard me defaming your guild, I apologize. I was unaware they had one such as yourself in their ranks.â
âThat wasnât much of an apology towards the guild,â Lucy pointed out.
âOne dance, though excellently done, is not enough to entirely convince me of Fairy Tailâs civility.â
Lucy was peeved now, just peeved.
âThe way your red dress swirled, your golden hair gleamed, your warm brown eyes sparkled, the way your whole being emitted light during that dance, it was like fire. You were like a flame, flickering. And Iâve always been attracted to fire, you know, its beauty and power.â
Though disapproving his slight against her guild, Lucy was not immune to such pretty lines, and felt herself blushing lightly. She heard growling again, the same growl as before. She secretly agreed with the growl, and wished she could produce such a menacing sound herself for when she was angry.
âSo, pretty little flame, how about another dance to clear your guildâs name?â Theodore offered a hand. When Lucy reached out her hand to accept, the growling increased.
Levy was waving her hands back and forth now. âHey, hey, letâs not be too hasty.â
Lucy looked past Theodore and saw someone coming very quickly in their direction, with two other individuals trying to put things to right as they followed him. Natsu? Oh, great. Not again. Levy wouldnât forgive for putting her on angry Natsu duty twice in a row.
âWhatâs the problem?â Theodore asked. âItâs just a dance.â And then he reached out to cup his hand around Lucyâs chin. âJust a dance. Unless you want it to be more.â
âYouâre on your own now,â Levy cautioned, stepping back. âEveryone knows not to do that.â
Lucy had just yanked her chin from his grasp when a blur of heat, red, and muscle mass whirled into her field of view. Before she knew what was happening, an arm was wrapped around her waist and she was pulled into a very tight grip against some very tight muscles.
âTouch my girl again, and Iâll roast you alive,â Natsu growled out. He held Lucy close to him with his left arm, his right raised in a threatening fist. Despite thinking his deep voice was remarkably sexy, Lucy intuitively reached out and rested her hand on the raised fist. She knew what kind of damage those fists could do when he was-
Hold on a minute. Natsu just said what now?
âYour girl?â Theodore echoed, not backing off. âWho said she was yours? She was the one who asked me to dance last time. Itâs just my turn to do the asking.â
âEveryone knows you donât do that,â Gray sighed, having made it to the group with Erza.
âDonât do what?!â Lucy cried.
âDid you not see her dancing? You think you can handle her light, her flame?â Theodore stepped closer to Natsu. Lucy could punch Theodore for all the times heâd started talking when someone should have been answering her questions. âYou really think someone like you can tame her?â
âLight and fire go together,â Natsu said. âShe doesnât need taming. She needs to be herself. As long as sheâs with fire, sheâll be fine. No need to keep her light cooped up when she could help so many people.â
âAnd you think youâre the fire?â
âHeâs better than that,â Lucy heard her voice say. âHeâs my dragon.â
Unlike Lucy and Theodore, no one else seemed surprised to hear her say that. Rather, they all just nodded in agreement.
âDragon?â Theodore asked.
âWhatâs wrong? You said you liked fire, didnât you?â And Natsuâs fist burst into flames with Lucyâs hand right on top of his. It didnât hurt one bit. âMy fire burns only what I allow it to. My flames are my own. Theyâll never hurt her. You, on the other handâŚâ
Theodore took half a step back, then stopped. âAre you honestly with this hoodlum? I donât believe it. Come along. Iâll save you from that guild and bring you to a world where you can shine.â
And thatâs when he made his big mistake, thatâs when he walked forward and put his hand on her forearm. He was on the ground with a smoldering patch on the front of his suit before Lucy could blink.
âEveryone knows not to do that,â Levy repeated.
âDo what?â Lucy begged to know.
Erza sighed. âWell, thereâs no helping whatâs happened. At least Natsu didnât burn down the room.â
âYeah, who knew he had that kind of restraint,â Gray quipped.
Natsuâs low growl filled the room, as he pulled Lucy closer to him. Levy saw potential disaster rear its all-too-familiar face, and moved to avert it preemptively. âWell, weâll just take him somewhere he can rest for a while, then find the others and give them an update. Lucy, you calm him down, okay?â
As Erza slung the unconscious man up and over her shoulder like some bag of potatoes, she nodded to the others. âHe was fairly warned.â
âYeah, everyone knows not to do that.â Gray followed Erza and Levy out, kicking the curtain so the alcove was completely closed. âJust wait a while, Lucy, then you can bring him out when heâs calm.â And then his voice was gone.
Natsuâs arm dropped to his side. Lucy looked down at it, then back up to see his eyes searching her face. He wasnât satisfied, apparently, because he immediately pulled off her mask. She returned the favor, thinking maybe just having that restriction gone would help him cool off. When he just kept staring at her, she remembered what she said and felt highly flustered. She hadnât planned on announcing anything related to feelings or whatnot this evening. She wasnât prepared for this! So she looked forward, straight at his chest where her hands were resting, searching for a conversation starter.
âCould you do that again?â she asked, still not looking at him.
âDo what?â
âLet me touch the flames without getting burned.â
âLucy, no matter when or what, my fire will never burn you. Itâs my fire. I control it. You can always feel safe around it.â Natsu put a lot of emphasis on those points, liked he was trying to get a message across.
âThen do it,â Lucy urged.
