#elieg1ory writing

[eliegloryofficial]

Chasing Stars

summary: Once a world-renowned musician, Lucy Heartfilia put her violin away for the last time when she was seventeen. Five years later, she finds herself drawn back into the world of music after meeting a pianist with a fiery style of playing.

fandom and pairing(s): Fairy Tail, Natsu Dragneel / Lucy Heartfilia, others to be listed as they appear

Chapter One: An Unexpected Call

ff.net | ao3 | chapter one | chapter two | chapter three

“The second Lucy Heartfilia’s bow touches the strings, the world seems to stand still in patient anticipation for what comes next.”

They meant it as a compliment. It and variations of the phrase were penned in almost every interview, every review no matter how retroactive. It became a model for aspiring musicians to follow, each performance just another attempt to recreate what the judges had already decided only Lucy Heartfilia could accomplish. For her part, she never actually made comment on the frequent review. Smiled and nodded along just as she was supposed to and thanked them for taking the time to speak with her. Exactly as she was supposed to.

The fact of the matter was, however, that it simply wasn’t sure. The world didn’t stop when she started playing. For Lucy, the world could only ever begin when everything else fell silent around her except for the practice perfect draws of her bow. It was the only time she felt safe, the only time she had ever felt alive. Heart pounding in beat of the conductor’s wand and fingers dancing across the neck of her violin as if nothing else mattered – and nothing ever did. Not as much as the music. No, the world only came to an end when her bow was gently lifted off the strings and pointed back to the ground.

But there wasn’t a good way to convey that in a magazine interview.

For years, Lucy thought that all there could ever be in life was the violin. She played until her fingers cracked apart and then bled through the glue meant to hold them together. She perfected every song from every symphony she ever performed until she could play it blind and deaf. There was nothing else; there could be nothing else. It all made so much sense, until the day it didn’t.

Suddenly, at the peak of her career and with no end in sight, she cancelled her upcoming performances. Disappeared from the public eye. Reports went up around the city, asking where she went. People suspected foul play, more than a few suspected she had been murdered. She hadn’t cared what they said, wouldn’t have addressed it at all if not for the insistence in which it was covered. Finally, her father stood before the press and announced that Lucy would be taking a short hiatus from performing so she could focus on her studies.

She was seventeen the last time she picked up a violin.

~

Friday

(08:17) Hello Lucy. As you must be aware, I will be forced to move the estate soon, and I would like you to come and collect your violin and music collection. Please come by as quickly as possible. Regards, your father.

The phone had just turned dark again when Lucy finally understood the text she had just received. “I’m sorry, what?” she hissed, smashing her thumb against the button to once more unlock it. Levy and Cana both looked up when she spoke, but Lucy was too focused on her phone to notice her friends. Just as before, the words flashed across the screen, caged by the first gray box in their text thread. Part of her expected a follow-up text to appear saying that it was just a joke, but her father rarely joked in person, let alone through a text that was sighed ‘regards’.

As both of her companions asked what was going on, Lucy practically jumped out of the wooden seat, thumbs swiping the screen to call him. Jude answered after only a couple rings, his voice sounding more exhausted than she could recall. “Good morning, Lucy.”

“What do you mean you’re being forced to move the estate?”

The words slipped out of her a little louder than intended, and Lucy quickly moved outside the small coffee shop for privacy. There was the slightest rustle on the other end, a deep sigh. “I’m afraid the Heartfilia Konzern has not been doing well these last several years,” he explained. “Nothing terribly serious, but enough to warrant a change. Something perhaps a bit smaller, more modest.”

Admittedly, she didn’t much follow her family’s business all too much, but it wasn’t much of a surprise. With air travel so readily available these days, it was a wonder any of the old railroad families had stayed profitable. At least he wasn’t totally bankrupt. “What about Mama’s grave?” Lucy asked, swallowing thickly. That was the most important part, to her. Who cared about the acres of land and state of the art restructured mansion? “That won’t be staying behind, right?”

“Of course not. I’ve already arranged to have it moved. I don’t have the address in front of me at the moment, but I’ll be sure to send it you once I do.”

Lucy exhaled shakily, not realizing she had been holding her breath. “Good. Thank you,” she said, leaning against the building. Her friends were still watching her, staring at her back through the window as they formulated questions to bombard her with the second she returned. “I don’t know when I’ll be able to return to Crocus, I have work every day for the next week or so. Couldn’t you just mail it to me?” Lucy fidgeted slightly, tugging at the bottom of her jacket. The idea of sending her violin through the mail felt repulsive, even after all this time – too many things could go wrong, even in the highest quality case. She might not have any desire to continue playing, but she certainly didn’t want the treasured instrument to return to her in pieces.

Jude huffed. “And risk having such a valuable instrument shattered by a careless postal worker?” he scoffed. “Nonsense. Surely you could speak to your supervisor and request today off.”

Of course she could. It wasn’t a matter of could, it was a matter of wanting to be nowhere near the old family estate. “I have class.”

“You missed class all the time when you were in high school, and I have no recollection of such absence affecting your grades.”

She felt her face flush a little, scowling at the parking lot as if it were to blame. “I didn’t enjoy missing those classes, father,” Lucy snapped, feeling her patience running thin. So typical of her father to expect her to drop everything for his demands! For his part, he seemed to understand the annoyance in her tone and did not push it. Instead, all she could hear was another rustle, a sort of shift in the earpiece as he repositioned the cell phone from one ear to the other. Finally, after a terse few seconds, Lucy sighed. “I will speak to my supervisor and professors. How long will you be at the estate?”

Another rustle. “We’ve planned to leave tomorrow afternoon.”

Tomorrow afternoon.

“Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner?!” Lucy cried, pushing off the building. “First you text me out of the blue telling me you’re moving as if I’d have somehow known that all the way over here, and now this? That doesn’t give me a whole lot of time to get back, father.” The last word was practically spit, a deep-seeded resentment surfacing as it so easily did when they spoke.

“I know, and I am sorry.” Jude’s voice dropped a little, and Lucy closed her eyes to calm herself. “Please let me know as quickly as possible if I need to mail it to you.”

And with that, the line disconnected. She pulled the phone away from her cheek in disbelief, watching as the call faded away to her home screen. It had been almost five years since they were last in the same room, and Jude still somehow found a way to dismiss her! This was no better than briskly telling her she had permission to leave the room. Lucy glowered at her phone for a few seconds longer before shoving the device into her jacket pocket and storming back inside to where her friends were waiting. The questions began as soon as she took a seat, groaning loudly and allowing her forehead to smack down against the table. “I can’t believe this is happening to me,” Lucy whined.

“What is happening to you?” Levy insisted, crossing her arms against her chest. “Did something happen? Who was that you called?”

She groaned again. “My father wants to come back home so I can pick up my violin. Apparently, he’s moving and decided to wait until the literal last opportunity to let me know.” Still pouting, she lifted her head so that her chin was resting against the hard surface. Cana and Levy gave each other curious looks. They knew of her family – it was impossible not to when signs of Heartfilia railroad were still prominent across Magnolia – and her uncomfortable relationship with her father, but something else seemed to pique their interest.

Lucy realized too late what it must be, but they didn’t give her the chance to backtrack. “You played the violin?” Cana asked, dark eyebrows raised. “I didn’t know that.”

“I...yeah, I played a lot as a kid and a teenager,” she replied, glancing at the pattern on the table. There was a coffee stain not far from her that she focused on, shifting a little uncomfortably. “I stopped when I was about sixteen so I could focus more on school.”

“How could playing the violin take away from your studies that much?”

God help me. Lucy rose once more, shoving the textbook she had been attempting to read through into her bag and mumbling some excuse about needing to talk to her professor. “Wait! Lucy!” Levy called, reaching for her bag. Her fingers brushed across the material, but she was faster, already out of arms reach.

“I really need to talk to my supervisor and let my teachers know I might not be in class,” she said, forcing a nervous laugh. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow!”

With her name echoing behind her, Lucy was gone. She moved quickly, glancing once over her shoulder to make sure Cana hadn’t decided to go running after her. Her friend was surprisingly agile when she wanted something, but there was no sign of either of them. Breathing a small sigh of relief, she slowed down, reaching into her pocket to find her phone already alight with frantic messages asking what all that had been about. She didn’t bother opening them, flicking the small switch on the side to silence any further texts while she halfheartedly asked her boss for the day off.

The walk to the library was quiet, and the few other students she passed looked like walking zombies. Students who had taken a morning class and had decidedly skipped every other one due to waking up late and then giving up rushing in favor of coffee. It had become familiar over the last few years, and she wouldn’t trade it for the world. Certainly not a day trip back to Crocus.

Inside the library was even quieter, and she nervously glanced around the front desk to see if her boss would be sitting at his desk. “Hey Hibiki,” Lucy called, pushing the small door open. He looked up at her voice, eyes blinking as if he was still lost in the world of whatever book he had been reading. “Sorry to bother you so early.”

“Not at all!” he said cheerfully, swiveling in the chair to face her. “Though I am a bit surprised to see you here so early. Your shift doesn’t start for another few hours, is everything alright?”

No. “Sort of,” she said with a shrug. “There’s been an unexpected emergency back home, and my father needs me to get over there and pick up the last few things I left behind. Today.” Lucy watched him carefully, hoping her tone would be enough to suggest how very much she’d rather not. Hibiki only watched her carefully, a frown decorating his handsome face so she could continue. “I need the day off. But I’ll make it up to you! I can work a double tomorrow, or come in next Thursday.”

“Nonsense!” Hibiki said, jumping up to his feet. “Of course you can have the day off! Is everything alright back home? It’s nothing too serious, I hope.” His concern was so genuine, it nearly caught the girl off guard, but she carefully rose her hands and softly explained that it was nothing major, just an unexpected relocation. “Well, either way, don’t worry about the shift. I’ll make sure to get it covered soon. Will you need someone to cover your class today, too?”

“I was actually going to just send an email and cancel it.”

He shook his head, frowning at her like the idea was totally outlandish. “Don’t you worry about a thing. Send me the lesson plan for today and I’ll personally see to it.”

After some time going back and forth, Lucy finally relented. Hibiki was a good boss, but he was an even better friend, so after a quick hug as thanks, she was off once more. The ride to Crocus would be about six hours or so with the various stops and personnel changes along the route, so she’d need at least a good book or her laptop to keep her amused. Lucy was a little lost in her own thoughts, half dreading the surprise trip home and half excited to see the older staff she had been close to. Ms. Spetto still sent her flowery emails every year wishing her a good birthday and such, and she knew it’d warm her heart to see for herself that she was doing just fine.

Her apartment was on the other side of campus, and the quickest route would be to cut through the Center for Performing Arts rather than walk the winding pathways around the quad. Lucy knew Magnolia University well, having lived on campus and in the general area ever since she left home in the middle of the night all those years ago.

Jude had been furious. How dare she spit on all the work he’d done for her, he demanded. But Lucy was steadfast in her decision, reminding him that she could finish high school on a laptop and took money only out of her own personal account. Legally, he could call the police and have her returned home since she was a minor (a fact mysteriously changed on her lease), but after three days of screaming at one another, he finally told her that she was on her own. They hadn’t spoken about it or much of anything in the years following, and she’d been a happy resident of Magnolia ever since. Returning home felt like a strange step backwards, a dive into the past she had so willingly abandoned.

But what else could she do?

The CPA was normally quiet this early, as most classes didn’t start until after at least eleven, but as Lucy pushed the heavy doors open, the unmistakable sounds of a piano rang through the halls. She paused in the entrance for a second, trying to name the tune, but while it certainly sounded familiar, there was something about it that escaped her. Pursing her lips, she checked the time on her phone and tried not to pay attention to the line of texts waiting to be read. Surely she had enough time to listen for a little bit, perhaps find the musician and ask them the name. Curiosity eventually won over and she quietly made her way through the maze of a building, following the sound of the piano. Her search eventually led her to the stage entrance of main auditorium, where she found the doors cracked open with a black and a red backpack propped between the doors. Lucy stared at it for a while, still trying to name the melody that was playing. Once or twice she thought she’d got it, but then it would suddenly shift, the notes taking an entirely new direction.

Whatever it was, it was unlike anything she’d ever heard before. And whoever was playing was unlike anyone she’d ever heard before. Trying not to disturb the musician, Lucy carefully squeezed between the doors, finally catching sight of the magnificent grand piano center stage. On the bench sat what appeared to be a young man, his back to her as he swayed and shifted with the music, hands moving across the keys without reserve. Lucy couldn’t help but watch, half of her attention caught on the pretty shade of his pink hair while the other lost itself in the music.

There was no sheet music, she realized after a few minutes. Nothing except the boy with pink hair and the fiery dance his fingers performed across the ivory. It was beautiful, whatever it was. Lucy closed her eyes and allowed herself to simply enjoy the music, foot instinctively tapping to the beat. For a second, she was no longer twenty-three and dreading the rest of her day.

