#NaLu Discussion

[luckyrave]

Fairy Tail Discussion: NALU WILL BE CANON 100%

Natsu and Lucy becoming a couple has been a major talking point for a very long time in the community, but there's one thing many have wondered. When compared to Haru x Elie from Rave Master and Shiki x Rebecca from Eden's Zero; Natsu and Lucy are the only main couple from Hiro Mashima's series that have yet to be canon.

[missdeepend]

Hiro Mashima needs to write Shojo

I mainly am stating this because mannnnn could you imagine Nalu in a Shojo style? I mean 1. We would most likely have confirmation (just kidding Mashima likes to tease us too much) and 2. Natsu and Lucy's scenes just work so perfectly. I can see it taking place at some prestigious school, kind of like that school OVA. Ugh, I need it to happen please :D

[celestialulu]

I love how Natsu would do anything if it was just to make Lucy happy and the way when she talks he might seem uninterested but he’s actually attentive and thinks about how to give her that happiness

[thatbirdrestaurant]

A deeply unnecessary analysis of NaLu and Natsu's feelings

I'm as much of a sucker for insta-love NaLu as the next guy, but I do genuinely believe it took these two a while to fall in love. I can't deny that there was an immediate attraction, especially on Lucy's end, and I do think romantic feelings have been stewing between the two of them since as early as season one, but the realization took a really long time to hit.

We'll start off talking about Lucy, because I have the least to say about her. I've said before that I think Lucy didn't realize she had feelings for Natsu until she realized she was in love with him, which was after the events of the Eclipse Gate. I can pinpoint the exact moment she realized; the moment right after, when her and Natsu are standing in the rubble, and she just starts crying before running to hug him. I think that's the moment she realized that she loves him, and she has for a while.

I believe it took so long for Lucy to realize because she grew up in a very sheltered environment. Her only exposure to typical teenage experiences that didn't involve arranged marriages was teen magazines; she knew what it felt like to be superficially attracted to someone, when someone was objectively attractive, and she's had crushes before, but never really been in love.

We're moving onto Natsu now, because I have the most to say about him by a landslide. For immediate starters, I don't really recognize 100 Year Quest; even though I love all the GruVia development within it, I find it to be a very unnecessary spin-off that doesn't respect its characters, especially Natsu. It's done horrible things for his maturity as a whole, including all the development with Lucy.

Natsu loves Lucy, that's something I've believed for a very long time, and he shows it in his actions more than anything. He's protective of her, he loves spending time with her and he's upset when she isn't around, and he wants to move Heaven and Earth for her. He has since pretty much day one.

But he doesn't realize he has feelings for her until their fight with Kain, and he doesn't even realize he's in love with her until he watches her (future self) die.

That doesn't sound right, though, does it? How can someone watch a scene like Natsu putting the rainbow sakura on a boat, just so Lucy can see it bloom, and think he doesn't realize he likes her until much, much later?

Natsu was raised in an environment where you would cut off both arms and a leg for your friends and family. Fairy Tail is a guild that values familial relationships and friendships more than anything. I truly believe that, to Natsu, most of the things he did for Lucy before the fight with Kain, he did with what he thought were platonic intentions.

On top of that, I do headcanon Natsu to be on the aromantic spectrum. He doesn't feel romantic attraction as "easily" as other people do, and he very seldom actually recognizes it as such. He knows what it is - how could he not, when surrounded by it so often - but he's never really felt it himself. Maybe he had a bit of a childhood crush on Lisanna, but that's stretching it thin. She was his best friend, that's for certain.

Natsu thinks he and Lucy are as normal as friends as anyone else in the guild, until she has the chance to leave him behind for her own safety, and she absolutely refuses. I cannot watch that scene without feeling like I'm watching Natsu fall in love, realize his feelings at the very least.

Another NaLu trope I'm an absolute sucker for is that Natsu thinks, and has thought, him and Lucy have been dating for quite some time. Do I realistically believe so? No, I don't.

I think, to some capacity, Natsu knows that Lucy loves him, too, the same way that he loves her, and I think he believes that's a mutual understanding. To Natsu, they both know how they feel, that they're in love, but they're not in a rush to discuss it, to put a label on it.

He knows they act like a couple, that people who pass them on the street see a boyfriend with his girlfriend, and that's enough for him at the moment.

Natsu and Lucy's final conversation before the end of the series was a confession. Hiro Mashima can pry this belief from my cold dead hands. That was Natsu's way of confessing his love for Lucy, his way of expressing that he wants them to be together forever, but he's still Natsu, and he still thinks Lucy knows he loves her.

Lucy is a very shy person; she gets flustered just from Natsu standing too close, and Natsu is already content with the two of them just existing near one another. Would he like to hug and kiss Lucy? Of course he would, but he doesn't need it.

Where him and Lucy are is already more than enough for him, he just, unfortunately, doesn't realize that Lucy isn't on the same page. She would like to be, though she doesn't even realize it, but she doesn't quite have the courage for it.

While I do think Lucy is pining for Natsu, I don't think she's doing so painfully. She gets flustered when people insinuate her and Natsu are a couple, as anyone would, but she doesn't seem very torn up about correcting people. She loves him, yes, but she's completely fine with just being his friend. She's grateful enough to have him in her life.

They're in this weird limbo of 'not a couple, but not just friends' because while they're not oblivious to their own feelings, they're oblivious to the impression the other has about their relationship. Natsu thinks they're dating, but are taking things slow; Lucy thinks they're just friends, but would love to be more.

[i-am-mldy]

Back to my nalu brainrot years later so here are my headcanons on how nalu should develop if Mashima actually writes them properly:

Lucy sees Natsu as her best friend but does think there could be potential for more. She just actively pushes the idea away because it doesn't seem possible. She doesn't want to wait around for him and waste time, so she's long accepted how they currently are. It's not so bad anyway, cus their friendship is just as valuable to her. She doesn't need anything different as of now.

Natsu doesn't really think much about romance, relationships, etc. But he's not an idiot (canon you have no power here). All he knows is that Lucy is different than his other friends. Aside from Happy, he likes being around her the most. He doesn't really think about kids, but finds himself daydreaming about having one with Lucy, which he does not do with the other FT girls. He's scared to lose all his friends, but the thought of losing Lucy sticks around the most. She's different to him, he knows that, but struggles to figure it out because it's all new to him

Idgaf what the manga says. Natsu still likes pranking Lucy but has grown considerate of her. Lucy, however, learned from him and pranks him back. It has become a game now of who can tease the other better. Lucy likes playing around with her best friend, while Natsu just loves seeing her smile.

Happy has seen a change in Natsu in his treatment and feelings towards Lucy but doesn't know how to bring it up. He also sees Lucy's lingering looks of longing that she adeptly cuts short whenever someone notices. He'd rather they figure it out for themselves.

Their development would be gradual (but not nonexistent as it is in the damn manga). No dramatic confessions, just a bit of pushing from Lucy and a bit of opening up from Natsu. Lucy finds herself wanting to be closer bit by bit despite her earlier reservations, as Natsu's slowly figuring out how he feels for Lucy. Fortunately, Natsu doesn't need to say much for Lucy to understand what he means.

Their dynamic stays the same, just more mature and emotionally intimate. It comes to a point where they don't really need to verbalize it to know they're both it for each other, their first and last, forever.

At this point, the pda really begins. How Natsu teases Lucy now is outright flirting and dirty jokes, which flusters Lucy every time, especially when they're with the team. Lucy soon discovered that the best way to get back at him was through physical flirting — running her hands across his chest and stomach, playing with his hair, touching his neck. It drives him absolutely crazy and she loves it.

Natsu's protectiveness now bleeds beyond their fights against enemies and into simple social encounters with other people who so much as look at Lucy weirdly. This annoys her, but inside, she finds it sweet and attractive. On the other hand, Lucy tries to act nonchalant whenever she's jealous in order to save face, but the team can clearly see through her facade. Natsu, unfortunately, constantly misses all the hints, so Lucy ends up conceding anyway.

If they were attached at the hip before, they're absolutely glued to each other now. Natsu outright refuses to go anywhere without Lucy, and only she can convince him otherwise. The two now always share a bed/sleeping mat. Whenever they walk around, their hands are always intertwined. The most shocking of all, Natsu shares his food with Lucy; lets her take a bite from his plate all the time.

He tried to get into reading for her but quickly got bored of it, so she thought of reading to him instead. This seems to be much more effective, to the point the two often discuss their thoughts on what they're currently reading. This almost always turns into heated debates, with Lucy repeatedly trying to explain her point with solid evidence from the text, and Natsu just not getting it.

In that same vein, Lucy offers to spar against him. What Lucy lacks in physical strength, she makes up for with tact and sheer magical prowess, so they're often evenly matched, with Natsu winning the most by just a small margin mainly due to his stamina. Regardless, what matters most to him is how much fun he has with her. Also, their sparring helps him with his impulsiveness and temper since he has a safe outlet for his pent-up energy now.

It took a while for their teammates to adjust to their evolved dynamic. They're mostly shocked that Natsu had the brains to even make a move, but they can see how the two have matured with each other. Hence, they're truly happy for them.

Years down the line, Lucy moves into his house, which he spent months renovating to accommodate her. The first few months are pure chaos as they adjust to sharing the same space, with Natsu increasing his pranks and Lucy trying to avoid every single one, and Lucy constantly wanting to rearrange furniture and Natsu grumbling as he mostly does the heavy lifting, but both cannot express enough how happy they are to share a home.

The thought of proposing just suddenly comes to Natsu one day. After pondering on it for a few days, he asks her out of the blue as they're idling in the house. Lucy is shocked, stares at him, then laughs out loud when she realizes he's 100% serious. He gets flustered and self-conscious as she's doubling over, but before he can ask what is so funny, she kisses him and says yes. He grins and hugs her tightly as they laugh and kiss.

They have a simple ceremony near the guild, but things quickly turn chaotic as their friends from all over visit to witness the ceremony. Their honeymoon is spent traveling and adventuring. They pull a Sasuke and Sakura by coming home with baby Nasha OR with Lucy heavily pregnant because she wants to give birth in the guild. Either pushes the entire guild into absolute chaos, but the two wouldn't have it any other way.

Will add more soon! Feel free to comment and add your own

[gvcci-bxby]

the arrangement (mini series) - chapter 4: reconciliation

pairing: neteyam sully x omaticaya reader

word count: 3.7k

warnings: SMUT! (p in v), light cursing, fluff, probs misspellings (ill revise later, im tired ya'll lol)

other installments: part 1 | part 2 | part 3

author's note: I just wanted to thank everyone for the reblogs, likes, and overall engagement with my first series. I apologize for the long wait for the final installment but I hope you all enjoyed it. It's definitely a basic ending but enemies deserve happy endings too. Much gratitude.

taglist: @bakugouswaif @erenjaegerwifee @rav3nh3aven @aysha4life @marriedtolike18fictionalmen

“Y/n wait,” Neteyam says, firmly grabbing your arm. 

“For what? So, I can watch another girl climb all over you?”

