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mooswords · 4 years ago

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Pairing: kuroo tetsuro x reader

Word count: 3k

Tags: red string of fate au, historical au

Ramblings: part of the lost collab, all based on the prompt ‘only when you are lost does the red string of fate appear’ organised by the lovely @yacoka who is a wonderful writer and an even better friend 😚 also a big thank you to remy for beta-ing <3

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You stare in exasperation as the red string fades into sight, the familiar warmth wrapping back into existence around your finger. It was only visible when one of you was feeling lost, and you certainly knew where you were. Tetsuro was only meant to be coming home from town - how did he get lost?

You pluck at the string.

Seriously?

An answering pull against your pinky.

Shut up.

Rolling your eyes, you turn back to the horse in front of you.

“That man, eh?” You scrub the brush along a thick-boned leg, scrunching your face away from the cloud of dust that puffs out. “Probably one of the smartest people this side of the island, knows the stars like the back of his hand, but can’t even find his way across his own fields.” You huff, watching as the string disappears again. “The cows know their way home better than he does, honestly…”

Bess rattles her head, mane flying, and you sigh. “Ahh, you’re right, I guess we love him anyway.”

“You guess?”

You start, twisting at his sudden presence.

“Stop! Doing that!” You huck the brush at him and he ducks, grinning.

“Hear that Bess?” he sings, sidling up to the horse and scratching her forehead as she noses at his pockets. “She loves me.”

“And I married him too,” you lament. “What was I thinking?”

“Something I ask myself every day,” he says softly, eyes alight. You mellow, as you always do for him, and wonder if you will ever get sick of that look.

“How’s town?” You ask instead, snagging a new brush.

“Good. Got offered a job.”

“Oh, who with?”

“Nekomata.”

You hum. “Down at the docks?”

“Not... exactly." You flick a look up when he doesn't elaborate, only to find him determinedly pulling Bess' forelock into a crude braid.

"And?" you prompt.

"He wants me as the navigator." He swallows, fingers still twisting in the coarse hair. "For an expedition.”

“Really?” You scrub at a particularly stubborn splatter of dried mud. "I thought he had given up on all that. What’s he planning?”

He doesn’t reply for another long moment.

"Depends on how quick the ice melts."

You tear your eyes away from your work; he looks wary. "But with what he mentioned to me, we’d be away… a year? Maybe longer?"

“Oh,” you breathe. Really, for a sailing expedition, that’s short. But it’s still a year. You're thinking of money, and supplies, and who will take over teaching his students while he’s gone, and he’ll definitely need a new coat, and oh that's such a long time-

“I don’t have to decide immediately.” You pull your gaze back into focus. He still looks nervous, but you know him - he might not always be the most expressive person, but he wears his passions with pride. And there are few things your Tetsuro loves more than the stars.

“You should go."

“Really?”

“Yeah.” You bite your tongue and start sweeping the brush along Bess’ broad back again. It’s not till he gently pulls your hands to a stop you notice how they shake.

“I don’t have to go,” he offers softly.

You sigh, not quite able to focus any higher than the hollow of his neck. “No. You should.”

His fingers are light under your chin, and you reluctantly let him draw your gaze up.

“Are you sure?”

And you are. Despite your reticence, you are; because at heart, he’s always longed to explore the world. You remember sitting with him in the summer, feet dangling in the creek and listening to his rambling dreams of travelling to the far corners of the world. He loves teaching - weaving stories from geography homework, gently coaching the younger kids through their sums - but you’ve caught him many a time just staring out at the sea, eyes unfocused and longing.

"I’m sure," you tell him with a genuine smile. "It just means I'm going to have to do all your chores while you're away."

He tsks, but there's already excitement building under the mock-glare. Giving Bess a final pat, he meanders back to the house. You listen to his cheery whistling and tell the pang in your heart he'll be fine.

He always comes home.

“Have fun. Don’t kick Yaku overboard, OK?”

“What’s this, huh?” The string hums as he twirls a finger through it, his voice low and amused. He twists it into a bow around a lock of your hair, an achingly familiar action that has the string glowing brighter against your skin. “You can’t be lost without me if I haven’t left yet, sweetheart."

He frowns, and you etch the image into your memory - it will be months till you see that pout again.

“Oh, hush you.”

Eyes bright and fond, he grins down and pulls you into his chest. For once, you stop thinking about tomorrow and just enjoy this final moment with him; the gulls’ cries tearing across the sky, the winter sun across your back and stiff breeze sweeping through your skirts. He is constant and unshakable, heartbeat steady in your ear, his chin pressed against your hair.

You draw back and poke him in the cheek.

“You come home, you hear me?”

The string continues to flutter between you, dancing in the seaward breeze as he presses a sweet kiss to your lips.

“Always.”

The second plate stares back at you.

Right. Of course.

You press your lips together and return the other plate to the shelf for the third time this week. Your lonely plate looks pitifully small on the uneven table, and the red string that sinks down to drape across it only adds to the ache in your heart.

You grip the string tight and try not to cry.

The drumming rain is muffled as you duck under the barn’s eaves. Shaking the water from your eyes, you peel off your now sodden coat. In the flickering lantern light, you can see how the heifer is huffing, swollen belly already heaving.

Crooning to her, you run a tired hand over the heifer’s rough hide and crouch down.

You shove wet hair off your face and sigh. The late nights and bad weather were only exacerbating an already stressful time of year, and of course this had to be the year your entire herd was calving. You wearily draw a pail of water and tsk as you grab the last towel off the side of the stall - it seems tomorrow will have to be a washing day too.

There’s a wet nose. There’s also a tail.

“That’s… not right.” you mutter, stumped.

It hits you a moment later - twins. She’s having twins.

“Ohh… uhh…” You know you can’t panic, but your thoughts just continue to speed up, desperately flicking through your memories because you know how to deal with a breech birth, but twins? Where do you even begin? There are two calves in there, and that's twice the number of things that could go wrong. Think. It’s only a few minutes over the hill to the Kagayama’s, maybe they-

The gentle tug at your hand startles you. The string is there, looped around one of the cow’s ears and floating out into the pouring night. Another tug comes, a little firmer this time.

You suck in a breath.

You send him a grateful tug back and get to work.

It’s messy and stressful, and the deep ache in your arms will definitely be worse tomorrow, but there's a pile of knobby legs and liquid eyes in your lap that more than makes up for the pain. You snag the old towel off the straw and gently wipe the nose of the first calf before helping it struggle to its feet. The cow blinks around and lowes softly. You grin and quickly swipe at the other calf, blowing gently on its nose till it snorts.

Your eyes are heavy, and you are already compiling a list of the thousands of things to do tomorrow. But with pride singing through your tired bones, you are content to sit, half-wishing he was here with you to listen to the rain beat down on the tin roof and proudly watch the calves take their first, wobbling steps.

“Endeavor."

“E-N-D...” Natsu scrunches her nose and you nod encouragingly, “E…”

The string appears. It’s sudden; not the usual fade-in of realization, but a tidal wave of colour that has it crashing into existence all at once.

“-A-V-O-R. Endeavor.”

You clear your throat, pushing past the lump. “Correct. Let’s have an early lunch everyone.”

The clatter of chairs is immediate, and you wait for all the kids to race out the door before sinking shakily back against the desk. You rub the string between your fingers - it’s hot and trembling, swaying drunkenly as if buffeted about by the wind.

You pull at it, questioning.

You pull at it again.

Again.

There is no reply but it stays, curling in the corners of your vision for the rest of the day.

The next morning it is still there. You bite your lip and bundle his old coat around you to go collect more firewood.

Day four. You stare into reflected, apprehensive eyes for too long before shakily wrapping the everpresent string into a bow around your hair. For some reason, it doesn’t feel the same as when he does it.

Yachi reads you off your total and you freeze, hand clutched around the small bag of flour. She looks at you oddly as your hair falls free around your shoulders.

There is a soft tug against your finger, faded by distance and ringing with reassurance, as the string finally, finally disappears from sight after the longest eight days of your life.

“Is everything OK?” she asks, mystified.

You dash the tears and drop the coins into her hand with a smile.

“Everything is perfect.”

The string fades in for the third time today and you snort. You’d like to imagine you can feel his annoyance even halfway across the world.

You give it a sharp tug for good measure.

Lost again, huh?

He pulls grumpily back, and you bite back a giggle.

“How’s that pain-in-the-ass husband of yours doing?” Ukai Jr. asks from behind the bar.

The string bleeds away.

You think of a ship navigating the perilous ice, of unknowable depths and old sailor's tales, of the maps you watched him plot that stretch into expanses of blank parchment.

You think of jokes thrown across candle stubs and empty plates, of a crew that have become more of a family than either of you have ever had.

You think of the furrow he gets between his brows when he’s puzzling something over, his poorly hidden glee at the sight of the open sea.

The string fades in again, and there’s a pull from his end before you can do anything.

Don’t.

You grin. “He’s doing just fine.”

You wake to birdsongs. The sun is just peeking over the hills, the red string curled quietly on his pillow. You send three tugs, watch the string ripple out the window and imagine it stretching out, out, out across the seas to him.

Today was usually a day just for the two of you; no chores, no work. Just sunshine and bad jokes and the simple enjoyment of being together. One time he had pulled you along to the neighbouring town's county fair. Last year, you had taken him to the waterfall for lunch.

It was meant to be his choice this year.

You twine the string around your fingers as you wait. It glows softly in the morning light, a physical manifestation of how deeply lost you feel on this special day. He's not gone; he's still here in the scuffed shoes tucked under the bed, in his notes piled high on the desk, but they're not quite the same as hearing his hisses from the kitchen, or being able to sink into warm arms at the end of a rough day.

His returning tugs are delayed, aching and soft - one, two, three.

Sighing, you force yourself out of bed - the cows aren’t going to feed themselves.

Happy anniversary, love.

Most days the string isn't visible at all. And that's fine. Really, it is. It means he's not lost, and no news is good news, right?

Anyway, you’ve become quite content in your own company. He’s been gone long enough that you’ve found your solo rhythm and it's by no means easy, but you manage to keep busy enough.

And yet, the string is a double-edged sword - a reassuring and tangible connection between the two of you, but one that fills you with longing heartache all the same. There are days when you so keenly feel his absence; days of no special importance, but days where his company would just make the monotony more interesting. The mundane days, where you find yourself wanting a hug and instead having to settle for imagining the blur of red in your periphery.

You can lose minutes simply staring at your hand, trying to will the string back into colour. Wishful thinking isn’t something you can afford to indulge too often, but some days, if you focus hard enough, you think you can feel the invisible string pressing around your finger.

Some days, wishful thinking is all that keeps you going.

“Hello, sorry.” You ignore the cheeky pull of the red string. He knows how you hate admitting you need help. “I’m a bit lost. Do you know where the blacksmith is?”

The man points up the road, explaining you need to go up past the post office and take a - twitch goes the string - and then follow the path that - another pull - and you should be there. Oh, but don’t - tug - because that will take you out of town.

You bite your tongue and thank the man, fond exasperation simmering in your chest. You might desperately miss him and his stupid antics, but you had almost forgotten how relentless his needling could be.

As you lead Bess away, you pull sharply on the string. Much to your dismay, it doesn’t deter him in the slightest - an incessant barrage of tugs pull against your pinky, singing with his amusement from half a world away. Huffing out a sigh, you carefully flip the string around your hand. It’s smooth in your grip as you wind it around your palm and close your fingers over it-

And yank the string sideways.

Silence.

A single, pouting yank back.

Pushing down the smile tugging at your lips, you stop infront of the woman sweeping the front step of the post office.

“Hello, sorry. I’m a bit lost. Do you know where the blacksmith is?”

A laugh is pulled from you, glee ringing through the air. Hinata’s hand is sweaty in yours, and you grip it tighter as you swing round and round to the music echoing across the field. The wedding party is still holding strong, even this late into the night, and the chatter and music is rvight at home in tonight’s warm summer breeze.

The song ends to cheers and you yell with them, high, unfiltered joy singing through your body. You drop into a chair, watching Hinata pull a giggling Natsu off the sidelines and head back out as the band striking up another well-loved tune.

The ever-present twinge of sea salt mixes with the sweet scent of the apple blossoms floating over from the orchard and you are content. The food was fresh and plentiful, Kiyoko looked gorgeous. And, you think smugly, Suga had cried before Tanaka did, so now Kinoshita owed you a beer.

The music slows, and your finger aches at the sight of everyone else partnering up. You had promised yourself you weren’t going to let memories overshadow your fun tonight. There’s too much love around for you to fully feel his absence anyway, but you still catch yourself missing him above the crowd, searching for the wink he’d send across the room before returning to his own conversations.

Someone clears their throat. The string curls and sways between bodies as Takeda smiles down at you, eyes crinkled in understanding.

“May I have this dance?”

You push hurriedly through the crowd, ducking between market stalls and wagons. There’s no string to follow, but you don’t need it to find him today. Asahi scrambles for the bolts of cloth you knock into and Suga yells something that gets stolen by the wind as you continue to run heedlessly towards the docks.

Lev is on the dock already, only just visible through the small crowd gathering. Yaku yells directions from the ship, and you can see Shibayama sitting up on the boom, Kai pulling the jib down, so where is-

There.

He’s talking with Nekomata, gesturing up at the mast. You know it’s probably important, that there are things to be done on the ship before the crew can leave, but he’s been gone 402 days and you’re calling his name before you can stop yourself.

He twists around, and for the first time in over a year you watch his face split wide. The crowd parts for you as you’re darting forward and he vaults over the side of the ship.

There are yells and whistles behind him but you couldn’t care less as you are swept into a tight spin, stumbling with him as you laugh. His salt-crusted shirt is coarse under your fingers, and when he kisses you he tastes like the sea; like salt-spray and dry rations and freedom.

As soon as your hands find his cheeks you pull back sharply. There's a scar, a puckered pink line that cuts across his cheek and up into his hairline. He watches you carefully as you trace it with a feather-light touch.

“I thought I told you to have fun,” you admonish gently.

“Who said I didn’t?”

You tsk. “What am I going to do with you?”

He grins, wilder than you remember, twisted a little by the scar, but full of familiar trouble. “Kiss me again, hopefully.”

(How you’ve missed that grin.)

“Can’t imagine why I’d do a silly thing like that,” you say, even as you press your own grin to his.

Maybe he’s still a little wobbly on his feet, and he’s definitely thinner than when he left, but when he twines your hands together - no string in sight - your heart settles.

He’s home, and you can’t really ask for anything more.

#kuroo x reader #kuroo tetsuro x reader #haikyuu x reader #this is queued btw

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morimallow · 4 years ago

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wah... hinata with a f!reader that goes from friendship to dating to wait actually i’m in love with this person. oh jesus christ

*squints and whispers* I was just thinking of Hinata as a lover a while ago and then received this ask.. Gasps, were you reading my mind? Ooooh, also, I have a boy bestfriend since my first year of high school and I had a crush on him for a bit until I decided to just continue being friends (I didn’t confess, LOL) but our friends said we were acting like a couple. I’m talking shit so let’s just go on with this. ajhduehfjdhvdkjoigeyeu

This is from high school!Hinata to time skip so beware of major spoilers! ^o^

That's How It's Always Been

Everyone considered you and Hinata inseparable.

Of course you'd start as friends, that's just how Hinata is. You can't resist him whether you're that isolated student in the back of the room or the captain of a sports club, a member of the Alien Society Club, or the one Hinata grew up with. The one thing that made you a bit more special than the others is how you ride with his.. his recklessness.

Hinata's the type of guy to just randomly voice out his thoughts and what he would like to do, probably got it from Tendou or worse, he enhanced this doing of Hinata.

Who else would Hinata go skinny dipping with in the swimming pool behind a crappy hotel? Who does he call at 3AM asking what's the correct spelling for egg and why it's double g? Who's the one being pampered because he felt sorry for letting you stay up late? Who's the one who went to all of his volleyball practice matches and official tournaments? Who's the one who mindlessly agreed to dating her best friend? You, it's always been you since the very start.

It's not uncommon for someone within your circle of friends to be the one to suggest things you and Hinata might want to do but on a particular day at lunch, one scoffed and jokingly said, “Why don't the both of you just date already and see if you'd go straight to marriage?”

You guys don’t actually do things immediately after an idea comes up. Of course you’d question and answer each other’s questions. People at your table were looking at the both of you as if asking if they’re seriously considering to date.

“I mean, we have nothing to lose, right? We’ve been together for so long so dating would be a piece of cake!” Hinata said to you enthusiastically, ignoring your other friends.

You thought of an answer by imagining how Hinata would act when you’re dating and an idea comes to mind, “This means free food!” you exclaimed and you turned to your friends, “Right? That’s what people who are dating do, right?”

By then, your friends just went on with the idea because you’ve always denied your feelings and they’ve concluded that you both just didn’t realize it yet which is quite dumb because you’re all over each other and the other one sulks when the other one is away. They just want the both of you to finally be officially together.

And so, dating begins.

When you realized nothing changed in the way you treated each other, you remembered the time your friends said you look like a couple so that’s probably it.

He would wait for your class to finish then would spend lunch together, you walk him to the gym after a reasonable amount of arguing because he wanted to walk you to your next class, you’d go out on weekends or study together which always ends up with the both of you goofing around. He would text you before and after a volleyball match. He would sometimes call, too, because, “Nothing, I’m not used to this, you know? We’re always together so I’m kind of homesick.”

“Homesick? Sho, we learned about this. If you’re homesick, call your mother or Natsu─”

“I consider you my home too, you know?” he said cutting you off. You were shocked and needed the time to process that one single line of his but you know Hinata can’t be on the line for so long, they still have to do their warm-ups so you stuttered a response, “E-Eh? I mean, I consi─”

“Ah, Y/N, we have to go! Wish me luck, okay? Cheer me on… darling.” Call ended.

Can’t he be more subtle? You were now as red as a tomato. First, he considered you his home and then, he called you darling?! Panic. Mess. Your mind is a total mess, it’s jumbled, it was flipped upside down.

He had been calling you some endearments he searched up on the internet because he’s been calling you by your first name since the day he remembers. Then you remembered you didn’t have the chance to tell him you consider him as your home too.

They lost.

They lost and you wanted to talk to him but you know he won’t like that. He had received more than enough pitiful looks and the only thing he wanted to see was your genuine and comforting warmth. He didn’t need your words because it all shows in your actions that you want to suffer with him, you want him to share his burden to you because that’s how it’s always been. You took care of him like the loving future girlfriend you and you blushed at the thought. You know Hinata will become a bigshot popstar-like person in the future.

You were cuddling on a picnic mat in the middle of a grass park not far away from his home in the middle of the night. You made sure he wore enough layers because he was still running a fever. He had his eyes closed but he isn’t asleep, he’s just savoring the moment and taking his time to accept what had happened.

You admired his face, half covered with a mask because he doesn’t want you to be infected, shamelessly that you propped your chin on his chest while your arm is hugging his torso, unconsciously pulling him to you or pushing yourself closer to him because he won’t budge.

“Are you warm?” you asked in a silent whisper, scared to ruin the atmosphere, scared to ruin his train of thoughts but you really wanted to check on him.

He didn’t open his eyes. Instead, he turned to his side, making you bury your face in his chest, “I don’t know if it’s because of my fever but…it’s warmer. We’re warmer, Y/N. I like this.” Little did you know that it was warmer because you were craving for each other’s heat.

This wasn’t an ordinary cuddle between friends but you won’t dwell on that thought. You guys have always been friends since the start.

It’s a good thing it’s dark out, the only source of light was the moon and a couple of streetlights. You fisted the back of his shirt, afraid that he might go away ─ that this was all a dream, you blushed. No, this can’t be. You always hug Shoyo like this. It’s normal for friends, right? This is just an overwhelming feeling because it has been a devastating week full of fails, losses, and self-doubts. Yeah, maybe that’s just it.

“Hey, Sho?” The calming blanket of the cold night enveloped the both of you; the leaves were swaying softly to the gentle beat of the wind. Shoyo hummed to acknowledge you, he was too tired to talk. He just wanted to sleep with you in his arms like usual during sleepovers.

“Remember the deal we made when we were kids?” you were being shy and you wanted to slap yourself because of it. That’s your best friend! Why would you be shy?

Shoyo stopped breathing for a second. You guessed it was because he was caught off-guard or maybe he was thinking of which one but you don’t hesitate to think that he knows that deal. It was too big and life-changing.

“I won’t take it back. If we’re both still single when we’re 30, I’ll marry you. You better find a husband fast because you’ll be stuck with me forever if you won’t,” he laughed lightly. It was hard for him to mutter the last part. Half of him wanted you to himself but he thinks it’s because he’s used to you being a part of his life ─ no, his entire life and he wouldn’t mind spending the rest with you. He’s your best friend after all, it’s normal.

You slowly closed your eyes, a small smile ghosting your lips, “I don’t mind,” you whispered.

“Alright, alright. I’m still sick so let’s go home,” he said as he gently grabbed your face with both of his warm hands. You looked into each other’s eyes and you both know something changed but decided to ignore it. You silently stood up and folded the picnic mat. Shoyo took it from you and tucked it under his arm.

He held your hand, “Home,” and squeezed it.

This dating went on for years until he came back from Brazil. It wasn’t easy but you both understand. You made time for him as he did for you. He made sure to never miss a single detail of his day when one of you called. There were also times you were so stressed that he tried to sing a song for you. There was one time he accidentally opened his camera just after his shower (because time is important and he wants to talk to you every time) when he took it from the sink and you saw his toned torso, “HINATA SHOYO!” you shouted from Japan. You didn’t know that wasn’t on accident, he wanted to test it out ─ advices and tips from Heitor, Nice, and the one and only Oikawa Tooru.

Kenma, Shoyo’s sponsor, asked you once if you could bring things to Shoyo in which you were baffled why you were required to go if he can just ship it to Brazil like usual.

“I only want the best for my athletes,” was his only answer which didn’t leave your mind for the next few months but still, you flew to Brazil, expenses paid by Kenma.

Brazil with Shoyo was an experience ─ a memorable one, to be exact. You heard his Portuguese getting better and better as days pass by, he would practice on you too but you’d get flustered whenever he does because you shouldn’t see your best friend like that and he would remind you that you two are, in fact, dating.

Sometimes, he would drag you in the morning so you could join him in his morning routine then an evening routine was made in just one week of staying there: romantic walks by the beach.

He couldn’t come with you to the airport but before you left his apartment, he hugged you tight and said, “Thank you for reminding me what home felt like,” then he placed a chaste kiss on your forehead.

Which leads you here now, in the bleachers with your friends back in high school. You were wearing the jersey Shoyo gave because you were his best friend and the one he’s dating, you have that privilege, he said. You didn’t mind…Carrying his name felt nice.

Maybe one day, you’ll have it─ No, no, no, not those thoughts again.

The game was fantastic. You felt proud of Shoyo because you saw how he started, how he thrived, how he worked hard to be what and where he is now. You felt like tearing up.

He would always look at the stands during timeouts to smile at you and you’d smile back. Yachi, Tsukishima, and Tadashi saw everything and said, “Whipped,” at the same time which made you blush and avoid Shoyo’s eyes.

The press crowded the court so they could interview the players and just when Shoyo was about to be interviewed, he excused himself but said he will come back. He wanted to be with you in his debut as a member of the Jackals and in being an official professional volleyball player.

So, that’s where you are, beside him with a hand placed protectively and softly on your waist as he beamed at the camera, “Okay, we can start now if that’s okay!”

They directed the first few questions to only him before they asked him who you were. Shoyo’s eyes seemed to brighten even more, “Oh, she’s my best friend and─” he stopped and smiled sheepishly, “Actually, I want to ask her something important before I continue if that’s fine with you.”

“Yes, of course. Should we stop recording?”

“Ah, no. If this goes well, I’d want everyone to know but if it doesn’t, well…that’s also fine.”