Natsu chuckled, bringing his fist up to his chest and producing those red and orange flames. She carefully reached out to touch the flickering tongues the danced around his fingers. Wiggling her fingers, she giggled. âIt tickles!â
âYeah, youâre the only one who could say that, though. Most other people would be shouting about now. My fire isnât some pansy wuss candlestick,â Natsu pouted.
Lucy patted his still burning fingers in a soothing fashion. âI know, I know. Very strong flames. Very strong.â
âAre you mocking me?â
âSince no oneâs answering any of my questions, Iâm not answering either.â
There was silence for a few moments as they listened to the muffled music and chatter and Lucy played with the fire. They didnât move from their position, Lucy still pulled close to Natsu, right hand and head rest against his chest and just relaxing there. In her position, she really got a better appreciation of Natsuâs muscles, even if the view was obstructed by wearing two sleeves and a jacket rather than some of his other outfits. He felt strong, solid. Warm. Safe. Secure.
âYou really did look beautiful, Luce,â Natsu whispered. âJust like a flame.â
Well, if that werenât enough to turn a girlsâ face into a crimson wash, Lucy didnât know what would. âTh-thank you,â she replied, whispering as well.
A pause. Then Natsu spoke again. âDid you mean it?â
âMean what?â Lucy thought that she might be able to get through this without having to embarrass herself too much. But maybe it was just time to accept the facts of her growing feelings for this hooligan of hers.
The fire went up higher, and Lucyâs gaze followed it until it was right in front of Natsuâs face. It went out, leaving Natsu to lower his hand with a grin. âIf Iâd known how easy I could keep your attention on me, Iâd have shown you that trick a long time ago.â
âHeh?â Lucy blushed again.
âI meant it,â Natsu said in a firm voice.
âAbout showing me the trick? How long have you been able to do that?â
âAbout you being my girl.â
Lucy found herself unable to look away from his eyes, despite the fact that she desperately wished to hide her entirely stained face. She didnât know what to say, just that she couldnât avoid this any longer.
âI donât like it when other guys touch you. I really donât like it when other guys hit on you. And I hate it when someone threatens to take you away from me.â
âI wonât,â Lucy assured him.
âWonât what?â
âI wonât leave you. Never willingly. It seems I get taken away often enough, but Iâm working on that. Iâm getting stronger every day, you know. You wonât always have to come fetch me!â She spoke with confidence, surprised her voice wasnât shaking.
âI will.â
âWill what?â
âI will come fetch you. I wonât let someone just take you away from me.â He hesitantly put his hand on her cheek. It was warm from the flames, or maybe that was just him, or maybe it was her flushed face. Whichever the reason, it was a pleasant sensation. Was his face this warm?
âLucy, the future is-â Natsu stopped talking when she touched his cheek, brushing her fingers lightly over his skin, trailing along his jawline to his chin. He tried to speak again. âDid you mean it?â
âMean what?â she asked as her fingers started moving again, this time skimming along his nose and tracing along the outside of his lips, prompting a quick breath of sensation.
âAm I your dragon?â
Lucy shrugged, now running her index finger over his lips. They were warm, too. âI suppose light and fire really do go together. Having a fire dragon is really just an upgrade from-â
Natsuâs lips really were warm. Deliciously so. Heâd moved so quickly, her fingers were caught between their chins as their lips were locked together. Natsu fixed that by taking her hand into his, then angling his head to bring her closer. Lucy liked Natsuâs kisses. Warm lips, strong, not too wet or too hard. His hair was pretty nice too, and his neck muscles. As for his hands, they were okayed as well, especially the way his fingers worked their way under her up-do to give her that nice massage. Breathing? That was just overrated.
Unfortunately, air was air, and the two separated. Natsu looked at his girl, at his light, and smiled. âI love you, you know.â
âGood. Because youâre so warm, and I get cold so easily. Now Iâll be comfortable all year round no matter what I wear. I could wear my bathing suit in January, and Iâd still be warm!â
âYou use a dragon as a personal space heater?â
âIâll pay you in kisses,â Lucy bargained. âKisses and light and love.â
And when he smiled that wonderfully crooked fanged grin on his, Lucy decided she loved the fact that she was once again at a ball after all this time. She was glad she was here not as a guest, but a working mage. She was glad she had this friend, this love in her life. She was glad she was strong enough to dance with an irritating and rude man so that she could know what everyone else had known all along: light and fire belonged together.
But everyone else knowing something reminded her of that very persistent, unanswered question:
âEveryone knows not to do what, Natsu?â
âSilly,â Natsu laughed, giving her another kiss. âEveryone knows not to mess with Natsuâs girl.â
Since heâd finally answered the question, Lucy rewarded him with a kiss. Since it had been a longstanding question, it only made sense that the kiss reflected that fact. Since Natsu loved her, he deserved another kiss. Since she loved him, she figured she deserved two kisses for that. And since they loved each other, they didnât leave the alcove for a rather long time. Lucy just hoped she would still get her cut of the reward money.
Because she definitely wasnât paying her landlady with kisses.
Juvia didnât know what happened or why it happened. Then again, when was it ever a good idea to go to a cheap convenient store in the middle of the night at some rundown town?
One moment she was walking down the narrow aisle of the convenience store in search of a chocolate bar, hands mindlessly skimming along the assortment, when she heard the bang.
All she can recall is seeing a Twix bar before being brought down to her knees harshly, a hand clasping over her mouth while telling her to be quiet. Her heart hammered in her chest, her palms sweaty, and her eyes glued shut, too afraid to see what was going on around her.