Suddenly, she was thirteen and losing herself in her instrument. Her skin flushed under the lights of the stage, the slightest tremble of her leg as she tried to ignore the hundreds of eyes watching her. Life had been defined by the stage at that point, the clean black wood more a home than any aircraft recliner. It was a constant in a life where few others existed, and Lucy had to remind herself that she had been the one to walk away.

Taking a deep breath, she turned to leave, but her foot was closer to one of the curtain levers than she realized and she swiped across it in the process. The curtain shifted, just enough to make a noise, and the music cut off. “Fuck,” someone hissed, and Lucy watched as the pianist jumped to his feet, hands up and at the ready defensively. “I didn’t think you’d be here…this…early?”

He stared at her, and Lucy stared right back. They were close enough that she could see the olive green flash of his eyes and the matching pink of his cheeks as he flushed a little. Everything around them seemed to still, an empty silence where an audience should have been giving a standing ovation after such a brilliant performance. But there was no audience. “You aren’t Erza,” the boy finally said, relaxing his stance a little. “You aren’t here to, like, report me, are you?”

“Why would I report you?” Far as she was aware, so long as you were a student at the university, the instruments were free to use with professor approval. Perhaps not the grand piano in the main auditorium, but she could understand why a musician would prefer this to one of the public uprights littered across the building and campus.

He blinked, a hand reaching up to rub the back of his neck. “If you aren’t, I don’t think I should tell you. Just in case you change your mind,” he finally said, tilting his head to the side. “What’re you doing here anyways? Auditorium is locked.”

Lucy looked around. “Yeah, I know it is,” she said, placing her hands delicately on her hips. “Do you?” He stared at her for a second before laughing.

“Guess you got me there, huh?”

She smiled a little before glancing back at her phone. “I was just passing through and heard the music so I got curious. What were you playing, anyways?”

The boy shrugged. “Whatever I felt like, mostly.” He glanced back at the instrument and lightly dragged his fingers across the edge, expression softening a little. Lucy watched him for a second before turning away, feeling as if she had unintentionally interrupted some private moment. His love of the music was almost physical, exuding off of him in waves. “You play?” The question was soft, uncertain almost but not at all unwarranted. Why else would she have been in the CPA this early if not for practice? Lucy felt her fingers twitch a little, but she shook her head.

“No.”

“Not just piano, I meant. Anything.”

“Still no.”

Lucy cleared her throat, turning once more to leave. “Sorry to have disturbed you. I promise not to tell whoever Erza is that you picked the lock and hijacked the piano,” she called, waving once. The pianist huffed a little in response, but he didn’t stop her from leaving. Lucy stepped over his backpack carefully so as not to disturb the placement or accidentally slam the doors on him and quickly moved back through the building. The tune he had played was still echoing in her thoughts, and by the time she was unlocking the door to her apartment, she had started to hum along.

[secretotakulove]

Tagged by: @elieg1ory thanks so much for the tag!!

1ST RULE: tag 9 people you want to get to know better.

@itschloeeden @kaneki-kenway @kodai-tsuki @unashamed-shipper @derpyplayz @maggy2r13 @beanssschan @levy-studies and @thealicehuntt

2ND RULE : BOLD the statements that are true.

APPEARANCE - I am 5'7 or taller - I wear glasses - I have at least one tattoo - I have at least one piercing - I have blonde hair - I have brown eyes - I have short hair - My abs are at least somewhat defined - I have or had braces

PERSONALITY - I love meeting new people - People tell me I am funny - Helping others with their problems is a big priority of mine - I enjoy physical challenges - I enjoy mental challenges - I am playfully rude to people I know - I started saying something ironically and now I can’t stop saying it - There is something I would change about my personality

ABILITY - I can sing well - I can play an instrument - I can do over 30 pushups without stopping - I am a fast runner – I can draw well - I have a good memory- I am good at doing math in my head - I can hold my breath underwater for over a minute - I have beaten at least 2 people arm wrestling - I can make at least 3 recipes from scratch - I know how to throw a proper punch

HOBBIES - I enjoy sports - I’m on a sports team at my school or somewhere else - I’m in an orchestra or choir at my school or somewhere else - I have learned a new song in the past week - I exercise at least once a week - I have gone for runs at least once a week in warmer months - I have drawn something in the past month - I enjoy writing - I do have done some form of Martial arts

EXPERIENCES - I have had my first kiss - I have had alcohol - I have scored a winning point in a sport - I have watched an entire TV series in one sitting - I have been at an overnight event - I have been in a taxi - I have been in the hospital or ER in the past year - I have beaten a video game in one day - I have visited another country - I have been to one of my favorite bands concerts

MY LIFE - I have one person that I consider to be my Best Friend - I live close to my school/work - My parents are still together - I have at least one sibling - I live in the United States - There is snow where I live right now - I have hung out with a friend in the past month - I have a smart phone - I own at least 15 CDs - I share my room with someone

RELATIONSHIPS - I am in a Relationship -I have a crush on someone I know - I have never been in a Relationship - I have admitted my feelings to a crush - I get crushes easily - I have had a crush for over a year - I have been in a relationship for over a year - I have had feelings for a friend

RANDOM - I have break-danced - I know a person named Jamie - I have had a teacher that has a name that is hard to pronounce - I have dyed my hair -I’m listening to a song on repeat right now - I have punched someone in the past week - I know someone who has gone to jail - I have broken a bone - I have eaten a waffle today - I know what I want to do in life- I speak at least two languages - I have made a new friend in the past year

[littlestuffstohide]

Tagging Game

Tagged by @mushi0131

1ST RULE: tag 9 people you want to get to know better.

@mushi0131 @elssiie @makepretendprincess @elieg1ory @chamilsanya @ttaenium @keepliving21 @ycmiis @smile-lifegoeson

2ND RULE : BOLD the statements that are true.

APPEARANCE - I am 5'7 or taller - I wear glasses - I have at least one tattoo - I have at least one piercing - I have blonde hair - I have brown eyes - I have short hair  - My abs are at least somewhat defined - I have or had braces

PERSONALITY - I love meeting new people - People tell me I am funny - Helping others with their problems is a big priority of mine - I enjoy physical challenges - I enjoy mental challenges - I am playfully rude to people I know - I started saying something ironically and now I can’t stop saying it - There is something I would change about my personality

ABILITY - I can sing well - I can play an instrument - I can do over 30 pushups without stopping - I am a fast runner – I can draw well - I have a good memory - I am good at doing math in my head - I can hold my breath underwater for over a minute - I have beaten at least 2 people arm wrestling - I can make at least 3 recipes from scratch - I know how to throw a proper punch

HOBBIES - I enjoy sports - I’m on a sports team at my school or somewhere else - I’m in an orchestra or choir at my school or somewhere else - I have learned a new song in the past week - I exercise at least once a week - I have gone for runs at least once a week in warmer months - I have drawn something in the past month - I enjoy writing - I do have done some form of Martial arts

EXPERIENCES - I have had my first kiss - I have had alcohol - I have scored a winning point in a sport - I have watched an entire TV series in one sitting - I have been at an overnight event - I have been in a taxi - I have been in the hospital or ER in the past year - I have beaten a video game in one day - I have visited another country - I have been to one of my favorite bands concerts

MY LIFE - I have one person that I consider to be my Best Friend - I live close to my school/work - My parents are still together - I have at least one sibling - I live in the United States - There is snow where I live right now - I have hung out with a friend in the past month - I have a smart phone - I own at least 15 CDs - I share my room with someone

RELATIONSHIPS - I am in a Relationship -I have a crush on someone I know - I have never been in a Relationship - I have admitted my feelings to a crush - I get crushes easily - I have had a crush for over a year - I have been in a relationship for over a year - I have had feelings for a friend

RANDOM - I have break-danced - I know a person named Jamie - I have had a teacher that has a name that is hard to pronounce - I have dyed my hair -I’m listening to a song on repeat right now - I have punched someone in the past week - I know someone who has gone to jail - I have broken a bone - I have eaten a waffle today - I know what I want to do in life - I speak at least two languages - I have made a new friend in the past year

[ao3feed-nalu]

Side-Splashed

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2CBLbef

by elieg1ory

Prompt: It's a rainy day and I see you get get side-splashed by a car and I'm laughing so hard until I get hit too.

Words: 1298, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Fairy Tail

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/M

Characters: Natsu Dragneel, Lucy Heartfilia

Relationships: Natsu Dragneel/Lucy Heartfilia

Additional Tags: Fluff, Writing Prompt

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2CBLbef

[tanchimo]

Just Enough

Just a little drabble for my lovely secret santa @thefourteenthdarkone! I’m SO sorry this is late, but I really hope you like it! :D

Erza knew she had no reason to be alone tonight. The Guild was just a five minute walk away; she could even still hear them from her dorm. Everyone was still partying, waiting for the magic counter to reach zero as they entered into the New Year. It was their first New Year’s Eve together again since Master Makarov had disbanded them, so they were really going all out. If she hadn’t been swept up in a feeling of nostalgia, she might even still be there.

Last year, she had been in regular contact with Jellal and Crime Sorciere. They had worked together, with Gray, to stop and bring down Avatar before they could harm too many people. And although their conversations had been relatively short, and always business related, it had been a nice change from the radio silence she was used to.

She sighed, feeling that familiar pang in her chest that she felt whenever she let her thoughts stray too far. She understood – of course she did – why they couldn’t be so much as seen together. He was a criminal. Wanted for murder and tricking the Council and every other bad thing they could charge him with. He was on a path for redemption, a road so different from her own. But that didn’t change that he was, still, her best friend. No amount of reason could truly get rid of that feeling that they were supposed to be together.

Erza exhaled, closing her eyes for a second before getting to her feet. There was simply no reason that she should sit here and brood over what ‘should’ be or what could be. She was different now than she had been in years past.

But she be damned if she hadn’t enjoyed every three minute conversation she had had with Jellal over the last six months. It made her hopeful that he might one day be able to overcome the darkness he still saw, that they really could be together one day. Erza shook her head, reaching up to slap her cheeks a few times. “Enough!” she growled, glaring into the fire. “I will not sit around and mope!”

Yanking her jacket off the chair, she allowed herself one last look over her shoulder to make sure that the fire had died down enough before pulling the door open and thundering into the hallway. She was going to enjoy the New Year, even if she had to drink herself into a stupor to do so.

Determination in her blood, she hardly noticed when she turned the corner and crashed headfirst into some poor passerby. “G-gah!” she cried as the two of them went tumbling down. Instinctively, her hands lurched forward, hoping to stop her fall, but she was met instead with something soft but firm as they both tumbled to the floor. “I’m sorry! Are you alright?!”

To her surprise, she was met only with a surprised laugh. “Yeah. Are you alright?”

Erza froze, dark eyes blinking twice before daring to let herself believe this was happening. “Jellal?” she asked softly, pushing herself up a little to get a better look at him. And there he was, laying on the ground beneath her, hair disheveled from the fall. He was looking up at her with equally wide eyes, as if it had only just registered to him whom he had crashed into. Slowly, his eyes softened, and she watched as his eyes scanned her body, most likely making sure she was alright. “What…?”

“The others, they convinced me and Meredy to stay in the town under transformation magic and fake names,” he said, clearing his throat. “So I went to the Guild dressed as Mystogan, looking for you, but Mirajane said you had gone home…”

Erza felt her cheeks darken. Of course they would want to stay in town. No one would really be looking for them at this time of year. “How much longer are you in town?” she asked, voice hopeful.

“We’re leaving tomorrow night. The others are partying with your Guild, so I figured that it would give them time to recover from whatever hangover they might have.”

She grinned. A whole day! She wanted to throw her arms around him, but their position was more than a little awkward by now, she instead she quickly rolled off and onto her feet, offering her hand up. Jellal took it gratefully, brushing himself off a little. He was still dressed as Mystogan, but had taken off the ridiculous head wrapping. He smiled at her for a second, a sight so dazzling it made her heart take off in her chest. However, it didn’t last for long, soon replaced by an almost somber look. “How come you aren’t with your friends?”

Erza looked down, letting her long hair fall around her shoulders. “Because,” she said, not really wanting to elaborate. Because I missed you? Because I couldn’t stomach another night of watching my friends pair up and continue denying it? “I just wasn’t in the partying mood.”

He nodded slowly, that knowing look in his eyes. Of course he knew. Jellal always knew, no matter what she said. He could read her like an open book when they were children, and he could do it just as easily with seven years between them. He tilted his head a little to the side, eyes never moving away from hers. “What would you like to do instead?”

For a moment, she only stared. It wasn’t often that she let her thoughts stray to him too far. They were star crossed in every way, everyone knew it. But maybe, just for tonight, they didn’t have to be. Maybe, for once, they could just be Erza and Jellal. She smiled, eyes glistening with just a hint of tears. Before he could react, she stepped forward, wrapping her arms around his slim body, letting her nose press against his shoulder. He hesitated for a second before tentatively returning the hug, letting his hands press against the small of her back.