Neteyam sighs sharply, putting both his hands on your shoulders. “Stop, and just listen. What you just saw was nothing, she approached me while I was waiting for you.” 

You roll your eyes, “What do you want Neteyam? You’re the one that asked me to meet you.” 

“Yes, I did because I wanted to explain what happened last week. What Korra said about Nalu and I isn’t true. In fact, every rumor you’ve heard about me, and another girl isn’t true at all. I haven’t been with anyone, ever.” Neteyam could help but divert his eyes, embarrassed by admitting his lack of experience. 

You open your mouth to respond but couldn’t find words to say. You had been wrong all along, not allowing Neteyam to bring clarity to the situation. You felt guilty and foolish, thinking about how you could’ve moved passed the situation and spent the last several days being excited and discussing your ceremony. 

“I’ve been waiting for you, and I wish you would have allowed me to explain it all. Korra has always made it clear she likes me, but I only think and care about you.” 

“So, you waited? To mate with me?” You ask, making your jealousy of imagining him with other girls known. 

Neteyam nods, bringing you close. “You’ll be my first and my last.” 

You shake your head, looking down at the ground. “I’m so sorry I didn’t listen to you, Neteyam. This whole time we could have-. “ Neteyam interrupts you, shushing you. He brushes your freshly braided hair to the side, brushing his fingertips across your cheek.  “It’s okay,” Neteyam’s voice coming out as a whisper. 

Your arms wrap around Neteyam’s torso, bringing your fronts closer. You feel relief, knowing Korra only targeted you to make Neteyam her own, that there is no truth to what she, Nalu, or any of the other Na’vi girls have said. 

You feel a course of excitement surge through your body, the close proximity being close to Neteyam again thrilling you. You let the emotions get the best of you and you crashed your lips into Neteyam’s. His response was quick, picking you up swiftly. You wrap your legs around him, pushing your mouth into his, his tongue maneuvers its way into your mouth.

You both stand in the village, and it was totally possible that others could see you and Neteyam. Neteyam walks you into the edge of the forest that was only a few yards away. 

Your lips move with Neteyam’s in synch, urges you had never felt before gathering in your stomach and between your thighs. Neteyam was in between earth and heaven, the feeling of you against him exhilarating him. Your legs part, allowing him to Neteyam to rest and stay close to you, gave him unholy ideas. Your hips buck up, meeting Neteyam’s, and you feel his bulge growing by the second. Your skin tingles, satisfied by Neteyam’s reaction to your touch, your body. 

You were so deeply lost in Neteyam to noticed people approaching the edge of the forest where you and Neteyam made out. 

“Lo’ak, do you think it’s a smart idea for Neteyam and y/n to be seen making out, in the forest, before their ceremony tomorrow?” Kiri says, standing off to the side with her arms crossed. 

You gasp, surprised by your friend spotting you. Lo’ak shakes his head, “Bro, I never want to see you in this position ever again.” 

Kiri wrinkles her nose, “Neither do I. Come on, y/n, you need to get rest before tomorrow. Neteyam, you need to pull yourself together before you go home, mom and dad are waiting for you.” 

You stand up robotically, thoroughly embarrassed. Kiri and Lo’ak walk ahead of you, allowing one last moment of privacy before tomorrow. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Neteyam whispers, planting a kiss on your cheek. 

You smile, squeezing his hand that was placed in yours. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Get some rest.” 

As you walk home, Kiri escorts you home. Lo’ak parting to walk home with Neteyam. “I see you two have made up.” 

You laugh, nodding. “We did indeed, it was just a giant misunderstanding. But I’m so nervous for tomorrow.” 

Kiri squeezes your shoulder, “As you should be. It’s the biggest day of your life. You’re getting mated for life and being announced as the future leader of the clan.” 

You sigh, approaching you home. “Thanks for the reminder.” 

Kiri laughs now, “I’m just saying y/n, it’s okay to be nervous. But don’t worry, it’s all going to be perfect. I’ll be there, your parents will be there. We’re all here to show our love and support for you and Neteyam.” 

You pause at the bottom of your steps that lead to your home. You turn to your friend, opening your arms to hug her. Kiri accepts your embrace, offering you encouragement. “I’m excited to have you become a part of my family, sister.” 

You smile, stepping back. “I am most honored to become part of your family, Kiri.” Kiri ushers you inside where you find your mother whirling around your living room. Kiri stands behind you taking in the sight as well. 

Your mother holds your ceremony attire, the pearls, and bright stones drip down from the dress, and the outfit glitters in the light. “There you are, y/n.” Your mother exclaims. “Get in here, we have finishing touches to do.” 

Behind you, Kiri touches your shoulder. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” Kiri says with a small smile. She slinks off into the dark, most likely heading towards her own house. 

Your mother lightly grasps your forearm, having you stand in front of her. “How are you feeling about tomorrow?” 

You shrug, heat starting to crawl up your neck. You know she’s referring to what’s will happen after the ceremony. “Mom,” you say, averting your gaze from hers. “We don’t have to have that talk.” 

Your mother raises her eyebrows, lifting her arms up in defense. “If you say so, I was just going to offer you an answer to any of your questions.” 

You shake your head at the thought but before you could respond, your mother changes the topic. 

“Now,” she says, stepping back to look at you. “Let’s do some finishing touches.” 

For the next hour your mom primps you. To distract you, you imagine what tomorrow will be like. When Neytiri had come over, your mother and she had discussed the itinerary for the day of the ceremony so you had a good idea of how it would all play out. 

First, the ceremony will occur, Jake, Neytiri, your mother, your father, and Moat will stand on the alter with you and Neteyam, requesting your vow to promise to protect and lead the Omatikaya people. Then there will be a clan meal except you and Neteyam will break away for your own personal ceremony. That part brings chills up your arms and spine. 

Finally, your mom taps your shoulder, your eyes flickering open. “You keep dozing off, you can go to bed now. Just make sure to put your hair up so you don’t mess it up while you sleep.” You nod, groggy with sleep. Before you got far away, your mom wrapped you in a hug. “If you’re nervous, don’t be.” She kisses the top of your head and then gives you a soft nudge into your room. 

--- --- --- 

Before you can even comprehend, you’re in your ceremony dress; Neytiri and your mother pulling your hair into a style, your dress being tapered to your torso as you stand back in the living room. Your stomach is in a knot, knowing that a grand ceremony and big responsibilities await outside. You bite your lip thinking about it. 

“You look beautiful,” Neytiri says, standing in front of you. Her big, gold-flecked eyes observe your face, taking in your emotions. “You’re nervous. Don’t be, we’ll all be up there with you.” 

You hum softly, slightly comforted with that fact. It’s not just you on the stage, yours and Neteyam’s family will stand on the platform with you. “I know, but still,” You say. Neytiri shakes her head, waving her hand. 

Behind her, your mom tugs at her dress and you can’t help but smile at her excitement. While her pressure on you has been annoying when you were growing up, you, too, would most likely react the same way if you were in her position. 

Your living room door opens a crack and Jake sticks his head in. “Ready ladies?” Jake says, eyeing you. “Y/n, you look great.” You smile in response, bowing your head towards Jake. 

Neytiri and your mom stand beside you, their arms looping into yours. “Are you ready?” your mom whispers to you. You look down at the floor, taking in what’s about to happen. You think about how you and Neteyam’s relationship has evolved over the past few weeks. It gives you hope for the future and what awaits for both of you. 

Jake disappears behind the door and it’s you, your mom, and your soon-to-be mother-in-law alone. Together, you all venture out the door and towards the center of the village. Every step you take feels like you’re floating, and you feel confidence and excitement growing within you. 

After a short walk, you approach your ceremony, the clan looking back to see you. Ahead, your father, Jake, Neteyam and Moat stand. Even from far away you can see Neteyam’s smiling at you. Neteyam’s breath is almost taken completely away, his mind in awe of how beautiful you look. 

Neytiri and your mother hold you at your arms, and you’re thankful for that. You feel your knees get weak approaching the platform, but the mothers are there to support you the entire way. Neteyam looks beautiful as he stands in Omatikaya traditional clothing. 

You take the steps to the platform one-by-one, and you are now in front of the whole clan, your friends, your future family, your enemies, and Neteyam. You face Neteyam, taking his hands that are outstretched to you. 

The ceremony begins. 

The ceremony lasts close to an hour, prayer and song laced within the statements made by your family and Neteyam’s. Each family member must make commitments to support you and Neteyam’s time in leadership. Finally, the attention turns towards you and Neteyam. 

“Neteyam and Y/n,” Jake says to you and his son. “Do you promise to work together, physically and in spirit, to protect the Omatikaya people and their land.” 

You nod, looking from Jake to the clan that is splayed out in front of you. All the faces you recognize, and you feel complete honor to lead such a peaceful yet fierce clan. You are flashed back to when you were just a young na’vi, dangling on some of their hands and legs, and now you stand in front of them as their future leader. “Yes, I do.” Neteyam follows too, knowing he would do anything for the clan he loves. 

Jake smiles looking at you and Neteyam. Despite your previous rivalry, Jake knew that you would come around to each other and would protect the clan until you passed the torch to your own children. Neytiri, too, gazed at her son and you in amazement, hoping you can lead the clan in peace and never deal with the tragedies her parents and now her and Jake have endured.  

“I’m pleased to make it official that Neteyam te Suli Tsyeyk’itan and y/n as the future leaders of the Omatikaya clan and Neytiri and I’s replacement if anything should happen to us. I believe, wholeheartedly, that they will lead the clan with love and commitment, under Eywa, until the pass.” Jake says, and immediately the clan begins to cheer.  

Your parents rejoice as well, providing happy smiles towards you and your new mate. Neteyam pulls you close to him, his face hidden from the audience by your long braids. He plants a kiss on the nape of your neck, his scent filling your nose. Your knees get weak again, the thought of what’s to come making your stomach twist with anticipation. But first is the clan meal. 

You are seated, next to Neteyam, at the head of the table. Your parents sit on your side of the table, Jake and Neytiri on Neteyam’s side. The table is long, making a place for every clan member. An incredible amount of food is place on the length of the table, ensuring that everyone’s stomach will be filled. You make a note in your head to thank the na’vi that spent so much time preparing the food. 

Food is place in front of you, but you can’t get yourself to eat; you’re too nervous. Neteyam can tell, and he places a hand on your inner thigh, out of sight of anyone’s gaze. Neteyam leans closer to you, offering a comforting presence. “Can you believe it?” Neteyam whispers 

You shake your head, leaning towards Neteyam. “I can’t; we’ve known about this day since we could talk yet it seems to have happened so fast.” Neteyam smiles at you, brush your braids behind your shoulder. “You look beautiful.” He says, his eyes gazing down your body. You blush under his gaze. 

You pick on your food, trying to intake some food, but you feel too nervous to even function. Clan members whisk by, congratulating you and your mate. You try to be present, thanking them for their kind compliments, yet your mind is stuck on what’s to come. 