She heard angry voices demanding for money, heavy breathing, and screams of terror. The moment she felt her body being lifted up into strong arms, she snapped her eyes wide open. She had thought that maybe her parents had found her and were going to bring her back home, where it was safe. If they did find her, she would surely be in trouble for running away. But who could blame her? Her parents were always fighting over finances and paying for her needs, she thought it best to leave. That meant one less mouth to feed.
However, when her frightened eyes traveled up the strong arms to their ownerâs face, she didnât see her father. It was a stranger. A tall stranger with black hair and dark gray eyes. He had a look of pure determination written on his face as he frantically looked around the small shop. She felt her breathing hitch as he looked back down at her. Was he with the robbers?
âP-Please donât hurt Juvia.â She squeaked out, overwhelmed by the entire situation, that and her captor was incredibly handsome.
He shook his head, which worried her until he spoke, âI wonât. Iâm not with them. I donât have a mask, see?â He nodded towards a rounded mirror in the corner of the shop that showed they werenât in eyesight of the robbers. They were all the way on the other side of the store, black balaclavas adorning their faces. Her eyes skimmed over their black clothed bodies and over to the small guns in their hands. Juvia gulped. This was the real deal.
She opened her mouth to ask him to put her down, to remove his arms from underneath her back and knees, to quit touching her, but he placed a finger over his lips, asking her to shush. âThey still donât know weâre here yet.â He told her with a reassuring smile.
Juviaâs lips formed an âoâ as she nodded in understanding. If they didnât know of their presence, they would be safe. Hopefully.
She still didnât trust this nameless man, but she was feeling incredibly alone at the moment. If she never ran away, this never wouldâve happened. If she wasnât so stupid this never wouldâve happened.
She hadnât noticed they were moving until she heard a door shut softly. She looked at her surroundings with a nervous stare. It was dark all around her, the air inside this small space musty and thick. She grimaced.
She heard a flick of a switch, a single lightbulb hanging by a wire above illuminating the space. A closet. Her stranger stood by the door, his chest heaving as he panted. His eyes were shut as his nose pointed towards the ceiling. He was just as scared as her.
The color in his face had faded into a pale yellow, and she didnât know why, but she felt worried for him. He had been the one to save her from being seen by the robbers, she felt like she owed him.
With a quick breath, her shaky hand reached out to hold his. It was a bold move, something Juvia rarely did. She wasnât the kind of girl to hold a strangerâs hand, but then again she didnât think she was one to get caught in the middle of a robbery either.
The moment her fingers wrapped around his, his eyes snapped open. He was wide-eyed and confused, he momentarily forgot that he had company. He had been too preoccupied with wondering how he would escape without getting shot in the head.
He looked down at the blue-haired girl with just as blue eyes and a soft smile. She was actually really pretty, he remembers thinking that when he first saw her checking out the candy. He had wondered what such a person was doing in a town like this, where day was just as dangerous as night. He didnât think twice when he had rushed in to snatch her. The adrenaline in his blood was enough for him to act on instinct, protect those who needed protecting.
He knew that they wouldâve held them hostage if they saw them there, if they did that, they could pressure the cashier into giving up more money. It was a losing game.
And now here they were, in a closet barely big enough for one person.
Juvia never had any romantic history, or anything of that sort. But she recognized the thump of her heart and sweat on her back very well. She was not blind to this strangerâs beauty and it was worse because he was so close to her. Nonetheless, she still managed to smile comfortingly at him. Hopefully, he wouldnât find her creepy.
âThanks, for doing what you didâŚumâŚâ She hadnât even caught his name.
âOh.â He chuckled awkwardly, his hand still in hers. âItâs Gray. And yeah, sure. It was no problem.â He didnât know what to say next. The situation was all so knew for him.
There was a stunning girl on her knees in front of him as they hid from armed robbers with creepy masks in a dank convenient store. What were the odds?
A tense silence settled over them, both of their hearts hammering in their chest. She didnât quite catch it, but her breathing had slowed down the longer she held his hand. She didnât know what it was about this âGrayâ guy but he seemed niceâŚ
He was the first one to break the silence, clearing his throat. âYou said your name wasâŚJuvia. Right? Itâs pretty.â He blushed.
She let out an awkward laugh as she nodded. âThank you. Do youâŚ.maybe⌠want to take a seat? It seems like weâll be in here for awhile.â There was still shouts coming from outside the closet, and it seemed like the cashier was really fighting back.
Gray nodded in agreement. He assumed that the longest theyâd be there was just another hour more. Which would be around three in the morning. He hoped the robbers would be gone by then. He would make the most of his time spent in this tight closet with the girl with pretty eyes.
Realizing her hand was still holding his, he instinctively pulled away. He wasnât quite sure, but he thought he saw disappointment in her ocean blue eyes. âAnywaysâŚâ
âDo you think you could call the cops?â Juvia asked with a curious expression, trying to ignore the coolness in her palm where his hand had been.
Gray tsked. âPhoneâs dead. Why donât you?â
Juvia slumped in her seat, feeling too embarrassed to answer. How do you tell someone you just met that youâre family was too poor to buy you a cellphone? âWellâŚJuviaâŚ.â She sighed heavily, she hated talking about her familyâs financial status. It made her feel like she was burdening others. âShe doesnât have a phone.â She stated softly.