Shoyo knows you’d answer honestly, with or without cameras because that’s how it’s always been. The moment he looked into your eyes, you already knew what he would ask and you both already acknowledged the change you noticed back then in the dimly lit grass park in the middle of the night during your first year of high school because that’s how it’s always been.

“After years of dating, can I finally call you my girlfriend?”

Your lips broke into a wide smile and with springs on your heels, you jumped on him, recording cameras be damned. You just got asked by the Hinata Shoyo to be his girlfriend. He buried his face in the crook of your neck as you said yes all over again.

Shoyo remembered the press and acknowledged them once again, “Oh, right! This is Y/N, my best friend and now…also my girlfriend!”

M. List

#hinata x reader #haikyuu x reader #hq x reader #hinata x you #hinata shoyo #hinata x y/n #not beta read #so uh ahaha #i'll edit it one day or maybe 5 years from now lol

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petri808 · 4 years ago

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1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30-Epilogue

*TW: cutting, therapy, break down. a little longer then usual at 2500 words

The therapist greeted the couple as they walked in and sat down on the couch. “Thank you for allowing Natsu to sit in today, Lucy. I don’t want you to think of this as a couples counseling per se, because you’re still my primary client. But I feel that him being here to understand your struggles, as well as his, and being able to express them in a safe environment, will help in your healing process. And thank you Natsu for agreeing to this.”

He sat forward a bit, ready to engage. “Anything to help Lucy.”

“I’d like to start with your homework Lucy, has there been any progress in trying to write out your feelings? Remember, it’s okay if you’re still struggling with that, there’s no judgment here.”

“Not... really...” Lucy fidgeted with the hem of her sweatshirt. “Every time I try to, I-I get too... I start to cry, and the panic rises— I fail at it every single damn time and that makes me feel even worse.”

“You’re not failing. Let’s reword that to struggling and recognize that simply making an attempt is the first step, a very important one to be proud of.”

“Maybe I was just kidding myself all along about writing. Maybe it’s because I wasn’t any good in the first place. It was all in my head.” Lucy could see the frown on Natsu’s face from her words, but that’s how she feels now. There was a time she thought she was a decent writer, maybe not publishing quality yet, but she truly enjoyed it regardless and now, a blank page is all she could muster.

“Natsu,” the therapist directs her question to the man. “It seems you’re unhappy with her statement. Would you say that Lucy’s a good writer? Honest answer.”

“Yeah,” he shrugged, “I mean I’m no expert, but the stuff I’ve seen is pretty good. I definitely couldn’t pull them off.”

“Lucy would you call Natsu a liar?”

The blonde paused, annoyed and offended. She wanted to say yes, only because she didn’t want to agree, but then it wouldn’t be true. Natsu was giving his honest opinion and she couldn’t deny it. “No,” Lucy breathed out. “Look I get it. You’re trying to tell me it’s all in my head, right? It’s just the pain talking, and I’ll get better, and I’ll get back into writing just like before.” Anger had slowly begun to prickle the hairs on the back of her neck the longer she clung to the dissociation. “I-I’m not an idiot! I know this is all stupid shit in my brain! I just can’t stop it!”

“I’m sorry, I pushed you too hard, let’s go back a step here. No one is saying you’re an idiot. On the contrary, you’re very intelligent. If you weren’t, you wouldn’t be recognizing that it’s all in your head, and that recognition is how the healing starts. My role, today with Natsu’s help, is to bring that to the forefront. Bring it out into the open, because sometimes hearing it out loud has a different effect on how we process the information.”

“I don’t get it...”

The woman sat back in her chair in thought for a brief second. “When we think about things just in our head, versus saying it out loud, it triggers different parts of our brain. What studies have found is that talking out loud stimulates... rational... erm, reality I guess is a better term. It becomes more real to us.”

“Huh.” So, what, Lucy rolled her eyes at the suggestion. True or not, she didn’t want to agree, because her mind was still in such a strong state of denial. “I still don’t accept it. It sounds stupid.” Maybe it was just her annoyance talking, but the therapist was getting on her nerves. Lucy knew the woman was just trying to help, but her irrational side didn’t want to deal with any of this. The pain sucked, but so did the treatment. She just wanted to stay in her room, in the dark, away from prying eyes. Surprisingly to Lucy, the therapist didn’t even flinch and the gleam in the woman’s eyes almost looked sadistic in that moment.

“Lucy, I know you know it’s not stupid. That’s just your mind imagining the wrong things, which is why you need to talk about it out loud, so you can hear yourself and how wrong it all sounds.”

Ugh! She was so tired of being told what she is, what she should be thinking, and the condescending tone she wrongly assumed from the therapist triggered an explosion. All the anger she felt about herself was transferred to the therapist in an instant. “I’m wrong?!” Lucy jumped to her feet, her anger crackling through. “No shit! Lady, I’m fucked up!! You want me to talk? Fine! I hate this! I hate everything! It’s all falling the fuck apart and I feel like I’ve been tied to the damn train tracks! Everything I’ve worked so hard for is slipping away! Three years of college being washed down the drain! How the fuck do I catch up now?! I’m so behind! AARRRGHH!!! I-I don’t even wanna get out of bed anymore! I hate myself— hate what I’ve become a-and that makes me even more fucking depressed! And my friends...” Lucy dropped back onto the couch as her shaking hands flew up to cover her face and the dam of tears finally broke loose in a cascade down her cheeks. She cried long, and deep for several minutes, chest heaving and inconsolable.

In that moment, Natsu sat frozen, his eyes swinging back and forth to the therapist and his girlfriend unsure of what to do. Should he move to comfort Lucy? The therapists inaction seemed to suggest the answer was no. It made him furious, yet... she was the professional... before he could make a decision, Lucy finally uncovered her face and look dead at her therapist. Almost forgetting him all together.

“My friends, seeing the looks on their faces...” Lucy dug her fingers into the fabric of her pants in an effort to ground her unraveling mind. “It hurts so fucking much! I must be getting on Levy’s nerves, she didn’t sign up to be my nurse, a-and Natsu, he’ll surely get tired of a basket-case of a girlfriend. I can’t blame him if he left me, I’d leave me too. It’s all just falling apart—” Her chest heaved in a heavy sigh. “I can’t see a way out anymore.”

Seeing the whites of Lucy’s knuckles the harder she clenched onto her leg and seeing the heavy breathing similar to that night in the ambulance. Natsu feared that Lucy was heading towards a panic attack. Wanting to reassure her, Natsu reacted this time and reached up from his seat, quickly grabbing her arm to gain her attention. “Lucy, I’m not—.”

But Lucy screamed and yanked her arm back, face grimacing in pain. “Tsss—Owww!!”

“leavi—” Natsu pulled back immediately. “Oh, shit! I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to! Did I grab you too hard?!” He didn’t think so, but based on her reaction, maybe he had.

“N-No,” she cradled her arm, turning to shield it from him. “You didn’t, I’m fine, it just caught me by surprise.” Lucy quickly brushed it off for fear of requiring an explanation. “Really. S-Sorry, I-I’m probably just too flustered.”

But that explanation didn’t satisfy Natsu. Lucy’s yelp was clearly pain related if buttressed by the fact she continued to hide it. “You’re lying to me,” he reached out, “I’m not mad, just please tell me the truth because it’s obvious there’s something wrong with your arm.”

“N-No, I’m not,” she tried to act like it was true. “See,” she waved it as if showing it was fine. “Nothing’s wrong...” till she accidentally hit it again and flinched, biting her lip just in time to stifle a scream. But she knew in an instant that she’d been caught.

His eyes and tone softened in an effort to lower her inhibitions. “Yes, there is.” Natsu took her arm and started to pull up on the sleeve of her sweater.

Lucy instinctively turned her head away. She didn’t want to see his reaction to the bandage around her arm. Even when he continued to speak, questioned what was underneath it, she answered in one worded responses without looking. But at his gasping sound, her eyes closed in shame. She could see what he saw all from behind her eyelids, all the horizontal cuts running across her left arm. The red, angry lines in varying stages of healing. She kept most of it grouped around the middle of her arm between the wrist and elbow crook. At first, she’d tried what that EMT had done, merely jabbing her arm with a pen or digging her nails into the skin. But it wasn’t enough, so she’d moved onto cutting. It had started out small, just a couple of lines were enough to silence the horrid voices in her head, but like a junky’s tolerance, Lucy had to keep cutting, more and more, deeper, just to feel the same numbing results.

“Is this what I think it is?” Natsu’s shaky voice questioned with moisture filling his eyes. “Oh, Lucy, why didn’t you tell me it was this bad.” Now he knew why she’d started wearing long sleeves even when the weather was warm.

“I’m sorry... I didn’t want anyone to know... but it was the only thing making the voices stop.”

Without another word, Natsu pulled a surprised Lucy into a tight hug, tears of his own spilling. “No, I’m sorry, it’s my fault this is happening to you. I should have dealt with Touka long ago. I should have protected you better. This is on me, but Lucy I’m never gonna let you go, I won’t ever leave you because of this. We’re gonna get through this together. I swear on my life, we’re gonna get through this together. Do you believe me?? Please, tell me you believe me?”

“I do...” she did. The man wore his heart on his sleeve. It was a trait Lucy found most endearing, so how could her heart not accept his words? They sat there in an embrace while time stood still, and a small measure of relief fell over her. It wasn’t much, but it was a glimmer of hope, an ember, and one she hadn’t felt in a long time. This man who’d caged her on that train and captured her heart, she could easily pin all of her pain onto him, but he could also be her salvation. His strong arms wrapped around her broken frame made the scary world fall away, to remind her how much more she yearned to stay within it.

Once he felt Lucy’s body relax, Natsu pulled back, wiping away her tears as well as his own. “Is this the only area?” He gestured at her arm without judgment. And when she nodded, he let out a sigh of relief.

Now that the moment was waning, the therapist who’d been waiting patiently and observing spoke up. She offered the anxiety medications again to Lucy and with Natsu’s gentle coaxing, the blonde finally agreed to it. It couldn’t hurt right? If they didn’t work, she’ll just stop taking them. She didn’t want to see the anguish in Natsu’s eyes anymore, especially now that she realized how much he was internalizing and struggling alone with. He was in just as much pain as she was, so it was time they both do what they could to heal, together.

As they were about to leave, Natsu paused and questioned the doctor. “I have a question. I just realized, even though today was a big episode... Lucy didn’t have a panic attack. Why is that?”

The blonde looked at her boyfriend before her eyes landed on the therapist with an expectancy of an answer. She hadn’t realized that either. Shouldn’t her outburst have triggered one?

“I’m glad you asked,” the woman smiled. “Panic attacks are often triggered by suppression. When you’re trying to hold in your emotions, refusing to let it go, and not show it, but today Lucy let it out. She didn’t hold back so there was no need for her body to react physiologically.” She reached out and placed a gentle hand on Lucy’s shoulder. “Sometimes a good cry and scream goes a long way. Please remember that.”

It was quiet on the taxi ride back to Lucy’s apartment. Not an uncomfortable silence, but maybe just enough had been said in the hour long therapy session that they both still needed time to process it all. Despite her breakthrough, she knew it was still a long battle ahead. The poor coping skills she’d latched onto now needed to be reversed, and frankly she didn’t know if she could do it alone. Of course, she could ask Levy... and the woman did deserve to hear the truth going on... but Lucy really didn’t want to put that kind of pressure on her best friend. Levy had done so much for her already and as much as she appreciated it, it also contributed to her emotional pain. She glanced down at her hand held so tightly by Natsu and wondered... no... The man was struggling as well, so to add hers into his mix, is that really fair? But by that same token, their pain was also a shared one. If there was anything to take away from the session is that perhaps it is together, they’ll better find the end of the rainbow.

Once they arrive at the building and get out of the taxi, Natsu started walking towards it. Lucy tugged back to stop him. “Lucy?”

“Before we go in...” her voice lowers, hesitancy brimming in her tone. “I have a question to ask.”

“Of course, anything.”

“I can’t—, don’t want to do this alone anymore. But I also don’t want to put that kind of burden on Levy.”

“Lucy,” he pulled her hand up, clasped between his palms to his lips where he kissed the fingers gently. “I will do whatever you need me to do.”

She sighed. “Can I move in with you? A-At least until I get control of the panic attacks and the... the thing?” Her eyes flit to her arm rather than say the words aloud. “I know this would intrude on Gray, but I would feel much safer.”

Natsu paused for a second in thought. “I don’t think Gray will mind. I certainly don’t.” He smiled. “We’ll be there for each other.”

“Are you sure? Because there’s still a few things I haven’t mentioned like nightmares. I-I don’t wanna freak you guys out.”

“A promise is a promise, and when I said I’ll do anything, I meant it. Will it be scary, probably, I’m not gonna lie, but I’m willing to do whatever I need to get us through this.”

Lucy’s eyes gloss over, but a tiny smile ticks up at the corners of her lips. “Thank you, Natsu.”

He smiled back, “I’m the one who should be thankful.”

“For what?”

“For not dumping me. As much you’d worried, I’d leave you, I was deathly afraid you’d leave me. I brought this on us, so I wouldn’t blame you from running away.”

“Oh, Natsu.” This time a true smile finally graced Lucy’s face. “I’m not going anywhere either.”

#nalu #nalu au #nalu fan fiction #nalu fan fic #Natsu dragneel #Lucy heartfilia #Natsu x lucy #strangers on a train #ch 26 #tw cutting

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cobrakiin · 4 years ago

Text

I Wouldn't Fall For Someone I Thought Couldn't Misbehave

Cojeel | Mentioned Lulev + Stingue | Rated: M (Nothing Super Explicit but ends with Very Spicy Fluff)

When Gajeel signed on for helping re-stabilize the Magic Council after the bombings, he didn't expect all the redundant paperwork, nosy coworkers, or the smokin' hot redhead that likes to play dangerous games with him.

And he should really learn to lock his front door... but why should he? He's practically rewarded for leaving it unlocked!

Aka the post-Rhodonite/Road Knight oneshot that my brain decided to inspire me to write by repeatedly chanting "COBRA SHOW HIS LEGGY" repeatedly until I finished writing it.

[AO3] [FFN]

________________________

"Everything okay?"

"Nn?"

"You've been quiet," Levy reiterated.

"'Course I am, I've got all these bullshit reports to do," Gajeel grumbled, motioning to the mess of papers on his desk. "If I'd known helping clean up after the Council was gonna involve so much goddamn paperwork, I would've told 'em I can't read and saved a hundred trees."

"That's very noble of you," Levy said, unconvincingly flat. She leaned her elbow on her desk, resting her chin in her hand. Her honey brown eyes narrowed, watching him suspiciously. "I meant that you haven't seemed to be your usual self recently. You've been way more distracted lately."

He snorted dismissively. "I ain't you. Sue me for findin' never-ending paperwork boring."

"Come to think of it," Levy ploughed on, "It started right after that mission to recapture that Oracion Seis member." She tapped her index finger against her chin, feigning thought. "And he got away…"

Gajeel sharply eyed her.

His position in the New Magic Council was… unique. Gajeel was only handed cases regular Rune Knights couldn't handle - he was a Dragonslayer whose magic made near-unbreakable iron objects and also happened to be an expert tracker, so he became the guy who could track and capture the more elusive, difficult targets.

An escaped, dark mage Dragonslayer? Right up his alley.

Officially… Gajeel had found Cobra, but the sudden issue of an active child trafficking ring took precedence and Cobra 'got away' in the mess of it all.

Unofficially… Gajeel had found Cobra and they'd exchanged blows at first. Testing each other until Cobra's real target had revealed itself. Then the two Dragonslayers tore those kidnappers to shreds. Once the kids were safe with Council forces, Gajeel had managed to track Cobra down again a few remote towns over. (Gajeel tracked him; Cobra didn't 'let' Gajeel find him again - nope! Finding him again was all Gajeel!) And that's where everything got a lot messier and a lot hotter… and a lot stickier...

Dragons were very much creatures that abided by the Universal Law of the Four F's - food, fight, flee, or fuck - sometimes there was a Fifth F in there, too… something about "Friend" or whatever.

Gajeel meeting Natsu? Fight on sight.

Meeting Laxus? Yeah, there was a Fight, but Gajeel was a little more honest with himself these days that he had actually wanted to Flee the Thunder God.

Wendy and Rogue? He guessed that's where "Friend" came in. Maybe also Food somewhere mixed up in there; they both really needed to eat more. That counted, right?

That blonde idiot mated to his brother? Well… if Sting weren't practically plastered to Rogue's side every waking minute of the day, Gajeel wouldn't mind a Fight with him. (Besides, the guy reminded him too much of Salamander.)

But meeting Cobra? That was the first time his inner dragon skipped past all the other F's - looked right at that cocky little shit-eating elf - and decided on Fuck. And it soon became apparent that Cobra's inner dragon had come to the same conclusion about Gajeel.

It was not at all what he had expected when he'd been handed that case file. He'd expected a Fight and not a Fuck. And while he got both - he was getting plenty of the second one. Even now.

He wasn't stupid: Cobra would do a lot more good out there slaughtering slavers than locked back up for, what? Crimes he committed as a teenager? (Following that mission, Gajeel had checked what was left of Cobra's file after the bombings. While he was sure the redhead had done much worse than what was in there, legally all they could hold him on now was "association with dark mages" and a couple of assassinations they "suspected" him of.) Killing traffickers the Council couldn't (or wouldn't) go after was basically community service, in Gajeel's opinion.

An added plus to all that "community service" was that Cobra sometimes showed up after Gajeel was done with a mission. Always approached him alone, always knew where they wouldn't be seen, always teasing so many somethings without saying anything directly. And sometimes whispered somethings led to somewheres - like the bed of a shitty inn for the night or a tent deep in the woods... or that alley behind that diner that one time.

"It's okay to give yourself some slack, you know," Levy's voice dragged him unwillingly out of his thoughts. "Sure, you didn't catch him. But you saved twelve kids and stopped more from being kidnapped. That's an accomplishment, too!"

Gajeel rolled his eyes. He 'hasn't been himself'... tch, yeah - 'cause he's been getting regularly fuckin' laid! He wanted to brag and practically had to bite his tongue to force himself not to.

"I don't really care that much about catching him," he half-lied. He did want to catch Cobra - to keep chasing and catching him, over and over - he just didn't want to arrest the poison dragon. "I ain't beating myself up over that. I've- Look. It's somethin' else, okay?"

The short bluenette blinked her surprise at him before her mouth widened into a smirk. "I just wanted to make sure you're okay," she said, pretending to go back to her own stack of reports. "I thought you might have been upset about the Cobra situation. But from that reaction, I'd almost guess you were seeing someone."

Gajeel forced a scowl in an attempt to squash the heat rising to his face. "So? Even if I was - and I'm not sayin' I am - it's not a fuckin' crime." Except that in his case, it most certainly was. He snorted indignantly. "I didn't bother you half this much when you an' cosplay girl went away on that gal-pal trip to that couples-only hotspring."

Levy's eyebrows immediately arched at that. "Gajeel, you sent me a text message that contained a book, a bunny, and a scissor emoji. Fourteen times." She shook her head. "Lucy saw it and almost passed out from embarrassment because she doesn't know what a kind, supportive asshole you are."

He spluttered. "Don't remember, didn't happen."

"If you ever start dating someone, just know I'm going to have my revenge. Tenfold."

TWUNNNG.

The sound of a lone, reverberating guitar string being plucked played as his lacriphone buzzed in his pocket. (With his tough skin, he couldn't always feel when his phone vibrated. When he had first started using it, he had the notification sound set to an annoyed cat's meow, but Pantherlily refused to go out on missions with him if he didn't have his phone set to silent. Reluctantly, he'd change it to a guitar twang to appease his friend.)

The lock screen showed he had two messages from a number he didn't recognize.

The first message was an image. Taken from a bathtub... his bathtub! In his house! A leg - warm chestnut skin dripping wet as soap streaked down the exposed, toned thigh - casually hung over the side of his bathtub, suds and the shimmer of the overhead light on the water obscuring anything more tantalizing lurking below.

Light, faint purpling could be seen on the inner flesh of the thigh, and Gajeel's mouth went half-dry at the memory of suckling and pinching the soft skin there between his fangs.

The second message flat-out taunted Gajeel: [You should really learn to lock your doors, Mr. Councilman... who knows what kind of criminal could break in?]

Gajeel could practically feel the blood rushing from his rapidly blanking mind to somewhere much, much lower. He managed to hold back the approving, dragonish purr that threatened to rumble from his very core.

"So you are seeing someone," Levy troublesomely commented over Gajeel's shoulder, causing Gajeel to jolt and nearly fumble his phone onto the floor. That sneaky little shrimp! When the fuck did she even get there?! "You know, you don't have to hide it, we're friends. Who is she?"

Right. The pic was only of a leg. (And it was a fuckin' nice leg, the guy had a great pair of them with a perfect, shapely ass to match.) All Levy had seen was a leg. Sent from a burner phone, not that she'd know that just from the quick peek. Nothing identifiable.

Taking a few calming breaths, Gajeel grit his fangs in a friendly yet dismissive frown. "It's a he, Shrimpy. Don't go makin' assumptions 'bout who I bed." Despite how they picked on each other, she was his friend, and he'd toss her that one bone. "And he would prefer if my work life didn't go poking into our personal life. As a matter of fact, so would I."

Levy feigned thought for a moment. But the teasing, troublesome glint in her eyes remained. "You mean to tell me that he doesn't want to be seen with a grown man that collects Hello Kitten merchandise and refuses to lock his own front door?"

________________________

It was impossible to ignore the other male's scent in his home, warmly dampened by a recent bath. Gajeel tossed his uniform coat on the hook by the door and kicked his boots off in a hurry. The scent carried into the kitchen, where it was obvious a certain home invader had definitely helped himself to the contents of Gajeel's fridge, and he followed it to the living room and to who he knew was waiting there for him.

Gajeel knew who he was dealing with by now: Cobra went where he pleased, when he pleased. Nothing could hold him in one place for long and, knowing how much Cobra valued his freedom, Gajeel didn't care to try. Besides... the redhead was just as enticing whether he was standing in front of him or walking away - neither was a bad view.

And it wasn't a bad view that waited for him at all.

Freshly bathed and stretching the length of the couch lounged a certain redheaded poison dragon. His hair was still damp and… and Gajeel had to blink a few times, because Cobra was wearing his clothes: a loose black t-shirt and pair of gray sweatpants, both a little big on his lithe frame.

"What," the lounging elf playfully sneered, "Did you stop for flowers?"

Gajeel crossed the space between them in two strides and practically dove into the arms of the smaller man. Their mouths met and the battle for dominance began. And Cobra pulled, fought back in their embrace; he didn't lay there passively. Cobra was flexible and could move with ease, but Gajeel had more mass on his side and used it to his advantage as he rolled them both off the couch and onto the carpet.

He managed to pin Cobra beneath him, settling his hips between Cobra's legs, and almost losing all rational thought as he rutted against him.

The iron dragon's lips parted as a husky growl rumbled from his throat and slipped out past his fangs: "So ya broke in, used all my hot water, stole my clothes, and cleaned out my fridge? And you expect me to let you get away with that for free?"

Gajeel was far from mad. Cobra being in his house, seeing Cobra wearing his clothes, knowing his mate was sated by food he provided - it was all pulling right at that primal, possessive side of him in all the right ways.

"Not breaking in if you don't lock your doors," Cobra replied cooly. "You were practically asking for it."

Gajeel wanted to fuck him through the goddamn floor right there and then.

"Let's play a game," Cobra said, mouth still so close that their lips brushed with each word, single violet eye glinting up at the man above him.

"Yeah? Since when do you wanna play games...?"

Smirking, Cobra pulled back, knowing just how to egg Gajeel on: "If you're afraid you'll lose, I could always-"

Gajeel silenced him with a kiss, pressing him firmly against the floor with his body. "I like winning games," he rumbled, "'Specially against you."

"If I can pin you to the couch, I get to fuck you," Cobra explained the first part of the game.