You heart thumps against your chest when Jake leans towards Neteyam. Jake touches Neteyam’s arm, gaining his son’s attention. “I think it’s a good time to sneak away so you can… you know.” Jake says, shifting his eyes towards you. You try to pretend not to hear, and act as if you are taken aback when Neteyam leans towards you. You don’t want to come off as too nervous. “Are you ready?” Neteyam asks. 

You swallow, trying to take a deep breath. You nod and take Neteyam’s hand when he stands up. Thankfully, the rest of the clan is too busy celebrating and in conversation with each other to notice you and Neteyam sneak away. 

The Tree of Voices is not a far walk from the center of the village, only a few hundred feet away. Your feet seem to carry you to the location, your hand getting sweaty with Neteyam’s. The tree ignites brightly against the darkening sky, and it take your breath away. You’ve been here a million times, yet it looks completely new to you. You and Neteyam stand at the center of the tree, and you face each other. 

“Are you nervous?” Neteyam asks, brining you closer to him. 

You shake your head and Neteyam cocks his head to the side. “Are you sure?” You sigh heavily, pressure leaving your chest. “I’m really nervous.”

Neteyam laughs, snaking his arms around your waist and clasping behind your back. His face dips down, his lips hovering yours. “Don’t be,” Neteyam says, his lips inching closer. “I’ll take good care of you.” With that, his lips crash into yours. 

Your eyes flutter shut, your hands grasping his strong biceps. They muscles feel bigger under your touch and you wonder how hard he’s been working out lately. Swiftly, Neteyam navigates your body to the soft ground, making sure to place you down gently.  Your lips move in synch, your tongues flicking against each other. Again, you feel a pit growing inside of you and you begin to feel hungry for Neteyam. You sigh softly against his lips, the anticipation beginning to eat away at you. 

You spread your legs apart, allowing Neteyam to rest between them. He fits perfectly as he arranges himself comfortably on top of you. His hands and fingers trail down your torse, leaving goosebumps on your skin in their wake. Your fingers lace into his hair, bringing his mouth deeper onto yours. Neteyam pulls back, only to move to kiss the skin along your neck, collarbone, and stomach. You begin to fold, feeling his kisses get closer to your core. 

Neteyam lets his kisses trail downwards until he meets the band of your embellished loincloth. Neteyam sits up, leaning on his knees. He hooks his fingers into the band of your loincloth, beginning to pull them down your thighs. You swallow hard again, knowing your core is now exposed to Neteyam. 

Beneath him, Neteyam gazes at you with love and lust. The way Neteyam feels about you amazes him; he never thought he would feel such a way for anymore. You are the most beautiful Na’vi Neteyam has ever seen. How did he ever despise you? 

Once your loincloth is off, Neteyam tosses it to the side, repositioning himself over you. He begins to take his loincloth off, but you beat him to it, your fingers jitter with lust. You lean up, helping Neteyam slip the piece of clothing off. Neteyam’s cock bounces up to meet you and you try to nonchalantly take a peek. Your jaw clenches at the sight and you are impressed by his length.

You lean back, letting Neteyam hover over you. Again, he brushes your hair out of your face, a small gesture of comfort. “Tell me if you want to stop.” Neteyam whispers. You offer him a smile knowing how gentle and kind he’s trying to be. 

Neteyam connects your mouth with his again and you spread your legs further apart for easy access. With a swift movement, Neteyam lines himself up with you and pushes himself into you. You gasp, your body adjusting to his size. Pain enters you but after a several strokes, the pain subsides into pure pleasure. You grasp Neteyam’s biceps, the pleasure overwhelming. Neteyam goes slow, taking in every moment he spends with you under the Tree of Souls. The pleasure is overwhelming for Neteyam, yet he tries his best to focus only on you. 

Neteyam separates his mouth from yours, hovering near your ear. His soft moans echo through your ears and you’re glad he is enjoying himself as much as you are. “You feel so good,” Neteyam says, a soft moan interlaced as he strokes into you. 

You feel like your lost in the feeling, never wanting for it to end. You feel present and connected with your mate, but you know the end is near. A build up in your core is about to burst and every stroke Neteyam gives you brings you closer and closer. Neteyam, too, is close, yet he tried to preserve himself anyway he can as he’s not ready to be finished with you. ‘Although,’ he thinks to himself, ‘this is only our ceremony night; there’s many more opportunities to come in the future.’

Your legs clench around Neteyam, as a strong sensation of pleasure courses through you. At the same time, Neteyam leans into you, his face buried into your neck. “Fuck,” he whispers into your neck. Neteyam finishes into you, allowing his last stroke to stay deep inside of you. Your back arches, your chest brushing his, and then you slump down. Your limbs are intertwined, as your roll into one being. Neteyam holds you against him, his fingers running through your hair. He places a kiss against your temple, his scent washing over you once again. 

“We’re officially a mated pair,” you say in awe. “Future leaders of the clan.” 

Neteyam hums, letting your head rest against his chest. “You’re the only person I’d want to be mated to or lead the clan with.” 

You take his comment in, thankful to have had the luck of not only being the leader of the Omatikaya clan but to also lead it with Neteyam. You felt lucky that you were forced to learn about Neteyam in a different capacity and learn that he isn’t what you thought he was. But a funny thought enters your mind. “Can you believe we were enemies before? Now looks at us.” 

--- --- --- 

epilogue

Since the ceremony and your time spent under the Tree of Souls, you and Neteyam have been enjoying your time as a mated pair. The first several years you enjoyed being young, taking advantage of having your own home together. You cooked for each other, sometimes doing it together. You stayed up late, lying in bed in the dark and whispering to each other as if the room was full of people. You told each other secrets, made up stories, or talked about your future until the sun began to peek up behind the horizon. 

You also enjoyed flying on your ikran together, and Neteyam would take you for flights when you felt like getting away from the village. He’d bring you to your secret spot, taking late night or early morning swims in the river where you and he had first spent time together. Every moment with Neteyam you loved and wished would never end. 

The clan loved you together, confident that you will successfully lead them one day. You appreciated your role as the future Tsahik and you enjoyed tending to the clan with Moat and Neytiri. You also loved spending time with the Sully’s, combining your family and the Sully’s together for big family meals. Life was good to you and Neteyam. 

A few years into your mateship with Neteyam, you decided it was time to have children. It had been fun finding time to be intimate with Neteyam; being future leaders of the clan kept you busy sometimes. Countless nights you stayed up with Neteyam, working with love and passion to bring life into this world. 

It wasn’t long until you brought your first child into the world, a son, that looked so much like Neteyam. A year later, you and Neteyam brought a daughter into the world. You were in awe of the family you and Neteyam had created together, as it felt like it was just a short time ago that you were children yourself, Neteyam tugging on your tail or playing pranks on you. Before you, Neteyam grew into a man, and you couldn’t wait to see him as the Olo’eyktan one day. For now, he was an amazing mate and father, and you can’t wait to see what the future continues to hold for your family. 

[ladybugsimblr]

One more surprise that night. Not only did Nalu change the dinner reservation time, but he also changed the location. He and Arya enjoyed a romantic evening at the local winery discussing all that their future wedding could be. They ended the special occasion with a Brindleton Bay lovers special 😉🥰.

[kaizenproductions]

Natsu does NOT have any previous experience with romantic love

This is the (better) Tumblr version of my post from Twitter. Given the format of this website, I'll add some details to what's already written.

Before starting with this, I want to clarify that the motivation to write this post has little to do with nalu itself (it will be mentioned to highlight a point though). Having previous romantic partners DOESN'T really make any ship invalid. You'll find the actual reason behind this essay under the cut below.

This is about how Natsu, as a character, is never presented or seen by others as someone who has experience with love and such idea is never hinted or implied anywhere in the canon material. This lack of experience explains why Lucy thinks he has no interest in it.

As we will see later, Lucy isn't the only one who thinks like this... Let's get started.

Year 2024. Why writing all this? Some weeks ago I was involved in a discussion about whether Natsu was being OOC during a filler (non canon) scene of the anime where he snaps at Lucy in a way he never does with any of his friends in canon material. The discussion led to this...

I didn't want to assume that this person was taking Lisanna as some kind of first love. At the end it turned out that was exactly what was happening. The proof? The most platonic reunion ever... with Happy reacting the same way as Natsu and comedy being included. It is important to highlight that Mashima never makes two people between whom there have been romantic feelings reunite like this, with comedy references in between that downplays the seriousness of the moment to some extent. While this post is about Natsu and his feelings, I could also mention Lisanna's reaction to this, something that proves that there wasn't even a one sided love: after noticing this Natsu is the same one from her real dimension, she doesn't start crying because of him but because of her siblings.

Let's ignore the part where this dude started calling me and some other users "retards" because that speaks volumes for itself about his lack of real arguments. After all, he has been fighting for at least 4 years with teens over power scaling, a topic he may seem to be knowledgeable about but actually isn't so much, plus he has been banned from at least one Discord server because of his r4pe threats. It seems this individual was so obsessed with that specific thing that he said Zeref did it to Mavis and that's how August was made... That also speaks volumes about his media literacy and the fact that even if it's true that he did read the manga so many times as he claimed during this discussion, he has serious problems with reading as a normal person. When it comes to the topic of this post, the problem is that he has some influence within the fandom, at least on Twitter, so whatever he says is something that many of his followers will start repeating.

What does Mashima do when Lisanna finally comes back to her original home and she gets a proper reunion with everyone?

After the initial shock from seeing Edo Lisanna in Earthland and the big reveal, this is how Natsu reacts.

This isn't a reunion that suggests that Lisanna is special compared to everyone else in the guild, and particulary to those who grew around Natsu. Also, we can't say Mashima just doesn't know how to write such scene properly... because he's written it at least once (in Rave).

The emotion you can feel in this scene, the way ONLY both lovers are on the spotlight and the rest of their friends are in the background until the end... Well, the difference is so obvious that it's ridiculous to say more. Given how well Mashima handles the emotional dimension of his characters in his mangas, the possibility that he didn't know how to depict two lovers who got separated from each for some time due to circumstances beyond their control is off the table.

Also, notice how the end of the Edolas arc depicts this.

The difference with her reunion with Natsu and the others is so obvious that there's no need to say more.

We can also discard Lisanna as a former love interest because there's no akwardness between them once she's back to the guild. They can be seen playing together and briefly interacting from time to time, so it's not like they're avoiding each other.

Is it implied somewhere that they had something beyond friendship? Not in any kind of canon material. Every time Lisanna is mentioned in regards to Natsu she's presented as a close childhood friend. We have, for example, her profile from one of the first chapters where she's back home and the information of the official magazine that was released 10 years ago.

But what if they simply stopped loving each other due to being separated, as a fellow nalu shipper told me on Discord? Making characters fall out of love is something that Mashima also references (see Macao pic a bit below). It also goes against what we saw regarding Erza and Jellal, who still had romantic feelings for each other despite their antagonistic positions for many years, or against the whole Zeref and Mavis thing. In other Mashima mangas we have more couples like this. Elsie and Justice still loved each other despite being sworn enemies, and Let still loved Julia (and vice versa) when he discovered she was alive, a kinda similar scenario to Natsu and Lisanna if they had been lovers. Given that Natsu and Lisanna weren't even enemies to each other at any point and they were only separated for two years, we can't say they had something canonically and they simply got over it with no actual reference to it.