Gray wasnât stupid. He could tell that she was hiding something. But they were just newly acquainted, so he didnât push it. He let out a soft sigh as he nodded. âWell, looks like weâre stuck here then.â
Juvia felt bad. Even if it wasnât her fault, she couldnât help but feel like it was. She buried her face in her hands as she groaned. This had been a hellish night. She just wanted the floor to swallow her up whole.
But then she felt a palm on her shoulder.
She looked up, her gaze locking with his. He had a sympathetic smile on his face as he scooted closer to her. âHey, itâs not your fault.â Had he read her mind?
âBut Juvia doesnât-â
âNo, honestly. Itâs okay. Weâll just have to stick it out together.â His smile was genuine and so was hers as she believed his words to be true. Theyâd be okay, safe from the men in masks.
So minutes passed, just them two together in the confined space. Their bodies were pushed up against each others as they sat with their legs criss-crossed, trying to stay as quiet as possible for an hour. They tried avoiding eye contact to make things less awkward, looking at the cobwebs in the corners, the dusty brooms, the cleaning supplies, hell, even the dust particles within the air as the shouting resounded from outside.
âThis is a great way to spend Saturday, isnât it?â Juvia scoffed sarcastically. Yet, itâs not like she had a plan after she would had bought some food. This was just prolonging her runaway. Did she like the extra time to think? She wasnât sure, but one thing she knew was that she wished she couldâve met this boy under different circumstances.
Gray hummed in agreement, their eyes meeting at once. This time however, they didnât look away. Dark gray met blue as they sat in a silence much more comfortable than the last one.
Each otherâs thoughts were unreadable. As the moments passed, a staring contest somehow began, both of them refusing to blink.
Gray was the first to give in. âFuck!â
Juvia suppressed a giggle as she blinked finally, covering her lips with the pads of her fingers. âGray doesnât like losing?â
Gray grumbled. âI meanâŚâ His voice trailed off as he crossed his arms. He wasnât a sore loser, he swears it. But even if he was⌠he would never admit that to Juvia.
Juvia, having gained sudden courage, reached over to poke his tan cheek in wonder. âGray is still cute nonetheless.â She said softly, not feeling embarrassed at all. Anyone who could resist such an enchanting human being sure was blessed in Juviaâs eyes, because she couldnât help but lose herself with this boy she just met.
Grayâs face turned red as she felt her poke his cheek like a child. He  wouldâve pushed her away, she was invading his personal space, but then againâŚshe was just as alluring. âJuviaâŚâ
âYes?â
âI think I hear police sirens.â It was true, the wood of the door wasnât necessarily thick, and he could catch a siren from a mile away in this beat up town.
She was both relieved, and worried. What would this mean for them? Was she never going to see this handsome stranger ever again? That thought didnât settle with her so nicely. It made her sad for some reason.
She smiled a little as she nodded. âThatâsâŚthatâs good. Do you think the cops will question us?â
âNo? Why would they?â
âI mean⌠we are just sitting in a closet while thereâs a robbery going on outside these walls. Like, what if they ask us why we just sat here and did nothing?â
âWeâll tell them that you donât have a phone and mine is dead. Simple. Why? Are you worried?â
Juvia was silent. She was actually scared that her parents had reported a missing person: her. What if the cops noticed who she was and took her back?
âItâs justâŚyou seeâŚJuvia ran away from home.â
Gray was taken back, his eyes wide. So that explains why sheâs here. Still, he didnât understand why should we run to a place like this. âWhat? Why?â
âJuvia would rather not say.â She sighed.
Gray nodded. âI understandâŚhow long have you been running?â
âItâs only my first night. I came from a few towns over on foot.â
Gray nearly spluttered. âO-On foot? You must be exhausted.â This girl has gone through some tough shit, and it was just her luck to get stuck in the middle of a robbery. He felt bad for her, he didnât think that she deserved this. He suddenly felt really sick to his stomach, and brought the blue-haired girl into his arms. âIâm sorry for this.â
Juviaâs face was a bright red as it was stuffed into the crook of his neck. He smelled like snow and cookies. Her heart fluttered as she wrapped her arms around him sheepishly. âItâs not you fault. Juvia will probably wander over to a few more towns and find a motel to stay at.â
Grayâs heart twisted. âAre youâŚsure? You know, you could justâŚâ
âHm?â She looked up at him with big blue eyes and it took all it had within him to not close the distance.
âAh, umâŚyou can stayâŚwith me?â Gray said softly, almost too afraid to speak aloud. She looked so fragile in his arms, like a gem among the filth and dirt of this town. He needed to protect her.
She sat there, shocked. Did he really just offer that? Juviaâs heart pounded as she heard the sirens become much more clear. âGray would do that for Juvia? Can she trust you?â
Gray was unsure for a moment. He couldnât just leave her. He could tell that she was battered and bruised and she needed someone to show her the light of the world. And maybe he was the man for the job? It wasnât like him to befriend a stranger so quickly, hell, he barely even thought about having a roommate due to his preference of solitude. But as he peered into her blue gaze, one thing was certain, she needed him.
âYeah, itâs no problemâŚbesides, do I look like a bad guy?â He teased.
Juvia shook her head. Sure, this dark-haired boy had a cold stare and sharp features, but he was no bad guy. He was nothing like the men in the masks. He seemed like a friend, someone she could be with. She smiled. âOkay then. Juvia will go with you.â
So she did.
