#ftfanficton

[superfreakerz]

Caught Red Handed

"Caught Red Handed"

Rated T

Summary: Lucy thought she was safe gushing over a gorgeous pink-headed boy in Japanese. Turns out she wasn't.

    “You got another perfect score on the exam?” Lucy asked, bewildered when her friend had showed her the test, full marks written in red ink in the top corner, along with a smiley face. Though by now, she really shouldn’t have been surprised. Levy was practically a genius, and when it came to foreign languages, she couldn’t be beat. Even after only a day of studying a language, she was able to pick up on sentence structure just by comparing different sentences. She was the university’s prodigy, surely going to be successful in life.

    “Yep!” Levy replied with a cheerful grin. “What about you?”

    “I got a ninety-three,” Lucy answered, her lips curling into a smile of her own. It may not have been a perfect score, but she was still proud of it. 

    “Good job, Lu-chan! Let’s go celebrate with some smoothies!”

    “Okay!”

    Lucy glanced towards her petite friend, her smile growing. Levy was her best friend, and despite only knowing her for the past school year, it felt like she had known her forever. The blue-headed beauty was kind, intelligent, and welcoming. Even though nobody could compare to her intelligence, she was humble and never made anyone feel down about themselves for not being as smart as her.

    She met Levy the first day of the school year in the intermediate Japanese class. The two sat at the front of the class, often paired to do projects together. They bonded immediately over their love for books, and once Levy found out that Lucy was an aspiring writer, their friendship was sealed with a promise that she would be her first reader. 

    Since then, they shared classes every semester as they advanced through the Japanese classes the university had to offer. They were nearing the end of the program with only one last class to go before they finished. Through countless nights filled with kanji flashcards, vocabulary sheets, and loads of homework, the two girls were practically fluent in the language. 

    Lucy never would’ve guessed that she would eventually become fluent in Japanese. She loved watching anime on her downtime, but it never occurred to her to actually study the language until she went on a business trip with her father to Japan. Falling in love with the culture and hearing the beautiful language firsthand, she knew she wanted to take classes.

    Since then, she started watching anime without subtitles, she made penpals living in Japan, and she was able to talk to Levy without most people understanding what they were saying thanks to the program being small. Most students took Spanish or French at her university, after all.

    Reaching the smoothie shop, Lucy was surprised to find that it wasn’t packed with students. It was one of the most popular stores in their city, usually filled to the brim with customers.

    “Everyone’s probably home studying since it’s final’s week,” Lucy thought with a shrug, following Levy inside. Luckily, she and Levy had already done most of their studying.

    As Lucy approached the line, her feet stopped in their tracks as she noticed a boy standing at the end of the line. Heat rushed to her cheeks, her mouth dropping open as she ogled the boy. His hair was pink, part of his bangs spiked up. A strange scarf was wrapped around his neck. She could tell the texture of it wasn’t normal cotton or fleece, but she couldn’t tell what it was. He also wore a weird coat with only one sleeve. Oddly enough, he didn’t have a shirt on, showcasing a set of toned abs.

As he talked to his friend- another attractive boy with raven hair and an unbuttoned shirt- she couldn’t help but stare at his grin. It was so wide and cheerful, showing off his teeth. His smile was infectious, as she could feel the corners of her lips curling into a small smile of her own.

    Feeling a light nudge on her arm, Lucy jumped as she glanced towards her friend. Levy gave her a knowing grin, wiggling her brows skillfully at her. 

    “He’s cute, huh?” Levy asked with a snicker.

    “Levy-chan!” Lucy squealed, glancing towards the boy to make sure that he didn’t hear her. Luckily, it seemed he was too caught up in his conversation to notice them.

    “What? All I’m saying is he’s cute!”

    Lucy’s face burned red as she slapped a hand over her friend’s mouth, shouting, “Japanese!” If her friend was going to tease her about it, she could at least do it in another language so that he wouldn’t understand. Glancing over her shoulder to see if the boy had heard her exclamation, she was immediately met with a pair of onyx eyes. Whipping her head towards Levy, she tried to calm her erratic heart and drain the pink from her cheeks. 

    In Japanese, Levy said, “Come on, let’s get in line.”

    Lucy nodded, keeping her eyes on the floor. Standing just behind the boy and his friend, she gave a soft sigh of relief once the boy turned around to face the counter. Now that she wasn’t able to see his face, she could finally lift her gaze from the tiled floor.

    “As I was saying, he’s cute,” Levy said in Japanese. “His friend is too. You should ask him out.”

    “Ask him out?” Lucy repeated in the foreign language so that they couldn’t understand. They continued the rest of the conversation this way. “No way! We don’t know each other. He’d probably think I’m some freak if I did that.”

    “Lu-chan, have you seen yourself? Trust me, no guy would ever think that. If anything, he’s probably trying to think of a way to ask you out in his head.”

    “Yeah right.”

    “It’s true. You’re a blonde bombshell. Every guy in here is drooling over you.”

    “Blonde bombshell? You’re starting to sound like Cana!”

    Levy gave a cheeky grin. “It’s true though.”

    Lucy sighed. In an attempt to steer the conversation away, she asked, “What about you? Why don’t you ask his friend out since you think he’s cute?”

    “He is, but he’s not my type.”

    Now it was Lucy’s turn to snicker. “Oh right, your type is really tall guys with muscles bigger than your head, long black hair, and piercings just about everywhere. Someone like-”

    “Lu-chan! Don’t say his name!” Levy shrieked, glancing around to make sure nobody heard them. Not that it mattered since they were still speaking in Japanese.

    Lucy laughed at her friend’s red face. It was nice to get some payback. 

    Levy narrowed her eyes at her. “Besides, we aren’t talking about him. We’re talking about you and how you were undressing this guy with your eyes earlier!”

    There was a quiet chuckle coming from the pink-headed boy, causing Lucy’s stomach to drop to the floor. Could he understand them? Slowly turning her head towards him, she breathed a sigh of relief as she found him engrossed in his phone. He probably laughed at a funny picture. There was no way he could understand them. If he did, he would’ve said something forever ago.

    “I wasn’t undressing him,” Lucy said, rolling her eyes at her friend’s suggestion. With a playful tone of voice, she joked, “Though I’d like to.”

    The two girls laughed as they moved up a step in line. The store was understaffed today, making each order take longer than usual. Not that Lucy minded. It gave her more time to ogle the gorgeous boy in front of her. Though, all she could see was his backside. 

    “Wow, Lu-chan! That’s pretty bold coming from a virgin!” Levy said.

    Lucy giggled. “What can I say? The pink hair is working for me.”

    “I’m sure those abs are working for you too.”

    “Oh, they are. It’s weird that he isn’t wearing a shirt under his coat, but hey, works for me.” 

    “He is really fit. He’s even more fit than Dan.”

    A groan slipped past the blonde’s lips. “Don’t even bring up Dan. I’m so glad he’s not in our class this semester.”

    “Yeah, he was creepily obsessed with you.”

    “He never got the hint either. Even though I kicked his ass whenever he approached me, he still asked me out every day.”

    “What do you think this guy’s like? You think he’d be creepy like Dan?”

    Lucy studied the boy for a moment before shaking her head. “No. First of all, nobody could be creepy like Dan. Second of all, he seems pretty carefree and easy going  judging from his smile.”

    Levy snickered. “You got all that from a smile?”

    Lucy narrowed her eyes at her friend. “I can just sense it.”

    “I’m telling you, Lu-chan, you should ask him out! I’ve never seen you so curious about someone before!”

    “No way! He probably has a girlfriend already! I mean, look at him!”

    “No way of finding out without asking him!”

    Lucy shook her head. “Nope. Not gonna happen.” They took a step forward in line. She watched as the boy ordered his drink. His voice was heavenly, not too high nor too low. “I may not have the courage to ask him out, but I can definitely keep looking at him. God he’s so hot.”

    “I’m sure that author brain of yours is coming up with some smutty stories right about now.”

    Instead of denying it, Lucy played along, joking, “Oh definitely. My brain is just imagining all the things I would do to him if we were alone together.” 

    The two girls erupted in a fit of giggles, but their laughter was cut short as the boy suddenly turned towards them, drink in hand and a heavy smirk on his face. 

    Lucy quickly shut her mouth, warmth rushing through her body as he stared into her eyes. His gaze was so mesmerizing, she couldn’t tear her eyes away. 

    And then, in perfectly fluent Japanese, the boy spoke.

    “Oh yeah? And what would you do if we were alone together?” he teased, his body shaking as he tried to contain his laughter. 

    A cold chill ran through Lucy’s body, her stomach dropping to the floor as she gawked at the boy in front of her. Her brain was short-circuiting. Her face was set ablaze, her heart pounding wildly in her chest as if she had just finished running a mile.

    “U-Uhh, I uhh…” Lucy stammered, trying to wrack her brain for the right words to say. What could she say? She was just caught red handed talking about him. Her words from before now haunted her. My brain is just imagining all the things I would do to him if we were alone together. How embarrassing! Why in the world would she even say anything like that? “I-I was just kidding!”

The boy laughed as if her mortification amused him. His friend glanced between the two of them, brow raised in confusion.

 “Later, weirdo!” the pink-headed boy said in English, waving to her before heading out the door, his friend following behind.

The two girls were still, trying to comprehend what just happened.

“H-He knew what we were saying this whole time,” Levy murmured, now speaking in English.

Lucy absentmindedly nodded. “Yes. Yes he did.”

“Even when you said-”

“Don’t repeat it!” The red tint in her face deepened as she replayed the situation over and over again in her head. Each time she did, the angrier she had gotten. “Stay here. I’m going to go give that jerk a piece of my mind!” Without waiting for a reply, she was out the door in a hurry to catch up to the boy who had humiliated her. Luckily, he hadn’t gotten too far, only a few feet from the entrance.

Running up to him, she grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him around, planting her hands on her hips to give him a harsh glare. Meeting his gaze, however, was a mistake as it reminded her of how handsome he really was. 

The boy stared right back at her. He was bewildered at first by being suddenly spun around, but once he saw it was her, that playful grin was right back on his face.

“Yo, weirdo!” he greeted with a nonchalant wave. 

His friend glanced between them. “Do you know her, Natsu?”

“Nope. But when we were in there, she was talking about how-”

Lucy shrieked, slapping her hand over his mouth. “Don’t say it!” A squeal slipped past her lips as something wet slid against the palm of her hand. Yanking her hand away, she glared at him. “Did you just lick me!?”

The boy- Natsu, she had figured out thanks to his friend- glared right back at her. “You shouldn’t have covered my mouth!”

    Lucy ignored him, turning to face his friend. Her brows were slanted as she pointed towards the shop. “You, go back inside. I have to talk to your friend.”

    The raven-haired boy held his hands up in surrender. “Whatever.” Not wanting the blonde to take her wrath out on him too, he followed her instructions and went back inside the smoothie shop.

    “Hey look, we’re alone now,” Natsu teased, the smug grin on his face causing a vein to tick in her forehead. “How about you do those things to me now since you never told me what they were earlier?”

    Lucy’s blush deepened, her hands balling into tight fists. “You’re such a jerk!”

    Natsu cocked his head to the side, his bangs sweeping over his forehead as he did. “How am I a jerk? You were the one talkin’ about me behind my back thinkin’ I couldn’t understand you.”

    “W-Well, you could’ve told us from the beginning that you spoke Japanese instead of letting me go on like that!”

    The boy’s grin returned. “Where’s the fun in that?”

Lucy internally swooned at the look he was giving her. All of her anger- her irrational anger- started to melt away at the sight of his carefree smile. She wondered if he knew he could have the world wrapped around his finger with that smile.

“W-Whatever,” Lucy muttered, crossing her arms and turning her back towards him so that he couldn’t see how flustered she was. “I’m going back, jerk.”

As she walked away, a warm hand wrapped around her wrist. Her heart lunged up to her throat as she was spun around to face Natsu. Their faces were close, and all Lucy could think about was how her jokes from before- the ones about wanting to undress him- may not have been jokes after all. An ache grew between her legs as her gaze dropped to see how close his body was to hers, and how she longed to close the space between them.

“You don’t hafta call me that,” he said. When he finally let go of her wrist and shoved his hands in his pockets, she immediately noticed the loss of warmth. “You can call me Natsu, weirdo.”

Warmth spread through her body. “Well… Then you don’t have to call me weirdo. I’m Lucy.”

Natsu grinned at her. “Nice to meet ya, Luce!”

Ignoring the new nickname he had given her, she asked, “You aren’t mad at me?”

The boy arched a brow. “Mad? For what?”

“For the weird stuff I said about you.”

“Oh, you mean the sexual stuff?”

Lucy blushed. Unable to say anything, she simply nodded. 

“Nah, I’m not mad about that,” Natsu assured her, his lips curling into a smirk as he continued, “It was funny. ‘Sides, I think you’re hot too.”

Lucy’s body burned, butterflies swarming around in her belly. With newfound courage, she forced out, “Are… Are you seeing anybody?”

“Nope. I’m single. What about you? I’m guessing you are too considering your friend was telling you to ask me out.”

She nodded shyly. “I am. Do you, uhh, do you want to go out sometime?” 

Natsu’s grin was filled with confidence, but by the light dusting of pink on his cheeks, Lucy could tell that he was nervous too. 

“Sure! Sounds fun!” he answered.

She eyed him skeptically. “Despite what I joked about earlier, I’m not putting out.”

Natsu wasn’t deterred, he only laughed. “Jeez, Luce! You gotta get your head outta the gutter and stop thinking ‘bout that kinda stuff!”

“I just want to make sure you don’t get the wrong idea!”

“I didn’t agree for that, I agreed because you’re weird. But in a good way. You’re funny and I wanna get to know you.”

Lucy swallowed thickly, warmth running through her body. “O-Oh. Good.”

“So? Gonna give me your number?” Natsu asked, handing her his phone. 

“Oh, right!” Quickly putting her number in his contacts, she handed his phone back to him. “I guess we can figure everything out later?”

“Yeah. You should probably get back to your friend. She’s been watching us for a while now.”

Lucy turned around to find Levy’s face pressed against the window in the smoothie shop, spying on them as she stood next to Natsu’s friend. Once the blue-headed girl realized she was caught, she dove away from the window, most likely crashing into something and causing a scene. 

Lucy sighed. “I should’ve known.” Turning back to Natsu, she gave a sheepish grin. “So… I’ll talk to you later?”

Natsu nodded and teasingly replied in Japanese, “Talk to ya later, Lucy. You can tell me next time what you wanted to do to me when we’re alone!”

    Lucy gave him a heavy smirk, her confidence raised. “Why tell you when I can just show you?”

    Natsu immediately shut his mouth, his face burning red. With a wave, Lucy turned and headed back to the smoothie shop, making sure to swing her hips with each step.

    And though she wasn’t planning on putting out, she made sure to make a mental note to buy some new underwear for her date because she had a feeling Natsu was going to be seeing them.

[superfreakerz]

It’s Just Research 1

“It’s Just Research”

Rated M for smut

Summary: AU. After having her smut-filled story criticized for being amateurish, Lucy decides once and for all it’s time to gain some experience in the world of sex. Her best friend, Natsu, agrees to help her with her research. Together, the two explore each other’s bodies, all the while denying their feelings for each other and insisting that they are just doing research. 

Chapter 1

Research

Lucy buried her head in her arms. Every low whistle or soft hum made her want to crawl into a hole and live a solitary life, one away from her friends' nosy vices. All she wanted was a normal girls' night. They could watch romcoms and eat pizza, talk about boys, and then pass out. Unfortunately, her friends had other plans.

Lucy had went to use the bathroom. When she came back, she found the other girls huddled at the dining table, all of them staring at a stack of papers. Their eyes were wide, their faces rosy. And with just a few more seconds of speculating what it was that caught their attention, Lucy figured it out.

It was a new story she had been working on, one that she had planned on taking to her grave. In order to broaden her writing horizons, she was challenging herself with more… mature content.

It had to have been Erza. There was no way Levy or Juvia would go snooping through her stuff. Well, okay maybe. But chances were it was the red-headed demon at fault.

"Wow, Lu-chan…" Levy started. The pink hue in her cheeks hadn't relented even slightly. "This is…"

"Don't say anything!" Lucy cried, slapping her hands over her ears. She wasn't sure she was going to live this one down.

"It isn't too bad," Erza said, rubbing her chin in thought as she read over the last paragraph. "Well, for a virgin that is."

Lucy peeked between her fingers at her friends. Each of them were carrying a different page of her story, analyzing it. Beneath her mortification was the curiosity to know how she had done. Judging by their raised brows and slight frowns, she was beginning to suspect that she didn't do too well.

"Erza is right," Juvia chimed in. "The way you describe some of the positions aren't physically possible."

"And the descriptions used for the orgasms aren't as explosive as they should be," Erza added.

"At least your grammar is on point!" Levy exclaimed, hoping to throw some good criticism into the mix.

Lucy frowned. "Is it really that bad?"

"It just seems a bit amateurish," Erza answered. She was never one to mince words. Her words stung, but Lucy appreciated the honesty. It was the only way she would improve.

"I can't believe it's that bad. I know I'm inexperienced and all, but I figured I could at least imagine what it was like correctly."

"It isn't your fault you're inexperienced!" Levy assured. "You'll experience it eventually."

"Will I? I'm already twenty-one. All of you lost your virginities back in high school! Why am I falling behind?"

"You aren't falling behind, Lu-chan. You're just waiting for the right person! It isn't a race. Just wait for whenever you're ready."

Lucy nodded, but her thoughts hadn't changed. She had always dreamed of a knight in shining armor sweeping her off her feet since she was a little girl. Then high school came and went. Her friends had found their soulmates- though, perhaps she wouldn't call a couple of them knights in shining armor. Still, it was like they were made for each other. And she was left the only single girl in the group.

It didn't bug her too much. She knew that she was still young then. There was all the time in the world to find love. She went to college with all her friends, really focused on writing, and put romance on the backburner. Sure, she had been on a few dates every now and then, but the boys were far from knightly. They were more like hungry beasts, staring at her like she was a piece of meat.

College was supposed to be where she found love, but now she was going to graduate soon and she hadn't even felt a single spark of romance.

Lucy climbed under the covers, staring up at the ceiling. She was tired of waiting for a knight to come along just so that she could lose her virginity. Hell, Cana didn't, and she was one of the happiest people Lucy had ever met.

If her lack of experience was bringing down her writing, then she was going to do some firsthand research.

Lucy heaved a sigh as she unlocked her front door. After a day of grilling exams, the girl was glad to have some down time. Swinging open the door, a vein immediately ticked in her forehead as she found a familiar head of pink at the couch.

"Natsu, what are you doing here?" Lucy asked, dropping her bag to the floor and plopping beside the boy on the couch. This wasn't the first time he had broken into her apartment, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

Lucy had met Natsu and the rest of their group in high school. She was the new girl after finally getting her father's permission to go to a public school. It was rough at first. Most people didn't take the time out of their day to greet her, and the ones who did were all perverted boys whose eyes were locked to her chest.

All except for Natsu.

When he saw her sitting alone for lunch, he sat right beside her with a cheery grin and started talking to her as if he'd known her his whole life. She was taken aback at first, but it was impossible not to melt right into the conversation. Soon enough, the rest of the gang sat with them and they all had been close friends ever since.

Natsu was not only her first friend, he was her best friend.

"Yo, Luce!" the boy greeted with a toothy grin. "Took ya long enough."

"You know I have to walk home."

Natsu shrugged. "You usually walk faster."

Lucy averted her gaze, her cheeks burning red. She did take longer to walk home that day because she was walking home with a classmate, Hibiki. They talked every day in class, he was good looking, and he was more than experienced. She figured he would be the perfect partner in her research.

So, she asked him to walk with her, which he so enthusiastically accepted. The more time they spent together walking home, the more Lucy realized that he wasn't the right one. She wasn't sure what she based that decision off of, but she felt it in her gut.

"Maybe I should just do it with a stranger," she thought. At least that way she wouldn't have to deal with the embarrassment of seeing the guy again.

"Lucy? Hello? You there?" Natsu asked, waving a hand in front of her face, causing her to jump.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry."

"You okay, Lucy?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Natsu studied her, giving her all his attention. His onyx eyes bore into hers. She tried to act nonchalant, but she knew that within the few short seconds of him analyzing her, he figured out that something was on her mind. He was always able to read her like an open book.

"No you aren't. What's wrong?" Natsu asked, his face serious. He was usually carefree, but there was another side of him he reserved specifically for her. A side that, if she was being honest with herself, made her feel special.

Lucy sighed. She was not about to talk about her romantic life with Natsu. Doing that felt… strange. "I just had a bad day," she said, leaving out the key details. Standing up so she could avoid his piercing gaze, she went to the cupboard and grabbed two cups and a bottle of vodka. She wasn't much of a drinker, but thanks to Cana, her apartment always had at least one emergency bottle of booze.

Natsu stood from the couch, his brows shooting up towards his hairline. "That bad?"

"Alright, more like a couple of bad days."

"I'll get the orange juice."

After grabbing everything they needed, they returned to the couch. Natsu took to making the drinks. He filled one cup with solely vodka. The other, he put just a sliver of booze and filled the rest with orange juice. Not only did Lucy not like the taste of alcohol, but she was also a lightweight. He wouldn't be surprised if that tiny sliver alone got her tipsy.

Lucy thanked Natsu for the drink before downing it in one go. She was glad he knew her go-to drink, just as he knew her go-to ice cream and pizza and… Well, he knew everything there was to know about her.

As Natsu poured her another drink, Lucy peeked at him in the corner of her eye. His pink bangs were flat against his head. His strange coat- the one she always teased him for- was left open as always, revealing a perfectly chiseled torso.

Either the small sips of alcohol were already having their way with her, or she had just gone insane because there was no way in hell she was looking at Natsu that way. He was her best friend! That was all, despite what everyone else thought. Things were perfect the way they were, she wasn't going to go jeopardizing that over some silly research.

Or at least that's what she thought when she was only two shots in. Being given a few more drinks, the line between them began to blur.

Gnawing on her lower lip, Lucy watched him pour another drink. She'd never noticed it before, but even his hand was sexy. How could a hand be sexy? Lucy had no clue, but it was.

"So, wanna tell me why you're upset now?" Natsu asked, handing her the drink.

Lucy's fingertips burned as they brushed against Natsu's. She shook her head frantically. There was no way in hell she was going to tell him now that the damn alcohol was making her crazy.

"C'mon, Luce!" Natsu whined. "We tell each other everything!"

"Well this one's a bit more personal this time. It's girl stuff."

"Girl stuff? Your period doesn't start for another week."

Lucy slapped him upside the head. "Stop remembering when my period starts, pervert!"

"Oi! That doesn't make me a pervert!" Natsu replied. Rubbing his head with a pout, he continued, "If it's not that, then what is it?"

"I'm not telling you."

"Why not!?"

"Because!"

"Because why?"

"Because it's embarrassing and you wouldn't understand!"

Natsu cocked his head to the side. "Wouldn't understand? Just tell me what it is, Luce. I promise I won't make any jokes."

Lucy's face was set ablaze from the look he was giving her, and she knew it wasn't just from the alcohol.

"O-Okay," she said, taking a deep breath. "But you have to promise not to laugh or judge me!"

"'Course I won't do that, weirdo."

Lucy tried maintaining eye contact, but that only lasted a few seconds as she felt too vulnerable and embarrassed. Playing with the hem of her shirt, she tried to gather the courage to speak. Grabbing her shot glass, she poured herself some liquid courage and downed it all, this time without any orange juice.

"I'm trying to have sex," she said, her gaze pointed at the table. Even though she couldn't see Natsu's face, she could just feel the stunned expression he was giving her. "Erza and the others found a mature story I wrote and criticized the way that I wrote a sex scene because it was too amateurish. So I want to have sex so I can finally have some experience. That's why I was late today. I was trying to see if someone in my class would be a good fit. He wasn't. Now I think I'm going to try with some stranger to just get it over with. And before you start judging me, I know what you're going to say. That I should wait or whatever. But I don't want to wait anymore. I want to do it. F-For my writing, of course."

Moments passed by, neither of them saying a word. Natsu's jaw hung on its hinges, his mind still processing what she said.

After a few more minutes of silence he managed to choke out a simple, "Oh."

"I knew you wouldn't understand!"

"Sorry, I don't," Natsu said with a shrug. "I don't see why you would go to a stranger for it."

Lucy glanced at him. "You're not weirded out by the other parts?"

"I've known you since high school. I've gotten used to how weird you are, Lucy. Which is why I also know that you shouldn't go to some stranger for that stuff. You've always talked about how important that stuff is to you."

Lucy swallowed thickly as she stared up at him. He was right. He did know her. Better than most. He knew her favorite drink, her favorite ice cream, he knew everything there was to know about her.

"W-What about you?"

Natsu's eyes turned the size of golf-balls as he stared at her. She refused to meet his gaze as she squirmed in her seat.

"W-Wait, what?" he asked. He must not have heard her right. There was no way in hell she was asking him to take her virginity. But alas…

"What about you?" Lucy repeated, forcing herself to meet his gaze. "You said that I shouldn't do it with some stranger because it's too important to me. And you're right. You aren't just some stranger. You are my best friend. You know me better than anyone. I want it to be you."

"All this for your writing?"

Lucy nodded, steeling her resolve. Though in truth, it was mainly for herself. She was tired of being inexperienced. Tired of not understanding what the other girls talked about on girls' night. She just wanted to get it over with already. The fact that it would help her with her writing was just an added bonus.

"You don't have to if you don't want to."

Natsu didn't know what to say. Of course he wanted to. Unbeknownst to his smart-but-dense best friend, he'd wanted to for a long time. He'd even dreamt of it. But he wasn't sure he could do it in these circumstances.

"I-I think you've had too much to drink," he said, moving the vodka away from her.

Lucy shook her head. "I'm sober enough to know what I'm saying."

"L-Lucy, I don't wanna mess anything up between us. You're my best friend too."

Lucy shook her head again. She just couldn't accept that answer. It was either he wanted to or he didn't. And if he didn't, she would accept his answer without protest.

Something burned within Lucy. Never before had she felt so ready to give herself to another person. She wanted it bad.

"Can I try something?" she whispered, leaning closer to him.

Natsu swallowed thickly. Lucy's face was just inches from his. She peeked up at him with her beautiful brown orbs, her golden hair was slightly messy from the long day, and her lips were pink and plump.

"O-Okay," he answered, the word fumbling out of his mouth before he could think it over.

Lucy nodded gratefully before leaning towards him. Their breaths fanned each other's faces, their hearts pounding erratically in their chests. Their lips brushed against each other before they both delved deep into their desires and gave themselves to each other. Their lips washed against each other like waves, quickly finding a perfect rhythm.

Natsu's lips were hot against hers. Having known him for a while, she knew that he had never kissed anyone before- which was surprising seeing as how naturally it came to him. One of his hands rested on her cheek while the other cupped the back of her head, pulling her deeper into the kiss.

Pulling away only for air, Lucy pressed her forehead against Natsu's. Both of them were breathless, staring into each other's hooded eyes. Lust pooled in both of their eyes, making it clear how badly they both wanted it.

"You promise it won't ruin anything between us?" Natsu whispered. "Because I can't lose you. You're my best friend."

Lucy nodded. "I would never let it ruin our friendship."

"And you're sure you aren't just drunk?"

"Positive."

Natsu nodded. His cheeks matched his hair, and Lucy wasn't sure if it was from the situation or the alcohol.

"Okay," he said, the husky tenure of his voice bringing a shiver to Lucy's body. "I'm in."

Part of Lucy wanted to thank him, but with her fervent haste, there just wasn't any time for that. Crashing her lips against his, Lucy melted into him and the kiss. She trailed her fingers up to his biceps, squeezing the tight muscles. A shiver washed over her as Natsu's hands began their own exploration as well, starting from her shoulders and slowly moving to her hips.

Wanting to be even closer, Lucy positioned herself on his lap. Feeling something hard beneath her, she instinctively rolled her hips against it.

Natsu's jaw clenched as pleasure shot through him from the single movement. Taking a deep breath, he tightened his hold on Lucy's hips.

Lucy slowly grazed her fingertips over Natsu's abs, mentally thanking the heavens for his strange habit of not wearing a shirt under his coat. His abs were so perfectly chiseled, she could feel the indentations of each one. As her fingers moved lower and lower, a ball of anticipation formed in the pit of her stomach. The area between her thighs ached as her fingers brushed against the hem of his joggers.

Natsu pulled away from Lucy's lips only to sink his own over her neck. A soft mewl escaped the girl's lips, causing a wave of excitement to wash over him. He didn't really know what he was doing. He was only doing what he'd heard about or seen in the movies. Luckily, it seemed he was doing it right judging by the quiet noises she made and the way she arched her body against his.

Lucy's eyes rolled in the back of her head as Natsu's lips worked wonders over her neck. Her hands trembled with pleasure as she slid them underneath his coat before taking it off of him. Through half-lidded eyes, she gazed at his shirtless form, her tongue sliding over her lips.

"Like what you see?" Natsu joked.

Lucy rolled her eyes. She should've known that even in a moment as intimate as this one, he would still tease her. She wouldn't have had it any other way.

"I see you shirtless nearly every day," she replied, taking a moment to catch her breath.

"Yeah, but you've never looked at me like that."

He was right. She never looked at him that way before, only seeing him as her best friend. Now, she wished she could go back in time and really appreciate the view.

"There's a lot of things I haven't done before. That's the point of this, isn't it?" Lucy asked, her lips curling into a grin.

Her eyes widened as she felt something twitch below her.

"M-My bad," Natsu said, giving her a sheepish grin. He couldn't help it. The way she looked at him and confidently spoke all the while sitting on his lap made it harder to rein in his body's urges.

"You don't have to apologize."

Not wanting to lose any momentum, Lucy gripped the hem of her shirt. Her nerves were starting to return, embarrassed about stripping in front of Natsu. But she knew what she wanted and she wasn't going to let her embarrassment stop her from getting it.

Throwing caution to the wind, she tore her shirt off, leaving her clad in a pink, lacy bra.

Natsu swallowed thickly. He'd seen Lucy in a bra before. Hell, he'd even seen her naked before thanks to his lack of boundaries. But never before had he seen Lucy's breasts practically spilling out of her bra right in front of his face.

Acting on his desire, he reached out and grabbed one of her breasts. As Lucy squirmed in his lap and grinded over him, he found the urge to touch her irresistible. Sliding his hand beneath her bra, he grazed his fingertips against her hardened nipple. A soft moan slipped past Lucy's lips as she arched against him.

Natsu's hands snaked around Lucy so that he could unhook her bra. It took him a few seconds to get it, but when he did, he wasted no time in tearing it off. Gazing at Lucy's bare breasts, he swallowed thickly. He always knew they were big, but seeing them this close up was a game changer.

Lucy studied Natsu's features, waiting for him to say something. When he didn't, she started to worry. Did she not look good? Gnawing on her lower lip, she crossed her arms over her chest, shielding herself from him.

In the blink of an eye, her arms were pinned at her sides.

"N-Natsu?" she asked.

"Don't hide yourself," he replied, his gaze serious. She could see the hunger that swirled in his onyx orbs. Hunger for her.

"Okay."

"You're hot as fuck, and I'm gonna try to prove that to you."

Without giving her time to reply, Natsu closed his lips around one of Lucy's nipples, eliciting a loud moan from the girl as she leaned into it. His mouth was hot against her flesh, sucking and licking the sensitive nub.

Lucy's hands fisted his hair, tugging on it. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to quiet the sounds that were coming out of her. But with every lick brought another moan that she couldn't control. She rolled her hips against him, trying to put out the fire between her legs but it wasn't enough. The knot in the pit of her stomach grew with each second.

"N-Natsu," she breathed out.

He pulled away to meet her gaze. She was gnawing on her lower lip as she stared back at him, lust shining in her brown orbs. He nodded, not needing to hear what she wanted. He already knew, and he wanted it just as badly.

Grabbing her below her thighs, Natsu carried her into the bedroom, placing her on the bed. Shimmying out of his pants, he watched as Lucy did the same, his cock throbbing in excitement. His gaze immediately fell on her pink underwear, his tongue darting out to lick his lips.

"You know, we're gonna need to take those off to continue," Natsu said, his voice husky and low.

Lucy squirmed under his gaze. "I know. I'm just a little embarrassed. You know, it might help if you take yours off too..."

Natsu didn't need to think twice, quickly tearing off his boxers. His cock sprang free, capturing the girl's attention. He was never one to be embarrassed.

Lucy stared at his cock, eyeing its length. Admittedly, she didn't know what was considered big, but she had a strong feeling he was. She'd seen glimpses of it before, but she never got the chance to stare at it like this.

"Your turn," Natsu reminded her.

Lucy swallowed thickly, nodding before she hooked her thumbs on the hem of her underwear before pulling them off. Her face burned bright red under his attentive gaze. She could see his eyes glazing over every inch of her body.

"W-Wow, Luce," Natsu breathed out. She could tell by the twitch of his cock that her body got him aroused.

"W-Well? Are we going to do this thing?" Lucy asked, trying to mask her nerves with feigned confidence. Being naked in front of Natsu was a little embarrassing, but it didn't take away her excitement for what was to come.

