#lucy gray did nothing wrong! leave my girl alone!

[sukibenders]

TBOSAS movie is proving time and time again that as long the character is a handsome white man, he can get away with anything or be babified of any wrongdoing. Like the number of people that I've seen go out of their way to try and justify Snow's actions, not even just young Snow anymore at this point but he's largely where this happens, using the term "he was just misunderstood" and acting as if his trauma was an excuse is mind-blowing. Did he go through traumatic stuff? Yes, but acting as if that excuses many of his actions, specifically for young Snow because there's no way in hell that mindset will work even a fraction with his older self (but people still try), is false and a mindset that needs to be stopped. Like I can't help but think about the way he views the people of the districts already in TBOSAS, seeing them and anything about them as animals rather than people, and how that mindset even falls on to the Covey and Lucy Gray herself. When reading some of their scenes together he comes off so passive aggressive when she talks about her plight, but it's largely because he treats her like an object---no, a PRIZE to be won and owned (thinking back to how, before they were even together romantically and where she didn't owe him shit, he still saw her as "his girl" and would get obsessive over the fact that others gravitated to her in a way he didn't like).

I'm not saying that it's wrong to find the bad guy attractive, it's not and Snow is very handsome, I will admit that. But just because he got a face card doesn't mean that should be basis for justifying every horrendous act he's done. And also, he's eighteen years old, why are people acting like he doesn't know his right from his left? He knows exactly what he's doing, from the books where his thoughts are literally laid out for us, to the movie itself. Though not as clear cut sometimes as the books, there are plenty scenes that let you know who he is (I think back to that classroom scene where Gaul is asking them questions, and Sejanus rightfully calls them out on their bs, but Snow uses his outrage and turns it into a way to make the Games better, completely going against Sejanus' original point).

What's even more sinister is some in the fandom going as far as to blame Lucy Gray for all of Snow's problems by saying "oh, but if she had just heard him out then maybe he wouldn't have been so heartbroken", as if she should had further risked her life and wellbeing to adhere to this man's needs when he was out to harm her or the fact that him having his heartbroken is justification for everything else he did before and after. There are many other examples of this, but it set a precedent for a very glaring problem in fandom spaces where the female character, especially if they are woc, is always to blame for the male, usually white, character's bad actions and that if they just listened to them and heard them out then so on and so on. Reminds me very much of the treatment of Alina in both show and books fandom spaces and babifying of the Darkling's actions by putting all the blame on her (never mind the fact that he's the cause for so much of her trauma, he's pretty after all *this was sarcasm*).

It's been a minute since I've seen the movie, so my example may be a little fuzzy, but my point still stands. You can like these characters and find them attractive, that's fine and normal. But where problems arise is when you try to paint over their bad acts because you thirst after them and/or proceed to place blame on the female characters, especially if they are woc, as a scapegoat.

[helloalycia]

𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐈 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐓𝐎 [𝐓𝐖𝐎] — 𝐋𝐔𝐂𝐘 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐘 𝐁𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐃

summary: as your relationship with Lucy Gray grows, it becomes a little harder to keep it a secret from your dad, especially when Mayfair has something to do with it.

warning/s: mentions of minor violence and the Hunger Games obvs.

author's note: okay so the song mentioned in this part and the next is called ‘forever & always’ by zeph, which i chose for the lyrics, not necessarily the rhythm as it’s not a folk song. But i did imagine it in a more lucy gray-style, so i thought it worked! plus it’s a really good song and i’ve tagged it below if you wanna have a listen :)

one / three / masterlist / wattpad

Being in a relationship with Lucy Gray was all I could have dreamed of and more. Of course, it was a complete and total secret from my father, who could never know I even befriended the girl let alone dated her. It meant sneaking around was a regular thing for us, to my dismay, but she didn't seem to hate it.

I was visiting her home one Saturday, hoping to spend some time with her since it was a lovely day. Even if it meant helping out the Covey with some chores or simply rotting away inside, I didn't mind as long as it was with her. But she seemed to have other plans when she answered the door and kissed me hello.

"I was just about to come get you," she said with an excited grin. "I have a date planned if you're up for it."

I quirked a brow curiously. "Oh, really?"

She curled her fingers between mine as she nodded, humming. "Best part is, your daddy won't find us neither."

i couldn't help but laugh at the prideful expression she wore. "That sounds perfect, Lucy Gray."

And just like that, she grabbed her guitar case and a basket before leading me into the meadow behind her house.

"You gonna tell me where we're headed?" I asked her, taking the heavy guitar case from her hand as we walked.

"This one has manners," she teased, making me nudge her in the arm as she continued, "To the lake. I got a whole day planned."

We chatted about everything and nothing as we strolled through the woods. Having grown up in town and having no need to visit the meadow or woods, I was a little unfamiliar with it all. But I knew that I felt at ease immediately, finding the scent of the earth and the view of the trees and ripples of sunlight peeking through the leaves to be refreshing. Lucy Gray reminded me of it all, I soon realised, of nature, and it only made sense why she put me at ease, too.

We soon reached the lake, which she'd told me about many times, but it looked even more beautiful than she was able to describe. She wasn't wrong about my dad not finding us here, that was for sure.

After setting down her guitar case in the cabin beside the lake, which she told me was nobody's in particular but the Covey used it when they were out here, I watched as she grabbed a cloth bag from the basket and led me outside.

"You ever been foraging before, darlin'?" she asked with an amused smile, already knowing the answer.

"I have not," I said, somewhat entertaining her teasing.

"Then we can start there," she said with a girlish grin, before tugging me by the hand into the trees.

Through vast experience and knowledge, she knew all the spots to take me to then showed me which plants were edible and which weren't. We collected a bunch of edible roots in our cloth bag, conversing in between, and I was growing accustomed to nature as we worked. Personally, I found it was an activity made even better because of Lucy Gray, who was as radiant as the sun was as it shimmered down on us. She looked so carefree, and I couldn't stop stealing glances at her.

"Oh, Y/N, come here!" she called to me as I was picking some berries from a bush she'd confirmed was safe.

"One sec," I said, tying off the bag, before heading to Lucy Gray not far behind me.

She was kneeling down into some taller grass, before glancing back at me with a delicate smile. Waving me over, she returned her attention to whatever was in front of her, and I had no choice but to kneel beside her. As soon as I saw the snake coiled around her right hand however, I fell back onto my butt reflexively, startled.

"You're okay, she won't bite," Lucy Gray said between a chuckle, resting a hand on my leg and meeting my eyes. "She won't harm you if you won't harm her."

I swallowed thickly, trusting her words but also still very much scared of the brightly coloured snake before me. This was normal to her, as evident by her nonchalance and intrigue when handling the snake, but the opposite for me.

"Lucy Gray, I don't think I–"

"You trust me?"

I blinked, eyes glued to the snake, as if it would come at me if I dared look away.

"Hey, sweetie, over here," Lucy Gray coaxed my attention away, and I relaxed slightly when I saw the way she smiled at me. "You trust me?"

"Of course I do."

She nodded. "Then come here, slowly. I promise she won't bite."

Knowing it was awfully embarrassing to look so terrified before something so small in front of someone I liked, I sucked up a breath and kneeled beside her again, though not letting go of her left hand which was still on my leg for assurance.

"They're harmless," she said softly, admiring the snake as it stretched up her hand. "I love 'em because of their bright colours."

"Naturally."

She chuckled, glancing at me sideways. "You're doin' good."

"Uh-huh..."

Again, she chuckled, before lowering her hand into the tall grass and watching as the snake uncoiled itself before shooting away. I released a breath I didn't know I was holding as Lucy Gray helped me stand up.

"Thanks for not runnin' away," she said appreciatively. "I know snakes aren't everyone's thing."

I shook my head. "It's okay. I'm scared, sure, but they're not that bad with you."

Her smile widened and I wasn't sure what I said to make her so happy, but she kissed my cheek and began to walk away. I followed after her, eyes acutely aware of any tall grass around us now, until we reached the lake yet again.

After grabbing some fishing rods from the cabin, we sat at the edge of the dock and cast our lines, hoping to catch something good for an afternoon picnic. I'd never been fishing before, so Lucy Gray was, expectedly, much better at it than I was, catching a few small fish that wouldn't be filling on its own. It wasn't until I felt a tug on my line that I grew hopeful, eyes widening.

"I think I've got something!" I exclaimed, before standing up to get a better grip on the rod.

"Pull back and gently wind the rod," she encouraged brightly, standing up too.

I did as she said, but whatever I had was a strong swimmer and pulling me forward slightly. So much, in fact, that I almost stumbled over the edge and into the water, making me drop the rod completely to catch myself.

"That was close," I said with a racing heart, but knowing I'd need to somehow collect the rod now.

"Can't you swim?" Lucy Gray asked with a mischievous smile, and that should have been my first hint. 

"I can, but I wasn't planning to get my clothes–" I didn't even get to finish because all she had to do was nudge me slightly and I lost my footing, falling straight over the edge and into the lukewarm water.

My first instinct was to swim upwards, head resurfacing as I spat out the water from my mouth and wiped my eyes. Lucy Gray's laughing caught my attention, and I raised my brows with disbelief.

"Seriously?!"

"You had to get the rod somehow," she joked, and I shook my head disapprovingly before grabbing the rod that was floating beside me.

After Lucy Gray accepted it, she surprised me by jumping in next to me, still fully clothed, and splashing me in the process. Again, I wiped my face and narrowed my eyes at her as she resurfaced, eliciting more laughter from her.

"Oh, c'mon, it was funny," she tried to defend, swimming up to me and wrapping her arms around my neck. "Plus, don't you feel nice and refreshed now?"

I sighed, unable to stay mad at her when she was grinning at me so carefree. "I suppose so."

She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my lips. "Knew it. Now let's stay here for a little longer then I'll catch us a real fish and we can start on some dinner. Sound good?"

I nodded in agreement, and we did just that. It was fun to just be able to swim around and do nothing but enjoy each other's company. My heart was full as Lucy Gray filled the forest with her laughter. Between the terrible jokes I told and her contagious happiness, she was just so bubbly, and I couldn't blame her because I felt the same.

She ended up catching a big enough fish for the both of us and, using the roots and berries we picked earlier, we cooked up a lovely little bit of dinner to share by the water. I'd eaten some pretty good food, by District 12 standards anyway, thanks to my dad's job. But this was truly the best thing I'd ever eaten in my life, no doubt because of the company also.

Just as I finished rinsing our plates off in the lake, I heard Lucy Gray leaving the cabin with her guitar case in hand.

"Come here!" she called, waving me over.

I left the dishes to try on the basket before joining her where she was sat under a tree, pulling out her guitar.

"Am I about to get my own private concert?" I asked playfully, raising an eyebrow.

She rolled her eyes, though a smile ghosted her lips. "I'm startin' to regret this."

I chuckled, crossing my legs and getting comfortable opposite her. "No, go on, I'm all ears."

The truth was, I'd never get tired of listening to Lucy Gray sing, and to have her sing just for me would be a downright honour.

"I actually wanted to show you a song I was workin' on," she said in a matter-of-fact tone. "I haven't finished it yet, but I was just too excited to show you and thought today would be perfect. I hope you like it."

It took me a second to realise that she'd written the song for me, and my playful nature subsided momentarily. "Wait, what? A song for me?"

"Well, duh," she said with a laugh, before strumming her guitar gently, tuning it. "Remember, it's not finished, so be nice."

Still surprised she'd written a song for me, I could only nod in response. She strummed for a few more seconds, trying to settle on a pitch, before clearing her throat.

"Love songs are fleeting,

but the melodies stick with you.

I have learned your heart,

and memorised the tune.

It's my favourite,

I'll sing it in any occasion.

It'll be my soundtrack,

beyond our youth..."

I was entranced by her voice, the softness of it and the way it carried towards me like a siren to a sailor. She was always beautiful, but when she was singing, it was something else entirely.

The tune played aloud as she strummed gently with her fingers, and her eyes found mine, a brief smile on her lips before she continued to sing.

"Every note you hum,

is a classic through and through.

I'll add them to a list called

'All Things I Look Forward To'.

It's my favourite,

even if no one will play it.

I only want a future

filled with you..."

She strummed a little longer, a delicate tune that was a little different to her jauntier tunes she performed at the Hob, and then she left her last note hanging and finished. My heart was suddenly racing, in a good way, and I was embarrassed by the tear that escaped my eye, rushing to wipe it.

"Well, gee, was it that bad?" she joked, but I still felt the need to shake my head quickly.

"No way," I told her, meeting her eyes. She was more nervous than she was letting on, so I grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently. "Lucy Gray, that was beautiful. Is that really how... how you feel?"

Her cheeks turned pink and she avoided my eyes with a shy smile. "Of course. The song's not finished, but I wanted you to hear it. To know that you mean a lot to me."

I nodded slowly. "You mean a lot to me, too. Nobody has ever said such heartwarming things to me before, let alone written them into a song for me. I'm honoured."

Her smile relaxed as she met my eyes again. "I'm glad you liked it."

My heart wouldn't stop beating so fast, not when she was sitting right there, making me forget the world existed. I couldn't stop myself as I leaned forward, taking her bottom lip between mine.

Nobody had ever made me feel the way she had, and though I'd never truly experienced it before, I decided that this had to be what falling in love felt like.

There was no other word for it.

"... and I thought I liked the colour, but it just reminded me of that time she threw up on my favourite shirt."

I blinked, trying my hardest to care about what one of my classmates was telling me over a drink at the Hob. How I'd ended up in a conversation with him was beyond me, but it felt rude to just walk away.

"Hey, isn't that Billy Taupe with your girl?"

At this, I tuned back into the conversation, confused. Following my classmate's gaze, I saw Lucy Gray standing by the bar, drinking from a glass of water and trying her very hardest to ignore Billy Taupe, but he was adamant on speaking to her. I would have left her any other time, knowing she could handle herself, but she'd mentioned recently how he'd been annoying her and trying to make things right despite being in a relationship with Mayfair. And because of this, I approached them calmly.

Lucy Gray spotted me and relaxed a little, but if Billy Taupe noticed me, he didn't acknowledge me in the slightest.

"Lucy Gray, can we go somewhere private?" he asked her desperately.

"Why would she do that?" I answered him, quirking a brow.

He glanced at me sideways, irritated. "It's none of your business."

"Hey, don't talk to her like that," Lucy Gray scolded him. "This is over, Billy Taupe, now leave me alone."

"It's not," he retorted.

"I'm saying it is," I told him in a warning tone. "Now go."

Scoffing, he finally turned to look at me. "Don't you have some whorin' around to do?"

Before I could even register his words, Lucy Gray slapped him sharply across the face, surprising even me. I opened my mouth, taken aback, as he widened his eyes and touched his face. He looked from me to her, and as soon as his expression contorted into a scowl and he took a step forward, I didn't think, I just shoved him backwards so he couldn't hurt her. That was probably the second mistake from the two of us, as he immediately stumbled back into someone with a drink, making them drop it.

"Oh, shit," I mumbled, before grabbing Lucy Gray's hand and making a beeline for the exit.

In no time, a fight broke out and the once calm, lighthearted atmosphere of the Hob turned into a violent, rough boxing ring. After some shoving and avoiding the odd swing, Lucy Gray and I successfully managed to make it outside unscathed, away from the rowdiness.

I was bent over, catching my breath, as I witnessed several peacekeepers nearby rushing in to break up the fighting, and then I looked over at Lucy Gray questioningly.

"Did you really have to slap him?"

She straightened up, having caught her breath. "He doesn't just get to talk to you like that."

I sighed, a reluctant smile on my lips. It was nice of her to defend me, but starting a fist fight wasn't on my schedule for the evening. She began to smile too, the two of us amused with what just went down, but our happiness was short lived when Mayfair came out of nowhere, spotting us.

"There you are!" she shouted angrily.

I swallowed hard, losing my smile. "Mayfair, look–"

But before I could sweet talk my way out of it, she was already yelling for the nearby peacekeepers to get us, and there was no way for us to escape this time.