“This is good, for me,” she whispered, resting her head against him. She felt his body tense, could almost hear the siren going off in his mind, demanding that he move away from her before he got them both arrested. She tightened her grip. Give me this. Please. Finally, he relaxed against her, tightening his own arms around her. She felt his cheek against her hair as the two of them finally gave into the moment they knew couldn’t last.

This, Erza thought. This is how to enter into the New Year.

[eliegloryofficial]

anyways it’s 5am and i think i have the first chapter for this musician au written what a fuckin world

[eliegloryofficial]

so I’ve gotten a weird flux of new followers lately and I just wanted to say hello!!! my levels of actively vary from day to day, but thanks for following anyways!!

please feel free to check out any of my fics under the tag #elieg1ory writing !!!!

[ao3feed-nalu]

Side-Splashed

read it on the AO3 at http://unicorn_feeds_back/works/13764180

by elieg1ory

Prompt: It's a rainy day and I see you get get side-splashed by a car and I'm laughing so hard until I get hit too.

Words: 1298, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Fairy Tail

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/M

Characters: Natsu Dragneel, Lucy Heartfilia

Relationships: Natsu Dragneel/Lucy Heartfilia

Additional Tags: Fluff, Writing Prompt

read it on the AO3 at http://unicorn_feeds_back/works/13764180

[tanchimo]

Er if you're up to it, can you do the last prompt ("you saved me from that creepy person hitting on me" I think) with Haru x Elie or Gajevy?

I’m always a slut for Haru x Elie

~

Julia kept telling her to be more careful when she was talking to random guys. She said that most guys wouldn’t realize she was just friendly, not flirty. And, for the first time, Elie finally understood what she meant.

It had started innocently enough, just the two of them standing at the bus stop. She had seen him there a few times, but hadn’t struck up a conversation with him previously. He, however, must have had different plans. “Nice weather,” he said, voice smooth.

“Sure is!” Elie said happily. It hadn’t stormed in weeks, which was always a good thing for Elie. Any weather was good so long as there was no thunder. “It’s finally started to feel like summer time.”

The guy smiled, and she smiled back, expecting that to be the end. “What’s your name?” he asked, leaning towards her a little bit. She told him - what was the harm in that? - and he smiled. “Pretty. My name is Lucia.” Elie smiled at him, nodding but not knowing what else to say. “Do you live around here?”

“Yeah,” Elie said, checking her phone. The bus should have been here some time ago. When she chanced a glance back at him, he had moved a step or two closer. “How about you?” He only smiled and nodded.

His smile made her uneasy, even though it was noon and there were plenty of people walking or driving by. “So, Elie, would you care to join me for dinner tonight?” Lucia asked after a second. “How does tomorrow night sound, I can take you to the casino restaurant.”

“Oh,” Elie said, wishing she wasn’t standing so close to the edge of the small shelter. “That’s really sweet of you, but, um -”

“Come on, just one date,” pushed Lucia, leaning a little closer. This time, Elie leaned away, but it didn’t seem to deter him. “We’ll have a great time.”

She stammered for a little while longer, trying to come up with an excuse, but his smile suggested that he knew she couldn’t think up one. Just as she was about to cave - really, what was one date? - someone else entered the little shelter. Her eyes met his and he must have seen the desperation in them because he cleared his throat and made his way over.

Elie expected him to politely ask Lucia to leave, but instead, he grinned like crazy and just pushed right back him. “Hey! It’s been so long, how have you been?!” he asked, grabbing her arms. He winked at her, and she breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s me, Haru, don’t you recognize me?”

“Haru, oh my gosh!” she cried, throwing her arms around him. “It has been forever, I can’t believe you’re back in town!”

Lucia cleared his throat, but the two of them ignored him. “We need to catch up, are you free right now?” the guy said, looping his arm through hers. “Let me take you to lunch.”

“Oh, that would be great!” Elie said happily, all smiles. “Sorry, Lucia, maybe another time!” she called over her shoulder as the two of them left the bus stop. For a second, she thought he was going to follow them, but the bus pulled up right then and he begrudgingly stepped on board. It wasn’t until the bus had turned the corner and was out of sight that the two of them unhooked their arms, and Elie breathed another sigh of relief. “You are a real life saver, Haru.”

He grinned, scratching behind his neck. “Nah, it’s nothing. You just looked way uncomfortable, so I thought I’d step in. What’s your name, anyways?”

“Elie.”

“You should probably stay away from that bus route for a little while if you can,” Haru warned. “He might come back looking for you.”

She sighed. “Yeah.” Elie looked up at him, smirking. “Maybe I’ll just count on you to swoop in and save me again.” He laughed a little, but mirrored her smirk.

“Well, maybe I will,” he teased back. The two of them shared a laugh for a second before coming to a crosswalk. Haru’s cheeks darkened a little bit, and he shoved his hands in his pockets. “So, uh, you still want that lunch?”

[tanchimo]

First Dates: Chapter Two

okay so I know i said it was going to be a one-shot, but I actually have an idea of how to make it into a small multichapter story. c: I hope you guys like it!

Chapter Two: Take a Hike, Bora

Natsu slowed to a walk after he had turned the corner away from Lucy’s apartment, pressing his nose to the scarf around his neck. Had he really asked her to come to the tournament? His cheeks felt hot, but he decided it was the chilly mid-September weather, nothing more. He glanced behind him as if he could still see her apartment before shaking his head and shoving his hands in his pockets.

No one at Fairy Tail was going to believe this.

His phone vibrated against his hip, and he finally pulled it out. It had been going off nonstop all night, but Igneel had told him it was rude to answer your phone when you were on a date – even though that could hardly be considered a real date. When he pressed the button to light up the screen again, he groaned. Sixty-seven messages, twenty something calls, and about a dozen voice messages. He opened the texts first, deciding not to bother checking the rest.

It seemed like Mira had seen him sneaking back in to join Lucy and had informed everyone at the guild – their nickname for the dojo – that he was on a date, for the entire guild had been texting him asking questions. He lazily scrolled through them, not caring about most of them.

Before he could put it away, it vibrated once more and lit up with a picture of someone calling. He swiped his thumb across and pressed it to his ear, not even getting the chance to answer before the person starting excitedly talking.

“Natsu! Guys, he answered! Natsu, what have you been doing? We’ve been trying to get through to you all night!”

He sighed, placing his free hand behind his head. “I was still hungry, so I went back for more food,” he said, shrugging as if she could hear it. “Why’d you guys have blow up my phone so much, anyways?” The girl sighed, muttering something to someone in the background. “Lisanna?” he asked, trying to get her attention back. “I’ll be at the guild in a little bit, so stop texting and calling me!”

He could hear her rolling her eyes at him. “Alright, but be prepared for a lot of questions,” she warned. Natsu grimaced. The noise in the background disappeared and he guessed she had walked outside. “Mira said she saw you sitting with that cute blonde girl when you went back in.”

“Yeah,” he said truthfully. Lisanna was his best friend, there was no sense in lying to her about it. “She looked really upset.”

Lisanna giggled. “That was really sweet of you,” she told him. “I have to tell Mira about this!”

“Lisanna, wait!” It was too late, she had already disconnected. Natsu cursed. The Strauss girls and their gossip! Sighing, he stopped walking, standing across the street from the bar turned dojo. The lights were on, and he could hear a few of the louder people talking, but he didn’t want to go inside and deal with the wave of teasing his friends would give him. Lisanna had probably told Mira all about it, and the two of them were most likely gushing in that girly way and telling everyone else about it. He sighed once before crossing the street and pushing open the doors to the bar portion of it.

Immediately, four people were around him asking him about his ‘date’ and who she was. He grimaced as he tried to push past them. “Little Natsu, all grown up!” one of the older men said with a laugh, ignoring the glare he sent them. Lisanna’s brother Elfman stood off to the side, congratulating him on his manliness and crying about something or other.

“I’LL SHOW YOU WHO’S MANLY!” Natsu roared, flinging himself towards the larger man. Elfman’s eyes widened as Natsu’s fist suddenly connected with his stomach, but recovered quickly to fight back.

Natsu grinned. This was what he wanted to be doing, not answering a bunch of dumb questions.

~

The next few days passed by rather slow. Class had started just a few weeks back, so most of his classes were still hitting their stride. Not that he wanted to be at school or anything, but Igneel was insistent that he get a good education. So he sucked it up and went to his classes and turned in the papers and everything else that was expected of him.

Today, however, after two years of attending the university, he decided to take a trip to the library. It had dawned on him that he never asked Lucy for her number or anything, something that Lisanna had chastised him about that evening. He walked in and immediately wished he hadn’t. The first floor was huge. Bookshelves were situated like a maze after the front desk, and he couldn’t even see the end of most of them. How was he supposed to find Lucy in a mess like this?

“Natsu?”

He turned, ignoring the way his heart sped up a little at the sound of his name. “Yo!” he called when he spotted her, grinning. She was wearing considerably more casual clothes than she had been at the restaurant, though her hair was still tied up. Her cheeks were pink when he approached her, looking up at him with wide eyes. “What’s up?”

Lucy blinked. “Not much. Just…working,” she said, gesturing to the cart full of books. “I wasn’t really expecting to see you again until Saturday.” Natsu felt his stomach do a strange loop. Were you not supposed to see a girl before the day of the date? “N-not that I’m upset to see you or anything!” Lucy suddenly said, her cheeks darkening a little. “I’m just surprised.”

“Yeah, well, my friend said I should have given you my number or something, so I figured I should find you and give it to you,” he said with a shrug, glancing at her for a second before looking away. Why was it so hard to look at her? “So, uh, here.” He held out a piece of paper with the ten numbers on it and his name messily scrawled underneath it. Lucy took it with an almost amused look in her eyes, reading over the paper. “What?”

She let out a small laugh, shaking her head. “Nothing. It’s just…your handwriting. It’s awful.” Natsu felt his eye twitch a little as she started to laugh a little more. Cheeks flushed, he reached out and snatched the paper back out of her hands, crossing his arms. “Hey!”

“You can’t have it if you’re just going to make fun of me,” he told her, turning away with his nose in the air. He started to turn away when he felt her hand grab his elbow.

“I promise I won’t,” she said, eyes wide. She was still smiling, thankfully, so Natsu rolled his eyes and handed it back to her. “Thank you.” Natsu muttered a ‘whatever’ and reached back to scratch his head. “I hate to cut this short, but I have to get back to work,” Lucy continued, folding it and putting it in her pocket.

Natsu glanced at the books. There was a lot there. “How much longer are you working?” he asked curiously.

“I’m free to go once all of these are shelved.”

He nodded, waving his goodbye as she took off, pushing the cart in front of her. His stomach growled as he watched, and he was about to turn away to go get lunch when a sudden idea struck him. “Lucy, hey!” he called, going after her. She stopped, a book in her hand and halfway to the shelf. “I’ll go wait over there,” he said, pointing to a bench. “After you’re done, let’s get something to eat.”

Lucy’s cheeks turned a dark pink at his words, and he tilted his head into his scarf. “Okay,” she said after a minute, smiling.

The way she smiled at him made his own smile widen. He had never been one to care much for romance or the like, but he found that he liked the way she smiled. Just like he said, he turned and went to the bench, plopping down and pulling out his phone. It still showed the notifications from the previous night, and he didn’t care enough to make them go away. Whatever. He was only waiting for a few minutes when someone came to sit next to him, talking to someone on the phone. He was loud, and try as hard as he could to tune him out, there was no missing his conversation.

“I’m at the library now,” he was saying. “I’m going to try and catch her before she leaves.” He paused. “Lucy something, I don’t know. Cute little blonde thing. Nice ass, even better tits.” Natsu perked up at the name, feeling his blood start to boil. “Oh yeah. Can’t let a girl like that pass up, you know?” The man laughed, and Natsu ground his teeth together. “Girls like that are so easy to reel in, and – oh, there she is! I’ll let you know how it goes!”

The man jumped up before Natsu could tell him to shove off. His eyes followed him, confirming his suspicions when he stopped Lucy. “Bora, what are you doing here?”

He gave what Natsu suspected to be one of those sickly sweet smiles that people were so fond of giving out when they had less than noble intentions. “You haven’t answered any of my calls,” he said smoothly. Over his shoulder, Natsu saw Lucy’s eyes narrow a little bit.

“Yes, well, that’s what happens when you stand someone up,” she said, voice dripping with more acid than Natsu thought she might be capable of. Her eyes met his for a second before returning back to Bora. “Now, if you’ll excuse me,” she started to say, stepping to the side, Bora sidestepped faster, however, blocking her leave.