"You don't wanna back out now?" Natsu asked. He wanted Lucy to be one hundred percent sure before they continued.

She shook her head. "Not at all. I'm ready."

With that, they were done talking. Natsu slid his hand into hers, guiding her towards the bed. Gently laying her down, he positioned himself between her legs. His eyes glazed over Lucy, admiring the way her golden hair was splayed below her, the flush of her cheeks, and the warmth of her eyes. He was always able to read her through her chocolate brown eyes. They were mixed with excitement and nervousness, the same way he was feeling.

He leaned forward and melted his lips with hers, hoping to drive away her nerves. When he felt her relax against him, he slowly lowered his hips, guiding himself to her. His shaft slid against her folds, eliciting a sharp breath from Lucy.

"Does it hurt?" Natsu asked, about to withdraw.

"Not at all. I just wasn't expecting it to be so warm. It feels good," Lucy answered. "I'm ready, Natsu."

Nodding, the boy continued. Making sure to keep her stimulated, he ran kisses along her collarbone while slowly pushing forward. As he grazed her entrance, he lowered his lips onto her breasts again, working his tongue over the hardened nubs. He made sure to go slowly, knowing that he could hurt her if he went to fast.

Lucy's eyes squeezed shut as she could feel Natsu slowly sinking into her. She'd heard war stories of girls' first times and how much it hurt, but in her case, it wasn't so bad. As he pushed deeper, there was a slight pinch of pain, but it was over before she knew it. Releasing a shaky breath, she allowed herself to relax as the fun part began.

Natsu's hands tightened on Lucy's shoulders. Her body was hot, and he understood what Lucy had meant earlier about the heat feeling good. Slowly pulling out, he gnawed on his lower lip to keep from moaning as she tightened around him, clinging and tugging onto his shaft. As he began to push forward again, Lucy's hands splayed onto his back, pulling him closer to her.

His cock throbbed with each steady thrust, and he could tell that with each passing second, Lucy was relaxing more and more. Wanting to make her first time memorable, he began to experiment to see what pleased her.

He started to go faster, all the while trying to keep a lid on his own body's urges. As he thrusted in and out of her, he pulled his head back to look at Lucy. Her eyes were squeezed shut, her mouth parted open. He could hear her breathing start to pick up. He watched as her breasts bounced with each thrust. His cock throbbed with arousal at the sight.

Wanting to change things up, he began to move in circles inside of her. His ears perked as Lucy let out a soft moan. Hands tightening around her shoulders, he slid deeper inside of her, groaning at how tight she was around him.

Lucy raked her fingers along Natsu's back, her eyes rolling back in her head. With each roll of his hips, he went deeper and deeper inside of her. Every inch of her was being explored as he moved in circles, stretching her walls. Wanting more, she wrapped her legs around his torso and brought him deeper inside of her. A breathy moan slipped past her lips before she clamped her teeth over them to try to keep quiet.

But with each thrust, pleasure pulsed within her, making it impossible to refrain from moaning. The pleasure began to build up, her toes beginning to curl. Fisting the bedsheets, she arched her body against Natsu, pushing her breast harder against his mouth. As his tongue ran over her nipple and his cock pounded into her, a wave of pleasure washed over her, her body trembling. His name slipped past her lips, crying it out as he continued to explore her body even after her orgasm. Her body felt like electricity was coursing through her veins. It felt like she was having an out-of-body experience.

Natsu gnawed on his lower lip, watching as Lucy quivered beneath him. Sweat dotted her face and her mouth was still open from screaming his name. He replayed that moment over and over again in his head, savoring the moment. Picking up the pace, he felt all his nerves from before disappear. He went harder and harder, groaning each time. And finally, the dam broke.

His knees locked as pleasure shot through his body. His breaths were ragged, his hair was plastered to his face, and his body shook as much as Lucy's. He rode out his orgasm, chasing the feeling until he no longer could.

Pulling out, he collapsed onto the bed beside Lucy. The two of them were panting messes, their legs tangled under the sheets.

"Well? How was your research?" Natsu asked once he regained control of his breathing.

Lucy, having forgotten the reasoning behind their sexual endeavours, replied, "Oh, right. It was amazing, actually. I kinda understand some of what the other girls were talking about now."

"Really? Does that mean it was good?"

"Better than good," Lucy answered, turning her head to give him a smile. "What about you? I hope you benefited from this too."

Natsu chuckled. "Benefited? Yeah, I guess you could say that."

Lucy blushed. "G-Good."

The two laid there in silence. The alcohol had long since worn off, and now that they weren't doing any research, Lucy struggled coming up with things to say- which never happened when she was around Natsu.

"S-So, uhh…" she started, begging her mind to come up with something.

Natsu seemed to be having the same issue as he replied, "So…"

Minutes passed by, neither of them saying a word.

"W-Well, I should go shower now," Lucy said. She felt bad about kicking him out, but now that the lust in the air was replaced with tension thick enough to cut with a knife, she felt she needed to escape the situation.

"Right, I should too," Natsu replied. As he stood up from the bed, he noticed Lucy wrapping herself with the blanket in the corner of his eye, hiding his body from her. He had to admit, it stung a little after what they had just done. Quickly throwing on his clothes, he plastered a smile to his face and waved to Lucy. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, tomorrow," Lucy replied, watching Natsu leave. Once he was gone, she sighed in relief. She didn't know what was wrong with her. She was the one who asked him to do it, not to mention it felt amazing, so why did she feel so strange about it now?

Heading to the bathroom, she turned on the shower, allowing the water to run over her body. As she stood there drowning in her thoughts, all she could hope for was that her friendship with Natsu remained intact.

[superfreakerz]

CONGRATS ON THE 1000 FOLLOWERS💖💖💖💖💖💖 AND I SAW YOU WERE OPENING REQUESTS. So could i request sleepy nalu cuddles? :3c

Thank you so much!!!! :D I HOPE YOU LIKE!! It’s a drabble, but as I was writing it I felt like less is more!

“Cozy”

Rated K

Summary: Natsu slips through Lucy’s window for a night of cuddles, pushing the boundary between them.

Cozy

Lucy’s eyes fluttered open as she heard her window creak open above her bed. She didn’t need to turn and look to know who it was inviting themselves into her home in the wee hours of the night. A gust of wind washed over her as he jumped through the window, landing just beside the bed.

With her mind still muddled after just waking up, Lucy didn’t bother to remind Natsu that he wasn’t supposed to break in through her window. She knew that he wouldn’t listen anyways. After being friends with him for years, she’d long since accepted his presence next to her nearly every night.

It wasn’t like she truly minded. He was like her own little heater. And it helped to know that he didn’t break into just anyone’s houses. No, he only broke into hers.

A smile ghosted her face as she felt the covers being lifted. Natsu gently climbed into bed, giving an inch of space between them as he settled.

Lucy had mixed feelings towards that inch of space. On the one hand, she was grateful for it. She knew that if one of them were to cross the unspoken boundary, her relationship with Natsu would be changed forever. They were more than friends, less than lovers. That was how it’d always been, and it was probably going to stay that way whether she wanted it to or not.

On the other hand, she had dreamt of resting her head over his chest while he held her in his arms many times. She could only imagine his warm hands wrapped around her, and their limbs tangled in a ball of comfort.

Once Natsu finished settling in, Lucy became very aware of his presence. He must’ve thought that she was sleeping since he hadn’t said a word yet. Pulling her mind out of the hazy fog it had been in thanks to just waking up, she flipped onto her other side to face him.

“How many times do I have to tell you not to break into my apartment?” she asked, her voice hushed.

Natsu momentarily startled but relaxed at the sight of her smile. It was bright enough to light up the dark room.

“I didn’t know you were awake,” he said, laying on his side to face her.

“Well, I am. And now I’m telling you to go.”

“Oh, c'mon. You don’t mean that.”

“Yes, I do.”

Natsu’s lips curled up into a carefree grin, causing Lucy’s stomach to flutter. That damn smile was always the one to do her in. He must’ve known the power behind it. He could easily have her, and the rest of the world, wrapped around his finger with it.

Natsu lifted his hand and brushed a lock of her hair behind her. His onyx eyes, so deep and inviting, pierced her soul as they bore into hers. They gazed into each other’s eyes, their breaths fanning each other’s faces.

There was something about their muted setting that seemed so romantic to Lucy. With the moonlight peeking through her curtains and washing over Natsu’s face, she took him all in. His bangs were flat against his forehead and his chin was tucked beneath his scarf. The carefree grin from before had morphed into something more serious, making her inwardly swoon.

“Do you really want me to go?” Natsu asked, his voice quiet in the night.

Lucy’s gut coiled at the raspy edge of his voice. The words that were on the tip of her tongue disappeared, leaving her to shake her head.

No, she didn’t want him to go.

The carefree grin from before popped back onto his face as he smiled at her.

“Good, because I’m tired as hell,” he said. “I wasn’t gonna leave anyways.”

“It’s a good thing I never want you to leave then,” Lucy replied, peeking up at him through her lashes. She could make out the pink dusting his cheeks thanks to the moonlight. Cracking a yawn, she scooted closer to him, finally getting rid of that damned gap. Perhaps she wasn’t thinking straight thanks to her deliriousness, but at the moment, she didn’t care if her relationship with Natsu changed. If anything, she welcomed it with open arms as long as it meant she could lay by his side like this every night.

Luckily, Natsu didn’t comment on her newfound courage. Instead, he slid his arm underneath her head, allowing her to rest on him. With his other hand, he gently traced his fingers over her shoulder.

Lucy’s eyes grew heavy as she snuggled closer to him, indulging in his warmth. With a pleased hum, she laid her head on his chest and snaked her leg over his, wringing them together. She could hear Natsu’s heartbeat clear as day, proof that they had survived yet another one of Fairy Tail’s debacles.

Natsu cracked a yawn as he ran his fingers through Lucy’s hair. It was smooth as silk. He could feel Lucy’s leg tangled around his, her fingers splayed against his stomach, and her lips curled into a smile on his chest. He breathed in her scent, a mixture of honey and lavender thanks to her shampoo. It was heavenly. He rested his hand on her back, rubbing soft circles over her shirt.

“G'night, Lucy,” he whispered.

“Goodnight, Natsu,” she mumbled in reply.

She listened to the pounding of his heart and dozed off to sleep, entangled with him underneath the covers, just as she had always dreamed of.

[superfreakerz]

Tied Up and Horny

This is for the Star Dress collaboration held by the @kuroshironekoserver​ Basically, we all choose a star dress and write some smut inspired by it hehe. Mine's Capricorn! :D And shoutout to @bmarvels​ for the hilarious title lmao.

"Tied Up and Horny"

Rated M for smut.

Summary: Restraining Natsu to a chair and cutting off his magic, Lucy interrogates him for information the best way she knows how.

Tied Up and Horny

Lucy gave a pleasant sigh, stepping out of the shower and wrapping a towel around herself. Wiping some of the steam off her mirror, the girl smiled at herself. It was something that she always did after a shower in a way to boost confidence, and a long, steamy shower was just what she needed after their last job.

Lucy and the rest of her team were sent to Oak Town to find out who was starting fires all over the place. The culprit always managed to flee the crime without leaving a speck of a clue behind, which meant they had to do some hard interrogating once they narrowed the suspects down. After fighting a group of bandits and troublemakers, they took them back to an investigation room, chained them up with restraints that cut off their magic, and let Erza handle the rest. It only took a couple of minutes for the red headed demon to wrangle the truth out of the arsonist. But after all of the fighting, Lucy had worked up quite a sweat, which was why she indulged herself in a nearly hour-long shower.

The girl stepped out of the bathroom, a bellow of steam following behind. There was nothing better than a cup of cold milk after a hot shower. Making her way into the kitchen, she went to open the fridge when a pair of warm hands squeezed her thighs and pulled her against something firm.

Lucy squealed, glancing over her shoulder to find Natsu giving her a shit-eating grin. He had pulled her back against him.

"Hey, Lucy," he said, his eyes glazing over her. His eyes zeroed in on a drop of water rolling down her neck. His tongue darted out, licking his lips.

"Natsu!" Lucy cried, very aware of the hard feeling prodding her bum. "What are you doing here? Don't sneak up on me like that!"

The boy cackled, finally releasing his hold on her. "Happy wanted to flirt with Charle, so I came here to check up on you. You've been in the shower forever!"

"It was only a couple minutes."

"In what world was that a couple minutes?"

Lucy waved him off, continuing her pursuit for a glass of milk. Opening the fridge, she buzzed in excitement, searching for the jug.

Only to find that it was missing.

"What happened to all the milk? There was a full jug just yesterday!" she whined, planting her hands on her hips.

Natsu tensed, feigning a grin as he shrugged. "I-I don't know. You must've drank it all!" If there was one thing he knew about Lucy, it was that she took her weird, post-shower traditions seriously. There was no way in hell he was going to let her find out that he drank all the milk because Gray bet him he couldn't finish the jug in less than a minute. Especially when he lost the bet.

Lucy arched a brow, turning to face her boyfriend. The sweat dripping down his forehead and his jittery demeanor gave it away. Something was up.

"I didn't drink it all," she said, narrowing her eyes at him. "You did!"

"Did not!"

"Did too! That's why you're acting funny! Admit it!"

"No way! You have no proof!"

Lucy glared at him. Her eyes darted towards the table where her keys rested. Natsu followed her gaze, a grin spread over his face.

"Oh? You wanna fight about it?" he asked. He lit his fists up in flames. "Sounds good to me! It's been a while since we sparred! I'm all fired up!"

Lucy snatched her keys. "I'm going to make you admit that you drank all the milk!" Placing a key to her chest, a light enveloped her body. As it died down, she was left adorning Capricorn's Star Dress.

Natsu's groin twitched in excitement as he glazed his eyes over her form, starting at the choker around her neck that went down to her ample breasts. They were practically spilling out of the small cups that were meant to cover them. His eyes followed the path of her dress, which delved between her legs and showed off a hefty amount of her creamy skin. The shades, the thigh-high boots, and the horns also stirred a hunger within him.

"Quit staring at me like that," Lucy said. She was all too familiar with that gleam in his eyes. It always made her weak in the legs and led to them clumsily making their way to the bed where he would bend her over and make her his. But not this time. This was a battle for justice!

Natsu's lips curled upwards into a smirk. "How about you come over here and make me?"

Lucy narrowed her eyes at him before lunging towards him. With Capricorn's Star Dress, her strength was only enhanced a little bit compared to Taurus' form. However, it did give her one drastic advantage…

Natsu found this form hot as hell. And she was going to make sure she used that to her advantage.

Natsu dodged every attack that came his way, also making sure to avoid any furniture. Her apartment wasn't the most ideal place for a sparring match, but hey, he wasn't one to care. Especially when he got to watch Lucy break a sweat.

He always loved watching Lucy fight. Watching her kicking ass and taking names, not to mention how fluid her movements were. It always made his stomach coil with excitement.

As Lucy threw a punch his way, Natsu caught her wrist with ease, leaning towards her and giving her a smug grin.

"Looks like I'm gonna win this round, Luce," he teased. His eyes darted towards her chest, where her breasts were deliciously pushed together thanks to the tight dress she wore. Oh how he wished to push his face between them and help himself.

Lucy bit back a smirk, watching as Natsu got distracted. That slipup was all she needed to gain the upper hand. Snatching her hand out of his grasp, she dropped to the floor and swept his legs out from under him.

Natsu yelped and landed on the floor with a loud thud. Before he could recover, Lucy skillfully cracked her whip and wrapped it around his arms. She tightened it, making sure that he couldn't escape. Well, he could always burn it off, but she knew he wouldn't do that to her favorite whip.

Especially since he loved when she used it in the bedroom.

Lucy glanced around the room, her eyes finding the object she was looking for on the table. Dragging Natsu to the chair by the table, she sat him on it. She grabbed the chains that they used on their last job- the ones that stripped away a person's magic- and chained his arms behind the chair and his ankles its legs. Once she was finished, she stepped away to admire her work.

Natsu sat grumpily in the chair, a pout resting on his face. He was never one for losing. But the battle wasn't over yet! He still hadn't admitted to drinking the rest of her milk, and he'd be damned if he gave in now just because of some lousy chains.

Lucy stood in front of him, planting her hands over her hips. She glared at him through her sunglasses.

"Care to tell me the truth now, Natsu?" she asked.

"I ain't tellin' you nothin'!" he shot back in defiance.

Lucy smirked at him, crossing her arms beneath her chest. Raising one leg, she propped it next to him on the chair, her Star Dress slipping between the gap between her legs and nearly giving Natsu a peek at her underwear.

"You sure about that?" she said.

Natsu swallowed thickly, his eyes staring at the area where her dress started to slip. His groin twitched in excitement, wishing that the dress would move some more and show him what kind of underwear the Star Dress came with.

Shaking his head, Natsu fortified himself and forced his gaze upwards to meet Lucy's.

"I didn't drink it," he lied, giving her a teasing grin.

Lucy's brows slanted in annoyance, but she recovered smoothly. "Oh yeah? We'll see how long you can keep that charade up."

Kneeling in front of him, Lucy brought her fingers to the hem of his pants. The corners of her lips twitched upwards into a coy grin as she felt Natsu tense under her touch and saw him gulp. That was just the reaction she was looking for.

Sliding his pants down his legs, she let them fall around his ankles in a heap. Eyeing the tent formed in his boxers, she licked her lips.

"Lucy, what do you think you're doing?" Natsu choked out. His groin was throbbing in excitement, and he wasn't sure how long he'd hold up. His confidence in winning was beginning to go down the drain.

"Oh, nothing," Lucy chirped in reply. She traced her fingers up his thighs and over the thin layer of his boxers. Every time she got close to his bulge, she changed directions to keep him wanting more. It was exhilarating to have the power. She was going to use all of it.

"Want to tell me what happened to the milk now?" Lucy asked, peeking up at him.

Natsu shook his head quickly. He wasn't going to lose! "No way!"

Lucy shrugged. "Okay."

She slid her hand over his bulge and freed his cock through the hole of his boxers. It sprung free, its length bringing a hungry gleam to her eyes. Tracing her finger over his shaft, she watched him shudder from her touch.

"What about now?"

"N-Never!"

Lucy wrapped her hands around his length, her fingers smoothing over its vein. She had always loved the velvety texture of his skin. She began to lightly pump up and down, keeping her grip loose to warm up.

Not wanting him to enjoy it too much- this was an interrogation, after all- Lucy stopped her movements, leaving him thirsty for more.

"Lucy," Natsu gritted out, his voice dark and low. "Let me out of these chains."

"Are you going to admit that you drank all the milk?"

"No!"

"Then nope," Lucy said with a shrug.

Her gaze fell back to his cock, her tongue poking out to wet her lips. Leaning over him on her knees, Lucy grabbed his shaft with her hand and pulled his cock closer to her. She pressed her lips against his shaft, leaving butterfly kisses.

She could feel Natsu shaking in his seat. It was driving him crazy.

Lucy's tongue darted out, sliding over his shaft. She could hear a soft groan slip past Natsu's lips as she worked her tongue on him. She kissed the tip before opening her mouth and sliding his length inside.

"Lucy!" Natsu shouted, shaking the chair. "Let me out already!"

Lucy ignored him, continuing with the task at hand. Tightening her mouth around his shaft, she bobbed her head up and down, stretching his sensitive skin with each movement. She moved slowly and didn't push his cock in too deep, knowing that he would burst if she did. She couldn't have that happening.

Natsu groaned, trying to thrust his hips so that he could go deeper within her mouth. She was toying with him. He knew that. And it was working.

"Lucy, this is your last chance-!"

She tugged on him hard before removing her mouth with a pop. Her lips curled into a victorious grin. "Or what? You're all chained up, Natsu. The ball's in my court."

Lucy was about to resume her oral ministrations when another thought came to mind. Leaning over him, she pressed his cock between her breasts and squeezed them together.

Natsu went still as a rock, watching as Lucy continued to massage her breasts around his dick. That had always been a fantasy of his, and it was exceeding his expectations by far. Just watching her large mounds moving against him was driving him wild.

A low growl resonated deep in his throat. His hands balled into tight fists behind him as Lucy brought him closer and closer to the edge of climax. His breaths were ragged, his toes curling from sheer ecstasy.

"You know," Lucy's voice called out to him. He tore his eyes away from the delicious sight of her pleasing him to meet her gaze. A mischievous grin rested on her face as she stopped her movements, leaving him on the brink of climax. "If you just admit what happened, I'll let you finish. And I'll let you finish however you want." As if trying to make her point clear, she squeezed his cock between her breasts once more.

"Lucy," he panted out, narrowing his eyes at her. "You're startin' a war that you don't wanna start."

Lucy angled her head to the side, propping her finger under his chin and lifting his gaze. "Oh, Natsu. Don't you know? It's not a war if its one-sided." She sighed, her eyes traveling towards his cock. "Guess we'll have to keep doing this the hard way."

Lucy was about to slide his cock between her breasts again when there was a sudden clink. In the blink of an eye, she was tackled back onto the floor as Natsu hovered over her and caged her between his arms and legs. He pinned her arms above her head. Her eyes were wide, mouth parted as she stared up at him.

"H-How did you escape!?" she asked, her voice shrill.

Natsu gave her a sly grin, leaning his face closer to hers. "C'mon, Luce. You really think a couple of chains are gonna keep me away from you? I don't need my magic to get out of those."

"Then why didn't you break out right away?"

"You kidding? I got to just sit back and watch you pleasure me, like hell I'm gonna pass that up."

"Why are you stopping now then?"

Natsu tightened his hold on her wrists, his eyes dropping down to her breasts. "I got tired of being the only one gettin' teased. It's time to return the favor."

Lucy opened her mouth to reply when Natsu crashed his lips against hers. Her eyes fluttered closed as she wrapped her legs around his torso, bringing him against her. His lips left hers, only to find purchase on her neck. He sucked on her flesh fervently, leaving red marks in his wake.

Natsu pulled away, a proud grin resting on his face as he studied the hickeys.

"Looks like you're gonna have to wear my scarf for a while," he said.

"I don't care," Lucy replied, her voice airy. Her arms snaked around his neck, bringing him down onto her again.

Natsu's cock slid over the thin fabric of her Star Dress. Rolling his hips against her, he bit his lip to keep from groaning. After being on the edge of climax for the past twenty minutes, it was getting hard to hold back.

Lucy raked her fingers over Natsu's back as she grinded against him. The warmth he provided was enough to make her gut coil instantly. Still, as great as that was, her back was starting to burn from the friction between her and the carpet.

"Why don't we take this to the bed," Lucy suggested. "And no more teasing. I want you in me now."

Natsu didn't need to be told twice. Sure, he wanted to get some payback after her teasing from earlier, but he also wanted to hear her screaming his name. He picked both of them up, his hands on her bum as he carried her towards the bed. He plopped onto the end of the bed, sitting her on his lap. His cock was firm within her folds, this time her dress out of the way. To his surprise, she wasn't wearing any underwear.

"The Star Dress doesn't come with underwear?" he asked.

"No. I don't usually use my Star Dress straight out the shower," she replied. "Now hurry up and put it in me because I have been waiting for this moment all day."

Natsu grinned at her impatience before grabbing her by the hips and lifting her up a bit so he could position himself. Slowly lowering her on him, he felt his shaft slide against her wet folds and into her entrance. He was about to thrust deeper in her when he remembered something.

"Oh yeah. I drank the milk by the way. Now come take your frustration out on me."

[superfreakerz]

TDDUP 30

“Til Death Do Us Part”

Rated M for smut and heavy themes.

Reincarnation/Immortality AU

Summary: There are immortals and there are those who reincarnate, but it’s best to keep these things hidden. Lucy is attending college and meets Natsu, a boy with pink hair, a devilish smile, and a body that never ages.

TW: SUICIDE

Chapter 30

Trip Down Memory Lane

Lucy poured herself some hot chocolate, the liquid sloshing around in her mug as she carried it over to the dining room table. Setting the drink aside so that it could cool down, the girl opened her laptop, quickly signing into her email account.

Three days had passed since she had visited Fairy Tail's basement and learned the history behind reincarnation. Since then, she was wary of leaving the house. Natsu hadn't even visited her once, obviously aware of her mood- for which she was thankful for. All she wanted was to be alone for a bit.

Lucy knew her thoughts were crazy. She knew that her friends, despite their overbearing skepticism, were good people. She knew that they would never hurt her.

And yet, a shiver ran up her spine every time she thought of Acnologia's mindset, wondering if her friends just so happened to feel the same way.

Ever since she learned about the connection between reincarnates and immortals, she couldn't help but be on edge around them. They had already proven themselves to be prejudiced against mortals, could anyone blame her for being worried? And if it wasn't her friends that were plotting to kill her, then perhaps the other immortals in the basement were.

The thought left her terrified of leaving the house. But after three days, she was starting to go crazy without seeing anyone, especially Natsu. She was grateful that he was kind enough to give her space when she needed. He sent her good morning and goodnight texts, but other than that, he left her alone to mull over her thoughts.

"I should go see him today," Lucy thought, bringing the mug to her lips and sipping on the chocolatey goodness. "It's not his fault that other immortals went crazy."

Natsu had been there for her through everything. He was there when she was sad, he was there when she was stressing over finals, and he was there when nobody else believed her about reincarnation. Through thick and thin, he was the one always at her side.

"I'll go to Fairy Tail later."

The only way to get over her irrational fear was to just deal with it headon. She had to get to know the others and make sure that they weren't like Acnologia. That was the only way she could put her negative thoughts to rest. But first, she had something else to do.

Lucy opened her thread of emails with Yukino. After learning that Fairy Tail was an organization built to support mortals, she had asked Natsu on her way home from the pub if there were other places like it. To her surprise, there were quite a few all over Fiore. If Yukino was like her, then she was tired of being alone with her secrets. She needed a group of people she could talk to. People who would somewhat understand.

Luckily, she had found out that there was an organization in Crocus where Yukino lived. It was a popular pub named Sabertooth, which must've brought in a lot of money for the immortals it housed.

Lucy's fingers moved hastily as she typed out a long explanation. She made sure not to leave a single detail out. She went on about the existence of immortals, the organizations, and the history behind Acnologia so that Yukino could decide for herself if she wanted to associate with the immortals. After re-reading the email to make sure she didn't forget anything, she pressed send before shutting the laptop. Chugging down the rest of her hot chocolate, she heaved a long sigh. It was time to get ready.

After throwing on a sweater and some leggings, Lucy shoved her feet into some knee-high boots before grabbing her keys and heading out the door. With winter's chill among her, the wind broke through the fabric of her sweater and chilled her to the bone. Quickening her pace, the girl practically jogged the rest of the way to Fairy Tail.

Once she arrived, she looked up at the grand double-doors. Her stomach churned, her fears of being around the immortals starting to kick in. Taking a deep breath, Lucy pictured Natsu's smiling face before swinging the doors open.

Heading over to the bar, she gave an uneasy smile to the familiar, purple-haired waitress, Kinana. She had learned from Natsu that she was also an immortal.

"Hi. Can I go see Natsu?" Lucy asked.

Kinana nodded, giving her a smile that helped calm her nerves. "Of course. You know where to find him."

Lucy thanked the other girl before stepping behind the counter and heading down the steps to the basement. Reaching the bottom, she nervously scanned the lounge for any of her friends. To her surprise, it was empty.

"Lucy?" a familiar voice called out. Turning to her left, she found Cana- the brunette who offered her a drink last time- sitting at the bar. The same bartender from before, the pretty silver-haired girl, was also there.

"Oh, uhh, hi," Lucy said with a small wave.

"Whatcha doin' here?" Cana asked, her eyes darting towards Mira. The bartender's hand slid over her own neck. Cana could hear her breathing grow heavy. She wondered if her friend would ever be able to be in the same room as an immortal without feeling suffocated. She doubted it. The scars of an immortal may heal on the outside, but they never do on the inside.

"I'm looking for Natsu and the others," Lucy answered, wringing her arms together. "Do you know where they are?"

"They're probably all in their rooms. I'll take ya to Natsu's room. C'mon."

Lucy thanked the brunette and nodded her head in goodbye to the bartender. The silver-haired girl gave her a weak smile, one that didn't reach her beautiful blue orbs.

Following Cana down a narrow hallway, Lucy took in every detail she could. The hallway was lined with doors on both sides.

"I don't know if Natsu explained our living situation to you," Cana said, catching the blonde's attention.

"He hasn't," Lucy replied. She was glad Cana was explaining things to her as they went.

"Well, boys and girls are split up. Boys are on the left, girls on the right. We have to share our rooms because there's limited space. Though, Gajeel's lucky and doesn't have to share until a newcomer comes along. I share a room with Juvia." She stopped just outside a door. "Anyways, tours over. This is Natsu's room."

"Oh. Thank you, Cana. You've been really kind to me."

"Don't mention it," the other girl said, taking a swig of alcohol. Rubbing the back of her head, she continued, "And I'm sorry if I came off kinda on-edge the other night. I didn't know that you're sorta kinda like us."

"Don't worry. Like I said, you've been really kind to me!"

With a smile, Lucy waved to the brunette before knocking on Natsu's door. In seconds, it swung open to reveal Gray, only in his boxers.

"Lucy?" he said.

"Did you say Lucy!?"

In the blink of an eye, Gray was shoved to the side, Natsu pushing his way to see her. Lucy giggled at his excitement, though a twinge of guilt ebbed at her knowing that he was only so excited to see her because she had been avoiding him the past few days.

"Hi, Natsu," she greeted.

"W-What are you doing here?" Natsu asked, his mouth parted. He wasn't expecting to see her so soon. After everything they learned, he figured she would never set foot in the home of the immortals again.

Lucy nudged him. "What? I'm not allowed to visit my boyfriend? You invite yourself into my home, it's time to return the favor."

Walking past him, Lucy studied the room, her cheeks dusted pink. It was her first time in a boy's room before. To her surprise, the place was a lot cleaner than she'd expect considering it was Natsu's. There were two beds pushed on opposite corners of the room. On one half of the room, there were band posters tacked to the wall and random mementos and picture frames. It was easy to tell it was Natsu's side. On the other side were only a couple of pictures of Gray and Juvia and people who resembled Gray. She had a feeling it was his family.

"So this is where you live," Lucy said, making her way to his bed. Plopping onto it, she grinned at her boyfriend. "It's a lot cleaner than I thought it would be."

"That's because of Erza," Natsu replied, a shiver running down his back. "She does random room checks to make sure everyone's rooms are in order. If they aren't…"

"I think I have a feeling what happens."

Lucy glanced at Natsu's nightstand, finding picture frames sitting on top. Grabbing one, a wide smile settled over her face as she quickly recognized it. It was the first picture they took together downtown, the one that she had set as his contact photo. She never knew that he had it printed out and framed by his bed.

Gently placing the picture frame back, she picked up another. This one was full of the Fairy Tail immortals, along with Makarov. There was also a young girl standing in the front, her hair long enough to reach her ankles and falling in blonde waves. Lucy couldn't recognize her.

"That's Mavis," Natsu said, following her gaze. "She's the one that made Fairy Tail!"

"And one of the oldest known immortals, right?"

"Yep! I'm sure you'll meet her one day!"

"I hope so." Lucy placed the frame back, grabbing the last one from the nightstand. It was one of Natsu when he was younger, in his teens it appeared. His hair was a bit shorter back then and his face had some more weight to it, but it was the same Natsu she knew and loved. Next to him was a man with red hair darker than Erza's. His eyes were a light brown, almost appearing golden in the sun.

"That's my dad," Natsu said, a small smile gracing his face. His hand tugged on the ends of his scarf.

"I can tell just from this picture how great of a father he was," Lucy replied. She reached out towards him and gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

"Yeah, he was."

"Did he know that you're an immortal?"

"Nah, he died before I even found out. What about you? Does your dad know that you reincarnate?"

"Oh hell no," Lucy replied quickly, shaking her head. "None of my parents in any lifetime know that I reincarnate."

Natsu cocked his head to the side. "How many parents have you had?"

"I'm on my fourth lifetime, so four different sets."

A wide grin settled over the boy's face. "I still can't believe you reincarnate! That's crazy!"

"I can't believe it either," Gray said from over on his bed. Admittedly, Lucy had forgotten he was there.

"You're telling me. I still can't believe you guys are immortal! I have had so many questions floating around in my head ever since I found out!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Then ask away. I promised I would answer all of your questions the night Natsu was shot," Gray replied.

Natsu jumped up from the bed. "Let me go get everyone first! I know they all wanna see you. Especially Levy. She's been mopin' around the past three days."

"Oh like you haven't been?" Gray teased.

Natsu glared at him before heading out the room to gather the rest of the immortals. Meanwhile, Gray turned his attention back towards Lucy.

"So, how ya holdin' up?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you've been avoiding us ever since you found out about Acnologia. I take it you're scared?"

"Can you blame me?"

"Nah, I can't. But don't worry, we won't let that happen to you."

The corners of Lucy's lips tugged upwards into a smile. "Yeah, I know. Thank you."

Gray opened his mouth to reply when suddenly, a flash of blue crossed Lucy's face and she found herself tackled back onto the bed. She didn't have to lift her head to know who it was clutching at her as if life depended on it.

"Hi, Levy-chan," Lucy greeted, smoothing a hand over the other girl's head.