I chewed on the inside of my cheek as my dad paced back and forth, his anger threatening to burst out. Stupid Mayfair and her stupid big mouth. Because of her, Lucy Gray and I were sat before him in his office at the peacekeeper's base.

"Witnesses say they caught you both arguing with Billy Taupe," he finally spoke, stopping to look at me with a disappointed stare. "Then all hell broke loose."

"It wasn't her fault," I defended Lucy Gray, not wanting her to be punished because of my father's irritation with me.

"What the hell were you doing there, Y/N?!" he asked. "You're supposed to be at home! It's–" he checked his wristwatch, "–almost midnight!"

I avoided his eyes awkwardly, trying my best to sound believable. "I just wanted to hear the Covey perform and I knew you'd never let me go. It was only tonight. But then I saw Billy Taupe harassing Lucy Gray and I stepped in. Just tried to do what was right, like you taught me."

Okay, maybe a little on the nose, but it could work.

He sighed deeply, shaking his head. Deliberating momentarily, he finally said, "Go home, Y/N."

I raised my brows. "Lucy Gray too, right?" He narrowed his eyes warningly, but I continued, "Dad–"

"Now," he ordered in a voice that meant I wasn't to argue.

I glanced over at the quiet Covey girl beside me, and she nodded reassuringly.

"It's fine," she said in a low voice. "Thanks."

I frowned, feeling guilty, but was forced to obey my father and leave. As I closed his office door behind me, I lingered for a few seconds longer.

"You should stay out of trouble, Miss Baird," he told her authoritatively. "We don't tolerate–"

"Y/N, c'mon," my father's second in command found me listening, stopping me from hearing the rest of their conversation.

I nodded reluctantly, hoping Lucy Gray wouldn't be punished, and followed the peacekeeper outside.

My dad hadn't uttered another word about the Hob incident when he came that evening. I was waiting for him to yell at me or punish me or something, but he didn't. it wasn't until the next morning, after half my night was spent thinking of Lucy Gray, when my mum told me I was grounded for the next month, only to leave the house for chores. School was finished for the summer now, so I wouldn't even be able to see my friends and Lucy Gray that way.

It was annoying, especially because I just wanted to check on her, but I couldn't exactly fight my punishment when I was caught red handed.

That same morning, my mum forced me to accompany her to the markets to pick up some things. I was lucky enough to see Y/BF/N hanging around, also buying some things, and subtly slipped away to see her as my mum asked about some carrots.

She instantly pulled me in for a hug, mumbling, "I was sure I'd never see you again. I heard what happened last night."

"It wasn't intentional," I said with a sigh. "But I'm grounded for the next month, so you won't be seeing me much."

"Y/N, you've gotta be careful," she said in disapproving voice. "No more sneaking around. You're lucky it was just a fight and your dad didn't find out everything else."

"I know, I know," I mumbled, glancing over my shoulder to see my mum still talking to the vendor. "I should get back to my mum. She might kill me if she sees me doing something other than helping."

Y/BF/N tried not to laugh as she nodded. "Good luck, Y/N. I'll see you around. Please, try not to get an extended punishment."

"Yeah, yeah."

By the end of the first week of my punishment, I couldn't take not seeing Lucy Gray anymore. So, I concocted the perfect plan to visit her on the way back from nipping to the markets for my mum, sneaking a detour to her and the Covey's place in the Seam. I could always use the excuse that there was a queue at the meat stall if my mum asked why I took so long.

After buying everything I needed, I headed straight for Lucy Gray's, anticipating seeing her. I hoped she wouldn't be upset at me, though I wouldn't blame her if she was, considering my father was the one who had punished her. Or, at least I was assuming he had.

When I knocked on her front door, I held my breath until she opened up. As soon as she realised it was me, she exhaled deeply before pulling me in for a hug. I returned it instantly, closing my eyes and savouring her presence.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't see you sooner," I said quickly. "I've been grounded and I wasn't allowed out. How have you been?"

She shook her head. "It's okay, I've been okay. He didn't do anythin' when you left, just yelled at me a bit then sent me home with a warnin'. I think he was just annoyed at you."

I frowned, but was relieved she didn't get the brunt of it. "Good. I mean, not good obviously, but it could've been worse."

She cupped my cheek, thumb rubbing gently on my cheekbone. "I'm sorry you got caught. It was Mayfair. She's still pissed at me and now you by association."

"It's not your fault," I told her, taking her hand and kissing it gently. "Have they been annoying you still? Her and Billy Taupe?"

"Not since then, no."

"Good," I breathed out with relief, before hugging her again. "I can't stay for long. My mum will be expecting me back. I'll try to visit when I can, but I won't be able to sneak out for at least another month."

She chuckled quietly. "It's okay. Try not to get in trouble, darlin'."

I cracked a small smile. "I'll try."

My punishment ended quickly enough and everything returned to normal, kind of. My dad had bigger fish to fry with work, and seemed to forget about my mishap at the Hob, so his suspicions of me disappeared and I was able to sneak out again sometimes. My mum was satisfied after my punishment and didn't suspect a thing afterwards.

I enjoyed another few weeks of my relationship with Lucy Gray before the energy in District 12 grew rotten once Reaping Day arrived. It was the tenth annual Hunger Games which meant a boy and girl would be chosen to fight to the death with tributes from the other eleven districts. It wasn't a happy time, for obvious reasons, and it was the worst part of the summer break. It was a slim chance of being picked, but a chance nonetheless, and all I could think about was who would be chosen.

The morning of the reaping, my parents pulled me into a group hug at the breakfast table, and I couldn't help but hug them back.

"I'm praying for you," my dad mumbled as he kissed the top of my head.

I smiled a little, hoping to reassure him, but I knew it wasn't genuine. It was a hard time for everyone today, but I always pitied my parents the most, knowing if I was chosen, they'd have nobody left and, somehow, the thought of leaving them alone was scarier than facing the Hunger Games.

My dad left sooner than my mum and I, needing to make sure all the peacekeepers were doing their job in the square where I'd be lining up soon. And then after my mum and I finished eating, she walked me down to take my place. After exchanging a final hug with her, she went to join the other parents in the crowd and I was left to find my place with the other sixteen-year-old girls.

Before I could even attempt to, Lucy Gray found me. I was going to ask her how she was, even wish her luck, but I didn't get chance to as she approached me with a determined expression before kissing me hard. I accepted the kiss, though when she pulled away, her hard stare met mine.

"I'm in love with you," she said the words we'd never uttered to each other before.

I widened my eyes, surprised, but a peacekeeper broke us up before I could reply, and we were separated though in the same line. Of course, it soon made sense why she'd chosen now to tell me how she felt.

She was chosen as tribute.

It all happened so quickly after that. Lucy Gray's name being chosen, the snake she threw down Mayfair's back, the mayor slapping her onstage and in front of the cameras, her song of defiance, and then her getting ushered into the Justice Building never to be seen again.

She was really gone. She'd been chosen to participate in the Hunger Games, which clearly had something to do with Mayfair, and I would never see her again unless she won. I could barely believe it, still in shock, even when the reaping ended and everybody began to disperse or rejoin their families.

"Y/N, I'm so sorry," someone said, and I turned to see Y/BF/N approaching me with a frown, pulling me in for a hug.

I was admittedly still in disbelief – denial if you will. Because she couldn't just be gone, not when she'd told me how she felt only minutes ago.

"Y/N!"

It was my dad. Y/BF/N pulled away as he found me, soon taking her place. Again, I was too awestruck to return the gesture. Lucy Gray. My Lucy Gray. Gone.

"I'm so glad you didn't get chosen," my dad said with relief. "I'm sorry about your friend, but I'm glad it wasn't you."

His words only bounced off me. I was too numb to acknowledge much more after that, stuck in my own head as my mum appeared and began to lead me home. I was quiet the whole way, trying to replay the events that had just happened. Only when I reached home and went to my bedroom did I finally realise all I'd lost in a single moment. And that's when the tears finally arrived.

How could she be gone?

I was swinging on the swing gently, next to Y/BF/N in the park. I appreciated her company, feeling a little better having someone who understood the severity of what Lucy Gray being gone meant to me.

"She might have a chance," I muttered with a broken voice. "She could hide. Wait it out."

"Maybe," Y/BF/N said softly, but I knew she didn't agree. It didn't matter though. Hope was all I had left at this point.

Since yesterday at the reaping, I couldn't help but think about what Lucy Gray was doing. Was she scared? Was she strategising? Did she stand a chance against the other tributes?

Fucking Mayfair and her jealousy was the cause of this, it had to be. Why else would Lucy Gray throw a snake down her dress? It meant she must have known. It explained why she told me she loved me before going in. She'd discovered Mayfair's plan. Why didn't I tell her I loved her too? Now she'd never know.

"Do you wanna go to the Hob tonight?" Y/BF/N asked as I continued to sulk.

I shook my head. I wasn't sure I could ever go to the Hob again, not when it held so many bittersweet memories of Lucy Gray and I. It was where I'd made my first move on her, where I'd watched her perform many times, where we'd shared our first kiss. How could I step foot in there again without seeing her everywhere?

After spending some time lost in my thoughts with Y/BF/N to keep me company, I left to go home for dinner. But before I made it there, I found myself making a detour for the Seam, where the Covey lived. I hadn't spoken to them since before the reaping, and if I was taking Lucy Gray's fate hard, I could only imagine how her family were feeling.

Only after I knocked on did I realise I had no idea what to say. What if they didn't want to see me? Or if I said the wrong thing? What if I–?

"Y/N," Barb Azure said once she answered the door. "Hi."

I swallowed hard. "Hey, Barb Azure. I– I just wanted to stop by and see how you were all doing. I'm sorry for not showing up sooner... I'm so sorry about Lucy Gray. And I just want you to know that I'm here if you–"

She suddenly hugged me, and I was glad because it said more than words could. I relaxed into her embrace, feeling comforted in our shared grief. I wasn't alone, even though it felt like I was at first.

"I'm sorry too," she muttered apologetically. "I know she meant a lot to you. We're here for you too."

I nodded, squeezing her tight.

[jemmahazelnut]

Juvia for the character bingo?

I adore Juvia, I’m the only one who can speak about her and I know her better than anyone, even Mashima himself.

No, ok, of course I'm kidding, but premise: if you are a Juvia-and-Gruvia stan, this post is not for you, because I don't care about the version of a perfect and adorable Juvia who deserves the world because she's pretty and never done nothing wrong in life etc. Likewise, if you're a Juvia-and-Gruvia hater, this is no place for you, because I literally don't care if you think she's a horrible canon person who deserves to die and disappear off the face of the earth.

If you are Juvia stan and Gruvia hater (I know you exist somewhere), this is the place for you (or if you are indifferent to Gruvia, or if you like it but you are not avid shippers proclaiming Juvia as the ideal girl. Actually, idfc what you think about the ship, I just know that shippers and antis generally think in compartments and don't want to question anything, so if you belong to one or the other category, go on and see other posts).

So, now let's make two things clear before starting the discussion.

Juvia is not a lovely girl, nor is she a good person. Juvia is a fucking messed up person who has good intentions, but having not lived in a good place most of her life she has unhealthy relationships with many people, highly questionable behavior, and a very bad relationship with herself. She is also a strong and cruel woman who can kill, she will and she has already done. And despite all that, she deserves the love, but more importantly, she deserves a fucking painstakingly detailed development arc (and no, if you tell me there's no forgiveness for her, Ill get pissed, everyone have had a development arc, Jellal, Laxus, Gajeel, Cobra, Sting, etc. but Juvia doesn't deserve it? Don't even talk to me).

I won't explain all my ideas about her in this post, otherwise it would get very long because trust me, I have an Odyssey in mind, but basically:

Juvia is a girl in love with the idea of love. She has lived her whole life alone and desperately wants to make friends and find her life partner, so as soon as she meets someone who is even a little bit nice to her, she becomes morbidly attached, as indeed she did with Gray. But she doesn't just do it with him, she also does it with her friends, so Lucy, Cana, Erza, and other people in the guild. As soon as someone extends a finger of hers, she takes the whole arm and craves that affection that she always sees in others. At the same time, she's not good at showing affection in the normal way, so she does weird things, and usually she's overly pushy and willing to literally go out of her way to get anyone to accept her. She sacrificed herself for Cana, so yeah, she would literally do anything, and she doesn't understand the limits of people, so as long as someone gives her something, she takes, takes and takes. She is also very insecure of herself, so it doesn't take much, a miserable 'no' and she risks going back to being the lonely rain woman and that she annoys everyone with the weather she brings with her. When this happens, she leaves the guild because she is afraid to annoy her guildmates and return alone (Lucy and Natsu always join her and stand by her in those moments).

She has a complex relationship with Gajeel, but he's also probably the only real friend she has, at least in the beginning, because she doesn't feel this need to continually affirm her affection for him. She's not even afraid of him leaving, because Gajeel has already seen the worst of her in Phantom Lord, and he's stayed, and she knows that he will stay by her side because he's one of the few people who understands her. (Then Cana will also become friends with her in a similar way).

She is an unnervingly strong sorceress, let's not forget that she was an S-class level in Phantom Lord. She was cruel too, she killed people with the Water Lock, and she wouldn't hesitate to do it if she saw something that reminded her of her childhood.

Speaking of her childhood, she was awful. From an early age she was considered a cursed child because she brought rain everywhere, for this reason her parents put her in an orphanage. She had no idea, and after spending her early years in an orphanage with everyone staying away from her and bad-mouthing her, she went looking for her parents. She hoped to reunite with them but when she found them, they did not recognize her, and badly kicked her out of the house saying never to be seen again. She moved to a village and tried to live alone, but still everyone annoyed her and told her to leave. One day someone annoyed her so much that she seriously injured him by trapping him in a water bubble and suffocating him. Since then, she has escaped from there.

She tried to remove the magic herself, with dangerous methods that put her life at risk, but it was unsuccessful (I have a whole arc in mind on this omg). She even pushed herself too hard with her magic that she nearly died. Probably in a very dark period of her life she also thought about ending it. This until she entered Phantom Lord. There, for the first time, she found a place that accepted her, and she immediately understood that the stronger she was, the more she was accepted. That's why she trained hard and became ambitious, she wanted to surpass all wizards, she thought that as she got stronger, she would have more friends. And more or less, that's how Phantom Lord worked. She was also able to use her power to its fullest, because nobody cared to use good methods, she could kill and she did it without hesitation, especially when she saw cruel people who reminded her of her parents or the people who they bullied. She felt somehow at home.

She then entered Fairy Tail, and for the first time she saw the sun thanks to Gray, which is why she thought that Gray was her life partner and so she became attached to him.

From here my version completely changes from the canon, or rather, initially it's similar with her becoming obsessed with Gray (but not only with him, also with Lucy and Cana and the other guildmates), then as she goes on making mistakes, understands how to actually build a true and healthy friendship. She learns to love herself and to understand what she really wants other than 'not to be alone', and discovers that she is actually very ambitious, she wants to be strong, she likes to be strong, not just because she likes admiration, but precisely because she likes to be able to protect her loved ones. She's always fucking creepy when someone touches her loved ones, like, you know the scene on Tenrou where she's fucking creepy when Meredy talks about killing Gray? Well, yes, Juvia is like that, only not just with Gray, but with everyone in the guild, touch someone dear to her and she will kill you, absolutely and without remorse.

She also remains a romantic, a person who adores small gestures of affection, a clumsy, she loves children but never knows how to behave with them, she is a very manual girl, she knows how to paint, but above all she knows sewing clothes or building accessories, girls always come to her and she is always happy to give them gifts. She is also a mega emotional and sensitive girl, when she feels an emotion, she feels it to the nth degree. When she's happy she gets loud, and infects everyone with her happiness showing it to the world, when she's sad no one can cheer her up, when she's angry you better run.