After all was settled with the cops, and the robbers were disarmed and arrested, he took her in his car and drove home. She had fallen asleep along the way, the dim, yellow glow of the street lights illuminating her features. And when he finally pulled up to the driveway of his humble home, he looked over at her and felt the way most people wouldnât have felt after being trapped in a convenient store: lucky.
I wonder if any of you can guess who wrote this~ good luck ^-^
The party was obnoxiously loud for Lucy. The music was cranked up to the highest volume, and there were so many people she couldnât go a second without bumping into someone. She wished that she had stayed home instead of listening to her friendsâ persistent begging for her to come to this Halloween party.
When sheâd finally agreed to join them, she made them promise to stay by her side. She realized she should have made them swear on their motherâs grave instead, because the instant they stepped foot into the house the party was hosted in, she lost sight of them.
Everyone was wearing masks and costumes, so it was impossible to find them even if she had tried. She had lost her friends in the middle of a masked costume party. Oh joy. Well, actually, her friends had ditched her. Either way she was screwed.
Seeing that the snack table was void of any strangers, Lucy decided she could use a drink. Approaching the table, she pushed her hair behind her ear and served herself a cup of punch. She smiled at the Halloween themed snacks and decorations. She loved Halloween, dressing up and walking around for free candy was the best thing ever.
Though this party wasnât that at all.
She could be wearing her mermaid costume out on the streets, going house to house trick-or-treating with her friends, but no they were too âoldâ for that stuff. Lucy had to call bullshit on that one, She had never heard of an age limit for dressing in costume and walking around asking for treats.
âThis party sure is loud, huh?â A deep voice yelled beside her, causing the blonde woman to squeak. She nearly spilled her drink over the front of her costume in her startled moment. She heard the same voice chuckle beside her and mutter an apology.
âYeah, too loud, if you ask me!â Lucy yelled, giving him a forgiving smile. She knew he hadnât meant to scare her. The stranger  was a little taller than her, by a few inches, but he seemed proud to have what little height he had over her. Guessing from the horns sprouting from his spiky pink hair he had chosen to go as some sort of demon for Halloween. âNice costume!â She complimented, âI bet it was hard to put together.â
The clothes had many details within them. The vest and pants torn and ragged, with fake blood stains, the boots he wore were painted to look like they as well were covered with blood, splotches of mud mixed in, but what caught Lucyâs eye the most were the horns and wings. She couldnât even begin to estimate how time consuming it was to create the wings and horns. Both were beautifully made. The wings were much very similar to a dragonâs, ruby red scales glittering in the lighting. The horns curled back against his scalp, tuffs of his pink hair sticking out here and there.
The man huffed, âYou wouldnât believe how long and tough it was! Iâve had this costume planned since the beginning of the year!â His eyes roamed over her costume, a low whistle falling from his lips, âI bet yours was just as difficult!â
Looking down at her costume, Lucy nodded her head. It had indeed been exhausting to put her costume together. Just like the masked stranger, Lucy had planned her costume from the beginning of the year. The tail of the mermaid, a maxi skirt that she had sown by hand, was a variety of blues with a few greens mixed in, it as well sparkled in the lighting. She had added a bit if white glitter to it, feeling as though a mermaidâs tail would shimmer. The shirt of her costume was a bikini and a see through cover up. She had tied her hair back in pigtails, and left her bangs down to frame her face.
Messing with her skirt, she bit her lip, âYes, but Iâm so happy to have it done! Iâve been to a lot of costume parties. Two of them had a best costume contest and I won both,â She bragged, face flushing red from throwing so much attention to herself.
âReally, thatâs cool!â The stranger beamed, pushing his mask up against his face. âThis stupid thingâŚâ He muttered, face screwing up in an irritated pout, âI hate masked costume parties! The masks I get never fit and always slide down my faceâŚâ
âOh, I have the same problem!â Lucy shook her head, eyes darting around in search of her friends. âI didnât even really want to come to this partyâŚâ She muttered to herself.
She never meant for the man to hear her, and her eyes widened when he tipped his head confused. âThen why did you?â He asked bluntly.
âMy friends made me,â She sighed as she took a small sip of her drink. Looking at the time on her phone, she huffed, âIâm really not enjoying myself at allâŚâ
âWell⌠maybe I can change that,â The man smirked, then bowed, âAllow me to introduce myself, Iâm Natsu. Care to dance?â Natsu was wearing a big lopsided smile when he stood up straight again.
She laughed softly, curtsying in return, âWhy I would love to,â She smiled, looping her arm with his. The music was nowhere near the formal attitude they were acting in, but it was all in good fun. âIâm Lucy, by the way,â She gave him her name just as the music turned up to a ear popping volume.
âWhat!? Thereâs no way your name is Luigi,â Natsu looked down at her, mouth forming into a shocked âoâ shape.
âLUCY! I said LU-CY!â She shouted her name, rolling her eyes when he started busting up in laughter. She didnât even understand how he could have mistaken Lucy for Luigi, but whatever.
As the set foot into a free space in the middle of the room, Lucy gasped when the Monster Mash started to play. She shared an excited look with her new partner, and the two of them began to dance. She laughed when Natsu threw in ridiculous moves, deciding sheâd go ahead and show off how horrible she was at dance as well.
She never ever had been a fan for dancing, but for some reason this stranger named Natsu made it lots of fun for her! His smile was encouraging, and something about him made her want to wear a smile as well. His smiles and laughs were contagious, she decided.