The iron dragon immediately perked to attention. He loved when Cobra spoke dirty, and loved the sound of this game - just as much as Cobra knew he would. "That sounds kinda one-sided," he said, though he shifted his weight in anticipation anyways.

"Let me finish," the redhead scolded him, enjoying the way Gajeel's breath hitched as he pressed himself flush against him. Cobra's hand slid between them, sliding down, and his palm paid special, gripping attention to a growing bulge in Gajeel's pants. "If you can get me upstairs, you can tie me to the bed and do whatever you want to me."

Gajeel clenched his eyes shut as Cobra's hand squeezed suddenly, firmly, as a faint groan escaped him. "Really, you're s-sure?"

"Yeah," Cobra confirmed. It hadn't been too long ago that the thought of being tied up and fucked would have made him recoil, but he trusted Gajeel. He knew Gajeel had a thing for bondage and trusted him to not take things too far - and Gajeel wanted to show him that trust was not misplaced.

Iron claws surfaced and flexed, hungry fangs peeked out of Gajeel's mouth in barely contained urge. "Funny, you gave yourself the closer spot."

"You've got more muscle on your side."

"You've got fancy ears, you know what I'm gonna do," Gajeel pointed out.

Cobra gingerly traced a finger down Gajeel's jaw, fangs glinting in a devilish little grin. "When's that ever stopped you...?"

________________________

"Hn?" Gajeel cocked a studded brow, noting how easily his fingers had gone in.

The tied-up redhead under him still somehow managed to scrape up enough cockiness in his voice: "I was ready for either of us to win tonight."

"Ya mean ta tell me that you were up here pleasing yerself in MY bed and you just let me sit at my desk ALL FUCKEN DAY?!"

#fairy tail #gajeel redfox #erik cobra #cojeel #fanfic #cobra #i can now say that i've titled a fic after a hozier song so i'll cross that off my bucket list #no beta bc my mind would not stop going LEGGY until i posted this please let me have peace now

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be-dazzled · 5 years ago

Photo

#SIYC

Gray Fullbuster, Juvia Lockser Genre: Multi-chapter, Romance, Comedy Rating: M for sensitive language and content

Keep on whispering in my ear Tell me all the things that I wanna’ to hear, ‘cause that’s true, that’s what I like about you

- What I Like About You, The Romantics

“Stop over. I’d like to take a picture!” Juvia hit him on the shoulders. She was unusually excited about the ad considering how she 'dead-pan’ called him 'that guy from the billboard’ the first time they met. “It’s the same as the one near the studio.”

Of course they were talking about that sport-drink billboard where he was wearing nothing but his aztec bandana and his full six-packs.

“C'mon, Juvia.” He whined, not really on-board with his girlfriend’s idea. “If you really want a picture of my abs I got it right here.” Gray said. One hand was on the steering wheel while the other slowly pulled the hem of his shirt upwards, teasing a little of that six pack he was talking about.

Juvia laughed dryly.

“Just stop over.”

Then, Juvia did the most 'tourist’ thing to do: posed and took photos with Gray’s sport-drink billboard in the background. She roped her boyfriend in and forced the poor guy to pose in front of his million-dollar deal.

“Just so you know, not everyone gets to score something like that.” Gray tried to save face as the ballerina had her phone out to take photos of Hoopster.

“Whatever. Just go pose in front of well… you.”

Gray could see Juvia folding her lips and fighting a laugh but that was one hell of good-looking abs right there and he should be proud of it.

—

Miles away, Gray could already see the sign – Isvan Home for Boys. The Ghini arrived at the entrance where a security guard on post greeted Gray with a one-hand salute. Thereafter, he let the black Lamborghini into the compound.

“Home for Boys?”

Gray only answered Juvia’s inquiry with a glance and a timid smile.

Ghini crawled in front of an average looking bungalow that sit on a wide area of land. All the while, Gray looked around for free space. He parked next to the ridiculous orange that was hurting his eyes, the Lava – Natsu’s Mercedes.

“They’re probably already inside.” He told Juvia as he cut the engine off of his Lamborghini.

He jumped out of his car and dashed to Juvia’s side. But the independent ballerina was already out of the car and had shut the door close behind her. Hoopster settled on holding her hand instead and leading her into the building. An older man waited for them at the entrance.

“Juvia, this is Mr. Gômon.”

The tall, rounder man had a prominent goatee and thick brows. He offered the new face a smile that made his eyes disappear.

“He’s one of my father’s closest friends and he runs this place.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Sir.”

“No need to be all formal, Miss Juvia.” The older man then turned to Gray to give him a quick hug and a pat on the back. “Always excited to see you 'round this time of year.”

Gômon informed the two that Natsu and the others were already inside. But he didn’t go in with the new arrivals. The headmaster left the responsibility to Gray who knew the place like the back of his hand. Gray guided Juvia deeper into the building, navigating the old hallway like he was just there yesterday. In the middle of the seemingly typical bungalow was an open space where the kids could run around on the grassy ground. The figures who were standing on it were familiar to Juvia but the children interacting with them weren’t. The children, all young boys ranging in age, were in uniform – Fiore Knights uniform.

Gray pulled Juvia’s hand into a stop and stayed at the end of the tiled hallway that opened into the open space.

“Every year we hold a sports clinic for these boys.”

Gray hasn’t told anyone but just a sight of these young boys crowded around his team, wearing smaller version of the Fiore Knights’ uniform, bouncing balls in their hands, he felt pride swell up his chest. He was once like them but these kids had it worse than Gray. Gray still had one parent alive. The kids were orphaned at a very early age.

“Something the guys and I do, off the record.”

“So, no press?” Juvia asked.

“No. I don’t like them turning everything into a spectacle.”

Gray turned to Juvia, readying to let a little fact about him slip out the box.

“This was actually my dad’s idea. When he was alive, he brings me here once a year. He’d teach us basketball and I get to play with the kids my own age.”

It was one of the many good memories Gray had with his father. He’d run around with the kids all day. It felt more like actually playing rather than practicing. At least, once a year, he got to play like a real child. But now that’s all it was, a memory. Gray knew Juvia felt sorry for him. He could see it in her big blue eyes. But he wasn’t sad nor sorry. On the contrary, being able to continue his father’s legacy was one of those moments Gray felt fulfilled.

“Hey, don’t fall in too much in love with me yet, alright?”

Juvia playfully smacked him on his right arm.

“In your dreams, lover boy.”

This was supposed to be a happy, important day and he wouldn’t go dampening the mood with sad stories.

“Look! It’s the Cap!”

Gray and Juvia whipped their heads to look at the direction of one of the kids pointing at them. Well, Gray to be exact. Once the other kids saw the Team Captain, everyone raced over and their force tackled him to the ground. Juvia had to step away for a moment before she got tangled in that excited little mob which devoured her boyfriend.

They were talking all together, visibly elated at his presence. Gray swore his brain was about to explode with the kids all talking at once. But Hoopster was able to give each one of the boys a high five; no men left behind.

“Alright, alright! Take it easy, boys.”

“Hey, Captain. Who’s the pretty lady?”

Gray assumed his boys were too young to watch the dance show not to recognize the prettiest lady in 'My Star Can Dance’.

“Everyone, say hi to Miss Juvia.”

Obeying the Captain’s instruction, the boys greeted in unison. It was easy for Juvia to work that crowd; she dealt with little girls in her studio and Juvia’s students loved her very much. She turned on her charm and that big bright smile; even Gray fell for it.

“Hey, Cap! Stop flaunting yer girlfriend and let’s ball.”

It was Gajeel’s turn to tease his captain. But he still made sure he got the point across, because the Center was right, they might just lose some precious daylight if they kept playing around.

“Alright, boys! Let’s give the Captain some time to change into his Captain uniform.”

Gajeel called and gathered the kids back to start quick drills.

“Yes. Change clothes.” Loke winked at Gray, that kind of wink he knew had some double meaning. Loke was the kind of guy who made everything sound sexual, even just the word broccoli.

So, his Captain gave him the finger.

Fiore Knights’ Team Captain apologized for Loke’s joke by telling Juvia to just ignore the dimwit. Gray hesitantly excused himself from Juvia to run back to his car and slip into his uniform. But he didn’t want to leave her alone in an unfamiliar place. Good thing his mother chose that moment to make an entrance, with President Wakaba in tow.

“Go get changed, Gray. I’ll entertain Juvia for a while.”

When Mika Mine walked past him, she decided to act like a real mother and reminded Gray to put towel on his back. She made sure both Gray and Juvia heard it.

“Mother!”

But Mika was already hauling Juvia into the building and leading the giggly ballerina to where the open court was, Gray presumed.

Gray quickly changed into his Fiore Knights uniform. All the way from the common restroom to the outdoor court, Gray reconsidered his decision of bringing Juvia along at the Home. He had no qualms about sharing that part of his life with Juvia. He wanted to open up to her, so that she could get to know him better, deeper. That he was more than just a pretty face and reliable dance partner. He wanted to have that intimacy with Juvia and maybe take the relationship to the next level. The problem was leaving her girlfriend to his mother’s care. That woman could talk! And Gray’s afraid he wasn’t earning the plus points he wanted.

Gray was now trekking through the earthy pathway leading to the open court. The open space design was the main reason why Gray loved the basketball court at the Home. Green trees surrounded the area, warranting that natural, fresh air. It was simply freeing.

He arrived at the basketball court where his team and the boys were doing basic drills. Natsu, Fiore Knights’ point guard, led the footwork exercise. Gray knew the pain of the 'low knee running in place’ exercise, especially now that his Vice Captain wanted to double the speed. But he wasn’t hearing any complaints. Burst of laughters echoed in its stead. It seemed as the boys were enjoying themselves. The girly giggles, one which Gray hoped was not enjoyed at his expense, came from the shaded side of the court where Gray’s mother and his girlfriend were bonding. Oh, Gray hoped Mika didn’t bring any of that embarrassing photo albums.

“Oh, nooo.” His face twitched.

No photo album but Mika was showing something in her phone. The woman actually went digital!

—

Gray jogged to the center of the court and joined the others. But he’s mind was still at the two women in his life sitting at the newly installed garden bench.

“Hey, Cap!”

Loke approached him first, breaking from the group to greet his Captain. Gray walked with him but he wasn’t paying attention even when Casanova audibly hissed.

“That doesn’t look good for you, Cap.”

That one got his attention and he engaged.

“What?”

“That.”

Loke was pointing at where the restrained laughters where coming. Both eyes, one blue and one darker, were still glued at the older woman’s phone.

“I bet now Mrs. President is showing your girlfriend some childhood photos.”

Gray wasn’t worried about that. He was a cute kid! Even when he was younger, Gray was already a chick magnet. Every middle-aged woman in their block loved to pinch his cheeks or place a kiss on them. Juvia would easily fall in love with that face. Such fact was the only thing keeping him sane.

“You know, little Gray. And you don’t want your girlfriend to think about little Gray.”

The Team Captain stopped dead in his tracks, pulling his son of a witch Small Forward with him. Gray turned to give Loke a look that was a cross between very, very confused and 'don’t f*ck with me’.

“Little. Gray.” Loke’s sly hazel eyes drifted down south. And he was very pleased with himself watching the Captain’s confused look morphed into horrified, as the idea registered in Gray’s brain.

Loke jogged ahead, filling the air with his loud 'I gotcha’ laugh.

The Small Forward was just obviously trying to pull his leg. In today’s game, the team of Fiore Knights resident Casanova was going against the Captain’s. He was just trying to get in his head. Couldn’t blame the man. Psy-war was all part of the game. And the ultimate playboy wasn’t above using such underhanded tactic.

—

Juvia heaved a long breath, letting the fresh air enter and expand her lungs. It was one of the things Juvia loved about leaving the city – fresh air and green scenery. It wasn’t only psychological, science backed up the benefits of the outdoors. She loved her life in the city but once in a while, Juvia wanted a change in scenery. That was why she travelled home as often as her schedule would allow.

Isvan wasn’t what she expected at first; it was too much like the city. When Gray won successive championships for Fiore, the previously unknown town became some sort of a tourist attraction. But the moment Gray turned the curve, Juvia saw the real Isvan – a simple country side.

Juvia never expected that Gray would bring her to Home for Boys. She knew Gray was a nice person, that there was something more to him that met the eyes. But she could have never seen it coming. It was Gray. He was a basketball god, on top of his game. He was young, determined and didn’t hurt the eyes. No, he was hot as hell. And when you were that rich and attractive, people say you could have anything you wanted. But if you look behind all those superficies, a real person emerges. Gray was actually funny, kind and despite that Prince Syndrome he got going the first time they met, Hoopster was actually a reliable person. He didn’t think about himself all the time just as those page-six stories would portray him to be. Figures, he was the Captain of one of the country’s successful sports team. His leadership carried Fiore Knights through three championships and it looked like Earthland hasn’t seen the last of them.

Celebrity-athletes like Gray would usually make appearances in just every charitable events some of them didn’t even know what for. For most, it was all for show, to gain some popularity. You could tell. You could always tell. When the kids ran to Gray, almost throwing him to the ground, Juvia felt a warm feeling swell up her chest. As she watched his nose crinkle and his eyes almost disappear from laughing, that warm feeling spread like wildfire.

She was just starting to get to know Gray better and so far, she liked what she was seeing. And when he said she shouldn’t fall in love with him too much yet, it was just impossible. She was falling in love with him every second.

Juvia couldn’t remember the last time she laughed so hard. Mika Mine was telling her all about young Gray’s adventures. Of course, she was thankful for every bit of embarrassing information. She made sure she committed everything to memory. At last, Juvia had something over Gray to tease him about. Icing on the cake? Mika Mine showed her pictures.

There was one with a grumpy, eight year old in a prince charming costume. Mika said Gray wanted to be Spiderman for that Halloween but she didn’t like him hiding his beautiful face. Gray refused to talk to her mother for a week. There was also one with Juvia’s boyfriend in his first basketball uniform three sizes bigger than his 10 year old figure. But her absolute favorite, one Juvia would save later in her phone was Graysia. Gray’s little sister – or so his mother wanted to imagine. Mika always wanted to have a little girl but since they couldn’t afford another child, Gray would do. On one random afternoon, Mika dressed Gray in a pink ball gown and putting on him red lipstick. Oh, Juvia just stumbled on a gold mine.

Like some kind of magnet, Juvia could feel Gray’s presence in the court. Her eyes already drifted to where Gray was, about to join his group, wearing his latest Fiore Knights uniform. He was talking to one of his teammates, Loke. Whatever it was about seemed to horrify Gray. He looked at Juvia’s way and she smiled at him. That seemed to put Gray at ease and about to bury one gloating Small Forward.

After a few stretches and drills, Gray had the ball in his hand. He was talking to the kids and they were listening to him intently. Juvia was sure it was hard to keep those little heads to focus. Juvia had girls and she couldn’t keep their focus for more than fifteen minutes by just talking.

Gray finished his informal speech with two hand claps that really hyped the children. The boys quickly dispersed and Fiore Knights were left in the court.

“Watch this, kids!”

Loke, the show-off, exhibited a clean through-the-legs dribble before his speed brought him near the basket for a clear shot. She knew the guys were just showing off but the kids were extremely immersed. Their young eyes were glued at the five tall figures. And for most of those kids, they were probably watching their heroes in action.

Each member of Fiore Knights showed complicated footwork before perfecting a basket. Natsu’s shot did three rounds of spin and the kids held on their breaths until the ball went inside the. Laxus, the Power Forward, and Gajeel, the Center, jumped and perfected a dunk shot, earning loud cheers from the kids. Gray, staying true to his professional nickname, stayed a little outside the 3-Point-Line arc to make his famous three-pointer. The ball shot upwards and landed on a natural falling arc. It went inside the ring in a perfect curve. The kids frantically howled and clapped as the Earthland National Basketball three-peat champions took a bow.

The Captain waved the children back on the court, dividing them into two groups. In order to distinguish them from each other, one group was wearing the predominantly red Fiore Knights uniform, which the team wore in this year’s championship; the other wore last year’s gold accentuated jersey.

“They’re going for a match.” Mika felt the need to explain. “Gray takes the red team and Loke takes the gold team.”

“The team trains in the City. Who takes care of the boys?” asked Juvia.

“I believe you met Gômon earlier? He might look a little out of shape but he’s a good player. Silver… Gray’s father and Gômon were members of the same basketball team.”

It’s been years since the mention of the Fullbuster patriarch’s accident and eventual death in the papers. Gray and his mother might have a different life now but Juvia could still see hurt lingering in Mika’s eyes.

“The two of them always went here to train the kids long before we had Gray.”

Mika might have been smiling, but it was rather a weak and small one. Juvia knew not to ask about it. Something like that never really goes away.

“Oh, look. They’re starting.”

The kids were in the middle of the court, scattered within the center circle. Two kids were crouched down opposite each other, waiting for Natsu to toss the ball. Juvia scanned the court for that raven-hair she came to miss. He was at the side bench on the other end of the rectangle, holding a board and a short stick, which turned out to be a marker, tucked on one ear.

Juvia has seen Gray in action since he was just an aspiring but talented freshman in the regional basketball league. He captivated Juvia the moment he made his first three point shot. Juvia followed him around after that, always present in his games, even roping Levy in that Gray-crazed phase. Until she saw him kissing the head cheerleader of the opposing team. The memory left an ugly taste in her mouth; she didn’t want that image to get stuck in her mind and ruin the weekend. So, Juvia locked that image inside the drawer labeled 'never to open ever’.

Natsu blew the whistle. The first half of the game wrapped up with a tight score of 30-34 with Loke’s gold team in the lead.

“Uh-oh, that doesn’t look good.”

Juvia turned to Mika, confused.

“He doesn’t like losing.”

That one Juvia could attest to. Gray was crazy competitive. He probably hated that Loke’s team was having a lead on his. But Gray wasn’t screaming at his team; he wasn’t lashing out at anyone. Instead, he was throwing high fives and light pats at his kids. Then, he gathered them in a tight circle, raised the clipboard flatly so that the kids could see something he drew on it. He was giving them instructions, maybe devising some strategy to win the game.

“His always like that when he gets in the zone.” said Mika, her midnight eyes looking over where Juvia was. “When his eyebrows meet in the middle like that, you know he’s serious.”

Juvia squinted her eyes to look closer. Just as Mika said, Gray’s thick eyebrows were furrowed in the middle as he spoke. The woman was right; Juvia have seen that look many times: when the score and the clock weren’t in favor of Gray’s team; when he was about to make those little last minute three points he became famous for; or lately, when Gray wanted to nail a complicated choreography. Hoopster never wavered when he set his mind to it. That was one of the many qualities Juvia liked about Gray – his fiery passion.

After the short break, his usual smile crept up Gray’s lips and he was back high-fiving the kids. He even playfully kicked the other team’s coach on his butt and Loke hit back with words, to which Gray said something back. Knowing Gray, it was probably something kids shouldn’t be listening to.

When the 3rd quarter started, the ball was in Gray’s court. They managed to score six points over Loke’s team. Casanova wasn’t looking happy about it but Gray Fullbuster was full on gloating. Juvia shook her head. Gray Fullbuster was a fine, funny, kind and very, very likeable man but he let that childish him slip out sometimes. Juvia didn’t mind, it made him who he was.

Gray was sending signals to his team. The ball was played by Loke’s gold team and they made the shot, cutting down the score gap. Juvia caught a glance of Gray and he engaged, holding the gaze for far too long apparently because Gray didn’t see the ball coming, hitting him sharply in the head.

By instinct, Juvia bolted up the bench and so did Gray’s mother. But President didn’t move. In fact, he still held on his cane while he put the other hand on his stomach as he let out a straight guffaw.

“Wakaba!” Mika reprimanded.

“What? It was funny.”

But the glare was boring through him like a good 'ol drill.

The kid who threw the ball ran to the coach with the other kids, all worried. The Fiore Knights, on the other hand, shook their heads biting down a laugh. Getting hit in the head with a ball was common to basketball players. It just didn’t happen that often to the great and mighty Team Captain.

“I’m alright. No need to panic.” Gray assured, shouting to the other side to ease the worries on Juvia and his mother’s face.

“See? It doesn’t even hurt. He’ll live, Mika.”

The kids crowded around the Team Captain who just scratched his forehead and still all smiles. He patted the kid’s head, the one who threw the ball that hit Gray, and told everyone to return to the game. They did and quickly finished up the 3rd quarter with Loke’s team still in the lead.

Gray took that hit for nothing.

Loke said something and earned a very discreet finger for it.

At the last quarter, Gray’s team managed to minimize the point difference but the gold team still bagged the win. There was no hard feelings though, it was just a game. Team Captain often emphasized how important teamwork and, of course, sportsmanship were. After the game, the kids automatically fell into two parallel lines facing each other. The coaches instructed them to shake hands. Even if some looked like they weren’t up for it, the kids still obeyed the adults.

“Alright, then. That’s our cue.”

Mika invited Juvia back into the building. In the middle of the green patch were two buffet tables. Round tables cladded in white were scattered around. Once the children changed into their casual clothing, they wasted no time get cracking at the table full of varied treats.

“Oh, look at that. They are already starting.”

Mika didn’t reprimand the kids but ordered the waiters to put more food on the buffet table and refill those which were running out. She excused herself from Juvia so she could assist in the party, leaving Juvia wandering alone at the open space.

“Hey, beautiful.”

Juvia let out a surprised gasp when she was pulled by the waist against a hard figure. She turned around to meet Gray’s meaningful eyes and slightly slanted smile.

“Not in front of the kids, Cap.” Juvia wrapped her arms around Gray’s neck, pressing her body against hers.

“You should call me that more often.”

“Cap? Cap-tain.” Juvia let the word roll on her tongue, which Gray liked very, very much.

“What are you doing?”

Juvia almost pushed Gray away when she recognized the voice, which was that of a child’s, and became highly aware of what they were doing. Although perfectly normal for couples, public display of affection shouldn’t be displayed in front of young eyes, like this one.

“I was just checking his forehead.” Juvia pretended to look at the area where the ball hit. “You know… where–”

“–where the ball made him its fitch? He was distracted.” The little boy said as he shrugged the shock that rounded two pairs of adult eyes.

“What?”

Gray had to crouch down and look the kid straight in the eye. He tried not to sound like he was scolding the kid.

“What did you just say?”

“You got distracted.” The kid answered, point blank.

“No, not that. The one before that.”

“Oh, that the ball made you its fitch?”

“That’s not even a word.”

“Yes, it is. Coach Loke told me so.”

Oh, so he was on Loke’s team.

“Well, Coach Loke is crazy.” Gray stood to his full height. “Don’t listen to him.” He tried to dismiss the kid by slightly shoving him forward.

“But he was right. You were looking at the pretty lady. That’s why the ball made you its fitch.”

“I’m going to kill that little fitch.” said Gray under gritted teeth so the little ears wouldn’t hear.

“Just go eat some hotdogs.”

“Those hotdogs on sticks?”

“Yes, Kenny. Those hotdogs on the sticks.”

“Cool!”

Then, Kenny ran off as if he didn’t just drop that 'fitch’ bomb on the two adults. And like he didn’t just insult Fiore Knights’ Team Captain. This generation’s Michael Jackson, some would say.

“Why are you laughing?”

Gray had his hands on his waist, pretending to narrow his eyes at Juvia, who was biting her lip to keep down a giggle. She couldn’t even open her mouth without laughing. The exchange between Gray and Kenny was quite entertaining.

“Let’s go and eat some hotdogs on sticks.”

Gray pulled her by the hand and led her to one of the long buffet tables. Holding hands was a safe kind of PDA which didn’t gross out the kids. But feeding each other those hotdogs earned a long 'eew’ from the crowd, even the old kids – a.k.a Fiore Knights.

—

Writer’s Corner: Hi guys! Did you see Hiro Mashima’s latest twitter post? It’s a new graffiti telling us what to and not to do during this lockdown/quarantine. Keep safe everyone.