There was a very good moment to reference past feelings in 100YQ: when Touka includes Lisanna in the group of women "around Natsu".

Instead of offering us a comment like "it's not like that anymore", Lisanna just says something that implies they're not that close. After all, Natsu is hanging out with his team most of the time since it was established.

What's the reason this fandom has been so many years discussing about this friendship? Because the first anime adaptation goes beyond that friendship and the manga omake where both of them take care of Happy's egg, something Lisanna decides to help with because she loves animals and she felt Natsu wouldn't do it properly. The first season includes several fillers that pave the way for a love triangle, presenting Lisanna as a girl who is VERY interested in marrying Natsu when they're adults. In addition, Happy is presented as their son, something that totally goes against the source material. Even if Natsu is the one who saw Happy be born and was living with him since then, Happy is never considered as his son and is always called a nakama/companion/friend.

This long thread has everything that A-1 and Satelight added in regards to Natsu and Lisanna. As we can see in the info provided in one of the first tweets, Mashima let them "edit" the story the way they wanted to and it's mentioned explicitely by both him and Ishihara (the director) that Ishihara is responsible for those additions, not Mashima. We also can't say the additions were something Mashima asked for because he couldn't include everything he wanted in his manga for some reason. This is supported by the fact that Lisanna is never presented in the manga as any kind of romantic interest after she comes back.

There's also this tweet from 2012 where Mashima replied to someone asking him whether he was involved in the story of the anime. His answer is no.

It's also important to say that these fillers aren't canon: they're not referenced in the source material (the starry key arc was, even if Mashima wasn't involved in the writing), they're not referenced in the anime itself after Lisanna comes back and they have no impact in the events of the story during and after Edolas.

Currently, thanks to Mashima's Twitter Spaces, we know two things: he revived Lisanna because some people in the anime staff liked her (Ishihara is one of them for sure), which explains why she's not very relevant and is always tied to her siblings, and he once considered to include a love triangle between Natsu, Lucy and Lisanna after Edolas, but he liked Natsu and Lucy's dynamic by then enough to not introduce such storyline. He also said Lisanna was "だめ" in regards to that triangle that never came to be, implying that she would have been the one that doesn't get the boy in that scenario.

So is Lisanna our supposed former love interest? As far as the canon material goes, no. Was she close to Natsu? Yes. Is she dear to him? Yes, just like everyone in his family, the guild, is (I can't believe I'm writing this in fking 2024). Now, what if there was someone else? The assumption that characters may have dated another (unnamed) character offscreen isn't totally crazy. After all we saw how Juvia dated Bora, even if it was a narrative tool to show that not even dates would make Juvia stop being depressed. However, we can't say there was someone else as more than a headcanon unless it's implied or mentioned somewhere explicitely. We know Macao was married but got divorced thanks to the official magazine, for example.

When it comes to Natsu, nothing is ever mentioned.

100YQ, the official FT sequel, has several pannels that go against the whole idea of Natsu being experienced with romantic love. As I mentioned at the beginning, even others from the guild, and especifically Macao in this pannel, who knows Natsu since he was a kid, have a hard time believing he's interested in love.

This part of the story includes a very interesting pannel that also debunks the whole idea that Natsu felt more than frienship for Lisanna before she was transported to Edolas.

Why would Lisanna's brother react like this over such comment if Natsu and his sister had romantic feelings in the past? Easy: because those feelings never existed.

Even Lisanna is a bit surprised when Touka expresses her interest in him.

Previous romantic experience would also mean that Natsu's relationship with Lucy would be more advanced than it is as of now, not to mention this recent scene.

Natsu is still quite dense with romance, even when it doesn't involve him, and while he talks about his and Lucy's kids they still have a long way to go due to his total inexperience in this area as of now. Someone with past love experiences wouldn't be like this. I could say more about this but this isn't the post for it so...

Conclussion: the first season of the anime did a lot of damage that resulted in many years of discussions, fights, misogyny towards both Lucy and Lisanna. There was no childhood or teen love, no jealousy from Lisanna when she saw how close Natsu and Lucy were as a team and nothing suggests that Lisanna was more than a friend in canon material. Claiming the opposite at this point of the story is useless.

[beargyufairy]

Just My Thoughts Pt. 34

If you discuss growth in FT characters and leave out Lucy/Wendy then you’re so wrong. These two girls have started at the lowest level and grown up so much. Quickly summing up Lucy’s growth from a celestial mage that started her magical journey at a very late age (compared to most of the other FT members), she’s the holder of multiple golden Zodiac keys, knows several spells including Gottfried and Urano metria (and of course the new ones in the 100 YQ), can use one of the grand fairy magic (fairy sphere) and has Star dress. That’s just the major parts of her growth as a mage.

Now for Wendy, she’s grown so much as a person and a wizard. I love her commitment to FT. I wonder how often she remembers her old guild because that was a very emotional moment for her to realize they weren’t truly real. I am so glad to see her dive into her dragon slayer magic (her dragon force mode is peak I love the design) alongside her enchantress powers. This is one thing I am so happy Mashima added because it’s perfect for Wendy. She’s truly power considering how young she is and how much potential she has.

For the remainder of the 100 YQ I would love to see more of her enchantress abilities, casting spells and enhancing her magic. Maybe a unison raid with Natsu. Honestly any unison raid would be acceptable. It’s something I thought would be more common but was put on the side like everything else I had high expectations for. Lucy and Juvia need to do another one since they were very first example. So maybe Natsu and Gray can have one or even Natsu and Lucy (to satisfy my NaLu needs).

Back to Wendy, I would also like to see more of her relationship with Sherria. Speaking of which, how’s her return to magic going?! I am sure Wendy does her best to provide as much support and positivity as she can. I would also like to see more of Wendy, Lucy, and Erza as almost a sister bond and wholesome moments between girls who went through so much together that’s not a battle or anything violent. Maybe a filler shopping spree or lunch outing just to relax and enjoy the moment. It’s something Wendy (and all the others need) since she’s still a child. She needs to have the positive vibes too.

I’m just going to add Happy and Carla on here because I just have one major thing I need from them. Did they ever realize the other Exceeds were their parents? Did they ever go to interact with them? How are they doing?! Honestly they could’ve had more involvement considering their flight is very useful. I just want to Happy to know his parents are proud of him and love him. I want Carla to know her mother feels sorry for what she did in the past and that to some extent an actual princess.

[millennial-star-gazer]

Bound by Fire and Fate: A Demon and Fairy's Eternal Love

Read This Poem and My Other Works on Tumblr, FF, and AO3

1.FF

I. Main FF Link (Click Here:)

II. Secondary FF Link (Click Here:)

III. Alternative FF Link (Click Here:)

2. AO3

IV. Main AO3 Link (Click Here:)

V. Secondary AO3 Link (Click Here:)

3. Comprehensive Master Post of All My Works

VI. Master Post 1(Click Here:)

VII. Master Post 2 (Continuation of the Original Master Post) (Click Here:)

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Important Note: The Master Post(s) are also pinned to my Tumblr profile for your convenience.

The font legend, disclaimer with additional content warnings, and other important details, including the actual poem, are located below the cut. Scroll down past if you'd like to jump straight to the content. For those interested in preliminary information such as genre, rating, etc., that will be available in the FF and AO3 versions once posted.

Rating: T-M (for language, subtle mentions of blood, violence, steamy content, and mature/adult sexual themes—all consensual). Reader discretion is advised (you've been warned!). However, it is safe for work. AU (Alternative Universe)

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For @gymjunkie412, I'm your Secret Santa—hope you enjoy your gift!

A/N: Hi everyone! I hope this message finds you well. It's your girl, millennial_stargazer (aka millennial_fairy across most social media). It's been a while since my last post—long time no see!

This piece is my entry for @allaboutnalu 's gift exchange and my gift to GymJunkie412, as I had the honor of being their Secret Santa this year. After a long break, I'm excited to share this: my first submission in a while and one of many Fairy Tail WIPs/new projects.

Before diving in, I want to mention how much I absolutely love GymJunkie412's art and other amazing content. It's such an honor to create something for someone whose work I admire so much!

This poem is a fantasy-romance AU set in a reimagined version of Earthland, focusing on the NALU/E. pairing. In this version, Natsu is a fire dragon-demon hybrid, and Lucy takes on the role of a celestial fairy and fae. The story draws inspiration from a wide range of sources, including the original Fairy Tail anime/manga, various fanfictions and AUs, and media I love—from novels like the Throne of Glass series to TV shows, anime, K-dramas, international dramas, and games. The Elder Scrolls, D , Arcane/League of Legends, and my own ideas also served as key influences in shaping the world and overall inspiration for this fanfic.

There are other details and explanations I'd love to share, but I'll save that for the end of the note. Parts of this poem are intentionally open-ended to encourage different interpretations and spark the imagination. I wanted to leave room for readers to visualize how certain plot points or character arcs might unfold in this unique take on Earthland.

Thank you for reading! Without further ado, here's the poem. GymJunkie412, I hope you enjoy this, and to everyone else, happy reading!

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Available on: Tumblr, FF , and AO3.

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Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, which belongs to the one and only Hiro-sensei! The bottom A/N contains discussions of emotional and psychological trauma, as well as references to armed conflict and bigotry. The poem also features mature, steamy content, references to blood and violence, and explores adult themes in certain sections Reader discretion is advised.

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Legend:

Italics: Poem

Italics outside of main story: Quote

Bolded Italics outside of main story: A/N

"You are my sun, my moon, and all my stars."

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(E.E. Cummings: I Carry Your Heart With Me)

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Welcome, weary travelers! How do you fare? Enter this humble establishment— A well-known tavern on the edge of town, A cozy waypoint for intrepid explorers like yourselves!

Oh, how the frigid wind howls! The icy rain— It soaks to the bone, like shards of glass from a frozen sky. And this cold? This cold, this bitter chill in the late autumn air? It is here to stay, I'm afraid, through winter's reign.

All this—the glacial grip of frost and more— Will endure until Spring's tide swells anew. Persephone will return, Flora will arrive, Bringing the promise of new leaves and lilies In a fragrant breeze that whispers of life reborn.

But alas, we're suspended in the icy hands of time, Shackled by its unyielding chains.

Oh, please, enter— No need to linger in this dreary weather, In this wretched storm that misfortune has brought upon us.

Won't you come in? Do come in, away from the wind, the rain, and the cold.

Now, come inside.

Shed your drenched cloaks,

Bask in the cozy warmth of the room,

And dry your hands by the glow of the hearth.

Come,

We invite you to take a seat.

Why not make yourselves at home?

Grab an ale and gather around,

As we regale you with the tale of starlight-touched lovers—

The most epic love story of our generation,

The grand saga of a celestial fae and a fire demon,

Ever told.

Once, there were two immortals, Seemingly worlds apart. One was a man, a fire dragon-demon Of tremendous power and strength— A figure both feared and revered.