Dancing to the beat of the music, Lucy found herself beginning to enjoy the Halloween party. Even if she knew nothing of this masked stranger named Natsu. She would have to get his number later, because something inside her desperately wanted to get to know this man.
They shared another enthusiastic smile when âThis is Halloweenâ started to play, but immediately it was cut short. The host of the party, a woman named Mirajane, called for everyoneâs attention as she stood on the coffee table so people would be able to hear her.
âItâs time to name to winners of the costume contest!â Mira yelled, and the party guests cheered. âIâm sure once I name the two people for the best costume, you will all agree. Now, remember youâre not supposed to unmask yourselves, or tell anyone your name until the winners of this contest have been announced!â
âWhoops, I guess weâre rule breakers,â Natsu whispered into Lucyâs ear, a soft laugh falling from her lips that brushed against her cheeks. She giggle a little herself, not caring they had broken the rules. She hated the stupid masks anyway.
âThe winners areâŚâ Mira looked around the room, searching for the two victors, âNatsu Dragneel, and Lucy Heartfilia! It is plainly obvious they put some time and effort into their costumes and wouldnât you all agree they turned out gorgeous?â The white haired woman, dressed as a waitress from the 50âs asked.
Lucyâs jaw dropped, looking up at Natsu she could tell he was just as shocked. She had never won at anything in her life, and she didnât even know about the costume contest at this party!
âCâmon up to the table and show off your costumes, you two!â
Nervous now, Lucy took a shy step backwards. She really didnât want everyone gawking at her all alone up on top of that table in front of people she wasnât sure she knew. She was about to try and find her way out when a comforting hand slipped into hers. Squeaking in surprise, she whipped her head around, finding herself staring at Natsu with wide eyes.
âTogether?â He asked, but Lucy wasnât certain if she had heard him or not. He had unmasked himself, giving her a glorious view of his eyes. They were a deep dark green, but just as his eyes were handsome, they were intimidating. She felt breathless and lost the longer she stared into them.
She nodded her head, and the two of them walked in Miraâs direction.
~~~~~~~
âWow, Lucy yours and that other guyâs costumes were amazing! No wonder you two won!â Lucyâs friend, Levy, marveled, then asked, âWho was he anyway? I forget his nameâŚâ
âHis name was Natsu,â Lucy smiled, as the said man sent her a message. It was a picture of the two of them taking a selfie in their costumes. Underneath he wrote âCanât wait to go to the movies this Saturday!â She sent a quick reply, shoving her phone in her pocket before her friend could ask her who she was texting, âNatsu Dragneel.â
He never been as intrigued about anyone as he was about her. Ever since the day she first appeared in Magnolia, he been drawn to her like a moth to a flame. She was mysterious, alluring; every time he saw her silhouette, he had to fight the urge to run after her.
The town called her âStarcatcherâ because of the way she seemed to harness the power of the stars and make them do her bidding. She was their savior, everyoneâs favorite person.
Nobody knew who she really was.
She hid her face behind a mask, something he found so simple and yet so frustrating. He wanted to know who was behind the mask. And not just her identity; he wanted to know everything about her. What was her favorite color, he wondered? What made her angry, and what made her swoon? What were the names of her parents and siblings? Did she have any pets?
Thoughts of the mysterious girl plagued his thoughts on a constant basis. Whenever his friends told him something funny, he would wonder if she would laugh, too. He would slip into daydreams while imagining what it would be like to meet her in person. His friends must think he was some kind of airhead, always spacing off in the middle of class.
âHey, Natsu!â He jumped when he heard the sound of his name, blinking a few times as if he had just woken up. Turning his head from the window he was staring out, he met the annoyed brown gaze of his best friend, Lucy. Her blond bangs fell into her face slightly, but the majority of her hair had been pulled into a ponytail at the back of her head, her waist-length locks pooling over her shoulder and cascading down her back. She pouted up at him, looking a bit confused. âYouâve been spacing out all period. Do your work!â She tapped the blank paper in front of him before turning back to her own worksheet.
Natsu sighed out, frowning, âBut I donât want to work on boring Algebra,â he whined. âThere are so many other things I could be doing instead of this.â
Lucy simply rolled her eyes, tapping the screen of her phone in front of her. She blinked suddenly, looking surprised, and Natsu frowned. He was about to ask her what was wrong before she raised her hand to catch the teacherâs attention. âSensei, may I go to the restroom?â she asked in that polite manner of hers, hardly even waiting for the teacherâs nod of approval before she hastily left the room.
Behind Natsu, his lifelong friend and rival Gray leaned forward. âWhatâs up with Lucy? She seemed awfully excited to go to the bathroom,â he commented.
âI dunno,â Natsu said. âI saw her looking at her phone, and she seemed kinda⌠upset about it.â Pausing, he drummed his fingers on his desk. âIâll ask her about it during gym. It was probably nothing.â
Gray nodded his approval before returning to his work, and Natsu cast his gaze out the window, hoping that she would be better by gym.
â
Lucy never came back to class, and when it came time for gym nearly an hour later, she was still nowhere to be found. Natsu bit his lip, trying to push his worries to the back of his mind. Maybe she felt sick and had to go home? Or maybe something came up and she wasnât able to return to class?