"I missed you, Lu-chan! You didn't return any of my texts!" Levy replied, lifting herself off the blonde so that she could get up.

"Yeah, I know. A lot of stuff was on my mind. But I'm here now, right?"

"Right!"

Lucy glanced towards the door as she heard Natsu and the others stepping inside. She was surprised to find Cana and Mira among them.

"Heard you wanna learn about the immortals," Cana said, leaning against the wall beside Mira. "That's good, 'cos I wanna know about reincarnation. Ask away!"

Lucy cupped her chin in thought. She had so many questions she wanted to ask, but now that she was put on the spot, she was having trouble remembering all of them.

"Oh, okay," she said as one question popped into her head. "Were you guys always immortal? Or did you do some ritual?"

"Believe me, nobody would do a ritual for this curse if they knew what it meant," Cana answered. "Really, nobody knows the real answer. At the beginning of our lives, we grew and aged, so maybe we weren't an immortal then. Or, maybe we were born immortal and it just didn't kick in until our death day. Nobody knows for sure."

"Death day? What's that?"

Levy chimed in, "It's the approximate age in which we assume we stopped aging. So for us, our death day is in our early twenties. For our first Master, Mavis, she stopped aging in her mid-teens, so that's when her death day is."

Lucy's mouth parted as she took in the information. She was horrified while learning about reincarnation, but the lore of immortality was interesting.

"So if Cana is the oldest of all you, who is the youngest?"

"That would be me," Levy answered with a laugh. "It goes Cana, Gray, Erza and Jellal, Gajeel, Juvia, Natsu, Mira, then me."

Lucy gave a smug grin, playfully nudging Natsu. "Aww, you're one of the babies of the group!"

He crossed his arms with a glare. "Shut up."

A laugh bubbled up to her lips before she returned her attention to Levy. "So, how did you guys find out about Fairy Tail?"

"We were all recruited," Levy answered. "Last time you were here, Master brought up that there are government officials affiliated with immortals. Their presence is top secret and only known by higher-ups. They are how organizations like Fairy Tail exist, and they're also the reason immortals get a small allowance from the government. Beyond that, they also do extensive research to find more immortals. There have been times when they found out who was immortal before the immortal themself was fully aware."

"That happened with me," Natsu added. "I knew somethin' was up, but I didn't know it was immortality until Gramps found me and told me about it."

"Exactly. So, the affiliates send us the information on the immortal and we go recruit them. That, or we somehow stumble upon them ourselves." Lucy nodded slowly, still trying to process everything. It was a lot to take in. Recruitment, government affiliates, immortality. Who knew all of this was happening and the rest of the world had no idea?

There was one question left that was still bugging Lucy, but she didn't know if it was insensitive to ask.

"You want to ask us something, don't you?" Erza asked, a knowing smile planted on her face. "I can see the curiosity written all over your face."

Lucy rubbed the back of her head with an awkward chuckle. "Oh, yeah. But it's okay! I don't need to know!"

"No, no, c'mon," Gray insisted. "I said I would answer your questions. What is it?"

"Well, I guess I was just wondering if there was an extent to your immortality. Like, what happens if an immortal cuts off their own head?"

A shiver ran up the group's spines just picturing it.

"Well, believe it or not, that sort of thing has happened many times," Jellal answered for the group. "Most immortals discovering their immortality get curious to see the limits. Or sometimes, they really want their life to end so that they can be reunited with the loved ones they lost throughout the years. Either way, there is always an experimentation phase. Whether it is a simple prick on the finger or decapitation, people are always trying to figure it out. I don't think you really want to know what happens if someone cuts off their own head, but I can assure you that they will live."

"You wanna see it?" Natsu asked.

Lucy whipped her head towards the boy. "What?"

"Do you wanna see it?" he repeated as if it were normal. "The healing process, I mean."

Without waiting for her to answer, he grabbed his lighter. He held his hand out in front of him, the fire dancing just below his fingertips. Keeping his eyes trained on Lucy, he slowly moved the fire up to his hand, allowing it to wash over his skin. At first it didn't hurt. It was a comforting warmth that he had gotten used to over the many accidents he had playing with fire. But ten seconds in, the warmth turned to scorching pain.

Lucy's hands flew up to her mouth as she forced herself to watch. Natsu's fingertips were blackened by the fire. Glancing up at him, she found tears in the corners of his eyes. The hand he used to hold the lighter was trembling.

"O-Okay! I get it, you can stop now, Natsu!" Lucy said, snatching the lighter away from him. Jellal's explanation of the experimentation phase that immortals went through rang in Lucy's mind. She had a feeling that fire was how Natsu proved his immortality to himself.

"Watch," Natsu said, holding his damaged fingers in front of Lucy's face. His skin was cracked and raw, but within seconds, the regeneration began.

Lucy gasped as the cracks in Natsu's fingers began to smoothen out and the normal color in his fingers returned. It was a much faster process than when Natsu was shot. It must've been because his body had to reject the bullet before it could start healing.

"See?" Natsu said, a wide grin on his face as he shook his fully-healed hand.

Lucy slapped him upside the head. "Yes, I see it! Don't do that again! Even though I know you can heal, I still don't like seeing you hurt!"

Natsu nodded, but the smile on his face remained. It felt nice showing Lucy all of this, and telling her about immortality. As close as he was to Lucy before, it was nowhere near how close he felt to her now. It was like he could finally open up completely to her.

Lucy smiled, her eyes glazing over her friends. It felt nice to hang out with them again. There weren't any secrets or lies, just people hanging out.

Her gaze then landed on Mira. The girl hadn't said a thing since coming into the room. Her lips were pulled into a small smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. As if feeling her stare, Mira glanced at her.

And that was when Lucy finally saw it.

Horror etched the other girl's face in the second that they shared eye contact before Mira pointed her gaze at the floor and brought a shaky hand up to her neck. She was scared of her. But why?

"Enough about all this crap," Gajeel said, catching her attention. "It's your turn to explain reincarnation."

"Yes!" Levy exclaimed. "I've been dying to ask you about it!"

Lucy shrugged. "Okay. Then ask away!"

Immediately, they all voiced the same question.

"What's death like?"

Clearly it was something on their mind considering it was something they couldn't experience no matter how hard they tried. Hell, even normal mortals wondered what death was like.

Lucy shrugged again. "I don't know what it's like for normal mortals, but for me, there's not much to discuss. There's no pearly white gates of Heaven or walking around as a ghost. There's the event that causes death, a moment where everything goes black, and then a flash of bright light as I'm being reborn in a hospital room."

"And you retain all of your memories?" Erza questioned.

"Yep. Which is what makes it horrible."

"Horrible?" Gajeel asked. "Hell, reincarnating sounds like a walk in the park compared to immortality! You get to die and be reborn with a fresh start every time! It's easy!"

Lucy's hands fumbled with the hem of her sweater. "I wouldn't say it's easy… Think of it this way. You're a normal kid in a loving family. You have lots of friends, a nice job lined up, and then all of the sudden you die."

"Still sounds better than having to live forever and watching your family die."

"Okay, well imagine being reborn into a new family. You have no idea what's going on, you have no idea who these people are, all you know is that you can't stop thinking about your old family. You wonder what happened. You look them up and find out that they're still alive, but you can't do anything about it because you're born in the same body every time. Everyone would recognize you and probably burn you at the stake. So, you're stuck in a house of strangers that are supposed to be your parents. Except they aren't. Not to you. You can't love them the way you're supposed to because you feel like you're betraying your first family."

Natsu's brows twitched upwards, his eyes narrowing in thought. There was something about those words that seemed so familiar. His eyes darted to Lucy's hands, which were balled into tight fists trembling in her lap. Then it hit him.

"Is that what you were talking about that time at your apartment?" Natsu asked.

Lucy faced him, tilting her head innocently to the side. "When?"

"The first time we came over. We were playing truth or dare and Gajeel asked you what the worst thing you ever did was. You said you isolated yourself from your parents and your mom got sick."

Lucy took a sharp breath, the memories of her second life playing in her head. "Oh. Yeah. That's what happened with my second set of parents. After that, I felt so bad that I at least tried to pretend to love them."

Gajeel scratched the back of his head. "I guess when you put it that way, reincarnation ain't all that fun either."

Lucy shook her head, a dry laugh escaping her lips. "No, no it isn't. But that's why I'm glad I met you guys. You might not understand reincarnation, and I might not understand immortality, but we all know what it's like trying to hide who you are from everyone else. And I am so tired of hiding it."

Levy wrapped her arms around the blonde. A warm smile graced her face as she said, "You'll never have to hide around us anymore!"

As the group went silent, Lucy thought that the questioning was over. That is, until Cana spoke.

"I have a question," the brunette stated. "You don't hafta answer or anything, I was just kinda curious."

"What is it?" Lucy asked.

"You said that you're on your fourth lifetime right now, so that means you've died three times. How did you die?"

Lucy's stomach immediately dropped to the floor as panic washed over her. She really should've known that someone was going to ask that question. Who wouldn't?

Swallowing thickly, the girl tried to calm her nerves. Her stomach continued to do flips while her hands shook in her lap. It wasn't until a warm hand slid into hers that she was able to slow her breathing down to a steady pace.

Glancing up at Natsu, she found him staring right back at her, concern lacing his onyx orbs. She could tell by the look he was giving her that she didn't need to answer if she didn't want to. And yet, her mouth opened to speak.

"Well, two of the three were car accidents. I guess I wasn't the best driver," Lucy answered, followed by a weak chuckle. "That's why I'm not too big on driving anymore. In case you're wondering, it didn't hurt at all. It happened so fast that I didn't even know I died until I was born again."

"What about the other time?" Juvia asked.

Lucy's hand slowly moved up to her neck, softly grazing the sensitive skin as she recalled what happened. The memory was so vivid in her mind it was like it happened only yesterday.

She took a deep breath, followed by another. It was an innocent question. Lucy knew that. They were only curious, they didn't mean to bring up any bad memories.

"W-Well…" she choked out. Her throat tightened as if trying to snuff out the words that were on the tip of her tongue. "My second lifetime was kind of rough. It was my first time reincarnating. I was confused, angry… I told you how I felt about my parents and friends. I was alone. All I wanted was to forget the past that I couldn't have anymore." Hot tears pricked the backs of Lucy's eyes but she blinked them back. "I didn't want to be alive. I didn't want to be reincarnated. I just…"

A gasp caught Lucy's attention. Turning towards the source, she found Levy with her hands covering her mouth.

"Oh, Lu-chan… Tell me you didn't." she whispered.

Lucy nodded weakly. "Yeah, I did. I figured that my reincarnation was a fluke. A one time mistake. I figured that if I died again, it would be for real this time. I got back home from school one day. I'd been planning it for a while. I don't know what made me choose that day specifically, but it seemed right. My parents were still at work. I went to my room, grabbed the rope that I stole from the shed, and... And tied it to the ceiling fan. I-I'm sure you can figure out how I died from there."

Her hands brushed against her neck again. It was like she could still feel the loose threads of the rope scratching her throat. She could still remember what it felt like when her lungs started to burn. She could remember kicking, trying to relieve some of her body's pain. And she could still remember when her eyes finally started to droop closed, the energy in her body drained as she dangled there alone before succumbing to the darkness.

Lucy kept her gaze trained on the bed. She could feel everyone's stares on her, but she ignored them, too scared to make eye contact. Her stomach was doing flips, and she felt like she could vomit at any second.

It wasn't until Gray cleared his throat that Lucy finally glanced up.

Cana rubbed the back of her head. "I'm sorry for makin' you relive that experience. It was insensitive of me to ask that."

Lucy shook her head. "No, don't worry. I know that you were just curious. I'm the one who made the mistake."

"Well… maybe we should take a break from all the questions," Gray said. "We've been sitting here for a while. And it's not like we don't have time to ask questions later."

"Gray's right," Erza agreed, nodding her head. She could see through his attempt at lightening the mood and wanted nothing more than to help. "Shall we go get some food?"

"You guys go ahead," Natsu said. "We'll catch up with you."

Lucy glanced towards the boy. His usual carefree grin was nowhere to be found, instead in its place a blank expression. Squirming uncomfortably in her seat, she watched as the rest of their friends filed out of the room, leaving them all alone.

At first, they just sat there. They didn't look at each other, they didn't say a word. Lucy stared at Natsu, waiting for him to speak. She could practically see the cogs turning in his head as he thought of what to say, as if choosing his words carefully. Finally, it seemed he found the words to say as he whipped his head towards her.

"I'm not gonna ask you about it," Natsu said, his expression serious. Gently squeezing her hand, he continued, "When you're ready to talk about it, I'm right here. But you should know I'm gonna spend the rest of eternity makin' sure that you never feel like you hafta do that again."

Lucy gave a weak chuckle. "Rest of eternity? Do I need to remind you you're an immortal? You'll actually be alive for the rest of eternity, so you probably shouldn't joke-"

"I mean it, Lucy. I'll be there the rest of eternity."

And just like that, the dam broke.

Hot tears welled in Lucy's eyes and spilled down her cheeks before she even had the chance to blink them back. Throwing herself against Natsu, she buried her face in his chest. She didn't know how loud she was as she wailed and she didn't care. All she cared about was holding Natsu close because she knew that in the many lifetimes to come, she would never find someone as important to her as Natsu was.

Natsu ran his fingers through her golden locks. Every strand felt like silk against his skin. With his other hand, he softly rubbed her back until she eventually stopped crying.

Sniffling, Lucy pulled away from him and wiped her face with the back of her sleeve.

"I love you, Natsu," she said, only able to muster up a whisper.

Natsu smiled down at her and wiped a stray tear from her face that she missed. "I love you too, Luce."

[superfreakerz]

Congrats on ur followers! I’m thinking of Lucy almost risking her life to save Natsu from something and he got mad at Lucy cause she risked her life and she could’ve died,, then Lucy recalled how many times he saved her life and wanted to do something for him. Sorry if u don’t understand this, I just mainly need angst lmao

Thank you for the request, I hope you like it! :D

“What Were You Thinking?”

Rated T.

Summary: After putting herself in harm’s way to save Natsu, Lucy wakes up to an earful from the irate dragon slayer.

What Were You Thinking?

Lucy clutched her arm, watching as Natsu fought a group of bandits on his own. Even though they weren’t as strong as him, their sheer numbers alone were giving him trouble. It didn’t help that the enemy was smart enough to send their troops in waves so that one group would always follow another after being defeated.

She gnawed on her lower lip. At this rate, he was going to run out of energy. There wasn’t any fire around for him to consume, and it wasn’t like she could make any herself. With his devastating flames that could lay waste to anything it came in contact with, she was surprised that the enemies kept challenging him. They should’ve been running with their tails between their legs!

Staggering to her feet, Lucy wobbled towards Natsu in an attempt to help. She had already run out of magical power, barely even able to walk. Still, she couldn’t just sit back and watch as Natsu carried the burden on his shoulders. She couldn’t stand to see him get hurt.

Just as she was approaching Natsu, she saw one of the bandits brandish a dagger. He used his magic to camouflage into the background, allowing him to sneak towards Natsu. The dragon slayer could’ve easily been able to smell him coming, but while dealing with everyone coming at him all at once, there was no way he was going to be able to dodge.

Mustering whatever energy Lucy had left, she made a mad dash towards the bandit, throwing herself in harm’s way. She jumped between him and Natsu, wincing as the blade pierced her side. A pained cry slipped past her lips as the attacker withdrew his blade, crimson blood splattering against the pavement. Falling, the girl pressed her hand over the wound to stop the bleeding. Tears pricked her eyes as it stung.

“Lucy!” Natsu’s voice called out.

With blurry vision, she looked up to find Natsu’s body engulfed in flames. He fought with more tenacity, bringing the villains to their knees. As her eyes began to droop closed, she heard Gray and Erza shouting as they ran up to them.

Then she lost consciousness.

As sunlight filtered through the cracks of her curtains, Lucy’s eyes finally fluttered open. Groaning, she pressed a hand to her throbbing head. She moved to sit up, only to hiss in pain as she had reopened her wound.

“Lay down,” a low voice demanded. She could recognize that voice anywhere.

Looking to her bedside, Lucy found Natsu sitting in one of the kitchen chairs he pulled up to the bed. Happy was dozing away in his lap.

“Natsu!” the girl exclaimed, a bright grin bubbling up to her lips. “You’re safe! Thank goodness!”

“Yeah, I’m safe alright,” Natsu replied, his brows furrowing as the corners of his lips tugged downwards into a disapproving frown. “What the hell were you thinking, Lucy?”

“Huh?”

“Why the hell did you take the hit?”

Lucy tilted her head to the side, confused. Was he really mad at her? “I did it to save you!”

“I didn’t ask you to do that!” Natsu sneered, his voice sharp enough to startle Happy awake.

Happy glanced between the two. Their brows were slanted in anger, and after having to hear Natsu complain for the past day, he knew just what they were arguing about. It was going to get ugly. Without saying a word, the exceed flew straight out the window before he could get caught in the crossfire.

Now that Happy was gone, Lucy turned her attention back to Natsu.

“I know that you didn’t ask me to, but it doesn’t change the fact that I had to do it,” Lucy said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“What makes you think you had to do that?” Natsu asked, bewildered by her answer.

“Because you were too busy fighting! You wouldn’t have noticed! If I didn’t step in, he would’ve stabbed you, probably in a worse spot than he stabbed me!”

Natsu shot up from his seat, knocking the chair back. “None of that matters, Lucy!”

“What do you mean it doesn’t matter!? You could have died!”

“You could have died!” Natsu shouted, loud enough to make Lucy flinch. His face was etched with fury as he continued, “What if you miscalculated your jump and he ended up stabbing one of your vital organs? Did you even calculate your jump? What if he stabbed you in the heart, Lucy? You’d be dead!”

Natsu panted, blinking back tears as he stared at the blonde in front of him. Her head hung low as she fisted the blankets.

“I just wanted to save you for once,” she mumbled, hot tears sliding down her cheeks.

“What?”

She whirled a tearful gaze onto him. “I wanted to save you, okay? Do you know how many times you’ve saved me? You’re such a hypocrite, you know that? Anytime there’s something dangerous, you’re always putting yourself in front of me! Or when someone is trying to hurt me, you fight them and get hurt instead!”

“Lucy-!”

“No, don’t! Did you ever stop to think that maybe I don’t want to see you get hurt? You’re my partner, my best friend, and so much more. You’re everything to me, Natsu, and that’s why I jumped in the way and that’s why I’d do it again in a heartbeat if I needed to!”

Natsu’s fists trembled at his sides. “I don’t want you doin’ that for me, Lucy!”

“And why the hell not?” she shot back, eyes shining with defiance.

“Because I don’t want to see you get hurt again!” he shouted. His shoulders rose each time he panted. The dam that kept his tears at bay finally broke. Gritting his teeth, he ignored the tears cascading down his cheeks.

Lucy’s brows shot up. “Again? What do you mean?”

Natsu’s voice shook as he answered, “Th-That time when we were in Crocus, and Rogue tried to kill you. He did kill you.”

Her lips immediately curled into a frown. That was a day she’d never forget. “Natsu, he didn’t-!”

“I tried to catch the knife or at least jump in the way, but I… I wasn’t fast enough, Lucy. Next thing I saw was your blood. I lost you right in front of my eyes because your future-self jumped in front of the way. I never wanted to see anything like that again, but here we are… And this time it’s my fault.”

Lucy choked back a sob as she shook her head. “That’s not true, Natsu. It isn’t your fault at all.” Patting the bed, she gestured for him to take a seat beside her. Once he did, she took his hands in her own, squeezing them tightly. “Let’s recount all of the times you saved me, shall we?”

“Lucy-”

“No, come on. Let’s do it. There was that time when we first met, and you saved me from Bora. Then there was that time on Galuna Island when Sherry dropped acid over the village. There was the time with Phantom Lord. Oh, and we can’t forget all of the times on Tenrou, the battle with Tartarus, the war against Alvarez, and every other moment in between. You may not have been able to save my future-self, but you’ve saved me countless of times.”

Natsu wiped his sleeve over his eyes. “It’s not good enough. I should’ve saved you back then, too.”

“You did. By defeating Rogue, you gave me my future back. Because of you, I’ve been able to share so many memories with you, Happy, and everyone else.” She squeezed his hands, giving him a wet smile. “I will always be grateful for that, which is why I really wanted to return the favor and save you for once.”

Natsu playfully scoffed. “For once? Luce, you’re savin’ our asses all the time. Too many times to even count. Seriously, you’re strong as hell.”

Warmth crept up to the girl’s cheeks, her smile deepening. “So, are we okay now?”

He slung an arm around her shoulder. “Yeah, we’re okay. Sorry about yellin’ at you.”

“It’s okay. I’m sorry for reminding you of what happened back at Crocus. Though, I can’t say that I won’t jump in the way to save you again. I’ll always try to save you, and I’m sure you’ll do the same for me.”

“‘Course I will. Now, c'mon. We should probably let Happy know we didn’t kill each other.”

Lucy blinked once, then twice. “Umm, in case you’ve forgotten, I can’t exactly leave bed.”

Natsu chuckled. “Oh, right. I forgot. Ehh, he’ll come back to check on us eventually. In the meantime, you wanna play some games? I can bring them to the bed.”

“Sure. But first…” Lucy leaned forward, pressing her lips against his in a chaste kiss. Pulling away, she smiled at him. “I love you, Natsu.”

He mirrored her expression. “I love you too, Luce. Now c'mon. It’s time I finally kick your ass at this game.”

[superfreakerz]

TDS 18

"The Dragneel Scrapbook"

Rated M.

Summary: They've loved each other every step of the way, from becoming partners to getting married, and now they get to experience raising kids. Snapshots of the Dragneel family life.

In collaboration with my girl @ccrispy​ :D

Also sorry I'm a day late okay here we go read earlier chapters on FF.net

Chapter 18

Nashi's First Word

Ever since Nashi took her first steps without her parents around, the two made sure they weren't going to miss anything else. They took a hiatus from going on jobs with the rest of their team. There was no way in hell they were going to miss Nashi's first word.

Nashi had been babbling for months, a sign that soon enough, a word would form right before their eyes. Everything was on track. She reached for things that she wanted, she was able to walk- though her steps were still unsteady- everything was going fine.

All that was left was her first word.

And Lucy would be damned if it wasn't some form of 'Mama.'

Nashi had almost said the word 'Dada' once. The first syllable slipped out, and it looked like she was going to follow it with the next. Tears sprung to Natsu's face, and while Lucy was jealous, she was also excited that her baby was going to be saying her first word. Only for Nashi to close her mouth and give them a smug grin, as if knowing that was what they wanted. Since then, it was back to babbling.

Lucy grabbed a bowl of seedless watermelon slices, bringing them to the living room where Natsu and Nashi sat at the couch. Nashi was exploding in a fit of laughter as her father bent over and blew raspberries over her belly. At the sight of the watermelon, however, the child used her surprisingly strong hands to shove Natsu's head away from her and crawled towards Lucy.

"Ma…" she sounded out.

Lucy nearly dropped the bowl as she whipped her head towards her daughter. The child was crawling towards her, her eyes big and brown as she stared at the watermelon and reached towards it.

"What was that?" Lucy asked, struggling to get the words out.

Natsu sat up, staring at Nashi. "Is she about to say her first word?"

"I think so! C'mon, Nashi! You can do it! Just say 'Mama!'"

Nashi tilted her head to the side. "Ma…"

"That's it! Just finish it!"

In the blink of an eye, Natsu snatched the bowl of watermelon, taking Nashi's attention with it. The baby turned towards him, extending her chubby hand out.

"Da," she said, gesturing for him to give her the bowl.

"That's it, Nashi! Say 'Daddy!'" he exclaimed. His lips curled into a face-splitting grin as he waved the watermelon in front of his daughter's face. "Say it, then I'll give you the watermelon!"

"Hey! No fair!" Lucy shouted. "I had it first!" She went to grab the bowl back, only for Natsu to hold it away from her. "Give it back, Natsu!"

"No way! I want 'Dada' to be her first word!"

"No! I already called her first word!"

"You can't call her first word!"

"Yes I can! Now give it!"

Nashi glanced between her parents as they fought over the bowl. Every time the fruit was just within reach, one of them would snatch it away, forcing her to crawl once again.

"Want the watermelon, Nashi?" Lucy asked, shaking the bowl. "Then say 'Mama!' C'mon, you can do it!" She noted that it sounded like she was trying to train a dog, but she shrugged it off. Whatever worked. She'd been dreaming of this moment for so long, and it was finally within reach! She wasn't going to let Natsu take it from her!

"Nashi, look at Daddy!" Natsu called out. He stood up from the couch and engulfed his body in flames to snare his daughter's attention. "Look at me! It's Daddy! Daddy! Say it with me! Da-ddy!"

A bubbly laugh slipped past Nashi's lips as she watched the flames flicker. "Da!"

Tears welled in the dragon slayer's eyes as he nodded his head frantically. "That's it! Finish it now!"

Instead, Nashi burst into a fit of giggles.

Her parents' shoulders slouched.

"Why do I get the feeling she's just messin' with us?" Natsu asked, stopping his magic.

Lucy sighed. "Because she probably is. She gets it from you."

He clutched his chest in mock pain. "Me? I'm hurt, Luce. Hurt."

"Whatever. Between you and Happy, it's no wonder she's so mischievous. Maybe I should start fearing for myself. After all, I'm stuck in the same house as all three of you. I'm doomed."

Natsu chuckled, sitting on the couch and bringing Nashi onto his lap. "I can't wait until she's old enough to talk and walk right. That way, we can all start pullin' pranks on you together!"

Lucy paled. "I will just remind her that I carried her for nine months."

"You really think that'll stop her?"

"…No."

Lucy grabbed a watermelon slice and handed it to Nashi. The child lit up, munching on it with ease.

A warm smile bubbled up to Lucy's lips.

"Hey, Natsu," she began, rubbing Nashi's cheek fondly. "Do you remember when I first told you I was pregnant?"

Natsu grinned at his wife. "'Course I do, weirdo. Like I'll ever forget that day."

"I remember being so scared."

"I was a little scared too."

"Really?" Lucy asked, arching a brow at him.

Natsu shrugged. "Yeah. Maybe not a lot, but I was a little. I was only with Igneel for a short time, so for the most part, I was raised without a dad. I didn't know how I was supposed to be one."

"I was worried for the same reason. My mom passed when I was really little, so I was scared I wouldn't know what I was doing. But now look at us," Lucy said, a smile gracing her face. "She's learning to walk and talk, I'm so proud of her and us."

"Me too," Natsu replied, reaching over to ruffle his wife's hair. "It's good we have Fairy Tail helpin' us. Even though I'll never say it aloud, watching Lug Nuts raise the twins helped a lot."

Lucy smirked at him. "I'm going to tell him you said that."

"You better not, Lucy!"

"I'm going to!"

"If you do that, I'm gonna tell the guild about the story I saw you writin' the other day," he said, his lips curving into a smirk.

Lucy turned red in the face before nodding. "Okay, okay. I won't tell him." There was no way in hell she was going to let Levy find out that she was in the middle of writing a smutty story. Or worse. Cana.

The front door creaked open, drawing everyone's attention to find Happy flying inside. While the parents decided not to go on jobs for a while, he made sure to go so that he could keep up his fish funds.

"Hey, Happy! How was your job with Wendy and Charle?" Natsu asked.

Happy flew onto the couch between them. "Easy. It was just a couple of bad guys. Wendy beat them no problem. How was staying home? Nashi say her first word yet?"

"Not yet," Lucy answered with a drawn-out sigh. "She came close a couple of times, but in the end she just started laughing."

"She really is just messing with you guys."

"Believe me, we know."

Nashi gave a wide smile as she crawled off of Natsu's lap and sat beside Happy on the couch. She wrapped her tiny arms around the exceed in a hug.

"Happy!"

The room went deadly silent, everyone's bodies still.

"L-Lucy…" Natsu breathed out. His mouth was dry as it was gaping open like a fish out of water. "Was that you?"

The girl shook her head, her eyes bugging out of their sockets. "No, it wasn't. Was it you?"

"'Course it wasn't me!"

Everyone glanced down at Nashi, who was still latched onto Happy.

Her tiny, pink lips moved as she said, "Happy! Happy!" Her voice was bubbly and bright. It was a sound that could stop wars, a sound that could put a smile on anyone's face. It was their daughter's voice, clear as day.

Lucy's shaky hand flew up to her mouth.

"She's talking!" she exclaimed, tears pricking her eyes. In that moment, she didn't even care what Nashi's first word was.

Natsu swallowed thickly, his throat tight as he held back tears of his own. He couldn't help but get emotional any time he saw Nashi growing up right before his eyes. That was his own daughter, after all.

"C'mon, Nashi! Keep going!" he said.

Happy pulled away from the hug to watch as Nashi reached towards him again.

"Happy!" she chirped, trying to hug him. "Happy!"

Lucy fanned herself, trying to stop the tears that were streaming down her face. "Oh jeez, the tears won't stop."

"She's the cutest thing in existence," Natsu said, clutching his chest.

"I was her first word!" Happy chimed in. "Me!"

Nashi pressed her chubby cheek against the exceed's as she hugged him once more. "Happy!"

Lucy and Natsu shared a watery smile. They didn't care anymore that they weren't their daughter's first words. In fact, her first word was very fitting, because in that moment, they'd never been happier.

[superfreakerz]

TDDUP 29

"Til Death Do Us Part"

Rated M for smut and heavy themes.

Reincarnation/Immortality AU

Summary: There are immortals and there are those who reincarnate, but it's best to keep these things hidden. Lucy is attending college and meets Natsu, a boy with pink hair, a mischievous grin, and a body that never ages.

Read earlier chapters on FF.net

Chapter 29

The Immortals

The car ride home was insufferable. Lucy could feel Gajeel's glare piercing the back of her head, Erza chose to sit in between her and Natsu- which she could only assume was to keep him away from her- and nobody had said a single word since the night before. Even the music that Gray so graciously played in hopes of lightening the mood did nothing to ease the tension. The negative aura was thick, and it felt like she was being suffocated with everyone's blatant stares.

All she had to do was show them the locket. Inside was proof that she wasn't just twenty years old. Still, part of her wondered if that was going to be good enough for them. Technically, she was still a mortal, and if Gajeel's dirty looks were enough to go off of, they had some pretty bad run-ins with mortals who knew of their secret.

A sigh slipped past Lucy's lips. All she wanted was to go on a ski trip with her friends. Couldn't she just have one day without some bad luck interfering with her plans?

Turning her head, she glanced past Erza to look at Natsu. As if feeling her stare, he turned towards her and gave her a show-stopping grin that somehow managed to chip away at her anxiety.

Her lips curled into a grin. At least there was one good thing that happened on the trip. The secrets that strained their relationship were now out in the open. She could finally be her true self around people. That is, being a girl who reincarnates. She didn't have to hold back on details, she didn't have to lie, and she didn't have to keep her lives straight anymore.

She was sure the same went for Natsu. Sure, he had a group of friends that shared his immortality, but he must've felt the same way about her. Now, he didn't have to lie to her about anything.

Everything felt so easy now.

Or at least it should have if it weren't for her overly skeptical friends.

Seriously, they were immortals for god's sake! Their bodies healed at abnormal rates and they never aged. Why was it so weird that she reincarnated? When they got to her apartment, she was going to make sure to rub it in their sorry faces and demand an apology. It was the least they could do after putting her through the wringer.

Reaching Lucy's apartment, the group stretched their legs outside. After being trapped in the silent car for the past four hours, they were relieved to finally be free of its confines.

"I'll go grab the locket and prove how ridiculous you guys are being," Lucy said, heading to the steps to her apartment when Gajeel blocked her path.

"Oi, remember our deal?" he asked, peering down at her. "We go together. Gotta make sure you ain't cheating."

"How in the world could I cheat? This isn't some contest, you know?"

"You could photoshop it or something!"

"How would I even have time to do that?"

"Doesn't matter! We're all comin' with you!"

Lucy rolled her eyes. Grabbing her suitcase out of the trunk, she rolled it behind her as she walked to her apartment, making sure to run over Gajeel's toes in the process.

"Fine. Come on then," she said. She couldn't deny that her feelings were hurt. After all they'd been through, they still couldn't trust her? The only thing that made her feel better was knowing that Natsu believed her, even without needing to see the proof that lied within her locket.

Waiting for everyone to finish putting their luggage aside, Lucy headed towards the bathroom. The group followed closely behind as if they were little ducklings trailing after their mother.

"The bathroom's small, so some of you might want to stand out in the hall," Lucy suggested.

"Nonsense," Erza replied. "We can all huddle together."

Lucy sighed as the whole group squeezed themselves into the bathroom with her. The seven huddled together, their elbows poking into each other while Lucy stood a foot away by the tub. Bending over, she swiftly threw open the drawer, slamming it into Gajeel's shin. The boy jumped away with a yelp.

"Oops," she said with a shrug.

Gajeel rubbed the sore spot, glaring at the blonde. "Didja really hafta do that?"

"You deserved it. In fact, if you ask me, all of you deserve it. Other than Natsu, of course."

Natsu grinned. "I've got your back, Luce! Now hurry up and show us what's in the locket! I've been dying to know for weeks!"