His name, you ask? Etherious Natsu Dragneel E.N.D., as he's known by many, A denizen of Tartarus, Hades itself. Inhuman, yet— Handsome he is, with those roguish, boyish good looks, A mane like coral, skin of olive, scales glimmering faintly, Arresting emerald eyes, That can turn crimson.

A dazzling grin, sharp as his fangs, That sets hearts aflutter and knees weak. A physique like chiseled marble, Dark, infernal Adonis.

Wings unfurled, horns curving— A testament to his demon heritage. Many say, some would claim, As if he were crafted by the hands of both Heaven and Hell, A being forged from light and shadow, all in one.

This man, His captivating allure, However dark and seemingly unholy, It's the envy, The awe, The pull of Lasses and lads, Souls of every kind, Be they non-binary, two-spirit, or beyond, From all realms.

But amid all this, There are those whose beauty rivals the very stars themselves, And among them, the lasses—

How could we forget? Lucy Heartfilia, A fairy of the stars, a fae of the cosmos, A celestial maiden, An ethereal beauty, With otherworldly looks so fair. Her flowing tresses, Like spun gold, Her delicate face—

It is said her beauty could launch a thousand ships, Much like the fabled Helen of Troy, Her skin, pure as ivory, glowing with otherworldly grace.

Cinnamon eyes, Endless pools of wonder, In which mere mortals, demons, fae, sorcerers, or any soul could lose themselves for hours.

Petal-soft lips, That all desire to kiss, A longing that stirs the heart.

Why, she's a celestial fairy, A fae of great mystical power! A maiden touched by the heavens themselves. Haven't ye heard? She can command the cosmos with a whisper. The magic of constellations pulses through her veins, The power of the zodiac thrums in her blood. Her gift to conjure the cosmos? Ah, quite the grand feat, no doubt.

With pointed ears, And silken wings of rose and lavender, That shimmer and swirl in a symphony of light. They glisten like pastel diamonds in moon— A sight to behold, indeed.

Now, we recall the time of their fated meeting, The destined connection of two souls, A demon and a fae. Some may wonder, ponder— How could such a thing be? After all, are they not two beings from worlds apart?

Indeed, that rings true, A verity that resonates.

One is an Etherious, A prince of Hell, Born in a kingdom Forged in fire and ash, Iron and blood.

Rumors whispered, That this man, A dragon-demon hybrid, Spawned by a she-demon and a dragon of hellfire, Adopted son of the Flame Dragon King Igneel, Half-brother to the Black Wizard Zeref, Otherwise known as E.N.D, Was destined to ascend To the throne of Alvarez, Ruler of all dark dragons, demons, Sorcerers of black magic, And all that is unholy in Tartaros. Yet, despite his bloodline, He was not entirely malevolent, For even in the heart of darkness, A flicker of light could still burn.

The other, A child of the Fair Folk, Star-blessed, touched by the heavens, An ethereal being imbued with both cosmic power and divine grace. A denizen of Ishtar, Born of Fae King Jude and the Celestial May Queen Layla, She was a princess of the stellar realm, A wizard of immeasurable magic and prestige. In her heart burned kindness as vast as her strength, Her presence a beacon of light, Like a cosmic angel descending upon mortal lands. Primed to unite the divided Fae realms, She was destined to wear the crown, Queen of Earthly Magnolia and Crocus of the Sky, Empress of the Gossamer Lands— Long may she reign.

Bards sing of Natsu and Lucy's praises daily, Weaving tales of their fated connection. Their paths, as though etched by divine hands, Were destined to intertwine. It was written in the stars, The grand design of the gods, For these two kindred souls to find each other. Both had many friends within the renowned wizard guild of Fairy Tail, Where bonds of camaraderie fortified their spirits.

Their first meeting was as innocent children, Crossing paths while at play, unaware of the threads of destiny binding them. Years later, their lives converged once more, As adolescents on the cusp of discovery— He at fifteen, she at fourteen, Both carrying the weight of their lineage, Yet drawn together by a bond neither could yet comprehend.

Lucy, practicing her magic, Summoning her spirit guides, Weaving her spells, Casting celestial enchantments, Formations of stars, bodies, and light, Each one a radiant masterpiece.

Natsu and his exceed companion, Happy, Watching with rapt attention, Gazing in awe as stardust shimmered, Dancing above their heads.

Never had they witnessed such exquisite sorcery, Appearing before their youthful eyes, In all their short years. Peals of Lucy's silvery laughter, Ringing out like a cathedral bell in the summer air.

Oh, how they longed to hear it again, The sound of Lucy, the celestial maiden's joy, Delight so pure, like the sweetest of melodies, Filling the hearts of a demon and his cat companion.

As she conjured her magic, They marveled at her power, Lucy, a force unlike any they had known, A being born of stardust, A child of the cosmos, Her every movement a celestial dance.

Alas, their moment of revelry disrupted, By who, you may inquire? Why, by no more, no less than an unsightly man of low class and moral standing, Too desperate was he for Lucy's hand.

Lecherous stares, A fumbling word or two, Insulting remarks that fall flat and unworthy. Oh, how Lucy, Still a novice in her magic, Sat with poise, And yet, she was forced to endure.

Such harassment, Fueled by the fear of retaliation from a brutish man, With the grace of a wild beast in a porcelain shop. Panic set in, Alarm bells ringing in the fairy's mind, Her heartbeat pounding like the frantic rhythm of a drum. No other choice but to remain, it seemed.

Lucy's tight smile betrayed only the distress of her quickening pulse, A sound well-known to fire demon's and winged feline's ears. Joy faded, A protective fury simmering in the dragon's veins, A wild, untamable creature who could not be restrained. Natsu's world turned red— Or so the story goes, as far as we're told.

Lucy's fear rose as she frantically sought an escape, From such a dire situation. But salvation was at hand, Natsu and Happy to the rescue, Natsu's gleaming canines bared, growls rumbling, fist aflame— While Happy, with wings spread wide, let loose a sharp, fearless screech, A thinly veiled threat sending the scoundrel fleeing, tail tucked in retreat.

A flash of a radiant smile, sweeter than honey, A wry smirk, An exchange of gratitude, And an engaging discourse, Were the sparks for a new friendship that day. Camaraderie between demons, cats, and fae. Lo and behold, an intimate bond like no other was forged.

The seasons wheel, The sun and moon in endless pursuit, Years flow by in the river of time.

Unbreakable camaraderie, Adolescent years filled with warmth and delight, Laughter abundant, echoing all around, Friendships planted with care, Blossoming into a love as tender as lilies in spring.

Friends to lovers, as destiny wills, their journey unfolded into an unbreakable union.

Eighteen's philia and storge's nineteen, Merge into one, As eros awakens and ludus flourishes, Two hearts, Dragon and fairy.

Once friends, now intertwined, In pragma's dawn and love's design. Oh, isn't it grand? Their connection blossoming into something more, A bond that transcends the years, the moments, Their hearts drawn together in the cosmic dance of fate.

Their first kiss was nothing short of grand Natsu's lips sought, chased hers with such fervor, With a kiss, igniting a fiery, electric dance, Sparks flying, the air crackling with desire and pleasure, A touch so sweet, it could burn the world. In the heat of the moment, A sigil of love—unseen but deeply felt, A symbol of passion, fierce and unbreakable.

Incendiary nights of longing and passion, Tender couplings that followed, All in many days' work for a demon dragon and his beloved. The celestial beauty is his most treasured, Soul-bonded in this life, this world, And the next—forever entwined

For it is foretold that dragons, demons, and hybrids Do not merely mate for life—but for all eternity, Bound by a love that transcends time and space.

Love and prosperity endured for a long while, Regrettably, such peace could not last. Escalating tensions rose like plumes of smoke, Or the molten core of a rumbling volcano. Tempers erupted, War broke out and spread across the land in all the realms, Much like a great plague. The life blood of soldiers from opposing factions was shed, Soaking the earth, Leaving it stained, The very soil tainted with the scars of battle.

A thousand tears fell from widows, Alike the rains of a relentless monsoon. Wails of children's anguish echoed in the streets, For there was much weeping and gnashing of teeth. Amidst the suffering and despair, A glimmer of hope endured.

Yet, fear not, All hope was not lost. Natsu, Lucy, and their comrades Fought for the fate of all innocents and beings, With unwavering courage and unyielding resolve, Until the terrible calamity was vanquished, and harmony restored.

Amid the ashes of war, a new dawn rose, Treaties signed, to end the strife that tore and froze. War criminals punished, justice restored, And a promise made—Never again, peace shall be poured.

Natsu and Lucy, in love's true embrace, Married with honor, crowned in their rightful place. Empress and Emperor, ruling as one, A future forged together, their reign had begun. Lucy, now Natsu's, bound in every way, Their souls entwined, come what may. The Celestial, Fae, and Tartaros joined in their might, Alongside Earthland, united in light.

Side by side, they rule with unwavering care, Uniting all realms, a bond beyond compare. With friends and family from every land, Their reign was gentle, yet firm, as they made their stand.

They watch over us now, with loving eyes, As humans and all live their best lives, With Fairy Tail, by their side, strong and true, A family of love, forever renewed. A legacy built, on love's pure light, Guiding us forward, through the darkest night.

A lesson to learn, from the strength they've shown, In unity and love, we find our own. Their story continues, through time and space, A reign of peace, in a vast, endless place.

And so their tale stretches into the sky, A bond unbroken, a love that will never die. The realms they guide, their hearts entwined, Forever remembered, in stories redefined.

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A/N: END Scene. This poem has truly been a labor of love, and I sincerely hope you all enjoyed it. As always, please don't forget to like, comment, and share/reblog! It was a joy to write, despite a few hiccups along the way. I'm also really satisfied with how this turned out overall—it's been a journey, and I'm so happy with the final result.

While this is a work of fanfiction, I've also aimed to include diverse and inclusive representation, which is deeply important to me as a proudly sapphic queer woman on the bi/pan spectrum, as well as a neurodivergent person—making me a member of two marginalized groups in addition to being a woman. I am also a feminist, humanist, and egalitarian who believes in an intersectional approach to allyship. I stand for equal rights, respect, and an inclusive society for people from all disenfranchised groups, including loved ones, readers, mutuals, and followers. This perspective helps me understand the significance of intersectionality and diverse representation. My hope is that anyone reading from a diverse background feels seen and heard in some way.

Quick note on two-spirit: it refers to a specific identity within Indigenous/Aboriginal communities within the queer spectrum. However, it doesn't apply to all Indigenous/Aboriginal people. Regardless, all BIPOC, queer, and marginalized identities are valid, and I believe they deserve acknowledgment, especially in the face of societal struggles, human rights violations, and injustices.

As for this poem—there's always potential to expand it into a sequel or even a fanfiction series if time and inspiration align. Feel free to adapt it into your own fanfiction AU, should that be something you'd like to explore!