Also, I’ll be tagging here all those who reblogged and commented on the last chapter! Thank you for your support!

@shounenmangaotphell @ftmains @sobatsu @ship-ambrosia @freeezingrain @nay-ssi @gruvia-galaxy @justbeingtruemyself @anaken101 @mika-milano @juvialockseroff @juviaafullbuster @jetblackrevival @icelyn20 @shampooneko

#gray x juvia #gruvia #be-dazzled #she's in your court #siyc #fairy tail #gray fullbuster #juvia lockser #modern gruvia #gruvia au #writeblr #gruvia fanfiction #gruvia fanfic

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twomanyideas · 4 years ago

Text

The Search for the Supreme Scent - Chapter 4 (Final)

Fanart used with permission from @x-thekid. Once again, please take a moment to let her know how much you liked it. You can see her post here!

A collaboration by @mdelpin and @oryu404 with @x-thekid

This chapter is the one that touches on what is happening in the art. We had a lot of fun writing it. We hope you enjoy it!

AO3 | Ch 1 | Prev: Ch 3

Chapter 4

The first thing Natsu registered when he came to was the heavy perfume of the flowers, immediately followed by a sharp pain in his chest as he inhaled it. He hissed, rolling over carefully so he could look around. He found himself in a green, grassy field, sheltered from the sun by the shade of a large tree, and surrounded by the very flowers they’d come to collect.

Gray sat next to him, leaning against the tree trunk with his arms crossed over his chest. His shirt was nowhere to be found, as usual.

“Wanna tell me what that was about?” he cocked his brow at Natsu.

“What do you mean?” Natsu answered, his voice sounding a bit shaky, “I took them out, didn’t I?”

He wasn’t sure what else to say. That whole thing had been unexpected. Just as it had the previous day with Juvia, he’d felt his control wavering, as if some deeper instinct had surged forward and taken over.

“Yeah, but that was overboard even for you,” Gray pointed out, his eyes never leaving Natsu’s face, “You turned those golems into gravel. Was that Dragon Force? I didn’t think you could do that on command yet.”

“I can’t. I saw you were in danger and-,” Natsu shrugged helplessly, embarrassed by his admission.

“Did you forget Porlyusica lives nearby?” Gray reminded Natsu, making him feel idiotic for overreacting the way he had.

Natsu looked away, not knowing how to respond. He didn’t understand what was happening to him, but one thing he felt sure of, it wouldn’t have made any difference. Even if he had consciously thought about the healer’s proximity, that rage he’d experienced wouldn’t have been satisfied by any other course of action.

“I was trying to protect you, you dimwit. You’re the one who's hurt,” Gray continued, pressing his lips in a slight frown. “Not that that’s ever stopped you from doing something stupid,” he added with an exasperated sigh.

“Yeah, well, we managed to stumble onto the one creature that’s immune to ice, I had to do something.”

“Since we’re here, we should have Porlyusica take a look at you,” Gray suggested, clasping his hands over his head as he took in Natsu’s strained breathing. “you’ve probably made your injuries worse.”

“Hell no!” Natsu immediately protested, sitting up to show he was fine, even though he felt like throwing up just from that. Getting home was going to be a bitch.

Gray’s eyes narrowed as he examined him, “You gotta give me more than that, Pyro. Why would you want to walk home like that when there’s a healer nearby?”

“You mean you weren’t going to carry me?” Natsu feigned a pout.

Gray snorted, “Not likely, maybe if you passed out and looked all pathetic again.”

“You ungrateful bastard,” Natsu tightened his hands into fists in mock anger, “I should have let them turn you into mush.”

“Natsu,” Gray startled him by using his name, “I know things have been weird between us since you got back, but despite what I might have said at Avatar, I’m still your friend. I know when something is bothering you. And sure, we can sit here and trade insults all day, but wouldn’t you rather tell me what’s wrong?”

He’d rather not, but he could tell by the way Gray was looking at him and the serious tone of his voice that he refused to be kept in the dark any longer. The combination was enough for Natsu to cave. He didn’t like keeping secrets from Gray, and if he was honest with himself, he did want to talk about what happened, despite dreading the reaction he was sure to get.

“Wendy needs to be the one who heals me,” he explained, quickly adding, “and I'm not just saying that because I don’t want to see the old hag. After what happened yesterday, well…let’s just say it will help give her closure.”

“Closure?” Gray puzzled, “What are you talking about?”

“If I tell you this, you have to promise not to freak out, or go crying to Erza,” Natsu insisted.

“Yeah yeah, do you need me to do the needle in my eye thing?” Gray rolled his eyes at him, “We’re not kids anymore. I can keep a secret.”

Natsu closed his eyes, preparing himself mentally to go back to that plaza. When he opened them, he could see Gray studying him closely. Feeling his cheeks heating up, he quickly looked away.

“We did a job at Worth Woodsea yesterday, and when we were done training, we stopped to pick some rare mushrooms. Sting had liked them and wanted to take some back to Sabertooth for Minerva.”

“Wendy asked to stop by the Cait Shelter guild building to pay her respects, and we agreed. Everything was quiet, and we just hung around waiting for her, but then a giant monster pack appeared out of nowhere.

“We fought them off easily enough at first, even though we were already tired from training but more and more kept coming. We think it was the mushrooms that attracted them. Anyway, we’d soon run out of potions to help keep us going.” Natsu tried to swallow back the lump that was forming in his throat as the images flashed through his mind once again. “Sting was hit bad, and uhm...well, Rogue died.”

“HE WHAT?!” Gray’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, his skin paling from shock.

“He’s at the hospital now, he's going to be okay,” Natsu assured him, “but it was close.”

“He’s going to be okay?!” Gray challenged, “How the hell do you go from dead to okay?”

“Do you remember that book Porlyusica gave Wendy before the Games?”

“Sure, it had spells her dragon left for her, right?”

“Yeah, well, this was one of them. Wendy had learned it, but she’d never used it before. She was determined to give it a try if it could save Rogue, but she was terrified.”

“She’d been fighting alongside us and providing support all afternoon, and that spell- it used up all of her remaining magic,” Natsu turned away, not wanting to see Gray’s disapproval. They were protective of all their teammates, but none more so than Wendy, who was still young.

“She managed to save him, but the monsters wouldn’t let up, and we got pretty beat up in the process. She couldn’t heal us, and you know how she is,” Natsu lifted his shoulder in a half-shrug, “If anyone else does it, it will reinforce what she feels is her failure.”

Natsu attempted what he thought was a reassuring smile, “It’s not so bad. If she could go through all that, I can certainly bear this for a bit longer.”

“You’re full of it, but I get what you’re saying.”

Gray remained silent for a few minutes, eyes blinking slowly until he suddenly peered at Natsu, his brows furrowed in thought, “Wait a minute, how exactly does a pack of monsters manage to get the drop on five dragon slayers?”

Natsu gazed up through the tree branches, trying to catch a glimpse of the sky as he worked himself through what had happened, putting together the situations that individually wouldn’t have been such a huge deal, but together proved to be lethal.

“It was the rain,” he muttered, “it dampened our sense of smell, and it screwed with my magic. Probably made their movements quieter too.”

“What are you talking about?” Gray frowned. “It didn’t rain yesterday.”

“It did in Worth Woodsea,” Natsu countered, “started right as we got to Cait Shelter.”

Gray’s expression once again became thoughtful as he considered Natsu’s words, his hands suddenly balling into fists for no reason Natsu could see.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Gray roared, “I thought we were done with that nonsense!”

“What are you going on about?” Natsu wondered, unable to make any sense of Gray’s outburst.

“Don’t worry about it, it’s not important,” Gray dismissed his question, but Natsu could tell he was still angry.

Gray drew in a long breath, looking away for a moment before focusing his attention back to Natsu.

“I get that whatever happened yesterday was some kind of a freak occurrence,” he remarked, “but it’s not the first time you’ve come back all beat up from one of these things.”

“Look, I know you want to get stronger, I do too,” Gray’s eyes bored into Natsu with a concern that shook him, “ but the fact is, I don’t trust these guys to have your back.”

Natsu was about to argue the point when Gray followed up with something he hadn’t been expecting.

“That’s something you and I have always done, even back when we were fighting all the time,” Gray reminded him, his mouth twitching into a crooked smile.

And as much as it was in his nature to disagree with most things that came out of Gray’s mouth, Natsu had to admit this time he was right. Even though they bickered and fought often, there had never been a job or brawl where Natsu hadn’t been watching the stripper’s back, and he’d always taken it for granted that Gray did the same.

Regardless, Natsu didn’t think it was fair for Gray to compare their dynamic to the one he shared with the other slayers. The two of them had been training together for years, moving like a well-oiled machine and fighting together flawlessly. In comparison, he’d only known the other slayers for a short time. They were still learning how to work together as a team.

“Gray-”

“Do you remember when we fought at Avatar, and you told me you’d been waiting for me?” Gray interrupted his objection, not saying anything else until Natsu nodded in acknowledgment.

“Well, I couldn’t say it at the time, but I’d been waiting for you too. That whole year you were gone,” Gray confessed, “So much had happened, and I couldn’t really talk about it with anyone else.”

Natsu scanned the field they were sitting in, too nervous to meet Gray's eyes when he continued.

“You’ve always understood me better than anyone, and I had hoped that when you got back well... nevermind that now. The point is there’s no one I trust more. And I know there’s been a few times when I went too far or pushed too hard, but that’s because you’re important to me.”

Natsu's heart was racing. Was Gray going to say what he thought he was going to say? He'd been ready to make the first move himself, gathering up his courage and his thoughts, and trying to form them into sentences that hopefully wouldn't sound completely ridiculous, but now it seemed like Gray was going to beat him to it.

Natsu forced himself to look at Gray, feeling the weight of his gaze, but not able to hold it for long, too flustered by the earnestness that had replaced his friend’s usual scowl. He considered Wendy's advice once again as he looked at the flowers growing around them.

“We make a great team, and that’s why I want to ask you something important.”

For the first time since he’d started talking, Gray sounded unsure, and Natsu looked up to see his friend had curled his fingers around his sword pendant, fidgeting with it as he worked himself up to ask his question.

It only served to feed Natsu’s anticipation and excitement. He looked for the prettiest flower he could find and picked it, determined to give it to Gray as a token of his love. He couldn’t believe this was finally happening!

“Would you be my partner for the S-class exam?”

“Yes, I’d love to!” Natsu answered excitedly, the hand that was holding the flower thrusting out like a piston before Gray’s words had even had a chance to sink in.

“Wait, what did you just ask me?”

Natsu felt the blood rush to his face, and the temperature around him rise as his magic responded to his emotions. He was humiliated, but that was nothing compared to the disappointment he felt at having reached the wrong conclusion.

He should never have listened to the other slayers. Their well-meaning optimism had made him believe that Gray would ask him out or, at the very least, admit to some sort of feelings for him. What a joke that turned out to be.

Natsu realized with growing horror that his arm was still outstretched, offering that stupid flower, which of course, his magic had now set on fire, the tiny flames working away at the once perfect petals.

What had been a beautiful offering now looked utterly wretched, but there was nothing he could do about it. It was his fire. So he hid his face in his scarf as best he could, looking straight ahead and desperately hoping that if he ignored it, Gray would somehow not notice.

“I asked if you wanted to be my partner for the S-Class exam,” Gray repeated, taking in the spectacle that was Natsu with barely a raised eyebrow. “Since we don’t have to compete against each other this time around. I thought we could do it together.”

Gray calmly coated the flower in his ice, putting out the flames and dousing the rest of Natsu’s hopes along with it.

Natsu did his best to act enthused, “Yeah! If we teamed up, there’s no way we could fail!”

He thought he’d done a good job until he noticed Gray studying him intently.

“What did you think I was going to ask?”

“Nothing!” Natsu answered a little too quickly, leaving Gray to frown at him in disbelief. However, in a remarkable turn of events, the stubborn stripper seemed content not to question him any further. “Speaking of teaming up,” Gray changed the subject, “I want in on the slayers’ team. If you thought you could just run off and get stronger without me, you were seriously mistaken.”

“I’d have to bring it up to the others,” Natsu answered honestly, not having any idea how the other slayers would react to having Gray be a part of what they were doing. “It’s not up for discussion,” Gray replied, his jaw set in an arrogant scowl that Natsu was all too familiar with, “It shouldn’t be a problem. In case you’ve already forgotten, I’m a slayer too.”

He gestured towards Natsu’s ribs, “That wouldn’t have happened if I’d been there. Besides, lately, you’re with them all the time. At least this way, we can still get some training in. Not to mention, someone needs to watch out for Wendy.”

Natsu sighed in defeat, wondering how a love confession had turned into this. He watched as Gray got up and began to pick some flowers to fulfill their request and decided to do the same.

“Don’t bother,” Gray called out, much to Natsu’s relief as the little movement he’d managed had been incredibly painful.

That was until the ice mage snickered, “I wouldn’t want to risk another flower upsetting you.”

“That was an accident!” Natsu whined, growing ever more irritated as Gray only laughed harder at his protests.

“It was hilarious,” Gray snorted, his laughs finally ebbing into fond chuckles, “I really did miss you, Flame Brain, it just wasn’t the same without you.”

“I, uh, missed you too,” Natsu replied honestly, watching Gray collect the flowers for Ichiya as he lay back down on the grass to rest for the long walk home. 0-0

Gray wasn’t at all surprised to find he’d been right. Natsu had put too much stress on his healing injuries during the fight, making them even worse. It was easy to tell by the way his breathing turned more shallow with every step he took, and the sweat he’d worked up just from walking. It didn’t take long before Gray decided he couldn’t stand to watch the stubborn idiot suffer any longer, and despite Natsu’s loud protests, he’d picked him up and kept walking.

Natsu fell asleep soon after, leaving Gray to consider everything he’d seen and heard- Natsu going into Dragon Force against the golems, Rogue’s “death”, Wendy’s spell- but he soon decided these were all things he could tackle at a later time.

For right now, he just wanted to savor the feeling of Natsu’s warm body pressed against his back, the weight of the arms draped over his shoulders, the strength of the legs wrapped around his sides, and the sound of ragged breaths in his ear. All of which helped to reassure him that Natsu was alive, injured but ready to fight another day.

His features worked themselves into a scowl as his mind drifted back to Natsu’s insistence that the rain had weakened the slayers’ senses and hindered their efforts. All the rage he’d tried to contain resurfaced, and he could feel the inky tendrils of his devil slayer magic trying to grab purchase, just as they had earlier. His flaring emotions making it harder for him to control this new magic his father had bequeathed him.

Natsu’s fire magic was powerful. There was no way a little rain would give him any trouble, which meant it must have been a storm. One that somehow managed to miss Magnolia completely despite its proximity to Worth Woodsea. Only one person he knew of was capable of such localized weather, especially when she let her emotions take control.

His eyes narrowed as he remembered the flyer he’d been holding when Juvia had approached him the previous morning. It had been a monster request in the Great Plains, an area located closer to Worth Woodsea than Magnolia. And Gray was very familiar with Juvia’s tendency to follow him on jobs.

It wasn’t hard to put two and two together. Juvia had probably gone to the Great Plains looking for him, determined to get him to agree to be her partner for the S-Class exam, or talk about his outburst that morning. Either way, the result had been the same. She must have overreacted when she couldn’t find him and set off a storm around the Great Plains and Worth Woodsea. And while Gray knew that she would never purposefully put their friends in danger, it did nothing to change what had almost happened.

He would just have to make Juvia understand his feelings once and for all. He’d meant to talk to her ever since they’d returned to Magnolia but kept putting it off, knowing it would be uncomfortable and would only lead to conversations he’d rather avoid. That had been a mistake, one that had nearly cost him his friends.

He spent the rest of the walk coming up with what he would say to her, trying to determine the best approach, even though he knew all would be received poorly. By the time they arrived at Natsu’s cottage, Gray’s back was screaming in agony, and he was grateful for the distraction. Finding the door unlocked, he managed to get them inside without incident.

Happy was nowhere to be found, and Gray figured the Exceed must’ve gotten bored and headed for the guild. As Natsu was still fast asleep, he carried him into the bedroom, carefully lowering him onto the bed, thinking that he should get as much rest as he could before seeing Wendy. He’d take care of delivering the flowers and reporting back to Erza himself. Not knowing what else to do, Gray got ready to leave, and that’s when Natsu grinned, his eyes still closed, “I knew you were going to carry me, Ice Princess.” “Pfft! Well, that’s because you did look pathetic,” Gray retorted with a smile, amused to learn that the protests he’d received were all faked. He thought back to how excited Natsu had been right before he’d asked him to be his partner for the exam and wondered if maybe, just maybe, Natsu offering him that flower was supposed to have been a confession of some sort.

But that didn’t make any sense. He wouldn’t have burned it to a crisp and almost set off a forest fire if it was, right? No, Gray was sure it was just wishful thinking on his part. Still… Natsu had gone into Dragon Force to protect him from those golems, that had to mean something. Didn’t it? He quietly molded his ice into a perfect replica of the flower, creating a vase to put it in and placing both on the bedside table. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever be brave enough to express his feelings with words. But maybe, if he let his magic speak for him, he could get his feelings across just as well. Gray quickly let himself out of the house, knowing he might chicken out if he stayed any longer.

He wondered what Natsu would think of his flower once he woke up and hoped he’d understand what it meant. You never knew with the Flame Brain.

But even if he didn’t, Gray was heartened by the knowledge that they’d be spending a lot more time together soon. And with that single thought in his mind, he headed off to the guild, in a great mood for the first time in weeks.

A/N: While this is the end of this particular story, it is not the end of their story in this world. We are currently working on a story for Sting and Rogue where it goes into more detail into what happened in Worth Woodsea and how it affects them, so if you like this world keep an eye out for that one as well, as other stories that are currently in the planning stages.

Thanks for reading and letting us know you liked it!

Maria and Burrito

#fairy tail #gratsu #ft game au #ftlgbtales #update #fics #Fairy Tail Reverse Bang 2020

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ft-dads-au · 4 years ago

Text

Love is an Open Door

I Take Pride in What I Am 2020 Prompt: Love Pairing(s): Gray x Natsu, Hana & Natsu, Hana & Mirajane, Hana & Gray

A Collaboration by @mdelpin and @oryu404 AO3 | FF.Net

Summary: Hana's parents have always taught her that the most important things in the world are family and love, but she has a hard time accepting that when she accidentally sees her father kissing another man. Lost in her grief over her mothers' death Hana has a hard time opening her heart to the man who might take her mother's place at her father's side.

Note: Temperance Alberona 8, Hana Dragneel 7, Atlas Dragneel 3, Aki Fernandes 2. Temperance Alberona is @gaymirajane ‘s OC and used with her permission. May 11, 2021

“Hana, Hana!”

Hana Dragneel had been helping Wendy and Chelia clean up the kids’ area of the daycare center now that the Dads Club meeting was over. She looked up to see her best friend, Temperance Alberona, practically dancing with excitement.

“What is it?”

“Grampy called Mom, and she said you can stay over as long as your dad said it was okay,” Temperance squealed.

Hana squealed along with her, she’d always wanted to go to a sleepover. Back when they still lived in Edolas, she hadn’t been allowed. Both her parents had said she was too young, but she was seven and a half now, and after a somewhat rough start in Magnolia, she’d finally managed to make some friends. She just knew her dad would be okay with it now.

She decided to ask that very second, too excited to wait. Knowing he had walked Uncle Gray and Aki to their car while she and Atlas helped to clean up, she ran down the hallway of the community center and pushed the heavy door open, ready to call out to him.

But no sound came out.

Hana watched with mounting confusion as her dad and Uncle Gray smiled at each other before her father kissed him on the lips. A long kiss, one like she had seen him give her mother hundreds of times before.

All thoughts of sleepovers vanished from her mind as she suddenly felt like someone had kicked her in the stomach and stole all of her breath.

Hana let the door close softly and walked back to the daycare center somewhat in a daze. She didn’t really understand what she had just seen, but the more she thought about it, the more it felt like her dad had done something wrong.

She’d watched him cry over her mother for months after her death. Had grown up seeing how happy they had been together. So why? Why would her dad be kissing anyone, let alone another man? And what did it mean?

Temperance was waiting for her at the entrance of the daycare.

“Well? What did he say?”

“I didn’t ask,” Hana mumbled, still caught up in her thoughts.

“Why not?” Temperance asked, her eyes narrowing as she inspected Hana. “Hey, are you okay? You look funny.”

Hana only shook her head and watched Atlas entertain himself with some toy Wendy had given him.

Temperance grabbed Hana by the hand and dragged her over to a quiet corner, “Seriously, you’re freaking me out, what happened?”

“I saw my dad kissing someone,” Hana confessed, and she almost wished she hadn’t because saying the words out loud made what she had seen that much more real.

Temperance rolled her eyes, “Is that all?”

Hana was near tears, but she was desperately trying to hide it, not wanting to bring attention to herself.

“My mom kisses people all the time,” Temperance shrugged, “it’s no big deal.”

Hana bit her lip, mulling that over. Maybe Temperance was right, maybe it was just something adults did. But deep down, she knew it wasn’t something her dad did, or he wouldn’t be keeping it from them.

It made her feel like he was forgetting her mother, and she didn’t like it. It made her angry, and she wondered as she often did when something happened to one of them, what her mother would think of it when she looked down at them from heaven.

“Hana, Atlas, it’s time to go home.”

“I have to go,” Hana muttered, “please don’t tell anyone.”

“Who am I gonna tell?” Temperance pointed out, “Besides, I don’t even know who you saw him with.”

She gave her friend a wave and walked towards her father, who already had Atlas in his arms. She couldn’t bear to look at him, so she stared at the floor instead.

“You okay, Hanabanana? You’re looking kind of pale,” Her dad ruffled her hair gently, and even though she heard the concern in his voice, the question made her uncomfortable because she didn’t really have an answer.

So for the first time in her life, she lied to her father. Although the way she saw it, he’d lied first. “Yeah, I think I ate too many snacks.”

“Sounds like something Atlas would do,” her father laughed, sounding happier than he had in a long time. “Do you want me to carry you?”

That made her feel even worse about her reaction. She loved her father, wanted him to be happy after being sad for so long. The conflict raging inside her was giving her a headache, and she wholeheartedly wished she had never gone looking for him.

Hana shook her head, grabbing on to his hand as they walked out of the building and to their car. She remained quiet the whole ride home, letting Atlas babble on in his baby voice that she still found cute. Aki talked like that too.

Daddy had Uncle Gray, Atlas had Aki. What about her? Where did she fit in? Maybe they’d leave her with Aunty Erza, she thought sullenly.

0-0

Aunty Erza had been surprised when she went straight up to her room, rather than begging to stay up to watch a show as she usually did. She could hear her asking her father what was wrong and felt guilty all over again when she heard him repeating her lie, although she could tell he didn’t sound entirely convinced.

She went into the bathroom she shared with her aunt to brush her teeth, hearing her father’s phone ring as she went back into her bedroom to get ready for bed.

Hana heard muffled talking and ignored it, changing out of her clothes and into her pajamas before climbing into bed. She pulled the covers over her head, stubbornly determined to fall asleep before her dad could come to read her a bedtime story and tuck her in.

She hadn’t counted on Atlas sneaking into her room.

“Ana?”

She remained quiet, hoping he’d go away, but Atlas climbed on her bed instead. Hana could hear his little giggles as he crawled up towards her, quickly realizing with a groan that he thought she was playing a game.

“Where Ana?” Atlas asked in a singsong voice.

He grabbed her covers and pulled them off her head, giggling the whole time.

“Poun you, Ana!” he squealed cheerfully before giving her a wet kiss and crawling under the covers with her.

“Go away, Atlas,” she grumbled, but it was hard to stay mad when he was flashing that toothy slobbery grin of his.

“Atlas ide?”

She was about to answer when she heard her father’s footsteps coming up the stairs. Atlas took the opportunity to grab the covers and pull them up until they covered their heads, giggling excitedly at continuing the game.