Lucy smiled at him. Grabbing the tampon box, she dumped it out into the drawer. Sure enough, the locket fell out with a thud.

"So that's where you hid it!" Natsu exclaimed. He tried to push everyone out of his way so he could get a closer look, but with how cramped the bathroom was, he was stuck in place. "Wait, but I checked there for other evidence and there wasn't anything in there!"

"Wait, you checked for evidence? When? And for what?"

"While you were visitin' your old man. I kinda thought that you were an immortal too, so I looked through all your stuff for any clues. I didn't find anything!"

"Oh. That's because the only hard proof that I keep with me is this locket," Lucy explained, dangling it in the air. "I don't have access to anything else."

Before she could say another word, Gajeel snatched the necklace out of her hand.

"How is this supposed to prove anything?" he asked, his crimson eyes piercing hers.

"Open it, idiot," Lucy answered, crossing her arms over her chest expectantly.

Everyone peered over Gajeel's shoulders, watching as he opened the locket to reveal a black-and-white picture of Lucy between an older couple.

"I don't get it," Gray said.

Lucy sighed, grabbing the necklace from Gajeel's hand and carefully removing the photo. Unfolding its edges, she handed it back to the boy. "Look at the date at the corner."

Natsu's eyes widened as he read the date. It was over sixty years ago.

"Ha! I toldja she wasn't lying!" he exclaimed, slapping Gajeel upside the head.

"This doesn't prove anything!" the other boy barked. "This coulda been photoshopped!"

"When would she have photoshopped it, dumbass?" Gray asked. Somehow during their time in the bathroom, he had ended up shirtless.

"Gray's right," Levy chimed in. "There would've been no reason for Lu-chan to photoshop a fake date onto it when she didn't know about us until yesterday."

Juvia shrugged. "Juvia believed her last night, so this doesn't change anything."

"You did?" Lucy asked, her mouth parting.

"Yes. Considering Juvia is an immortal, it isn't impossible for other kinds of beings to exist."

"Oh my god, yes! Thank you for saying that, Juvia! Seriously, the rest of you are all just a bunch of hypocrites!"

"Yeah!" Natsu agreed, pushing past the others so that he could stand by Lucy. "You guys shoulda trusted her!"

Gajeel scoffed, crossing his arms over his burly chest. "I still don't believe it."

"Seriously?" Lucy asked with a groan. "You need more proof? Fine. Follow me." Slipping through the group, she led the way to the dining room where her laptop rested on the table. Opening up a searching browser, she started to type her name.

"I already looked you up," Gajeel said. "I didn't find anything that proves you reincarnate."

"That's because you were looking up the wrong name. My first name stays the same whenever I am reborn, but I am always born into a new family, so my last name changes. You looked up Lucy Heartfilia. The first name I went by was Lucy Ashley."

Pressing enter, the page was reloaded with multiple links. Most of them led to the social medias of other girls that went by the same name. Muttering incentives to herself, Lucy narrowed the search with details of her death and tried again. This time, a link to her obituary popped up. Clicking it, she was led to a page that showed some of her pictures, a brief description of her life, and an explanation of how she died. In the back of her head, she noted how strange it felt reading about her own death, but at the moment, she was too spiteful to care.

"Holy fuck," Gray breathed out, pulling a chair out next to Lucy.

"So it is true," Erza added, her eyes wide as she cupped her chin.

"That's what I've been telling you guys," Lucy said, standing from her seat so that she could face all of them with a glare. "But you didn't believe me."

"I apologize Lucy, but can you really blame us?"

"Yes! I can! I believed you guys about your immortality right away!"

"Yes, but you were shown the facts first. It was impossible to deny it when you saw Natsu's body healing on its own. For us, we didn't see any proof that you reincarnate. We never believed in reincarnation before. It was just awfully convenient timing to confess such a thing, so it was easier to believe that you would say whatever you had to so that you could still be with Natsu."

Lucy crossed her arms, her glare never wavering. "Okay, yes. I can agree with you on that. I did see the proof, and maybe I wouldn't have believed that you guys were immortal if I hadn't seen Natsu's body regenerating. But did you guys have to treat me like crap because of it?"

Erza glued her gaze to the floor with a frown. "No. And we shouldn't have treated you like that. I am truly sorry for what we said last night."

"I am too," Levy added, wringing her hands together. "We've been best friends for a long time, I shouldn't have dismissed you so quickly, especially when you've been nothing but kind to me. I was a bad friend."

"Same goes for me and Jellal," Gray said.

"Juvia should've stuck up for you," the other blue-headed girl chimed in. "Juvia believed you, but she was scared of saying something last night."

Lucy glanced towards Gajeel expectantly. Part of her expected him to be stubborn and refuse to apologize. Instead, he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. What he did next was surprising.

"Yeah, I'm sorry too," the boy said. "Look, there's nothin' I can say that's gonna change how I acted. Truth is, I've had some bad experiences with mortals who found out that I'm immortal- a lot of us have. I just wanna keep Levy safe. Guess I got a lil' carried away."

"A little?" Lucy asked, narrowing her eyes at him. "I'm glad you guys are apologizing and all, but that doesn't change anything. You guys made me feel horrible last night, and I warned you before that I wasn't going to be so quick to forgive you."

"Yeah, I know. So let us make it up to you."

"How?" Lucy asked, arching a brow.

Gajeel's face was serious as answered, "We'll take you to Fairy Tail."

The widening gazes of everyone else in the group went unnoticed by Lucy as she threw her arms in the air.

"You think taking me out for some food and drinks is going to make it up to me?" she asked incredulously. "That's the dumbest-"

"Fairy Tail isn't just a pub. It's home of the immortals. Taking you there could get us in a lot of trouble."

"Gajeel!" Erza hissed.

The boy turned to face her with a shrug. "We were gonna take her to see Makarov anyways if she was tellin' the truth. Why not bring her to Fairy Tail? We can make it up to her by telling her everything. There's no better way of showin' her that we trust her now."

Lucy glanced at Natsu, who grinned back at her with a nod. She couldn't deny that her curiosity was more than piqued. She finally knew where they lived! She just couldn't believe that she'd been there a million times without knowing.

"I can get on board with that idea," Lucy said. She knew that it was a big risk to them, so she knew it was a big deal and that they were really trying to make it up to her. "If you take me there, I will agree to put all of this behind us."

Erza glanced at the others to make sure they were on board. Receiving a bunch of nods and shrugs, she turned back towards Lucy.

"Alright," the redhead stated. "We will take you there. Just keep in mind that there are other immortals who might be wary of you. They will all be surprised to see you."

"Wait, there's more of you?" Lucy asked, her mouth hanging open.

"Yes. Fairy Tail is an organization built to support immortals. The pub is a way to bring in money while the basement houses all of us."

"That's so cool!"

"I can't wait to show you to everybody!" Natsu exclaimed, throwing an arm around the girl's shoulders. "You gotta try Mira's cooking!"

Lucy arched a brow. She remembered that name. "Mira? Isn't that the friend who moved away?"

"Oh, yeah! I forgot I sorta told you about her! Truth is, we aren't supposed to bring up anyone who lives in the basement, but it just kinda slipped out that one time. So then we had to tell you that she was our friend who moved away, but she's really living in the basement!"

"Wait, why is she living in the basement?"

"It's a long story," Levy said. "We'll tell you all about it when we get to Fairy Tail."

"Prepare to get groped," Gray added, leading the way to the door.

Lucy covered her breasts with her arms. "Groped!?"

"He means Cana," Natsu explained while she locked her door behind them. "She has a thing for big boobs. And yours are huge."

Growing red in the face, Lucy slapped the boy upside the head. "Natsu! You can't just say things like that!"

"Ow! But it's true!"

That got him another slap.

Arriving at Fairy Tail, Lucy's stomach was doing flips. Her fingers wiggled at her sides as she stepped inside the pub, antsy at meeting the rest of the immortals. Following the others behind the counter into an area that was restricted to the public, she watched them head down a flight of narrow steps. Not wanting to get lost, she trailed closely behind.

Each step made her stomach churn. When they reached the bottom of the staircase, she took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

The steps led to what looked like a lobby. There were multiple sofas, tables and chairs, and even entertainment centers. There was also a bar, where a stunning woman was drying off glasses. Her hair was snow white and fell in waves, her eyes a brilliant shade of blue. She turned to greet them, but the words died in her throat the moment she laid eyes on Lucy. The glass in her hands dropped to the floor, shattering and catching the attention of everyone else around.

There was another girl slouched in one of the stools by the bar. Her hair was also wavy, but it was a relaxing shade of brown. She was clad in a pair of khakis and a bikini top, clutching a barrel to her chest. Her cheeks were dusted pink, clueing Lucy into what could possibly be in the barrel.

At one of the entertainment centers sat a man even larger and more muscular than Gajeel. His hair was blonde, and he had a scar running down one of his eyes. Over his ears were two large headphones with spikes protruding from the sides. Surrounding him was a man with long green hair, a scantily dressed woman with glasses, and a man wearing the strangest outfit Lucy had ever seen before.

All of them had their eyes on her, and it was clear that her presence was unexpected, if not unwelcomed.

"Erza," the blonde man called out, jumping to his feet. "Who is this?"

The redhead gnawed on her lower lip. Well, there was no use in lying. "This is Lucy."

"Wait, Lucy? As in the Lucy?" the silver-haired girl behind the bar asked. A shaky hand flew up to her mouth. "You guys brought a mortal into the basement?"

"What the hell are you guys thinking?" the brunette asked, setting aside her barrel as she glared at them.

"It's a long story," Erza answered. "We need to speak to Master. Is he in his office?"

The brunette nodded. "Good luck. Seems to me you've got a death wish."

Erza turned back to the group. "I will go let Master know that we need to speak to him. Wait here and do not move. Understood?"

Natsu flinched under the menacing stare she directed at him. "A-Aye!"

"Good. I will return shortly."

Lucy kept her eyes on the ground. Perhaps they should've given the others a heads-up that she was coming. Now, she felt unwelcomed. Not that she could really blame the others. She wouldn't be too happy either if some stranger just let themselves into her home.

"Oi, mortal," a voice called out. Lifting her gaze, Lucy saw the brunette waving her over. "C'mere. Have a drink."

"O-Oh, I wouldn't want to be a bother," she replied, waving her hands in front of her face.

"Just have a drink already. I'm sure you've gotta feel awkward with all this."

Natsu nodded at her, gesturing for her to go mingle with the other immortals. Swallowing thickly, she took the empty seat beside the brunette while Natsu sat on the other side of her. At least he was there to keep her company.

"The name's Cana," the other girl said, pointing at herself. "Nice to meetcha, Lucy. We've heard a shit ton about you. Oi, Natsu, you're right! She does have ginormous knockers!"

"Toldja!" the boy replied. The two shared a high-five behind the blonde's back while she because a blushing mess.

"I-It's nice to meet you too," Lucy said. "So you are an immortal too?"

"Yep. Have been longer than most of these guys."

"Really? I didn't know that some of you could be immortals longer than others."

"Oh yeah. Immortality is way more of a complicated bitch than most people would think."

So many questions floated around in Lucy's mind. She had no idea how immortality worked. Were people born with it? Did it run in their genes? Was there any sort of limit to their immortality? Opening her mouth to ask one of her many questions, the girl was cut off as Erza entered the room.

"Master will see us now," she said.

"What did you tell him?" Jellal asked.

"I told him that there was someone here to see him. I did, however, leave out the fact that she is a mortal. I figured it would be best to explain it all together."

Lucy swallowed thickly. "I'm scared of meeting this Master person."

"Don't be," Natsu replied, nudging her gently in hopes of alleviating some of her anxiety. "Gramps is awesome! And you're a girl, so he'll definitely go easier on you. If anything, he'll just try to kill me for bringing you."

"Yes, because that definitely makes me feel better."

"Good! Let's go, Luce!"

Cana watched as Natsu dragged the mortal away by the wrist. The rest of the group followed behind them.

"You okay, Mira?" Cana asked, her gaze tearing away from the hallway where the others went in order to face the other girl. A frown immediately graced her face as she found tears welled in the blue orbs of her close friend.

Mira's shaky hand flew up to her chest, her eyes wide and glazed over with hot tears. Her breathing was heavy and ragged as she hyperventilated.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," she breathed out, rubbing her neck. "I-I was just a little surprised, but I'm fine."

Cana frowned, but she didn't bother arguing with the other girl. All she knew was that there had better been a damn good reason why Natsu and the others brought a mortal into their safe haven.

Lucy was a fumbling mess by the time they reached the door to what she assumed was Master's office. Natsu's warm hand slid into hers, lacing their fingers together and giving her hand a gentle squeeze, silently telling her that it was going to be okay. She decided to take his word for it.

Following Erza and the others, Lucy's eyes immediately landed on the tiny, elderly man that sat at a desk that was taller than him. The top of his head was bald, but the sides sported patches of silver hair. He had a white goatee and a fluffy white coat. At the sight of her, he cocked his head to the side.

"Hello, my name is Makarov" the man greeted, jumping onto his desk so that he could stand at the same height as her. "I heard that someone wanted to see me. That must be you."

"Umm, yes," Lucy replied, shaking his hand.

"You must be an immortal. Let me get some paperwork started and we can get you all situated to join our family!"

"Oh- uhh- I'm actually not an immortal."

"Oh, you must be a government official affiliated with immortals."

"Actually, I'm just a friend of these guys. My name is Lucy."

Makarov halted his movements, the uncapped pen in his hand dropping onto the desk and tainting some of the documents.

"I'm sorry, come again? I don't believe I heard you right the first time. Pardon my bad hearing, it comes with the old age," he said, cupping his hand around his ear.

"Umm, Master, this is Lucy. Natsu's girlfriend and our friend from school," Erza explained.

The man whipped his head towards Erza. "What!? Erza! What are you thinking bringing an outsider here!? You know better than that! Oh no. The school will probably have to be shut down, along with Fairy Tail. We'll all have to relocate and who knows what will happen to-"

"Lucy's not just some outsider," Natsu interrupted. "She's different than the other mortals!"

"Natsu, I understand she's your girlfriend, but that doesn't mean you can bring her here!"

"No, not just that! Tell him, Lucy!"

Lucy swallowed thickly. Her gaze was pointed at the desk as she was too afraid to meet the gaze of the older man who- despite his kind smile- had an air of authority to him that frightened her.

"Umm, I uhh, I…" she started, the words dying in her throat due to her nerves.

"Spit it out, dear," Makarov said. "I have to know what made these brats think it was acceptable bringing you here."

"…The truth is, I reincarnate every time I die."

Makarov's eyes went wide, his jaw slack.

"I know it's hard to believe," Gajeel began, "but she's got proof! She has a picture of herself from sixty years ago, and there are obituaries written about her past lives!"

"It's true," Erza chimed in, hoping to calm the monster that resided in the older man. He was a usually kind man, but if angered enough, well… That wasn't something anyone wanted to see. "I've seen the proof myself."

"I see…" Makarov said, stroking his beard. "That is why you brought her here. To ask questions about her situation."

"Oh, no," Lucy replied, shaking her head. "I came to learn more about Natsu and the others."

Natsu cocked his head to the side as he took another step closer to Makarov. "Wait a sec. You aren't as surprised as I thought you'd be. Gramps, do you know something about reincarnation?"

Makarov's face was serious as he mulled over the question. With a sigh, he nodded. "Yes. I am familiar with some of the history of reincarnation."

Lucy's hands went limp at her sides, her mouth trembling as she choked out, "W-Wait, what?"

She had gone there to learn about immortality, but there stood a man with the truth about herself. For lifetimes she had tried researching about reincarnation, only to come up with people's theories and misconceptions as to what it would be like. Hell, in her three lifetimes of searching, she had only found one other person in the world who shared her experience. And now she was finally going to learn about the curse that haunted her?

Natsu glanced over to Lucy. Her eyes were wide with surprise as she swayed. Looping an arm around her waist, he kept her steady.

Makarov's stare was serious as he asked, "Would you like to know more about reincarnation? The history is tied to immortality."

Natsu whipped his head towards Makarov. "It is? Then why haven't we heard about it before?"

The old man frowned, fiddling with his coat. "Lucy, please have a seat. I will do my best to explain." The girl nodded slowly, moving to sit in the chair that was in front of the desk. Only once she did, Makarov continued, "First, I shall start off by saying that I am a mortal, and everything that I tell you has happened long before I was born. In fact, it happened before all of us were born."

"Even longer than me?" Gray asked, having been the oldest immortal in the room.

"Yes. It was four hundred years ago. Reincarnation is much like immortality. Nobody can control it, and it isn't passed down through genes. It is much rarer than immortality, however. Long ago, there was an immortal- or I suppose I should say there is an immortal since he is still roaming the world somewhere. He is one of the oldest known immortals in the world. I have heard of him through Mavis herself."

"Who is Mavis?" Lucy asked.

"She is also one of the first to discover her immortality. She is also founder of Fairy Tail. She was around at the time it happened."

"It?" she repeated, cocking her head to the side. "What happened?"

Makarov's frown deepened. "A massacre. Around four hundred years ago, the first reincarnation was discovered. He is known as the Spirit King because of how many 'souls' he has had since he has died and been reborn numerous times. It was four hundred years ago when he was reborn for the first time. Immortals had already been around back then, and apparently he was familiar with one. His friend brought him to meet some other immortals, as it was such a strange finding. However…"

"What? What is it?"

"Among one of the immortals was a man named Acnologia. As you know, immortality isn't passed down through genes. It is completely arbitrary on who becomes an immortal. Acnologia had a daughter named Sonya. Because of his immortality, he was forced to watch his daughter grow up before his eyes and eventually die while he had to keep living without her. Because of this, he hated his immortality. All he wanted was to die so that he can be reunited with his daughter in the afterlife."

Makarov forced himself to meet Lucy's inquisitive gaze as he continued, "When he found out that there was a man who had his wish of dying and resented it, it set something off inside of him. He followed the Spirit King that night, sneaking up from behind him and killing him."

A gasp slipped past Lucy's lips, her hands flying to cover her mouth. "B-But it wasn't his fault that he can reincarnate!"

"I know. But in Acnologia's eyes, the Spirit King's existence was a great injustice. He gathered up some immortal followers with the same mindset and together they sought out those who could reincarnate. They massacred them all, searching for them everywhere across the globe and murdering them over and over again."

Tears ran down Lucy's cheeks as she imagined what it was like to constantly be reborn and murdered by such monsters. Not only were they cursed with reincarnation, they were also being hunted every life. Then it hit her.

"W-Wait…" Lucy began, her head spinning. "Immortals never die, which means…"

"Yes," Makarov said with a nod, his frown deepening. "They are all still alive, including Acnologia."

"B-But what if he finds out about me!" Lucy cried, glancing towards Natsu. Her breaths were staggered, her heart beating a mile per minute. "I-I don't want to be hunted down!"

Natsu smoothed a hand over her head, bringing the girl in for a hug as he tried to soothe her.

"Don't worry," he said, wiping away her tears. "I'm not gonna let that happen to you."

Lucy covered her mouth with her hand, trying to quiet her sobs.

"Natsu is right, you do not need to worry," Makarov said. "After the massacre, many of the immortals who were in on the killings were locked up. The immortals have a connection to high officials in the government thanks to Mavis. The officials are why organizations like Fairy Tail exist. They locked up most of the murderers. Acnologia and a few others did manage to escape, but the odds of him finding you are slim to none."

Lucy nodded slowly, but it didn't make her fear go away. Sure, maybe he wouldn't kill her in this lifetime, but what about the next one? Or the one after that? Acnologia was immortal and she reincarnated, he had all the time in the world to find her.

Natsu could feel Lucy shaking in his arms. Gently grabbing her face, he forced her to face him.

"I promise I'll protect you, Lucy," he said, his face serious. "I won't let anyone hurt you."

"Neither will we," Gray chimed in, ruffling the blonde's hair. "You're one of us now."

Lucy smiled at her friends, starting to regain some of her composure. "Thanks, guys."

"Lucy," Makarov started, "would you like to meet others like you?"

The girl whipped her head towards the man. "R-Really? You know more people like me?"

"Yes. Though, perhaps I shouldn't say meet. You've already met them before, actually. You all have."

"Wait, what?" Natsu asked. "Who?"

"A handful of professors at Fairy Tail are reincarnations. Aquarius, Scorpio, and Capricorn, you've had them this quarter, correct? They all reincarnate."

"What!? How come you didn't tell us this!?"

"After the massacre, the existence of reincarnations was swept under the rug and kept a secret from later immortals in case they had the same mindset as Acnologia. When Mavis first stumbled upon Aquarius and found out the truth about her, she wanted to make sure that she had a place to turn to in the world. So, she invited her, along with other reincarnations, to teach at the University whenever they are at an old enough age to return."

Lucy gawked. Finally, everything was starting to make sense. Her talk with Aquarius, why Capricorn was so interested in her story about reincarnation, everything. They were like her.

"Wait, but how did they know about me?" Lucy asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I think they know that I reincarnate. How did they find out?"

"I am unsure. Perhaps you can ask Aquarius when the new term starts."

Lucy nodded. She would definitely have to do that. But for now, all she wanted was to sleep. After the rollercoaster of a day she had, she was left winded.

"I-I think I need to be alone for a little bit," she said. "I should go home."

"Feel free to come down to the basement any time," Makarov replied.

Thanking him for everything, Lucy followed the others back to the lobby. She noted that the other immortals were gone.

"I'll walk you home," Natsu said.

"Thanks," Lucy replied. Saying goodbye to her friends, she followed Natsu up the stairs and back to the pub. Stepping outside the grand doors of Fairy Tail, she turned back and admired the building. This whole time, it had been the home of her friends, and she never even knew it. It was also home to other immortals, who she planned on getting closer to.

Though, that could wait until tomorrow.

[superfreakerz]

TDDUP 27

"Til Death Do Us Part"

Rated M for smut and heavy themes.

Reincarnation/Immortality AU.

Summary: There are immortals and there are those who reincarnate, but it's best to keep these things hidden. Lucy is attending college and meets Natsu, a boy with pink hair, a devilish smile, and a body that never ages.

Read earlier chapters on FF.net

Chapter 27

Winter Break

Patches of grey clouds littered the sky as they bestowed upon the city of Magnolia a thin sheet of snow. It was the first snowfall for the lively city, barely reaching an inch. Still, kids rejoiced as they did their best to pile up the powdery snow to form misshapen snowmen. They even crashed to the ground in fits of giggles, spreading their arms and legs to create snow-angels. Parents watched happily from the side, sipping on their hot chocolate in content. Others who weren't so fond of the icy blanket outside opted for staying indoors, cozying up by the fire with a book in hand.

That was how most people enjoyed their snow days. However, Lucy and her group of ragtag friends were spending the day a bit differently.

"Chug, chug, chug!" the group shouted as Gajeel and Levy shared a quick glance, shot glasses filled to the rim with vodka in their hands.

Not only was their enough cause for celebration with it being the first day of winter break for the college students, but the pair had also taken the next step in their relationship. Gajeel had popped the infamous question while they were alone in Levy's room, bent on one knee and holding a homemade ring in a shaky hand. With tears of mirth, Levy had accepted the proposal, making them engaged.

When they shared the news with the rest of their friends, it was no surprise that they were immediately thrown into a party at Fairy Tail- above the basement in the world of mortals.

Lucy wiped a happy tear from the corner of her eye, watching as the engaged couple downed a shot together. Words couldn't express how thrilled she was for Levy.

"Congrats again, Levy-chan," the blonde said, throwing her arms around her smaller friend.

"Thanks, Lu-chan!" she replied. "You better be my maid of honor!"

A squeal slipped past Lucy's mouth as she nodded her head frantically. "Yes, yes, yes! Of course! I'm going to help you find the perfect dress, find the perfect venue, and plan the most perfect bachelorette party!"

Levy laughed, shaking her head. "There's plenty of time for that stuff. For now, I just want to celebrate with all of you!" She slid a drink towards the blonde, grabbing one for herself as well. "Ready?"

Lucy accepted the shot glass, bringing the rim to her lips. Immediately, she realized her mistake as the foul stench invaded her nostrils. They counted to three before hanging their heads back and downing the shot. The vodka burned as it went down her throat, and in seconds, her belly grew warm. She'd always been a lightweight, which was why she only drank on occasion. She knew that in a couple of drinks, all common sense would fly out the window. But with such a joyous occasion, she couldn't care less.

"It burns!" Lucy exclaimed, waving her hand in front of her face as she set the glass on the table.

"That's 'cause you're a wimp," Gajeel mocked.

"Hey!"

"He's right," Natsu chimed in with a smirk. "You're a real lightweight. Seriously, I think your face is already starting to turn red!"

Lucy slapped her hands over her cheeks. "Is not!"

"Whatever you say, Luce!"

"Well, I don't care anymore!" the girl said with a pout. "My best friend just got engaged, and I plan on celebrating to the fullest! So come on! Drink with me!"

Natsu didn't need to be told twice. Clinking his glass against Lucy's, they took a shot together. Vodka wasn't his go-to drink, but since Erza ordered a whole bottle for their table, he figured he might as well help them out. It was better than letting it go to waste. Or worse, letting Lucy drink it all herself.

"Why don't you two join the rest of us?" Erza ordered, filling their glasses yet again.

Lucy nodded, facing the group. Squeezing her eyes shut, she drank the shot. She could already feel her head start to get heavy. Her stomach felt like a fireball was swinging around. The alcohol was already starting to do her in.

Time ticked on without anyone noticing. They were too caught up downing shots left and right and filling the bar with boisterous laughter. It didn't take long before they were all drunk. Even Gajeel, the one with the highest tolerance, was flat-out wasted.

Juvia was a crying mess, Erza was a menacing threat to all of humanity, Levy was on the floor laughing at the boys' demise, and Lucy whined for Natsu to pet her like a cat. It was all pretty typical for the drunken group.

"Natsuuu," Lucy drawled out. Her face was bright red, redder than Erza's hair. She was on all fours, oblivious to the stares she was receiving from everyone else at the pub. "Pet me!"

Natsu, who was also a drunken mess, shook his head. "N-No way! Quit askin' me to pet you, you weirdo!"

Tears crept up in the girl's eyes. "Fine! You jerk!" She hurried over to Juvia, resting her head over the other girl's chest. Together, they filled Fairy Tail with their incessant wails.

"How is it that even though we're drunk too, we still have to take care of them?" Gray asked, his words slurred.

Natsu shrugged. "I better get Lucy home. She's gonna have a bad hangover tomorrow."

As if her hearing was enhanced with the alcohol, the blonde whipped her head towards him with a pout.

"I don't wanna go home!" she complained, clutching tightly onto Juvia.

"Too bad," Natsu replied. He rose to his feet, grabbing onto the edge of the table to regain his sense of balance. "We gotta pack tomorrow, remember? You're always naggin' me about packing in advance. C'mon."

"No!"

"Lucy."

"I don't wanna!"

Natsu sighed. The alcohol was slowly starting to leave him tired. "I'll pet you nonstop if you agree to come home."

At that, Lucy's eyes lit up like the miniature Christmas tree that sat by the register on the counter. "Okay!"

Saying goodbye to their friends- which took much longer than he anticipated thanks to Lucy giving each one of them a unique goodbye speech- Natsu locked his hand with hers to keep her steady. He shouldered most of her weight as they walked home. With their inebriation and the slippery snow beneath their feet, they had a few slipups on the way before they finally made it back to her apartment.

Stumbling inside, the two plopped onto the couch. Just as he promised, Natsu brought his fingers to Lucy's chin, petting the bottom of it. She purred underneath his touch, scooting closer to him with a dopey smile on her face.

Natsu's eyes landed on his wiggling fingers before trailing down to the girl's neck. Her bare neck. With that, he was instantly reminded of his failure to find her locket.

It'd been almost a week since Lucy returned home from her trip. He wanted to find her locket and prove that she was an immortal just like the rest of them, but wherever Lucy put it, it was proving to be impossible to find. Without it, he didn't have a lick of proof. All he had was his intuition.

He glanced up at Lucy. Her cheeks were still pink, her golden locks were a disheveled mess, and even though she was sitting down, she couldn't help but sway side to side unsteadily. She was still drunk. Hell, drunk was probably an understatement. She was utterly intoxicated.

"Hey, Lucy…" Natsu began, peeking up at her.

"Hmm?" she replied, cocking her head to the side. Her eyes were half-lidded, proof that she was probably tired from the alcohol. There was a pretty good chance she wouldn't remember the night.

Natsu swallowed thickly. He wanted to know the truth. He needed to know. But he couldn't just ask. That would've been too much of a risk, and he wouldn't have just been risking his own identity. He would've been putting his friends at risk too, and he could never do that to them.

But that didn't mean he couldn't nudge her in the right direction a little bit.

"Do you believe in immortality?" he asked. His fingers stopped their movements as he was too concentrated on her reaction to keep petting her.

Lucy blinked once, then twice. Her face hadn't changed in the slightest, causing the tiny sliver of doubt within Natsu to grow.

"Hmm…" she started, rubbing her chin in thought. "Nope."

"No?"

"Nope."

Natsu furrowed his brows. "But you believe in everything! You believe in aliens and ghosts- hell, every time we watch a documentary on some sorta conspiracy, you believe it right away!"

"Well that's different," Lucy replied with a pout.

"How? How is that different?"

"I don't know. It just is!"

"So you don't believe in it at all?"

Lucy shrugged. "Not really. But that would be a really cool idea for a novel! Let me get my journal!" She shot up to her feet. Her legs gave out on her and she went falling forward.

` Natsu caught her, gently pulling her back down onto the couch.

"How 'bout we just go to sleep now and you can write down your idea tomorrow?" he suggested, stifling a sigh.

"But what if I forget?"

"I'll remind you."

"What if you forget?"

"Trust me, that'd be impossible for me to forget it. Now c'mon. Let's get you changed and in bed."

Lucy nodded, following Natsu to grab some pajamas. With her unsteady legs, it took a while for her to change, but once she did, it was like a wave of exhaustion washed over her.

Natsu settled in bed beside Lucy, gently tracing circles over her shoulder to help her sleep. In seconds, he could hear her faint snores. He stared at the back of her head, caught up in his thoughts.

Releasing a soft sigh, the boy frowned. He was starting to think that he was wrong. The sliver of doubt from before now consumed him, driving away all belief that she could ever be an immortal. Perhaps it was just his hope wrenching its way into his brain and jacking up his ability to think logically.

At the end of the day, Lucy was a mortal, and he was an immortal. Whether he liked it or not, their story had an end. And it was a tragedy.

Lucy threw up for the umpteenth time, tears streaming down her face as Natsu held her hair back for her. Her face was dotted with sweat, her head felt like someone was hitting it repeatedly with a baseball bat, and the dim light of the bathroom was making her irritable.

"How's your head?" Natsu asked, smoothing his hand over the girl's back.

Lucy grumbled in reply, shaking her head.

"C'mon, I'll go make you some breakfast!"

"I think that would just make me even more sick," Lucy said, forcing herself to her feet. Narrowing her eyes at him, she asked, "Why don't you ever get hungover?"

Natsu shrugged, giving her a nonchalant grin. "I don't know. I just don't. My tolerance is just higher than yours."

"I'm jealous. I always feel like death after drinking."

"It was fun though. Well, 'sides you asking for me to pet ya all night."

"As my boyfriend, it's your job to pet me when I'm drunk. Deal with it," Lucy said, grabbing a glass of water and sitting at the table. Opening her laptop, she signed into her school account.

"Whatcha doin'?" Natsu asked, sliding onto the seat across from her.

"I'm checking to see if the grade for my story got posted."

"It's only the second day of winter break. You really think that he graded it by now?"

Lucy shrugged, clicking her way to her profile. "I had to turn my story in before the deadline since I couldn't be there the last day of class since my trip was extended."

Her eyes widened as a notification popped up on the screen, alerting her that a new grade was posted. With bated breath, she clicked the necessary links to take her to the new grade. Writing meant everything to her, and this story in particular was very personal and special to her considering it was secretly about her own life. She desperately hoped for a good grade, but with Capricorn's strict grading guidelines and her shortened deadline, she kept her expectations low.

Taking a deep breath, she clicked the final link. There at the top of the screen was a bolded 'A-.'

"I did it," she breathed out, her eyes nearly bugging out of their sockets. "I did it! I aced it!"

"Really?" Natsu asked, his lips curling into a grin almost as wide as hers. "I toldja you'd ace it!"

She beamed at him before returning her gaze to the screen to read the feedback she received.

Miss Lucy, your story was wonderful. I had to deduct some points due to some misspellings and grammatical errors. However, your story kept me at the edge of my seat. I could feel the risk you took in every word. Reincarnation is quite the interesting topic, isn't it? Anyways, you did an excellent job. My favorite part was the ending. I am very relieved that Iris learned to live with her curse and found a happy ending for herself. I hope you do well in your endeavors, Miss Lucy.

Tears pricked the back of Lucy's eyes as she reread every word, then she read them again. Hearing such feedback lifted the weight on her shoulders. It was everything she wanted to hear. Now, she had confidence that she would have made an excellent writer if it wasn't for her reincarnation getting in the way. She didn't need fame or fortune, she just needed to know that she was good.

Shutting the laptop, Lucy smiled to herself.