Now, as for why I've been a bit quiet on the writing front—I've been working on multiple WIPs (including new chapters), original projects, and edits, but delays have happened. Life has been busy with work commitments and managing energy levels from my ECE job schedules. Along with personal challenges, physical and mental health struggles, including anxiety and the aftermath of multiple traumas, writing consistency has been tough. One medical challenge I've been facing is vertigo, which I've had for the last 2.5 years. My PCP suspects it may have been caused by a virus (possibly from a stomach flu at one of the daycare centers where I worked or as a side effect of undiagnosed COVID). While I stay up to date on vaccines and take proper precautions, vertigo can mimic symptoms of a traumatic brain injury, and it has been affecting my brain, body, and overall well-being. As a result, my brain isn't functioning the same as it did just a few years ago, despite the fact that the transition from 30 to 33 shouldn't be that drastic. This also exacerbates challenges tied to my learning disability and impacts my writing. I often need to write in shorter bursts now, depending on how I'm feeling, but I'm still a good writer who's working on my craft.

Other factors like internet troubles in November (my old modem dying due to my ISP phasing out their legacy network) caused delays, too—resulting in 2.5 days of lost time until a technician could come and get us set up with a new connection.

That said, I'm determined to get back into a regular writing routine, even if it means writing in short bursts spread out over a couple of days. I promise I'm still working hard to get new chapters and projects out, and I'm hoping to post them as soon as possible. As always, keep an eye on my Tumblr, FF, and AO3 profiles for new chapters and WIPs. Feel free to connect with me across other social media platforms, too. Links to everything are in my Tumblr bio, this post, master posts, and various profiles depending on where you're reading from!

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Blessed Yule/Winter Solstice, Happy Kwanzaa, and all the best to you during this holiday season. Whether you celebrate any or all of these, I hope this season brings joy, peace, and love to your heart. Happy holidays from Canada to all my readers, mutuals, followers, and everyone from diverse backgrounds, no matter how or which celebrations you observe. Until next time, please take care of yourselves.

[luckyrave]

Fairy Tail Discussion: Natsu's Memento Collection!

There are a lot of things about Natsu Dragneel we all love about his character, but there some interesting valuables he's held onto throughout the journey of the original series from beginning to end.

[shroomyart404]

CALLING ALL FAIRY TAIL FANS: community zine idea

A zine in the style of a Sorcerer Weekly magazine, filled with different articles, photoshoots drawn by artists, and people to edit it all together.

Reblogs appreciated I want to hear feedback on this idea, if successful I’ll organise a discord and an application form!

Other questions like characters, theme, and whether it should have a physical version you can buy will come one the results for this are in

(Shipping discussion below)

Ships would need to be decided on by the creators involved. As this is a gossip magazine there could be multiple articles about couples with overlapping characters.

As much as I’d prefer that to be kept to a minimum, I know it would make for a fun read.

I’d assume the majority would be the classics of nalu, gruvia and gale. But it would be fun to see classic Nalu vs Nali article, or Gruvia vs Lyvia.

[atthestarlite]

ch.5 of one more, one more

in which natsu has a very bad day

rating: E

relationships: Natsu Dragneel/Lucy Heartfilia

summary: When Lucy’s lead actress drops her directorial debut show less than two weeks before it goes up, Lucy must step in to replace her. In the process, Natsu -- the lead opposite her -- and Lucy must grapple with their intense chemistry and what it means for their longtime friendship. -- college theatre!au. nalu.

---

In the university’s costume shop, Lucy stood with Mira’s costume half on her and Aries playing with the lace ribbons tying her corset around her. Already, she knew the clothes wouldn’t fit, what with Mira being four or five sizes smaller than her, but Aries and Cancer needed to figure out how much to pull out the stitches on the corset, as well as whether or not Mira’s skirts were salvageable or if they’d need to make or buy a whole new one. At least, Lucy still had some costumes from a production of Measure for Measure she acted in her first year, which gave Aries and Cancer, her two co-costume designers and co-hair stylists, more to work with.

When Lucy grabbed her phone, messages from Levy and Natsu popped up:

levy mcgarden 💕 [10:07a]

Hey, I don’t know what Natsu’s told you, but we should grant him some leniency over the next couple days with rehearsal times & behavior – I know you’re stressed, but he’s solid already. We can have a longer discussion about this, but there’s been a family emergency on his end. I don’t want to share more because it’s not my place, but it’s something to be aware of.

natsuuu dragneel [10:14a]

im not getting my haircut today, something came up. i’ll get it done b4 the show tho, dw

natsuuu dragneel [10:14a]

i’ll b at rehearsal tn

natsuuu dragneel [10:23a]

pls dw i’m ok

This sounds bad, she thought. Before the nerves could overtake her, Aries said: “Can you step to the platform?”

---

to read this chapter: ao3 ff.net

to read from the beginning: ao3 ff.net

[starswritewhispers]

Dragons and Denial: Chapter 1 Nalu

Lucy's kingdom had been on the cusp of war long before she took her first breath. Despite being raised as both a powerful mage and a princess, she knew every breath she took was a mercy from Zeref and his demons. When the brutish neighboring kingdom of dragons offered an alliance, her father was quick to accept any conditions that their king may require, even if it meant selling his own daughter to their prince.

Lucy expected to hear more screams as she passed into the gates of Dragnof. The kingdom was known to never lose a war and the few survivors of their battles would tremble and refuse to repeat whatever occurred. Instead, she was greeted by children laughing in the streets, flapping of massive wings above her, and a strange sense of peace. The oddest thing she noted were the mixes of mages, rather than just the dragons they were feared by.  It wasn’t until she entered the castle that the sound of joy went silent, replaced by an odd, anxious sort of quiet.  Servants and knights stole glances at her as she passed, a few hiding their laughter behind their fist. She could only imagine what kind of horror awaited her.

“Keep up, blondie,” the gruff voice of the large man she was trailing behind snapped at her. She stiffened, biting back a retort and hurried after him. He didn’t seem like a noble, with piercings studded over his face and his long mess of black hair. Still, when he arrived to collect her, her father had referred to him as Lord Gajeel from Dragnof, so she knew he had to have some title. Her father wasn’t the type to give out respect unearned–or bought, to be more exact–so he had to have something to his name. Then again, her father also raised her as a lamb to slaughter since the treaty had been signed, so his sanity was still in question. “Do you humans not exercise?” He grumbled, turning to face her with a sneer. “Do you dragons not know empathy?” She demanded, crossing her arms and glaring up at him. For a moment, she regretted agreeing to take a few of her ladies in waiting with her, not wanting any of them to deal with the horrors she’d be sure to. Still, Lucy figured they’d all fare better together. Even against this.  Her keys felt heavy from their spot on her belt and for a moment she wondered how far she could run. Not far. 

The few feet she could maybe gain would only doom her kingdom. “Whiny,” was all he said, with an almost amused chuckle. “The prince and you will get along great.” At the mention of her betrothed, Lucy stiffened, feeling a chill creep its way through her chest.  She met him, once, when they were younger. They played together while the kings discussed treaties and alliances and despite how kind he seemed then and how quickly they connected, she never spoke to him again. She remembered him seeming oddly distraught at the idea of leaving and his father, King Igneel, had quickly grabbed her father to discuss something. When he left, he had knelt down to talk to the prince and Natsu left more calmly after that. She learned a few years later that the promise of her hand in marriage had been added to the terms of their alliance. Lucy spent years arguing against the engagement, refusing to speak to the prince, begging her father, but nothing freed her.

In the recent years, she tried anything to beg her father to release her, bribery, blackmail, even going as far to remind him of her late mother’s wish for her to find true love. When his eyes glazed over at the mention of Queen Layla, she told him that she had fell in love, that she had finally found the man her mother wanted her to. Instead of releasing her, as she had hoped, the king sealed her fate, promising to execute the man if he ever found him.

 Three years ago, she had received a strange letter, dropped off by a blue--oddly chipper--flying cat, who seemed as surprised as her when she opened the balcony door. It was addressed to the wrong location and the only return address was a name. Salamander.

The letter was even stranger, albeit, amusing.

The cat, Happy, urged her to write back, thinking it’d be ‘funny’ and she eventually agreed. Within a few weeks, they were writing letters daily, and despite Salamander's constant request to see her in person, she refused. Their correspondence had been one of her few sources of joy and she didn't want to risk it, couldn't once her father found out. She told Happy not to drop off any more letters and begged him to warn her penpal to keep a low profile.

Lucy suddenly stumbled over a fallen vase, nearly falling flat on her face, before Gajeel’s hand wrapped around her arm, easily pulling her back up. “Are you so lost in your head you can’t see ahead of you?” He demanded, eyebrow quirking in bemusement. 

Lucy huffed, stepping out of his grip and glaring up at the large man in front of her. “I wouldn’t expect someone like you to understand,” she hissed, shaking her head. “Ah, yes, because dragons are brutes?” “Because men aren’t sold as breeding mares,” she snapped and Gajeel blinked, something unfamiliar passing over his expression. “Oh,” “Oh?” “Don’t know what else you want me to say, blondie,” he said with a shrug. "I'm not gonna argue a fact." With that, he continued to lead her down the twisting hallways in silence.

Eventually, they came to a stop in front of two large ornate doors and he turned back towards her, opening his mouth as if to say something, before pausing for a long moment. "He wanted to see you," The man decided on, turning back to face the doors. "Hasn't since you were kids and all that." Lucy said nothing, merely watching as Gajeel pounded on the wooden doors. She briefly allowed her mind to drift to Salamander, twisting the engagement ring around her finger.  Happy had shown up before she left, begging her to take the various letters, or at the very least, hear him out. She closed the door, then window, in the cat’s face before he could risk giving her false hope, or worse, cost Salamander his life.

The door swung open and revealed a tall, annoyingly well-built, pink haired man who looked at Gajeel with the same amount of scorn Lucy had seen soldiers view traitors with. “It's too fuckin early," he groaned, running his fingers through his oddly spiked hair. “What’re ya–oh,”  Natsu paused as his eyes landed on Lucy, his nose scrunching slightly as though he was sniffing the air.

Dragons.

The prince seemed to light up, an easy grin falling over his face as he waved his hand in greeting. His tongue ran over his sharpened canines and despite herself, she had to admit he was very attractive. Her life could've turned out so much worse, but still, the turmoil inside of her refused to quiet. “Your highness,”  she murmured, bowing her head in a sign of respect. She blinked at the sound of an odd rumbling next to her and turned to see Gajeel's shoulders shaking as he laughed beside her.

“No reason to bow to the likes of him,” he explained between the bursts of mirth and she frowned, sparing a glance at the prince.  She expected to see him furious, ready to call for guards and demand Gajeel's apology. Instead, she was greeted with an annoyed expression and a glint of mischief in the prince's eyes. “He ain’t shit, lives off of his daddy's name." “Why don’t ya listen to your dad?” Natsu suggested, his grin growing as he cocked his head to the side. “Fix your face.” “Why you–” The two began arguing, seeming seconds away from a full out brawl before Lucy cleared her throat. Was she truly to live in such a backwards and behind society? “Not to interrupt this clearly meaningful conversation,” she began, ignoring Gajeel’s huff at her sarcasm. “But it was a long journey and I’d like to rest–”  She paused when she noticed Natsu stepping aside, as if to make space for her to enter his quarters.  Her cheeks heated and she turned to Gajeel helplessly, hoping that someone in this kingdom had a sense of what was good and proper.  The man–dragon– merely huffed out another strange laugh and turned to walk away. “Don’t scare her before your vows, flame brain,” he yelled over his shoulder before he disappeared, leaving her alone with the prince. 