She understands that her relationship with Gray is complicated and one-sided, and she tries to act better and walk away from him when he tells her he's not comfortable with her. When she does that, Juvia discovers that in reality she is happy even without him. Like, she's a friend of Gray, a close friend, but she understands that her love was in her head. Then they cultivate a beautiful friendship, which if you want can also become true love (or not, you decide, but there must be that passage of self-understanding first. Actually, I'm a bit indifferent to the ship but whatever).

And then I'll stop here, even if I have things to say about the relationships she could have with other people, primarily with the Thunder Legion (in my opinion she gets along very well with all of them and also with Laxus), with Gajeel (their friendship is complex and that's okay), with Lucy (they are bestie fight me), with Erza (Juvia admires her), with Lisanna (Juvia listens to what the Edo version of Juvia was like and thinks about herself), with Cana (a bestie much more sincere than Lucy, she doesn't mince words when she has to make it clear when Juvia acts like a bitch), with Mira (these two girls are actually more similar than it seems), and that's it, now I stop.

It would have been faster to write a fanfiction.

(However I don't think this version is very far from the canon.)

[ignitedbynatsu]

Are You Really That Dense?

A/N: sooo what we've learned is that when I say I will upload the next day, you should probably expect an update a day or two later 😅. Anyway this one is requested by @enchantingpeachherocreator I hope you like it as much as I loved writing it ❤️

Warnings: swearing

Genre: angst tot fluff

👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅

"So when are you going to confess your unconditional love for him?" The green-haired mage took a seat beside you as he caught you staring at his friend once again.

"I will once you admit your own feelings" you shot back, not taking any relationship advice from someone that wasn't even ready to accept their own feeling.

"I'm afraid that I do not know what you are talking about" he tried to play the dumb card which only earned him an eye roll from you.

"I doubt he even sees me that way" you mumbled, breaking your one-sided staring context, leaning your head on your crossed arms in front of you.

"Why don't you hint that you see him as more than just a friend?" Freed suggested at which you scoffed "if the obvious flirting isn't gonna do it, then I don't know what, I bet even Natsu has noticed how I feel, and he hasn't even noticed how Lucy looks at him like he has hung the stars in the sky"

"Yeah... Even I'm surprised that Bickslow hasn't caught on yet. It's almost getting painful" he agreed

"Maybe he's deliberately ignoring it like Gray's doing with Juvia" you mumbled. You'd rather have him straight out reject you than just stringing you along just 'cause he thinks it's fun. You weren't a toy he could play with and just throw away when he lost interest.

"How about one last big gesture? If he doesn't pick up on that then maybe it's indeed better to move on" your friend proposed. You finally lifted your head up from your arms to look at him. "Like what?"

"I don't know... Something personal" he pondered his own suggestions for a second before he suddenly snapped his fingers like an amazing idea just crossed his mind "isn't there a saying like the way through a man's heart is through his stomach?"

"Freed! You're a genius!" At that moment, your eyes got reignited with a sparkle of hope that you had lost over the past weeks.

You knew that you were probably settings yourself up for failure, but you didn't care because you had hope. Hope that Freed, his and your best friend, had given, and he wouldn't give you false hope if he knew you had no chance, right?

Due to the anticipation for Bickslow, you could hardly sleep that. Possible outcomes swirled through your mind that went from a picture-perfect scenario to the most heartbreaking rejection. You hoped with every cell in your body it would be the first.

"Hi Bickslow!" your usual cheerful self was amplified, and he didn't have the slightest clue as to why.

"Hey (Y/N), what you got there?" His eyes fell upon the box that you were carrying in your hands.

"Oh you know, I was a bit bored last night and thought I'd do something sweet to show how much I appreciate you" you explained as you opened the box to reveal his favourite cake.

"Just for me? If I didn't know better I would think you'd try to confess something" he gladly took a slice and let his teeth sink into the sweet dessert you had poured all your love in last night.

A nervous chuckle escaped your lips "about that..."

"(Y/N), this tastes horrible" he laughed as he placed the half-eaten piece back into the box "you trying to poison me or something?"

"I didn't think it tasted that bad" the hope left your eyes as soon as it came as you watched the man in front of you ridicule your baking skills.

"Then you should let your taste buds get checked out. No wonder you only wanted me to taste that garbage" he took the box and threw it into the nearest bin, along with your heart.

You were devastated, heartbroken and humiliated as the whole guild looked at what Bickslow was making such a fuss over. Perhaps he was just stringing you along. "Sorry"

Freed and Laxus sighed as they saw the heartbroken girl ran out of the guild and their clueless friend staring at her retrieving form "what's her problem?"

"Even you can't be that dense" Laxus scoffed in disbelief at his friend's question.

"What do you mean?" Freed was getting more and more fed up with his friends acts, especially since it was hurting his other best friend, so when that final question left his mouth he decided to draw the line.

"Stop it, Bickslow. Just stop it. I cannot believe you just did that to her. You really wanna keep playing the dumb card and act like you don't know how she feels about you? How she has been feeling about you for the last couple of months? You could have just turned her down softly, but no, you wanted to make a big deal out of it and humiliate her in the process. I hope you had a good laugh out of it, asshole" the green-haired mage didn't even wait for a reaction as he stormed out of the guild as well, determined to find his best friend.

"... She likes me?" He was doing his best to process Freed words. Words he had longed for so long to hear. He could have never imagined hearing them in this situation.

He didn't mean to hurt you. That was never his intention. He thought you had done something in the cake to mess with him. How could he have possibly known that it was part of your confession? Something he could've never hoped you'd do one day. After all, he always thought you were way out of his leak. He was certain that any chance of you reciprocating his feelings, was now completely out of the window. The worst part, he had nobody but himself to blame for that.

"You fucked up" Laxus also got up to leave him but Bickslow stopped "Laxus! You have to help me. I didn't mean to hurt her. I really didn't know. Please, I don't know what to do."

His pleas were to no avail as the blonde shook his head "I'm sorry, but, you're on your own for this one"

Some may say that it was unfair the way Laxus treated him, but he knew that if Bickslow wanted to make things right, he'll have to do it on his own. He had to show her he really meant it. Plus it was also a bit of payback for making his friend cry, but that was just a bonus.

He tried talking to you, he really did, but you were always busy. If you had no excuse, Freed was certain to step in and guide you away. It frustrated Bickslow, but he knew he had no right to feel that way. Not at your nor at Freed. He fucked it up.

You on the other hand were torn. You wanted to listen to him, have to hear what he had to say, but you couldn't. You wouldn't survive opening your heart back open to him only for it to be shattered moments later again. Yet, you still cared. Noticing every little thing that changed from his quietness to his slouched posture, nothing passed by you.

That's how you noticed the bandages around his fingers and the one covering his cheek, making him not able to put on his helmet.

"Where are you going?" You ignored Freed's questions as you made your way to where Bickslow was sitting alone.

You towered over him as you stopped right next to the table he was sitting at "what happened?"As soon as he heard your voice it felt like the wind got knocked out of him. He had practised the words he wanted to say to you countless times in his head, yet when you were standing here, next to him, all he could say was your name. "(Y/N)..."

You tilted your head a bit to the side as you waited for him to continue, but no words left his mouth. You nodded your head once as you understood that he didn't want to talk to you. Had you been reading the signs wrong again? You weren't surprised if you had.

But as you turned on your heels to leave again, Bickslow grabbed your wrist. He wasn't going to let you leave again. Not this time "wait!"

You stopped in your tracks and turned back around to face him. His pleading eyes looked at you, begging you to stay. Those dark red orbs you loved so much but didn't get to see very often. All of it was enough to make you stay put and just listen to what he had to say.

"I- uh- I'm sorry" he apologized as he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. Once again you waited for him to continue, but nothing came "that's it?"

He was alerted by your reaction. You didn't sound mean or dismissive as he thought you would, no, you sounded tired and heartbroken, making his heartache all the more. He did this. He was the cause of your pain 

"No, that's not what I meant, I mean it is what I mean, I am really sorry for what I did, it's just..." Your eyes softened as he struggled to find the right words. You knew you should keep your walls up, but how could you when he still held your heart?

"Let's start with what happened" you suggested as you motioned to his hands.

A faint colour of red coloured his cheeks as he looked down on his hands as well "Well, funny story actually, well not that funny, but uh-" he cleared his throat and took a deep breath. He never had a problem talking to you before, so why did it seem so impossible now? "I was trying to make you a cake, and it didn't really go as planned"

Your heart swelled at thought of his gesture, but then you remembered the way he belittled your baking skills, making you narrow your eyes again slightly "what happened to your cheek?"

"The cake kind of blew up and burned my cheek" your eyes shot up at his explanation. How do you blow up a cake? Let alone burn your cheek with it in the process?

"Anyway that's not what's important" he dismissed the story as he once again sucked in a large breath. It was now or never "I am really sorry for the way I treated you that day. I never meant to hurt you. I know it's hard to believe, but I really didn't know that you liked me back. I guess I just placed myself in the friend zone from the moment I met you because I didn't think I had any chance with you, to begin with. Because of that the thought of you actually liking me never crossed my mind."

"Why'd you think you weren't good enough for me?" You asked confused. To you, he was perfect. Sure he had done some questionable things in the past, but he showed he was a man worthy of redemption. He was a man worthy of your heart.

"I can't even put in words how perfect you are. You're everything I wished my dream woman to be and more. I always thought you'd deserve someone better like me. Someone who could treat you the way you deserved to be treated. Someone like Laxus or Freed" he tried to explain.

A soft smile played along your lips as you heard the names of your friends, who were clearly in love with each other, fall from his mouth. He really was just incredibly dense. "So please, (Y/N). Give me a chance to prove myself. I'd love you unconditionally, I will treat you the way you deserve to be treated, I... I'd even worship the ground you walk upon-"

"How about we take things slow?" You stopped him before he'd spew even more nonsense.

"Wait! So you forgive me?" He couldn't contain his excitement at the thought of you agreeing to give him a second chance, and when you gave him a sheepish nod he couldn't help but pick you up and spin you around "How about we go on a date? I take you to the best restaurant in town!"

"I'd love to you" you agreed and placed your lips softly against his cheek, making him a stuttering mess once again.

[classysassy9791]

When a job goes terribly wrong, the Fairy Tail guild is left to pick up the pieces. Mourning the deaths of their guildmates, Lucy can't seem to find the strength to move forward. But she comes to realize one person understands. His madness was her mercy, and she finally began to hope that maybe he could make her heart beat again.

Fandom: Fairy Tail Genre: Adventure/Tragedy Warning: Character Death(s) Ch. 1 l Ch. 2 l

Chapter 3 Word Count: 3,100 Can also be found here

I give up on editing this anymore so here it is

.

.

.

The first thing Juvia noticed upon entering the guildhall that morning was that Gray was nowhere to be found. More often than not, he arrived earlier than she, prompting a touch of concern as to where the ice-make mage could be. He had taken a job the day before, so there was a chance he could be sleeping in after arriving home late.

The second thing she noticed was the hum of electricity among her fellow guildmates. They gathered at the tables closest to the stage, everyone murmuring amidst themselves. Knitting her brows with worry, the bluenette weaved her way over to where Wendy sat.

“Good morning, Wendy,” she greeted the young girl with a small smile. “Why is everyone so lively?”

With a drained look she offered, “Hello, Juvia,” before dropping her gaze to the floor. “I-I guess you haven’t heard yet.”

Blue eyes glanced between her and Charle, who perched beside her with a hollow expression. “Hear what?”

“Well, Team Natsu went on a mission yesterday and-”

Her heart missed a beat, terrifying worst-case scenarios coming to her mind with Gray’s absence. “Where’s Gray?” Juvia demanded anxiously. “Has he returned?”

Wendy quickly nodded, setting her panic at ease. “Yeah, he came home. He’s in the infirmary right now. I’m not sure what happened, but he and Lucy were hurt pretty bad.”

Her eyes shifted distractedly over to the hallway leading to their clinic. “Maybe Juvia should go check on him.”

“Absolutely not,” a woman interrupted before she could scamper off to his side. Porlyusica suddenly appeared with her ever present scowl. “He needs to rest. Leave him be.”

“O-Oh… Ah… right,” Juvia stammered, feeling a blush come to her cheeks. She still felt anxious, but knew better than to question the elder woman’s words. “Will he be all right?”

“He’ll be fine. He’s a stubborn fool.”

The water mage breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness.”

“Hey, you guys!” Levy called as she bounced over, Team Shadowgear hot on her heels.

“Oh, good morning,” Wendy greeted.

“What happened last night?” the solid-script mage asked, concerned lines creasing her brow as she took note of their medicinal advisor. “Jet told me he had to fetch Porlyusica.”

“Gray and Lucy were badly injured,” Juvia explained. “What happened is still unclear.”

“Cana didn’t offer an explanation either when she came to get me,” Jet said, running a hand through his hair. “I’ve never seen her so sober.”

Levy fiddled with the hem of her dress nervously, giving Wendy a questioning glance. “Is Lu okay?”

“She’ll be fine,” she affirmed with a small nod. “They both just need some rest for now.”

“What’s everyone buzzin’ about?” Gajeel questioned as he sauntered over, keeping his eyes peeled on the rest of the guildhall. “Ain’t like them this early in the morning.”

Panther Lily hopped onto the table next to Charle. “We’re usually never here this early,” he pointed out.

“Master wants to make an announcement.” Cana strolled over, her customary barrel of alcohol propped against her hip and a soft warmth blooming upon her cheeks. “It’s not good.”

“Why do you say that?” Levy asked.

“I saw Lucy and Gray come in last night. It was pretty bad.”

“You don’t think something terrible happened, do you?” Wendy fiddled with her hands anxiously.

Gajeel folded his arms over his chest. “Didn’t they go on a mission with Salamander?”

“Yeah, along with Erza and Happy.” Levy’s hazel eyes quickly scanned their gathered guildmates. “But I haven’t seen either of them all morning.”

“The Thunder Legion was sent out, too,” Cana mumbled. “This doesn’t sit well with me.”

The guildhall suddenly hushed as Makarov entered the room, climbing up onto the stage in order to be better seen and heard. Mirajane stood beside him, but her usual cheerful smile had been replaced by a deep frown. Her eyes were rimmed red and her cheeks were flushed, making it apparent to everyone that she had been crying. Levy exchanged an anxious glance with those beside her.

Their master cleared his throat, his eyes noticeably misty. “My heart is heavy today,” he began, his voice thick with tears. “I come to you not as your guild master, but as a member of the family we hold dear. Unfortunately, in this world, not everything can be fixed, no matter how much we wish it could.”

Dread had Levy’s stomach locked up tight and her teeth clenched together.

The room fell eerily silent. “Yesterday, our strongest team went on a mission to capture bandits in Freesia. But demons from the books of Zeref blindsided them.”

Levy swallowed against the hard lump in her throat. It became hard to breathe. Where was Erza, Natsu, and Happy? Why weren’t they there?

“It is with a broken heart that I tell you some of our family did not make it home alive.”

“N-No,” Levy whispered, her hands muffling the gasp that escaped as tears welled in her eyes. Loud murmurs of disbelief rang out across the guild, fear building in a frenzy as everyone turned wide eyes to their master.

He paused for a moment to reel in his emotions as Mirajane quietly broke down sobbing beside him. “Natsu, Erza, and Happy all died in battle. They were our beloved family and fought bravely to instill the protection of those we hold dear.”

The news passed through the guild like a hurricane. Levy’s mind was laid waste by it, the desolation she felt all consuming. She suddenly felt weak in the knees, falling backwards onto a bench. Cana dropped her alcohol, causing the contents to spill onto the floor. The room filled with hysterical crying, the screaming sobs molding together to form one.

“T-Tom Cat…?” she heard Charle whisper from beside her, a choked sob escaping Wendy’s lips.