The worst part was that this wasnât the first time this had happened. Despite her studious personality, Lucy would often disappear from class, sometimes for hours at a time. And of course, it always happened when some crazy guy was trying to destroy the town. He worried for her relentlessly whenever this happened, but when he next saw her, she would brush off her absence with some half-assed excuse.
Natsu groaned softly, rubbing his face briefly with his hands. âI need some air,â he grumbled to himself, making his way towards the gym doors. He took great care to slip out as quietly as he could, hoping no one would notice his absence for a few minutes while he cleared his mind. Rounding the corner of the building, he searched for his favorite spot, a bench nestled in a half-circle of trees that had been planted as a sort of school garden. A sad garden, granted, but still a place that calmed his thoughts. However, there was already someone there, sitting in his usual spot.
She was sitting with her elbows on her knees, her head held in her hands as she stared down at the ground. She was wearing a body suit that clung to her curves, a midnight blue color decorated with white stars. Her long blond hair had been tied up behind her head with a blue ribbon, and a mask was set atop her nose, which covered her eyes and eyebrows and hid parts of her face. Natsu sucked in a breath; it was her. It was Starcatcher, the girl he had been wanting to meet for so long. He opened his mouth, hoping to say something, anything, that would make her talk to him, but all that came out was a stuttered, âY-YouâŚ!â
Her head whipped up at the sound of his voice, eyes wide with surprise. She quickly stood up, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. âOh! Sorry, did I startle you?â she exclaimed, and cleared her throat, looking a bit awkward. âI was just, uh, taking a little breather. I hope Iâm not interrupting anything?â
Natsu swallowed, quickly shaking his head. âOh, um, no, youâre not!â he assured quickly. âI, uh, was doing that same thing. Taking a breather, I mean.â He grinned slightly, rubbing the back of his neck. âI guess you just surprised me. I wasnât expecting you to show up, of all people.â
Starcatcher smiled prettily. âWell, even superheroes need a break every once in awhile,â she said with a giggle. âBut anyway, I ought to be goingâŚâ she glanced down at her wrist, where she was wearing a watch. âShoot,â she cursed under her breath, âif I donât hurry, Iâll be late.â
Natsu jumped slightly at the sound of her laugh. It was pretty, much prettier than he had expected. For a moment, he was hit with a wave of nostalgia; she looked and sounded so familiar, but he couldnât figure out why.
âSomething wrong?â she asked, blinking in confusion.
Natsu hastily shook his head. âN-No, nothingâs wrong. Sorry, but for a second, you looked kinda familiarâŚâ
âO-Oh, I see! Well, see you around!â she exclaimed, and before he could say anything else, she leaped up and, almost like a monkey, scaled the side of the school before disappearing over the edge of the roof.
Natsu stared after her in awe, his heart fluttering in his chest. Heâd talked to her! Really spoken to her, face-to-face! And sheâd seemed so⌠normal. Heâd almost expected her to be boastful of the high pedestal she was set on, but instead, she had seemed almost shy.
Grinning, Natsu turned around and headed back into the gym. He was so distracted that he hardly noticed when Lucy dashed through the doors of the gym, looking out of breath and red-faced. âSorry Iâm late!â she said to the teacher, apologizing profusely and bowing her head the way she usually did.
âLuce! There you are! I was getting worried you werenât ever gonna come back!â he exclaimed, jogging over to her and taking her by the arm despite the protests of the teacher. âWhat happened to you? You went to the bathroom and never came back!â
Lucy grinned sheepishly. âSorry, Natsu. Something came up and I had to go home for a little while. But Iâm back now! What did I miss?â
Natsu threw his hands up into the air, frowning. âWhat do you mean, âWhat did I miss?â You missed everything! WHile you were gone, I saw Starcatcher!â
âEh? You really saw her?â Lucy echoed, eyes widening, and then she grinned slyly. âIs that why you looked so distracted?â
Natsu blinked, and his cheeks heated involuntarily. âNo! I mean, yeah, but-â
âAww, thatâs adorable! You have a crush on Starcatcher!â Lucy laughed. âWait till Gray hears about this!â
âDonât you dare give Gray anything to hold against me!â Natsu growled, reaching out to grab her, but Lucy danced away from him, laughing and running away from him.
â
Lucy took her time changing out of her gym uniform after class, humming lightly to herself as the locker room emptied until she was the only one left. As she opened her locker, she saw that a small cat, no bigger than her hand, had poked its head out of her bag. When he spotted her, he flew up to her, perching on her shoulder. âHe liiiiiikes you,â the tiny cat teased as she slipped on her shoes.
Lucy swatted at the cat on her shoulder with a frown. âOh, be quiet, Happy. Natsu doesnât like me, he likes Starcatcher.â
âWhen are you going to tell him that youâre Starcatcher?â Happy insisted. âI know itâs a secret identity and all, but Natsuâs your best friend. DOnât you trust him?â
Lucy sighed, shouldering her backpack. âOf course I do,â she said, âand I will tell him. Just not yet. I need time to prepare myself for revealing this secret. Once he knows, everything between us will change.â
âYeah, âcause then heâll be your boyfriend!â
âOh, be quiet, you stupid cat.â Lucy chided, opening up her backpack so that Happy could hide inside. She sighed softly when he did, zipping the bag shut and heading out of the locker room. âI will tell him,â Lucy mumbled to herself. âWhen the time is right.â
Lucy sat in front of her vanity, fiddling with the silver mask in her hands. Virgo and dressed her long ago, stuffing her into the elaborate sapphire dress her father had chosen for her to wear. Large diamond shaped gems pinned up parts of the dress to create more bustle while the waist was covered in a flowing flowery design. Cancer had curled her hair into an elaborate updo, leaving a few soft curls to frame her face.