"So, when are you gonna let me read that story of yours? It's gotta be good since you got an A!" Natsu exclaimed, leaning forward in excitement.

"Hmm, never," Lucy replied. She went to put her laptop away, ignoring Natsu's whines. Her mind was too focused on Capricorn's words.

I am very relieved that Iris learned to live with her curse and found a happy ending for herself.

"Happy, huh?" Lucy thought with a hum. Glancing over her shoulder to find the love of her life casually sitting at her table, she smiled. "Yeah. I am pretty happy now."

"You got enough clothes?"

"Yep."

"Are they warm? We're going to a ski resort, you know?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know! I told you, I'm good to go!"

"What about your toothbrush?"

"Yeah, I got- wait. Nope. I forgot to pack that. Gimme a second."

Lucy rolled her eyes as Natsu walked past her to pack his toothbrush. Thinking over all the essentials she would need on their trip, she doublechecked to make sure she didn't overlook anything. Enough layers to keep her warm in the snow, her writing journal in case she was hit with a stroke of inspiration, and a book to read both on the road and in the cabin.

Once Natsu came back, rolling his luggage behind him, she gave him a pointed stare.

"You sure you're ready to go this time?" the girl teased.

Natsu rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Everyone's waiting outside for us outside. C'mon, Lucy!" Grabbing her hand, he raced towards the door, dragging her behind and barely giving her enough time to lock the door. Excited was an understatement of how he felt about going on his first trip with Lucy.

"Hey, guys!" Lucy greeted with a wave as Natsu threw their luggage in the trunk along with everyone else's.

"You're late," Erza reprimanded. "What took you two so long? You should have been packed already."

"I know, I'm sorry! I was just so hungover yesterday, I ended up sleeping through most of the day."

"That's alright," Jellal said with his signature kind smile. "Let's just get going now. If we beat the traffic, we can make it in time to go skiing today."

The group roared with cheers, jumping in the van they rented before getting on the road.

"Oi, turn the music on!" Natsu exclaimed. He, Lucy, and Erza sat in the middle row of seats while Jellal, Levy, and Gajeel sat in the back. Gray, being the only one in the group with a license, drove while Juvia took the passenger seat.

Gray was about to turn on the radio when Erza spoke.

"Wait," the redhead ordered. "First, I want to explain the details of our trip."

Natsu hung his head back with a groan. "Who cares about the details? Let's just have fun! It's winter break!"

"A trip is only as fun as its preparation."

"Can't we just-!"

Erza's fist rocketed into Natsu's gut, leaving him out cold. Clearing her throat, she continued, "Anyways, I shall now explain the details of our trip."

Everyone nodded their heads frantically, their faces pale out of fear of being the next one on the receiving end of one of her devastating punches. Lucy rubbed Natsu's head sympathetically.

"As you know, we will be going to Mt. Hakobe," Erza said. "With the low traffic, we should be able to get there before dark. We'll be able to do some skiing this evening. As for sleeping arrangements, we will split up in cabins by couple."

"By couple?" Levy asked. "That has to be expensive! How did you manage to book that?"

Erza grinned smugly while Jellal gave an uncharacteristic pout.

"Let's just say I have some acquaintances in the business. Anyways, the next day we will be snowboarding. After that, we will pack our things because we leave the next morning."

"I'm so excited! I haven't been snowboarding in forever!" Lucy exclaimed, clasping her hands together. She used to go on trips with her parents from her first lifetime.

"Oh yeah? You good at snowboarding?" Gray asked, glancing at her through the rearview mirror.

"I wouldn't say I'm good, but I still have a lot of fun doing it! What about you guys?"

"Gray is actually really good at skiing and snowboarding," Levy said. "But he's even better at ice hockey."

"Psh, like that's impressive," Gajeel jabbed. "Those are all the wimpy sports. I could flatten him in football or wrestling any day."

"In your dreams," Gray replied. "Just wait, Gajeel. You're gonna be begging for my help when we get there and you're fallin' on your ass every two seconds."

Lucy sighed. "Can't we just go one car-ride without anyone starting some sort of petty argument?"

It was at that moment that Natsu finally regained consciousness. He lifted his head off of her lap.

"Nope."

Arriving at Mt. Hakobe, they parked in front of a quaint cabin before grabbing their luggage.

"This will be Jellal and I's cabin," Erza stated.

"Wait, shouldn't this be mine and Juvia's?" Gray asked. "You know, since we drove and parked here, and the rental car is under our name?"

"No. Anyways, you can find your cabins by walking in that direction," Erza replied, pointing down the road. "We've rented the three cabins next to this one. Drop your stuff off and get ready for skiing, then meet us at the grounds."

Not wanting to start an argument with Erza about who should get the cabin closest to the grounds, the group walked away. Since Levy and Gajeel just got engaged, Lucy suggested that they get the next cabin. Natsu was willing to fight for the third, but considering Gray was the one to drive them all the way there, she let them get that one. That left them with the cabin farthest from the grounds.

Lucy's face was red from the cold by time they reached their cabin. It was about a fifteen-minute walk from the grounds, as all of the cabins were separated for customers' privacy. Unfortunately, that left them far from the activities and the local shop.

"Bet you feel good about giving everyone else the good cabins, don't you?" Natsu said, his voice laced with sarcasm.

Lucy shot him a glare. "If I had known how far it was, I wouldn't have suggested it."

"Nah, I bet you still would have."

"…Alright, fine. I would have."

Natsu shook his head with a chuckle. Even though the cabin was far, it was still pretty nice. There was a queen-sized bed, stacked with thick blankets and pillows, a desk, and even a TV. The bathroom was small, and the standup shower was sure to put a slight damper on his girlfriend's mood, but it was bearable.

"This place is pretty nice," Lucy said, letting out a low whistle. "The bed looks really cozy."

Natsu grabbed her hand, pulling her flushed against him. His lips were curled in a crooked grin as he replied, "Oh yeah? How about we test it out real quick? Make sure it's up to your standards."

Lucy's face burned bright red, her heart leaping up into her throat. "Uhh, I-"

"I'm kidding, Luce. Erza would kill us if we took too long meeting up with them. In fact, she's probably already thinkin' about how to punish us for being late."

"You're right. Let's go. Oh, but first…" Lucy slid her hand over the slight bulge in his joggers. She stifled a laugh as she felt him harden from her touch. "Alright, now we can go!"

She quickly turned away from him, her hair swaying behind her. Natsu grinned, running to catch up to her.

"You're a lot more evil than you lead people to believe, you know that?"

"Yep."

"It's nice of you two to finally join us," Erza said, her voice stern as they approached. They were standing at the bottom of the chairlifts to take them up to the mountaintop.

"It's not our fault!" Lucy whined between breaths. "Our cabin is the farthest away!"

"No excuses. Now come. Gajeel challenged me to a bet on who is better at skiing and I intend to win."

They went in pairs onto the chairlifts. Lucy made the common mistake of looking down as they went feet in the air. Her feet tingled, her stomach churning. She was about to comment on how high up they were when she heard a strangled whimper coming from her side. Glancing over, she found Natsu slouched over the rail, his cheeks puffed out.

"Oh no, is your motion sickness acting up?" she asked, smoothing a hand over his back.

Natsu couldn't even wrangle out words, instead having to nod weakly.

"We'll be at the top soon, don't worry!"

Though, the lift was a lot slower than she expected. It took them nearly five minutes to reach the top, and by then, Natsu's face was dotted with sweat. Hopping off, he collapsed beside Gajeel, who was also inflicted with a bad case of motion sickness.

"Pathetic," Erza said, rolling her eyes at the two. "Jellal, Gray, Juvia, and I will go grab our equipment. Lucy, Levy, you guys stay with these two."

By the time Erza and the other returned with the gear, Natsu and Gajeel were back on their feet, their cheeks slowly starting to gain back their color. Gray showed everyone how to properly use the equipment, to which Natsu and Gajeel scoffed, saying that anyone with half a brain could ski.

"There are different difficulty leveled hills," Levy said. "Beginner, intermediate, and expert. I don't know about you guys, but I'll be staying on the beginner hill."

"Juvia will join you," the girl replied. She gave Gray a quick hug. "Juvia would stay and watch, but-"

"Don't worry, Juvia," Gray interrupted with a smile he saved for her. "You don't hafta watch me. I want you to have fun too."

"Okay! Good luck, Gray-sama!"

With that, she followed Levy to the beginner hill.

Natsu stood close to Lucy.

"You aren't gonna join them?" he asked.

Lucy shrugged. "I've been skiing before. I think I can handle the intermediate hill."

"Oho, you scared of goin' down the expert one?"

"It's more like I have a brain telling me not to bite off more than I can chew. What about you? You think you can handle it?"

"I know I can! Just watch!"

"Oh please," Gray chimed in. "You're gonna go tumbling down the hill. I'm not callin' for help if you need it, you know."

"You're the one who's gonna need someone to call for help after I'm done kickin' your ass!" Natsu replied, about to lunge for the other boy when Lucy grabbed him by the collar.

"Will you two just enjoy this vacation instead of trying to fight at every chance you get?" she said with a sigh.

"I agree," Erza added. A dark shadow loomed over her face as she continued, "Besides, there is no time for fighting. It's time to see who is the best at skiing once and for all."

"Well, you guys have fun with that. In the meantime, I'll be on the intermediate hill."

"I'll join you, Lucy," Jellal said, walking with her.

Once they were out of earshot, she asked, "What? You don't want to be in a competition with your wife?"

"Oh no. She would kill me if it meant winning."

"That's… endearing?"

"It's okay. You can say scary."

"Good. It's scary."

"I know."

Standing at the top of the hill, Lucy positioned her goggles over her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she scooted herself down the hill until she started to glide over the smooth snow. The faster she went, the faster her heart pounded in her chest. She could feel the wind in her hair and the snow beneath her feet. As the slope started to decline, she slowed to a shaky stop.

"That was great, Lucy," Jellal said, trudging next to her.

"You were better!" she replied. "Seriously, you can handle the expert hill."

"I know, but I wouldn't want to be there with such a fierce competition happening."

"Oh yeah. I wonder how that's going."

"Care to check it out?" Jellal asked.

Lucy nodded. "It'd be good to make sure Natsu isn't buried under ten feet of snow."

Unbinding their boots, the two headed towards the bottom of the expert hill. Immediately, they found Erza standing over a hunched over body.

"Erza?" Lucy called out. She was about to question who was hunched over when she saw tufts of pink. Rushing over, she asked, "What happened to Natsu?"

"Oh, nothing," she answered with a shrug. "His motion sickness just started acting up, so he went tumbling down the hill. He's not hurt too badly. Gray is over there making sure Gajeel is okay."

Lucy helped Natsu into a sitting position. A gasp slipped past her lips as she found blood trickling from his nose.

"You're bleeding, Natsu!" she said. "Come on, let's get you back to the cabin. We'll see you guys tomorrow."

"My stomach…" the boy groaned being forced up to his feet. He was thankful Lucy kept him steady on his feet. He was even more thankful that it was just his nose bleeding and not another part of his body. It would've been pretty hard to explain why his wound just miraculously healed on its own.

Then again, he could always get her drunk enough to black out and forget about it like last time.

Lucy guided Natsu back to the lift. If his stomach wasn't churning enough before, it had to be swirling around like a washing machine going back down the mountain. Lucy did her best to try and help him, combing her hands through his hair and humming a soft tune, but it didn't help at all. His motion sickness was worse than usual.

Once they finally made it back to their cabin, Natsu was feeling considerably better. His stomach had started to calm, his nose stopped bleeding, and his face regained its color. He tore off his boots and plopped on the bed with a sigh. The corners of his mouth were tugged down in a pout.

"Are you upset that you lost the bet?" Lucy asked, moving to sit by him.

Natsu shook his head. "I'm annoyed because my motion sickness ruins everything. Riding in cars, dates with you, trips with our friends, it's always gettin' in the damn way!"

"Nobody is upset with you for it!"

"Yeah, I know. But still. I just wanna have one good day without it ruining everything. Tomorrow is gonna be the same way."

"Hmm. Are you feeling better right now?" Lucy asked, quirking a brow.

"Yeah, but not enough to go back on the chairlift. Why?"

The girl hopped out of bed. "Come on! Let's go get you some motion sickness pills! That way, you'll be able to have fun tomorrow!"

"It's a long walk, and I know you're tired from having to help me all the way here," Natsu replied, his frown deepening.

"I don't care about that! I want you to have fun on this trip, so let's go!"

Natsu rose to his feet with a smile. "Alright. Thanks, Luce."

"Don't mention it," she replied, flashing him a grin of her own. Sliding her hand in his, she laced their fingers together.

Stepping outside, a shiver ran up Lucy's body. The snow was thick on the mountain, blanketing the ground. During the time that it took to carry Natsu back to the cabin, the sun had started to set. Now, the sky had turned black, stars twinkling overhead.

Snow fell from the sky, covering the path that led to the store. Luckily, Natsu already knew where they were going. Lucy had a feeling that if she was separated from him, she'd get lost immediately considering the cabins were so far from each other and they were surrounded by woods. Lampposts were scarce.

"So, who ended up winning your bet?" Lucy asked, glancing up at Natsu.

He pouted like a child. "That damn stripper did. But that's only 'cause I was sick! If I wasn't, I woulda won!"

Lucy nodded. "Mhmm. I'm sure you would."

"Is that sarcasm I'm hearing?"

"Well, it's just that Gray is known for being good at this stuff."

"I can beat him!"

"Then you can prove it tomorrow since you'll have your motion sickness pills," Lucy said with a chuckle.

Natsu gave a face-splitting grin. "I'm all fired up!" He was about to continue when he heard the snow behind them crunch. Throwing a discreet glance over his shoulder so that he wouldn't worry Lucy, he looked for the source of the noise, praying there wasn't a bear there. Not finding anything, he shrugged the noise up to be a squirrel and faced forward.

However, once he heard another crunch in the snow, he stopped in his tracks.

Lucy glanced over to Natsu. His gaze was serious as he looked behind them. Worried, she followed his gaze, only finding a thicket of trees.

"Natsu?" she called out, her voice laced with concern. "Is something wrong?"

He ignored her, keeping his eyes peeled for any movement. His gut was telling him that something was wrong, and he trusted his gut.

"There's something there," Natsu whispered.

Lucy's eyes widened, her heartrate speeding up. "W-What? What is it?"

"I don't know."

"Are you sure it's not just a squirrel?"

Natsu shook his head. "My gut is telling me it's something else."

Lucy clutched onto his arm, whipping her head around to survey their surroundings. "S-Should we run?"

"Running could just trigger whatever it is." Taking slow steps back the way they came, he looked for any clues as to what was out there with them, lurking behind the trees. It could have been a bear, a wolf, even a mountain lion. Whatever it was, he had a bad feeling about it.

He was about to take another step forward when he found a trail of footprints in the snow. They were human.

Natsu heaved a sigh of relief. "Very funny, Gray. Come out already, idiot."

They heard a rustle of a bush to their right, along with crunching snow as someone stepped out of the woods. Wearing a black hoodie, their face was covered.

"That's not funny, Gray!" Lucy scolded, planting her hands on her hips as the man approached. "I thought you were a bear or something!"

Natsu eyed him. The closer the man got, the clearer it became that he wasn't Gray. He was shorter, his walk was different, and even Gray wouldn't try to scare Lucy that badly. Stepping in front of Lucy, Natsu glared at the hooded figure that stood just a few feet in front of them.

"Who the hell are you?" he spat.

Lucy's brows shot up to her hairline as she glanced between the two. Looking over Natsu's shoulder, she watched as the man removed his hood, revealing shaggy locks of dirty-blonde hair. Under his eyes were dark bags. His eyes were bloodshot.

"U-Umm, hello?" she called out. "Who are you?"

The man pulled a shaky hand out from his pocket. Lucy's stomach dropped to the ground as she found a gun in his hand pointed directly at Natsu.

"O-Oh god," she breathed out, tears immediately pricking her wide eyes. Her stomach felt like it was doing flips, her shaky hands flying to her mouth.

Natsu sucked in a sharp breath, a rush of fear washing over him. All color drained from his face, not of fear of being shot, but fear that the man was going to hurt Lucy. Holding his hands up in surrender, he inched closer to Lucy so that he could shield her.

"What do you want? Do you want our money?" Natsu asked, his voice low.

The man nodded. His eyes were brimmed with tears and he was shaking like a leaf. It was obvious this was his first time doing anything like this before.

"I-I need it," he said, his voice unsteady. "I-I have a family and I need to do whatever it takes to take care of them."

Natsu nodded, slowly reaching into his pocket to grab the few bills he brought to buy the motion sickness pills. It was only seven dollars total. Swallowing thickly, he slowly held his hand out to the man.

"This is all we have," he said, hoping he could reason with the distraught father and get him to walk away.

The man looked at the money and shook his head, tears streaming down his face. "You're lying!"

"I'm not lying. This is really all we have."

"You expect me to believe that? You rich people are always coming to this resort and flaunting your money around like it's nothing! I know you have more! Hand it over!" The man shook the gun, threatening to shoot.

Lucy took a deep breath. Before, she was never afraid of death. She knew that if she died, she would just be born again moments later. Now that she had Natsu, however, she was terrified of dying because it meant she would never be able to see him again.

But if it meant he got to live, she would die a million times.

Lucy glared at the man as she stepped in front of Natsu, the gun just feet away from her chest.

"Lucy!" Natsu shouted. "What the hell are you doing!?"

Ignoring him, she spoke only to the man in front of her. "It's obvious you don't want to do this, so don't. Just walk away and be with your family."

"Shut up!" he yelled, fisting his hair with his unoccupied hand.

"Your kids don't want money, they just need you to be in their lives. If you pull the trigger, you won't be there to support them anymore because you'll be in jail. Is that really what you want?"

"I said shut the hell up! You don't know what it's like! Just hand the money over!"

"We already told you, we don't have any."

"Quit lying to me! I am so sick and tired of being lied to!"

Lucy's eyes narrowed at him. "We both know you aren't going to shoot. Just go already!"

The man ran a hand through his hair. "I-If you don't give me the money, I'm really going to shoot."

Lucy stood her ground, daring her luck by taking a step closer to him. "Then do it already! I'm not afraid! Shoot!"

Natsu's heart felt like it was beating a mile per minute as he kept his eyes glued on the gun. It was pointed directly at Lucy's chest. He could tell the man was getting antsy.

"I-I can't go to jail," he said, his hand shaking violently.

"Then just turn around and go," Lucy implored. "We won't tell anyone about this, we swear."

"I-I don't believe you."

"It's true! You have my word! We won't tell anyone!"

The man swallowed thickly, shaking his head. He let out a shaky breath. "I'm so sorry."

Natsu watched the man position the gun directly over Lucy's heart. His fingers tightened around the gun.

And then he pulled the trigger.

[superfreakerz]

TDDUP 28

"Til Death Do Us Part"

Rated M for smut and heavy themes.

Reincarnation/Immortal AU

Summary: There are immortals and there are those who reincarnate, but it's best to keep these things hidden. Lucy is attending college and meets Natsu, a boy with pink hair, a devilish smile, and a body that never ages.

Read earlier chapters on FF.net

Chapter 28

Revelations

A flash of pink. Drops of red. A trembling hand flew to Lucy's mouth as her knees hit the ice-cold ground. She could faintly hear the gun drop to the snow as its owner took off in a sprint, unprepared to deal with the consequences of his actions. Her eyes burned with fresh tears that rolled down her cheeks as she stared absently at the blood that seeped into the snow.

It wasn't supposed to happen like this. It wasn't supposed to be this way. She was supposed to be the one who took the bullet. Instead…

"No…" she breathed out, her hands fisting her hair. Shaking her head, she tried to rein in her thoughts. Her lips quivered, salty tears trickling past the corners of her mouth. "No…"

There in front of her laid Natsu, his body still. Even under the dark sky, she could make out the crimson blood that spilled from the hole in his chest. His eyes were peacefully closed, his mouth parted slightly. He looked calm, as if he could feel none of the pain that accompanied being shot.

As if he were lifeless.

A sob slipped past Lucy's lips. Squeezing her eyes shut, she leaned over Natsu's body. Her head pounded as if someone was hitting her repeatedly with a bat, and her stomach churned with each passing second.

This couldn't be happening.

"I-It's okay," she whispered, squeezing her arm underneath Natsu's head so she could pull him closer to her. "You're okay, Natsu. You're going to be okay." Slowly starting to regain control over her hazy thoughts, she fished inside her pocket with a shaky hand, only to remember that she left her phone in the cabin.

"Help!" she shouted, her voice not nearly as loud as she needed it to be. "S-Somebody help!"

She looked down at Natsu again. There were still no signs of life.

"P-Please," she choked out, followed by a sob. Her eyes traveled down to the wound, dread filling her body when she saw that it was where his heart was. With an injury like that…

"Damn it!" she shouted. Her lungs felt like they were shrinking with each passing second, making it harder to breathe. Resting her forehead over his, she shattered. She could feel herself sobbing, she knew it had to have been loud, but she couldn't even hear it. She couldn't feel the snow pressed against her legs, she couldn't hear her cries, and she couldn't feel the warm blood that oozed onto her hand.

She couldn't feel a thing.

"Why!?" she cried out in agony, clutching his body tightly. "Why did you jump in front of me? I-If it hit me, I would've just been reborn! B-But you!"

Another sob raked through her body. Her throat ached. She felt like she was going to pass out.

"I should've been the one to die!" Lucy shouted, pounding a fist into the snow. Her knuckles stung, her skin raw. "I was supposed to be the one to die! Not you!" Hanging her head back, she glared at the stars that twinkled above her. "Don't you fucking dare take him! Haven't I suffered enough!? Don't take him from me too! He doesn't deserve it! He doesn't-!"

Slapping a hand to her mouth, Lucy gently settled Natsu back on the ground before turning away. Hunched over, she threw up onto the snow.

When it was over, she was left numb. Her mind was empty, lost of the tiny hope she had that he could possibly be alive.

He was gone.

Nobody could possibly survive being shot in the heart.

He was dead.

Lucy slowly turned her head back to face Natsu. Her stomach dropped to the floor finding that his eyes still hadn't opened. They weren't troubled or pained. They were calm as ever, as if he was sleeping.

But she knew he wasn't.

With another sob, she scooted closer to him, ignoring the way the packed snow scratched her knees. She rested her head over his stomach, holding onto him tightly as she cried. She didn't know how much time passed while she laid over him, and she didn't care. She didn't give a damn about anything at that point. All she wanted was to die and to never be reborn again.

Eventually, she went so numb that she couldn't even cry anymore. She just laid there, a shell of a woman. She knew that she should go find the others. She wasn't prepared to deal with this on her own. She knew that they had the right to know what happened as well.

But she just couldn't get herself to move.

A shaky breath slipped past her lips. She had to go. She had to find the others. It was the right thing to do, even if it seemed impossible. But every time she willed herself to move, she remembered why she had to in the first place, and it brought her right back to square one.

Taking a deep breath, Lucy counted down in her head. When she reached zero, she finally lifted her head. It felt heavy, and the world felt like it was spinning around her. Trying to rise to her feet, she collapsed face-first into the snow.

So, she tried to crawl. Anything she could do to get her one step closer to everyone else. It was what he would've wanted.

She was about to start crawling when a strange sound caught her attention. It was an odd, sizzling sound. Unsure of what could be the source, she glanced around in hopes of another person who could get help.

Unfortunately, she and Natsu were the only ones in the woods.

Glancing back at Natsu, she was prepared to be hit with a fresh wave of tears. Instead, she found that the noise was coming from him. With a set raised brows, she crawled on her hands and knees back over to him.

What she found made her heart stop.

Natsu furrowed his brows as he started to regain consciousness. With it, pain erupted from his chest. It was a pain unlike anything he'd felt before, even worse than when he accidentally sliced his neck on a stick as a kid. Groaning, he forced his eyes open, squinting up at a familiar set of wide, tear-filled brown eyes.

"Lucy?" he choked out. A metallic taste filled his mouth as he spat out blood. Then it all came rushing back at him. Their walk for motion sickness pills, the man with the gun, jumping in front of Lucy, the pain when the bullet went through him, he remembered it all.

The corners of his lips twitched upwards into a miniscule smile. It was the biggest he could pull off with the amount of pain he was in and with his exhaustion.

"Thank god…" he breathed out, closing his eyes. He made it in time. He saved her.

Surprised that Lucy hadn't said a word, he looked up at her again with an arched brow. Her eyes were large, her gaze not meeting his. Her mouth was gaped open. Wondering what it was that had snared her attention, he followed her gaze.

Once he saw it, his body was filled with dread.

His body had begun its healing process. It was rejecting the bullet, pushing it slowly out the hole it created in his chest. When it was pushed out all the way, it rolled off his chest and landed in the snow. A sizzling sound came from his wound as the bullet-hole started to close on its own.

In no time, he was good as new.

Tears pricked Natsu's eyes as he shot up in a sitting position. The pain of being shot was gone now, but there was a new kind of pain in his body as he found the fearful expression on her face. She frantically whipped her head from the rejected bullet to his face.

"I-I can explain," he choked out, reaching a hand towards her.

Only for her to back away from him.

It felt like he had been shot right in the heart again. His heart had been ripped out of his chest and stomped on just from the simple movement.

It was over. Everything that he had built with her was destroyed, just in a matter of minutes.

With hot tears trickling down his face, Natsu shot up to his feet and made a run for it into the woods without looking back. Branches scraped his arms, bushes scratched at his legs, but it didn't matter as they all healed on their own while he ran. He felt sick to his stomach, his head was a jumbled mess, and he felt broken. Every time he blinked, he pictured Lucy's fearful gaze pointed at him.

She'd never been afraid of him before.

Tripping over a root in the ground, Natsu fell to his hands and knees. He ignored the stinging pain, curling into a fetal position, tugging at his hair. A cry wrangled its way out his mouth. His life was over.

He would have to go back into hiding and he would never be able to see Lucy again. The worst part of it all was knowing that she didn't want to see him anyways.

Clutching onto his scarf, he prayed for some comfort. Before, it had always been able to make him feel better. Only now, he was starting to think nothing would help him.

Lucy sat still, stunned. Her mind had yet to process what she had just saw. She knew that Natsu shouldn't have been alive. He got shot in the heart, for god's sake. And even if he did somehow live through it, there was no way in hell the bullet would've risen out of his body and his wound would have miraculously closed on its own.

She must've passed out earlier. She had to have been dreaming. And yet, at the same time, she knew she wasn't.

Nothing made sense. The pounding of her head only got worse.

Just what the hell happened? First Natsu was dead, then he sat up as if he hadn't been shot.

Shaking her head, Lucy forced herself up to her feet. It didn't matter what happened. All that mattered was he was alive.

Her lips tugged downwards into a frown as she pictured his face from earlier. He looked so broken, and it was all because of her. It was just that she was so shocked earlier, she didn't know what to think. She had to make things right.

Her legs wobbled beneath her, but her steely resolve kept her afloat. She needed to find Natsu and get the truth. And more importantly, she had to tell him she loved him.

It was hard to walk at first, but after taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down and clear her head, she was ready. Following the scarce lampposts, she stayed on the trail, running until she made it to Gray and Juvia's cabin. Whatever the truth about Natsu was, she was sure that they were in on it.

Banging on the door, she waited until it swung open to reveal Gray, shirtless as ever.

"Lucy?" he asked. Concern etched his features immediately as he found the blood that stained her hands and clothes. "Lucy, what the hell happened? Are you-"

"I need your help," the girl interrupted. "I need your help to find Natsu."

"Natsu?"

"I-It's a long story, I don't have time to go over it. Just help me find him."

Gray's eyes widened as he glanced down at the blood, finally connecting the dots.

"Th-That's not your blood, is it?" he asked. Juvia stood beside him, curious as to what was happening.

"No, it's Natsu's," Lucy answered. She could tell that Gray knew she was in on their secret now as he bared his teeth and stared at the floor. "Look, we can talk about this later, okay? I just need to find Natsu."

Gray casted her a suspicious look, wary of what her intentions were now that she knew the truth. Still, finding Natsu was his top priority as well. Wherever he was, he was sure to be a mess.

"Yeah, we'll help," he said, grabbing his coat. "Juvia, go tell Erza and the others what happened, then have everyone split up and look for Natsu."

Juvia glanced at Lucy in the corner of her eye. "What about…"

"I'll stay with Lucy. For now, we just have to find Natsu. We'll figure out the rest later."

They separated outside the cabin, Gray and Lucy running to check out the woods while Juvia ran down the path towards Gajeel and Levy's cabin.

"So, what exactly happened?" Gray asked, following Lucy back the way she came from.

Lucy shook her head, trying to drive away the image of Natsu jumping in front of her and taking the bullet.

"Natsu got shot," Lucy answered, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Wait, what!? He got shot!? What happened to the person that shot him?"

"He ran away after. But don't worry, he left the gun behind. We can still turn that into the cops so that they can find him."

Gray grabbed Lucy's wrists, stopping her in her tracks.

"About that, we can't go to the cops," he said, scratching the back of his head.

"Why not?" Lucy asked, giving him an incredulous look. "He shot Natsu. You're telling me we're supposed to just let him get away?"

"Look, I'll explain later. For now, just take me to the place he shot Natsu. I have to get the gun and the bullet."

Lucy wrangled her arm free from his grasp. "What the hell is wrong with you? Natsu- your friend- got shot! And you're here worrying about some stupid gun?"

"Lucy, I'm doing this for Natsu. Please, I promise we'll explain everything. We have to hurry."

Narrowing her eyes at the boy, she nodded reluctantly. Leading him back to the site, she took a deep breath. She could picture Natsu's lifeless body, his blood oozing into the snow. It was a sight she wanted to erase from her memory.

"It's around here somewhere," she said, clearing her throat. The snow had covered all of the evidence, but she could never forget where it happened. "It shouldn't be that deep under the snow. We can find it."

The two sifted their hands through the snow slowly so that they wouldn't somehow accidentally set off the gun. It didn't take long before Lucy's fingertips brushed against something metallic. Having never touched a gun before, she was wary of holding it in her hands, but she pulled it out of the snow regardless.

"I found it!" she called out. Gray rushed over to her immediately. "The bullet should be around here too."

"Yeah, I think I found it," he replied, plucking the bullet out from the snow.

Lucy felt sick to her stomach as she could make out the blood that lingered on it.

"All that's left is finding Natsu. He ran that way after what happened, but I don't know if he kept straight or turned to throw me off his tracks. And it doesn't help that the snow covered his footprints."

"Don't worry," Gray said, resting his hand on her shoulder. "We'll find him. C'mon. He couldn't have gotten too far."

They ran into the woods, deep into the thickets. Lucy's heart pounded in her chest. She hoped they'd find Natsu soon. She could only imagine what he was feeling right now.

"This must be the big secret," she thought, finally starting to connect the dots of all the strange incidents that happened since they met. He was like her! Well, sort of. He was an outcast in his own way, but they were still similar!

It was like a weight was lifted off her shoulders. Through an odd stroke of luck, she had managed to find someone with just as rare circumstances as her own.

"Natsu!" Gray shouted. "Where are you?"

"Natsu!" Lucy joined in. "Come out already! I just want to talk!"

As expected, they were met with no reply. With a sigh of defeat, Lucy followed Gray deeper into the woods, keeping their eyes peeled for Natsu.

Finally, she found him.

In the corner of her eye, she saw slight movement. She would've chalked it up to be a small creature, but with the pink tufts of hair sticking out, she could tell it was him.

Taking a deep breath, she ran towards him, stopping just at his feet.

"I finally found you," she said between pants.

Natsu flinched from the sound of her voice. Instead of meeting her gaze, he buried his face deeper in his scarf. Snow dusted his body, but he couldn't feel the cold.

"Natsu, please look at me," Lucy begged. Once again, she went ignored. With a soft sigh, she kneeled beside him. Tears welled up in her eyes as she watched him cower away from her. "Natsu, can we talk?"

"Lucy, please just leave me alone," he replied, his voice cracking under the strain of his emotions. He had never been close to any mortals before Lucy, and now that she found out his secret, there was no telling what she thought of him. He'd heard all about how the mortals thought of them from the other immortals' experiences. They were freaks. Monsters. They weren't deserving of the infinite life that they had. They were cursed. She was probably disgusted with him, and he couldn't even blame her. It was true. He was a monster, and she was probably going to turn him into some sort of research facility because of it.

"Natsu, I just want to talk about what happened," Lucy said. She could hear Gray's footsteps coming to a stop a few feet behind her to give them space. "I-I can't say that I understand everything. I'm not entirely sure what happened, so I was hoping you could explain it to me."

"What's there to explain? I'm a freak! That's it, Lucy! Now go!"

"You aren't a freak, Natsu." The corners of her lips pulled downwards into a frown. She'd never seen the boy so distraught before. Slowly reaching out, she gently ran her fingers through his hair, hoping to convey her feelings in the small movement. He flinched under her touch, but he didn't pull away.

"You aren't a freak," she repeated, fresh tears building up in her eyes. Her throat burned as the lump in it built up. "You are the sweetest person I know. You care about all of your friends, you are always making me laugh, and you are the one that fills my life with adventure. You're loud, you have no sense of boundaries at times, and you are the most mischievous person I know, but you are not a freak. I mean that from the bottom of my heart."