Gajeel clenched his hands into fists, wide eyes staring as he tried to comprehend the master’s words. “S-Salamander? No way…”

Levy cried as if her brain was being shredded from the inside. From her mouth came a cry so raw that Gajeel bent down to pull her to his chest, running shaky fingers through her hair. She curled her hands around his shirt so she could find some gravity with her violent shaking. The whole world vanished for her. Now there was only pain enough to break her - to break them - pain enough to change them all beyond recognition.

“My children!” Makarov cried out above the noises of desolation.

The screams quieted to soft, choked sobs, as they all turned blurry vision toward him. Each of their expressions begged him to have the answers as to how this had happened… as to how they were supposed to endure such a loss.

He looked over each and every one of them, his own tears falling down his cheeks. “Y-You’re going to think that the pain will never end, but it will. That I can promise. But first, you have to let it all in. You can’t fight it; it’s bigger than you. You have to let yourself drown in it, but then, eventually, you’ll start to swim. And every single breath that you fight for will make you stronger. And I promise you, you’ll beat this! We all will!”

“How the hell did this happen?!” Macao called out angrily. “How?!”

Makarov shook his head. “I’m afraid I don’t have all the details. Thank Mavis that Gray and Lucy were both brought back home alive. They’re in the infirmary recovering thanks to Wendy and Porlyusica.”

Levy squeezed her eyes shut, listening as Gajeel mumbled incoherent phrases, as Juvia cried for a queen, and Wendy sobbed for a fellow dragon slayer. She took in everything, feeling as if a weight pressed on her chest, and she was drowning in her own tears.

Their master wiped his hand under his nose like a child. “I have postponed any job requests for the time being. With the jewels we received from the Games, I will cover all expenses until further notice. Do not break alone, my children. We are a family, and we will get through this together - as a family.”

Within the mess of emotions surrounding her, Levy repeated Makarov’s news over and over again in her mind.

Natsu… Erza… Happy… dead…

Lucy… Gray… alive…

And then her eyes opened wide.

Lucy…!

...

Lucy felt emotionally bankrupt. There was nothing left to feel, nothing left to say, nothing left but the void that enveloped her mind in swirling blackness. She peeked out from beneath her covers and looked at Gray with eyes filled with anguish. He was sitting up, his gaze trained on the window, as he had been for the past two hours.

Reluctantly, once he had woken up and questioned what had happened, she had given him the news of their friends’ deaths. He had yelled out in denial, refusing to believe her, but as she replayed their final moments out on the battlefield as Virgo and Loke appeared, reality started to set in.

Since then, he had clammed up. He had sobbed - she had never seen him so vulnerable - and then he went silent. He now stared vacantly out at the sunrise, as if searching for something.

About an hour ago, she had heard all the commotion coming from the main hall and knew the rest of the guild had been told the news. The door creaked open, catching Lucy’s attention. She glanced over her covers to see a petite young woman with blue hair peek her head in.

“Lu…?” she whispered hesitantly.

The blonde debated if she wanted to see her friend, or if she would rather pretend to be asleep so she could be left alone. Thinking better of it, she pulled the blanket off of her face. “Hey, Levy,” she replied softly.

Levy stepped over, her hands clenched in front of her as if to keep them from trembling. Her cheeks were red and blotchy from crying. “Oh, Lucy…”

Her words were so tender and full of sympathy, that Lucy felt tears welling in her eyes all over again. “He-He’s gone,” she said, her voice cracking. “They’re all gone.”

Lucy’s body began to shake with her sobs, the sound breaking free from her throat, savage and raw. Levy pushed away the covers and slid into the bed next to her. She wrapped her arms around her friend, running her fingers through her golden-spun hair, and whispered soothing words to help calm her shattered heart.

Sometime during it all, Juvia came to Gray’s bedside, reaching out a trembling hand around his own. “Gray…?” she whispered.

His only response was to pull away, ignoring her presence completely. The desolation he felt consumed him, his mind became an icy wasteland; the wind howled in his soul and wrapped icy tentacles around his heart so tightly, it almost stopped beating.

And faintly, he realized, it had begun to rain.

...

Sitting alone at the Fairy Tail guildhall, Cana took a swig from her glass and waited for the effects to kick in. She waited. And waited. But the numb feeling inside her didn’t wane.

The quiet of the guildhall made her blood run as cold as Fiore’s winters. It was as if nature conspired against her in the dark, not daring to whisper the reassurance she craved. Echoes of boisterous voices spun through her mind, of a lively guild filled with fistfights and magic.

Now, there was only silence.

It gnawed at her insides, hanging in the air like the suspended moment before falling glass shattered on the ground. Like a gaping void. It needed to be filled with sounds, words, anything.

The main door creaked open and she heard soft footsteps echo in the empty guildhall. Mirajane walked over to Cana, giving her a weak smile, barely noticeable in the dim lighting. “I thought I’d find you here.” Her blue eyes, which were usually so bright and kind, had dulled to an opaque grey. They were puffy, but her tears had finally dried up.

The card mage tilted her head in acknowledgement, taking another long gulp. “Where else is there to be?”

Humming her agreement, the eldest Strauss sibling slipped behind the bar for a glass to fill from the tap, and joined Cana in a drink. Once the news of what had happened had sunk in, everyone had dispersed to find their own way of grieving.

“I used to complain about how loud the guild was. All the fighting and the music and the people non-stop talking,” Cana said, her voice brittle as if she were about to cry. “Now, it’s too quiet. I’d give my right arm to hear Natsu start a fight or for Erza to end it, or for Happy to make another of his snarky comments.”

Blue eyes peered wistfully over the darkened guildhall, memories of their childhood revolving through her mind. Over a decade had passed since the first of them had stumbled into Fairy Tail. Even after all they had been through at such a young age, they had still been so innocent as to what lay ahead. “It’s a frightening thought, that in one fraction of a moment, everything you hold dear can be altered forever.”

Cana gripped her glass tighter. “It all just feels like a bad joke.”

“I don’t think the universe is kidding this time.” She didn’t need to voice aloud the circumstances regarding Lisanna’s death. Her body had disappeared in a glitter of golden light. This time, there was no mistake that Natsu, Erza, and Happy were gone. Mirajane took a sip of her drink thoughtfully, swirling the alcohol around in her mouth, relishing in the burn before swallowing.

Cana raised a brow suspiciously. “Since when do you drink?”

“Since I woke up yesterday and never imagined the day would end this badly.” The barmaid shrugged, silver hair a mess and her eyes sad. “I always thought there were bad days, but not in the way most people think, you know? I think… I think really bad days happen when everything seems to be going wrong, and you just want to throw your hands up in the air and give up. Because clearly, the world is out to get you.”

Tears welling in her eyes, Cana held up her glass. “To really, really bad days, then.”

They drank quietly as the shadows grew darker and it wasn’t until after nightfall that they realized something.

As it turned out, a person couldn’t drink away the silence.

...

Every breath was an implosion.

Lucy sat on the edge of the bed with no strength to move. Her shaky fingers finally came to a stop after running restlessly through her messy hair. She bit down on her lip trying not to burst into tears. It wasn’t going to help. It wouldn’t change anything.

Night had fallen, causing everyone to leave the guild. Juvia had fallen asleep in a chair, her head resting on Gray’s bed, but Lucy had persuaded Levy to go home. Brown eyes lifted to look at her teammate, lip quivering.

“Gray…?” Her voice came out in a choked whisper.

“Don’t.” The word was deliberate, and sharper than knives. He didn’t even bother to face her, instead lying on his side with his back toward her.

Lucy glanced away, feeling as if she had been slapped. She wrapped the blanket tighter around her shoulders, the events of the day leaving her feeling hollow. “You don’t get to do this,” she muttered, clenching her hands into fists.

“Don’t,” he repeated. “Just don’t. I don’t want to hear you say what I think you’re gonna say.”

Gray had woken up hours ago with the bitter taste of ash in his mouth and the grit of building caked into his skin. Somehow, before Lucy had replayed the events of the battle for him, he had known it was over. A part of him really knew. People always say they thought they would know if someone close to them had died. Maybe it was true. Because something inside him had broken on that day, and he knew it was over.

Grief felt like emptiness in his heart, a sheer of nothingness that somehow took over and held his soul, threatening to kill him entirely. It gave him this heavy feeling that was like the weight of the world sat on his chest.

He knew grief very well.

He felt it when Ur looked back at him, her body becoming the infamous iced-shell, as she gave her life for his. “I want Lyon to discover the world; Gray, you too, of course. You don’t have to be sad,” she had told him with a smile. “I’m alive. I’m eternally alive as ice. Step into the future. I’ll seal your darkness.”

He felt it when Ultear had given years of her life to give him one more minute of his, changing his fate entirely - her elderly face, tilted with lips pulled up, a shake of her head, wordlessly telling him it was okay.

And he felt it when Erza turned her back to him, scarlet hair shimmering in the fire’s glow; her armor cracked, her swords drawn. “I made a promise! I told Ultear I would look after you,” she had shouted back to him, facing the demon head-on as he lay bleeding. ��And I never break a promise!” Even though by then she was already dying, she fought on. She was drenched to the core in blood and yet she fought on. She fought on until she collapsed and could fight no more. And then with the crack of bones, she was gone.

Why?!

Why did every woman he had ever learned to care for decide that his life was worth more than theirs? Why was he always the one left behind to mourn, to feel the guilt of their deaths?

It wasn’t fair, dammit!

“Please… Gray…”

Lucy’s voice drew him from his thoughts and he glanced down to see he had wrapped the sheets tight in his fist, turning his knuckles white. He closed his eyes, but she somehow knew he was listening.

“We-We have their blood on our hands… Tell me it’s going to be okay. Promise me it’s going to be alright,” she cried meekly. “Tell me we have a reason to be here when they aren’t.”

He was silent for a moment, turning his hardened gaze to the dark sky outside. “I can’t.”

She opened her mouth and then closed it again, unable to come up with any response.

[celestialflamesme]

| OF TATTOOS AND SOULMATES | A GaLe One-shot AU | Fairy Tail |

Ships: Levy McGarden x Gajeel Redfox

My contribution to Gajevy Day! @luna-chan00 Job completed!😁

......

7 year old Levy McGarden was curious, and naturally, a curious kid would end up in the restricted section of the library at 3 am (Way past her bedtime....)

Droy shuffled his feet nervously, "Lev, are you sure we should be doing this?"

"Of course I'm sure! And the real restricted section is over there!" The bluenette pointed over her shoulder to a suspicious looking shelf, "Uncle Macao and Wakaba always borrow books from there and Porly-san yells at them!"

"Then why did she tell you not to come here?" Jet sassed. (Boys were mean, why couldn't they just encourage her thirst for literary enrichment?!)

Levy puffed her cheeks in irritation. "That's what we're here to find out, Jet! Now hold tight or I'll fall!" She caught hold of the nearest book (It was heavy and old, hence the best kind!) and jumped off the ladder making the boys squeak. (Ugh, Boys....)

"What's it about? Oh! Oh!" Both Jet and Levy gave Droy a look, which made him lower his tone to a whisper, "Do you think it's Gramp's secret bean soup recipe?"

"Well, maybe?" Levy sighed. (She didn't have the heart to tell him that Gramps used plain canned soup for his 'Ultra Secret Super Bean Delight'. After all, Natsu was eating all his beans now...)

She blew off the dust on the leather binding. Carefully opening it, Jet held the torchlight as she read the title out loud, "Soulmates ."

.......

15 year old Levy read enough books on romance and witty tall men (Everyone was taller than her now...) with gentle smiles and twinkling eyes to finally have conjured up an exact image of what she wanted her own soulmate to look like.

She had her fingers crossed her tattoo would be a sweet soliloquy from a famous play, or maybe something simple and shy like a "Hi!" or maybe a "You're the prettiest girl I've ever met..."

As for his persona however, he'd have chestnut brown hair that he combed through, a passion for books, a vivid vocabulary, a soft look reserved just for her, would be 5'2" (just tall enough for her to rest her head against the crook of his neck) and have oceans for eyes-

Gramps sweatdropped as he read her list. "That seems a little oddly specific, Levy. Are you sure you didn't meet him yet?"

Levy frantically shook her head. "I still haven't got my tattoo, Gramps! But I bet he looks just like this!"

"Two hundred jewels says you're wrong!" Cana slurred. (Levy had absolutely no idea how she always found every place Gramps hid the drinks in. At 17, Cana was quite the force to be reckoned with...)

"Why we gotta write about what we want in our mates?" Natsu groaned, doodling what Levy wryly registered as the outline of a dragon..... Classic Natsu.....

Erza was surprisingly silent, keeping to herself for most of the project, while Gray had quit it altogether and chose to brawl with Elfman instead.

Jet and Droy, flustered, had both written Levy as their soulmate. (She was honoured, really, but she'd grown up with them. If she like-liked them, wouldn't she know by now?)

"Because, Natsu, your soulmate does not have to be your life partner." Erza now had her attention on Gramps. Levy leaned towards the discussion too. "Not everyone finds what they are looking for in their soulmate. Not everyone truly knows what they even want until they find it. And you are not obliged to fall in love with your soulmate. Love is accepting someone's flaws and your own and learning to live in harmony and for the future."

"Well said, Master!" Erza nodded reverently. Levy sighed, already lost in her thoughts. In two days, her tattoo would appear, the first words her soulmate would say to her, the only way she'd ever find him.

Mira refused to show anyone her tattoo, which was weird, was it something horrible? Erza, ever the knight in shining armour, offered to slay whosoever dared hurt the She-devil ("Intentional or otherwise!") and Levy had a few spells in handy for the occasion too, but Mira was a tough nut to crack.

Cana's had been surprisingly short and mundane. "Another!" It had said. The card mage simply laughed when it appeared, grabbed her water bottle (probably spiked) and promptly passed out 15 minutes later.

Oh, she just couldn't wait!

"What the everloving God Serena?!"

"What'd you get Levy?" Erza chose to ignore her swearing (Thank Mavis!) in favour of leaning for a closer look at the cursive script.

"The shrimp is mine."

The shrimp is mine.

The shrimp-

The shrimp-

The SHRIMP?! OF ALL THE THINGS HER SOULMATE COULD SAY, HE CHOSE THE SHRIMP IS MINE?!

She waited for this her whole goddamn life and this is what she got?! The Gods were laughing at her, she bet. Ughhhh.....

"Maybe he just really likes seafood?" Cana snickered. "I can picture it. Your hands brushed as you reached for the last piece. Your heat skipped a beat. You knew in your heart-"

"Shut it." Levy muttered, embarrassed that she made such a big fuss over nothing.

Lisanna squealed, "Oh I know how we can make you forget this! How about we prank the boys again? Your last prank with the food-colouring was really off-the-wall, Levy!"

Well, Gray covered head to toe in feathers and pink glitter did sound promising.....

......

19-year-old Levy had just about had enough of soulmates.

Natsu- of all the people, NATSU (No offense to Lu-chan, she was soo happy for her!) had confessed his crush on Lucy. And their first meet was something out of a fairy tale too, Natsu being the Prince (or dragon) that brought back the Princess to his castle only to live happily ever after...

"If only my Prince was good with directions..." She grumbled to herself.

"Levy, are you sure you want to do this? Remember what Gramps said? You have to let fate do it's thing...." Jet worriedly remarked.

"I am letting fate do it's 'thing'! I'm only quickening the process." Levy grinned at her teammates.

"This is the seventh sea-food buffet we've been to in 3 days! And we didn't even get to eat any!" Droy complained. Levy sweatdropped.

"Just 32 more and we're done for the month," she reopened her life-sized bullet map to recheck. Can't be too sure.

"Look what we have here!" She stiffened and turned to face the gruff voice.

3 men dressed in varying black and grey attire looked at them like they were meat and nothing more. She felt a shiver crawl up her spine as she gauged the area for exits but found none in sight.

Team Shadowgear couldn't take them on by themselves! She was already tired and she bet Jet and Droy were too! Maybe if she made a big enough distraction, both of them could-

"Oi, you get the fledglings!" a final voice barked out, and Levy felt her blood run cold at the red eyes that stared back at her, "The shrimp is mine."