“Lucy, baby, don’t be like that,” he said. Natsu hated the way he purred her name, as if she was some kind of object. “Let me make it up to you. I’ll cook you a romantic dinner at my place. We can sit and watch the stars come out, maybe start a fire. It’ll be very nice, I promise.” Natsu didn’t need to see over Bora’s shoulder to know that Lucy was rolling her eyes. Everything about the way she was standing – leaning back, arm crossed against her chest – suggested she was not interested.

“Sorry, but I have plans tonight,” she said. “I-I have a date.”

Natsu blinked. She did? Bora seemed surprised as well, not stopping her from walking around him this time. “Wait, Lucy,” he said, reaching out and grabbing her elbow. Natsu rose as he yanked her closer to him, ready to pummel him right to the ground. He didn’t have the chance.

Before he had taken even one step closer, Lucy swung around and slapped him with her free hand. The sound of flesh hitting flesh was like a staccato note in the air, leaving both men completely shocked. “Let go,” Lucy said, pulling her arm free. “Didn’t you ever learn not to touch someone without permission?” Bora only stared at her, hand covering his cheek. “Now leave me alone.” Without another word, Lucy marched right up to Natsu and asked if he was ready.

“Yeah,” he stammered, blinking down at the girl. She gave a brisk ‘good’ before turning on her heel and out of the library. Natsu followed her after a second of hesitation, not bothering to give Bora another look. Lucy led them back up to the student union, nose part in the air and arms still crossed tightly against her cheek. “Uh, Lucy?”

“I hate guys like him!” she finally snapped, throwing her hands up. “He thinks he can just offer a nice dinner and I’ll go swooning backwards for him. Disgusting!”

Although he knew she was upset, Natsu couldn’t help but grin. So, little Lucy who never went to Fairy Tail because she didn’t think she could fight had some teeth after all. She glanced up at him for a second, and it was as if the air had been burst out of her. “Sorry,” she muttered, rubbing her elbow.

“Don’t apologize,” Natsu said immediately. “Igneel told me that you shouldn’t apologize for something you didn’t do wrong.” Lucy smiled up at him for a second before her eyes went back to the ground. This time, Natsu’s gaze followed hers. He cleared his throat, feeling awkward. “So, uh,” he said. “You have a date tonight?”

His words seemed to give Lucy back her fire. “No!” she said quickly, looking up at him with wide eyes. “I was just saying that to get him to back off!”

“Oh. Alright,” Natsu said, trying to sound nonchalant. “I was a little worried maybe you didn’t want to come see me fight after all.” Lucy shook her head, causing him to grin. “Good! Because I’m gonna kick some ass!”

She laughed as they entered the building, and Natsu felt any more worries he had float behind him. He had never been one for dating, but maybe dating Lucy wouldn’t be so bad.

[tanchimo]

Fighting Back Perfection

Hello everyone! This is something I’ve been working on for about a week now (planning, at least) and I really hope you all like it! Please let me know what you think!

When Lucy stumbles her way into Fairy Tail Academy – well known for its acceptance of everyone – she finds something she has spent years craving for; a way to escape the perfect doll house life that her father has built for her, and friends to help her along. Modern High School AU, NaLu, rated T

Chapter One: Welcome to Fairy Tail

The house was, of course, beautiful. Situated in the middle of the enormous lot with fertilized grass surrounding it, a pristine cobblestone driveway leading up to a garage that could pass for a house all on its own, and even a sparkling pond out back, the house was something right out of a fairy tale. The inside was as equally nice, Lucy was sure, all white marble and mahogany floors, expensive art pieces situated oh-so-perfectly on the walls. It was a castle in its own right.

The blonde teenager sighed as she hoisted the backpack up a little, wishing she could slam the car door behind her. Instead, it came to a close with a soft click as the driver bowed and returned to the driver’s seat to park the vehicle perfectly in the garage.

Everything nowadays was perfect.

Lucy walked up the cobblestone pathway, wondering how long it took the mason to lay the stones so that it would be up to her fathers’ standards. She missed the days where he had gotten down on his knees and placed the heavy round path rocks down himself. But the years following her mothers’ death had changed him drastically, and she had long since lost hope that he might regain that down-to-earth side that she had admired so much.

Once inside, Lucy resisted the urge to wrinkle her nose up; it was everything she had imagined and perhaps then some. Maids and butlers littered the place, adjusting the furniture and quietly talking amongst themselves. She waved a little as she passed, but Lucy didn’t recognize any of their faces. Apparently, the crew was to be left behind in Acalypha with their old house. Other house. At least her father had the sense to, carefully, move her mothers’ grave to where they would be staying for now.

She wandered the house aimlessly while looking for what was supposed to be her bedroom, and when she found it, the blonde nearly dropped her bags to the floor.

‘Room’ just wasn’t the right word. She had an entire wing of the house, all to herself. Feeling as if she was trespassing in someone else’s private quarters, Lucy entered, not surprised to find the room – rooms, she reminded herself – already filled with new furniture.

“Do you like it?”

Lucy turned, still in the doorway, surprised to find her father standing a few feet away. “It’s very nice,” she said, because she knew she had to. He nodded, pleased with her answer. “Where is all my stuff from home?”

Jude’s eyes tightened, and Lucy knew she shouldn’t have bothered. “They are to remain back in Acalypha with the rest of it,” he said sternly. “That house will serve as our vacation home, and this is our permanent residence.” Lucy turned away, hoping he wouldn’t catch the glint of disappointment. “Magnolia is a beautiful town, Lucy,” he continued, stepping forward.

“I know.”

Jude cleared his throat. It was the longest conversation they had had in months, perhaps longer. “There is a wonderful school in town,” he explained, revealing a small pamphlet. “It acts as a boarding school, but since we live in town, you are free to come and go as you please.”

Boarding school? Lucy blinked at the piece of paper he was handing her. She hadn’t been to a real school since they could afford to pull her out. And now he was trying to send her away? What, then, had been the point of buying all new furniture for an entire suite of rooms? “What about the tutors?”

“They remained in Acalypha.”

Lucy nodded, already guessing the answer. She let her eyes wander over the information. Saint Mavis Girls’ Academy. Of course he was sending her off to an all girls’ school. Interaction with boys was something to regulate, something to watch over. She had only seen boys her own age in movies and the fancy balls her father dragged her too. “I want you to go and turn in the application today, once you’re settled,” Jude continued, turning away. “The term starts in a few weeks, so the sooner it gets done, the better.”

He had already turned and left before she could even look up. For a few seconds, her eyes stared at the wall as if trying to summon him back. Drastically changed him.

Deciding not to bother unpacking – it was probably useless anyways – Lucy simply tossed the few bags on the floor and turned right around again. Inside the pamphlet was a perfectly folded application, signed Jude Heartfilia and missing only her own. She’d sign it at the office.

“Miss Lucy,” said the driver as she exited the house. “Would you like me to drive you?”

Lucy shook her head. “I’ll walk, thank you,” she said. He blinked once, but nodded and did not press the matter. As she left the grounds and the house behind her, Lucy couldn’t help but think that there was no point trying to get friendly with any of these new staff. She’d be gone in a few weeks anyways.

The walk back to Magnolia was a bit of a distance, leaving her thoughts open to drift back to Acalypha and the time before her father had turned cold. In her earliest memories, he was warm, inviting, all smiles and laughs. She didn’t remember the change happening, it just came into being one day and never left. He shut himself into his office for hours, working on something or other. After two years of isolation, he disappeared from the house, leaving his daughter in the hands of a nanny. His project turned out to be a train, infinitely more efficient and cost effective than any other model. He traveled the continent, selling and dealing his trains until the Heartfilia Conglomerate spanned all of Fiore. When he returned, it was with wealth beyond Lucy’s young imagination.

Jumping onto a ledge that overlooked a canal, Lucy remembered how excited she had been when he sent a letter saying he would be back. She had grown so much, had so much she wanted to tell him. But when he came back, he was all sharp suits and stern eyes. Nothing at all like the carefree Papa she remembered. Years away had changed him so immensely that she almost didn’t recognize him. She stopped calling him Papa then, and switched instead to Father. It was more fitting, she felt.

It wasn’t long before he bought a newer, better house. Lucy was horrified. This had been where Mama was, where all her good memories of her parents resided. She stormed up to him, fists clenched so hard her nails were threatening to break skin and started screaming. That was the first time Lucy ever rebelled against him; how dare he take them from Mama’s house?

He slapped her when the words came out. His hand was swift and hot, palm stinging her cheek and sending her to the floor. “It’s time we moved on, Lucy,” he had said before returning to his office, leaving his child stunned and hurting on the floor.

Lucy shook her head, snapping herself out of memory lane and back to the present. She had made it into town, still carefully walking on the ledge. Magnolia really was beautiful, she thought. Her father certainly could have done a lot worse, she thought. Not that he would ever, because now that he was among the wealthiest people in Fiore, he could make no mistakes.

“Hey, be careful there!” someone called, breaking her from her thoughts. Lucy looked up, surprised to find two men in a long fishing boat floating down the stream. “The current isn’t fast, but it’s not deep and you might hurt yourself,” they continued, gesturing at her.

The blonde smiled. “Thanks for the advice,” she called, waving. They seemed surprised at how unfazed she was, but they smiled and waved back as well, paddling along. Lucy followed them for a few seconds before returning her gaze to the magnificence of Magnolia. It was late summer, so flowers were in bloom everywhere, giving the streets some sort of medieval fantasy feel to it. As she jumped off the ledge, Lucy almost forgot about the paper she was still holding carefully, the destination she was sure she wouldn’t want.

Rather than explore, she decided to go right to Saint Mavis. Exploration could come later when she didn’t have to worry about creasing the application too much. Finding it was easy, as it was one of the most prestigious academies in the world. Magnolia seemed proud of its education, and Lucy couldn’t blame them.

When she finally found it, Lucy couldn’t bring herself to enter the grounds. It was a large campus, with white washed stones with the perfect amount of ivy crawling up. It shone, like a beacon of light and prosperity against the blue sky. The blonde stared up, brown eyes wide as she tried to take it all in. This was where I will be going, soon, she kept thinking, heart suddenly going frantic in her chest.

Her eyes kept running over the building, the sign in cursive letters above her, the pathways, anything. She didn’t know what she was looking for until she realized it wasn’t there; the whole place was perfect. No chip in the paint, no cracked stone, not even a chip on the buildings. Whoever was in charge of the grounds did a fabulous job.

But she couldn’t bring herself to step forward. It felt like her heart was trying to jump up her chest and through her throat, desperate to escape from its cage of muscle and bone. Her hands were shaking and she could feel the headache throbbing behind her ears as the heat started to make her dizzy.

I have to get away from here!

Before she really knew what she was doing, Lucy turned and started to run. She felt the paper crunch under her hands as they clenched shut, shattering her fathers’ plan to send her away. She didn’t notice that she was crying until she felt a tear hit her ear, and even then she refused to stop. All she could think about, all she could hope to focus on, was how she couldn’t walk into that perfect little school and try to be the perfect little daughter for her imperfect father.

Too lost in the beat of thoughts in her ears, Lucy didn’t hear the cart until she was already right in the intersection. She had just barely looked up when a hand grabbed her wrist and yanked her back. “Wah!” she cried, falling to the ground in surprise. Her eyes went wide as the cart zipped on by, the driver looking at her like she was insane before he disappeared.

“Are you crazy? You could have gotten hit!” snapped someone next to her. Lucy turned, still stunned, and found a young man sitting a few feet from her, a scowl on his face. His expression softened a little bit, and he looked away, tilting his face into the large scarf he wore around his neck. For a second, all she could focus on was his hair; as pink as the roses her mother used to grow.

“Thank you,” Lucy said as he climbed to his feet. “I should have been paying more attention, and if it wasn’t for you…”

The guy shrugged. “I just didn’t want there to be an accident right in front of Fairy Tail,” he said. Lucy blinked. Fairy Tail? “That is where you were going, wasn’t it?”

Lucy had only heard of Fairy Tail in magazines and occasionally on television. They, like Saint Mavis, were a private boarding school in Magnolia. What set them apart from the rest, however, was that their admission prices were so low, anyone could enroll and enter. With prices that low, and no funding from the government, the students were required to partake in weekly ‘jobs’ around the city. She looked across the street, not even realizing that she had ended up in front of it. Unlike Saint Mavis, with its perfectly manicured building and stones, Fairy Tail was, while certainly still in good condition, clearly aged.

The sign, which was made of wood, had fading paint on it that almost looked like an adolescent had written it on years ago. Even from across the street, Lucy could feel the warmth that radiated from it. It looked…homey. Comfortable.

Imperfect.

“Yes,” Lucy said, turning back to the boy. A smile was spreading across her face, and she slowly climbed to her feet. “Yeah, I was just…daydreaming a little bit.”

The boy nodded, smiling a little bit. “I can take you to the office, if you want,” he said, hands in his pockets. Lucy nodded, thankful that she had, of all things, run into someone that seemed to know the campus. “I’m Natsu, by the way.”