“Ya coming in or what?” Natsu asked, looking at her as if she were the strange one. If she had any energy left within her to be angry, she would've been furious. Instead she just huffed out a sight, crossing her arm. “Really, you oughta make yourself more comfortable, don't know why you're standing in the hall like a lost dog." Lucy bristled, but said nothing and followed him into the large room.  Her eyes trailed over the mess, fighting the urge to roll her eyes at the clothes strung out on the floor.  She figured even the maids couldn’t fix the kind of chaos that resided within Natsu Dragneel.  “Ya gonna talk or,”  His voice trailed off and Lucy relished in the feeling of shaking the confidence of the infamous fire dragon for a moment. “Do we need to?” She answered, ignoring the way he winced at her harsh comment. She turned on her heel, walking over to his desk, rather than have to face the prince. Oddly, his desk seemed to be the only somewhat organized space in his room, save for a few papers and envelopes tossed carelessly onto its surface. She supposed he bever used it enough to dirty it. "It’s a political marriage, after all, not a love based one."

“So you’d rather marry a stranger?” He demanded, voice tight with anger and something that sounded far too similar to hurt. “Stay miserable for the rest of your life, purely out of your own stubbornness? Doesn't sound like a fun life to me." “It’s not meant to be,” she argued, keeping her back to him as her eyes trailed mindlessly over the envelopes on his desk. She wasn’t exactly interested in the contents but it was better than the delusions of the man behind her. “We grin and bear it for our–” Her voice cut off as she recognized one of the envelopes, or rather, the handwriting on the front. Her own. Addressed to Salamander with a poorly drawn heart next to the name. It had clearly been opened, but the pages themselves were missing and she slowly turned the envelope over in her hands. This wasn't real, he had to be okay, he had to--

“How do you have this?” Lucy’s voice didn’t sound like her own, it was too soft, too tense. It sounded how she felt, on the verge of shattering “Have what?”  She jolted, his concerned voice landing right next to her ear. How he had gotten so close to her, so quickly, without her registering it was beyond her. She merely held up the envelope, feeling her heartbeat in her throat. Natsu glanced down at it, then back at her, the silence echoing around them. He swallowed thickly, blinking.

Once. 

Twice.

Before he could blink a third time, she exploded, whirling on him with her fists raised. 

“If you hurt him, I swear–” Natsu caught her fists, his onyx eyes flashing dangerously. 

“I didn’t hurt him,--hey,” he grunted, narrowly dodging the knee that had come up to strike him. “Watch it,” he hissed, smoke billowing out of his nostrils.  “If I hurt him or killed him it’d be quite counterproductive,” “To your delusions? Happy wife, happy life?”

“Oh my–”  He dropped his grip on her wrists, taking a cautionary step back. “I wouldn’t hurt or kill your Salamnder because I personally enjoy being alive.” “I don’t follow,” Lucy’s arms crossed in front of her chest, eyes narrowing in on him. “Salamander is a dumbass, his best talent is creating trouble, how could he be a thre–” “There are better talents," Natsu grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. "And no, Salamander isn't a threat to me, or vice versa, because we're the same guy." He paused, a frown creeping onto his features. "Or maybe we're each other's biggest threats? I don't know, I'm not exactly big on philosophy, but--" "You're lying," she hissed, her hands clenching back into fists and trembling at her side. She knew Salamander, she bonded with him. He was the one real thing in the web of lies and politics that had become her life.

"If ya had just heard Happy out, you'd know I'm not," he argued, crossing his own arms. At the mention of the beloved cat, she stumbled back. She could practically taste her fear, eyes darting around the room wildly. “Did you hurt him too?” “Jeez, ya got trust issues,” he grumbled, barking something in a language she didn’t quite understand. “Just hold up,” Natsu told her, a hand raised when she opened her mouth to speak.  

After a painfully long moment, she heard a familiar laugh and the blue cat flew in, a bright smile on his face.  “Natsu!” He cheered, flying in a quick circle above his head. His eyes landed on Lucy and he seemed, somehow, even more pleased. “She’s finally here?”

“Right in front of ya,” The prince responded with a rueful laugh, eyes darting back to Lucy. “I’m Salamander, right?”

“Aye sir,” The cat nodded, looking over at Lucy. “I tried to tell her but she slammed the door. And then the window.”

“I–you–”  The words seemed to catch in her throat as she felt the familiar sting of tears threaten her eyes. Natsu and Happy were beaming over at her, acting as though they had just performed the greatest prank known to man.  The one comfort she had in those past years of hell had been a lie.   “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

[whileiamdying]

How a Family’s Life Is Upended in ‘I’m Still Here’ | Anatomy of a Scene

The New York Times

Feb 7, 2025 — A relaxing time at home turns menacing in this scene from the Brazilian drama “I’m Still Here.”

The sequence begins with Rubens Paiva (Selton Mello), a former congressman, playing a game with his wife, Eunice (Fernanda Torres). But they are interrupted by the military police, who have arrived to take Rubens in for what they say is a deposition, one from which Rubens won’t return.

What was lighthearted becomes dark, both emotionally and visually, as the police begin closing curtains in the house. The joy is drained from the room, and uncertainty and fear permeate the moment, all while the adults try to make it appear, for the couple’s children, that everything is normal.

The film, primarily set in Rio de Janeiro in the 1970s, is based on a 2015 memoir by Marcelo Rubens Paiva, the son of Rubens. Narrating this sequence, the director Walter Salles discussed switching the camera from a static position to hand-held at the moment the officers enter the scene. He said, “the camera relays the instability of the situation, pulsing with the characters.”

During the tense sequence, one of the couple’s daughters, Nalu (Barbara Luz), enters the house and goes upstairs to talk to her father as he is getting dressed to leave the home for what Nalu doesn’t know will be the last time. Salles called it “a vital scene,” and said that it was “staged as the real Nalu told me it happened.”

Toward the end of the sequence, we see Eunice in close-up as she stands in the doorway to see Rubens off. Salles said that it is “the first of the only two close-ups in the entire film. We saved it for the last glance between Rubens and Eunice.”

Read the New York Times review: bit.ly/3WS4Ti5 Subscribe: http://bit.ly/U8Ys7n More from The New York Times Video: http://nytimes.com/video

Whether it's reporting on conflicts abroad and political divisions at home, or covering the latest style trends and scientific developments, New York Times video journalists provide a revealing and unforgettable view of the world. It's all the news that's fit to watch.

[bumblebeehug]

Stars and Roaches

Ship: Natsu Dragneel x Lucy Heartfilia Summary: When Natsu starts behaving differently, Happy takes Lucy along to investigate. Day 4 of Nalu Week 2023 - prompt: shenanigans Ao3

***

“Dear Lucy, please come to your living room 14:30 sharp. There is something that needs to be discussed. DON’T BE LATE!! /Anonymous”

Lucy blinked as she read the bright orange post-it note again. To be honest, when she woke up this morning, she hadn’t expected to open her eyes to that neon-coloured paper. The person who wrote it must have managed to sneak in sometime during the night, because when she woke up it had been stuck onto her forehead. Clearly this person meant serious business, and though Lucy would have been scared, or at least a little nervous, knowing someone had broken into her house in the middle of the night, she couldn’t bring herself to even feel surprised. The letters on the tiny paper were just messy enough to only be possible to belong to one person she knew – and that guy just happened to leave evidence that solved the mystery immediately - some blue hairs on the sticky part of the post-it.

Knowing she couldn’t leave Happy hanging when it came to this urgent matter, she decided to stay in this morning, and spend some valuable time writing on a draft to an article Jason had offered to pay her for. The article itself wasn’t very urgent, but she never complained to get work done beforehand whenever it was possible.

Just as she had finished the first rough draft, the sound of pebbles smattering on her bedroom window filled the room. The clock on her left arm said “14:38”, so clearly the “sharp” part hadn’t been as serious as it had seemed.

“I’ll be right there!” She shouted, not bothering to hurry to let her guest in. She wanted to properly close the bottle of ink and clean the pen, and if Happy was around, she’d probably get to the task hours later, which sometimes harmed the pen and always spoiled the ink. So, she took her petty time cleaning up, ignoring the continuous knocking on the glass.

Before she opened the window, she took another glance at her clock. “14:45”. Oh well, she would just have to apologise by buying him some fresh fish at a later date, if he bothered to remember it that long. When she finally unlocked the window, not without using some force, she was met by a frown.

“You took AGES to get here, didn’t I say 14:30 sharp?!” He scolded her.

“Oh, I thought so too, but then you were 8 minutes late, so I thought I could take my time. Sorry, Happy.” She tried to feign her innocence, but failed, feeling a smile creep on. “So, what’s the urgent matter? You wanted to discuss something?”

Happy sat down on Lucy’s table, beside the article she had been writing on. To get herself closer to his eyelevel, she decided to sit down on the chair in front of him.

“Right. Well, you know Natsu?”

“I’ve heard of him, yes.”

“Yeah, so, I heard he’s been planning something big for tomorrow.” Lucy couldn’t keep her poker face when Happy himself looked so serious. A few chuckles slipped out before she regained control. He was being adorable, she thought, taking this planning thing seriously enough to bother making anonymous notes regarding it.

“And why do you think that’s weird?” She asked, allowing herself to feed this little fantasy. “Doesn’t he just say that sometimes, like when he’s saved up enough money to treat himself to a 20-course meal at a restaurant?”

“Well, I thought so too, until I saw him wrapping up a present. But listen, it wasn’t a good present at all, because the box was really small, so the fish inside must be tiny! And quality over quantity might work with other things, but fish are a lot better when you can take more than one bite.” He crossed his small arms as he thought about this puzzling situation.

“Do you know if it’s someone’s birthday?” Lucy asked, now slightly more interested in this mystery.

“No one at all comes to mind. I think he’s been meeting someone in secret.” His words struck through Lucy’s body like lightning. Could that be true? He had been slightly off lately, and a lot more laid-back regarding missions. She shifted her seat uncomfortably.

“Do you really think so?”

“It’s the only explanation.”

“No, but maybe he’s celebrating some date we’ve forgotten. What date did the three of us meet again?” She was getting desperate to solve this conundrum.

“I’m telling you that’s not it, Lucy. I’ve checked all our calendars, that’s why I was here last night.”

“Not to stick post-it’s on my forehead?”

“That became the aftermath of not finding any reasonable explanation to his behaviour. Have you even noticed that he hasn’t been at your apartment as often?”

“Well, sure, but I thought he just had something else to take care of… But what are you saying, do you think he’s been meeting some secret person… romantically?”

“Of course not, where did you get that from?” Happy deadpanned. Lucy ignored the feeling of something heavy getting lifted off her chest and continued talking.

“So, he’s just up to weird stuff, is that what you’re implying?” She sat back in her chair and took a deep breath to regain her critical thinking skills, that for some reason got turned off when Happy brought up that hypothetical person.