Natsu slowly sat up, still unable to meet her gaze. His face was wet with melted snow and his own tears. Wiping his sleeve over his cheek, the boy released a shaky breath.

"Then you must not have really seen it," he said.

Lucy shook her head. "No, I did see it. But that still doesn't change the fact that you aren't a freak. You're a weirdo, but not a freak."

Natsu gave a dry laugh, finally lifting his gaze to meet hers. "You're the weirdo."

"Nope. You are. But that's okay. I love you anyways."

Lucy threw her arms around Natsu, savoring his warmth. It was surprising that even after laying in the snow for so long, his body still had an abnormal heat to it. Natsu sighed, running his fingers- which were red thanks to the snow- through her hair.

Pulling away, Lucy gave him a teary smile. Releasing a shaky breath, she grabbed onto his hands tightly.

"I just want to let you know that you don't ever have to worry about me telling anyone about your secret because… W-Well, there's something I want to share with you," she started, her heart pounding in her chest. Her stomach felt like it was doing flips.

Natsu arched a brow. "What is it?"

"The reason you don't have to worry about me not telling anyone is because I'm like you."

Natsu and Gray shared a glance.

"Wait, what?" the former asked, his eyes wide. "Are you an immortal too? Holy shit, I thought you were, but then I started doubting myself because-!"

"What? No, I'm not an immortal," Lucy interrupted, shaking her head. Then her jaw dropped. "Wait, is that what you are!?"

"Huh? Yeah. I thought that's where you were going with that."

"Wait, you're telling me that you're an immortal? As in, you live forever?"

"Uhh, yeah. That's kinda the gist of it.

Lucy blinked once, then twice, her jaw still gaping open. "W-Wow. That is a lot to process. I-I have so many questions, I'm not even sure where to start."

"How about you tell us what you meant when you said you're like us?" Gray chimed in. As happy as he was for Natsu that Lucy wasn't running off screaming, it didn't change the fact that a mortal now knew their secret. It wasn't going to be a walk in the park from here on out. In fact, the most likely outcome would be that they were going to be sent off to another base to hide.

"Oh right," Lucy said, slapping a hand to her forehead. Taking a deep breath, she met Natsu's gaze again. "I may not be an immortal, but I have a secret of my own."

"What is it?" Natsu asked. Curiosity ebbed at him. He knew she had a secret, that much was obvious. He just didn't know what it could be if it wasn't immortality.

"The truth is, I reincarnate every time I die. It's not like how it is in the movies though. I retain all of my memories and looks from my previous lives."

Natsu's brows shot up to his hairline. As unbelievable as it sounded, it oddly made sense. Then he remembered the night of her first sleepover with the rest of the girls, when he had snuck over to her apartment during the middle of the night.

Natsu stared at Lucy. Seconds ago, the atmosphere was light, and it seemed like they were having a nice moment. In fact, he could've sworn he saw her lean in. His hopes had told him it was for a kiss. But now, she was frowning and staring at the stars. She usually smiled when she did that.

"Lucy? Are you okay?" Natsu asked in concern. He loved her smile and hated seeing her upset. Did he do something wrong?

Lucy's gaze never wavered, her stare glued to the sky above. "Natsu, do you believe in reincarnation?"

"Reincarnation?"

"The act of being reborn after you die. Do you believe in it?"

Natsu frowned. He knew what it meant, but he didn't know where the question was coming from. Just what exactly was on her mind? Seeing as how Lucy's gaze hadn't moved, he figured he needed to tread lightly. To answer her question to the best of his ability.

Did he believe in reincarnation? He'd thought about it a few times, but that was before he found out he was immortal. Now, it didn't apply to him. But could it apply to the mortals?

"I don't think I do," he finally answered, rubbing the back of his head. He figured that if they weren't cursed with being immortal like he was, then their lives just simply ended. He had no clue what came after death, but the thought of mortals being reincarnated while his life continued forever didn't make sense to him for some reason.

Lucy smiled, but Natsu noticed immediately that it didn't reach her eyes. Had he messed up? Did she want him to say that he believed in reincarnation?

Hoping to fix it, Natsu said, "Reincarnation sounds awesome though!" Wanting to lighten the mood, he joked, "I just hope I wouldn't be reincarnated as Gray's son or somethin' like that."

Lucy didn't seem to find any humor in his comment. She still hadn't looked at him. He hated it.

"Holy shit," Natsu breathed out. "It all makes sense now!"

"It does?" Gray asked, arching a brow in suspicion. "It kinda seems a little…"

"Farfetched?" Lucy finished for him with a dry laugh. Nervously rubbing the back of her head, she continued, "Yeah, I know. It sounds crazy. But it's the truth."

"Lucy, you know I care about you a lot but it's a little too crazy to believe."

"C'mon, Gray!" Natsu exclaimed. "Why would Lucy lie about something like that?"

"I don't know," the other boy answered with a shrug. "Maybe to get you to cheer up? Or maybe let your guard down so that-"

"So that I can what?" Lucy asked with a glare. "So that I can betray him? Seriously, Gray, in all this time you still don't trust me?"

"It's not that I don't trust you, Lucy! But someone has to think realistically about this whole thing, and Natsu's too close to you to be able to think rationally. The truth is, some of us have been hurt before, and I'm not gonna let that happen again."

"I wouldn't hurt you guys! You know that!"

Natsu frowned watching the two of them go back and forth. As much as he wanted to side with Lucy, he couldn't deny that Gray made some good points.

"Why don't we go back to the cabins?" he suggested. "We can talk about it there. Get out of the cold."

"Fine," Gray said with a sigh. Grabbing his phone out of his pocket, he shot Juvia a quick text. "I let Juvia know that we found you and to meet us at your cabin."

At that, all the color drained out of Natsu's face. "Wait, does everyone else know that Lucy found out about our secret?"

"Yep. Including Erza and Gajeel. You're gonna get your ass handed to you, that's for sure."

Natsu gulped. He contemplated staying in the woods. He could start a new life with Lucy, one where Erza could never find him and strangle him for letting their secret get exposed.

"Come on," Lucy said, dragging him by his scarf. "You're going to have to explain it to them sooner or later."

"No I don't!" Natsu argued. "C'mon, Luce! We could run away! Start new lives together! Just you and me!"

She rolled her eyes. "I've started enough new lives to know that it's not as fun as you think it is."

Reaching the cabin, Natsu really considered running away. Unfortunately, Lucy's hold on his scarf hadn't budged in the slightest. Following Gray and Lucy inside, it was no surprise that a punch was immediately thrown to his face.

Falling to the floor with a loud thump, Natsu groggily rubbed the soon-to-be-bruised spot.

"What the hell!?" he shouted. First he was shot to the heart and now this. He just couldn't catch a break that day.

Erza loomed over him, her shadow casting over his face. Her hands were planted on her hips, her brows were furrowed, and her lips were drawn in a thin line.

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" she shouted, grabbing him by his shirt and pulling him up to his feet so that she can stare into his eyes with her menacing gaze. "Have you lost your mind? How could you tell Lucy about us!?"

"I didn't tell her!" Natsu argued, holding his hands up in surrender. "It wasn't my choice!"

Erza threw him back on the floor. "Explain. Now."

"Alright, alright! Look, this crazy guy came up to me and Lucy with a gun. It was pointed right at her! I took the bullet for her since I'm an immortal and then she saw my body healing itself. It wasn't my fault!"

Erza threw her hands in the air, marching around the quaint cabin. Everyone moved out of her way, scared to be in the way of her tirade.

"Everything is compromised. Our safety, our home. All of it."

"No, no! Listen to this! Lucy's one of us!"

At that, the entire group whipped their heads towards Lucy.

"You're an immortal?" Juvia asked.

"Wait, that can't be," Levy answered. "I remember seeing Lu-chan accidentally cut her finger while cutting vegetables. It didn't heal on its own. She can't be an immortal."

"I'm not," Lucy chimed in. Her cheeks flushed under their inquisitive stares. "I'm not an immortal, but I reincarnate."

The group went silent, none of them making a sound until Gajeel stood up from his spot on the bed. He marched over to the blonde, his crimson eyes boring into hers. It was the first time in so long that she'd ever seen him so suspicious of her.

"I told you guys that befriending her was a bad idea," he spat. "Look what happened! Now she's gonna go blabbing about us to the world! I knew we shouldn't trust her!"

"What the hell is your problem?" Lucy shot back, hands on her hips. "I'm still the same me that I was before! Nothing's changed!"

Gajeel grabbed her by the wrist, his hold tight as he sneered, "You're right. Nothing's changed. You're still the same mortal that I had a bad feeling about."

"Gajeel, let go of her!" Natsu shouted, lunging towards him only to be blocked by Erza.

"He's right," she said. Her face was stern, but her eyes were pooled with sadness. "Befriending Lucy was a mistake. We've compromised our safety, along with everyone else's, and now we have to pay the price."

Lucy blinked back hot tears. She'd had enough crying for the day. Snatching her arm out of Gajeel's hold, she glared at all of them.

"What? Now our friendship means nothing to you guys?" she spat. "Gajeel, who was it you confided in about proposing to Levy-chan?"

The boy tore his gaze away, muttering below his breath.

Lucy turned to Erza and continued, "Erza, who was it that lent you clothes and did your makeup so that you can go on your date with Jellal? And Gray, who was it that helped you plan the perfect date with Juvia? Me! It was all me! Our friendship is important to me whether you're immortal or not and I'm not going to let you guys pretend that it all meant nothing!"

"Lu-chan…" Levy started, wiping a tear out the corner of her eye. "It's not that you mean nothing to us, it's just that we don't have a choice…"

"Don't have a choice? I just told you my biggest secret! You're telling me that you still can't be friends with me?"

"Lucy's right," Natsu chimed in. "She's not just a mortal. She reincarnates!"

"You believe that bullshit?" Gajeel asked incredulously. "Natsu, look, we get that she's your girlfriend, but you can't go putting everyone else's lives in danger because of it!"

Lucy's eyes widened as she remembered something. "I have proof!" After everyone turned to face her, she continued, "I have a locket back home with a picture of me that was taken over sixty years ago."

Natsu grinned from cheek-to-cheek. "I knew it! I knew that locket meant something!"

She nodded. "It has a picture of me from my first lifetime with my first set of parents. It's proof that I reincarnate. We can go back to my place first thing tomorrow and I'll prove it to you." At their skeptical glances, she continued, "You guys owe me that much. Just give me the benefit of the doubt. I promise I'm not lying to you."

"Fine," Gajeel replied. "But we're goin' with you inside! Can't have you photoshopping it."

"I suppose this sounds reasonable," Erza said with a nod. "If Lucy is telling us the truth, then Natsu is right. She's not like any other mortal. We can take her to see Makarov and figure out what steps to take next." The redhead turned to Natsu. "But, if she is lying, you will do everything that I say for the benefit of our friends. That includes never seeing Lucy again. Do you agree to these terms?"

Natsu glanced at Lucy. He hated the thought of agreeing to something when it was a possibility he could never see Lucy again, but he trusted her. He knew that she wasn't lying to him.

"I agree," he said with a nod.

Erza sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Alright. That settles it. We'll find out the truth tomorrow. For now, let's just get some rest. We have to wake up early tomorrow to drive home. Oh, and Lucy, please hand over your phone."

"My phone?" the girl asked.

"Yes. It is just in case."

"You mean just in case I tell the world your secret?" Lucy sighed, handing over her phone. "Fine. But you guys are going to look really silly tomorrow when I prove I'm right."

Gajeel glared at her.

"We'll see about that."

[superfreakerz]

Sneak Peek of a new story I'm working on

Squeezing her eyes shut, Lucy took a deep breath before dragging the end of the letter opener against the palm of her hand.  Tears welled up in her eyes as her hand stung with pain.  Clamping her teeth over her lower lip, the child whimpered as she dipped a finger into her own blood and copied the design in the book onto the hardwood floor of the library.  Arching a brow, she did her best to sound out the weird chants that were required of her.  Finally, she squeezed her hand over the center of the circle, a drop of blood landing perfectly in the middle.

                Lucy took a step back, waiting for something to happen.  A gust of wind, a flicker of the lights, anything.  Instead, all she got was nothing.

                “Maybe I pronounced some of the words wrong,” Lucy muttered to herself.  She bent down to pick up the book when the outer ring of the summoning circle suddenly lit up with fire.

                Lucy fell back on her bum with a loud cry, scooting away from the fire until her back hit the desk.  Her heart pounded in her chest as she waited for the fire to die down.  This was it.  She was finally going to make her first friend!

Well, that's it! It's a childhood best friend AU with a demon twist to it lol. I don't typically like supernatural stories, but I went out of my comfort zone with TDDUP and I want to keep trying new things.

[superfreakerz]

TDDUP 26

"Til Death Do Us Part"

Rated M for smut and heavy themes.

Reincarnation/Immortal AU.

Summary: There are immortals and there are those who reincarnate, though it's best to keep these things hidden. Lucy is attending college and meets Natsu, a boy with pink hair, a devilish smile, and a body that never ages.

Read earlier chapters on FF.net

Chapter 26

Searching

Natsu didn't consider himself a nosy person. Sure, he would go to the world's end to read Lucy's stories, but that was different. That was only to bug her and see that cute pout of hers. He didn't care about the pasts of the people he cared about, only interested in living the present.

Only this time was a bit different.

Shoving on his boots, Natsu headed towards the door.

"Where're you going?" Gray asked just as he was about to leave.

"I'm goin' over to Lucy's," Natsu answered.

"Lucy's? But she isn't there."

"Yeah, I know."

Gray arched a brow. Natsu hadn't looked at him once. "Natsu, is somethin' going on?"

Finally, the boy turned to face him, running a hand through his pink locks. "Nothin' much. I just gotta go check on something."

Gray eyed him before shrugging. It was obvious he was hiding something, but it wasn't his business, and he knew better than most it was best to stay in his own lane.

"Whatever," he said, turning his attention back onto his phone. "Don't set her apartment on fire while you're there."

Natsu glared at him. "That only happened once!"

"Yeah, to her apartment. What about the times you've set the basement on fire?"

Grumbling to himself, Natsu gave the other boy the finger before heading out. He avoided everyone else in the basement, not wanting them to know what he was doing. If they did, that would only make matters much worse than they already were.

Natsu jogged straight to Lucy's apartment, using his spare key to let himself inside. Locking the door behind him, he sighed.

He trusted Lucy. He really did.

But something was off.

Ever since he'd known her, there were times when she would lie to him or their friends. He always shrugged it off considering he wasn't exactly truthful at times either. But recently, all of her strange moments were starting to pile up, and he was starting to get suspicious. There were too many times to count, the most recent being the incident with the locket.

Sure, there was a chance that she could've been telling the truth about it, but there was something off about her reaction. Even if it was something important to her, it didn't explain why she jumped away so hastily. Natsu valued his scarf more than anything else he owned, and even he didn't react so poorly to other people touching it.

Whatever the truth behind the locket was, it had to be important.

With the nature of their relationship, he already knew that both of them had secrets they wanted to keep hidden. She was guarded when they first met and refused to talk about certain topics. That, along with the rest of the evidence, only led Natsu to believe one thing.

She was one of them.

He'd been wondering about it for a while, even more so after her strange nightmare. Since then, he'd really begun to scrutinize everything that happened since he met her, to the point where some things just couldn't be explained away. There was no way in hell she was that guarded without having some sort of insane secret.

Lucy was an immortal.

There was little doubt in his mind. It was the only thing that made sense. She was one of them. That was why she had no friends before, why he caught her lying about the weirdest of things, and why she was so intent on keeping her locket a secret. It must have had an old picture of her from long ago.

All he needed to prove his point was some concrete evidence. Unfortunately, Lucy had taken the locket with her, so he wouldn't be able to check. But there had to be something in her apartment, something that she didn't want anyone else to see.

He started with the obvious spots, namely her dresser. He scavenged through her lacey undergarments, searching for just one sign that he was right. An old picture, a diary, anything that could be traced back far enough to prove that she wasn't just twenty years old.

He wanted to be right. He needed to be right more than anything. If she was an immortal, that would be a total game changer! He wouldn't have to lie to her anymore, she could move into Fairy Tail, and they would be able to spend the rest of their lives together! It was everything he ever wanted!

Finding nothing of importance in her dresser- well, besides a new pair of underwear that set his face ablaze- he shut the drawers and moved to the next location: the bathroom.

He opened the cabinets and rummaged for anything out of the ordinary. There were ribbons, a million scattered bobby pins, and a box of tampons, but not a single clue that could lead to something great.

Another spot known to house a person's secrets is their bed. Natsu lifted the mattress, searching for a crumpled picture or an old birth certificate. All he found were the baseboards that held the mattress up. With a disgruntled sigh, he tore the pillows from their silk cases, shaking the fabric in hopes of finding something. Again, his efforts were fruitless.

"This is pointless," Natsu muttered to himself. He had looked everywhere and hadn't found anything. "That locket is my only lead."

All he could do was wait for Lucy to get home.

Natsu leaned his head back against the marble pillar, thumping this foot impatiently. It had been almost a week since Lucy left on her trip, and he was starting to feel antsy without her. It turned out he really was addicted to the blonde. Luckily, she was finally coming home, and even though he had to greet her in a blasted airport, he was thrilled to see her again.

"Natsu! Over here!" a voice called out to him, one that caused his heart to leap up to his throat. Turning his head, he found Lucy running up to him with a bright grin, rolling her suitcase behind her.

Jumping out of his seat, he met the girl halfway. Lucy rocketed herself against him, throwing her arms around his neck in a tight hug. Immediately, he closed his eyes and inhaled her scent, savoring the warmth of her against him.

They stayed like that for minutes, uncaring of how everyone stared at them or if they were being a tad-bit dramatic. They missed each other and they were going to act on it.

"How was your flight?" Natsu asked, finally pulling away from the hug so that he could take a good look at her.

"Long. As usual," Lucy answered with a sigh. "But I'm glad to be back! And luckily, I won't have to go on a plane again for a while!"

"Good, because I'm not lettin' you go again! Now, c'mon. Let's get outta here already, Gray's waiting outside for us."

Natsu took Lucy's suitcase for her, leading her to the parking lot where Gray waited. Once they approached, Gray got out of the car to greet Lucy, giving her a brief hug.

"Hey, Lucy," he said. "How was your trip?"

"It was actually better than I thought it would be," she answered as Natsu stashed her suitcase in the trunk. After sliding in the backseat and buckling up, she continued, "I think my dad and I are going to try to fix things between us."

Natsu arched a brow and cocked his head to the side. "Really? What happened?"

"Well, it turns out he had a heart attack a little while ago, and that sort of put things in perspective for us. It's not like we're a normal family now, but I can at least stand being in the same room as him. We just spent the time talking to each other to get to know each other better. No assistants or talk about his business. Just us."

"That's great!" Natsu exclaimed, throwing an arm around the girl's shoulder. His eyes searched her neck for the locket, only to find that she wasn't wearing it. "You and your old man are getting along!"

"Yeah, I guess. Anyways, how was your week? Did you do anything fun?"

Natsu craned his head back with an exaggerated groan. "Not at all. It was so boooring, Luce! Seriously, I think I went into some kinda coma or something."

"Oh. Well in that case, umm…" Lucy's cheeks tinged pink as she stole a glance at Gray, who was doing his best to stay out of their conversation. What she had to say next was embarrassing to say in front of Gray, but after her trip, she was feeling more confident lately. She didn't want to wait to get home. "Why don't we move in together?"

Natsu blinked once, then twice. His mouth hung open like a fish out of water, his eyes bugging out of his head. He could hear Gray choking out of surprise.

"Wait, what?" he asked after finally regaining his ability to speak.

"Why don't we move in together?" Lucy repeated. At his shocked expression, her blush deepened, her confidence starting to be replaced with embarrassment. Perhaps she was being hasty asking him to move in with her after knowing him only a short time. "I-I mean, if you think about it, you're at my apartment every day anyways! And you have some stuff there already! Why not just make it official?"

Natsu rubbed the back of his head, a habit he had when he felt uncomfortable. Moving out of Fairy Tail was impossible for him. He had to let her down gently. He only wished she didn't pop the question in front of Gray.

"Uhh, maybe we should talk about this later," he whispered.

Lucy's eyes went wide. "O-Oh, yeah! Of course! Sure!" She kept a smile plastered to her face, but behind the carefree grin, she wanted to crawl into a hole and hide from the world. She never expected him to say no.

Natsu winced. He could spot that fake smile from a mile away.

"Uhh, you guys wanna listen to some music?" Gray asked, hoping to alleviate some of the tension. Why oh why did he have to get stuck listening to that train wreck of a conversation?

The two of them nodded frantically. Gray turned on the radio, blasting the car with a hit song from the past. But instead of shouting the lyrics at the top of their longs like last time, they opted for staring out the window instead.

Once they reached Lucy's apartment, she and Natsu grabbed her luggage from the trunk. They thanked Gray for the ride before silently heading inside.

Lucy rolled her suitcase into the bathroom so that she could unpack her bathroom essentials, silently taking note that Natsu chose not to follow her. A soft sigh slipped past her lips. Ever since she asked him to move in with her, they hadn't spoken a word to each other. She was too mortified, and he was probably too uncomfortable.

Unzipping her suitcase, the girl gnawed on her lower lip. Was she really going to ignore the problem by unpacking? No. They were better than that! They loved each other, they didn't need to pretend that they were fine! They were going to talk it out.

Meeting Natsu in the living room, Lucy forced herself to meet his anxious gaze.

"So…" Natsu started. He shoved his hands in his pockets and avoided making eye-contact.

"So…" she repeated, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. Wanting to get rid of the tension, she turned to face Natsu with a sigh. With slanted brows and hands planted on her hips, she questioned, "Why don't you want to move in with me? I mean seriously, you're here all the time. Why is moving in such a big deal? Do you not think we're going to last?"

"What? Of course not!"

"Then why not? Is it me? Do you just not want to live with me?"

"You really think I don't wanna live with you?" Natsu stepped closer to the girl, grabbing her hands and giving them a reassuring squeeze. "Seriously, these past few days have been hell without you. I was bored out of my mind and I missed you. I hate feeling like that. I always wanna be with you."

Lucy cursed her heart for its erratic pounding. With a small pout, she asked, "Then why won't you move in? You live with the others; it has to be crowded. I'm sure you could use some space from them."

"It's not that simple, Lucy. Look, we're new to this whole thing. We love each other, right?" Only once she nodded, he continued, "Then why rush this thing?

"I guess you're right. I'm overreacting. I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize, weirdo." He ruffled his hand through her hair. "I gotta admit though, asking in front of Gray was a bold move."

Lucy groaned, burying her face in her hands. "I'm so embarrassed! I can't believe I made him listen to that conversation!"

"Ehh, don't worry about it. I've been forced to listen to a bunch of awkward conversations between him and Juvia before they got together."

A laugh bubbled up to Lucy's lips. She could just imagine Juvia, the girl known for wearing her heart on her sleeve, demanding affection from Gray without a care in the world who saw.

Natsu stifled a sigh of relief at her laugh. Crisis averted. Though, if he could just get the proof he needed that Lucy was an immortal like him, then they could certainly live together in Fairy Tail. Well, separate rooms thanks to the rules in place, but it was still better than nothing.

All he needed to do was find her locket. However, he had a feeling that if he asked about it, it would set her off. She would harden her defenses. What he needed to do was catch her off guard.

He could do more investigating later. For now, he just wanted to spend time with her.

"What do you wanna do now?" Natsu asked. "Wanna watch a movie?"

Lucy's cheeks burned pink as she averted her gaze. "Actually, now that that mess is out of the way, I had something else in mind." Her tongue slid over her lips.

Natsu's eyes followed the small movement, and just like that, a familiar warmth was ignited in the pit of his stomach.

"Oh yeah?" he asked, voice huskier than usual. "And what's that?"

She peeked up at him through her lashes, wringing her arms together. As he took a step closer to her, his onyx orbs bore into hers, never wavering. She could tell by that familiar look in his eyes, that specific gleam that he only showed her, that he understood what she wanted.

Lucy's blush deepened as Natsu smoothed his thumb over her cheek. Her heart pounded erratically in her chest, threatening to break free as he cupped the back of her head and slowly began to lean towards her. She felt pulled towards him, her eyes slowly starting to close.

As Natsu's lips brushed against hers, Lucy could feel her legs starting to shake. Snaking her arms around his neck, she held herself up while pushing her lips harder against his. Their lips washed against each other, savoring in the warm feel of the other.

Natsu laid his other hand over the small of her back, pulling her flushed against him. Her hands coiled in his hair. Never moving his lips from hers, he moved his hands to her hips and hoisted her up. She wrapped her legs around him as he carried them to the bed, dropping her onto it and caging her between his arms.

Natsu sat over her, gazing down at her. Her brown orbs were filled with sultry excitement as she wiggled impatiently beneath him, and after being away from her for almost a week, he couldn't deny his impatience either. He tore his shirt off, watching as Lucy licked her lips appreciatively.

Natsu crashed his lips amongst hers, the kiss harder than the previous one. He could hear a faint whimper coming from Lucy as she splayed her hands over his back.

Ever since they first gave themselves to each other, they hadn't done it again since. It wasn't that they didn't want to, they just hadn't found the right time. And now was a better time than any.

He trailed feather-light kisses over her jaw, leading down to her neck. Gliding his hand up her side, he smoothed his fingertips over the curve of her breast, eliciting a sharp breath from Lucy. Thanks to the thin shirt she was wearing, he could feel the lace imprint of the bra she was wearing underneath.

Lucy gently pushed him away so that she could sit up. Her hands moved to the hem of her shirt, about to take it off when Natsu stopped her.

"I wanna do it," he said, tugging her hands away. There was something about taking Lucy's clothes off that got him pumped up. Lifting the shirt over her head, his gaze went straight to her chest, admiring the way her bra pushed the heavy mounds together.

Tossing her shirt behind him, Natsu pressed his lips against hers, all the while unclasping her bra. With his inexperienced hands, he struggled for a bit at first, but luckily Lucy didn't tease him about it. When he finally succeeded, he tore it off in an instant.

Lucy flushed as Natsu stared at her bare chest. Even though he'd seen her naked before, there was still a part of her that grew shy under his gaze. She crossed her arms over her chest, blocking his view.

Only that made his hunger for her grow.

In the blink of an eye, Lucy found herself on her back with her arms pinned above her head. Natsu's face was mere inches from hers, his breath fanning her face. His eyes, which were usually filled with mischief, had a dark glint to them.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked, his voice low.

Lucy's stomach did flips at the look he was giving her, the area between her legs starting to ache. "You were taking too long."

"I was looking at you."

"Well, maybe you should spend less time looking and more time touching."

The corner of Natsu's lips curled into a crooked grin. "What? Feelin' impatient?"

"Oh would you just-!"

A squeal slipped past Lucy's lips as Natsu's mouth captured her nipple. He sucked the sensitive spot, making her eyes roll in the back of her head. When his warm tongue slid over her flesh, she felt a moan building up in her throat.

Natsu chuckled against her skin. He could literally feel Lucy's pleasure as her body shook.

"Stop laughing at me," Lucy said, her voice airy.

"Nah," he replied before moving to her other breast.

Lucy gnawed on her lower lip, arching her back and pushing herself against him. Wrapping her legs against his torso, she lowered him onto her so that she could alleviate the fire that was ignited within her. She could feel his bulge through his pants as she rolled her hips against him.

It wasn't enough.

"Natsu," she whispered as she tugged on the hem of his pants, hoping that he'd understand.

The boy nodded, moving off of her so that he could take off his pants, along with his shirt while he was at it. He would've loved to tease her more, but after their time apart, he wasn't sure how long he was going to hold up. Before returning to his position on top of Lucy, he hooked his fingers underneath the hem of her underwear and slid them off.

Lucy watched as Natsu's hands moved to his boxers, pulling them off. Her eyes glazed over his cock, her tongue sliding over her lips.

"Can I try something?" she asked, feeling courageous.

Natsu arched a brow. Did she really think she had to ask? He'd let her do whatever her heart desired.

"Yeah, 'course."

He laid on the bed, watching as Lucy positioned herself between his legs, grabbing his shaft and stroking it lightly. At first, he had no idea what she was planning, but he enjoyed it nonetheless. It wasn't until she pressed a kiss to his shaft that he knew what was happening.

A wave of excitement ran through him as he watched Lucy leave feather-light kisses over him. When her tongue darted out, sliding over his shaft, he nearly lost his composure.

Lucy smiled to herself. She could feel Natsu trembling in excitement, and it was all because of her touch.

Feeling more confident now that she knew he was enjoying it, she ran her tongue from his base up to the tip before pushing it into her mouth. Natsu's legs buckled at her sides and she could feel him arching to go deeper.

Natsu shuddered, his eyes sealed shut as Lucy's mouth worked over him. It was hot around his cock, and he couldn't believe what she was doing for him. Pleasure coursed through his veins each time her wet lips glided across his flesh. His toes curled, his hands fisting the sheets. His gut coiled, and he could feel himself about to break.

"L-Lucy," he choked out.

She tightened her mouth around his shaft as she pulled away, her lips tugging his sensitive skin until she released him with a pop. She looked up at him with raised brows.

"Yeah?"

"I-I don't think I can go that much longer," he answered.

She nodded with a smile. "Okay. Let's finish together then."

Natsu was going to get up so that he could be on top, but Lucy pushed him back down.

"I want to try being on top this time," she said with a wink.

Natsu nodded frantically. Lucy was taking the reins, and he found it sexy as hell.

Lucy lowered herself onto him, her eyes squeezing shut as his cock explored deeper than it had been their first time. It was like a fire was spreading through her the deeper he went. She started out slow, rolling her hips against him and trying to find a rhythm that worked for the both of them.

Natsu planted his hands on her hips, pulling her harder against him. Lucy bit back a moan, picking up the pace. Pleasure spread through her body as she bounced over him, every inch of her being explored as she moved in circles.

Natsu groaned, tightening his hold on Lucy and slamming into her.

Lucy's eyes rolled in the back of her head as he hit a sensitive spot of hers, an involuntary moan slipping past her lips.

Natsu forced his hazy eyes open so that he could stare at Lucy. Sweat dotted her flushed face, her mouth was parted as moans escaped her lips, and she played with her breasts as she bounced over him.

He could feel the familiar throbs of pleasure as his grip tightened over her hips, his toes curling. He felt like he was going to explode if he didn't finish soon, but he had to endure it for Lucy. He wanted her to finish with him.

Lifting her by the hips with ease, he pounded into her quickly, all the while going as deep as he could. Lucy's breaths grew louder by the second, and before long, every breath turned to moans. He slid her over him, changing speed and intensity until finally, she shattered.

Lucy's head hung back, a scream slipping past her lips he sank into her. Her body trembled, a wave of ecstasy washing over her.

Hearing Lucy's intoxicating moans, Natsu stopped holding himself back. His knees buckled, the coil in his gut so tightly wound that all it would take was one final thrust. Hoisting her up, he slammed her down onto him hard. Just like that, he snapped. Pleasure jolted through his body like electricity as he rode out his orgasm.

When he was finished, Lucy rolled off of him and collapsed beside him in a fit of pants.

"How was it?" she asked. Her chest rose with each breath, her voice light.

Natsu ran a hand through his bangs, frowning when he found that they were plastered to his forehead with a coat of sweat.

"That was crazy," he answered, lazily flopping on his side so he can face her with a grin. "What about you? Did you like it?"

"Like would be an understatement. We have to try that again next time."

Natsu nodded, his lips curling into a coy grin. "You were really into trying new things this time, huh? I wonder what our friends would say if they knew what you did earlier."

Her face turned red as she glared at him. "Luckily for us, they'll never find out."

"I don't know. I might just tell them. Could be funny."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Hmm, fine," Natsu said with a shrug. "But to repay me, you're letting me take control next time. And I fully plan on returning the favor, if you know what I mean."

Lucy swallowed thickly as he ran his hand up her thigh and pressed a kiss to her shoulder. The familiar ache between her legs returned as she pictured his mouth leaving kisses along her folds.

Natsu bit back a laugh, watching as Lucy gnawed on her lower lip. He could tell that he got her aroused again, but unfortunately, they were going to have to wait a bit before they could go at it again.

"I'll let ya look forward to it," he teased before getting off the bed. "In the meantime, I'm gonna start a shower for us."

Heading to the bathroom, he started a shower, cranking up the heat since he knew Lucy would turn it up anyways. He was about to hop in when he realized that she didn't unpack her bathroom essentials yet. Figuring he'd do it for her, the boy unzipped the small pouch of her suitcase and grabbed all of her bathroom supplies when a faint twinkle at the bottom of the pouch caught his attention.

His heart nearly stopped as he dug into the pouch and retrieved the locket that was buried at the bottom. A shaky breath slipped past his lips. This was it. This was all he needed to confirm his theory.

He ran his finger over the exterior of the locket. Its edges were cracked, its shine starting to fade away. It was obviously old, but exactly how old was it?

He went to open the locket when the sound of Lucy's footsteps caught his attention. Cursing below his breath, he dropped the necklace back in the pouch and jumped in the shower without another glance.