“Lucy.”

He didn’t answer, already turning and making sure the street was clear before crossing. Lucy followed behind him, letting the crumpled Saint Mavis application drop from her hand and onto the street.

The campus, while maintained, was clearly an older one. Lucy tried to remember the facts about the school that she had read in the magazines, but all that was coming to mind was the basic information. It was nice, however, and she was surprised to see people milling about all over the courtyard. “Is school in session already?” she asked curiously, watching as a woman with long red hair sat with a book in her lap.

“Nah,” said Natsu casually, not even bothering to look around him. “A lot of people live here, so when school’s out, we just hang around.”

Lucy noticed that he said ‘we’ rather than ‘them’, so she quietly guessed that he was one of those people. She didn’t bother asking, though, too excited to potentially fill out an application, her father be damned.

“Alright, here ya’ go,” Natsu said, stopping in front a small building with the word OFFICE atop the door. “Go in and ask for Mirajane, she’ll take care of you.” Lucy nodded, thanking him for his kindness before slowly entering.

The office was simple. A large desk, some waiting chairs, and a hallway off to the side that probably led to this Mirajane person. A young girl with white hair was sitting behind the desk, looking down at her phone when the bell rang. She looked up, meeting Lucy’s tentative gaze with large blue eyes that contrasting well with her pale skin and snowy hair. “Hello!” she said cheerfully, sliding the phone away from her a little bit. “Do you have an appointment?”

“Um, no, I’m afraid not,” replied Lucy carefully, feeling her heart race again. “I, um, was looking for an application, if that’s alright?”

The girl grinned and rose to her feet. She was a little shorter than Lucy was, but had a nice bounce to her step. “We don’t worry about paper applications,” she explained, gesturing for her to follow. “Headmaster and Mira prefer to just meet newcomers face to face. It gives them a better idea of who they’re accepting, you know?” Lucy nodded. It did make sense. “Are you here for the Family Initiative, or just regular enrollment?”

“Family Initiative?”

The girl paused, turning her large blue eyes back on her. She seemed surprised that Lucy didn’t know, but then smiled kindly. “It’s what we call the program that accepts those with nowhere else to go,” she explained softly. “Everyone is welcome at Fairy Tail, and we don’t believe in denying anyone an education and a home just because they’ve face tragedy.”

Judging by the way she spoke – softly and reverently – Lucy guessed that many of the students were part of the program. She didn’t remember seeing anything about it in the articles, however. There was something about it that appealed greatly to her; no parental permission required. She let out a sigh of relief. Maybe she wouldn’t even need to argue with her father about this. “Yes, I guess I am,” she said. The girl nodded, offering her a sympathetic smile before turning around. The door before her was ajar, but she knocked anyways.

“Mira, there’s a student looking to apply,” she called, pushing the door open. Lucy poked her head, expecting to see an elderly woman sitting behind the desk. Instead, there was a beautiful woman with the same white hair and blue eyes as the clerk, casually talking to a smaller elderly gentleman, both of them completely at ease. They turned as the door opened, taking in the two of them.

“Hello!” the woman said happily, bangs bouncing above her forehead. The clerk grinned and move aside so Lucy could enter fully. “I’m Mirajane, and that lovely young lady is my sister, Lisanna. Come in, come in.” Lucy nodded, smiling gratefully at Lisanna before taking a seat in the chair before her. The older gentleman smiled at her, and Lucy realized that he was sitting crossed legged on the chair rather than let his feet dangle. “What’s your name?”

“Lucy,” she said, hesitating. “Just Lucy.”

Mirajane nodded, turning towards the computer for a second. “I’m Makarov,” the older man said with a smile. “The Proud Headmaster of Fairy Tail.” She was already meeting the Headmaster? Lucy felt her face drain, but the man only laughed. “No need to panic, child. I like to meet all of the newcomers.” She tried to nod, but her head felt heavy. What if they rejected her on the spot?

They went through the standard series of questions; age, school year, date of birth. Lucy sat and answered every question as calmly as she could, never certain whether her racing heart was because she was nervous or excited. “Now, one last question,” Mirajane said, eyes softening. “Are you here as a regular applicant, or for part of the Family Initiative?”

Lucy had spent the entire time thinking about how to answer. If she said regular enrollment, her father would be brought down and would more than likely reject the place just by looking at the sign. But she didn’t know if she felt right, lying about who she was. The thought of a completely fresh start…free from the stigma of her father’s wealth hanging over her. “Family Initiative,” she said, throat dry. Not that her father would notice she was gone anyways.

Mira nodded, not asking any further questions on the matter. She lightly typed away on the computer before the printer started to churn and a piece of paper came out. “All we need is your signature here,” she said, handing her a pen. “Just saying that you agree to the terms of the Initiative, which are that you are required to work at least once a week. 40% of what you earn on the job goes to you, and the rest goes to the academy as the way to pay your tuition. There are academic scholarships you can apply for, and that changes the balance between what you earn and what goes back to us.”

Lucy already had the pen in her hand, but Mirajane wasn’t quite finished. “It also explains that, as a new student, you are required to spend one term with a single partner who has been here for at least one full year. Just so that you aren’t getting yourself in over your head or anything,” she said, smiling as Lucy signed. She left out her last name, deciding to remain on the records as just Lucy.

“Welcome to Fairy Tail,” Makarov said, grinning widely at her. Lucy smiled back, a sense of warmth coming over her. She would like it here, she knew she would. “Mira, who do we have available for partnerships? Someone that hasn’t had one, yet.”

Mira turned back to the computer screen, typing in a command and waiting for the results to come up. “Someone that’s never had a partnership before?” she repeated, tapping her fingers on the desk lightly. “Oh! What about Natsu? He’s never had a partner before, not since his first term.”

Lucy leaned forward to see the picture on the screen. “I know him,” she said. “He brought me to the office.”

“He did?” Mira asked, blinking. Lucy nodded, certain that was him. “Well then, that’s perfect! You already know each other!” Next to her, Makarov rubbed his chin a little bit before turning back to Lucy.

“I should warn you, he can be a bit…rowdy,” he said, looking at her over his small glasses. “He’s a good boy, though.”

The blonde nodded. “That’s fine,” she said, too excited to care. This was really happening, she kept thinking. She was really enrolling in Fairy Tail Academy. “Now, um, should I live on campus, or should I find my own place?”

“For the first term, you do have to live in a dorm, but after that, you’re free to go wherever you’d feel most comfortable,” Mira explained with a nod. “All the rooms are single, with a small bathroom included. We’ll go ahead and put you in Tenrou Hall,” she paused, checking the computer again. “Floor seven, room seven. How does that sound?”

“Great!” Lucy said, unable to stop her grin. Maybe her father would never even have to find out about this… Mira and the Headmaster both grinned at her enthusiasm.

“Wonderful. Go ahead and take these with you, it’s all the information about the classes offered and basically any general info you might need,” she said, handing the small stack towards her. “Go ahead and let Lisanna know where you’re dorming, and she’ll lead you there. Do you have any belongings that you need to get?”

Lucy thought about the new furniture and possessions her father had bought for her, sitting pretty in her suite of rooms. “Just a few,” she admitted. That which she had packed herself, refused to let them leave behind. “I can get it later tonight.” Mira nodded, rising to her feet.

“Welcome to Fairy Tail,” she said again, blue eyes twinkling with happiness for her. Lucy smiled, rising as well.

“Thank you for having me.”

~x~

Author’s Note: tada! This is my second (third?) Fairy Tail story, and my first multi-chaptered fic! I hope I started it off well… Please let me know if I moved it along too quickly or if I made anything unclear or unwanted!

[tanchimo]

3 ELIE AND HARU P L E ASE MOM

3. “Please, don’t leave.”

GET READY FOR SOME ANGST FRIENDS

Haru had never wanted to fight. He never wanted to get dragged into a war that would eventually take away everything he had ever held dear. He left with Plue because it was the right thing to do. He fought Demon Card, King, Doryu, Hardner, and even Lucia because they had to be stopped. There was nothing he abhorred more than violence.

And now that violence would mark the end of his journey.

Part of him, the part that never wanted to be here to begin with, wanted to scream. Scream and cry and beg for his mother and father to take it all away, to make the hard choices for him. Because this, this just wasn’t fair. How could he make her do this when all he wanted was to hold her in his arms?

God, what he’d give to hold her properly, just once. As they argued, that was all he could think about. It took more will power than he ever thought possible to tell her to do it, to remind of everything they had lost on the way here.

In the end, he was glad that it was her that got to fire the final light.

She, who had been there with him from the very beginning, who had loved and supported him more than anyone else they had met. He was happy, in a strange way, that it was her that was here at the end. If he had to disappear, then who better?

“Haru…I…I love you!”

Her voice cut through his heart and chest as he felt the warmth of Etherion flood into Endless’ body and over him. “I love you too, Elie!” he managed to choke out, tears finally pooling in his eyes. It felt good to finally say it to her, to know that she could carry on knowing that he had loved her.

As the warmth became too much, Haru closed his eyes, finally giving into the tears as he felt his resolve rip apart. He wanted to scream at her to stop, that he was terrified of dying more than he had ever shown. He didn’t want to be alone. He wanted to run to her, to press his cheek against her soft hair and tell her over and over again how much he loved her. “Don’t,” he whispered, knowing she would never hear him. “Don’t go, Elie, I don’t want to be alone again.”

He choked out a sob as Etherion began to shatter his body. “Please don’t leave me,” he said, whispering the words into the magic as the nothing around him shattered, leaving him in the dark.

[tanchimo]

The First Days Were the Hardest

Hey guys! This is just kinda a headcanon I’ve had for a while concerning Elie and Musica’s relationship after the events of the epilogue. I hope you enjoy it!

There were no words to express how happy she was that Haru was back. However, a year is a long time to spend with someone, and Elie soon finds herself missing her best friend.

It didn’t take long for Elie to figure out that the first actual night would be the hardest. The others, the ones where the two of them had stayed up talking all night, finally dozing off for a few hours before waking up and starting it all over again, those were easy. That was time passing by in a blur.

But this? This was different. And no matter how she tossed and turned, the brunette could not seem to get comfortable, even with Haru’s arms around her. She was more than restless; she was just simply not tired.

“Elie,” groaned Haru after a while, his voice breaking the silence. “Why do you keep moving around?”

The brunette couldn’t resist smiling at the sleepy tone of his voice. “I can’t sleep,” she admitted. She heard him groan again as he pushed himself up a little, dreary eyes blinking down at her. “It’s harder than I thought, being away from Musica.”

He nodded slowly, sitting up fully. He opened his mouth to say something, but yawned instead, and Elie took the chance to join him sitting up. “Why don’t you give him a call? He’s probably still up,” suggested the former Rave Master. Elie bit her lip, certain that he was but not wanting to bother him. When she voiced her hesitation, Haru frowned. “You know Musica wouldn’t think like that.”

“I know,” she said, fidgeting under the intensity of his stare. Sleepy or not, Haru’s eyes had that habit of staring right through her. “What if he doesn’t feel the same?”

Haru smiled, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to her forehead. “Go call him,” he said, lips lingering against her hairline. “I’ll be fine.”

Elie could tell by the softness of his voice that he understood. He had been there for her every night for the last year. She had grown accustomed to the knowledge that he was right down the hall, that he’d come running if he heard her having a nightmare. That he one time even stayed up with her all night during a thunderstorm as she quickly rediscovered her fear of them. Since Haru had ‘come back’ – their personal term for his absence that Elie wasn’t sure whether to love or hate – she had spent every possible moment with him. They all did. But at night, he was all hers.

“I’ll be here when you get back,” Haru said again, head dropping down to her shoulder and pressing a few soft kisses against the bone. The brunette nodded, cheek brushing against his hair as she pressed a quick kiss to his temple – heart fluttering away as it had every time she kissed him – before kicking the covers off and quietly padding across the room.

Now that she was here, standing by the phone, it was easy to dial the numbers and wait for his answer. It came after just two rings. “Hello?” he sounded tired, but awake, and she could make out the slight muffle of his cigarette.

“Musica?”

Silence met her for a few seconds. “Elie?” asked the other line tentatively. She nodded even though he couldn’t see, sliding down against the wall and onto the floor. “Is everything alright? Where’s Haru?”

“He’s sleeping.” Elie cleared her throat. “I just…I wanted to call you, see how you were doing.”

Elie heard a chair drag against the floor as he plopped down. “I’m great,” he said, and Elie could see the smirk that had flashed across his cheeks easily. However, she knew him too well, and she knew that he never responded with ‘I’m great’ when he meant it. “How’s everything with Haru?”

“Wonderful,” she told him honestly. “It’s great, really. I just…I miss you.”