Hana tensed at the familiar knock on the open door, and before she could answer, Atlas covered his mouth with his finger urging her to play along.

So she did. She waited for her dad to play along like he always did, but the only sound was of Atlas giggling, unable to remain silent even if his life depended on it.

“I righ ere, Daddy,” Atlas called out after the silence had dragged on, coming out from under the covers and looking for his father.

“Yeah,” her father picked him up and hugged him tightly to his chest, kissing his head softly.

“Uhm, your Aunty Erza was looking for someone to share a cookie with. You think you can help her with that, Buddy?”

Atlas nodded and squirmed until his father put him down, “Come on, I’ll walk you down the stairs.”

A few minutes later, her father was once again knocking gently on her door.

“Can I come in?”

Hana didn’t trust herself to answer, so she nodded instead, sitting up on her bed to make room. She found herself hugging her father, somehow understanding that things were about to change again and needing that small reassurance from him.

“Are you feeling any better?” he asked, gently rubbing her back.

Hana shook her head, feeling a little bad about lying earlier, but at least this was true. She wasn’t feeling any better at all. She let her eyes follow her comforter’s patterns, not trusting herself to look at her dad.

“Aunty Cana called me a little bit ago,” he remarked, and Hana could feel the bed shake slightly from the bouncing of his knee.

She tensed up, knowing what that meant.

Stupid Temperance, she’d blabbed to her mother when she’d promised not to!

Her hands bunched into fists, upset at being forced into a conversation she wasn’t anywhere near ready for.

She couldn’t seem to come up with any words, especially not after looking up and noticing her dad chewing his lip, something he only did when he was nervous.

“That, uhm, that must have been pretty upsetting for you to see.”

Hana found herself nodding at his words, her lip quivering and her eyes welling with tears as she remembered not what she had seen that evening, but other moments back when her mother had been alive, and they had all been happy. It felt like so long ago, and she missed it so much.

“Right,” he muttered, hiding his face in his hands for a few minutes.

“Don’t you love Mommy anymore?” Hana couldn’t help but ask.

“What?” her dad straightened up, and he was staring at her with a bewildered expression. “Of course I still love her!” he immediately protested, “I will always love her, but she’s not with us anymore, Hana.”

He sighed and lowered his head, staring at his wedding ring as he wriggled his fingers, “When your mom died, I thought I’d never love someone again, and I was okay with that. I didn’t expect any of this to happen.”

“But Daddy, Uncle Gray is a boy. Mommy was a girl, I don’t understand,” Hana prodded.

“Yeah,” he gave her a half-smile, “I’m still getting used to that, but Uncle Gray being a boy doesn’t really change how I feel about him.”

She screwed up her courage and asked the one thing that was really bothering her. “Are you going to marry him?”

His chuckle echoed loudly in her room, “Is that what you’re worried about?”

She nodded shyly and felt his hand on her head, petting her gently before his fingers combed through her hair the way she had always liked, and she allowed herself to relax into it, no longer feeling as worried as she had earlier.

“I think it’s a bit too early to be thinking about that, we’ve only been dating for a few weeks. But even if it were to happen at some point, it wouldn’t change how I feel about you and your brother, or even about your mom.”

He stopped his petting to smile at her. “I’m not looking to replace her, Sweetheart. Right now, Uncle Gray and I are just enjoying spending time together. Although, now that you know, maybe we could... include you guys a little?” he suggested hesitantly, meeting her gaze and wiping away a tear that had rolled down her cheek with his thumb. “Would you like that?”

She bit her lip, not really sure how she felt about it. She liked Uncle Gray and Aki, but would she be betraying her mom by accepting her father’s new relationship? Would it be okay to do the things they once did with her with them?

Hana thought back to what she had seen, how happy her dad had looked, and she didn’t want to be the one to ruin that for him, but she couldn’t say she was comfortable with it.

“I don’t know,” she hedged, “Can I think about it?”

“Sure,” he smiled, giving her one of his warm hugs, “Take all the time you want.”

They both turned to the door as they heard Atlas come in, already dressed in his PJ’s and carrying a book. Moving to the large rocking chair near her bookcase, Hana and Atlas climbed on their father’s lap and snuggled with him as he read them a bedtime story.

0-0

May 23, 2021

From that day on, whenever her father and Uncle Gray were in the same place, Hana couldn’t help but watch them, trying her hardest to understand what was between them.

It was a little confusing. When they walked together, they didn’t hold hands, but occasionally their hands would touch briefly. And although Hana had not seen them kiss again, she had to admit it was undeniable there was something there.

Even when they argued- which was often, another thing that confused her seeing as she had rarely seen her parents arguing- there was always some gesture to show they didn’t mean it. Sometimes it was a quick hand squeeze, other times a teasing grin.

And it was nice to see her dad smile again. She’d even caught him singing along to the radio a few times, something she had definitely missed. He wasn’t quite back to his old self by any means, but he was making strides, and she had to admit he still acted the same. Her mother’s altar always had fresh flowers, they still lit her favorite candles when they visited with her every Sunday.

Even though her father went out on dates, he still made sure to spend time with her and Atlas, and he clearly hadn’t forgotten about her mother. Hana couldn’t really find any fault with his behavior, but she still didn’t quite feel comfortable with it either.

And it made her feel lousy because she knew she was being unfair. If her dad wasn’t forgetting her mother now that he was in love with someone else, what was her problem?

“Oh, Hana! I thought you went with the others.”

Hana was startled out of her thoughts by her Aunt Mira entering the living room.

“Nah, I didn’t feel like ice cream,” she replied, stretching out on one of the room’s large couches.

“I see,” her aunt replied, studying her briefly before teasing, “That’s unusual.”

Hana shrugged her shoulders, not really wanting to get into it, especially with her mother’s sister.

“That’s too bad, it’s a good day for it,” Mira commented as she looked out the window.

“How come you didn’t go?” Hana asked, curious as to whether her aunt shared her misgivings.

“Just wanted some peace and quiet, Erza’s bringing me something back, “she explained as she grabbed a candle lighter to light the candle on her mother’s altar.

Hana smiled as the scent of lavender vanilla filled the room. She watched as Mira dusted the framed picture of her mother before setting it back down on the altar, and after primping up the flowers in the vase, she grabbed a floor cushion and knelt on it.

“Hey Lis, it’s been a while. Let’s see what’s new? Oh! Elfman has a crush on someone, but he won’t tell me who it is. I think it’s that girl Evergreen, who works at 8 Island. He’s so cute when he’s around her.”

“What are you doing?” Hana asked as she watched her aunt with interest.

“Just chatting with your mom, I like to keep her up to date on what’s going on,” Mira winked.

She must have seen the puzzled look on Hana’s face because she smiled kindly at her and gestured for her to join her. “When your mom was alive, we used to talk on the phone all the time. Do you remember that?”

Hana nodded, remembering her mom giggling on the phone and squealing her aunt’s name. She left her spot on the sofa to sit next to her aunt on the large floor cushion.

“I miss that, so sometimes when your daddy isn’t around, I like to talk to her. It helps to keep her with me a little. Does that make sense?” Mira grabbed her hand and squeezed it.

Hana nodded, thinking about it. When they did their weekly visit, it was always all of them, but she’d noticed her dad sometimes talked to her mom on his own too.

“You could do that too, you know. You don’t have to wait until Sunday. You could tell her about your day, or if something was bothering you,” Mira glanced at her pointedly before turning her attention back to the altar.

“Anyway, where was I? Oh yes! Natsu went on another date last weekend with that guy I told you about. I think it’s going well, he seems a little happier. He still won’t look at me when they’re together, though.” Mira sighed, “I think he thinks I’m upset with him or something.”

“Aren’t you?” Hana interrupted, covering her mouth with her hand as she realized what she’d done.

“Why would I be?” Mira peered at her, seemingly confused by her question.

“Because Uncle Gray isn’t mom,” Hana replied, bowing her head, afraid to see her aunt’s reaction.

“No, he isn’t,” Mira agreed, “and he’s not trying to be.”

Hana felt arms surround her as her aunt hugged her. “Hana, your mom loved your dad with all of her heart. She would have wanted him to find love again exactly because she loved him so much. It would break her heart to see him sad all the time.”

“I know it might feel strange to you to see him with someone else, it took a little getting used to for me too. But do you remember how he was, even just a few months ago? Isn’t this better?”

“Yeah,” she knew her aunt was right, her dad had been miserable. There had been many times when she’d woken up in the middle of the night and heard him crying in his room.

“So what’s bothering you then? Is it that Gray is a boy?”

Hana shook her head, “I thought it was at first, but Uncle Sting and Uncle Rogue are both boys, and they’re in love with each other too. I don’t mind that, I just- I’m not sure how I feel about Uncle Gray, I don’t know him that well...”

“Then give him a chance, get to know him,” Mira suggested, “That’s not going to happen if you keep refusing to spend time with them, though.”

Hana pouted. She knew this; both her father and Uncle Gray asked her to come along every time, and they always brought her back a treat even though she’d chosen to stay home with Aunty Erza. But still, the idea of spending time with Gray and Aki outside of club meetings continued to scare her. She didn’t know why it was so, and she wished she could be like Atlas and just go with the flow.

“It’s not that I don’t want to,” she tried to explain, but once again, the words escaped her.” I just, ugh, I don’t know!” she groaned in frustration,

“Do you think maybe it has nothing to do with Gray and Aki, and everything to do with you?”

“What do you mean?” Hana puzzled.

Mira grabbed her mother’s picture and handed it to her to look at.

“Someone you loved very much disappeared from your life unexpectedly.” her aunt talked as Hana studied the picture, feeling the familiar pain at seeing her mother’s face and not being able to touch her.

“Atlas is still very young, so he doesn’t really remember her, but you do. That hurt runs much deeper for you. You’ve only just begun to come out from under it, just like your father. I know it’s hard to think about moving on, but there is a place for you with them. All you have to do is take it.”

Hana gaped at her aunt, not wanting to even consider moving on from her mother.

“Hana, just because you love your mother, doesn’t mean you can’t also love Gray and Aki, but I’m starting to think that’s not the problem at all.”

Mira looked at the picture with a sad smile, putting a hand over one of Hana’s as she held it, “I think the reason you’re keeping your distance from Gray and Aki is that you’re afraid of getting hurt again. That if you did let yourself get attached to them, they might disappear too.”

Hana squeezed her eyes shut, the words hitting too close to home to ignore. Her shoulders began to shake as she cried out, “I miss her so much!”

“I know, Baby. I miss her too, but you can’t close yourself off to new people because of it,” her aunt grabbed the picture out of her hands, putting it back in its place before pulling Hana to her chest, kissing her head as she let her cry. “Your mom wouldn’t have wanted that for you either.”

Once she’d calmed down, Mira let go and continued chatting to her mother. Hana remained silent, considering her words and wondering whether there might be some truth to them. Mira had just blown out the candle when the front door opened, and Atlas ran in, followed by Aki and the others.

“We oomee!” he hugged Hana, then moved over to jump in Mira’s lap, proceeding to tell her all about the fun they’d had.

Hana moved out of the way to give her little brother some time with their aunt, and realizing how she must look, she hurried outside before her father or Aunty Erza could notice.

“I got this for you, your dad said it was your favorite,” she heard a voice in the backyard and froze until she realized Uncle Gray hadn’t noticed her yet. He was pacing the length of the yard while holding a cup from the ice cream shop in one of his hands.

“Ugh, that’s terrible,” he muttered to himself, “It’s such a hot day, I thought you might like a shake. Oh God, that’s even worse. Think, Fullbuster.”

Hana wanted to flee, but she forced herself to stay where she was, her aunt’s words still ringing in her ears.

Uncle Gray reached the end of the yard and turned around, stopping in his tracks when he noticed her. His free hand immediately moved to the back of his neck, and he seemed embarrassed, but he made his way towards her nonetheless.

She could feel his gaze on her as he got closer, and remembering why she’d come outside, she quickly pretended to study the grass.

“Are you okay, Hana?”

Hearing the concern in his voice, she had no choice but to look up at him. She sniffled, wishing she had a tissue and knowing she probably looked a mess. “I’m fine,” she responded before remembering her manners. “Uhm, thanks.”

“Here you go,” Uncle Gray offered her a pack of pocket tissues. She blinked at him, and he offered her a small smile, “Take them, Aki’s always making a mess, so I usually have some handy.”

Hana accepted the pack, using a tissue to wipe her eyes and blow her nose.

“Your dad said you liked Cookies and Cream milkshakes, so I, uhm, I got you one.” he held out the cup she’d noticed earlier, and she suddenly understood what he’d been doing earlier.

She gaped at him, so startled to realize she’d never given any thought to how her constant rejection might have made him feel that she didn’t even think to accept the offered shake.

“It’s okay if you don’t want it though, I just thought-,” he turned away from her, but not before she got a glimpse at the disappointment on his face. He rallied, offering her a smile, “You know what? I’ll just go put it in the fridge for later.”

That expression made her feel terrible. How often had Uncle Gray tried to do something nice for her only to have her say she didn’t want it? Yet here he was, not giving up, even though he was obviously expecting her to say no.

She watched him walk towards the door that would let him into the breakfast nook and made a decision.

“No, wait!”

Uncle Gray turned to look at her, one eyebrow raised in question.

“I do want it,” she said hurriedly, holding her arm out for the cup.

“Oh! Here you go,” he handed her the drink and straw he pulled out of his pocket.

“Thank you,” she attempted a smile, a little disheartened by how astonished he looked to see it.

Had she been that bad?

“Sure,” he mumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets and standing awkwardly next to her. When a few seconds had passed in silence, he announced, “Uhm, I should probably get inside.”

“I don’t mind if you stay,” Hana replied, sitting down in one of the deck chairs and drinking some of her shake.

“Okay,” he sat in one of the other chairs, stealing occasional glances at her.

They talked for a little while, mostly about Aki and Atlas and other people they had in common, both avoiding the topic of her father in an unspoken agreement. Hana discovered that despite how loud Uncle Gray could be when he was with her father, he also had a quiet, soft-spoken side to him that she liked. He told funny stories, and she already knew that he was kind from watching him with the boys and knowing how he helped her father study for that big test.

She still wasn’t sure how she felt about him, but it was a start, and Hana was glad she’d followed her aunt’s advice.

With that thought in mind, she hopped off her seat to toss her empty milkshake cup into the trash can. When she returned, she noticed her dad watching them through the window. He flashed her a beaming smile before turning away, making her feel happy to know that he was proud of her.

Aki came out looking for his father, climbing on his lap as Atlas trailed behind him. Her aunts and father soon followed, and preparations soon began for a barbecue. Her father squeezed Uncle Gray’s shoulder, sitting next to him and taking his hand in his. They soon started to bicker in the way they always did, and Hana could only shake her head at how incredibly stupid their argument was, laughing out loud when a glare from Aunty Erza was enough to get them to stop.

Aki and Atlas chased each other around the yard, babbling at each other in a language all their own while her aunts brought out trays of food to be cooked. The whole scene made her smile. These people were all part of her family, and Hana felt a warmth bloom in her chest as she realized she was finally ready to take her place with them.

A/N: A/N: We sort of decided to work on everyone's coming out stories for Pride and quickly realized that Natsu didn't really have any parents to come out too. Which set us to thinking who would be important enough to him to have that talk with, seeing as Erza kind of walked him through realizing his feelings for Gray in All I see is You.

We figured Hana would be the more likely choice, and also that she probably wouldn't take it great considering she is still very much grieving Lisanna's death and would probably not be keen on him moving on. But also we are masochists and wanted to try and write it from the perspective of a seven-year-old. We like how it came out and it gave us some insight into Hana's character which is nice.We hope you enjoy it!

#fairy tail #ftdadsau #ftlgbtpride2020 #ftlgbtales #gratsu #fics #hana & natsu #hana & mira #hana & gray #I Take Pride In What I Am 2020 #prompt: love #dragneel family #dads pride 2020

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phoneboxfairy · 5 years ago

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Love in Quarantine ch 1...

(ao3 link -> https://archiveofourown.org/works/23417971/chapters/56125711) Okay, the first chapter is pretty light on the smuttiness. But from chapter 2 on...not so much. This is pretty much two horny twenty-somethings spending a week of isolation *really* getting to know each other...enjoy!

It all began on a typical afternoon at the guild. The hall was filled with hustle and bustle, with its occupants fighting, flirting, eating, or reading.

Of course, it’s always the typical days that end up going haywire.

The first sign of trouble was Wendy sneezing then claiming to feel fatigued. She never got sick, usually protected by her sky dragon magic.

This wasn’t a good sign.

“Come, child. Let’s go to Porlyusica’s house before you get any worse.” Carla grabbed her then flew off. This left the rest of the guild shrouded in uncertainty.

What was going on…?

Minutes ticked by, each one seeming like an hour. Lucy tried to read, tried to pay attention to her book, but just couldn’t. Somehow, from across the room, Natsu noticed. He moved away from his fight with Gray mid-punch, walked over to her, put a hand on her shoulder.

“You alright?”

She shook her head.

“Not really. I’m worried about Wendy.”

“She’s a tough kid. She’ll be fine.” Shoulder squeeze. The touch was familiar, comforting. She found herself wanting him to hold her close, wanted to hug away all her fears. Irrational, but honestly Lucy didn’t mind the feeling. She wanted to be close to him...although she wasn’t about to admit it out loud.

Not just yet anyway…

Minutes later the hall door flew open. Porlyusica came rushing in, as close to panic as anyone had ever seen her. She had several words with Makarov, then both got the entire guild’s attention.

“Okay, you brats, this is serious! We need you all to report to the dormitory immediately.” “Wait. Gramps, is Wendy okay?” Natsu shouted, met with similar sentiments from the others.

“She’ll be fine. She has a mild magic bug that could jeopardize the entire town if we’re not careful.”

“Indeed. I have enough antidote to vanquish the bug but I cannot administer it until you are all quarantined. Listen to this old fossil. For once he’s got the right idea.”

There was more clamor as everyone made their way to the dorms behind the hall proper. Luckily the guild’s recent expansion had included building more residential facilities in addition to Fairy Hills.

Nobody could have predicted that they would be used in such a manner, though.

The quarantine itself was initiated fairly easily. Wizards were paired off in each room, typically with a teammate. Then they were given an injection of the antidote. Happy, Carla, and Lily went with Porlyusica to give Wendy some company as she recuperated. Anyone who already had a dorm in Fairy Hills went there, although Lucy couldn’t help noticing that Levy was accompanied by Gajeel and Juvia had somehow convinced Gray to bunker down with her.

One room was left, which meant she was going to be more or less stuck with Natsu for a week, which was how long the antidote took to work. A certain less vocal part of her found the situation appealing.

That didn’t make it any less awkward. Stuck in a room with someone you had growing feelings for but didn’t have the nerve to do anything about it? This could be a nightmare.

Ugh. Well. Better make the best of things. Lucy set her bag down and glanced around the room. It wasn’t huge but it was nice. The kitchen was stocked with enough supplies for the week. The window gave a nice view of the waterfront. A couple comfy chairs, a desk to write at…

...And one full-sized bed. The irony wasn’t lost on her.

There was just one bed...when did my life become a cheesy romance novel?! She shook the thought out of her mind and plopped down on one of the chairs, book in hand, determined to distract herself.

Easier said than done. Natsu, true to form, was working out by the window. From where Lucy was sitting she had the perfect angle to watch his every move as she read.

Talk about a distraction…

At one point she glanced up at him. Their eyes met. He grinned.

“Yo Luce. Let’s spar.”

“What, here?”

“Sure! I won’t even use fire. What d’you say?”

“Alright. Just be careful. We don’t want to destroy the dorm.”

“Deal.” That was that. Lucy took a moment to change into her Taurus form, then they sparred. Both took every opportunity possible to train, but in this case it was just a fun way to pass time.

Being careful didn’t mean taking it easy. Lucy knew that and went after Natsu at full strength. He noticed, grinned, and she forced herself to ignore the fluttering butterflies just south of her tummy.

At one point things took a rather interesting turn. She had him pinned against the wall despite his best efforts to wriggle free. Was he going easy on her? Probably. She knew damn well that he could have knocked her on her ass if he felt like it.

Still, she rather liked feeling like she could kick his ass. She also rather liked how it felt to be pressed up so close to him...although she wasn’t about to admit that out loud at the moment, along with the sudden desire to have him push her up against the wall and…

Whoa, whoa. She stopped that line of thought dead in its tracks, well aware that she was blushing like mad. At least she could shrug it off as a side effect of their sparring.

“Good fight, Luce. We should do that again sometime.” He flashed one of his trademark grins. Lucy couldn’t help agreeing with him. It was fun.

“Definitely. I think I’m gonna go take a shower, though.” If Natsu responded she didn’t see or hear. She grabbed her towel and a change of clothes then headed to the bathroom to wash away the sweat and to clear those intrusive thoughts from her mind. Or try to, anyway.

So I have feelings for my best friend. So what? Natsu’s a great guy. He’ll understand…right? Still, doubt flooded her mind. What if she told him, and what if he shrugged her off…? Well, she would have to figure that out soon.

Once she had toweled off and gotten dressed, she smelled something cooking.

Huh...guess he made himself a snack… She pushed the door open, made her way to the kitchen nook, and there was Natsu eating a bowl of noodles on one of the chairs.

“Hey. Dinner’s on the counter.” “Oh...thanks.”

Lucy grabbed her bowl and they ate together, enjoying the meal as well as relaxed conversation. Then they played games into the night. It felt nice to not have any obligation for a few days. Eventually the game ended. Natsu washed dishes and Lucy lay down in bed with her book. Several minutes later he claimed the spot next to her. She sat bolt upright, trying to keep her heart from racing and the blush from deepening. "What are you doing?" "Uh, laying down because I'm tired. Duh." "I...I...I'm not sure that's a good idea." "Why not? There's room for both of us." He quirked his head. "You okay? You're actin' even weirder than usual." "Me? I...I'm fine. Everything's great." "Nice try. Come on, Lucy. You know you can tell me if something's up." He put his hand on hers, squeezed gently. Such sweet warmth. "It's just that...I like you, and not just as a friend. It feels like we've been more than that for a while...I just, you know, didn't know how to say it. You...you probably think I'm crazy, huh?" "Nah. Come here." He pulled her into his arms, rested his forehead on hers. Grinned. "Everything's better when we're together. Even quarantine, I guess." "Yeah..." She giggled. "Hey Natsu?" "Yeah?" "There's something I want to try, if it's alright." "Okay. Go for it." He looked adorable, his expression a mix of amused and confused. So she blushed, leaned forward, letting her mouth meet his in a gentle kiss. His hands brushed over her waist. Neither seemed too keen on letting go, at least until a need to breathe prevailed. "Wow..." she exhaled. He chuckled. "Still want me to sleep on the floor?" "Nuh-uh. You can stay." With that she slipped out of his arms and lay down. He followed, laying so they were face to face with hands clasped. "So, uh...when was the last time you had a relationship?" "Two years before we met. How about you?" She hadn't expected him to ask, but fair was fair. "Right after I ran away, about a year before I joined the guild. I tried to have a fling after you left, but it didn't feel right." "How so?" "Like, the guy was nice and all, but I couldn't do it." I felt like I was cheating on you, she thought. No way was she going to admit that out loud, though. "That's when I started focusing on getting the guild back together." She yawned, pulled her blanket up around her. She was about to doze off...then Natsu pulled her back into his arms and kissed her forehead. "Huh? Whazzat for?" "Bringin' Fairy Tail back together. Night, Lucy." "Oh...night, Natsu..." The last thing she remembered was feeling his warmth around her, feeling so comfortable in his arms... I could get used to this...