The next few minutes were a blur. She couldn't find herself to talk, no matter how much her brain screamed at her to say something, anything to save herself from the situation. Maybe he'd recognise her and tell them to leave his soulmate alone. Something, do anything!

As black spots took over her vision, she finally muttered, through the intense pain she felt in every fibre of her being, "Don't....Jet, Droy, please..."

......

[doginshoe]

Burning Up, Burnt Out

This is my work for the Nalu and Gruvia big bang @nalugruviaevents! I worked alongside @yaushie, who made the beautiful art to go with the fan fiction I wrote. Thanks to @celestial-fire-writer for being beta once again. Summary:  Set in the year after Alvarez and before Lucy's book signing. The team is on a mission to help a native village on a island, but the celebrations afterwards leave Natsu to do some deep thinking about a certain celestial wizard that won’t seem to leave his mind. 

ART BY @yaushie

The fire roared as cinders rose up in the night much like fireflies, stars gleamed in the night sky and the air tasted of smoked meat as the villagers threw their offerings into the large pit of wicked flames. The people cried out as they rejoiced, clapping their hands to the beats played by the drums. The women with sultry eyes moved around the flames like conspiring Wiccans, rising the spirits from the curling fire as they swayed their bodies in erotic and enticing ways. They stretched their arms high and grinded their hips, flicking their legs high in the air as they jumped to then push down and again use their footwork to circle around the fire.

The men sitting at the edge of the cluster of celebration hollered at the women as their skirts sashayed with their sensuous movements. Their tight bandeau leaving the skin of their midriffs exposed and subject to their hungry gazes of wonder and amazement. Many of them would stray just enough from their tight knit group of dancers to caress the cheek of a surrounding watcher, enticing and drawing them in with their deep gazes until they would lean forward in their daze. Then the women would skip back to join the large burning fire - leaving the crowd breathless and entranced. It was a game of cat and mouse and they were teasing minxes.

Natsu, like many others of the audience, watched on. His dark eyes were drawn into the soft exposed skin covered in a soft sheen of sweat, the strong and long legs that kicked up and the way their breasts were barely concealed in an orange fabric that was lined with gold trim. However, it wasn’t all the dancers that grabbed hold of his gaze. It was the billowing blonde hair that caught his breath, the deep brown eyes that occasionally glanced his way. Lucy, who was twisting and turning amongst the other women, had called him in. Her body stirred something in the pit of his stomach as she seemed to move with the fire, embodying the way the flames flickered and curled behind her.

He was completely enraptured. The thrum of the drums and strum of strings reverberating through his body, cutting off the noise of villagers who joined in the festival. Natsu couldn’t tear his gaze from her being, and he knew she had noticed his unwavering stare on her. Lucy grinded her hips more to the music, arched her back just a little bit further to uncover the view of the delicious skin of her neck, but it was her eyes - the way she peered up at him through thick lashes with flushed cheeks - that made him swallow hard and realise that he had been caught.

She knew he was captivated. Her eyes twinkled with mischief as she spun on her feet in rhythm, the deep brown hue making him their victim once again as he was locked in her gaze. He couldn’t count on both his hands and feet how many times her eyes had persuaded him and made his knees weak, lungs breathless - the way they shone when she smiled, crinkling slightly at the side, and sparkling like the stars she beckoned to her side in battle. It was especially painful when they would break in front of him, becoming watery and fragile. Those were times Natsu was lost, when he felt smaller and more vulnerable than when Igneel had disappeared. He couldn’t fight away her sadness. It made him… confused. His heart would feel like stone in his chest as if it had stopped beating and would tumble from its bone cage, a feeling in his throat that threatened to choke him.

She grinned at him. The smile was large as it accompanied her bright eyes, glinting gold from the fire. It pulled Natsu from the thoughts he always found himself puzzled when he looked at the celestial wizard for too long. Her hands clapped above her head before she skipped and flew through the air, her feet coming down to land gracefully before she dipped her body low.

The long blonde locks that had been tied loosely into twin ponytails danced behind her. They shined, illuminated by the flames as they whipped in the fresh night air. The glow reminded him of a far off time, a November sunset - her smile just as wide that day when they had come back from rescuing Macao at Mount Hakobe.

The sun was shining its last rays before it would sink below the horizon. Their shoes scuffing along the cobblestone street as they left the grinning father and son after they successfully brought Macao home to Romeo. The young boy’s shout of thanks echoed in their ears and a small smile still played on the blonde’s lips as they walked beside each other in a comfortable silence. Natsu peered at her from the side. She was strange - that, he was sure of. The newly joined member throwing herself into his business and then complaining every step of the way. Natsu didn’t like people like that. She acted like every other sucker who thought being a mage was a walk in the park and some sort of title that could be thrown around. However, her blind bravery to face the Vulcan alone surprised him; as did her tending to Macao’s wounds and the way she smiled. Natsu had faulted when she had looked back at the snot-nosed kid. He had nearly fallen flat on his face, but he only shook his head slightly, eyes leaving the weirdo to focus back on the path. He hoped Mirajane had something special to eat when he got back.

Natsu tore his gaze from Lucy. The feast before him had been half picked at, which had been extremely unlike him, yet he couldn’t bring himself to pick up another mouthful. Gray was still being patched up by the giggling old crones of the village, much to his dismay, and Erza was at the Chief’s table. He noticed Wendy had been dressed in the same outfit that Lucy was wearing, but she stayed far from the show that transpired in the middle of the village. His dark eyes flicked back up to the blonde as his thoughts drifted back to her. That had been happening a lot lately.

A sigh left his lips, the sound giving life to the muddled thoughts that plagued his mind. The mission had meant to be something for them all to unwind and to let them come back down to reality - to make the war a distant memory. However, the fire dragon slayer had only become more tense. His fists clenched at his side and his chest puffed out as he gritted his teeth. It was his instincts gearing him up for a fight. Yet, he couldn’t beat this down. What was he meant to do?

He gulped as the vulnerable feeling clogged his throat. He had learned, he had grown stronger. Fear didn’t stop him anymore. It was welcomed and used strategically against his opponent. Enemies that seemed impossible were always overcome. Natsu was ready to defeat anything in his way to protect his friends - to make sure their smiles kept true.

Lucy remained a puzzle.

He couldn’t get past it. Her eyes led to his lungs dysfunctioning. Her smiles made his palms sweaty with a heart that just wouldn’t stop pounding. The way she smelled, sweet and like the books she spent so much time with; it pulled him to her.

It made Natsu want to tug at his hair. When he had set out alone he spent most of his nights frustrated as he looked up to the stars, his thoughts drifting to the blonde that he left behind. She always said that they guided her, but Natsu only saw the vast midnight sky. The glinting lights seemed to taunt him rather than to offer solace for his troubles.

The celestial wizard wasn’t in danger and he certainly didn’t consider her to be an enemy. She was much more to him. Lucy was Lucy. Yet, she plagued his mind. It felt like he was missing something. The feeling built in his stomach, a nervousness he didn’t quite understand, and it was wrong. How was he meant to protect her from that? Something that was unknown to him?

Natsu felt the drums pick up speed, the vibrations humming in his veins, as the dance was coming to a close. Lucy clapped her hands as she moved her hips along with the other villagers - the movements absolutely tantalising. And Natsu watched her. His eyes filling with longing as they glazed over. She seemed like a friend to the fire as it bathed her in its light - the flames nearly consuming her as she pushed and pulled her body alongside it.

He could always ignore it. Feign ignorance so he could be welcomed into the bliss that he had lived in before he met her. Things would go back to normal. The simple life. It would be as easy as felling the tree that had begun to bind itself in his ribcage - the centre suffocating his heart. The branches would shrivel and slowly fall, the roots no longer embedding themselves in his bones and he would be free.

A thought he had believed foolishly. Even in the beginning he had tried to ignore her. She was a friend… and that was all. He’d asked her to be his partner because her heart was true. There was nothing else. However. it was the small spark, the tiny little wonder that ebbed at his mind that he should have listened to. Even when he thought he had overcome it, she always made sure to relight it. Always putting herself in harm's way for him, and yet he was meant to be the idiot. Natsu always thought the blonde did stupid things; like when she tried to stop the raft when they were battling the Oracion Seis. The girl had no clue what she was doing, yet she held onto him even as they plummeted down a waterfall.

He could still remember the sick feeling that swam in his stomach as he was swept up in the white rapids - Lucy by his side, her arms wrapped tight around him. No one had ever really cared about his motion sickness. It was always something considered a joke in the guild, a running gag people used to get under his skin. At other times it was an annoyance. If it had been anyone else they would have let the river take him. It was his own fault his stomach couldn’t beat the nauseating waves that rocked his mind. But, she was different. Natsu had never had someone care like she did. Running after him in his weakest moments no matter how pathetic they seemed. He would often think about when they fell from the waterfall. The sound of crashing water filling his ears, blocking out every other noise except his pounding heartbeat until they hit the river below. She’d made him fault again. His mind short circuiting when he looked at her until he could push out an earnest thank you.

The fire called to him as it burned, the flames being his own as he started off the celebration in the village with a mighty fire dragon roar. If all the way back then he had acknowledged the growth then maybe it wouldn’t be a mass of vines and prickly branches that threatened to suffocate him nearly every moment. Instead it had to be crushed into him, literally. Being stuck underneath boulders and watching as she refused to run. The same determination would always flicker in her eyes when he saw her in a fight, always reminding him of the time he could’ve lost her.

“Run for it, Lucy! He’s way stronger than he looks!! I’ll figure something out. Just get out of here!” He shouted, his fingers digging into the dirt as he desperately tried to claw his way out. If she had no magic power then-

“I won’t.”

Natsu stilled as her voice cut through the air, his throat going dry as Kain’s foot came down on her body a moment later, crushing her into the ground. He could barely breathe as she screamed out in agony. He could only watch as she was beaten down. Why wouldn’t she run?

Kain kicked her forward, the blonde gasping for breath as he walked over to her limp and bruised body before gripping onto her hair, the tresses spilling through his fingers as he lifted her up to her knees.

“I don’t want… to run away by myself…” she choked as she began to force a smile through the pain, blood dripping down her chin. Those brown eyes shining before they closed, her smile picking up into a grin. “Because…”

Natsu could only remained frozen in place as Kain pulled her higher into the air, his mind screaming at him to do something, anything, but his body wouldn’t listen. It couldn’t. Even with the weight of the rocks crushing him, her words had left him stiff with shock. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from her as her grin stretched wider and wider, a small blush rising on her cheeks.

“It’s always more fun when we’re together!”

Those words echoed in his heart for a long time after she had said them. It was as if his mind put them on repeat, always bringing him back to that moment at some of the strangest of times. He supposed that was when he really did begin to notice that there was something more with his partner. That moment shattered a wall he didn’t know he had built. He treated everyone at Fairy Tail like family, the people who made the guild a home, and Lucy was the same.

Except…. Lucy herself had become a home. He always found himself coming back to her at the end of a long day. She was comforting, she was strong and she was kind. His partner always managed to find the good in everything. Lucy had become a safe place and he just couldn’t stop himself from always being by her side, or noticing just how small her hands were. Or that little buzz of warmth that would linger when their skin would brush against one another, which seemed to be more often than not.

Natsu sighed as he finally leaned back, he seemed to be the only person not in the spirit of the festivities. He just couldn’t seem to enjoy the celebration even as more people began to join in with the women in the center. Even Wendy was coaxed into joining, Lucy grabbing her hands and pulling her into the group. Their smiles growing brighter as she twirled the younger girl. Everyone was cheering, the beat beginning to shake the table as it grew louder and louder.

After that day he could never stray from her side for too long. Coming back from Tenrou after seven years, he would try and protect her, be someone to rely on like he did with her. Except they were thrown into the Grand Magic Games only a few weeks later where he had to watch her fight and he couldn’t step in. Seeing Minerva torture her as she was defenceless. His hands bled as he had to sit back, nails digging into his palms as he shook with anger.

But, even when he was standing right next to her in front of future Rogue… He had come close to losing her so many times, even when he vowed to be there, just like with all his family. He could never save Lucy. That time would always haunt him. Watching as she fell to the ground, the hand where she had her guild mark... He couldn’t protect her! In two different strands of time he was useless. Lucy’s future was destroyed. She couldn’t be happy.

The tips of his fingers just barely grazed the darkness that took her away. Natsu could barely move as he watched her fall. He was too late. Even if it wasn’t Lucy from his age, from his time. He could’ve saved her. He could’ve fixed everything. It was all too real. If his Lucy wasn’t kneeling beside her he would’ve thought she was actually gone, that the only way he could’ve saved her had slipped right past him.

He knew he had to become stronger. She had dug herself too far into his heart. He would be enough to protect her future. That burned into his resolution when Lucy thanked him, the warmth of her hug still burning where her arms wrapped around him. It was then that he knew she’d always be by his side… because he had a future to protect. He had her future to keep fighting for.

Natsu loved her.

When her body laid limp in his arms, Natsu felt nothing but pain until a snap pulled him into a rage. She was stuck in Dimaria’s suspended time. He knew it now, but seeing her like that - he couldn’t even hear a heartbeat. It was all too much. The future he had promised to fight for, to live for and protect was now lifeless in his arms. That thought alone sent a blinding shock through his system, the feeling taking over his senses as he lost control. It was pathetic, but Natsu let himself to succumb to it. He would have fought the demon that was taking over, the END seed that was planted within him slowly sprouting as it filled him with poison, the whispers sometimes still echoing in his mind. He could only be thankful that Gray, and then Erza, had stepped in his way. They stalled his maniacal mission just long enough for him to collapse into her arms. He was home again and the anger washed away.

No matter what they went through they would always be together. Side by side. It didn’t matter whether they were battling some petty dark guild or stopping the end of the world. Today and everyday would always be an adventure. He knew it when he was falling out of the sky. His body battered from fighting with Acnologia, but a giant grin on his face as he knew who gave him the strength so he could do it.

He could barely contain the grin that pulled on his lips as he bared his teeth. Her eyes were blown wide as she stared at him in shock, Happy was in her arms beaming at him. When she smiled back up at him, tears filling her eyes, he knew that he was home. Lucy was home. The three of them would always be a family. A team.

“I’m home!” He chuckled, his smile beaming even wider.

She opened her mouth, a stray tear dribbling down her cheek as she managed to find her voice. Knowing they had finally won. That they had saved the world. She knew that if anyone could do it, it would be Natsu.

“Welcome home!” She cried and he felt the warmth spread through his chest.

In that moment Natsu knew that he could accomplish anything because he always had someone to return to - his guild, his best friend and a particular blonde that managed to start a fire in his heart.

His eyes were glued to Lucy as the dance came to an end. She kicked her leg into the air, following the rest of the group as they finished the song. The drums were intense as she twisted and moved around the fire, a sheen of sweat making her body shine in the fire light. With every spin and dip the flames seemed to copy her. His flames. Natsu couldn’t stop himself from staring. She had never looked more ethereal than in this moment. Her hair spun like gold thread as she turned with the fire behind her. Her hips drawing him in and alighting the embers in his chest, burning him up from the inside. The way she seemed to almost glow had him captivated - it was as if she was a goddess teasing him. Her long legs making his blood pump as they pulled down before leaping into the air. He had been in love with her since long ago.

The last hit on the drum resounded out in the village as all the dancers raised their hands, their chests rising and falling as their lungs struggled to heave in a breath from the movements of the dance. Her eyes burned into his as she grinned before being engulfed with the crowd. The people’s joyous cries replacing the beat that once hummed throughout the village.

She had been swept away from him as he sat in front of his meal. Natsu clenched his fist, offering his gaze back up to the heavens that could only mock him. The twinkling lights glinting down at him like all those nights before. Natsu cursed as he stood from his spot, glancing back at the blonde to find her and Wendy raised up by the village, the younger girl looking more sick than anything whilst Lucy laughed.