The words came too quick for her to censor, and they hung between them much longer than the brunette would have liked. She could hear the slight inhale-exhale of his cigarette drags, heart pounding in her throat. “Yeah,” he finally said. “It’s weird not having you here. I miss you guys too.” Relief burned her chest at his words, and she couldn’t help but smile. “The house is so quiet now.”

She laughed. “Maybe now you’ll be able to hear yourself snore.” Musica sputtered, and yelped as the cigarette fell from his mouth and, presumably, onto his lap. Elie laughed again.

The two of them spoke for an hour before exhaustion finally started hitting her. “It was great to hear from you,” said Musica in between a yawn. “When are you guys leaving for Garage Island?”

“Two days. We’re coming back to where you guys are the day of, though, to properly say goodbye and all that.”

She heard a light scratch as he nodded. “Get some sleep, kid,” he suggested. “Call me if you need me.”

Elie laughed. She was tired and a little loopy from how little sleep she had been getting. “I’ll always need you, Musica. You’re my best friend.” She heard Musica scoff in that ‘I’m such a cool guy I don’t have feelings’ way before he muttered a similar sentiment. “Good night.”

After they had hung up, the brunette lazily reached up and hung up the phone, dragging herself to her feet. Yawning, she made her way back to where Haru had sprawled out over the bed, the covers over just his right leg. Elie giggled a little at the sight, gently tugging it free from beneath him and nudging his leg over. He flinched as she tried to move him, lifting his head to regard her with his sleepy purple eyes. “Hey,” he whispered, moving over for her as she climbed back in. He rose one arm as she snuggled up close to him, pulling the blanket with her. “Do you feel better?”

Elie thought about the question for a little longer than she knew he meant. A week ago, he had been gone. She was without her memories, living in her own little fantasy bubble where nightmares of some unknown force were the norm and she was constantly questioning what her role had been in the Great War. Tonight, she got to speak to her best friend, to see that he was doing alright – apparently, Belnika had been spending quite a lot of time with him since she had been gone – and now she got to fall asleep wrapped in the embrace of the love her life, back from the grave.

“Much better, now,” she whispered, kissing his shoulder. Haru nodded, smiling a little at her kiss before his eyes drooped close and he fell asleep once more, this time, Elie not far behind him.

[tanchimo]

First Dates

Hello again! I got this idea from this post and decided to write a little NaLu fluff for it! I hope you enjoy it!

When Lucy is stood up on her very first date, a mysterious stranger steps in and saves the night.

              For what felt like the hundredth time, Lucy reached behind herself and yanked the dress zipper down, sliding the silky material off and onto the floor with the rest of the rejects. She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose for a second while she thought. “What are you even supposed to wear on a first date?” she asked herself for what was neither the first nor the last time. “Should I go more casual, or would a little fancier?”

               The blonde groaned, staring at the collection of dresses and outfits that was circling her. “Lu-chan, are you still getting dressed?” her roommate, Levy, called from the other room. Lucy didn’t answer, instead walking over to her closet, again, and going through everything on the hangers, quietly finding reasons to reject each of them.

               “Too casual, too formal, too out of style, too…ugh what was I even thinking when I bought this?”

               The sound of light footsteps filled her room as Levy walked to the doorway, watching as her friend struggled. “Lu-chan,” she said kindly. “Just wearing something that you like wearing. It’s just a first date, if he’s really interested, then it won’t matter.”

               “Easy for you to say,” Lucy muttered, sighing again. “You and Gajeel had long since made a first impression when he finally asked you on a date.” Gajeel was, of course, Levy’s long-time friend turned boyfriend just a few months ago. The other girl giggled a little bit, the very mention of her pierced boyfriend making her swoon.

               Lucy wanted something like that, and that was why she finally gave in and agreed to go on a date with Bora, a man she had just met a week previously. That was how normal people went on dates, right? You didn’t have to be friends for the better part of a year before making it official, right?

               “I think I’ll just wear the red one,” the blonde finally conceded, plucking it off the floor and dusting it off. It was a floor length gown made of a shimmery material that hugged her body nicely, a long slit going down the right side and low-cut just enough that she could both look good and feel safe that she wasn’t revealing too much. Stepping into it, Levy quickly came over to help pull it up, waiting until Lucy was happy with where it was laying before zipping it up. “What do you think?”

               Levy rolled her eyes. “You look just as beautiful as ever, Lu-chan,” she assured her. “When are you meeting him?”

               “About an hour,” Lucy said, checking the time on her cell phone. “Just enough time for a make-up touch-up and to fix my hair.” The blue-haired girl nodded, reminding her that she was just in the other room if she needed help before retreating back into their living room. Humming to herself now, Lucy sat down at her vanity and began to subtly apply her make-up. She didn’t want to make it look too obvious, just enough to highlight her naturally good looks and to make her eyes stand out just a little bit.

                Deciding against any elaborate hairstyle, Lucy settled straightening her hair and then pulling up part of the right side of her hair into a high side-ponytail. Just like Levy had said; something that she liked wearing. With one more lasting look in the mirror, Lucy finally rose to her feet and grabbed a small ribbon, tying it in a nice bow around her neck. “There,” she said, satisfied with her first-date appearance. Levy was reading on the couch when she walked out, but looked up when she heard Lucy’s heels clinking on the wood floors.

               “Ah, Lu-chan,” she said, putting the book down and sitting up. “You’re so beautiful!”

               Lucy smiled a little, grabbing a simple black clutch purse from the counter. “Thanks, Levy-chan,” she said appreciatively. “I’ll let you know how it goes,” she promised once before slipping outside, Levy’s ‘good luck!’ ringing in her ears as the door clicked shut.

               The restaurant that Bora was taking her to wasn’t too far from her apartment, not worth getting a cab over. Waving to their landlady once as she passed, the blonde took a deep breath of the night air and made her way down the street. Not only was this her first date with Bora, it was actually her first date ever. For much of her life, she had focused on only her studies and her writing, politely turning down any potential suitors that had come along the way. But now she had graduated, was about halfway through college, and was the only one of her friends that hadn’t so much as dated a guy. She sighed at the thought; even shy little Levy had landed a boyfriend before her! Which wouldn’t be so bad in of itself, and she did like Gajeel well enough, but if he wasn’t over at their house playing video games he had brought over, Levy was hanging out with him somewhere else. It had started to get a little lonely, perpetually being the third or fifth wheel with her friends.

               Nearing the restaurant, Lucy cleared her throat once, smoothing down the front of her dress before walking in. “Hello madam,” the host said, a slight accent on his words. “Did you have a reservation?”

               “Um, yes, I believe so,” she said, thankful she went for a more formal look. “It should be under Bora? I’m not sure if he’s here yet.” The host nodded, quickly leafing through his book for a second while she looked around. No sign of him.

               “We have your reservation, yes, but he has not arrived. Would you like to take your table now while you wait?”

               Lucy nodded, feeling a pit in her stomach. He had made it such a point to tell her 6 o’clock sharp, and now he was late? The host nodded, pulling two menus from a side pocket and gesturing for her to follow him to a small two-person table. “I’ll have the waiter bring out some water for you while you wait,” he said, smiling as she thanked him.

               Fifteen minutes passed before she finally decided to try calling him. He had given her his number after they agreed on the time and place, but she hadn’t called or even texted him yet, not sure of what she was supposed to say to a guy she had only just met. Digging through the clutch, Lucy realized with a bit of embarrassment that she hadn’t remembered to put her phone in before leaving. “Great,” she muttered to herself, snapping it closed and placing it roughly on the table.

               Another ten minutes passed without any interruptions, until she heard the sounds of a large group entering. “Ah, hello Miss Erza,” she heard the host say. “How many tonight?” Lucy didn’t catch Miss Erza’s response, but the host quickly led them to a table that was about half the room’s length away from the still solo Lucy. Curious, she let her eyes scan over the group; a party of six it seemed. For a second, Lucy found herself staring at them; was it normal for so many people to have such exotic hair colors like that? A beautiful shade of red, a dark blue, rose pink, and even white. Not wanting to be caught staring, she quickly turned back to her menu, pretending to read through it once more.

               “Miss?” someone said, appearing beside her. “Are you still waiting?”

               Her cheeks flushed a little. “Yes,” she said, thankful that her voice didn’t sound as shaky as she felt. “I’m sure he just got the time wrong.” The waiter nodded, promising to bring another water to replace the one she had sucked down.

               Another twenty minutes passed before the waiter came by again, glancing at the empty seat opposite of her. “Miss,” he started to say, but Lucy quietly cut him off, promising that her date would show up. He nodded again, clearing his throat before leaving. The party of six was quite loud, though she couldn’t make out much of their conversation, but Lucy was certain that the wait staff had noticed her situation. Lucy held her head high, however, certain that he would show up. There was no way her first date was going to be a bust like this.

               By the time 8 o’clock rolled around, Lucy had all but lost her appetite. Her cheeks seemed to be in a permanent blush with shame and embarrassment. The waiter had come back four more times, and each time she told him the same thing, her resolve faltering more and more the longer she waited. When he appeared a fifth time, she finally sighed, forced to accept the truth. “Miss, the chef in the back has offered you a complimentary meal for your troubles, if you’d be interested,” he said as she finally told him she was done waiting.

               “Ah, thank you, but –”

               “Yo! Sorry I’m so late!”

               Lucy looked up, already on her feet and ready to slip out of her heels and run to her room, amazed to see a young man rushing towards her. He was wearing a scaly white scarf, a black, long-sleeved, buttoned vest and comfortable looking white pants, a large grin on his face as he approached. “It was the craziest thing ever, you’re never going to believe what happened on my way here!” He got close to her, close enough that she could smell her smoky breath. “Mind a step-in?”

               “A-ah, it seems that you were right to wait, Ma’am,” the waiter said with a relieved smile. Lucy looked between the two, still utterly confused on what had happened. The waiter promised them both another water before disappearing, leaving Lucy and the stranger alone.

               “I’m sorry, who are you?” Lucy asked, eyes narrowing. Had Bora sent one of his friends in his place? The man smiled, taking the seat that she had been staring at the last two hours.

               “I’m Natsu,” he said casually, leaning back in his chair. “I saw you waiting here forever and I thought I’d come and keep you company since your date’s an ass.” Lucy blinked, surprised at the kindness – and yet also bluntness – of this stranger. “What’s your name?”

               “Lucy,” she said, still trying to process everything. There was something about his rosy pink hair that looked a little familiar, and her brown eyes stared at it while she tried to figure it out. Oh! He was part of that large group, she realized, glancing over. They had left a little bit ago, and she hadn’t paid them much heed. “Weren’t you over there with some friends?”

               Natsu shrugged, flashing her another grin. His canines were sharper than usual, and paired with the scarf’s scaly pattern, he almost reminded her of a dragon. Almost. “Yup! But I can always have more to eat,” he said casually, sitting up straighter as the waiter reappeared, asking if they were ready to order. “I am, are you?”

               The blonde blinked a second before nodding, flipping open the menu again. She had been ready two hours ago. She ordered a chicken salad and a glass of iced tea, something simple for her upset stomach.

               Her stand-in date, however, began to rattle off his order quicker than she thought possible. “I want a steak, the largest you have, extra, extra, extra well done. Like, basically burnt. With the hottest sauce you have, all over. You know what, just bring me a bottle, you guys never put enough on. And replace the salad with a large side of fries, extra, extra seasoned and crispy.”

               While Lucy stared in amazement at the specifics of his order, the waiter was scribbling it down without a second thought. “Absolutely, I will have that right out for you,” he said, offering Lucy another sympathetic smile. The blonde smiled back, happy that her waiter had been so kind.  He was gone in a flash, leaving Natsu and Lucy alone once more.

               Suddenly, she found herself more nervous than she had been on the walk over. She didn’t much about Bora, but she had known enough to prepare some sort of conversation. With Natsu, however, she knew nothing about him. “Is that natural?” she blurted out, cheeks flushing a color similar to his hair. Natsu looked up, dark eyes confused for a second before he smirked.

               “Yup,” he said again. “Do you always ask questions like that to people you just met?”

               Again, Lucy flushed. “No,” she said, a little snippy. “Do you normally crash random girls dates?”

               Expecting a sour response, Natsu laughed instead. “I don’t normally go on dates, Luigi,” he said. Lucy felt her eye twitch. Luigi?

               “My name is Lucy.”

               “Whatever.”

               The blonde sighed, suddenly wishing she had left an hour ago. “You’re not a very good date, you know,” she pointed out, crossing her arms against her chest.

               Natsu looked up at her and smirked, not at all offended. “Better than the one you were supposed to have,” he said matter-of-factly. Again, Lucy’s cheeks flushed. For a second, Natsu shifted in his chair, and Lucy swore she saw a shy look cross his slanted eyes. “I’ve never been on a date before, even a stand-in.”

               “Neither have I.”