"You're a jerk for leaving me in the mood, you know that?" Lucy said, poking her head past the shower curtain to glare at him.

Natsu forced a grin to his face. As much as he loved his usual banter with his girlfriend, right now, he only wished to finish his investigation. "Yeah? Well, guess you'll just hafta live with it."

Lucy huffed. "I'm coming in. Let me just get my shampoo and conditioner."

"Oh, I already got it for you."

Lucy paused, her head immediately turning to look at her suitcase. Sure enough, the pouch she kept all of her bathroom essentials in was left open. Glancing over her shoulder, she made sure Natsu wasn't looking and dug out her locket.

Lucy frowned. She knew better than most that Natsu's curiosity could sometimes get the best of him. It was best not to leave her locket lying around.

Grateful that the shower was running, she opened the drawer as quietly as she could. Grabbing her box of tampons, she dropped the locket inside before shutting the drawer once again. Once Natsu was out of the apartment, she could move it to a better hiding spot or perhaps bury it somewhere for her next lifetime. For now, this would have to do.

As Lucy jumped in the shower, the two shared a smile, all the while unaware that both of their thoughts were consumed by that fateful locket.

[superfreakerz]

TDDUP 25

"Til Death Do Us Part"

Reincarnation/Immortality AU.

Summary: There are immortals and there are those who reincarnate, but it's best to keep these things hidden. Lucy is attending college and meets Natsu, a mischievous boy with pink hair, a devilish smile, and a body that never ages.

Rated M for smut and heavy themes.

Read earlier chapters on FF.net

Chapter 25

Home

After spending the day packing her things, Lucy was all set for her trip back home. She had already let her teachers know she was going to be gone for a few days, made reservations at a motel, and booked her flights. All that was left was one thing.

Looking over her shoulder to make sure nobody was around- she already knew she was alone in her apartment, but it was just instinct to check- the girl lifted her mattress and retrieved her old locket. A nostalgic smile swept over her face as she ran her finger over the ragged edges. Opening it, she found the picture of her and her first set of parents.

Releasing a shaky breath, Lucy put the necklace on and tucked it underneath her shirt. Now wasn't the time to cry about it. She had plenty of time to do that over the next few days. Gray and Natsu were waiting outside for her, and she couldn't keep them waiting.

Making sure to lock the door behind her, Lucy found Natsu and Gray standing outside of a black car.

"I put your suitcase in the trunk," Natsu said once he saw her approaching. "Is there anything else you need on your trip?"

Lucy shook her head. "No, that's it. Thanks, Natsu. And thank you, Gray, for the ride. Whose car is this, by the way?"

The raven-haired boy shoved his hands in his pockets. "It belongs to a friend of mine."

"He sure is nice to let you borrow his car!"

Gray and Natsu shared a glance. Laxus wasn't necessarily nice, it was more like he owed them a favor.

"Anyways, we should probably get going," Gray said. "Don't wanna be late for your flight."

Lucy nodded, moving to sit in the back seat. Natsu slid in next to her, his fingers fidgeting to distract himself of his impending doom as Gray started the car. He took a motion sickness pill to lessen the effects, but they never lasted long for him and they didn't completely calm his stomach.

Lucy frowned as she watched Natsu fidget in his seat. She felt bad for putting him in this situation, but he had insisted on dropping her off.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"For now," Natsu answered, taking a deep breath. "Don't worry 'bout me. Just think about your trip! You're gonna have to see your dad. Are you ready for that?"

Lucy nodded. In truth, this trip wasn't to see her father of this lifetime. "Uhh, yeah. We probably won't even see each other since he'll be busy with work and I'll be at the grave."

"How long are you stayin' there anyways?" Gray asked, glancing at the two in the rearview mirror.

"Only two days. I didn't want to take too much time off from school since finals are coming up."

"And you get there tonight?"

"Yep! Then I'll have a full day there tomorrow and then leave the day after."

Gray let out a whistle. "You're payin' a lot of money for a short trip."

"Yeah, but it's worth it," Lucy replied, her fingers grazing over the chain around her neck. She would need to bury the locket soon.

Natsu's eyes zeroed in on the small movement coming from the girl beside him. He'd never seen that necklace before. Hell, he'd never even seen Lucy wear a necklace. Before he could question it, Gray turned on the radio, blasting a hit song from the past. Just like that, the thought was out his head as the three of them bolted the lyrics.

Reaching the airport, Gray parked at the drop off zone. The three stepped out of the car, Natsu moving to grab Lucy's luggage.

"I'll see you in a few days," Gray said, ruffling Lucy's hair.

She huffed at him, fixing her hair before replying, "Alright. Thanks again for the ride."

"Don't mention it. Yo, Natsu. I'm gonna go find a parking spot."

"'Kay," Natsu replied. "I'm walking her inside. I'll be back." Rolling the suitcase behind him, he followed Lucy into the airport while Gray drove off. A frown rested over his face. He'd always hated airports. Not only were they crowded, but the fluorescent lights hurt his eyes. Not to mention it was a place specifically made for transportation. There was nothing to like.

Lucy grabbed her ticket before leading the way to TSA. Since Natsu couldn't be in the line with her, he stayed on the outside of the barriers, walking with her to keep her company. She was going to miss him for the next few days.

"Thanks for coming to drop me off," Lucy said. "I know you get motion sickness, so I appreciate it."

"Don't mention it," Natsu replied with a toothy grin. "I really wanted to see you off."

Her lips curved into a playful smirk. "You're really going to miss me, aren't you?"

"Psh. Whatever. You're the one that's gonna miss me."

"Yeah, I am," Lucy said with a shrug. There was no point in trying to hide it. "But I'll be back before you know it!"

"Good," Natsu replied, reaching over the barricade to grab her hand. "I don't know how long I can last without annoyin' you each day." His eyes traveled to the necklace around her neck. "Oh yeah. That a new necklace or something?"

Lucy's eyes widened as Natsu reached out to touch the locket. Jumping away, she grabbed the pendent and tucked it beneath her shirt.

"It's nothing," she said, knowing that he wasn't going to believe her after that.

Natsu eyed her. "What? Is it made of real gold or something and you're scared I'm gonna break it?"

"It's nothing, Natsu."

"Doesn't seem like nothing."

"It's just important to me, okay?" Lucy said. She squeezed his hand. "It was given to me by my mother. I just don't like other people touching it. I'm sorry."

Natsu studied her before shrugging. "Okay. I won't try to touch it again." Usually, he could read the girl like an open book. This time, however, he couldn't tell if she was lying to him or not.

Lucy stifled a sigh of relief. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she nearly broke out into a sweat just at the thought of Natsu finding out the secret behind the locket. Luckily, whether he believed her or not, he didn't question her about it further.

As they were just about to reach the front of the line, Lucy let go of his hand with a frown.

"This is it," she said.

Natsu shoved his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, guess so." Leaning over, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Have a safe flight, Lucy. And make sure to text me when you get there, okay?"

Lucy nodded. "Okay. Bye, Natsu. I'll see you in a few days!"

"Later, Lucy."

Lucy groaned, nearly collapsing to the floor as she stepped off of the plane. It was nearing four o'clock in the morning, and she didn't manage to get a wink of sleep on the plane ride thanks to an upset toddler who wailed the entire time. It didn't help that there weren't any layovers, so she was stuck sitting in an uncomfortable chair for almost ten hours.

"I can't believe I have to go through that again in a couple days."

Living up to her word, the girl fished her phone out of her pocket and sent Natsu a quick text to let him know she got there safely. With that out of the way, she grabbed her luggage before leaving the airport. She flagged down a cab to take her to the motel, where she immediately plopped onto the bed with a sigh. Her phone buzzed on the nightstand, probably Natsu texting her back. Too tired to pick it up, she let her eyes drift closed. She could call him tomorrow. For now, she was going to get some well-deserved sleep.

The next morning, Lucy woke up with a groan. Her body ached all over, and stretching didn't help at all. Dragging herself out of bed, Lucy grabbed her phone from the nightstand, expecting to see texts from Natsu. Sure enough, he had texted her once, letting her know that he was glad she got there safely. To her surprise- and upmost chagrin- there was also a text from her father's assistant.

"What can Father possibly want now?"

Opening the text, her eyebrows shot towards her hairline as she read it.

Miss Lucy, your father requests your presence. Please see to it that you will be here within the next few days. You will be accommodated for your ticket.

Next few days? Why did her father want to see her so soon? Not to mention so suddenly. She was already planning to go there over winter break. If there was one thing she knew about her father, it was that he didn't do anything without a reason. What reason did he have this time?

Her brows furrowed. This trip was about her first parents- her real parents. Now her mood was going to be dampened as she mulled over what was to come.

With a heavy sigh, Lucy grabbed her phone to switch flights. Instead of going home tomorrow, she would fly over to her father's place for a couple days before heading back to Magnolia. She didn't care if she had to pay extra for changing her flight. After all, he did say that she would be accommodated.

Lucy checked the time. Being in different time zones, Natsu was probably still sleeping. She'd have to let him know the change of plan later. For now, she had more important matters to tend to.

Heading into the bathroom, Lucy jumped in the tub for a quick shower. The pressure of the water was much too light for her liking, but it would have to do. She cut her shower short, as she had a big day ahead of her. Getting dressed and doing some finishing touches, she was out the door.

A wide grin settled over Lucy's face as she walked through town. Even though it had changed in the last decades, the simplicity of the small town remained. The family-owned bakery that her family used to go to every Saturday was still up- though, the owners she had known before had passed, the shop being passed down in the bloodline. Her high school had gone through some renovations. It was now a little bigger to accommodate for the slightly growing population.

She had so many memories in that school. She could still remember sitting at the lunch tables with her friends, chattering over the silliest of things. She could picture her favorite teacher, Mr. Wilson, who had always helped her with her writing. She could hear her old friends' voices telling her of a party that they were going to drag her to.

It was a fun life, one that she wished she could've lived longer.

Lucy walked to the outskirts of town where the cemetery was located. Much to her relief, there was nobody around. Not that it really mattered. Everyone from her first lifetime had passed away, and there were no remnants of her first lifetime left behind. She was safe, just a stranger passing through in the eyes of everyone else.

Stopping just in front of two tombstones, a smile spread over her face. Swallowing thickly, Lucy sat on the grass, sweeping her hands over the cold marble and the engravements of her parents' names. Her eyes stung with fresh tears, which she didn't bother holding back. Her fingers flew up to her locket, wrapping around the pendent.

"Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad," she said, her voice hushed under the pressure of her emotions. "I'm sorry it's been a while. You know how it is." Releasing a shaky breath, the girl craned her head back to stare up at the grey sky. "At least it isn't raining this time. That means I can spend more time with you guys."

Her hand tightened around the locket, its ragged, worn edges digging sharply into her palm.

"I miss you guys so much," she said, her voice cracking. "I think about you guys every day. I wish you were here with me. I want to introduce you to all of the friends I've made." Her cheeks pinked as she continued, "Especially Natsu. He's my boyfriend. It's shocking that I have one, right? With everything that happened, I really thought I was going to be alone forever. But I'm not. I'm not lonely anymore."

A warm smile stretched across her face. "You can thank Levy-chan for that! She's super sweet, you guys would love her. Smart, too. Like, insanely smart. She loves reading, just like me! That's how we met. Then she introduced me to her friends. There's her boyfriend, Gajeel. He hated me at first. But once I got to know him, I learned he's just a softy at heart.

"Then there's Erza and Jellal. They're married. Jellal's super kind and reserved while Erza is strict but caring. She can also be clueless at times, which is surprising to others. Oh, and there's Gray and Juvia. They're dating. I can totally see them getting married eventually, though. Juvia's really sweet. Protective, but sweet. And Gray's like the brother I always wanted. You know, it's weird. I've lived four lifetimes now and I still haven't gotten a brother! What is up with my luck?"

Lucy laughed, tears welling in her eyes again. "Remember how I used to always beg you guys for a brother? You would always tell me that raising me was like raising ten kids. Well, if you met Natsu, you would see that I was a very calm kid. I may not have known him when he was a kid, but I can already tell he was a wild child. He's rambunctious enough as it is.

"He used to break in through my window to hang out with me. Oh, but I promise he's not some serial killer or anything like that. He's just weird. But he calls me the weird one. I do wish you guys got the chance to meet him. He's sweet and always makes me laugh. And don't worry, he treats me right. I love him, and you guys would have too."

Releasing a shaky breath, Lucy brought her knees up to her chest. This was how her visits always went. She would tell them all about her new life, wishing to hear them reply. And just as she expected, they never did.

She used to feel alone sitting in front of their tombstones. But with the thought of her friends waiting for her back in Magnolia, she didn't feel so lonely this time.

Reaching the motel, Lucy plopped onto the bed with a sigh. Grabbing her phone, she found missed texts from Natsu. Calling him, she brought her phone up to her ear, listening to the dull rings before he finally answered.

"Yo, Lucy!" his cheerful voice rang out. "How was your flight?"

"Exhausting," she answered, rolling her eyes as she remembered the child that hadn't taken a breath between wails. "How are things over there?"

"Ehh, boring. But who cares 'bout that? How're you holdin' up?"

"I'm fine," Lucy said with a smile. And she meant it.

"Have you seen your old man yet?"

"Oh right, about that. I'm going to have to stay a little longer than I thought. Just a couple days more."

"What? Why?"

"I guess my father has something important he wants to talk about. I bet it has to do with an arranged marriage."

"What!? Do I have to fly over there!? Because I will, Lucy!"

A laugh slipped past her lips. "No, no. I've got it covered, don't worry. He's been trying to push me in that direction since high school. He can't force me to marry anyone, and I fully intend on telling him about you."

"Good."

"Well then again, the guy will probably have money."

"Luuucy!"

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" She cracked a yawn. "Anyways, I'm pretty tired. I think I'm going to go to bed now."

"Wait, don't hang up!" Natsu replied. "Can we just leave the call going for a little longer?"

"But I'll be asleep."

"I know."

Warmth spread through the girl's body, her face flaring. "Aww, do you miss me?"

"Psh. No way," Natsu replied.

"Mhmm. Well, I'll leave the call going for a while. Goodnight, Natsu."

"Night, Lucy."

When Lucy woke up the next morning, she wasn't surprised to see that the call had been ended hours ago. Jumping out of bed, the girl quickly got ready for the long day ahead of her, packing her things before flagging down a cab to take her back to the airport.

Her feet felt like bricks as she walked through the airport. She hated flying, and she especially hated the destination she was headed to. She could already picture her father's disapproving frown over her clothes.

The only thing that made the situation better was that at least she didn't have to go to her father's place over winter break anymore.

Boarding the stuffy plane, Lucy rested her head against the firm headrest, willing herself to fall asleep. She needed to be well-rested for what was ahead.

Stepping off the plane, Lucy raised her arms above her head in a stretch. Her spine satisfyingly popped. This flight had been much better than the last. There weren't any crying kids, her chair was slightly more cushioned than the last, and the food they provided was much better. Still, she wasn't looking forward to her next flight back to Magnolia in a couple of days.

Heading to the baggage claiming area, Lucy's brows furrowed in annoyance. She shouldn't have been surprised that nobody had put in the small amount of effort to meet her inside. Her father's assistant was just as much of an ass as he was.

Grabbing her suitcase, Lucy stepped outside, the night air cold against her skin. She spotted the sleek car that was parked for her among the sea of dented, banged up cars around it.

As she approached, her father's assistant stepped out. His hair was jet-black and slicked back. His brows were slanted as he gave her a disapproving look-over.

"It is nice to see you, Miss Lucy," he said, grabbing her bag and storing it in the trunk.

Lucy rolled her eyes. He didn't even put an ounce of effort into sounding sincere. "Yeah, you too."

"Are you ready to go?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

The car ride was strenuous as she was forced to sit in silence with a man she detested. He wouldn't even turn on the radio, claiming that it would deter his attention from the road. Lucy had a feeling that the real reason was so that she would have to suffer even more. Oh well, she had to get used to dealing with assholes since she was going to be seeing her father soon enough.

Arriving at the mansion, Lucy took a deep breath to steel herself. She was sure that a battle of yelling was what awaited her. That was how her visits always turned out.

Heading inside, the girl was immediately swarmed by the staff, all of them weeping as they threw themselves against her and bombarded her with questions.

"Lucy!" Spetto wailed. "It's so nice to see you again!"

"It's nice to see all of you too," she replied with a warm smile. The staff were always kind to her growing up, acting as her family when even her father wouldn't. They snuck her some treats she wasn't allowed to eat, they got her out of boring lessons, and above all, they kept her company.

"Have you been eating well?"

"Yes, thanks to you teaching me how to cook!"

The older woman opened her mouth to reply but was cut short by Jude's assistant.

"I will take you up to your room. Your father expects to see you bright and early tomorrow morning, so do look your best. The maids have prepared your outfit for you already. You will wear that, and not these rags. You will be respectful at all times. Do I make myself clear?"

Lucy glared at him. "Crystal clear."

"Good."

After being escorted to her room- Lucy wanted to give a dry laugh that she had to be escorted- she sat on the bed. She took in her room. It was exactly the way she left it. Bare.

Grabbing her phone, she sent Natsu a quick text.

"I'm heading to bed now. I'm sorry I can't call. I don't want people listening."

His reply was almost instant. "It's okay. You talk to your dad yet?"

"Tomorrow. I'm not looking forward to it at all."

"Just channel your inner-Natsu!"

That brought a smile to her face. He always knew what to say. "Thanks, Natsu. I'm heading to bed now. I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Alright. Night, Luce."

"Goodnight, Natsu."

Lucy was about to place her phone on the nightstand when it buzzed again. Unlocking it, she found another text from Natsu.

"I miss you."

Her lips curled into a smile. "I miss you too."

With that, her anxiety was gone.

Lucy's stomach churned with each step she took closer to her father's office. Her ankles felt chained to iron balls, making her feet drag behind. Even though Natsu managed to calm her nerves last night, there was nothing he could do now that the moment was upon her.

Huffing as she nearly tripped over her large gown, Lucy stifled the urge to tear the damn thing off. It was so stuffy and thick, it felt like she was being suffocated.

Stopping just in front of the doors that led to his office, Lucy took a deep breath before knocking once.

"Father, it is Lucy," she said, trying to speak as formally as she could.

"You may enter," his frigid voice called out.

Taking another deep breath, she swung open the heavy doors, finding Jude sitting at his desk. Papers were piled high but stacked neatly. The bookcases were filled with large, boring textbooks. His room was cold, just as he was. While many fathers kept pictures of their families on their desks, there wasn't a single picture of her in sight.

"How are your studies coming along?" Jude asked.

Lucy bit back a frown. As always, he skipped over any form of a greeting. "My grades are great."

"Straight A's, I presume?"

"Yes, father."

"Good," he replied, stroking his bushy mustache. "As you know, I cannot have you making me look bad."

"You do that all on your own," Lucy thought bitterly. Instead of voicing her thoughts, she replied with, "Of course. May I ask why I have been called here so suddenly?"

"Yes, well, I have finished arrangements for you to marry the son of the Jullenel family." He turned his back to her, gazing out the large windows. "Marital ties with the Jullenel family will lay the foundation for Heartfilia Railways' southern expansion. This marriage will establish our future and our happiness.

"Happiness…" Lucy mumbled, her hands balling into tight fists at her sides.

Her father continued without skipping a beat. "And you must produce a boy. An heir to the Heartilia line. That is all. You may return to your room."

Lucy's brows furrowed as she glared daggers into her father's back. Was she, his own daughter, not worthy of his gaze?

"I refuse," Lucy said. Finally, he met her gaze, his dark orbs gleaming with anger.

"Lucy-"

"No. I refuse to let you choose who I marry!" she shouted. Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest, and not in the good way. Her body trembled with anger. "Why is it that every time you want to see me, it's because you want something from me?"

"Oh? Like you are one to talk," Jude replied sharply. "You are an ungrateful child who only contacts me for money so you can keep going to that school! I would suggest you bite your tongue!"

"I won't! I am sick and tired of you trying to control my life just so that you can make more money!"

"Lucy! Why don't you understand that everything I do is for the both of us!?"

Lucy stared at him incredulously. "For the both of us? How is any of this good for me!? If you really cared about me, you would've tried spending time with me! You would listen to my needs! You would treat me like an equal instead of some robot you can control with the push of a button!"

"You are naïve!" Jude shot back. He rounded the desk, looming over her. His face was etched with fury as he shouted, "You have no idea what it takes to make it in this country! You have never grown up poor thanks to my efforts! I fed you, put a roof over your head, and always made sure you got the best education possible!"

"Did you ever stop and wonder what I want?"

"Your wants are irrelevant to your needs! What you need is a stable future, one where you can support yourself!"

Lucy rolled her eyes with a scoff. "How is marrying some rich stranger supporting myself? I don't need someone else to take care of me! I don't need money or fancy dresses, I just need people to know me for me. I'm not Lucky Lucy Heartfilia, I'm just Lucy!"

Jude snapped his mouth shut, mulling over her heated words. In a voice softer than she was used to from the man, he replied, "Lucy, you may not think that money is important, but it is. Your mother and I grew up poor, struggling to make ends meet."

"I know the story."

"Yes, but you don't truly know the experiences."

Lucy reluctantly closed her mouth. It was true. In all of her lifetimes, she had been lucky enough to be born into financially stable families. Sure, the others weren't as wealthy as her family now, but they did just fine. She never had to grow up poor.

"Okay, you're right," Lucy said, the words leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. "I don't know what it's like. But isn't that a good thing?"

"Of course it is a good thing," Jude replied. "Which is why you need to do as I say so you never have to experience it."

Lucy's eyes widened a fraction, her mouth parting. Was this her father's way of showing affection? If so, he had a long way to go. Still, it was the most compassion she had ever sensed from the man.

"I would rather be poor than chained to a life of unhappiness," she said, staring up at her father. Fiery determination burned bright in her brown orbs. "I'm not marrying him, Papa. I won't have my happiness chosen for me. I'm going to get it myself."

"But Lucy-!"

"There's no changing my mind. For once in my life, I can truly say that I'm happy. I've made friends, I indulge in hobbies that I enjoy, and I even have a boyfriend."

Jude's eyes went wide. "A what?"

"A boyfriend," Lucy repeated without falter. "His name is Natsu. He may not be the kind of guy you picked out for me, but he makes me happy. I love him."

"Is he-"

"No, he's not rich."

Jude gave an exasperated sigh. "Do you love him enough that you are willing to throw away what you have?"

Lucy didn't need a second to think it over. With a bright smile on her face, she nodded. "Yeah, I do. I don't care if you stop paying for my school or my apartment. I don't need money for a happy life. And you don't either."

Knowing that Jude wouldn't warm up to her decision overnight- or perhaps ever- Lucy turned her back to him. Usually whenever she left his office after a chat, her shoulders were slumped and tears were streaming down her face. This time, her shoulders were squared, her eyes gleaming with resolve.

She reached for the doorknob when her father's voice called out to her.

"Lucy," he said, his voice grave. "That isn't the only reason I had you come home so suddenly."

Arching a brow, the girl turned to face him again. "What do you mean?"

His face creased as he frowned. "I am ill."

Lucy's face grew pale, her mouth dry. "Y-You're what?"

"I suffered a heart attack about a week ago."

"What!? How come I didn't hear about this?"

"Everyone agreed to keep it under wraps from the press. I didn't want anyone to know that I was sick. It is bad for business."

"Business? You had a heart attack and business is all you can think about?" Lucy gritted out. Her hands trembled at her sides.

"It is nothing too serious, the doctors said I shall be fine anyways with the proper rest," Jude replied, waving her off. He averted his gaze, the lump in his throat bobbing as he swallowed thickly. "It's just… I wanted to make things right in case things do not go well. You and I may not be close-"

"You think?" Lucy replied sarcastically.

Jude glared at her before continuing, "But I want to make amends. That is why I was pushing for those marriage arrangements. After my heart attack, I'm no longer able to work the way that I used to. If you marry into the Jullenel family, you will be taken care of even after I die."

Lucy furrowed her brows, her hands balling into tight fists as she shook her head. The lump in her throat caused it to constrict. Her eyes stung with fresh tears, but she refused to let them fall.

"Instead of trying to marry me off, we should be trying to get to know each other," she said. Every word burned in her throat, speaking made difficult thanks to her pent-up emotions.

Part of her told her not to forgive him. He always managed to make her life hell, and it wasn't like they were close anyways. But the other part of her, the part that was perhaps too forgiving to a fault, knew that it was the right thing to do. He was her father. Hell, even if he wasn't, she probably still would've done the same thing. That was just who she was.

"I won't let you decide my life," Lucy said. "But if you're willing, then I wouldn't mind trying to mend the bridge between us."

Jude's eyes softened a fraction, barely even visible.

"I understand," he replied. "I agree to your terms."

Lucy let out a quiet chuckle. Even now, he was speaking like a businessman.

Making amends with her father was going to be tough. She wasn't even sure if it was going to be possible. But if there was one thing that she had learned from experience in this lifetime, it was that people can change.

[superfreakerz]

TDDUP 24

"Til Death Do Us Part"

Rated M for smut and heavy themes.

Summary: There are immortals and there are those who reincarnate, but it's best to keep these things hidden. Lucy is attending college and meets Natsu, a boy with pink hair, a devilish smile, and a body that never ages.

Read earlier chapters on FF.net

Chapter 24

Jellal's Birthday

"You should've seen her. She literally woke up, puked her guts out, and started crying," Natsu said, staring up at his ceiling.

Gray let out a low whistle. "Must've been a pretty scary dream."

He sat up, turning towards his roommate. A frown rested on his face as he said, "That's the thing. I'm beginning to wonder if that's all it was."

"What do you mean?"

"When I told her none of it was real, she said that it really was. I didn't really think much about it then, but I'm starting to wonder if she had a nightmare about something real."

"Why don't you just ask?"

"You don't think I've tried? Every time I try to bring it up, she just keeps changing the subject. It's obvious she doesn't wanna talk about it."

"Then just leave it alone,"

Natsu furrowed his brows. "Leave it alone? How can I just leave it alone? She was crying."

"Not everything has to be talked about," Gray said with a shrug. "Look, her mom's anniversary is coming up, right? It was probably just a dream about her mom. I've had plenty of those about my family, and I'm sure you've had them too."

Natsu couldn't argue with that logic. "Well why wouldn't she wanna talk to me about that? We talk to each other all the time about that kinda stuff."

"Maybe she's not ready. Either way, I say you just drop it. It's better than to keep reminding her."

"Fine," Natsu said, laying back down on his bed. It'd been four days since that night, and he couldn't get it out of his head. He'd never seen Lucy so shaken up before, it made a shiver run down his own spine.

Gray raised his arms above his head in a stretch before getting out of bed. "C'mon. We gotta go help with the party or else Erza will literally kill us."

Natsu groaned. "She gets even more violent on Jellal's birthday."

"That's because she always tries to make things perfect and fails every time."

"She really does suck at surprises."

As the two headed towards the lounge in the basement, Natsu noticed everyone running around with sweat dotting their faces as they hung decorations on the wall. Erza must've gotten to them. It was no secret among Fairy Tail that if someone messed up Jellal's birthday or even hung a decoration up crookedly, there would be hell to pay with the demonic redhead. Speak of the devil…

"Natsu, Gray. It is good that you two are finally joining us," Erza said, approaching the two. She shoved streamers into their hands. "You idiots can't possibly mess this up. Hang these from the ceilings. Find me when you are done so I can give you your next task."

Natsu knew better than to talk back on Jellal's birthday.

"Aye, sir!" the two exclaimed, saluting the girl. She gave a satisfied nod before moving on to check on everyone else.

Only after the basement was covered in colorful decorations, a beautiful cake sat on the counter courtesy of Mira, and everyone was gathered in the lounge did Erza officially commence the party. Everyone cheered their congratulations for Jellal.

Birthdays were cause for a huge celebration in Fairy Tail, big enough that they shut down the whole place. Many immortals, like Cana, had forgotten their actual birthdays over the vast years and chose not to celebrate. But after joining Fairy Tail, they were able to pick a new birthday for themselves and celebrate it with a group of people who cared and understood.

In Jellal's case, December 1st was not his real birthday. He had long since forgotten, partly due to his longevity and also due to what happened at the research facility. He and Erza were only fresh immortals back then, only recently discovering their secret. Before they could really understand what was happening, they were dragged to a facility against their will and experimented on for decades by mortals trying to find the secret to immortality. After repeated experiments, they lost track of the years and their brains had suffered damage.

They weren't the only immortals to go through something like that. Many of them had been through their own hardships caused by mortals, particularly Mira. Her story always made Natsu sick to his stomach just listening to it.

Only bad things came from mortals finding out about their secret, which was why they held a prejudice against Lucy at first. She was the first mortal who didn't know of immortality to prove to them that there were good ones out there.

Natsu kept a grin glued to his face, but he couldn't help but miss Lucy. After her nightmare, conversation between the two of them had been a bit tense. He wished she was there celebrating with all of them.

"It is time for gifts!" Erza announced while everyone was eating their cake.

"You guys didn't have to get me anything," Jellal said with a smile. He said that every year, knowing that they were going to go out of their way and get him something anyways.

"Nonsense! Here, open mine first!"

Jellal thanked his wife, accepting the gift. A chuckle slipped past his lips as he noticed the sloppy wrapping of the present. While some would suspect that the redhead would be neat and tidy when wrapping gifts, she was actually quite bad at it. And he loved that small fact about her.

Tearing the paper off, he opened the box underneath to find a worn-out journal. Its corners were folded over and its edges were torn, but it still managed to bring a huge grin to the otherwise stoic boy's face.

"Erza! How did you find this?" he asked, flipping open the book and running his fingers over the brittle pages.

"It was actually a lot of work to get," she answered with a small smile. "For one, they kept it in a museum. I've been planning a way to get it out of there for a year now. Then, I had to do it without being caught. Luckily, I did."

"Wait, you broke into a museum?" Cana asked, blanching at the redhead.

She shrugged. "Yeah. All it took was months of observing, a friend on the inside, tiny movements of their cameras every day so that they wouldn't notice, and then breaking in through a back window and taking it during the night."

"Erza, I don't think you know how truly scary you are sometimes."

Erza gave a smug grin. "Oh, I know."

"What is that thing anyways?" Gajeel asked, moving closer to Jellal to see what it was. "And how could you of all people break into a museum to get it? You're always sittin' on that high horse of yours, talkin' about morals and shit. Now look at ya."

"It's not really robbing if it was yours to begin with."

"This journal was mine," Jellal explained. "It was back in our hometown. I was studying and I wrote down some experiments I did in this journal. This was right before we were taken."

Everyone stared at the ground as Erza balled her hands into tight fists. It wasn't a secret that the facility still haunted her to this day.

"Anyways," Jellal said, trying to move quickly from that topic. "After that, I didn't go back to my old home for years, but apparently someone had raided it and took my journal. Apparently, it was interesting that someone from those days had formulated advanced equations, so they kept it preserved in a museum. I was very shocked to find it one day."

"This is the only thing we could find from the old days," Erza added. "Nostalgic, isn't it?"

"It is. I still cannot believe you got it back for me."

"That was pretty risky of you, Erza," Mira said with a chuckle. "But you'd do anything for Jellal! It's so cute!"

The girl's cheeks burned to match her hair. "A-Anyways, next present!"

The group went around, giving Jellal their presents until there weren't any more. After that, they drank and played games, so caught up in the moment that they didn't feel like outsiders stuck in hiding. In that moment, they were just a group of friends- a family- all of them celebrating a birthday like any normal person would.

"Don't drink too much," Levy said, watching as Gajeel downed an entire mug of booze. "Don't forget we're going to celebrate again later with Lu-chan. She can't know that we were already celebrating without her."

Don't worry, Shrimp. I ain't no lightweight."

"Levy does have a point," Gray said. "Maybe we shouldn't have gotten full off of the cake already. Knowing Lucy, she's probably baking one right now for us."

"She sounds so nice!" Mira gushed. "I wish I could meet her! Why do I have to be in a different cycle from you guys?"

"Yeah, yeah," Cana said, slinging an arm around the other girl's shoulders. "You've got me, Laxus, and his squad in your cycle. Can't beat that setup! After all, I take you to the cool parties that people throw!"

"Yes, and you shrug off your studies," Erza scolded.

"Psh. Oh well."

Natsu crossed his arms with a sour look. "Why can't I 'shrug off my studies' if Cana can?"

"Because you're in her cycle," Gray said with a smirk. "She can't have you making her look bad. Though, you bein' an immortal already makes the rest of us look bad."

Before the two could begin to brawl, Makarove climbed up onto one of the tables to give himself some more height. Even then, he still wasn't tall enough to peer down at everyone, but his air of authority made up for his lack of height.

"My children," he started, gazing at each and every one of them. "I am happy to be able to celebrate another one of your birthdays will all of you. Jellal, happy birthday. I wish you nothing but happiness. I know many of you have forgotten your original birthdays, but it is with Fairy Tail that you are given another! It is with Fairy Tail that you are able to celebrate with your peers! It is with Fairy Tail that you can begin anew! So cheers!"

Everyone lifted their glasses high in the air, the building rumbling as everyone cheered.