He smiled softly before he walked away. He had spent too much time caught up with the celestial spirit mage. Though he knew that he couldn’t help the pull that she had over him. It was as if Lucy was fire itself - a fire he couldn’t control. Ironic, considering the fact that fire was his to wield and command.

A sigh left his lips as his feet kept him walking to the edge of the village, where he could get away from the noise and away from her. He hoped it would ease the unwanted feelings. Yet, it never did. Natsu knew it, but he still walked - his eyes coming back to the stars as he breathed in the crisp air. When he exhaled the puff of air, it came out as smoke.

Tonight, seeing Lucy move that way, was almost earth shattering. She’d stirred up the heat in his chest once again, setting him alight and raising the flames higher and higher with every movement she made alongside the bonfire behind her. It was completely mesmerising. The heat seemed to lick at her skin and embody her very being. It only made the feelings harder to ignore as the embers rose into a wildfire.

Natsu wanted her. Lucy was just… Lucy. She was so good to him, so tantalisingly good that it made him feel weak at the knees. That vulnerable feeling that ate him up was because she made him feel like he was going to lose control. He wanted to hold her close, feel her soft flesh against his and breathe in that sent that made his mind go blank. She was everything to him. The blonde that had treated him to a meal all those years ago becoming someone he didn’t want to live without - someone he couldn't.

Natsu had to steady himself against a tree on the outskirts of the village, his heart rate becoming erratic when he thought of everything he wanted with Lucy. He wanted them to spend every moment together, each day planned with Lucy and leading her off to one mission then the next. However, as time passed he soon noticed that his plans with the blonde took at different turn. The thought of her soft pink lips and smooth skin playing on his mind. That was what had control of him now. The idea of her wrapped in his flames as he took her hard. The blush on her cheeks and how her mouth would part in a soft moan - it all made him feverish.

He was caught in a mess, Natsu shaking his head as he tried to collect his thoughts with a deep breath. He wanted Lucy, no, needed her. She had lit a fire that couldn’t be put out and he couldn’t wait to pull her into his chest and crash his lips onto her own. He loved her and by gods it was time she knew.

He had to tell her, his feet pushing him forward to where the team took rest. This feeling - the jitters that spun webs in his gut - only ushered him to continue forward and quickened his pace. He knew that Lucy was different, he had known from the very start. It had scared him. Igneel never mentioned anything to do with love. Even Makarov had only taught him one important lesson that he kept for the rest of his life, to love your family and to keep them safe.

The torches lit his way as he stumbled past people who had gotten too ahead of themselves in the festivities. Except as he rounded a corner and heard her laugh - his steps picked up into a sprint. The time was now, this is what he needed to do.

“Luc-”

Yet in all his resolve, he found himself pausing. There she was. His partner, but she wasn’t alone. He watched as she laughed, the sweet sound resonating in his ears, while waving away Happy. His best friend breezed up in the air as he yelled at the blonde. The faint traces of their conversation tell him that she’d insulted his chances of ever being the right man for Charla.

Now was his chance, but Natsu couldn't bring himself to take another step. Maybe it was the jittery nerves finally freezing up his muscles, or that she had made him falter again. All he knew was that as he watched his team, no - his family - he felt complete in a way that he hadn’t felt in a long, long time.

Lucy was softly smiling as she patted Happy on the back. Her outfit from the dance was gone. It was just her. It was Lucy. Her hair had been taken back up into her pony tail that she had started wearing when he had left her for a year. Her keys were placed on the right side of her hip, the usual brown belt holding them in place. Although she had grown over the years, the blonde hair now reaching past her shoulders and her outfits always being swapped, she was still the same. Her brown eyes were still kind. Their depths drawing him in every time he stared in them for too long, Just like everyone else, she would fight till her last breath for their guild - for him. Lucy was home.

As he watched them, the fire that had been burning so fiercely only blazed brighter. For so long he had been fighting it, thinking the roots that nearly suffocated him would form a forest and leave him in the dark. Now he felt as if he could breathe easier than ever before. This was his team, his family.

Natsu barely registered what was happening before he slipped his arms around both their shoulders, pulling his partners to him in a crushing side hug. His words left his lips as naturally as all the other times before.

“Whatcha guys doing?”

Happy cried out, “Natsu!” but he barely heard his partner as he felt a familiar pair of brown eyes staring at his face. It was Lucy, peering up at him with that concerned look she always wore. 

“Where have you been? I was looking all over for you after the dance, but you were gone.”

She blinked and when Natsu turned he felt that familiar sensation, the second where his brain stopped functioning for just a moment. Those eyes would really be the death of him.

A wide grin crept up on his face, his canines flashing at her as he pulled them along forward. “I’ve been here weirdo. Don’t tell me you’re going blind now too,” he spoke before his gaze turned forward, “Come on! I heard there’s leftovers.”

“Aye!” Happy cheered as he flew from Natsu’s grip into the air, leaving him with just his arm around the blonde that nearly gave him heart palpitations. He felt the nervousness begin to swim in his gut, he knew she’d keep asking questions. The blonde blinked and to his surprise a soft laugh left her lips, her hand coming up to hide her face before she smiled.

“Yeah, I am still a bit hungry,” she breathed as she wiped her brow, “That dancing was really hard.”

Natu’s grin stretched even wider, if it was possible, as he raised his hand into the air. “To the leftovers!” he shouted, and his partners echoed his words before they dashed off. The task becoming a race in a few short moments that was soon joined in by Gray. Though, they didn’t get to destroy anything before Erza had stepped in with a giggling Wendy in tow. He grumbled as he rubbed the beginnings of what was soon to become an egg on his head, but a sweet melody lifted him from his troubles. He stared up to the smiling blonde and the grin came up on his face again.

This was his family, and he could still love Lucy. He didn’t need to change anything.

We’ll be together forever from now on

[sweetmemories2606]

Day 2: Alluring

Took me a while to finish this one, but it was worth it. 

By the way, important to note that this is a prequel to my prompt for day 3: perverse, which will be posted tomorrow. 

Title: Reflection

Pairings: Gruvia

Summary: Like water, Juvia alluring, clear and dangerous. Though Gray wouldn't admit it yet, he was drowning. 

Timeline: Tower of Heaven to Grand Magic Games Arcs

Warnings: Major Plot Twist at the end. 

Word Count: 1774

Happy reading! (and Happy Easter too!!)

                                       ______________

                                     September X784

After apprehending the guards, Gray took a look around to see how everyone else was faring. Predictably, Natsu had no trouble taking them down and Lucy seemed to be doing well too.

When he turned towards Juvia, the ice mage was speechless. Though he was aware that she was a powerful mage; it never occurred that she might also be cool, collected and patient.

Watching her in action was magnificent. With a single word Juvia managed to trap guards in water locks or knock them down with a water slicer. She made no movement to fight them which Gray found strange but also practical.

It was a contrast to the fighting style he was used to from Fairy Tail members, but he guessed Phantom Lord had a different strategy. Or perhaps this was due to Juvia's ability to turn her body into water thus remaining unaffected by her opponents' attempts to harm her.

In any case, Gray had to admit that she was turning out to be quite a useful ally. Maybe it would be a good idea if Fairy Tail had someone like her on their side. If he had someone like her….Thankfully, his train of thought was interrupted by Lucy's call of his name.

Looking for the celestial mage, he realised that she had Natsu joined in the centre of the cave. Juvia had been approaching them, but had stopped to glance at the ice mage. Her eyes showed worry, so Gray quickly offered a reassuring look.

"I'm coming." He ran towards his friends just as Jellal's familiar voice welcomed them to the Tower of Heaven.

                                       ______________

                                     October X784

During the Miss Fairy Tail contest Gray realised another thing about Juvia that he hadn't been expecting. She was gorgeous.

It's not as if he had found her ugly before, but usually her beauty would be hidden behind a heavy coat and large hat. Well, not anymore, for she now stood in a bikini in front of everyone.

Gray was surprised that someone he had deemed shy would expose herself like this. Then again, she was hardly the only participant in this contest or the only one wearing a swimsuit.

Ignoring the loud reactions of his friends, Gray focused his attention solely on her. His eyes roamed over her body; appreciating how flawless her pale skin was and how she had curves in the right places.

As Loki put it, she was hot. However, this wasn't what impressed Gray since Erza, Lucy, Mira and so many other girls also had beautiful bodies.

What amazed him was the fact that Juvia could turn her body into water. She embodied the element so perfectly; with even her hair and eyes matching it.

He admired how deeply connected she was with her magic. She was water; the rain and the sea.

Once his gaze met hers Gray was entrapped by those mesmerising blue eyes. They were so huge; even from a distance. Her gaze was intense but also warm and welcoming. He couldn't look away nor did he want to.

In the end, she was the one to divert her gaze first. Glancing around the crowd, Juvia smiled nervously. "Do you like what you see?"

Many people cheered, but Gray remained silent. He assumed, though, that she didn't need verbal confirmation to know he did.

                                       ______________

                                     December X784

Gray learned that Juvia wasn't just beautiful on the outside, but also on the inside. Though it had become clear that she was kind and compassionate, their experience on Tenrou Island taught him that she was selfless too.

Juvia had just surprised them by showing up after their battle against Grimoire Heart was over. He quickly noticed that something was wrong when she didn't stand. Recalling she had mentioned an injury on her leg before, he volunteered to help her get to the tent.

After he and Erza had pretty much carried Juvia there and helped her sit on the mattress, the re-equip mage gave him a pointed look before leaving.

"So, what happened to your leg?" Gray asked while sitting in front of the water mage.

"It was nothing." Juvia replied, conjuring water to clean her injuries.

"Doesn't look like nothing." Gray observed, concerned.

Her face grew somber and he knew that look all too well; it was on his face whenever he thought about his past. "Was it….Meredy?" He struggled to recall the young girl's name.

"No, she...she didn't do this." Juvia barely suppressed a moan of pain upon starting to clean her leg.

Gray moved closer to her. "Can I?" Receiving a nod, he gently pressed a hand against her leg, letting his magic cool it down.

"That feels nice." She smiled, slightly relieved.

A few moments passed in silence. "You know, I'm confused." He frowned. "I thought physical attacks couldn't hurt you."

Juvia avoided his gaze. "Not when someone else uses them."

"Wait..." His eyes widened. "Are you saying that you did this to yourself?" He removed his hand from her leg, inspecting the wound which was quickly blackening.

"I didn't have a choice!" Juvia yelled before the somber look returned. "She was going to kill you."

It took him a while to understand. Thinking back to the strange pink bracelet that had suddenly appeared on his arm, the unwanted emotions he had been overwhelmed by and the immense pain which had crippled him; the truth became clear.

It had been her emotions, her pain. His heart started beating faster once Gray realised this meant that the love she claimed to feel for him was true.

Unwilling to dwell on the repercussions of that, however, he focused instead on her last statement. "That bracelet...it connected us somehow."

"It's Meredy's magic. She linked me to you so that you'd share my pain." Juvia confirmed.

He failed to understand what the young girl might have against him. "But why? What did she have against me?"

Her voice trembled as she finally looked back at him. "She was doing it for Ultear. She said you...you killed her mother."

"Ur." Gray whispered, realisation dawning on him.

"I knew that wasn't true. I remembered Erza told me about your master." Juvia informed.

He offered an apologising look. "I'm sorry you had to become involved in this."

"It's alright." Her gaze fell down to her injured leg before she tried cleaning it again. "I'm just glad I was able to stop Meredy."

Watching her, Gray suddenly felt guilty. "You hurt yourself...to save me. Why?"

"I thought you knew by now that I'd do anything for you." Was her honest response.

Beautiful, strong, kind, clear and selfless. Resisting her was getting harder, but Gray was stubborn and still refused to give in.

The memories of those who lost their lives protecting him were a constant reminder of how dangerous it was to let someone get too close. Death had followed him like a curse but he couldn't allow it to take her away too.

                                       ______________

                                        July X791

Gray learned that he wasn't the only one who found Juvia incredible after Lyon seemingly fell in love with her. At first he had assumed it was some sort of prank, a strategy to bother him and reignite the brothers' rivalry.

If that was so, it certainly worked. Though he tried to appear unaffected, Gray couldn't deny that he disliked all the attention Lyon was giving her. Even less so knowing he had no right to tell the other man to leave her alone.

Juvia should've been the one to push Lyon away, but she hadn't. Gray wasn't sure why, but convinced himself it had nothing to do with her actually enjoying being flirted with.

He couldn't phantom that she would have interest in someone else after claiming to be in love with him for so long. He expected her to always be there for him, thus made no move to advance their relationship.

Some people claimed he was taking her for granted and unfairly misleading her to believe that he would someday reciprocate her affections. Others warned that if he kept dismissing her, she would find someone else.

What they didn't know, though, is that Gray had already been reflecting about his feelings for her. Since getting confirmation that she truly loved him on Tenrou Island, he had begun seeing her in a night light.

Yet the answer still evaded him as the conflict between fear and hope remained. His heart was such a mess it was no wonder he couldn't figure out whether he loved her or not.

Meanwhile; Lyon kept flirting with Juvia, asking her on dates and offering gifts. He wasn't backing down and soon Gray realised this wasn't just a prank.

On the second day of the Games, he was dragged to an uncomfortable conversation during which Lyon pressured him to give an answer regarding his feelings for Juvia.

It seemed the older ice mage wanted to prove to her that Gray didn't feel the same way so she might consider accepting to go out with Lyon.

Gray figured this out quickly and escaped without saying anything. Returning to the inn, he came across Erza on the balcony.

Another uncomfortable conversation ensued. She reminded him that Juvia wouldn't wait forever and finished with the words that wouldn't leave his mind for the next two days. "She deserves a straight answer."

                                       ______________

Ironically, Juvia would be the one required to give answers soon. For even though it was still unknown to them, Lyon was not the only man who had taken an interest in her.

"You've been staring at her picture for a long time." Agent Doranbolt from the Magic Council finally looked away from the picture of the water mage and towards his partner.

"What is it, Lahar?" He asked with disinterest.

"I've got news from the Council." Lahar answered, approaching the messy desk where files were scattered.

"What did they say?" Doranbolt asked while placing the picture inside an envelope.

"They said we have permission to question her."

He smiled. "Good. It's about time we find out if our theory is true."

"If we're right, she could be dangerous." Lahar warned. "So we must act cautiously."

Doranbolt took another paper which showed the schedule for the Grand Magic Games. "We can take her after the Naval Battle since she'll probably represent Fairy Tail Team B."

Lahar nodded. "That's a good idea. We just have to be discreet about it."

"Not a problem." Doranbolt chuckled as he stood. Quickly gathering the papers and organising them, he picked Juvia's picture again.

"You know, I never would have suspected her of all people to be a spy."

[juviaafullbuster]

Gruvia week - Day 5: Possession

SEARCHING FOR HIS LOVE

Warnings: None

Relationship: Gruvia

Summary: Juvia gets possessed by a ghost searching for his one true love. Not wanting to leave his girl on her own, Gray decided to join her on the search.

*************************************************

All Juvia wanted was to spend some time with her Graysama. It's the only reason she decided to join the mission in the first place. So why did she end up being partnered with her rival out of all people? It annoyed her and it didn't help that the blonde wasn't exactly being useful. If she heard her complain one more time Juvia was going to lose it. And on top of that they were being chased by some weird freak. This whole day was a mess.

Juvia was so focused on her thoughts, she didnt see the enemy in front of them. The last thing she remembers was being engulfed in some weird light before everything turned black.

When she woke up again, Juvia was back in Magnolia. Wendy was standing above her appearing to be healing her. Juvia wanted to know what happened, how she got back here and how Lucy was doing but she couldn't. Her mind was focusing on something else.

"Juvia you finally woke up. How are you feeling?"

Juvia didnt answer. Somehow she had this determination to go. The next thing she knew she was getting up, ignoring Wendy and walking out.

Something was off. No matter how many times Wendy called out for Juvia, the water mage didn't stop walking. It wasn't until Gray appeared that Wendy let out a relieved sigh.