               He looked up, and Lucy felt her expression soften. Her stand-in’s eyes widened as understanding crept over him. “You’ve never been on a date before, and your date ditched you?” he asked. Lucy nodded, looking down at her hands. “What a jerk.”

               “I’m sure he called me,” Lucy said, not quite wanting to believe that Bora could have really just blown her off. “But I left my phone in my room, I think.”

               At that, Natsu laughed. For a second, Lucy felt a flash of anger that he was laughing at her mistake, but as he kept chuckling, she found herself begin laughing as well. “That was pretty dumb, wasn’t it?” she asked. At her words, the two of them started laughing a little harder, until both of them had subsided into the breathy laughs of someone who had been laughing for too long. When they had finally calmed down, Lucy took a sip of her tea, smiling at the sweetness. “So then, Natsu,” she said, clearing her throat. “Tell me about yourself.”

               “What do you want to know?”

               Lucy shrugged. “I don’t know,” she said, rolling her eyes at him. “What do people normally talk about on a date?”

               This time, Natsu rolled his eyes at her. “How would I know?” he retorted, smirking at Lucy’s pink cheeks. “Well,” he said, leaning back again. Lucy noticed with some amusement that he was constantly moving around, as if sitting still was too much effort. “My name’s Natsu, I go to Magnolia University, I work in a fighting dojo that my adopted father owns, and I want to be the greatest fighter in the world one day.”

               “Like Chuck Norris?”

               Lucy watched in smug satisfaction  as his eyes twitched. “No,” he said vehemently. Lucy giggled a little, interrupting whatever spiel he was about to enter, and he laughed a little. Their eyes met, and Lucy’s message was clear; payback for calling me Luigi. “Alright, your turn.”

               The blonde cleared her throat. “Okay, um, my name’s Lucy, I’m also attending Magnolia University, I work in Makarov Library, and I want to write a novel one day,” she said, mimicking the way he had described himself. Natsu’s eyes seemed to light up a little, and he even sat up straight.

               “You go there, too?” he asked, his childish tone making her grin. “That’s so cool! I wonder why I’ve never seen you around.”

               Lucy shrugged. “It’s a big campus,” she pointed out. “What are you majoring in?”

               The two of them kept up a steady stream of conversation as they waited for their food, and even after it arrived, they talked in between mouthfuls. Conversation with Natsu was easy; Lucy never found herself struggling for words or any awkward pauses between them. This must be what it feels like to ‘click’ with someone, she guessed. Her pink-haired stand-in was fun to talk to, energetic and lively, his whole face lighting up as he talked about his dad, about the others that worked in the dojo with him – former students and friends he had known for years.

               “Sounds like a fun place,” she said, wiping away a few stray tears as he finished telling her a story about when his father’s friend, Gildarts, had accidentally hit him so hard he went flying through the building and landed on, of all things, the sandbox they had just built. “What’s it called?”

               Natsu grinned. “Fairy Tail,” he explained, a sort of reverence in his voice. “It used to be a bar that this girl, Mavis, owned, but over the years it changed a lot and when the last old man retired and my dad took over, he officially changed it to a dojo so that we would stop getting in trouble for fighting all the time.”

               “I’ve seen that place,” Lucy said thoughtfully. “It’s just a little bit away from the university, isn’t it?” Natsu nodded, eyes widening a little. “Yeah! I pass there every day on my way to class!”

               “That’s so cool! How come you’ve never stopped in?” he asked curiously, blinking at her. Lucy blushed a little under his gaze, stammering out something about how she was a girl. “So? My friends Erza and Mira are girls, and they used to kick my ass all the time. Of course, now I can totally beat them!”

               Lucy laughed again, setting her fork down next to her empty salad bowl. Natsu had scarfed down his steak in a matter of minutes, but didn’t seem to care that Lucy was considerably slower than he was. Her stomach dropped again as she realized that the end of the meal meant the end of the pseudo-date, her suspicions confirmed as the waiter dropped the check off next to Natsu. He picked it up before Lucy could grab it, giving her a weird look. “I can pay,” the blonde insisted. “You weren’t exactly planning on having to pay for three meals today or anything.”

               “Yeah, but isn’t the guy supposed to pay for the date?” he asked, eyebrows raised. “That’s what Igneel always told me.”

               “Right, but –”

               “But nothing.”

               His tone left no room for argument, so Lucy had no choice to slump back and watch as he pulled cash out of his wallet, placing it on top of the receipt and leaving it slightly under his plate for the waiter. Neither said a word as they stood up, Lucy smoothing her dress and gathering her clutch and making sure she had everything before following Natsu to the door. “Have a good evening,” the host said, all smiles and nods. Lucy nodded and waved as they passed, stepping out into the cool evening air.

               “Where did you park?” Natsu asked, looking around. Lucy laughed, explaining that she lived down the street and had walked. “Oh, okay.” With just that, he began to walk, hands clasped behind his head. Lucy stared at him, wondering if that was how he said goodbye when he suddenly looked over his shoulder. “Aren’t you coming, weirdo?”

               Realizing he intended to walk her home, Lucy blushed again, grateful for the darkness to hide it as she caught up. They walked in companionable silence for most of it, the only sounds being the quiet nighttime around them. Lucy found herself wishing that she lived miles away, just so that she didn’t have to say goodbye quite yet. Natsu had given no indication that he planned to see her again, so the closer they got to her apartment building, the more it looked like this would be their only meeting.

               “Here,” she said, gesturing to the building. With a slight sigh, she stepped onto the first step, looking back at him. “Thank you,” Lucy told him, smiling. “You made my bad night wonderful.” Natsu grinned, and the blonde could almost swear that he was blushing a little. “I guess I’ll see you around,” Lucy tried again, hoping she could bate him into asking her out for real or something. He only nodded, looking off into the distance. “Well, good night.”

               “This weekend,” he started to say, looking up at her. “There’s a big tournament starting in my dojo.” Lucy blinked, already halfway up the stairs. This time, there was no mistaking the pinkness of his cheeks, though that could very well have been due to the cold. “Would you like to come watch?”

               Lucy gasped a little, a smile growing across her cheeks. “I’d love to,” she said, blushing. Natsu grinned up at her, telling her the time and when to arrive to get the best seats. “Thank you again, Natsu,” she said, her hand on the door. Natsu grinned up at her for a second before turning away.

               “See you Saturday, Luigi!” he called. Lucy heard him snicker into his scarf just before she yelled at him to stop calling her that, watching as he broke into a run. For just a second, he turned around, waving his arm wildly before steadying himself and disappearing into the night. Lucy stood on the stood of her building, feeling her heart pound against her chest. He hadn’t said it was a date, but Lucy didn’t care if it was or not.

               “See you Saturday, Natsu,” she whispered before finally turning and entering the warmth of her building, humming once more as she ascended the steps, feeling like she was floating on air.

[tanchimo]

I'm pretty sure Haru asked Elie to marry him before Shuda asked Cattleya, so how about Shuda asking Haru for advice? Or Celia could come to their wedding, but admit she was always a HaruxElie shipper. That's one of my favorite headcannons lol

YES THANK YOU.

~

It took him days to admit it to himself, and even longer to think of a good way to approach the problem. When it came right down to it, Shuda was hopeless at relationships. Having Haru and Elie nearby helped a lot as well; watching them as they finally gave into their feelings. Cattleya had been kind, taught him how to be gentle in a way that he had never had to be before.

But he’d be damned if he had any idea how to propose to her. That was, rather conveniently he felt, left out of the ‘boyfriend lessons’.

He had spent some time toying around with ideas, debated over whether Cattleya would want something personal or public, but he was no closer to a decision than he was when he first realized he wanted to spend the rest of his life with him. It was for that reason that he had finally trudged himself to the house that Haru was currently building for himself and Elie to ask his (hopefully) soon to be brother-in-law for advice.

Keeping his face stoic, the ex-warrior approached the semi-build house, quietly admiring the work he had put into it. “Haru,” he called when he was close enough, waiting until the ex-Rave Master was not about to hammer something in. The younger boy looked up and waved at him, placing down the tools and sliding down. 

“Hey Shuda, what’s up?” Haru asked cheerfully, wiping the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. Shuda didn’t reply immediately, suddenly feeling silly. “You okay, man?”

“I want to propose to Cattleya.”

For a few seconds, the two simply stared at each other as his words sunk in. “Wow, Shuda,” Haru finally said, blinking a few times. Shuda nodded, a small smile coming to his face involuntarily. “That’s great! Do you already have a ring in mind?”

Shuda shook his head, a strange feeling of uneasiness settling in his center. “Oh. Well, what about a place? Or what you’re going to say?”

This time, the ex-warrior only glanced down at him, the meaning clear. Haru nodded slowly. “Got it. So, uh, if you don’t mind me asking, what do you have planned?” he asked, yanking off his bandanna and running his hand through his hair.

“My plan is to ask you for help,” Shuda grumbled, feeling silly. “You never did tell Cattleya and I about how you proposed to Elie, so I thought it might help me get a better idea for my own proposal. Like, I don’t know, where did you get the ring?”

Haru grinned. “Musica made it for me,” he explained. Shuda smirked; of course he did. Clearing his throat, the ex-warrior pressed on. “Well, we went to the mainland for a day, and we spent the day walking around town and then when it started to get dark out, we snuck into the Dog Stadium where we met and watched the sunset together.”

“Let me guess, it was all very romantic?” Shuda guessed with a slight chuckle. The smile left his face as Haru started laughing again, shaking his head.

“I wish!” the blonde exclaimed with a grin. “I was so nervous, I dropped the ring when I was pulling it out of my pocket!”

Shuda’s eye widened. “Did you lose it?” he asked, trying to recall if Elie was wearing her ring when they returned from the mainland. “How could you drop it?!”

Haru laughed again, shaking his head. “No, no,” he reassured. “I freaked and dropped down to catch it before it fell too far, but since there was no way to stop Elie from seeing me, I kinda just turned around holding it.” Shuda blinked again. That was how he proposed? “Of course, it rolled pretty much right between her legs so when I popped out -”

“Haru! I brought you some water!” Elie called suddenly, smiling face approaching from the road. “Oh, hey, Shuda!”

The men waved at her once before Haru turned back to Shuda. “Just be yourself,” he said softly. “Cattleya’ll love whatever you do, man.” The ex-warrior watched as he met Elie halfway, immediately leaning down to give her a kiss. With one last smirk, he turned to leave, wondering how long it would take to forge a ring out of his own fire.

~

AND TADA. wow okay this turned out a bit longer than I anticipated, but I hope you like it! I only did the first one, but I’ll try and come back to the second one another time!

[tanchimo]

Fairy Tail & Rave Master Crossover

Hello everyone! I had some free time in between writing papers, and this is an idea I’ve had for a few months now that I finally had the chance to type up! There was pretty massive spoilers if you haven’t finished Rave Master, so I’m putting the whole thing under a read more so no one gets anything ruined. ^^ I hope you guys like it!

“Natsu! Come on!”

The sound of a muffled groan met her ears and she sighed, turning back around. “The boat stopped moving, just hurry up! We’re already running late!” the blonde said, nervously glancing down at her watch and then back up to him. Natsu blanched again, shakily making his way over to the ramp.

“Luuuuc-eeee,” he groaned, sandal getting caught on the ramp and sending him flying. Lucy’s eyes hardly had time to widen before her best friend landed on her, sending them both flying down the ramp and onto the beach.  Above them, a small blue cat snickered something behind his little paws. “Are we…on land?” Natsu asked shakily, cheeks still tinged green. They had come to a stop a little way’s from the ramp, Natsu dead-weight atop her as his motion sickness began to fade.

Lucy smiled a little, gently pushing him off. He helped her and climbed to his feet, shaking his head a little once to fully relieve himself. “Okay! I feel much better now!” he said with a laugh, offering her a hand up. The blonde grinned back and took it, almost forgetting that they were still running late. The thought hit them both and their eyes widened for a second before breaking into a full sprint, following the signs on the path.

“I see it!” Happy said a minute later, flying fifteen feet or so above them. “There are still people walking around, I don’t think it’s started!”

Inwardly, Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe she would even have time to find a bathroom and freshen up a little before the ceremony! They finally reached the yard, breathless and doubling over from running across the entire island. “Why do they…have to live…so far away?” Lucy panted, chest heaving. Next to her, Natsu had already straightened up, looking around.

“Lucy? Natsu?”

Both of them turned, watching as a tall man with long black hair approaching them. “Hey Musica!” Natsu said with a grin, waving. Lucy grinned and waved at him, admiring the crisp black tux he was adorning.

“Ah, your hair’s so much longer now!” the blonde said, laughing. He grinned, shoving his hands in his pockets. “We aren’t too late, right?”

The silverclaimer glanced over his shoulder for a second before looking back at them. “Nah,” he said. “Both of them are still getting ready.” Lucy breathed another sigh of relief and finally allowed herself to look around fully. “They aren’t scheduled to start for another half hour if you guys need to change or anything.”