âHime, Hime,â Virgo raced into the room, the tails of her apron flapping behind her. âYou need to hurry or youâre going to be late.â
Lucy sighed, fixing the mask to her face.
âLetâs get this over with,â She moaned, following Virgo out to the ballroom.
Every year since sheâd turned thirteen her father had thrown a ball for her to find a proper suitor. Now, as it neared her seventeenth birthday, her father worried that she would never find someone to marry. Lucy was thankful to find the ball was already underway, allowing her to slip into the crowd almost completely unnoticed.
Almost.
A warm hand grabbed her own, causing her to whirl around, a sharp retort on her lips. It quickly died away however, when her eyes landed on the shock of green hair that not even the full face mask could completely hide.
âFreed,â Lucyââs squeal quickly dropped to a whisper as she took both of his hands in her own.
âMiss Lucy,â He responded, bowing slightly as he smiled at her. âI was worried you would have forgotten about me, itâs been so long.â
Lucy smiled as she led him out to the dance floor.
âHow could I forget you?â She teased. âYou were the only one of my brotherâs friends who ever understood me.â
Freed beamed at her as he whirled her around the room.
âHow is Laxus?â He asked, referring to Lucyâs half-brother from her motherâs first marriage. âWell, I hope?â
Lucy nodded, smiling softly, âHeâs away right now. Enlisted is what I was told, but his last letter said all was well.â
Freed nodded solemnly, âThat is good.â
The two continued their dance in silence for a while until Freed cleared his throat once more.
âYou look ravishing tonight,â He whispered.
The blonde blushed, thankful that the mask hid her face from view.
âThank you. You look rather nice yourself,â She answered, referring to his dark burgundy jacket over a white shirt and black tie. A black mask covered his face, matching his black slacks.
Freed chuckled, âLucy, I need to tell you something important.â
Lucy stepped closer to him, âYes?â
âI, umm, I -â
The music stopped then and Lucyâs hand was claimed by another man before Freed could finish his sentence. She turned her head in time to see his green hair disappear into the crowd.
The rest of the night passed by in a blur of bows and music. With every switch in partners the blonde looked for the pair of familiar blue eyes hiding behind a dark mask, feeling a surge of disappointment every time they didnât appear.
Lucy sighed as the ball started winding down, allowing her the chance to escape into the gardens behind her home. She tore her mask off as soon as she was out of sight of the giant glass doors, sighing in relief as she inhaled the night air. So lost in thought was she that she didnât even notice the figure walking toward her until she ran into him.
âOh, excuse - Miss Lucy?â Freed questioned, breaking off his apology.
Lucy smiled up at him, excitedly, âIâve been looking for you all evening!â
Freed smiled back down at her.
âWell, here I am.â
âSo you are. Walk with me?â
The green-haired man bowed, his long locks cascading down around him as he did so.
âAs my lady commands.â
Lucy frowned, taking the arm he offered.
âNot a command, a request.â
Freed glanced sideways down at her.
âIn which case, I would be delighted.â
The two walked arm in arm around the garden in comfortable silence for a while. They finally stopped when they reached the middle of the garden, which opened into a courtyard. A large fountain stood in the center, water streaming from the top of an urn, held up by a beautiful mermaid. Benches circled the fountain and it was on one of these the two finally sat, completely ignoring the fountain.
âFreed, you said you wanted to tell me something?â
He nodded, taking both of her hands in his own as he turned to face her.
âLucy, I -â He paused for a moment. âConfound these stupid things.â
Lucy pulled back in surprise as he ripped his mask off, giving her a clear view of his face for the first time. The blonde studied it intently, drinking in features she hadnât seen for almost three years. His face was older,, clearer than the last time. However the same smooth voice echoed in her hears, the same kind, sky blue eyes stared back at her as he took her hands once more.
âLucy, I just wanted to tell you, I love you.â
She grinned as she leaned forward to kiss him, âI love you, too.â
Freed broke out into the biggest smile anyone had ever seen as he kissed her back.
âLucy!â
The two pulled apart quickly at the sound of her father calling for her.
âI have to go,â She whispered to him. âPlease, will you come talk to my father tomorrow?â
He nodded once, stealing another quick kiss from her before pulling his mask back on and disappearing. Lucy smiled fondly as she watched him duck around a bush before she too pulled her mask back on, turning and hurrying toward the mansion.
âLucy!â
She turned the corner, âHere I am father.â
He frowned at her, âWhere have you been?â
She smiled, âI just went out the gardens to get a bit of fresh air is all. I got too warm in my gown.â
His frowned lightened, but didnât disappear as she entered the room to see most of the guests had left.
âIs there anything else you require of me this evening, father?â Lucy asked, not quite unable to suppress the smile that graced her lips.
âHow was your night?â
âWonderful,â She breathed.
Jude Heartfilia raised an eyebrow at his only daughter but didnât ask, knowing she would close up on him if he tried. She grinned at him.
âI think I shall retire for the night,â She announced, hurrying up to her room without waiting for his reply.
That night the only thing Lucy could think of was how soft Freedâs lips had been against her own.
stormborns
yousharknotpass
ellievsbear
areudirty
prguitarman
2087
annaxmalina
kianamaiart