#nalu fluff #nalu smutfic #love in quarantine #quarantine fic #quarantine #there was just one bed #work in progress

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moeruhoshi · 5 years ago

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Please I need more fics where Lucy gets turned on by Natsu's horns 😖

Tell me if this good and i’ll finish it

but fr tho cuz i feel like there’s something missing in the middle 🤷🏽‍♀️

~000~

“...who are you looking at?” Cana grinned as Lucy stared blankly out of their classroom window, her eyes trained on one very specific figure. She was currently working with the brunette and two of their other friends during a self-study period, their desks all pushed together in a square.

“The new kid,” Lucy sighed without paying much attention to what she was really saying. “I think I want him to do me.”

“L-Lucy!” Erza blushed a dark red, Levy quick to slap her hands over the blonde’s lips. Cana roared with laughter at the thoughtless confession, the succubus entering a wide-eyed panic as she fully gathered her thoughts.

“Ah, it’s always so fun to hear you when you’re not paying attention,” The oracle snickered as the pixie carefully removed her hands.

“When was the last time you ate, Lu-chan? It’s not like you to space out so much,” Levy asked, worry filling her gaze.

“Loke gave me a kiss almost a month ago...it was enough to get me through midterms,” She sighed, still staring at the class currently in p.e. “Strawberries are starting to lose their effect too, I feel hungry more often,”

“That’s not good,” Erza frowned, the heat in her cheeks still present as she spoke. “I want you to eat too, but as the student council president, I don’t think I can allow you to attack anyone even f—“

“I’m not going to attack him!” Lucy whined, covering her face out of embarrassment. “I just...he’s just...it’s his fault!”

“Oh, did he hit on you? Or did you see him shirtless? Ooo, does he smell good? C’mon, details!” Cana ebbed, grinning as the blonde shyly offered an explanation.

“He was fighting Gray and I saw his horns come out,” Lucy fwahed, drooling a bit as she thought back to the moment. “I know he’s a dragon and I just—he looks so powerful, I wanna tas—“

“I think we got it,” Levy cleared her throat as she slapped another hand over Lucy’s mouth.

“So his horns got to you?” Cana grinned as she leaned in closer. “Think they’re as thick as his dick?”

“C-Cana!!”

The new student, Lucy couldn’t get him out of her head.

He joined the school during the beginning of their spring semester in the classroom down the hall. A lot of girls thought he was cute at first, sexy even. But he turned out to be too loud and an obnoxious hassle that seemed hellbent on challenging anyone to a fight.

He’d apparently known the ice devil, Gray, when they were younger and was related to Gajeel, Levy’s boyfriend.

So even though he was close with some of Lucy’s friends, she still didn’t have much of a chance to approach him. She made it a goal to try and avoid men when her hunger was slipping.

And she especially wanted to avoid him.

It was a total by chance incident; Lucy was finishing some paperwork in the student council room one day after school. As the treasurer, she had to finish approving some club budgets and ended up staying late.

“Take that, you slimy lizard!” She heard Gray’s familiar voice shout from the courtyard as she began to leave the school.

“Oh yeah? Bring it on, ice for breath!” The new kid shouted back, the two of them scuffling in karate gi’s nearby.

Lucy yelped when she saw him light up in flames, kicking the devil off of him and standing with a wickedly sinister grin. She could see his skin turn to scales and horns begin to sprout from underneath his strangely pink hair.

Her footsteps slowed at the sight of his wide back, breath suddenly shallow as her heart pumped wildly. A familiar feeling bubbled in the pit of her stomach, awakening the desire she’d long since suppressed.

He looked strong...

And yikes, she had a thing for horns.

She’d seen horns before, what kind of kink was this?! Maybe it was just his horns, but god did she want to grab them and ride him like a—

Nope.

No.

She was not having sex.

She couldn’t! Even though he looked strong and she did wonder if his horns were as thick as his—

This wasn’t going to happen. One hundred percent nope.

“Juvia...” Lucy began with an excited voice, opening the door to greet her friend, only to have it falter into a light whisper. The two planned to study together this evening as their parents had gone out of town for a couple of days. It also provided the excuse for Juvia to come over and eat Lucy’s cooking for dinner, but she wouldn’t say anything about that.

“Juvia thought it would be fun to have others over for dinner too! Gray-sama and Natsu-san needed help studying too, Juvia hopes Lucy-san doesn’t mind.” Juvia said as the blonde moved aside to allow the three in.

“O-Oh, no, no problem. My pleasure,” Lucy forced a smile and tried to hold her breath as the boy with pink hair walked in.

‘Ah...his horns! They’re so little! And hidden in his hair, how cute!’

“Thanks for having us over,” Gray said as Lucy led them into her living room, the three taking a seat at her coffee table. “Gildarts said he’d give us remedial lessons for the rest of the year if we didn’t pass this next test,”

“You can count on me, English is my best subject,” Lucy said, pulling Juvia with her as she made up a quick excuse. “I’ll—we’ll be right back, just going to check on dinner. I hope you like beef stew!”

“What’s wrong, Lucy-san? Juvia thinks you’re acting a bit strange...are you not feeling alright?” The siren asked as Lucy leaned against her kitchen counter in dramatic agony.

“Why did you have to bring him here...I can’t deal with that guy!” She whined, clutching onto the blunette as she sobbed.

“Natsu-san? Does Lucy-san not like him?” Juvia asked as Lucy shook her head.

“I’m crazy about him, if he’s too close I really think I’ll jump him,” She sighed, clutching her stomach as it began cramping with a delirious heat. “I’ve been hungry for a while now, and he makes me feel even worse,”

“Eh?! Why wouldn’t you tell Juvia something like that sooner?!” She gasped. “Juvia wouldn’t have brought him in, maybe Juvia should ask him to leave.”

“N-No, I think I can manage,” Lucy chewed on her lip, rummaging through the fridge to pull out her stash of fresh berries. “I want to help him if he’s stuck on the homework,”

“Alright, but tell Juvia if it gets to be too much and we’ll leave,”

Juvia understood her struggle in a similar way since the two of them were both creatures who thrived by the consumption of lewd energy. The siren was lucky to have met Gray, a person powerful enough to keep up with her and provide his strength when she needed some.

They returned to the separate room where the two boys exchanged heated glares, the room beginning to clash between hot and cold temperatures as they stared at one another.

“What are—“

“Shush, staring eye contest! Loser has to go get dessert at the good convenient store down by the school.” Gray hissed as he narrowed his gaze at the other boy who was steaming to win.

“As if I’m going to lose to you, ice tits!” The pink-haired boy grinned as he held a fierce stare. “Don’t forget, I like their chili mango popsicles,”

“You’re the one who better remember that I like their triple frozen chocolate shake sticks,” He shot back, the girls already groaning at their behavior.

“This got old when it was just Gray and Gajeel,” Lucy shook her head, flinching as their competitive egos raised to another level. Whenever he got serious it seemed as though on cue, the horns would sprout from his head.

‘So cute...crap, why is that so cute?!’

“Gray-sama, we came here to study,” Juvia whined, leaning against the table as she tried to steal his attention. It worked, the devil weak to the pouty look of his girlfriend, cringing when the new kid whooped and jumped up with a grin.

“Darn it...”

“I win! Alright, get a move on, we’ll wait for you while you get the good stuff,” He grinned, motioning for Gray to leave.

“Fine...” He grumbled, snatching Juvia’s hand as he made his way towards the door. “You made me lose so you’re coming with me,”

“E-Eh?! Wait, Gray-sama, Juvia can’t—“

Lucy blanched as the front door slammed closed, a shiver crawling up her spine as her fear sunk in.

“I’m Natsu! I don’t think we’ve ever met,” The boy grinned, his horns now back and tucked under his hair.

“L-Lucy,” She gulped and flashed a quick smile, avoiding his handshake as she sat down instead. “Do you want to get started before they come back? Dinner should be ready by then too,”

“You alright? You look kinda shaky.” Natsu asked, frowning as she only answered with a rapid nod and the flipping of pages through her textbook.

“Hey, if I made you uncomfortable, I’m sorry. I’m not really used to makin’ friends with girls,” He said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with a pained smile.

“O-Oh no! That’s not it at all!” Lucy said quickly, feeling her heart thump as his smile twisted sweetly. “It’s just me, I’m not feeling all that well.”

“Really? You shouldn’t be cooking and studyin’ if ya feel sick,” He pouted. “Sure you don’t want to get some rest?”

“I-I’m okay, thank you,”

#nalu #natsu and lucy #lucy and natsu #natsu x lucy #lucy x natsu #natsu dragneel #lucy heartfilia #nalu fanficiton #fairy tail #fairy tail fanfiction

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mwub · 5 years ago

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Hmmm, thought I had posted this but evidently I didn’t, it was supposed to be a multichapter but I couldn't figure out how to continue it.

Toward Tomorrow

”Hey Lucy, what do I look like?” Came to a playful snicker from Lucy’s now open window as a young man with vibrant spiked pink hair that seemed like it hadn’t met a hairbrush in weeks pulled himself into the windowsill. Although the guild liked to joke otherwise, Natsu was quite handsome, not classically like Gray or princely like Loke but he held a certain spark that drew one's eye.

“What do you mean?” Lucy absently hummed as she sorted through clothes, holding up a powder blue sweater with an inquisitive look before tossing the sweater to the side with a derisive shrug.

“I mean, what do I look like?” Natsu responded with a slightly impatient edge to his naturally husky voice. At his tone, Lucy glanced his way to take his appearance in. The sunlight seemed to dance on his hair in knots and waves, one moment a soothing salmon color the next a bright Sakura pink, almost as if it couldn’t decide what color it wanted to be and changes from moment to moment. Oddly enough it perfectly suited his tan skin and his sharp dark olive green eyes that often sparkled with mischief. The mischief that wasn’t absent now as Natsu rocked back on his heels in order to gain a more comfortable balance on the window, a bright fanged smirk gently pulling on his lips as he studied the blonde.

Lucy was supposed to be packing for the 100-year quest that Natsu claimed they were going on, they just were now awaiting Makarov’s permission to do so which they surely would receive. Of course, Lucy was taking forever to pack, choosing each outfit carefully despite knowing it probably wouldn’t matter anyway when it came down to a fight. Natsu thought she looked beautiful always, even though he wouldn’t say it aloud with her in earshot, the only one he had openly admitted his feelings to was Happy and he was tied and bound in secrecy under the threat of no fish for a month.

Lucy looked especially beautiful to him right now, a millennial pink knit sweater suited her pearly skin, bringing out a natural blush under her skin that’s not ordinarily seen unless you were looking for it. Her hair was tied back in a curled ponytail with a simple white ribbon and white ruffled skirt that ended mid-thigh accentuated her legs that seemed to go on for days before ending in a pair of delicate sandals. Natsu felt a warm glow of pride when he saw a pair of gold flash from Lucy’s ears as she bent to scrutinize a pair of dark jeans. A pair of red ruby eyes glared back at him in the form of two small dragon shaped dangly earrings, they were a gift for Lucy’s birthday a month before and it amused Natsu to no end to see her wear them so often.

Natsu knew he didn’t own Lucy, that he had no claim over her, she was her own person and couldn’t possibly ever be owned. But the fact that he had managed to give her a that she appreciated so much gave him a warm feeling in his heart.

Lucy quirked her eyebrow as she saw his eyes falter and glaze over slightly as he asked that question again, “Like the same Natsu I’ve always known, am I supposed to notice something different today,” Placing a hand on her hip, smoothing down her skirt, “did you get new clothes, cause most of them look the same to me.”

“No… nevermind,” Natsu grumbled, breaking his gaze before flopping forward onto his back, landing with a soft thud on Lucy’s pink comforter before grabbing her pillow and burying his face from view. “Just hurry up already, we are leaving in a few days, we don’t know when we’ll be back so you’ll need you’re more travel-ready clothes anyway. I don’t see why ya wanna pack those daggers you call heels.”

“I know that I still think we should go on one more job before we leave, the more rent money I give to my landlady ahead of time the longer I can help you guys finish whatever this quest is. It doesn’t have to be a big one, just another months worth of rent should be enough.” Lucy finished with a pleading look, her pink lip poking ever so slightly out in an adorable pout.

“...Alright fine, we’ll take that one job in Hakobe forest clearing out some were-rabbits. Shouldn’t be too dangerous as long as we catch them by surprise.” Natsu reluctantly agreed finally, “Pays 200,000 Jewel, that sound like enough to you, we’ll stay two days and be back in 4 days.”

“Thank you! You’re the best, a little extra cash never hurt anybody right?” Squealed the excited blonde as she rushed over and squeezed him into a tight hug, Natsu struggling to hide a slight blush as he was painfully aware of how soft her rather large bust was pressed against his own toned muscles. How she didn’t notice how tight her sweater was he didn’t know but he wasn’t gonna complain if it meant he got the occasional sneak peek that other the other guys in the guild drooled after. Just because he respected her as a person doesn’t mean he couldn’t appreciate her gorgeous looks and all its assets.

“I’ll be here tomorrow morning to pick you up and we can walk there.”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN WALK THERE, IT’LL TAKE TWICE AS LONG TO WALK THERE AND BACK!”

“Fine, walk there and train back, unless you want me to have my insides become outsides the entire trip.” Natsu quipped slyly, knowing he won by the way the girl in front of his eye twitched at the prospect of playing nurse the entire trip.

“Fine.”

~~~~~~

“You complain about wasted time and yet you insist we stop at a Hot Spring.”

“Give it a rest Natsu, it was a great deal, two nights and three days for the price of one and there’s a to die for Sauna along with a open bar.” The blond finished with a prideful smirk.

“It’s only a great deal cause they are closing it to be renovated soon and desperately need customers. Probably no one there except a few stragglers and old people” Natsu said dismissively, shuddering slightly at the thought of seeing old crotchety men fight over sauna rights.

Would there be unisex saunas and baths? I hope so, these types of things are better with Luce’s company anyway. Natsu thought, getting slightly excited at the idea of teasing Lucy again for being so embarrassed wearing such a small towel. She was so weird sometimes, at least Happy was staying with Wendy and Carla, the idea of Happy teasing Lucy into a rage was not a pleasing thought even if Happy was his best friend.

“We’re here”

Before them stood the Gin No Taki hot springs, a rather large old Edo-era style building several stories tall with gorgeous paned windows reflecting like mirrors silhouetted by overarching maple trees, their leaves beginning to shift color from green to red in some places, leaves rustling with the gentle breeze and the buzz of nearby cicadas harmonizing with the distant trickling sound of running water. It looked heavenly.

“Let’s go inside!” Lucy squeaked in excitement, grabbing Natsu’s hand and dragging him along in her wake.

After being greeted by the staff and selecting a room, being fitted into their respective yukatas, they finally settled down for a late lunch consisting of a wide variety of local fish and vegetarian delicacies. Not enough protein for Natsu’s taste but it would whatever it takes to keep the tank full.

After choosing a piece of grilled fish with a side of steamed rice and pickled plums, Natsu couldn’t help glancing at the woman beside him. His jaw slightly going slack at the vision before him, a almost shimmering periwinkle robe hugged her curves, accentuating every crevice. Clouds and cranes dances across the fabric, almost luring him into finding out where they lead, where the clouds and birds chase on the river's breeze adorning the blonds skin. Her hair was pinned into a loosely braided bun held together with a set of pins adorned with silver crescent moon and stars, her hair almost seemed to shimmer pure gold in the afternoon light.

Being caught in a daze Natsu didn't immediately catch what Lucy said until she repeated herself with a slight laugh.

“You look nice Natsu” She giggled, hiding her smile behind her hands in amusement, having noticed his ogling a moment before.

“Thanks” Replied Natsu stupidly, staring down at his own chest. His was a lot more barbaric than hers, black with fire breathing dragons spiraling across it, he felt a certain pride while wearing it as the mere decorations injected him a with a new boldness he didn’t know he needed before. Interesting.

“Have you checked out the saunas yet, I heard there's a communal one… if you want to join me? I-I mean you don’t have to, just don't want to be separated from my partner is all haha” Lucy finished nervously letting loose a shaky chuckle, unconsciously nudging the shoulder of her robe off, displaying more lush cleavage.

Gulping and trying to hide his own blush, Natsu replied as nonchalantly as possible so as to avoid suspicion, “ Yeah, I’ve seen it, we can go if you want, doesn’t really matter to me” Yes it does “ And probably shouldn’t be apart for too long in case something happens to ya”

“Y-Yeah, well, my back is feeling a little stiff carrying that backpack all day, let’s meet there in an hour, ‘kay?

“Fine”

~~~~~~

“You’ve got to be kidding me”

The sauna was packed with at least half the members of SaberTooth. Apparently, Sting had thought it would be a good idea to have a guild-wide excursion to this exact hot spring to celebrate a recent unspecified victory of theirs. Which meant there was almost no room in the damn sauna, not with everyone filling it to the brim. Lucy’s eyes searched over the crowd of heads spying a pink head conversing loudly with Sting.

Picking through the crowd, squeezing her way past a gossiping Minerva, Lucy finally made her way over to Natsu, only come to find out it was just as crowded. Natsu put the man in man-spreading, Mavis does he have no shame? Sting was no better, if not worse.

“Lucy, It’s been a while, how you been? Come sit with us” Called Sting, beckoning her over, oblivious to the seating situation.

“ Yeah come sit” Natsu joined in, ignoring her indignant sputtering; “ I was just telling him about that time we went Celestial spirits realm thing. It was wild man, even if they are so weird. I’ll never understand how Lucy deals with them.”

“Maybe cause they listen when I’m talking to them, if you haven’t noticed there’s nowhere for me to sit peabrain.” Lucy groaned in exasperation.

“Yes there is, right here” Natsu smirked, smacking his thigh, “If ya wanted a seat you should’ve just asked.”

“No way, I’ll just wait until someone moves”

“Suit yourself” Chirped Natsu, eyes glimmering with amusement at the flustered girl. “By the way, met someone on the way in here. Apparently, they had the same idea on going to a cheap hot spring”

“Aye sir!” Came a high pitched voice, “Carla said she wanted to take a bath, kinda weird for a cat to want that but whatever she wants I guess.”

A familiar blue cat came floating lazily into view only to stop to sit on the bench next to Natsu’s right leg, “You’re all sweaty Lushi”.

“Uh, that’s the point dummy.”

“NATSU, LUCY IS BEING MEAN AGAIN.”

“AM NOT!”

Natsu could only double over in laughter as his Nakama argued over what the point of a sauna was. That amusement only doubled as Lucy, who had not been paying attention to her surroundings, was bumped from behind and toppled over.

Well, almost toppled over, if it weren’t for the fact that Natsu caught her just in time, pulling her firmly into his lap between his spread legs. A rosy blush soon bloomed across the girls pretty cheeks in a heated flush, quickly becoming aware of the precariousness of the situation she has now found herself in.

Natsu’s warmed calloused hand spanned across her flat stomach, fingertips peeking just under her thin white towel and ever so slightly squeezing the underside of her full breasts under his firm grip, holding her close to him.

Heart racing at this sudden action, Lucy couldn’t help but glance at the man for only to find that he was now engaged in a rather one-sided conversation with Rogue, who seemed rather disinterested sauna as a whole.

Relaxing slightly, Lucy leaned back into his well-toned chest, feeling the ripple and flex of his pectorals and abs after each laugh, after each breath. Lucy took note of the water and steam collecting in the laugh lines of his face and dusted his hair like diamonds. He was exquisite, he was exotic, he was might she dare say enticing. He looked like a god.

Feeling a bit bolder, she pressed even firmer back against him, wiggling her butt to fit more snugly against his shoulder and lean her head on his collarbone. Only to stop when she felt him stiffen slightly at the motion and relax again.

Lip quirking slightly, Lucy repeated the motion again, a bit firmer this time. Making sure to push the softness of her rear to the apex of his thighs, daring him to respond. And he did.

Fingers tightened around her waist, slipping even farther under the fold of her towel. A low, rough growl rumbled from the chest next to her ear, exciting her, and challenging a deeper part of herself.