Both of them thanked him and after getting directions to the different changing rooms in the house, took off. “There are a lot of people here,” Natsu commented, watching as Happy flew off to find his friend. Lucy followed his gaze for a second before turning her attention to finding the changing rooms. The house was a lot larger than it looked on the outside, with a few other people still roaming around. “I’ll meet you back down here,” Natsu said with a small wave, climbing the large staircase.

As quickly as she could, Lucy peeled off her traveling clothes – two weeks of traveling to get here! – and slipped on a new light blue dress. For a few seconds, she stopped and allowed herself to look in the mirror, wondering if she was ever going to get a ceremony like this. The sound of the other guests floated through the walls, some of them loud and robust and others a little bit gentler and she couldn’t help but think of what it would be like inviting Fairy Tail to a wedding.

The blonde couldn’t help but snicker at the possibilities. It would have to be at the Guild, otherwise they’d probably end up trashing the place. Laughing to herself, she gathered up her things and neatly placed them against the wall. With one last once-over, she exited, deciding to go find her partner before he could find someone that looked strong enough to challenge.

When she exited the house, she found him talking with another man, this one dressed in a stunning white tuxedo, silver hair as messy as always. “Haru!” she called happily, hurrying over. He turned at the sound of his name, grinning as she approached. “You look so great!”

“Thanks,” he said with a laugh. Lucy couldn’t help but notice the way his cheeks were a little flushed, the way he kept glancing back at the house as if he was looking for something. “I’m really glad you guys could make it,” he said. “Elie was really nervous because of how far away it is, but I know she’ll be pumped to see you again.”

Lucy smiled. “It has been a while,” she admitted. “Thank you so much for inviting us.” He grinned once more before something else caught his eye.

“I guess that’s my cue,” he said, and this time, his laugh sounded just a little bit nervous. “Go ahead and sit anywhere, we’ll try to catch you later!”

Natsu and Lucy waved as he made his way to the alter. “Where’s Happy?” the blonde asked as they quietly slid into their seats. “Still with Plue?” Natsu nodded, looking around at everyone else that had started to file in. He was right, there were a lot of people here.

“Haru and Elie know a lot of people,” he commented. Lucy was about to agree with him, but the sound of a piano cut her off. With one last glance at Haru, standing alone at the alter looking both thrilled and terrified, she turned her attention to the beginning of the procession. At the music, Happy swooped in, landing next to Natsu and tucking his wings away.

The first one down was a small penguin and Griffon, each carrying a basket of flower petals that they carefully tossed into the air. Plue was not far behind them, carrying the rings on a velvet pillow.

The first pair down the aisle was a tall man with dark orange-red hair and a woman with long black hair pulled back into a pony-tail. The man’s single eye seemed to scan everything for a second, body tilted towards the woman’s and Lucy guessed that they were a couple of some sort. As they approached the alter, the woman leaned over to Haru and kissed his cheek, causing his cheeks to flush a little as they took their place. Of the two that followed, only the man was familiar – Let. There wasn’t any of the protectiveness that the first man had had, but the two were leaning in a little close, whispering something as they walked. The girl had long blueish-purple hair and kept giggling. As they passed, Lucy could swear that she heard her say “you know how –” before a crescendo cut her off.

“Look,” Natsu whispered, nudging her gently. The blonde followed his gaze and watched as Musica and Julia appeared next. Like the other two, their heads were tilted together, whispering something frantically under their breath as they walked. While the woman had seemed a little amused, these two both just looked downright devious. As they caught their eyes, both of them flashed a smile at them before returning to their secret conversation. Lucy chanced a glance up at Haru and bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from openly laughing; his face had gone pale and he looked up at his friends with wide, pleading eyes as if he already knew what they were talking about.

They each took their place, sharing glances with each other and hidden little smirks. Again, Lucy’s thoughts flitted back to Fairy Tail. Who would I have as my maid of honor?

Again, her thoughts cut short as the music suddenly changed. Everyone rose to their feet and turned to the back, and Lucy couldn’t help but hold her breath as she waited for the bride’s entrance. When she finally stepped into view, the mage swore there was a collective gasp around the ceremony.

Elie was already an incredibly attractive young woman, there was no denying that, but dressed in a pure white dress with cascading flowers going down the skirt made her look like she stepped right out of a storybook. “She looks like a princess,” she breathed, hoping to catch her eye as she walked past. Elie had eyes only for the alter, however – or more specifically, for Haru. The blonde smiled, watching as one of Haru’s hands reached up to cover his face and she could have sworn his lavender eyes had started to glaze over. I wonder if Natsu would ever look at me like that.

Shaking the thought from her head, she took her seat with everyone else as Elie reached the alter, stopped to reach up and hug the man escorting her before her attention turned back to her groom. Both of their cheeks were flushed now, mouths moving in a whisper only they could hear. An extremely large bald man cleared his throat, and the ceremony began, leaving Lucy to zone out a little and focus on the other pressing thought.

She didn’t know when it had happened, or when she had first realized it, but there was definitely a part of her that yearned for this sort of life. When she had been living at home, the idea of marriage was the disgusting arrangement her father had planned, but sometime over the last few years, she found herself craving the white gown and the bouquet…everything.

Specifically, with a certain pink-haired mage beside her.  She had always found him attractive, but over the last few months, she discovered that it went a lot deeper than just physical attraction. He was her best friend, her partner, and somewhere along the line, the friendship that had been there for years had blossomed into something quite a bit more.

But that was silly. No matter how many times Happy said “he liiiiiiiiikes her,” she was fairly positive that he did not return her feelings. Which was, of course, more than fine. Their friendship was more than enough for her.

“Musica, Julia,” the celebrant said, bringing her back to reality. “The wedding vows.” Both of them pulled out a small piece of paper and handed it to them, all smiles and even just a tiny hint of tears. “Haru, you first.”

The groom took a deep breath and, after glancing down at the small card in his hand, turned his full attention back to his bride. “Elie,” he said, voice just loud enough to be heard in the back. “I’ve never met anyone else like you. You’re a little crazy and kinda trigger-happy sometimes, but there’s no one else I would have rather met that day in the Dog Stadium.” He paused, taking a deep breath to collect himself before continuing. “You are the reason I made it through everything, and you are the light of my life. Every moment I’ve gotten to share with you has been precious, and I promise to love you for as long as both may live, and to give you the happiest life you could ever imagine.”

By the time he finished speaking, more than a few people were dabbing at their cheeks, and even Elie seemed to have been brought to tears. With a sniffle, she nodded at the celebrant as he nodded. “Haru, meeting you was the greatest thing that could have ever happened to me. Every memory we made along the way, bit by bit, is a precious memory in my heart that I will never forget,” she said, a sort of sadness coming to her eyes. Haru reached up to caress her cheek, brushing away a stray tear. “I will love you for the rest of my life, my hero. My prince.”

This time, there was no hiding the tears that everyone was shedding. Even Natsu, though not crying, seemed moved by their vows, and reached over to place a hand on Happy’s head as he positively wailed.

“Awright, awight,” the man said, clearing his throat. “Elie, hand that thing off to Julia,” he instructed. She did as she was told and immediately took Haru’s hands within her own. “Repeat after me.”

She nodded, repeating his words after each little pause. “I, Elie. Take you, Haru. To be my husband. Through sickness and in health. Through poverty and wealth. I promise to share with you my life. My respect, loyalty, and love. For as long as we both may live.” Lucy could feel the excitement bubbling in the air as he turned to Haru and asked the same of him, hardly keeping it together himself at this point.

“Oh, fuck it, just give them the rings and let them kiss already!” the celebrant suddenly cried, tears pouring down his cheeks unabashedly. Plue held up the small pillow and allowed them to take them off, quickly exchanging them before Elie, bursting with excitement and love and emotions that Lucy could only guess at, threw her arms around Haru. The crowd cheered, applause thundering as the newlyweds shared in their first official married kiss.

The bells of the church began to ring as they finally pulled apart, cheeks flushed with unbounding happiness as they clasped hands and began to make their way down the aisle. Lucy watched the brunette as she laughed, completely unwilling to look away from her new husband. She couldn’t help but smile for her, thrilled that the two of them got such a happy ending.

The reception took place in the same beautiful garden as the ceremony had, with more than enough food and a large stereo for dancing. Natsu and Lucy were introduced to Belnika, their friend that had joined them after their encounter, as well as Ruby, the penguin flower carrier, Cattleya, Haru’s older sister, and her fiancé, Shuda. Musica and Julia were, curiously, nowhere to be found, more than likely working on whatever scheme they had been whispering about. With a polite ‘excuse me’, Shuda went to find them, muttering something to Cattleya about ‘time and place’. They met most of the other guests, hearing watered down stories of how they met the newlyweds and other pleasantries.

It wasn’t until after dinner was served and the couple had their first dance did Lucy finally get the chance to talk to Elie. “I’m so glad you came!” she squealed, throwing her arms around her. Lucy laughed and hugged her back, compliments spilling from her mouth. Her dress, her vows, their first dance, everything. The brunette was all smiles, laughing happily and cheeks permanently painted red. “Thank you, thank you,” she said gratefully. After a few more exchanged compliments and thank you’s, her brown eyes fell onto Natsu, who had broken off and was talking with Haru, Musica and Julia about what they had been planning – and consequently stopped by Shuda. “So,” she said, a glint coming to her eyes. “How are things on the hero front?”

Lucy laughed. “The same,” she said, hoping the disappointment was too obvious. Judging by the knowing way Elie nodded, it was. “I’m fine with the way things are,” Lucy added quickly. “We’re partners.”

“You sound like me and Haru used to,” Elie giggled. A weird look flashed across her eyes, but it was gone too quickly for Lucy to pinpoint it, replaced by the same euphoric happiness. “Just don’t wait until it’s too late, okay?” With that parting piece of wisdom, Elie scampered off, promising to talk more when things weren’t so busy.

Lucy watched her go with a frenzied heart, wondering about the gravity of her friends’ words. Perhaps their ending was not all happy? Deciding not to dwell on it – it was, after all, a wedding and a happy occasion – she went to the bar and ordered a drink, sipping carefully as she made her way back to her seat.

From there, she watched as some of the others danced. A rather beautiful man with shimmering black hair was dancing by himself, occasionally pulling in a random bystander before releasing her and continuing on his own; Happy was following Plue and Ruby around, seemingly doing their own dance; Musica and Julia were now fully drunk, speaking to each other from across the yard with various bottles of liquor and being chased down by an amused Let and Shuda; and Haru and Elie had found one another again, slow dancing a little off to the side, Elie’s head leaning against his chest as they quietly spoke to one another.

“Hey Luce,” Natsu said, sliding into his chair next to her. She offered him a smile before turning his eyes back to the newlyweds, not bothering to mask the longing in her eyes. God, how she wanted something like that. The dragon slayer seemed to follow her gaze before looking back at her, pursing her lips. “What’cha staring at?”

She sighed. “Just them. Look at how happy they are.” Natsu glanced back at them again, nodding once before returning his attention to her. They sat like that for a bit before Lucy realized he was staring at her, meeting his gaze and flushing slightly. “What?”

“When are we gonna have one of these?” he asked. Lucy blinked. His voice was so casual, as if he was discussing the most natural thing in the world. Her cheeks enflamed and she stammered a question at him. “We’re partners, aren’t we?”

“Well, yeah,” Lucy said, leaning her head into her hands. “But they’re different kind of partners than we are, Natsu.”

At his scoff, she looked up. “Aren’t we a couple like them?” he asked, eyebrows raised. Lucy opened her mouth to ask him, again, if he had any idea what he was suggesting, but there was something about his smirk that made it clear he knew exactly what he was suggesting. “Well?”

Lucy could only stare at him. She had been harboring feelings for him for ages, secretly daydreaming of a time when he might return the feelings. “Natsu,” she said softly, eyes narrowing. “Are you asking me to marry you?”

Under normal circumstances, the grin that came to his face would have made her grin right back at him. This time, however, she felt her cheeks darken even further as he calmly replied, “Yup!”

For just a few seconds, they only stared at each other. There was a faint blush to his cheeks, and an intense one to hers, and before she could think too hard about it, the blonde suddenly reached up and slapped him across the face. “Natsu Dragneel, that is not how you propose to a woman!” she screeched, standing up and turning on her heel. A few eyes had turned their way, including the bride and groom, and when Lucy stormed off, Elie followed behind her, exchanging a quick, amused, look with her husband as she did so.

Haru made his way over to Natsu, trying not to laugh too openly. “Didn’t go as you planned, huh?” he asked. Natsu only laughed, reaching up to rub his cheek.

“I guess not,” he said. “She didn’t say no, though.” Haru and him grinned, and as Happy made his way over to him, little paws covering his mouth and flying just out of reach – just in case – Natsu already knew what he was going to say.

“They liiiiiiike each other!”