Lucy sighed as she threw the cake in the oven, dusting her hands off on her apron. She wasn't much of a baker, but as long as she followed the recipe, she was sure it would turn out decent enough.

The girl glanced around her apartment, making sure everything was ready for the party later. Streamers hung from the ceiling, banners were pinned to the wall, and games were set up on the dining table- games that she bought specifically for the occasion. All that was left was the cake, which would need to bake for roughly twenty minutes, cooled, then frosted. That left her nearly an hour to relax.

Making her way over to her desk, Lucy plopped onto the chair with a sigh. Rubbing her eyes, she stifled a groan. She could feel the heavy bags underneath her eyelids.

Ever since her nightmare, the girl had been having trouble sleeping. Even with Natsu there to hold her, she refused to doze off into sleep, terrified that her dreams would be plagued by her inner demons once again.

"Hopefully some concealer will do the trick."

Hoping to distract herself, Lucy worked on her story until the oven began its incessant beeping, informing her that the cake was finished. Taking it out of the oven, she eyed the clock. The others were supposed to arrive in half an hour.

"I probably don't have time to let the cake cool all the way and frost it before they get here."

Or so she thought.

Lucy slumped on the couch with a huff. It was nearing seven, and they were supposed to arrive at six.

"What's taking them so long?"

Finally, she could hear a key being pushed into the lock of her front door before it swung open to reveal Natsu and the others. It wasn't a surprise that they all showed up together since they all lived in the same place.

Lucy eyed them in annoyance. All of them wore wide grins on their faces as they bustled inside. Were they not aware that they were an hour late?

"Hey, Lucy," Gray greeted.

She ignored him. Eyes landing on Jellal, she forced a grin to her face as she said, "Happy birthday, Jellal."

The boy smiled back at her. "Thank you, Lucy. And thank you for letting us come here to celebrate."

"Don't mention it. I'm surprised that Fairy Tail was closed today. It's not a holiday today, is it?"

Erza cleared her throat. "Perhaps they are taking a training day."

"I guess that makes sense," Lucy replied with a shrug. Searching for Natsu, she found him sitting alone on the couch. She moved to sit by him. "Hey, Natsu. Why are you guys so late?"

Natsu smiled apologetically. "Sorry about that. Erza thought you said to come over at seven."

She arched a brow. "Erza said that? She's not the type to make a mistake like that."

"Well, I guess she did."

Natsu sighed in relief as Lucy shrugged her shoulders in acceptance. In truth, everyone was so caught up in the moment at Fairy Tail, they lost track of time. But he couldn't tell Lucy that. Not only was she not supposed to know about the others, but it would also probably hurt her feelings if she found out they had a party without her.

Lucy stood up from the couch. "Do you guys want any cake? I made some." Her gaze landed on Erza, finding that the redhead was already devouring a piece.

"Ehh, I'm good," Gray said, crossing his arms behind his head. He and everyone else had already filled up back at Fairy Tail. Any more would just make him sick.

Lucy bit back a frown. Nobody was going to have the cake? Well, besides Erza, of course. But what about everyone else? Did they think she was that incapable of baking? Mumbling to herself, she hastily cut herself a slice and sat at the dining table while everyone else chatted around her. First they were late, then they didn't even take a bite of the cake that she slaved to make for them.

Natsu cocked his head to the side, watching as Lucy shoved cake into her mouth. Her brows were slanted, and she wasn't paying attention to anyone. Figuring that she was still upset about her dream, he chose not to comment on it. Taking Gray's advice, he was going to let her handle it on her own.

Lucy heaved a sigh before taking the last bite of her cake. She shouldn't have been so bitter. The day wasn't about her, it was about celebrating Jellal's birthday. Who knows, maybe they just weren't cake people.

Lucy's eyes lit up as she turned to face her friends.

"Should we open presents now?" she asked, clasping her hands together in excitement.

Everyone shared an uneasy glance. They already opened presents back at Fairy Tail.

"Oh, uhh, we don't get each other presents!" Levy lied. She'd always been quick on her feet in times like these. Only this time, it wasn't working.

Lucy narrowed her eyes skeptically. "You guys don't get each other birthday gifts?"

"Nope! Too much of a hassle with such a big group!"

Lucy turned to Erza. "Even you didn't get your husband a gift?"

The other girl shook her head, following along with Levy's lie. "No. Jellal and I don't believe in gift giving."

Lucy's hands went limp at her sides. What did they take her for, some kind of idiot? "Okay. Does anyone want to play some games?"

That was how the rest of the evening transpired. Everyone played games and cheered while Lucy kept a feigned grin plastered to her face.

Once the party ended, the group helped Lucy clean up before saying their goodbyes and heading out the door. Natsu stayed behind as always.

He watched as Lucy marched over to the couch and plopped onto it with a huff. Taking slow, hesitant steps towards her like she was some sort of ticking time bomb, he lowered himself next to her.

"That was fun, right?" he asked, turning to give her a grin.

Lucy glared at him, turning on the TV without saying a word.

And just like that, Natsu knew her sour mood wasn't just because of her dream. She was mad at him.

Grabbing the remote from her hand, he turned it off before giving her a serious look.

"What's wrong, Lucy? Why're you so upset?" he asked.

The girl crossed her arms and replied in a flat tone of voice, "What do you mean? I'm not upset."

"You obviously are, so just tell me already."

"I'm fine."

"If you were fine, you wouldn't be acting like this. Can we just talk about it?"

Lucy whirled an angry gaze onto him. "You guys celebrated without me, didn't you?"

Natsu swallowed thickly. He should've known that she was going to catch onto them. "Lucy, I can explain."

"I knew it! That's why nobody ate the cake or gave presents! Not to mention you guys reeked with booze!"

"Lucy-!"

"No, no! Don't Lucy me! I know exactly what this is about!" Lucy stood up from the couch and planted her hands on her hips, tears pricking her eyes as she continued, "I'm never going to be good enough for your friends, am I? You all share secrets that I'm not good enough to know, you all lie to my face, and now I know you all celebrate without me! Just admit it, Natsu! I'm not good enough for you guys!"

Natsu shot up, his brows furrowed. "That's not it, Lucy! 'Course you're good enough for us!"

"Then why the hell did you guys celebrate without me? Why couldn't you invite me?"

"I-It was with other people!" Natsu answered with a gulp. The truth was at the tip of his tongue. He longed to tell her the truth for so long, now more than ever. But he just couldn't do that to his friends. "You don't know them, so we figured that you wouldn't wanna be there!"

Lucy rolled her eyes with a scoff. "Yeah, right. It's nice to see that you're breaking our no-lying agreement. You think I don't know when you're lying by now?"

"I'm sorry, Lucy, but-!"

"Save it."

"But Lucy-!"

"I don't want to hear it."

Natsu's brows furrowed in annoyance, watching as Lucy turned her back towards him.

"You're kinda a hypocrite, you know that?" he said, the words fumbling out of his mouth before he could even think them over.

Lucy whirled around, giving him an incredulous look. "Excuse me?"

He shrugged. "You're a hypocrite."

"How the hell am I a hypocrite?"

"You aren't the only one who can tell when the other's lying. Do you really believe that you haven't told a single lie since that night?"

"I have not!"

"There it is again!"

Lucy's mouth gaped open like a fish out of water. Okay, so she had lied a few times to keep her reincarnation a secret. But those were necessary lies! And it wasn't like she expected him to know she was lying.

"See? You can't even argue because I'm right," Natsu said, shoving his hands into his pockets. His voice was cold as he continued, "You're being a hypocrite. We both lie for whatever reason; the only difference is I don't get on your back for doing it."

Lucy's fists trembled at his cold disposition. "Well then maybe that's a sign."

"A sign of what?"

"That we shouldn't be together," she answered. Her heart dropped to the floor as Natsu gave a pained expression, his eyes wide and his mouth parted. Her throat felt tight as she fought back tears. "You said it yourself. For some reason, we both keep lying to each other. Maybe that means-"

"Yeah, I got it," Natsu said, cutting her off. "If that's what you want, then fine."

"Natsu-"

"Nah. You're good, Lucy. You don't hafta explain yourself." Removing the necklace from his neck, he grabbed Lucy's hand and placed the spare key into her palm. Without saying another word, he marched towards the door, slamming it shut behind him.

Lucy stood still, tears clouding her vision as she stared at the door. Her mind was a blank slate, unable to process what just happened. But when she did, it was like a switch went off in her mind.

Once the first sob wrangled its way out of her, she was no longer able to contain herself. Her hand tightened around the key he left behind, the cold, ragged edges engraving into her skin.

This time, she couldn't even blame reincarnation for what was happening. She could only blame herself.

Natsu slammed the door to his bedroom before marching over to his bed. He plopped onto it, staring up at the ceiling and ignoring Gray's questioning glances.

"Uhh, everything okay?" his roommate asked.

"Shut up," Natsu replied, his voice hoarse. There was no way in hell he was going to talk about what happened with Gray. He had just managed to stop crying on the way home, and if he talked about it, the dam was sure to break again.

Gray wasn't deterred by his remark. "Did something happen with you and Lucy?" Natsu ignored him, giving him the answer he needed. "What happened?"

"None of your business. Now shut up, Gray. I'm serious."

"No, I won't just shut up. What the hell happened between you and Lucy? We were just having a good time."

"Maybe you did, but she didn't."

"Lucy didn't have fun at the party?"

"Nope. Because she knew that we celebrated without her." Natsu sat up, giving the other boy a blank stare. "Know what that means? It means she was asking me why we celebrated without her. And I couldn't even tell her because of this damn secret we have."

Gray frowned, fumbling with the buttons of his shirt. He wasn't sure what to say. Hell, there probably wasn't anything he could say that would cheer him up. That was one of the many unavoidable problems of dating a mortal, and even though he loved Lucy like a sister, there was no changing the rules that were there to keep them safe. What Natsu did was the right thing, even if it didn't feel like it.

"I'm sorry, man," Gray said, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "But I'm sure Lucy will get over it."

"Nah, she won't. She broke up with me."

"Wait, she what!?"

Natsu shrugged.

Gray heaved a sigh. He hated seeing Natsu like this, and he was sure Lucy was hurting just as much.

"You know, Juvia broke up with me once," Gray said, laying back and staring at the ceiling as well.

Natsu's brows rose as he turned to face his roommate. He hadn't heard that story before, which was strange considering all of them lived together. "She did?"

"Yep. Back when we first got together. I was an idiot back then, and I pushed her away too much. Everyone has their breaking point, and I pushed her to that point. She dumped me."

"How did you guys get back together?"

"As I was sitting here, staring up at the ceiling like this, I realized that I didn't want to lose her. I went back to her and apologized. Luckily, she forgave me and since then, I've been doin' my best to make her happy because I don't wanna see the sad look she gave me that night."

Natsu scoffed. "That's different. That was your fault. This wasn't even my fault this time!"

"I'm not saying it is." He faced the other boy. "Look, your relationship with Lucy isn't easy. She's a mortal and you're an immortal, there's bound to be some fights that happen because of it. But in all the time I've known you- and really think about how long that is- I have never seen you as happy as when you're with Lucy. Even if it wasn't your fault, are you really willing to lose her now?"

Natsu's gaze dropped to the floor. "Well why do I hafta be the one to apologize?"

"Well, it's not like she can just come here and do it. Besides, maybe it's not her fault either."

"What do you mean? If it's not my fault, then-"

"Maybe it's neither of your faults," Gray interrupted with a shrug. "It's not like she ever asked to date an immortal with a shit ton of secrets and baggage. And she doesn't even know about it. Without her knowledge, she's dating someone who makes things harder for her without a choice."

"Just tell me what I should do already!"

"Do you wanna be with Lucy?"

Natsu's hands balled into tight fists, his eyes lighting with resolve. "Yeah, I do."

"Then go be with her, idiot."

Without another word, Natsu dashed out the door.

Lucy's eyes fluttered open as a cold gust of wind washed over her. With a groan, she forced herself into a sitting position. Her head pounded after all of her crying, and the bags under her eyes had only gotten worse. Going to get some medicine, she turned, only to find a dark figure standing at her bedside.

A bloodcurdling scream slipped past her lips before a warm hand slapped over her mouth. With wide eyes, she watched as the hooded figure removed their hood to find pink tufts of hair.

"Shh!" Natsu said. He really hoped her neighbors wouldn't call the cops after that. But then again, if they didn't, maybe her apartment wasn't that safe to live in after all.

Lucy pried his hand off her face, panting. He must not have realized that his hand was large enough to cover her nose as well.

"Natsu!" she shouted, turning on the lights. "What are you doing here? I thought you were a murderer!"

"I want my key back," Natsu replied. His eyes bore into hers, his gaze serious.

Warmth crept up to the girl's cheeks. "W-What?"

"My key. I want it back."

"What do you mean?"

"I know I used to climb through the window all the time, but using the door's a lot easier. So, I want my key back." He held his hand out, shaking it with impatience.

Lucy arched a brow. "But you- we- I mean-"

"Lucy. I want my key back."

The edge of his voice sent a shiver down her spine. She took in his features. His eyes were a bit puffy and pink, his hair a disheveled mess.

"I don't understand," Lucy said, her voice just a whisper.

Natsu sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Jeez, Luce. Do I really hafta spell it out for ya?" Taking a step closer, he leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers. His hands slid into hers, giving them a gentle squeeze. "I don't wanna break up."

Lucy's breath hitched in her throat. "R-Really?"

"'Course, weirdo. And I hope you don't wanna break up either."

"I don't!" Lucy exclaimed. "I overreacted earlier. And you're right, I was being a hypocrite. Telling each other the truth might not always be possible like I thought it was. Maybe… Maybe it's okay if we lie to each other sometimes… Right?"

"I don't mind if you don't," Natsu replied, his lips twitching upwards into a small smile.

"Well, as long as we don't lie about important stuff."

"Duh."

Natsu propped his finger underneath Lucy's chin, lifting her head so that he could press his lips against hers in a gentle kiss. Electricity shot through his body at the light touch, her soft lips moving against his. His arms snaked around Lucy's waist, pulling her flushed against him. His hands tangled in her shirt, clutching onto her as if he would lose her again if he let go.

Breaking apart for air, the two stared into each other's hazy eyes.

"Is it weird that we're doing this?" Lucy asked.

Natsu arched a brow. "Weird that we're kissing?"

"No, I mean being together and agreeing that it's okay to lie. Is it really? Don't get me wrong, I don't want to break up, but isn't that what normal people would do?"

Natsu shrugged. "Well you aren't normal. You're a weirdo. So it makes sense."

"I'm serious, Natsu."

"I don't know, okay? I don't know what other people would do in this situation. All I know is that I wanna be with you for the rest of my life, and I don't care what it takes."

A smile etched itself over Lucy's face. "Yeah, you're right. I don't care either. I just want to be with you."

Natsu grinned. "So? My key?"

"Oh, right!" Lucy grabbed the key from the nightstand, handing it back to him. "I believe this is yours."

"Thanks," Natsu replied, putting the necklace on, back in its rightful place. "Your eyes are super puffy, by the way. I can barely even see your eyes."

"Yours are puffy too, jerk!"

"Not as puffy as yours!" He reached out and poked the swollen skin. "I'm really sorry for makin' you cry, Luce. That's not what I wanna do."

Lucy grabbed his hand and gave him a smile. "Don't worry about it. Let's just call it even and forget about this, okay?"

"Sounds good to me!"

Taking her hand, he led her back to the bed. They cozied up under the covers, tangling their limbs into a ball of comfort. Natsu breathed in Lucy's scent while she traced her finger over his chest. With everything resolved between them, they let their eyes droop closed for some much-needed rest. Their secrets were safe, along with their relationship.

If only they knew that secrets always had a way of getting out.

[superfreakerz]

So, this is a request from @ccrispy asking me to write a story for my favorite artwork of hers! And lemme tell you, it was so hard to choose one because ccrispy is my fav artist on tumblr so I love literally everything she posts lmao. BUT! I have to say that this one is my favorite because it literally made me CRY seeing it the first time! So, without further ado, here it is! :D

Also, I really wanted to post a link to her post but I can’t find it on my laptop for some reason. So I’m sorry if the pictures are out of scale or something! I’ll try to add another link using mobile after I post this!

“So Long, Happy”

Rated K.

Summary: Saying goodbye hurts, especially when it’s to one of your closest friends.

So Long, Happy

All that could be heard were the muffled sobs as the three walked to their destination. Nobody said a word, their throats tight and constricted from all of their crying. Their steps were slow, as if trying to postpone the inevitable, which in truth they might have subconsciously doing. They wanted to turn around. They wanted to go home and laugh, tease each other, and continue their never-ending adventure.

But they couldn’t.

Not when Happy had a mission.

After the battle with Zeref and Acnologia, Lucy, Natsu, and Happy had found peace in their lives. They went on jobs together, messed up Lucy’s apartment together, and shared each day like it was their last. They had been through so much over the past couple of years, they very much needed the serenity.

Not long after, however, two strange people entered the guildhall. One was a girl with blonde hair, lighter than Lucy’s and not as golden. It fell in waves, a little bit past her shoulders. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of blue, similar to Mira’s. Next to her was a boy with black hair, not unlike Gray’s. His eyes were dark and slanted. There was a small bandage over his cheek.

Before anyone could speak, they both dropped to their knees and bowed.

“Please,” the girl spoke. Her voice was strained, cracking as if she had been crying recently. “We… We need your help.”

Everyone in the guild shared a look of concern. The one who spoke next was none other than Natsu, who had walked closer to the strange pair.

“Then you came to the right place!” he said, giving them a wide grin in hopes of lightening the mood. “Fairy Tail never backs down from a job!”

“What is it you need?” Erza chimed in.

“We need your help,” the strange girl answered, her gaze still glued to the floor. “Our world- or worlds, I should say- is in danger of destruction.”

“What do you mean by worlds? Who are you people?”

“My name is Rebecca, and this is Shiki. We come from a different planet in another dimension of space.”

“A different dimension of space?” Lucy repeated, her mouth opened wide. “Is this like Edolas again?”

“I don’t think so,” Makarov answered. “Edolas was another world, but it was connected to ours. If their world is in a different pocket of space, then it would be different entirely, is that correct?”

Rebecca nodded. “There are multiple universes. We come from the Sakura Cosmos. I know it may be hard to believe but-”

“After everything all of us have been through, there’s really not much that’s hard to believe,” Natsu interrupted, giving the girl a grin. “So, what do you need us to do? Head over there?”

“Well… it’s not that simple. We can only take one of you. Coming from different universes, our bodies are made up of different materials. Ours are made up of something called ether, while yours are made up of something foreign to us. In order to get here, one of our friends back home had to create these devices that are inserted into our bodies and converts our ether into what is known as magical power over here. The parts needed to make them are rare in our world, so he could only make enough to bring back one person.”

“Just one?” Lucy asked, a frown spreading over her face.

“Don’t worry, Lucy,” Natsu said, nudging the girl and flashing her a reassuring grin. “I’ll go. And I’ll be back before you know it.”

“Actually…” Rebecca started, biting her lower lip. “There’s a specific person that we came for.”

“Huh? Who is it?”

Rebecca glanced behind Natsu, pointing at the blue exceed behind him.

“We came for Happy.”

The cat’s eyes widened. Pointing at himself, he asked, “Me?”

“Yes. I used to have a companion like you,” Rebecca started, her voice cracking. Her eyes pricked with tears, but she blinked them back. Now wasn’t the time to cry. She had to save the world. “But, umm… He didn’t make it in our last battle.”

Lucy’s hands flew to her mouth. It was that bad over there? Sure, she’d had more than a few close calls with her friends, but she’d never had any of them actually die.

“You look and sound just like the Happy from my own world,” Rebecca said with a sad smile. “And in order to use my powers, I need Happy. We’re running low on fighters, I can’t be put on the sidelines now.”

“So Happy will help you use your powers?” Erza asked. “How?”

“Well, once we insert the conversion device into Happy, his body will have ether that is compatible with my own. He will be able to transform his body into my weapon. That is, if he chooses to come with us.”

Everyone turned towards the cat in question. He shrugged.

“Sure. Why not?” Happy said with a grin.

Shiki frowned, shaking his head. “You should take some time to think about it first.”

“Huh? Why? All I’m doing there is helping you win and then coming back, right?”

“It’s not that simple,” Rebecca said, her frown growing. “While having you around will help our efforts, it won’t change the tide of the battle overnight. It’s a long and dangerous journey. In fact… It could take up to years.”

“Years!?” Lucy repeated. “But… But Happy…”

Natsu’s eyes were wide, his stomach filled with dread. The thought of going without one of his best friends for so long made him sick. Happy had been there for him through everything. He was there to help look for Igneel, there when Igneel had died, and was there to help with Zeref. Happy was his partner in crime, his confidant.

Happy frowned, glancing up at Natsu. It was clear that the boy wasn’t processing the information well.

“I’m sorry,” Happy said, turning back towards Rebecca and Shiki. “I don’t think I can be away that long. This is my home, and all of my friends are here…”

Rebecca nodded, but she couldn’t fight the tears that slipped down her cheeks. Happy was her only hope, and while she understood completely, it was devasting to know that he wasn’t going to help.

“We understand,” Shiki said. “Thank you for hearing us out.” He picked Rebecca up from the floor and went to lead her out of the guild when Natsu spoke.

“Wait,” he said, swallowing thickly. He crouched in front of Happy, ruffling his fur. “Don’t worry about me, buddy.”

“But-!” the cat started, only to be interrupted.

“I’m not gonna force you to go or anything, but these people need your help. I’m not gonna selfishly keep you here either. We’re Fairy Tail wizards, we don’t give up on jobs that we accept, right?”

Happy nodded, tears welling in his eyes. “A-Aye…” Before he could get discouraged and change his mind, he turned back towards the two. “I’ll go with you.”

After that, they were given one last day to hang out together. Many tears were shed that night, knowing that it would be their last time seeing each other for a while. Still, they made the best they could out of it.

But now that the fateful day was upon them, their feet felt like bricks and sorrow was heavy in their hearts. As selfish as it was, they didn’t want to let Happy go. They wanted him to stay with the guild, laughing, eating fish, and trying to win Charle’s heart.

Reaching Hargeon, the place they were told to meet up with Rebecca and Shiki, their sorrow intensified. This was the place Natsu and Happy had met Lucy. It held wonderful memories for them, as it was the beginning of their adventure. Ironically, it was also the end of it as well.

Soon enough, they could make out Rebecca and Shiki standing by the pier. A large, metallic ship rested in the water behind them. It was clear it wasn’t an ordinary ship, but they didn’t care about that at the moment.

Reaching the pair, the trio started their goodbyes.

Lucy watched, her heart sinking in her chest as Natsu crouched beside Happy, scooping him into his arms in a tight hug, his hand cupping the back of the exceed’s head. Tears washed over his face and sunk into Happy’s fur. The two cried together, uncaring of who saw.

Lucy crouched beside them, poking the back of Happy’s head. Her eyes stung with tears and her throat was dry. She hadn’t been able to stop crying since yesterday. Still, she wanted to be strong for her friend.

Forcing a smile to her face, Lucy held her arms out in front of her. Happy choked back a sob, launching himself into her chest for a final hug. No longer able to hold it in any longer, Lucy broke down, her cries loud enough to gain the attention of people passing by. She wept and wept, expecting her tears to run out eventually, but they didn’t.

It seemed Happy wasn’t faring any better, his claws digging into her sides as he cried. How many times had they hugged like this before? It was too much to count.

Trying to regain control of herself, Lucy pulled away.

A shaky smile spread over her face. “Be good, okay? D-Don’t give these guys too much trouble.”

Happy nodded, burying his face into her chest again. They held onto each other for a few more minutes, but their time was short. Happy had to go soon, and Lucy knew that his next goodbye meant even more.

Gently carrying Happy, Lucy handed him to Natsu. Without saying a word, the boy held Happy close to his chest. He wanted to say goodbye, but he couldn’t speak. The words wouldn’t come to him and his throat felt like it was getting tighter by the second. He felt sick to his stomach, so sad that he thought he might throw up. The only other times he’d been this sad was when he saw Igneel die or when he thought Lucy had died.

Still, he needed to be optimistic. He knew Happy better than anyone, and if he continued to act like this, then Happy would change his mind. And even though a large part of Natsu wished he would, he knew that there were people that needed him. People were dying, even if he couldn’t see it happening with his own two eyes. The thought alone was to galvanize him to speak.

“It’s okay, buddy,” he started, his voice just above a whisper. It was hoarse, cracking under the pressure of his emotions. “I trust them.”

“A-Aye,” Happy replied, his voice muffled as his face was buried in Natsu’s scarf.

They stayed like that in silence, as if scared that their time together would end if one of them spoke. Knowing that their time together was coming to an end soon, Lucy hugged them both tightly.

“I love you, Happy,” she whispered, unable to speak any louder. “Be safe, got it? You make sure that you come back to us.”

“Aye,” Happy replied with a nod.

Natsu smoothed a hand over the cat’s head one more time before pulling away from the hug. He knew that he needed to be the one to act, for if he didn’t, nobody else would. He had to be strong.

“C'mon, buddy. It’s time for you to go. A new journey for you begins,” he said, wiping away his tears and smiling at his friend. His lips quivered, and the smile didn’t reach his eyes, but it was enough to reassure the cat that what he was doing was the right thing to do.

Shiki picked up Happy, admittedly feeling guilty for being the one to take him away from such a loving family. He loved making new friends, but doing it like this wasn’t satisfying. His heart broke for the three of them just watching them say goodbye.

“Don’t worry, we’ll take care of him,” Rebecca told Lucy, a smile on her face in hopes of cheering the other girl up.

Lucy gave a wet smile in return, tears streaming down her face. “I’m sure of that.”

Natsu swallowed thickly, ruffling his hand through Happy’s fur one more time. This was it. This was goodbye.

“So long, Happy,” he choked out. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Aye,” the exceed replied with a nod. “Soon.”

With that, Rebecca, Shiki, and Happy headed towards the ship, ready to start their new adventure.

The weight of Natsu’s emotions at the sight of Happy’s retreating form brought him crashing to his knees and clutching his scarf for support. His breathing was staggered, unable to be calmed even as Lucy wrapped her arms around him. Together, the two cried, knowing that their lives weren’t going to be the same without Happy there with them. The three of them were the original Team Natsu. Until Happy returned, there was always going to be a hole in their hearts.

But they had faith in their friend. Happy was a strong cat, stronger than he looked. They knew that he would help Rebecca and Shiki, just as he had helped them. Then, he would return.

“H-Happy!” Natsu cried out.

Happy turned around to find Natsu being held in Lucy’s arms. The boy’s body trembled as he brought a shaky hand into the air. Pointing his index finger and thumb out, he gave the cat Fairy Tail’s signature salute. Lucy smiled through her tears, raising her hand and doing the same.

For the first time that day, Happy smiled back at them, finally feeling ready to follow through with his decision. Raising his paw in the air, he mirrored their form. With that, he boarded the ship with the others, not turning around again to check on them. He knew that they were distraught. He was too. But he was going to see them again, he’d make sure of it.

Because even if they couldn’t find where he was, they would always be looking his way, just as he would with them.

[superfreakerz]

FT Nalu Master List

I've been meaning to do this for a while because I haven't posted all of my stories on tumblr. Also, I don't even tag my writing so that people can see all of my work, which I will start doing with the tag "super writes." Keep in mind that some of my older stories aren't as good lmao. So, in order of oldest to latest, here are my stories.

Better Together

Rated K.

Chapters: 20

Status: Complete

Summary: Over a year has passed since Fairy Tail disbanded after the battle with Tartaros. Natsu and Happy managed to gather almost everyone and reform their beloved guild, but they are missing one person: Lucy, who had been living contentedly in Crocus. Can they find Lucy and bring her back with everyone else? Will a new relationship spark during the process?

New Beginnings

Rated K

Chapters: 26

Status: Complete

Summary: AU. After transferring to Fairy Tail High School, Lucy Heartfilia finds herself content with her newest and only friends: Erza and Levy. However, with their attempt to bring her out of her shell, she finds herself in a group chat with her two friends, a stripper, a crazy jealous girl, an alcoholic, and a pyro who just so happens to tear down her walls and make her heart race.

The Flaming Key

Rated T

Chapters: 26

Status: Complete

Summary: AU. Everyone gains a tattoo once they turn 16, linking them to their soulmates. The only hard part is finding your other half. Lucy Heartfilia has finally turned 16 and is on the hunt for her soulmate. Much to her surprise, it's somebody that she had least suspected.

Fairy Tail

Rated M

Chapters: 104

Status: In Progress

Summary: Fairy tale AU. Lucy Ashley was nothing more than a twenty year old living in the slums of Seattle until she was teleported into another world by a book of fairy tales. Or what she thought were just fairy tales. Now she's traveling with a dragon slayer and a flying cat to return everyone's happy endings in order to return home. But by the end of their journey, would she want to?

Family

Rated T

Chapters: 34

Status: Complete

Summary: After a drunken night due to a Fairy Tail party, Lucy finds herself pregnant but doesn't know who the father is. Memories flash through her and she remembers that Natsu is the father, but it's too late. He had left on a training mission for two years. Lucy leaves the guild and comes back years later just as she promised, but with a five year old with pink hair named Nashi.

War

Rated T

Chapters: 33

Status: Discontinued

Summary: AU. Battling for the location of the class fieldtrip, the two popular groups at Fairy Tail Academy go head to head in matches with each other. Lucy Heartfilia is determined to win, but going against Natsu Dragneel surely isn't going to be easy. NALU GRUVIA JERZA GAJEVY.

Roommate Needed

Rated T

Chapters: 1

Status: Complete

Summary: AU. Lucy is in need of a new place to live and stumbles across a sketchy flyer from someone looking for a new roommate. Little did she know at the time that the sketchy flyer just so happened to be one of the greatest things life had given her. Oneshot.

Hiding Out

Rated T

Chapters: 1

Status: Complete

Summary: AU. What starts as a normal day at work turns into an unforgettable day as Natsu is asked to hide a beautiful blonde behind his counter.

Sailing with Fire

Rated M

Chapters: 19

Status: Complete

Summary: Lucy is in desperate need of a break from the mage life and embarks on a two week cruise alongside her partner, Natsu. What they don't know is that it's a cruise designed specifically for couples. With no other choice than to pretend they are married, the two try to enjoy the cruise the best they can, all the while dealing with uncharted feelings.

Hot Cocoa Kisses

Rated T

Chapters: 1

Status: Complete

Summary: AU. Winter was never one of Lucy's favorite seasons, but she did have a strong love for hot chocolate. Especially when it was made by a certain pink-haired boy with a fanged grin.

Til Death Do Us Part

Rated M

Chapters: 22

Status: In Progress

Summary: There are immortals and there are those who reincarnate, but it's best to keep these things hidden. Lucy is attending college and meets Natsu, a boy with pink hair, a mischievous grin, and a body that never ages.

Magic Potion

Rated T

Chapters: 1

Status: Complete

Summary: Lucy and Natsu have been dancing around their feelings for each other and Mira is fed up. With a plan up her sleeves, it's time to set things into motion.

Trip Down Memory Lane

Rated T

Chapters: 1

Status: Complete

Summary: A night under the stars with her husband, recalling their old memories together was just what eighty year old Lucy needed to get rid of her fears.

It's All in the Cards

Rated T

Chapters: 1

Status: Complete

Summary: Natsu, with his natural curiosity, pays a tarot reader to tell him his future. Too bad she had to tell him about his love life.

Mine

Rated M

Chapters: 1

Status: Complete

Summary: Watching Lucy pose for a glamour shot leaves Natsu feeling sexually frustrated.

Heightened

Rated M

Chapters: 1

Status: Complete

Summary: After eating a potion-infused chip he bought from some sketchy clerk, Natsu is thrown into Dragon Force. Lucy quickly finds that it isn't just his appearance that is affected. With heightened senses, the boy is possessive and territorial over her.

On the Run

Rated T

Chapters: 1

Status: Complete

Summary: Lucy is on the run after refusing to marry some stranger her father had tried to set her up with. During her journey, she meets a boy named Natsu. Little did they know at the time that their lives were intertwined before they even met.

Rewritten

Rated M

Chapters: 1

Status: Complete

Summary: The last thing Lucy remembered was Dimaria's dagger going straight for her eye. Waking up, she finds her captor defeated by Natsu, who had undergone some changes.

Mixed Up

Rated T

Chapters: 1

Status: Complete

Summary: Lucy and Aquarius have switched bodies, leaving their boyfriends stupefied. Will they ever change back or are they stuck in each other's bodies forever?

Coffeeshop Love

Rated K

Chapters: 1

Status: Complete

Summary: Lucy works in a coffeeshop, making drinks and serving customers. The highlight of her day is seeing Natsu, a regular customer of the shop. With a helpful nudge from her friend, Mira, hopefully she can make some progress with her crush.

Sick Day

Rated K

Chapters: 1

Status: Complete

Summary: Lucy's sick and Natsu takes it upon himself to nurse her back to health the best he can.

The Dragneel Scrapbook

Rated M

Chapters: 10

Status: In Progress

Summary: They've loved each other every step of the way, from becoming partners to getting married, and now they get to experience raising kids. Snapshots of the Dragneel family life.

And that's it so far. Will be updating this as I go along.