"Gray, thank god. You need to help me. Juvia just keeps going, she wont listen to me. She just woke up and left."

Gray looked to where the little dragon slayer was pointing and saw his girl walking away, out of Magnolia.

"Its okay, dont worry. I'll take care of it."

He jogged up to Juvia, blocking her path and making her stop.

"Juvia what's going on? Where are you going?"

Grays voice made Juvia snap out of it for a little.

"I - I don't know. I just need to go there."

"Where?"

"I don't know. It's like my mind and actions are being controlled by someone. It's - I dont know how to explain it."

Juvia seemed so confused and lost, it hurt Gray to see her that way. But it confirmed his suspicions. Makarov had told them about the ghost who attacked Juvia and Lucy. He had haunted th rebuilding for years and was looking for someone with enough love in their heart to be able to reunite him with his one true love he had lost. After Lucy woke up and acted like her normal self, they had figured it must have been Juvia who the ghost has been after and possessed.

It made sense. Gray couldn't think of anyone else who carries so much love in their heart. He experienced Juvias' first hand. The girl had shown him on several occasions how deep her feelings were, not just the romantic kind of love she showed him, but also the love she had for her friends. Noone was like Juvia.

Gray explained everything to Juvia. But the more he talked the worse she looked. When the words ghost and possession fell, Juvia just lost it. Nothing could hold back the tears. Not knowing how to handle the situation, Gray just hugged Juvia and held her tight to him.

"It's okay. It'll be fine. Don't cry Juvia. From what I know you'll be free from this ghost once we arrived at the destination he is leading you to. So let's go."

"You're coming with Juvia?"

"Of course, I'm not letting you do this by yourself."

Juvia gave him a smile and wiped her tears away before the two continued her journey.

Later that day

It felt like they were traveling forever at this point. They had already two train drives behind them and walked for hours too. The sky was already turning darker and Gray was afraid they wouldn't be there anytime soon. That's until Juvia suddenly stopped. The couple found themselves standing in front of an old, abandoned cemetery. It didnt look like anyone has been here for years.

They both felt a shiver run down their spines. Gray gave Juvia a reassuring nod before they walked in hand in hand.

They stopped in front of a grave with a small headstone. It was blank, not a name nor a date written on the stones.

The next thing he knew, Juvia was unconscious in his arms and a ghost was standing in front of them.

"Thank you. You've finally reunited me with my one true love. Now I can finally rest in peace. For that I will forever be grateful. Your friend shall be free from my possession."

When Gray looked at the grave stone again, two names appeared, the sentence "Separted while alive, reunited after death" written below them.

When Juvia woke up again she found herself being carried bridal style by Gray.

"Graysama, what happened? Where are we going?"

"You freed the ghost. It's over. But since its already late I decided it's best to stay at a hotel today and continue our journey back tomorrow. Is that okay with you?"

"Yes of course. But can I ask you one thing?"

"Of course."

"Can we share a room? I really don't want to stay alone tonight. This whole ghost thing and being possessed, it's making me freak out a little."

Gray chuckled before nodding. To be honest, he didnt feel like being alone tonight either. Not only did the whole ghost and possession thing freak him out a little too, the sentence separated while alive wasn't leaving his mind. He couldn't imagine what the dead couple must have gone through. And the thought of something like that happening to him and his Juvia freaked him out even more. He couldn't imagine not having the water mage by his side.

That night Juvia fell asleep with a huge smile on her face. Not only was she sleeping in the same room as her love, Gray had decided to share a bed too. Some time while he was asleep he shifted and put an arm around her, pulling Juvia near him and holding her close. At least Juvia assumed that he was asleep. She couldnt see the smile that appeared on the boys face.

The next morning they both woke up, cuddled up and content. Gray, being the tsundere that he is though, made Juvia promise not to tell anyone at the guild. If Natsu or Erza were to find out, he would never hear the end of it. He could already hear Natsu calling him a perverted popsicle. Everyone would get the wrong idea. He couldnt let that happen. What mattered after all, was that the both of them had the memory of it and by what he could tell that was good enough for Juvia too.

At least for now. Soon he would talk to her and tell her exactly how he felt. That's a promise.

@gruviaweek

[purplebass]

Forgiven: A Herongraystairs One Shot

This is my one shot gift for my 8,7K followers celebration for @daisyherxndale . I really hope you like this because I tried to pour my heart into it. It was really hard to write because I usually never kill anybody in my fics, but it doesn’t hurt to try (lol).

If somebody also wants a one shot gift from me, just hit my ask box. 😊

Couple: Will Herondale x Tessa Gray x Jem Carstairs Warning: death of a major character Setting: The Last Hours timeline

You gave up the fight You left me behind All that's done's forgiven You'll always be mine I know deep inside All that's done's forgiven

The starless night loomed on the London Institute like a thick cloth of dark blue velvet, and as Tessa was staring at it from the balcony of the drawing room, she felt happy. She had all that she wanted in her proximity: her husband, her children, even Jem was close although he couldn’t be as close to her as she wanted, but it was okay. Despite everything that happened lately, things seemed under control. She probably shouldn’t had been optimist because things could change in the blink of an eye, but what could she do?

“Mom,” James called from behind her and she turned with a smile. The lights were off, but James’ face was not completely hidden in the darkness. “You need to come out. Lucie has fainted, and…”

Tessa’s expression abruptly turned to apprehension. “What happened?”

“Come with me and I’ll explain, I-,” he began, then his voice stopped, as if he was chocking, and grabbed her hand to lead her to where his sister was. “I’m sorry, mama. I’m really sorry.”

“Sorry for what, James? Tell me what happened!” she demanded, trying to keep calm. “Why haven’t you taken her inside? Where is your father?”

James didn’t reply, he hurried towards the big doors that lead outside, moved by an oppressing anxiety. She had never seen him like this, she thought, but perhaps he hid it well. Once he opened the doors, Tessa couldn’t help herself and run towards Lucie. Cordelia and Matthew were also there, her parabatai keeping Lucie’s head on her legs while the other tried to hold her in place.  

Lucie’s face was partially covered with blood, and her hair attached to her forehead. Her face was ashen, too pale, too lifeless.

She fell to her knees besides her and grabbed her face, caressed her forehead, and checked her pulse. “What happened, Cordelia?” she demanded again.

Cordelia was covered by blood herself and it had stained her dress. “We wanted to tell you, we really wanted to tell you and your husband about it.”

“What did you want to tell us? What, Cordelia? Speak, we don’t have much time!” she commanded, checking her daughter’s breathing. “Thank you,” she murmured to herself more than to them. “She’s still breathing. Have you applied some iratze?”

Tessa looked at James, who looked at Cordelia, who looked at Matthew. The three of them exchanged glances that she didn’t like – they were surely keeping something from her, and she wondered why they weren’t keen on revealing it.

“James…” Cordelia said, her voice almost a whisper in the dark. “Should I?”

James’s expression was grave and he shook his head. “I should,” he agreed, then his gaze moved swiftly from his two friends, who nodded. “We went to our grandfather.”

Tessa froze in place. “You did what? James, I told you, you shouldn’t look for him. We all told you. I don’t care who he is or what he does, I don’t want anything to do with him.”

“I know, and I’m sorry. We are sorry. Lucie… she… we…” James voice shook, and Tessa felt remorse in his words. “He struck her with his magic. We arrived just in time because she went alone to where he was hiding.”

Tessa squeezed Lucie’s hand and looked at her. “Oh, Lucie. Why? Have you called Jem?”

“Will went to Jem,” Matthew explained listlessly. “We met him when we got there. He decided to personally go to him because he didn’t trust somebody else to call for him.”

She felt relieved by the news, but still, something was wrong. “Why is she here, though? Do you want me to help you take her inside?”

“She’s here because she can’t move past the entrance,” Cordelia said, resigned. Tessa could tell that Lucie’s friend was trying hard not to be affected by the moment, but she could see it in her eyes. She wanted to cry. “It’s like there is an invisible barrier that doesn’t let us pass,” she explained.

How serious was this?

They all heard footsteps coming from the gate, and Tessa was relieved to see Will and Jem running to them, the carriage of the Silent Brothers barely inside of the entrance as if they had hopped off before it would completely enter the cobblestone yard of the Institute.

“Has she regained consciousness?” Will wondered, putting a hand on Tessa’s shoulder, as Jem knelt down to check on Lucie.

How long has she been like this? Jem asked to the younger onlookers.

James passed a hand through his already tousled hair. He was pacing behind Cordelia, and he couldn’t stay still. “A while,” he admitted, sighing in frustration. “Maybe an hour.”

“An hour? Why have you waited so long to call somebody?” Will demanded, his voice as sharp as a knife. He didn’t intend to unleash at James, but he was losing his mind. “What if she can’t be fixed?”

Calm down, Will. She’s still breathing. Now I need to…

Jem’s words were cut short, and nobody realized what had just happened until it was too late, because they were shoved away from the scene with a powerful thud.

Tessa stood still as intricate vines held her legs rooted to the place. She didn’t know how she was standing since she had been on the ground less than a moment before, and what was worse was that it wasn’t just her legs bound by the shrubs, but her hands as well. She looked down and saw the vines already cutting her skin, drops of blood falling on the cobblestone of what she called her home staining the pavement. That place had witnessed many encounters with their enemies, like during the clockwork war more than twenty years before, but she thought they were safe.

She thought the Institute was safe. She had been very content just a few minutes earlier, staring at the peaceful sky full of stars above her, why had life decided to change her mind and play this trick?

She didn’t believe in religion, she didn’t believe in any faith, but somehow, she felt as if this was the payback for something. Had she wished too much? Was this what fate reserved to people like her who were cursed with the special gift of immortality?

She felt her throat dry at the sight of her bound hands, but it wasn’t over. She glanced around her to check that everyone was alright: Will and Jem were getting back on their feet, while Matthew, Cordelia and James were still in a corner, huddled together and checking on each other. They didn’t look hurt from where she was, but she wasn’t able to see clearly. They had been thrown in opposite directions and quickly caught sight of her.

She searched for Lucie and she felt her heart fall in her stomach when she couldn’t locate her. She couldn’t move, and she could only see a part of the yard, but Lucie wasn’t there.

“Where is Lucie?” she asked the others.

“Tessa!” Will hurried to her without thinking, but Jem stopped him. He gazed at his friend with a frown. “Why are you stopping me, Jem? We need to free her!”

Look behind her, Jem murmured, and Tessa, despite being far from them, could also hear the tinge of agitation in his voice.

“How is it…”

“Possible?” Lucie inquired; a smug grin painted on her face. Tessa couldn’t see her daughter, but she knew she was behind her. “Everything is possible when you are a prince of hell, my dear shadowhunter. Oh, have I said dear? There is nothing dear about you. Your life is meaningless to me. But you were essential in the creation of my -”

“Who are you? Where is my Luce?” Will demanded angrily, balling his hands into fists. He wanted to advance towards Tessa and whoever was impersonating Lucie, but Jem was still holding his arm to keep him from rushing closer to his family.

“Don’t worry, I don’t intend to dispose of her body, if that’s what you’re worried about. She’s still here,” she touched her chest with a finger, “but if I decide she’s to my liking, I may not leave her. She’s a pretty girl, smart, willing to collaborate. Do you know that she came to me asking to resurrect her boyfriend?” she asked to no one in particular as she walked around Tessa until she could look her in the face. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Tessa Gray. I reckon you’re my daughter, apparently,” she said with disgust.

“Belial,” Tessa recognized with contempt.

“The one and only. Your son over there tried to destroy me and didn’t let me take his body once I returned from my little vacation, but your daughter here… it’s good you had two children.”

She couldn’t believe her eyes. She had often asked herself who her father could have been, but she had always dismissed the idea of even trying to look for him, to know who he was, to find out what were his powers and what she could do with them. She thought it wasn’t worth it. She knew her father was a prince of hell, and princes of hell were almost like them, except they were fallen angels, which meant that they also took pride in having really lived in heaven before their fall.

Somebody gasped in the distance, probably Cordelia, and Tessa saw that she was wielding Cortana.

Belial turned, following Tessa’s eyes to her daughter’s parabatai. “That would be useless, my dear,” she mocked Cordelia with a bat of her lashes – so unlike Lucie. “You already tried to hurt me with that petty golden thing once, but I won’t be fooled again. And ah, a little reminder. If you stab me, your friend will also die.”

“No one is going to die tonight, Belial. If you leave quietly,” said Will.

Belial gazed at him, tilting his head with a smirk. His eyes were still Lucie’s light blue, but they had lost their depth. Now they were hollow, and mocking. “You don’t interest me, or you’d be already dead, William Herondale,” he admitted. “I came for the most valuable piece,” Belial continue, moving around Tessa and stroking her chin. But the gesture lacked affection, because that wasn’t Lucie, it was just her body. Tessa shivered.

“What do you want?” Tessa inquired brusquely. “If it’s something I can give you, I will. But you need to leave us alone.”

The prince sneered at her. “You have such a temper, Tessa Gray. The sacrifice will be worth it, for sure. Tatiana will finally be disposable after this.”

She didn’t have time to ask what was he saying, because it all happened too quickly. Tessa just saw Belial grab Cortana from Cordelia’s hand, and in a swift move, the demon freed her feet and her hands from the vines. She barely registered Belial’s movements as he used the legendary sword to pierce her skin. And yet, she had just glanced at her hands for a second.

She felt her chest warm, and she realized that it was her blood scorching her. Why was her blood so heated? She feared that Belial would strike her again, but she barely had the time to think about this as she dropped to the ground, her strength suddenly leaving her body. She would have probably hit her head if she hadn’t fallen on her arm. She noticed Lucie’s body lying on the stones and she felt relieved. Belial had probably left her, or so she hoped.

She was losing consciousness by the second, but she saw that Lucie seemed to be waking up, and she looked startled?

“Mama,” she heard her say, then she felt her daughter grab her hand.

She felt another person put her head on a warm surface; perhaps it was a pair of legs? She tried not to close her eyes and she saw a flash of black and blue.

“Will,” she whispered, but her voice was a distant murmur.

“Yes, Tessa, I’m here. I’m here, Jem is here, you’re going to be alright,” he tried to reassure her, touched her face with his hand, kissed her hand… she noticed his hand was red, too red, too fast… “Don’t leave me,” he pleaded.

“My blood stained your hands,” she told him, as if she was saying something random, something ordinary. She thought her brain was acting up, why was she thinking about his hands?

But he didn’t care. He removed his evening jacket and pressed it on her chest, on her heart. Her heart. She had all the people she cared about around her. They were all part of her heart, and they were the reason why she woke up every morning. And yet, she felt her beat slow down, as if the love she had for them and the affection they also felt for her, wasn’t enough to let her heart keep its heartbeat. And in that moment, she was sure…

There is nothing we can do, she heard Jem say. His tone was blank, but she detected sorrow in it. Her time… her time has come, he added.

“What? But she’s immortal! She can’t be dying, she can’t!” Will shouted in the dark of the yard, his eyes still fixed on her. She could barely see him. “Tess, tell him. Tell him that you’re not leaving.”

Tessa opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out at first. “I’ve… I’ve always loved you. I love… everyone of you,” she murmured as she tried to look at all of the faces around her. “James, Lucie, Will, Jem… I love all of you.”

“I love you,” Will told her, his voice breaking by the tears falling on his face, which were now wetting her own. She noticed they were warm. “You are strong, Tessa. I know you’re a warrior. Remember what I told you once? You’re like Boadicea, you fight. You win.”

She tried to smile, but she didn’t know if she succeeded, since she felt a strange feeling seeping in. Emptiness. She was drowning somewhere, far away. She wondered if there really were a heaven and a hell, and if there were, where would she go?

“Don’t blame yourself for this, bach,” she told him. “This is not your fault. Not Lucie’s, not… James’,” she coughed, then she closed her eyes. Closing her eyes was comforting. If she would only…

She felt at peace after shutting her eyes, but she couldn’t tell them. They wouldn’t know. She wouldn’t know either how that night, which seemed so beautiful and haunting, had turned into her worst nightmare.