“What do you think you are doing”

~~~~~~~

If you guys think I should rewrite and continue the next 2 chapters let me know, I had written a second one but I didn't like how it turned out😅

#fairy tail #fairy tail 100 year quest #nalu #nalu fanfiction #i guess Tumblr ate the original #ft fanfiction #natsu dragneel #lucy heartifilla

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tokusashi · 6 years ago

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For real

invincibleHello guys, please her me out.

(My english is kinda bad but I’m trying my best. Also I DON’T WANT TO OFFEND ANYONE, if some words were poorly used then I’m sorry. But please, let me know)

Lately, reading posts about bnha spoilers, I’ve noticed that people are making a little mistake. I’m talking about blaming OP as the main source of the anime/manga falldown. At least- shounen m/a.

Well, let me say this- not really.

As examples, I’ll use three titles, “Fairy Tail”, “Bleach” and “Naruto”.

So, let’s start with the first one, shall we?

(about the Boku no hero Academia I’ll write at the end)

1. FAIRY TAIL - Hiro Mashima, creator of the FT had once said, that he’s not good with creating a big plots. And we could see that. When stories were short, it was funny, clever even and nice to read and watch. But when the whole Zeref problem was on the picture and whole DRAMA? Wellll...

Biggest problems of FT were:

a) many, many characters that meant nothing

- Fairy Tail is an title with so many characters, that people can’t remember half of their names, but not only because of their number, but because of their lack of existence. Yeah, sure, they are there, but they don’t do ANYTHING important, mainly just waiting for the main hero (or his crew) to rescue them.

They’re just there for to be there and this is really not good. You know that Lisanna won’t do a thing, she’s just there for being pretty. You know that Evergreen won’t be a hero of the day, because there will be bigger shark, like Laxus or Natsu, to bite the enemy.

Even Levy was supposed to be the intelligent one, but in the end she was just a plot device as a damsel in distress and Gajeel’s lover.

b) main character without character development

- Natsu. Just... Natsu. He haven’t changed ALMOST at all. (I’m not saying completly). Through the whole series, he always was just a loud idiot who liked to fight with strong oponnents and with those who have hurted his friends. I mean, it had it’s charm, but it was leading to nowhere. A breakthrough moment for him was the one, when Gildarts taught him, that he won’t always win. But we never ever see it again. Yeah, was this one time when he decided to leave Sebertooth members alone to be sure that Happy’s ok, but it wasn’t situation about win or lose. Natsu, all alone, was interesting with his problem about dragon and demon seed in him buuut... It get only worse.

c) almost lack of any training of the characters, they were always stronger because plot demanded it

- Like when they were with Spirits in Spirit world, and then learned that “Oh sh*t, we lost our all time for training”, and there was DEUS EX MACHINA, Ultear with “Sure, I can make it up guys”. And BAM! Done! Now we have super powered fairy tail members!

And it was just ugh. Like, no training arc or anything. Yeah, sure, when they were fightiung they were learning and “gaining lvl”, but not drastically.

And then we had power up “because”.

And then time-skip to explain why everyone are super powerfull right now.

And that’s kinda meh.

d) every villain who had tits was on list “to forgive everything what she had done”

- Do I have to even explain it? Like Minerva. the biggest sadistic jerk of the females in Fairy Tail, who tortured Lucy, had FUN with it and so on. Buuuut why won’t we turn her into and lovely sheep and adopt her, because of her bewbs.

And sad story written on an knee.

e) lack of consequences around choices that main heores have made

- Again, Natsu. People were kinda worried, what’s gonna happen to him! Will he turn into a dragon?! Or a demon?! Or a mix of both?! And what have killed it all?

Igneel: Are you dragon or demon

Natsu: I’m human

WELL DONE, END OF THE PLOT.

Also Zeref had literally fu*ked a kid. Like, the body of Mavis was the one of a little girl. BUT WHO CARES.

Also, many many times characters did something, but it had no meaning whatsoever. Even the big plots, and that’s really nono.

d) Erza as a very bad written OP character

- Erza is an perfect exaple of op character, that is terribly bad written. Like, she’ll always win. She’ll be always the strongest, she’ll have armor for EVERYTHING, she’ll do the thing. I’m surprised that she had no fight with zeref 1v1, she could end the whole series a lot sooner.

Like, seriously, there’s no other character like Erza. She’s just there to win, that her whole plot. And it wasn’t suddenly. She was OP since the beginning till the last fight, and it wasn’t interesting at all. Hiro Mashima had no knowledge about “how to handle an op character”.

SUMMARY:

It wasn’t OP that destroyed Fairy Tail. Those were character, that Mashima-sensei didn’t know how to use, plot devices he had used poorly and lack of consequences and feeling of the real danger. Sure, Erza as OP was also a problem, but not the main source.

SO, NEXT’S BLEACH:

a) Tite Kubo had continued the series after Karakura Arc.

- It was really good! The end with Ichigo who had lost his powers? Great! Final Getsuga Tenshou! Zangetsu and Hollow Ichigo merged! Very nice!

And then... yeah. Continuation. We’ve seen that Kubo-sensei had no heart to this anymore. Next Arc after another was worse and worse.

b) potential of whole Gotei destroyed

- To be honest, whole Gotei was not even as half interesting as Hollows.

Even worse, we had seen whole Gotei from the very bad view for more than a half of the series. Also captains (after KArakura arc) had almost no real meaning. They were just meh.

c) getting tangled up in his[Kubo-sensei] own mistakes

- Like making a hybrid of shinigami-hollow-quincy-human main character, just because shinigami with hollow powers was not enough for the audience.

Or creating a third crowd with bows in white out of nowhere, just for the plot.

Or making Ishida the Sasuke of this series with even more drama than before.

Or creating fullbring just to throw the arc away.

Or just Yhwach. Kubo made him so powerfull, that he had the same problem as Masashi Kishimoto. Had no idea how to kill it. Also, the whole Zangetsu-Yhwach thing was kinda out of... yeah. Just, there were a lot of things that had no sense or were just simply stupid, and that hurts.

d) problems of Tite Kubo

- As I’ve said before. Tite Kubo had his own problems with Shounen Jump. It became the source of the flaws that Kubo-sensei had made, and we all know it.

SUMMARY:

Actually all of the main flaws are coming from continuation, because really- If Tite Kubo could end the series after Ichigo had lost his powers, then it would be a really great shounen! Buuuut we can see how it went. The biggest problem here was not an OP, the biggest problem was the fact, that Kubo-sensei had the toys, but had no fun with plaing with them, and it’s clearly visible. He drew because he drew, because people had pulled him by the ears

AND THE THIRD ONE, NARUTO:

a) no meaning of side characters

- DON’T BITE ME, I’m not sayin “completly”! there are those like Might Guy, but when we’ll look at Kiba, Temari, Kankuro, Ino and many, many others. They were not as bad written as the ones from Fairy Tail, but also not perfect. They had almost no effect on the “final bosses”, and were out of league, when we look at the golden trio- Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto, who were almost like a gods at the end in comparison to the others.

b) ninjutsu was forgotten

- At first it was amazing. Techniques! Elements! Limited chakra! Kunais were deadly, and bombs and everything that ninja used.

And then they just forgot about all of it, and Made Dragon Naruto Ball Z. There were big effective blasts, and power flowing out of characters, giant beasts who made every shinobi not important [at all] and so on. I’m really glad that Naruto had won with the final boss because of the sexy no jutsu, becase, AT LEAST, it was a jutsu.

c) Madara Uchiha and what to do with it

- As I’ve had written above abour Bleach, I have to repeat myself. Uchiha Madara was the problem, that Kishimoto-sensei had no idea how to solve.

When he was stronger, Naruto had been stronger, and Sasuke to, but there he was even mooooore powerfull, so they also had to and, yeah.

He was just a poorly used plot device.

d) Love out of nowhere

- Let’s talk about Sakura. she did loved Sasuke only because he was cool, and then he tried to kill her, he betrayed the whole village, her and naruto over and over, had treated her as she was a nuisance etc. so what she did at the end? She walked after him so long till he made her pregnant and they’ve got married. Best romance ever. Except it’s not.

Also, Naruto and Hinata. Hinata is a great character, don’t get me wrong, but while she ALWAYS loved Naruto, Naruto never really payed attention to her, and it all was created very rougly and quickly at the end. He was always more focused on Sasuke, and there was also problem with that, because Kishimoto-sensei didn’t knoiw how to show devotion to someone, that’s not as romantic as Naruto’s toward Sasuke. And it’s obvious that it WASN’T INTENTIONALL, it just looks like it looks.

Also, the only one relationship that was builded was the one between Temari and Shikamaru (we can also say about Asuma and Kurenai but it was a really short one).

And then the final chapter, everyone are married and with kids out of nowhere. Good for them, just, it was really weird.

f) who needs Akatsuki

- Akatsuki was an organization that was purely great as long as it was in the shadow. People were scared of it. It was a really BIG DEAL, and members of it were dangerous. And then in manga, and in shippuuden anime, when they started to show themselves, they... well, died pretty quickly. Also the whole thing about the chief of Acatsuki, Pain, who was in fact only a puppet of Madara... I mean, suddenly Akatsuki became nothing, and it was kinda unnerving.

g) Friendly Tailed Beasts

- Demons. Pet demons. Plushies who need to be understood.

Like, Tailed Beasts were a really interesting creatures, but obiously Friendship no Jutsu of Naruto worked also on them so here it is. Naruto’s Zoo.

Killed potential. There was a chance to show something with power and brutality, but nah, why we should have that? Demons can’t be evil obviously.

SUMMARY:

- “Naruto” is not a bad series. Just have it bigs flaws. But also here, like in Bleach or Fairy Tail, the OP’ness wasn’t the main source of the failure. It was lack of the proportion between main characters and side characters, and Kishimoto-sensei clearly had no idea what to do with his own villains and had really strong problems with creating a relationships. But in the end it wan’t about ninjas anymore, it was Dragon Ball with guy in a tracksuit, and that was the worst one.

SO, DID THE OP-THING DESTROYED THOSE THREE TITLES?

My answer is: nope.

OP characters are totally ok, as long as creator KNOW HOW TO HANDLE THEM. Kuchiki Byakuya from Bleach was an OP character, but still great, Hatake Kakashi from Naruto was an OP character, but also- still great.

Also I want to say, that I don’t hate Fairy Tail, Naruto or Bleach.

I don’t like FT, but with Naruto and Bleach I’m pretty ok. I’m just a person who understand flaws of the title she reads.

SO, ABOUT IZUKU MIDORIYA’S “OP’ness”:

Many have doubts how it’ll turn out, but what I want to say is that Izuku is supposed to defeat All for One, and to become the greatest hero. He have to become powerfull and have more than one trick, so for me 6-7 quirks works.

Also just look at chapter 215. Everyone cried that he can use “black whip” so suddenly, but the price for using it is STRONG PAIN and reduction of One For All limit, that is possible to use (20%). So now, add 5 more an every each with it’s own restriction. Yeah.

Izuku have a lot of strenght, but Todoroki or Bakugou are controlling their powers FAR BETTER than him. Tokoyami too! He still have to catch up, ant to learn a lot of things.

Also, how many quirks does All for One have? Is he invincible? Ofc not.

Also summing my babling:

Izuku’s “op’ness” won’t destroy a thing. Horikoshi-sensei (for now) know how to handle and OP characters.

If there will be a downfall of the series, then there will be a lot of another flaws, not just one to kill it all, so don’t be afraid. Have a faith.

#bnha spoilers #bnha #chapter 215 #215 #OP #Naruto #Bleach #Fairy Tail #SPOILERS #Falldown of the series #Babling #Ranting #Poor english #engrish #Izuku Midoriya is a great character

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superfreakerz · 6 years ago

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TDDUP17

"Til Death Do Us Part"

Rated M for eventual smut and heavy themes.

Immortal/Reincarnation AU.

Summary: There are immortals and there are those who reincarnate, but it's best to keep these things hidden. Lucy is attending college and meets Natsu, a boy with pink hair, a devilish smile, and a body that never ages.

Read earlier chapters on FF.net

Chapter 17

Ready or Not

Waking up with her legs tangled around Natsu's and her head over his chest was not how Lucy envisioned her morning to start. Remembering herself asking Natsu to stay last night had the girl's cheeks in flames. She couldn't believe she'd been so bold in her tired state, asking Natsu to spend the night with her…

Well, not like she could really complain.

Her eyes glazed over his features. His bangs, which were usually spiked up, now laid over his forehead. His scarf was still wrapped around his neck, making Lucy wonder how he could sleep while wearing it. His hand rested on her hip, making the space between her legs tingle as she thought of where else his hand could be.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Lucy!" she thought to herself. She had other pressing matters to ponder about anyways. Like her relationship with Natsu.

After last night, it was impossible to deny their feelings towards each other. Still, that didn't help Lucy define their relationship. They held hands, cuddled, and even fell asleep together. Those were all things couples did, not friends. But were they dating?

He'd never asked her to be his girlfriend, so she figured they weren't. But what if he just assumed that acting in such a way automatically made them a couple? Did it? Lucy didn't have a clue.

All of their other friends were in defined relationships. Why did theirs have to be so complicated?

Heaving a sigh, Lucy shook her head and forced those thoughts to the back of her mind. They were still in the early stages of their relationship- whatever that may be- it didn't make sense to start stressing about it now. Besides, they had plenty of time to figure it out.

Getting out of bed, Lucy grabbed some clothes before heading to the bathroom. Making sure to lock the door behind her- she knew very well that Natsu had a problem of barging in places- she started the shower and took off her clothes before hopping in.

Once she was dressed, Lucy exited the bathroom to find Natsu sitting on her bed, scrolling through his phone.

"You're finally awake," Lucy said, unable to help the warmth that rushed to her cheeks remembering that they slept together. Not to mention they were acting so casual about it, as if it was a normal thing. Sure, he'd slept in the same bed as her many times, but that was because he invited himself in to her chagrin. This time, she had welcomed him.

"You're the one that's up early," Natsu replied, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Well excuse me for having an early class. Shouldn't you be rushing home to get ready for math?"

"Why? It only takes me like twenty minutes to get ready. You're the only one that needs hours."

Lucy crossed her arms with a huff. "Whatever." Making sure her bag was ready for school and popping some bread in the toaster, the girl sat by him. Glancing at his phone, she found that he was scrolling through Facebook. "I didn't know you had a Facebook." Come to think of it, they hadn't added each other on any social media. They only had each other's phone numbers.

"Yeah, I do," Natsu replied with a shrug. "But I don't use it to talk to anyone or anything. I just use it to look at memes and stuff. Same with all of the other websites."

"You don't talk to anyone?"

"Nope. I don't even have any friends on it."

"You're kidding!"

Natsu brought up his friends list, and sure enough, it was barren. Lucy's brows rose. Never before had she met someone who had no friends. Sure, she had a similar account that she made to check up on how her old family members were doing, but that's because of her reincarnation.

"Does this have anything to do with your secret?" Lucy asked, the words stumbling out of her mouth before she could even think about them.

Natsu glanced towards her before nodding hesitantly.

"Then I won't ask you about it," Lucy said, upholding their agreement. Curiosity ebbed at her, but she ignored it. Maybe one day Natsu would trust her with the truth, but for now she was fine with how things were.

"Thank you," Natsu murmured.

Before she could reply, the toaster went off. Grabbing the toast, she slathered some strawberry jam on it before grabbing her keys.

"I have to go now," she said. Remembering the spare key she was given when she signed the lease, she grabbed it and held it out towards Natsu, her cheeks rosy. "You can get ready here if you want. Just make sure to lock the door on the way out."

Natsu's eyes widened, his cheeks matching his hair as he accepted the key. "You're giving me a key to your apartment?"

"D-Don't say it like that!"

"Like what!? I didn't even say it weird!"

Lucy flushed from head to toe, averting her gaze. "I-I just figured that since you're here most of the time anyways, you might as well use the door. And like I said, you have to lock the door on the way out if you're going to be getting ready here. There are some of your clothes in that hamper over there. I really gotta go now. Bye, Natsu! I'll see you in class later!" With that, she was out the door before he could reply.

Natsu stayed on her bed, staring at the silver key that rested in the palm of his hand.

"I can't believe that weirdo already gave me a key to her apartment."

"Good morning, Lu-chan!" Levy greeted while Jellal waved towards her.

Lucy smiled at her friends, taking her seat. "Morning, guys."

Levy stared at her, arching a brow. "Did you run to class or something?"

"No, why?"

"Because your face is really red!"

Lucy slapped her hands over her cheeks, turning away from her friend. Her overly persistent, curious, has-to-know-everything friend. "N-No it isn't! You're just seeing things, Levy-chan!" Ever since waking up next to Natsu and then giving him a key to her apartment, her body hadn't calmed down even slightly.

"No, your face is actually red," Jellal chimed in, much to the blonde's chagrin. "Are you sick, perhaps?"

"Maybe!"

Levy studied her. And sure enough, nothing ever got past the girl. "Or did something happen with you and Natsu?"

Lucy whipped her head towards the blue-headed girl, laughing frantically. "W-What gives you that idea!? You say weird things sometimes, Levy-chan!"

"Gajeel already told me about you guys."

Lucy groaned, slapping a head over her forehead. She should've known he was going to tell Levy about it. They were dating and all, it wasn't that much of a surprise. "Still! I kept that jerk's secret about proposing! That guy is dead meat when I see him later!"

"How could you tell Gajeel before me!?" Levy's voice rang out, bringing her out of her thoughts.

A vein ticked in the girl's forehead as she leaned closer to Levy, glaring at her. "I don't know. Maybe I was going to tell you when we were supposed to meet up for smoothies but turns out you set up a little play date between Gajeel and I instead!" She pinched the other girl's cheeks.

Levy chuckled. "Oh yeah. Alright, I forgive you. How was that, by the way? Gajeel didn't really say. You know how he is."

"It was fine. I think he really warmed up to me over time."

"That's great! I really wanted things to stop being so weird between you guys since you're my best friend and he's my boyfriend."

"Soon to be fiancé," Lucy thought, a smile stretching over her face.

"Wait, what happened between you and Natsu?" Jellal questioned.

"They pretty much confessed to each other," Levy answered for the other girl, knowing that she would be too embarrassed.

"Really? That's good to hear."

Lucy fidgeted in her seat, embarrassed from the attention. It only got worse when she said, "I also asked him to spend the night last night. And I just gave him a key to my apartment this morning." Glancing towards Jellal, she asked, "Wait, are you going to tell Erza all of this?"

The boy gave an apologetic smile. "Well, she is my wife and all."

Lucy sighed. "Alright, alright. Fine." If she had a husband- she flushed when an image of Natsu popped in her head- she would tell him all the gossip right away. She couldn't blame her friends for doing the same. And since most of their group knew anyways, she might as well tell Gray later, who would then tell Juvia.

"I don't see why everyone is so invested in my relationship with Natsu anyways," Lucy said, crossing her arms. Though, that was a lie. She was invested in their relationships too, after all. She was just embarrassed.

"It's a big deal for us," Levy explained. "Natsu's never had a real girlfriend before so it's new to see him actually like someone in that way." She opted to leave out that everyone was also interested to see how a relationship between an immortal and a mortal would work out. "Plus, you haven't had a real boyfriend either."

"I've had a boyfriend before!"

"I said a real boyfriend, Lu-chan. You said that you guys didn't really do much and didn't last long, so that doesn't count."

"I guess," Lucy muttered. "Either way, Natsu and I aren't even official yet. So maybe we shouldn't make a big deal out of it just yet."

"He hasn't made it official?" Jellal asked.

"Nope. Even though it's been days since we confessed. I'm starting to think he'll never ask."

"Natsu's never been one to really say what he's thinking," Levy said. "It's rare. He's more of a man of action."

"Well, he needs to act faster then because I'm getting confused with all of this waiting around. Should I ask him out?"

"If you want. It's 2018, go for it. Who says the guy has to ask the girl?"

Lucy buried her face in her hands. "Yeah, but I'm too scared. Or embarrassed. I don't really know what I'm feeling, but I just can't ask him."

"Then don't," Jellal replied with a shrug. "You guys don't need a label yet. Take it as slow as you need to."

Before Lucy could reply, Capricorn entered the room, signaling the start of class. She couldn't stay focused, though, her mind wandering towards a certain pink-haired boy.

Once class ended, Lucy waved towards Levy and Jellal, telling them that she'd see them later at Fairy Tail. With a heart that was beating erratically in her chest, the girl took quick steps towards her next class to see Natsu. Oh, and Gray too, of course.

Opening the door, Lucy's eyes landed on Natsu immediately, her face going up in flames. Dusted over his cheeks was a faint blush. He was just as nervous as she was.

Taking her seat, Lucy smiled at Natsu, but her eyes were trained to the side. Bringing herself to look at him up close was impossible.

"Hi, Natsu."

"Hey."

Gray glanced between the two, his brow piqued. Their faces were red, and they weren't looking at each other. Then it hit him. "Oh shit. Are you guys finally together?"

The two whipped their heads towards him. While Lucy looked embarrassed, Natsu only glared at him.

Lucy studied Natsu, gaging his reaction. She hoped he would say something because she was just as curious as Gray. Were they together or not? She'd been asking herself the same thing for days now!

To her dismay, Natsu punched Gray upside the head.

"Shut up, Popsicle Princess," he grumbled.

Lucy sighed. That was no help.

"Oi! I was just asking a question!" Gray shouted.

Before the two could get into a fight, Aquarius walked into the classroom. With that, class began.

Natsu groaned once he finally escaped Aquarius' clutches. Even though the class was barely even an hour long, he considered it torture. Sure, the lessons were easy, but their professor was an absolute psychopath who loved to throw chalk at him if he even opened his mouth to talk to Lucy.

"Finally! We're free!" he shouted, pumping a fist in the air.

"I don't think that class is too bad," Lucy replied, walking in between the two boys.

"That's because you're that lady's favorite student for some reason." Noticing that Lucy had stopped walking, he turned around to face her, only to find a wide grin stretched over her face. "Lucy? What's up?"

"I win."

"Win what?"

"You just said that I'm Aquarius' favorite student, which means that you admit I got on her good side! I win the bet!"

Natsu gaped at her. "No way! I didn't mean it like-!"

"Whatever, liar! I win, you lose! Looks like you're taking me out to dinner!"

Heat traveled up to his face. When they originally made the bet, they were just friends. Taking her out to dinner would've been a normal outing. But now that they were… whatever they were, it was no doubt considered a date. And since it was going to be his first date, he was going to make it awesome.

Ducking his face in his scarf, he muttered, "Yeah, yeah. Fine. But not today. I gotta plan this stuff out. I wasn't expecting you to win."

"Deal," Lucy replied, a warm smile glued to her face.

"You guys done yet?" Gray chimed in, hands in his pockets as usual. "I'd like to get to Fairy Tail sometime today, you know."

Reaching Fairy Tail, Lucy wasn't surprised that the whole gang was already there. Erza and Jellal were chatting amongst themselves while Gajeel, Levy, and Juvia were talking about something else. Approaching the table, all eyes landed on them. Lucy could tell by the blush spread over Erza's cheeks and the way her eyes darted between her and Natsu that Jellal had already spilled the beans. She wouldn't have been surprised if Juvia already knew too.

"How was class?" Jellal asked the trio.

"Horrible as always," Natsu answered, slouching in his usual seat and ordering a large helping of food.

"That's the class with the mean professor, right?" Levy questioned.

"She's not mean," Lucy replied. "Well, she can be. But that's just how she acts. Deep down she's really nice."

"I don't see it," Gray said, to which Natsu nodded his agreement.

"So what are everyone's plans for tonight?" Erza asked, changing the subject.

Lucy and Natsu shared a quick glance, automatically figuring that they'd be hanging out together.

"Why? What do you have in mind?" Levy asked.

The redhead smiled, cupping her chin. "I think it'd be a good time to have another girls' night, don't you think? With some of the recent… changes in our group, I think it'd be fun."

"Oh! That does sound fun!"

"Then it's settled!" Erza exclaimed.

Lucy chuckled to herself. Erza hadn't asked if she or Juvia were okay with it, but that's what made the redhead so entertaining.

"Let me guess, we're doing this at my place, right?" the blonde asked.

"Of course. But don't worry, I'll buy us some food since we're intruding."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Another girls' day?" Natsu whined, crossing his arms. "How many of these things do you guys need to have?"

"Lots! Girl time is fun and necessary for a happy life!"

"What do you guys even do?" Gray questioned, annoyed that he wouldn't be able to hang out with Juvia.

Erza smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know."

Soon enough, everyone was saying their goodbyes. Lucy watched Erza lean towards her husband and give him a quick kiss. Glancing towards Natsu, she wondered if they would ever do that.

Natsu turned towards Lucy to find the girl staring at him with red cheeks.

"Why are you staring at me like that? You weirdo," he teased. His lips curled into an amused grin watching her blush deepen as she pouted.

"No reason!" she replied. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Alright. Have fun, Luce."

With that, the girls were out the door in a fit of excited murmur and giggles. They stopped by a quick market to pick up some snacks and drinks, which Erza paid for, as promised. After that, they were on their way to Lucy's apartment.

Lucy jiggled her key in the lock before swinging the door open. Her eyes instantly landed on the pile of clothes that were on the floor beside her bed. A pair of white joggers and a familiar, one-sleeved coat.

"Are those Natsu's clothes?" Levy asked, wiggling her brows at the blonde, who was hastily picking them up and throwing them in the hamper.

"Maybe," Lucy answered, knowing that there was no point in lying to them. No one other than Natsu wore a coat like that.

"Jellal told me about your guys' confessions," Erza started, her cheeks matching her hair, "but I didn't think you would progress that fast."

"It's not like that!" Lucy cried, her cheeks set ablaze as she waved her arms frantically in the air. "He spent the night last night- no nothing happened- and he got ready here when I left for class! That's it!"

"How did you two confess?" Juvia questioned. "Juvia hasn't heard the details yet!"

Lucy plopped onto her bed. "Well, it's a long story."

"Good thing we're spending the night here then," Erza replied. "Now tell us."

"Alright," she said with a sigh. "It was a few nights ago and Natsu and I got into an argument."

"An argument about what?"

Lucy recalled that fateful night. She had just found out that he- along with the rest of their friends- had been lying to her face about where they lived and a whole bunch of other things.

His warning from that night played in her head.