“Yeah, but the fact that we know nothing about it makes it really weird, don’t you think? We don’t have secrets, so why is he suddenly breaking that rule?” Happy stood up and starting walking across the table and back. He seemed really puzzled, but Lucy knew it was concern in disguise.

“It is weird… You’re right. But why can’t we just ask him about it? I’m sure he’d gladly tell us about whatever he’s doing.”

“Ask him… That’s right! I haven’t tried that yet! Let’s go there immediately and ask him!”

He hadn’t even asked Natsu about it… It took Lucy great amount of power to not smack her palm to her face. Sometimes she worried about the lack of problem solving Happy showed, but since he’d made it this far in life without it, she couldn’t exactly rewire his brain suddenly to live his life differently – though surely it would make his life easier.

Not wasting any time, she grabbed her jacket and headed out the door, right after Happy who urged her to go faster. As they made their way over to their house, Lucy tried to wrap her head around this whole thing herself. It was certainly true that Natsu hadn’t hung around Lucy’s apartment as often, but she hadn’t thought of it since Happy made sure to visit regularly enough. They did that sometimes, so she didn’t think anything of it. Plus, if Happy was right about that whole present thing, the size of it sounded too much like a box that held jewellery, which, whether Happy liked it or not, could only mean that there WAS a secret romantic special someone. And though it wasn’t any of Lucy’s business, she felt like she had failed him, because she truly wanted him to be able to share things with her. Had they really started to grow apart? And how could that be possible when she felt like they had been closer than ever, when they actually DID hang out?

She stopped herself from eating her heart out regarding this topic. It would be silly if she spent all this time worrying, just for it to be explained with the simplest reasoning as soon as they asked. But then again, she still had to prepare for the worst.

“Are you sure he’s home?” Lucy asked as their house started to emerge in front of them.

“Aye,” Happy said, flying slightly ahead. As he entered, the door flew up with a loud bang, which surely would scare any living resident to death, if said resident hadn’t already both heard and smelled them coming.

“What’s up?”

Natsu smiled broadly, surprised but pleased with this unexpected company. Lucy immediately felt calmer when she saw him. There was no way he held some big secrets from them, their Natsu just wouldn’t do something like that.

“Nothing much,” Lucy smiled, taking off her jacket. “I just haven’t seen you in a while, so I thought I’d pay you a visit. What have you been up to?”

“Oh, well… Nothing much. I’ve just been hanging around, did some trainin’ and stuff.” Had he told Lucy this yesterday, she wouldn’t have bat an eye, but since she now paid more attention, she noticed that he glanced around, as if he was stopping himself from telling too much.

“How nice.” She didn’t want to come off as if she was interrogating him, so she played innocent while she prepared herself to confront him. “You guys still got some tea, right?”

“Yeah, I’ll fetch it for ya.” As he went into the messy kitchen, rummaging the higher shelves, Happy shot Lucy a meaningful glance. She understood he was getting impatient, but she ignored his sense of urge and continue taking this slowly.

“Thanks, Natsu,” she said, tilting her head slightly to further prove her innocence. It wasn’t too out of the ordinary for her to act like this, but she allowed herself to go the extra mile this time, to get him to obey her later. She hurried boiling some water and preparing three cups with teabags so she could get to business.

Meanwhile, Natsu had noticed that something was off with Happy.

“What’s the matter bud? You’ve been awfully quiet since you got here.”

“Yeah,” Lucy added, “are you feeling alright?” She sometimes wished he could practice his poker-face, because right now he was looking both guilty and secretive.

“Uh…”

“Maybe your stomach is hurting from the fish I gave you earlier?” Lucy was lying, because she definitely hadn’t given Happy a fish, but she hoped he’d get the hint to continue this small lie.

“No, that’s not it.”

Lucy sighed before she repeated herself.

“I said: MAYBE your STOMACH is hurting from the FISH you ate earlier?” This time she sterned her eyes into his – she couldn’t be more obvious than this, and she honestly worried Natsu would see through this act they were putting up.

“Oh! That fish! Yeah, now that you say it…” Happy chuckled nervously, now glancing over to Natsu, who looked like he started to find them suspicious.

“Well, the tea is ready, let’s sit down.” Lucy got both of their attention, and hopefully Natsu wouldn’t ask further about it. Well, he wouldn’t need to when they unravelled this little secret he had, because after that she would make both of them vow to never keep secrets from each other again. At least no romantic secrets, because no matter what Happy said, she couldn’t think of any other reason Natsu would own a ring box.

When they all sat by the messy kitchen table, Lucy once again tried to invite Natsu to tell on himself.

“So, what do you do when you’re not hanging around my place nowadays?” She asked, this time trying to point him in the right direction. ‘What is so important for you that it lessens your time spent with me?’ she actually tried to ask, but all she could do was hope he understood what she meant.

“As I said, I’ve been trainin’ some. Nothin’ interestin’, I’ll tell ya that.” She followed his movements as he readjusted his seat, sitting back and resting his arms behind his head.

“But tomorrow! You told me you’d planned something for tomorrow!” Happy busted out, no longer having the patience to sneak around the subject.

“Happy!”

“Tomorrow? I didn’t think you’d remember I mentioned that.” Lucy swung her head around to look at Natsu again.

“Aha! So there is something planned tomorrow!” She had to admit that she wasn’t too proud of how intense she became, but clearly there was no point in going around the main subject.

“He told you?!” Natsu exclaimed. “Oh well, I guess I’ll just do it today. Though I had it all planned out…” He mumbled the last part of his sentence and walked away, seemingly to fetch something. When he came back, he held that small package that Happy had been talking about. Lucy felt her face heat up, because clearly it was meant for her.

“I wanted to have some privacy,” Natsu shot Happy a meaningful glance, ”but I suppose I’ll just have to do it like this.”

The box was wrapped in silvery paper, with a golden ribbon holding it together. It looked odd, coming from Natsu’s hands, since it wasn’t exactly his type of gift, yet she still couldn’t look away from the sight. If this turned out to be a meaningful moment between the two (now three, she supposed) of them, then she wanted to remember every single second.

“I don’t know if you remember, Lucy, but almost exactly five years ago, something happened that changed our relationship forever.” She held her breath. “I think you’ll understand when you open this, but we haven’t exactly celebrated it before so no worries if you don’t.”

Lucy looked up at Natsu. He looked so sincere, almost shy, and she took an internal picture so she could save and savour this moment forever. She thought she saw a faint blush, like a watercolour wash, paint his cheeks, which she only found fitting considering her own bold, red face.

“Natsu…” She began, accepting the gift and looking over at Happy quickly, not wanting to miss out on his expression. Happy looked really invested, and maybe slightly uncomfortable, like he was intruding on an important moment. Natsu didn’t seem to mind his presence too much though, so she turned back to the item in her hand.

Giving Natsu one last thankful smile, she unravelled the bow and opened the wrapper. The box itself was a gorgeous red, only comparable to Natsu’s deepest fire, and it was clad in a soft velvet, making it feel ethereal in her hands.

“Oh, Natsu,” she said again, too flattered by his thoughtfulness to even open the box. “I feel so bad, I can’t remember what we’re celebrating at all!”

“No worries! I’m telling you, it’s nothin’ special, really. I just wanted to bring some light to what happened five years ago. I promise, you’ll remember as soon as you open it.”

“But I have nothing to give you back! Especially nothing as gorgeous as this… Can I really accept it?” She felt really bad, because no matter how hard she thought, no date or anniversary came to mind.

“If you really wanna make it up to me, you can do it later. Just open it!” Natsu was clearly getting impatient, so she gave in to his request and slowly opened it.

“EEEK!!!” Lucy flew up from her spot by the kitchen table faster than lightning, throwing herself backwards. Happy did the same, still not knowing what was in it, but trusting Lucy’s instinct (and getting startled by her sudden reaction).

“WHAT, WHAT?! WHAT IS IT?” Happy shouted, shielding himself from the apparently evil red box that still laid on the table.

“C-… COCKROACH!” Lucy screed, shielding her face from the disgusting critter she apparently had seen in the gift she once was so happy to receive. Not until now did she hear the silent laughter coming from her pink haired companion. “You! What on earth is that supposed to celebrate, you vile human?!”

Natsu threw his head backwards as he let out a roaring laugh, all the way from his toes.

“THE-… THE FIRST TIME I PRANKED YOU!”

“Oh my god!? Natsu! Did you seriously show me a DEAD COCKROACH for a PRANK?!” Lucy, who had scooted closer to Natsu, still trying to stay far away from the disgusting insect, hit his arm for revenge.

“HAHAHA!”

Since there was no way to get through to Natsu while he still bathed in the success of the prank, Lucy threw a glass over the box, just in case the critter would come alive or something. Happy, who only was scared because of Lucy’s sudden freak-out, started laughing as well. Lucy sighed in despair, though that was probably a dramatic description of her current feelings. She didn’t feel despaired – just shocked and a little embarrassed. She had really thought Natsu would give her something nice, maybe along with a long-awaited confession, so she had behaved all thankful and sentimental. Knowing he only meant to prank her all along, made her feel like she was made a fool of.

“Hey, explanation please?” She said, crossing her arms as the laughter died down. Natsu, who now seemed to have calmed down enough to take in what was happening around him, started laughing again as he saw the glass over the box.

“HAHAHA, you CONTAINED the BOX?!”

“Well, cockroaches are known for never dying! How do I know you killed it properly?” Lucy defended herself, pushing Natsu lightly to extend her point. Finally, he managed to properly stop laughing, drying a tear in the corner of his eye.

“Because I didn’t have to kill it! It’s plastic, silly!”

“You’re calling ME silly? YOU’RE the one who put a ROACH in a RING-BOX!” Lucy started walking around to try to calm her own heartbeat, which still was high from the initial shock.

“But you didn’t look behind it!” Lucy stopped herself in her movements.

“Sorry, I was busy following my instincts,” she glared, not happy with how he was pointing out the obvious.

“But there IS a proper gift there as well. Look again!” Natsu lifted the glass from the table, picked out the scarily realistic cockroach (she still wasn’t sure if it really was as fake as he claimed it was) and gave her the box again. Lucy looked at Natsu one more time, with a warning glance, before opening it again.

Inside was a small charm, maybe the size of half a pea, that was meant to represent a small, silver star, which despite its rough edges, looked beautifully handmade.

“But- why?” She managed to say, picking it up and observing it from every angle.

“Consider it my apology gift,” Natsu grinned, giving her half a hug as they both looked at the shiny charm in the light.

Happy, who decided he was done with this disappointing ordeal, drank the rest of his tea, that now had gone cold, and went over to Natsu. Without missing a beat, Natsu handed over the cockroach, still making small talk about the star, talking about who made it and which necklace or bracelet she should put it on, as Happy dropped it into her teacup. They loved her to death, both of them, but sometimes she just made pranks so incredibly easily accessible, and despite what they thought, Lucy didn’t mind at all, because that just meant there never was a boring moment with them. Though this time she wouldn’t make the mistake of letting the cockroach out of sight twice.