"You can't let the others know about this, okay?" he said, holding her by the shoulders.

"What do you mean?"

"Remember how I said it isn't just my secret to share? Well, they don't want anyone knowing about it at all. If they find out that you know something is up, they won't let us hang out anymore."

Lucy frowned, her suspicions coming back. "They would do that even though I'm friends with them too?"

Natsu nodded. "Even though it isn't dangerous or anything like that, it's an important secret. If they find out you know, you probably won't see any of us again."

Lucy swallowed thickly. All of her friends were staring at her, waiting for her to answer.

"It was something stupid," she lied, waving her hand through the air. "I don't even remember what it was." To keep them from questioning her about it any further, she continued, "Anyways, when we were making up, he told me I was his everything and I told him he was mine too."

"That's so cute!" Levy gushed, squeezing a pillow to her chest. "I wish Gajeel's confession was that cute."

Juvia smiled. "Gray's confession was very cute! He told Juvia that she was his!"

"That is pretty cute. What about you, Erza?"

The redhead cupped her chin in thought. It was decades ago that she and Jellal made their feelings clear. Still, that day was one she would never forget.

"We didn't really confess with words," she explained. "We shared a kiss and that was it."

"Who made the first move?"

"Well, it was pretty obvious that we both wanted it, so I would say it was mutual."

"That's so cute too!" Lucy squealed. "You two are so much bolder than I am!"

Erza grinned. "Yes, well, we've also known each other much longer than you and Natsu. It's easier to be bold when you've spent so much time getting to know each other."

"Are you two official now?" Juvia asked Lucy.

The blonde sighed, shaking her head. How many times had she heard that today? "No, not yet."

Juvia's lips curled downwards into a small frown. She opened her mouth, only to close it right after.

"What's wrong? What were you going to say?" Lucy asked.

The blue-haired girl averted her gaze. "Juvia was just wondering if Lucy is ready now. Last time we spent the night, you told us that you weren't ready for a relationship. Did something change?"

Lucy's eyes widened a fraction as she pondered the question. Was she ready? It wasn't like her reincarnation had disappeared over night. All of the problems she worried about before still existed. One day, she would die and have to watch Natsu move on. That, or he would die first, which was even worse. Plus, keeping her reincarnation a secret while dating Natsu was going to be tricky.

So far, a relationship seemed like trouble. Was it worth it?

As Lucy pictured Natsu's smiling face, her heart swelled with warmth, and she knew the answer.

He was worth it.

No matter how hard it was going to be to keep her reincarnation a secret, no matter how devastating it was to think about Natsu with another girl after she dies, no matter what, Lucy wanted to be with Natsu from the bottom of her heart.

Her lips quivered into a smile, tears welling in her eyes as she nodded. Lucy saw the other girls sharing quizzical looks, no doubt wondering why she was crying. Even if she could tell them why, it wasn't like they'd understand.

After literal lifetimes of closing herself off from everyone, stopping herself from making friends and dating, Lucy could finally say to herself that she was ready. It was a big step in her life.

Aquarius was right, there was no right time. Lucy had been waiting for a time when she wouldn't be scared of the possibilities, but that time was never going to come. She was still terrified, but she threw caution to the wind. Just as Aquarius put it, she had to charge in.

"I'm ready," Lucy breathed out, her voice shaky. "I'm actually ready."

Erza placed a hand over her shoulder, giving her a motherly smile. Even though she didn't understand the other girl's reaction, she was happy for her. "That's great to hear. I'm sure you and Natsu will be happy together."

"Well, if he ever asks you out," Levy chimed in. "Want us to talk to him for you?"

Lucy shook her head. "No thanks. It'll happen when it happens." Juvia wrapped her arms around the blonde in a tight hug, unknowingly suffocating her. "This must be what Gray deals with."

"Juvia is so happy for you!" she exclaimed. "Love is an amazing thing and now you get to experience it!"

"Thanks, you guys," Lucy replied with a giggle.

As hours rolled by in the blink of an eye, the girls got ready for bed. Lucy laid beside Levy.

"I hope you guys get together soon," Levy whispered since Erza and Juvia had already passed out. "Remember when I kept telling you I wanted you to meet someone so we could go on double dates? Looks like my wish is finally coming true!"

Lucy rolled her eyes. "As if we could go on a double date. Natsu and Gajeel would kill each other before we even reach our destination."

"I guess that's true." The girl cracked a yawn. "I'm going to bed now, Lu-chan. Goodnight."

"Night, Levy-chan."

Lucy stared up at the ceiling. Last time the girls spent the night, so much had happened. She had broken down into tears in front of Natsu because the thought of her reincarnation had stopped her from kissing him. In the end, she was grateful it did. If they had kissed that night, they wouldn't have had their heartfelt confessions in the end.

Grabbing her phone, Lucy sent Natsu a quick message, asking him if he was awake. In seconds, her phone buzzed with a reply.

"Yeah I'm awake. I'm always awake this late," he texted her.

Lucy smiled, her fingers tapping the screen. "I miss you."

"Want me to go over there again?"

"No, I'll be fine. Just wanted to talk to you." Lucy frowned as minutes passed by and she hadn't gotten a text back. Once her phone lit up, her gaze shot towards the new text.

"How's girls' night?"

Lucy's lips stretched into an ear-to-ear grin. "Amazing. What have you been up to?"

"Nothing much, just playing some video games with Gray."

"Oh, Gray is over?"

"Well, we kinda live together."

Lucy's brows rose. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she had figured that out when Gray had lied to her back at Fairy Tail.

"Does this mean all of you guys live together?"

"Yeah, kinda."

"Where?"

"Can't say, Luce. No more questions! I probably shouldn't have even told you that we live together in the first place."

"It's okay. I won't tell anyone."

"Thanks, Lucy."

"Don't mention it." A loud yawn slipped past her lips. "Well, I'm off to bed now. I just wanted to talk to you for a bit before I fall asleep."

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow then. This time just us?"

"It's a date!"

"Psh, no way."

Lucy rolled her eyes, biting back an amused grin. "That's just an expression, Natsu."

"Oh," he replied. She could just picture his blushing face. "Alright, then yeah! It's a date!"

"Goodnight, Natsu."

"Sweet dreams, Luce."

Natsu's eyes blinked open the next morning, woken up by a loud knock on the door. Grabbing his phone, he saw that it was already past two in the afternoon.

"Who is that?" Gray asked, his voice laced with irritation.

"How the hell should I know?" Natsu replied. Forcing himself out of bed, he walked towards the door, his feet feeling like bricks in his tired state. With his eyes narrowed in a glare, he swung open the door to find a head of blue.

"Levy? What're you doin' here?" he asked. Levy only went over to their room unless the whole gang was there.

The girl looked up at him, her face serious. "Get dressed. We need to talk."

"About what?"

"Lu-chan."

"What exactly about Lucy?"

Levy glanced towards Gray. "I'd rather talk about this alone."

Natsu nodded, still confused about the whole thing. "Alright, well just lemme get ready first."

Hopping in the shower, the boy wondered what Levy wanted to talk about. Whatever it was had to be serious. He rarely ever saw Levy like that. Then it hit him.

Sure that everyone knew about him and Lucy, he figured Levy was going to tell him not to hurt her. Or to hurry up and make it official.

"Why do I hafta be the one to make it official?" Natsu thought with a frown. He'd been thinking it over for days and still had no idea what to do. It wasn't like he was purposely making Lucy wait.

After finishing getting ready, Natsu opened the door, unsurprised to find Levy waiting for him. He closed the door behind him. They were the only ones in the hallway.

"Well? What is it?" Natsu asked.

Levy shook her head. "Not here."

With a shrug, Natsu headed towards the stairs leading the way to the pub. Still, Levy wasn't satisfied.

"Not at Fairy Tail," she said.

Not knowing where exactly Levy wanted to go, he let her lead the way this time, following her out of the pub. He walked behind her on the streets of Magnolia, watching the petite girl squeeze her way through the throng of people.

Finally, Levy stopped at a playground, which was nearly empty save for a few kids who were swinging on the monkey bars. Natsu watched the girl's shoulders rise as she took a deep breath before turning to face him. Her brows were slanted as she gave him a pointed stare.

"Care to tell me what all of this is about now?" Natsu asked, shoving his hands in his pockets. "You said it was about Lucy, but what exactly about her?"

"What did you do, Natsu?" Levy replied, her voice quiet. Her eyes narrowed into a harsh glare.

"What do you mean? I didn't do anything!"

"Rules exist for a reason, Natsu! Do you think I don't want to tell Lu-chan about any of this!?"

"What are you talking about?" Natsu's hands balled into tight fists at his sides. He'd never been irritated with Levy before, but he was going to lose his patience soon if she didn't just spit it out already.

Levy's tiny fists tightened, and she squeezed her eyes shut as if thinking about what to say next. And when she finally did speak next, Natsu's heart stopped, his whole body filled with dread.

"You told Lu-chan the truth about us, didn't you?"

#fairy tail #nalu #lucy heartfilia #natsu dragneel #ftfanfiction #tddup #til death do us part

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digimonadventuretimelines · 5 years ago

Text

[03 - After The Re:encounter]

He opened the door of his dad’s office room after everyone had left the house, holding a few packages and juice boxes so he could feed the other two. It was like dealing with pets except said pets can eat human food.

Ulforce was still sleeping in the couch, with Natsu in her digimon form on his back. A very adorable scene, except that Daichi had to wake them up.

“Uh, good morning?”

The digimon duo opened their eyes slowly, sitting one next to the other on the couch.

“Man, I’ve been sleepin’ on the cold solid ground of a cave so this whole royal treatment is so good!” Ulforce chirped, smiling “Huh? What’s this? Food?”

“Uh, yeah… I couldn’t cook something without my mom and Kiyoko asking me about the quantity of food so… I brought some snacks and juice.”

“Oh, I miss eating those!!” Natsu cried “It brings me so many good memories…”

“Y-you’ve eaten those before, digi-girl?!” the blue digimon exclaimed.

“Daisuke and I had known each other for years…! I’m an honorary partner digimon of his.”

“That I didn’t know” Daichi seemed happier today “My dad always talked about you being an old friend of his and friends.”

“Mimi and Wallace were okay, but Vee was so jealous of me!”

“Is Vee my father’s partner digimon?” the boy asked “I thought he was just an employee from my dad’s restaurant…”

“Your dad’s partner is Vee, and he can be a little meanie compared to my loyalty to Daisuke.”

She wasn’t fine talking about another digimon, especially the one who didn’t like her at the beginning…

“You kiddin’?! He’s a legend!” Ulforce protested “He beat Chimeramon, Cherubimon Vice, Belial Vamdemon, Boltmon and Pukumon, and Diablomon’s highest form!”

“W-wow, this means… my father were in those stories?!” you can feel Daichi’s joy to hear his father had been a hero in the past.

“Not only him, but also other cool ‘mons too!” the draconian digi-child grinned, “All the Twelve are legendaries! You seem surprised, didn’t you hear about them?! They’re in the books and lore about our worlds as the ones who connected humans and digimons!”

“Um… My parents never had told me that. Actually, I didn’t even know the DigiWorld’s Ambassador was one of those most known heroes too… I’m not sure if I can tell Taisuke about that...”

“They had children” Natsu said vaguely “and they decided to not let anyone else know their identities and keep their children safe.”

That made sense, at least to Daichi.

“When the first kids of the Twelve had born, a lot of discussion between what to do and how to keep them safe happened. Then, Taichi and Daisuke decided they had to keep their identities as a secret and… Requested Homeostasis to do a soft reboot on the worlds. Their digimon kept being known, but the human partners of them got all data and memories deleted from most of the people and digimon’s heads.”

“So… No one knows the identity of the Twelve? But how can my father be controlled by the bad guys right now…?”

“I didn’t say ‘everyone’ but ‘most of them’ had their memories rebooted” she pouted “Some digimon and the Worldwide Chosen Children know their identities. Also them all had their memories untouched.”

“Man, that thing about reboots is annoyin’!!” Ulforce crossed his arms “Lots of stories got taken away! Not just that, but some don’t even believe they existed!”

“Thinking about that… That possibly happened with the first human children who fought for the DigiWorld…”

“So, my dad and ambassador Yagami weren’t the first…?”

She looked down.

“No, Taichi’s from the second generation and Daisuke from the third. The story of the first gen. is a bit of unknown… All we know is that four of their partners evolved into the Holy Beasts to fight the Four Dark Masters.”

“ENOUGH OF STORIES I WANT TO EAT!!” Ulforce roared nervously “I want those there! and that too! Aaah, human food! I’ve dreamed with this day!!”

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

“Ugh, he’s spending more and more time inside without even taking a break to play with me!”

Kiyoko was not okay again, venting all of her frustrations to Taisuke and Eiji, the ones who she sees as her best friends. Despite of Eiji’s height, he’s twelve like Kiyoko, and only Taisuke is the youngest of the trio, being eleven years old.

“I don’t understand!”

“Have you tried to ask what’s bugging him?” Eiji mused “Sometimes asking is better than jumping to conclusions… I hope that’s not a little intrusive.”

“I tried!” she responded with some annoyance. She was upset with Daichi though, “Today mom left to work and then he just said ‘go play with your friends I have to study’ and… And…!!”

“He’s a meanie!” Taisuke interrupted her “Locking themselves in the office and not even coming to play with us at the park…!”

“Yeah, that!”

Though Eiji realized Taisuke wasn’t talking about Daichi only, but about someone else too…

“Who do they think they are?!” the youngest clenched his fist “They have no time for us, we’re like nothing to them?! I hate it!!”

“Yeah-- Uh, ‘they’ you mean…”

“Sigh, his father” Eiji answered “The ambassador is too busy lately and Taisuke spends more time at my house with my sister and me.”

“Oh… Yeah, I’ve heard the news” she frowned “There’s something big happening, some guys causing a fuss because of the digimon and some digimon causing a fuss because of us.”

“My dad is also busy…” he added “We barely see him these days.”

“I’m mad…!” Taisuke growled.

“At least you two aren’t hearing weird theories that my dad is dead and no one can admit that, like Daichi’s doing on a daily basis every time we talk...”

“We don’t relate to that issue but we feel sorry, Kiyoko.”

“Thanks Eiji…”

“I’d have said it’s okay to spend time studying, but honestly Daichi’s case is somehow unhealthy. Does he skip meals or pull all nighters?”

“Huh, not that I know… If he weren’t going to school I’d have said he has turned into a complete shut-in.”

“That’s a problem then… He needs to exercise at least once per day…”

“Why care about him,” Taisuke rolled his eyes “He chose that path. Let him face the consequences.”

“I don’t want to let Daichi’s health get bad…” she kept voicing her concerns “He’s definitely suffering the most with that anxiety about dad. Maybe we can do something?”

“... ‘we’ like, me and Eiji?!”

Eiji glanced at her and then started thinking of something. ------------------------------------------------------------------------

After the digimon finished their breakfast, them and Daichi started examining the mysterious D-TimeRune device given by Skuld. The boy explained then that the digivice’s design reminded him one of the several retro phones his best friend had collected.

But that made no sense to the blue digimon, since he never had seen said phone before and Daichi’s description of that sounded like a digivice to him while Natsu kept in silence. Daichi sighed, then changed the entire subject.

“I… I tried talking to mom about what we know but…”

“ ‘But’ …?”

“I lost courage,” he sighed.

“But you HAVE to tell her and Taichi!” Natsu wasn’t happy with that answer.

“I know, I know! But seems they’re too busy to hear me out!” he babbled “I can try to send him an e-mail or a voicemail… And try to talk with mom when she’s home from work tonight!”

“At this pace better you take me back to the DigiWorld so I can beat that--” Ulforce was threatened by Natsu’s deathly glare “--that m-man and then bring it back home f-for you, kid!”

“... mrs. Skuld said I can… Do something about that.”

He looked at the digivice.

“What if I use this power to prevent my dad from being captured?”

“H-Hold on, Daichi” the pink digimon gasped “You shouldn’t mess with space-time! Awful things happen to those who defy the laws of Space-Time.”

“How do you know that?” both Ulforce and Daichi frowned.

“... Feminine intuition.”

“But we can try… I won’t mess things enough to change the entire course of story!”

“Ryou, Taichi and Daisuke never messed with time, just traveled through parallel worlds. You messing with time might be worse than anything. You can end up destroying this world’s timeline or…”

“... Making me to not exist anymore?”

“Yes.”

“Whoa, wait can all of those happen?!” that V-mon definitely felt concerned with that idea.

“Natsu,” Daichi glared at her “If you had this power to save my father, would’ve you taken the chance to change his fate… Or would’ve you let him suffer and be seen as a traitor?”

“H-how do you know about that part… About him being accused of--”

“If he’s a hero and is working for the evil, then they will treat him as a traitor until proven otherwise. It’s logical. I don’t know if mom and ambassador Yagami think he’s innocent, but you do! We do!”

“Except Ulforce, though”

“I didn’t know he’s the kid’s father COME ON!!”

“But…” she looked at the boy with some concern in her face “I think it’s better to let the adults solve it. Have faith in your parents and Taichi, they will solve it--”

“I know my father is friends with Ambassador Yagami, but now that he’s on an important role, he will ignore boundaries and do what’s right for the digimon. He won’t go easy on dad, and might… Might do something wrong.”

“And why do you think that…?”

“Because as I remember, this is a threat to the human world and it might force Ambassador Yagami to put an end on this, by killing my dad.”

“... I think he wouldn’t--”

“No, he would. He’s a responsible adult, not a leader from a children’s group.”

“Hey, kid’s right” Ulforce added “If he let his mom and this Yagami-dude know about Lupinmon they gotta ground kid and do the wrong thing!”

Natsu felt conflicted. Especially because she knows Daisuke would’ve preferred her to keep Daichi and Kiyoko away from him to avoid misfortune, but on the other hand Daichi is the only one able to do something and save Daisuke.

“Please, Natsu!” Daichi begged her.

“I don’t know!!” she cried “Daisuke’s very important to me, but his children is also important! I can’t let you do something risky-- I...”

“My father would’ve done the same for me! I know it!”

Natsu’s imagination worked all again, her imagining Daisuke in front of her smiling and approving the idea of Daichi becoming a hero like him. It made her eyes shine and she nodded her head many times that the boy and blue digimon felt scared.

“LET’S GO!” she yelled “To save your father and the worlds!”

“But kid needs a partner digimon first, doesn’t he?” Ulforce looked at the digivice and then to Daichi, “This means he needs to… Return there.”

“Let’s go,” the boy nodded “If I get partnered with a digimon, I can save my father.”

“... I can’t be your partner” Natsu looked away “I can’t, sorry.”

“Who’s sayin’ it will be you!?” Ulforce pouted “Also why would he pick you!?”

“I understand” Daichi smiled “You don’t want to fight my father, is it?”

“... Let’s say it's that.”

“Then, you won’t be forced to! Now let’s go to the Digital World, I will find a digimon who’s willing to fight alongside me and then save my father and the the world.”

#datl text chapter #daichi arc phase 1

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natsubeatsrock · 6 years ago

Text

The Rewrite of Fairy Tail: Part 3 (Themes)

What should Fairy Tail be about?

Obviously, I've already talked about what the plot of Fairy Tail should look like, especially in contrast to other series. But there's something that discussion kind of purposely ignored: themes guiding Fairy Tail. While part of it talked about the idea that searches for something don't always go exactly the way one plans them out, there was more to Fairy Tail than just that.

Or at least, there could have been. I think that Mashima had themes that he tried to get across with this series, but the degree of success with those different themes varies. I feel like it would be wrong of me to ignore the themes that do exist and guide Fairy Tail in rewriting Fairy Tail. However, it would also be a mistake to act as though they are all good and should stay the same as they do in the original.

There are three potential themes that I would argue run through the series.

The first is forgiveness. No matter how bad certain characters actions are made out to be or can seem to people both inside and outside of the universe, many get forgiven for their actions. Probably, the best example of this is Gajeel and Levy. The fact that Levy did forgive Gajeel, to the point of having her kids, has been considered by many almost too great an act of forgiveness to be believable.

The second is friendship. We all knew this was coming. There's not a whole lot I feel needs to be said about the idea that friendship is a theme that Mashima attempts to handle. I don't have much to say about it here.

The third is the value of human life. This one doesn't get as much attention as I think it should. Part of the reason that major events happen in the background of the series is that of an ongoing argument for whether or not humans are as important as certain characters believe so.

Here's the issue: are these themes handled well and are they big enough to be considered the main theme? Of course, I think this series has all these things, but which one should be the lens I view the events of the series through.

I feel as though it would be insane to note every single instance where any one of these themes is brought up and see if it is a good representation of that theme in one post. Even as I will spend many posts in this series addressing how characters and events circle back to specific themes, it wouldn't be feasible to do that for every character and every moment. However, I do think that it's worth seeing how these themes generally work throughout the series.

When it comes to the theme of forgiveness, the biggest complaint that I see is that it happens so easily. People are shocked that people are so quick to forgive in this series. Shouldn't it take longer in some cases and in others just not happen? In some cases, I actually have a bigger issue with the opposite happening. Jellal, after everything that's happened throughout the series, hasn't seemed to let go of the things he did for the construction of the Tower of Heaven.

But as it turns out, I don’t think this theme is actually one that could be called one that is a central theme to the series. It would be insane of me to say that this isn’t an important theme for some characters. However, I don’t think that it’s so big a theme that I can say it could be the thematic core for the series.

The theme of friendship, as it pertains to Fairy Tail, is a bit of a misnomer. Fairy Tail isn't necessarily a series that promotes the idea of friendship, whereas I think it shows how amazing the guild is. This actually gets to the point of being almost hilariously cartoonish. Like, there are things done by characters we're not supposed to be rooting for that mimic the actions of Fairy Tail characters.

In a few cases, Fairy Tail characters act worse. One of the more interesting examples comes from the Grand Magic Games. Bacchus beats Cana in a drinking contest and decides to take her top as a trophy and this is a bad thing. I'm not willing to argue this isn't bad. But, apparently, it's funny/sexy when Natsu decides to grope Lucy as an (I'm not willing to say noble) effort to cover Lucy up. This isn't that far off the mark of what happened previously.

As for the theme of the value in humanity, I haven't seen too many people talk about this at all as a theme. It's not that I don't think that it's there, this wasn't and isn't a point that matters to a lot of people analyzing Fairy Tail. I find this weird considering, as far as I can tell, this is the best theme to have to guide Fairy Tail.

In some ways, it might explain some bad things Mashima did. It might be a partial reason for the idea of redemption of characters. It could be part of the extension of the supposed theme of friendship being important. Stuff like Mashima showing that humans couldn't destroy Face but the dragons were to come out of hiding to do it, shows how much they value humans. Having the main antagonists show different sides of what happens when the value of life becomes messed with, Acnologia in his vengeance against dragons who killed life and Zeref in his pursuits to bring back

Though, the issue with this often becomes how Mashima went about explaining how and why there is value in human life. Some dragons want to protect humans but there's no reason why they there is value in protecting them. Zeref says he forgot the reason he ought to believe in humanity, but this never gets relearned. Acnologia's fundamental belief that dragons are bad never ultimately changes and it barely gets challenged.

I feel that what happened is that this got meshed in with the idea that relationships were important. In Zeref's case, Mavis is sort of the one who ended up saving by him by actually being able to love him. For Acnologia, he dies lamenting his inability to rule everyone and passes the title of Dragon King to Natsu after he criticizes this desire. Ultimately, their attachments to the theme of human life don't matter too much.

Of course, there is also one issue that is worth talking about that I've yet to mention so far. Somewhere between the last two themes mentioned of friendship and human life, there is a bit of a pseudo-theme which seems to run through much of Mashima's works in general: don't die for your friends. It feels so important to the idea of Fairy Tail, I was originally going to address it as its own theme, but it makes more sense to do this here.

I don't know that this is a totally bad thing. I think that it's a good thing to encourage people not to throw their lives away needlessly. But, that's not what this theme is. It's about not dying in order to protect the lives of people you care about. One big problem that I have is that I think it can and often does, lead to people not dying. I don't think that the lack of death in a story is a bad thing. But it's not a good thing to bring a character basically to the point of dying and then stop them too often. I'm sure I don't need to give a specific example of this into play.

However, I want to mention that another problem I have with this is that it casts some shame on the concept of sacrifice. Like, I can think of times where characters sacrificing themselves actually is/should be needless and not worth doing within the series. But aren't their situations where it makes sense for characters to sacrifice their lives for others?

Like, in-series logic aside, I think that Makarov being willing to sacrifice his life with Fairy Law is absolutely something that makes sense for him as a character. Would it actually be a bad thing if he were to give his life away to protect the rest of the guild? More importantly, shouldn't that kind of death actually be honored? Judging from what we saw, my answers to these issues aren’t the same as Mashima’s.

Going with this means that I have to account for gaps in this reasoning and address the sacrificial moments that happened within the series. Of course, this means some events and things within the series ought to change in order to be consistent with this theme. And of course, these changes need to result in similar ends to the original

However, I don't think that I'm coming up with something that isn't entirely new to the series by saying that it should focus on the value of life. Characters like Gray, Gajeel, Jellal and, to an extent, Wendy and Erza, already deal with this theme in their own way, on a more personal level. The scene in Tartaros during the fight with Franmalth tells me that Natsu and Lucy have stuff that they live for.

Introduction | Part 1 | Part 2 |

#fairy tail #ft rewrites #the rewrite of fairy tail #hiro mashima #anti mashima #ish? i guess?#part 3 #as opposed to the last part #this took forever just to get right #fairy tail and themes #didn't go along very well #still this is fun #the next post in this series will be a bit fun...

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