They would never forget the moment when Tessa died.

The way Will cradled her limp body into his arms to check her heartbeat and found no sound: emptiness, hollowness, as if Tessa had turned into a doll, a mannequin. The screeching sound of his heart breaking in the dead silence of the night as he wept on her corpse, who just a few hours before he had made love with. The same body he had worshipped countlessly as if she was a goddess, his goddess who would live forever. But then, why…  

He couldn’t understand why she couldn’t be saved – there must be something they could do, something the Silent Brothers could do. But Jem was sure. He was sure that she couldn’t be fixed, there was no cure for her, and this shattered the heart he still knew could feel with clarity, with emotion. Because a part of him had died too, just like Will had lost a part of himself that night.

And James and Lucie were crying besides their father, both asking for forgiveness because they had been reckless, they hadn’t asked their parents and uncle Jem for help, and now this was the result. They shouldn’t blame themselves; Tessa had said, but what could they do?

Everyone was falling apart that night, even Cordelia and Matthew who weren’t related to her at all.

Who would have thought that a night so dazzling and full of bright stars would bring such an agonizing demise? But that was the beauty and the bitterness of life: it played with death every day as if living was a game of chess. And sometimes, life lost the bet, and the devil came to collect.

[adramaticbeauty]

Gruvia Band AU: Part 4

Supposed Date

"Why are you so pissy today?" Natsu groaned as he slammed his head on his mic in frustration." You keep rushing me and I can't work in these conditions!"

"Well excuse me Natsu, if I want to go to lunch! You messing up every damn note in the song is wasting my time." 

"Someone lit a fire under his ass." Gajeel snorted.

Gray whipped his head around to glare at Gajeel and Gajeel glared right back.He would never be intimidated by a guy who stripped in his sleep.

" Can you guys just give it a rest, so we can go?" Jellal groaned. Natsu smirked, as he winked at Jellal.

"What, ya meetin' up with a chick?" Jellal turned a rosy red before he turned away, mumbling,"I'm not meeting with anyone."

Natsu stared at him a minute before shrugging his shoulders.

"Well I have nothing to rush for, Gray. But I sure don't wanna stay here."

"Then let's go already. I have things to do." Gray said rolling his eyes.

"Like meet up with girls." Gajeel coughed, as Gray glared again. Then again, he wasn't exactly wrong this time. He was still being an ass though.

He was running late. Twenty minutes to be exact. And he was a bit worried, wondering if Juvia left already.

He hoped Juvia would have waited for him, but in his mind he knew she had probably been left. He knew she had a busy schedule, same as him. If that idoit Natsu didn't waste all his time babbling, maybe he would have been on time.

As he rounded the corner, he had even bumped into a couple of people, then continued running. He finally made it to the small coffee shop, and looked inside the tinted window. He scanned the red cushioned couches for blue hair. Black hair, green hair, pink hair?!

Gray burst inside the building to see Natsu sitting with Juvia at a table,messily gobbling down a piece of cake while Juvia sat across from him, giggling at his hearty appetite.

"What the hell are you doing here, Natsu??!" Gray snarled at him through gritted teeth. Natsu finally looked up from his meal before meeting Gray's eyes with suprised ones.

"Yo! I just saw Juvia in the coffee shop by herself so I decided to say hi. Besides I had to ask a couple of questions."

"They were about Lucy!" Juvia grinned and winked at Gray.

It felt like all  hell broke loose in Gray's mind. This was supposed to be his date. Natsu had already  made him late, and now the asshole was ruining his chance at spending time with Juvia.

"Great. you can leave now Nastsu!"

" But I didn't finish my cake. Besides Juvia already ordered me another piece of cake. Unlike you guys, she likes keeping me from starving." Natsu rolled his eyes.

Gray felt the anger boiling inside of him, and he was preparing to fight with him then and there. But there was one thing that was stopping him. Juvia was watching him, and he didn't want her to think he was violent or anything.

He sighed as Juvia smiled up at him and patted the seat beside her excitedly. Somehow Gray tripped on his shoe as he was getting in the seat, and fell on top of Juvia.

He caught himself before he fell, caging Juvia in between the window and his body.  Juvia looked on with wide eyes as a scarlet blush tainted her pale cheeks. Her blushing made him blush as he backed up, awkwardly sitting back.

"Sorry."he mumbled.

"I-it's ok, Gray~sama, it was an accident." She smiled, as she unconsciously twirled a strand of her blue curls .

"Um, you guys ok? Cause ya'll are making things pretty awkward, ya' know?" Natsu commented, with a face full of the new piece of cake he had just gotten.

"Why are you even still here?" Gray growled. Natsu ignored Gray's comment before turning to Juvia.

" Oh by the way, I like the dress you have on Juvia." Natsu said.

"Oh thank you Natsu-san. It was a bit pricey but definitely worth the money."

Gray narrowed his eyes at Natsu. Gray should have complimented her before Nastsu, so he would have gotten gentleman points.

" I think your dress is pretty too." Gray  mumbled.

Juvia said a quick 'thanks' before starting to give pointers to Natsu about to how to talk and dress to get Lucy to agree on a date with him.

" Now, Lucy likes guys that are the kinda 'mature, dark and handsome'. Now you aren't exactly like that, but we can work on it! Kinda like...Gray~sama."

Hold it. Did she just call him handsome? 

"What's your type Juvia?" Gray asked, his ego now inflated.

Juvia put a finger to her lips in concentration. Her very pink lips that were very thick and soft and- Wait what.

"Juvia thinks...Juvia doesn't know. She has never been in a serious relationship, unlike Gray~sama."

" Really? Well I mean, I have never been in a serious relationship either." Gray replied.

"Wow Gray! Then all those girls must have been one night stands! That's impressive. I just thought you broke up with each of them every other day." Natsu commented in interest.

This dumb fuck. Gray gave Natsu his deadliest stare and kicked him hard under the table.

"Damn Gray! Why are you kicking people!?"

"Sorry, accident." Gray smiled, although his narrowed eyes said differently.

" Juvia has heard about the poor girls that Gray~sama has abandoned-"

"They weren't abandoned-"

"Juvia just feels for the girls. Thinking that you were important to someone and then being kicked out of their life, you know? Juvia used to have a boyfriend...that did the same to her..."

Juvia started to tear up at the mention of it. Gray mentally panicked. What was he supposed to do with crying girls?

  "It's ok Juvia. He was probably a jerk anyway. Your better off without him." Natsu commented, nodding his head knowingly.

Damn it, this asshole stole his thunder again!

"You know what? You guys can have a good time enjoying yourselves. I'm leaving. I didn't come here to be judged by my lifestyle anyway." Gray huffed, as he stormed out the cafe.

He stuffed his hands inside his pockets as he walked down the street, as he replayed the scene in his head.

His anger got the better of him. Again. The dumbass flame breath had a greater chance of getting with Juvia than him. Probably even Jellal too. You know what? Who fucking cares? She was way out of line anyway.

" Wait Gray~sama!"

Oh no. Gray started to walk a bit faster. There was no way he would get caught up with her again. Pretty or not, it wasn't worth the trouble.  Fuck that connection as well, he had plenty of other ladies that he had...sexual connections with. Practically the same thing.

"Gray~sama."

Gray jumped suprised, as Juvia was already at his side."How the hell are you so damn fast??!"

"Sorry for scaring you Gray~sama. Even though it was a bit funny..." Juvia chuckled. Gray couldn't help the embarrassment from showing on his face.

"Yeah, yeah. What did you need? I thought you and Natsu wanted to hang out or somethin'. " Gray asked, of course not interested because why would he be? 

"Of course, Gray~sama. Natsu-san is very funny." She smiled.

Wow she didn't get sarcasm did she?

"Well why are you talking to me then?"

"Because Natsu is off to ask Lucy-san on a date. That means we can finally be alone."Juvia purred, her seductive blue eyes staring into his dark ones.  The way she said it....sent shivers up his spine.

"So let's go, Gray~sama! Juvia wants to go to the movies!"

"Don't you have practice for the rest of the day?" Juvia smirked.

"Trust Juvia. When Lucy-san leaves, practice is over.  That's if she agrees anyway. You should thank Natsu-san for being brave and asking her. Oh my gosh, they would make such a cute couple!" She yanked on his arm excitedly.

"Oi!"

"My bad Gray~sama." She giggled as she turned around and stuck her tongue out playfully.

Well he was wrong. He was still along for the ride, he guessed, and it was probably going to go off the rails. But as long as the ride was fun, right?

Edit: I hope you at least enjoyed some of my trash

Here you go @alfys-world thank you for reading! Im sorry for taking so long

[mudblood-benjy]

                                         ALL AGAIN FOR YOU                A Glenda Chittock and Ivan Davies Fanmix

Listen ( x )

1.-A Sky Full of Stars—Coldplay

'Cause you're a sky, 'cause you're a sky full of stars I'm gonna give you my heart 'Cause you're a sky, 'cause you're a sky full of stars 'Cause you light up the path I don't care, go on and tear me apart I don't care if you do ooh ooh 'Cause in a sky, 'cause in a sky full of stars I think I saw you

2.-Cold—James Blunt

It's been lonely, trying to get your attention from a thousand miles away And you know me, always overthinking the worst possibilities Yeah, we both know, in between you and me, there's an ocean Castaway in a sea and it's frozen I'm exposed, can't you see, all I need is a little warmth Without your arms around me Without you on my skin Without you on my body, I'm sorry, I'm sorry I don't mean to be desperate, or pretend that I'm not torn But I don't want to let go of the things that keep me warm Without you I'm just cold

3.-Cold Cold Man—Saint Motel

Oh, my love I know, I am a cold cold man Quite slow to pay you compliments Or public displayed affections But baby, don't you go over analyze No need to theorize I can put your doubts to rest You're the only one worth seeing The only place worth being The only bed worth sleeping's the one right next to you

4.-You’re so Cold—Two Feet

You fuck me up and let me go Your bitterness has got enough You're so cold You're so cold You're so cold You are a stranger when I come home You'll never turn your dreams to gold

5.-Sparks—Coldplay

My heart is yours It's you that I hold on to That's what I do And I know I was wrong But I won't let you down (Oh yeah, yeah, yes I will)

6.-Miracles (Someone Special)—Coldplay & Big Sean

Now you could run and just say they're right No I'll never be no one in my whole life Or you could turn and see the way they're wrong And get to keep on dancing all life long Yeah you could be Someone special You've got bright in your brains and Lightning in your veins You'll go higher then they've ever gone In you I see Someone special You've got fire in your eyes and When you realice You'll go further then we've ever gone (look) Just turn it on

7.-Cold—Aqualang & Lucy Schwartz

Crimson and bare as I stand Yours completely Yours As we go over Sing for the lion and Lamb Their hearts are hunting Still hunts hope Ever and ever Ever Cold Cold

8.-All I Can Think About Is You—Coldplay

All I can think about is you We fall in a wonderland So low A wonderland for you I wanna walk into It's all I can It's all I can It's all I can It's all I can do It's all I can do All I can think about is you It's all I can All I can think about is you It's all I can All I can think about is you Love is the only thing that is true

9.-Cold—Maroon 5 & Future

Cold enough to chill my bones It feels like I don't know you anymore I don't understand why you're so cold to me With every breath you breathe I see there's something going on I don't understand why you're so cold Are we taking time, or a time out? I can't take the in-between Asking me for space here in my house You know how to fuck with me Acting like we're not together After everything that we've been through Sleeping up under the covers How am I so far away from you?

10.-What If—Coldplay

What if there was no lie Nothing wrong, nothing right What if there was no time And no reason, or rhyme What if you should decide That you don't want me there by your side That you don't want me there in your life What if I got it wrong And no poem or song Could put right what I got wrong Or make you feel I belong

11.-Cold As You—Taylor Swift

You have a way of coming easily to me And when you take, you take the very best of me So I start a fight 'cause I need to feel somethin' And you do what you want 'cause I'm not what you wanted Oh, what a shame What a rainy ending given to a perfect day Just walk away Ain't no use defending words that you will never say And now that I'm sittin' here thinkin' it through I've never been anywhere cold as you You put up the walls and paint them all a shade of gray And I stood there loving you, and wished them all away And you come away with a great little story Of a mess of a dreamer with the nerve to adore you

12.—Say You Like Me—We The Kings

I wish my heart was always on her mind. 'Cause she's on mine like all day, all the time. Forget me not, forget me now. I've come too far to turn around. I'm here tonight. 'Cause I'm never going down, I'm never giving up. I'm never gonna leave, So put your hands up. If you like me, Then say you like me. I'm never going down, I'm never giving up. I'm never gonna leave, So put your hands up. If you like me, Then say you like me.

13.-Two Is Better Than One—Boys Like Girls & Taylor Swift

So maybe it's true, that I can't live without you Well maybe two is better than one There's so much time, to figure out the rest of my life And you've already got me coming undone And I'm thinking two, is better than one I remember every look upon your face, The way you roll your eyes, the way you taste You make it hard for breathing 'Cause when I close my eyes and drift away I think of you and everything's okay I'm finally now believin'

14.-Queen of Hearts—We The Kings

When the world fall into pieces You'll be the one voice of reason When I can't face all my demons You are the one I believe in Through the thunder and the rain Together we fall together we fly away Hold me closely You are my one and only You're the queen of hearts Make me your King You'll be the diamond I got the ring We could rule the world Own everything

15.-Backseat Serenade—All Time Low

Backseat serenade Dizzy hurricane Oh god, I'm sick of sleeping alone You're salty like a summer day Kiss the sweat away To your radio Backseat serenade Little hand grenade Oh god, I'm sick of sleeping alone You're salty like a summer day Kiss the pain away To your radio You take me over I throw you up against the wall We've seen it all before But this one's different It's deliberate You send me reeling Callin' out to you for more The value of this moment lives in metaphor Yeah, through it all

16.-See You in My Dreams—We The Kings

Tonight I believe That you are the reason I dream Wrapped up in sheets I'm wrapped up in everything But here comes the light, Stealing me back from you Leaving the night Leaving me so confused I'm wide awake I'm wide awake 'Cause I wanna close my eyes and sleep Run to the place we used to meet 'Cause I'd rather have you in my dreams Than wake up without you 'Cause I'd sleep forever if you'd leave Give up the world so you would see That I'd rather have you in my dreams Than wake up without you Without you

17.-Be Your Everything— Boys Like Girls

Four letter Word But I don't have the guts to say it Smile til it hurts Lets not make it complicated We've got a story But I'm about to change the ending You're perfect for me You're more than just a friend so we can just stop pretending now I gotta let you know somehow I'll be your shelter I'll be your storm I'll make you shiver I'll keep you warm Whatever weather Baby I'm yours I'll be your forever, be your fling Baby I will be your everything

18.-All Again For You—We The Kings

I couldn't sleep last night I walked alone On the beach Where we always used to go When we couldn't hook up at home I thought of you And the time we jumped the fence Pool side stripped down We dove right in And the cops chased us again When you were mine You know We had it all in front of us You were the one I was in love But you always hurt The one you lost I couldn't get enough You were everything That's meant for me Make no apologies I'm crushed Black and blue But you know I'd do it all again for you

19.-This Is The First Thing—You Me At Six

Come a little closer As the night gets older Of you I grow fonder Just let my hands wander This is the first thing I thought This is the last thing that I want You were the first one I loved You were the first love I lost You left it too late To change the way I think I'll never say never again These words will never ever pass my lips

20.- Black Butterflies and Déjà Vu— The Maine

What would you say if you could say Everything you needed to To the one, you needed to? You flash like a setting sun You come around, I come undone Can't find the sound under my tongue When I look at you I lose my voice when I look at you Can't make a noise though I'm trying to Tell you all the right words Waiting on the right words Just another lovesick afternoon Black butterflies and déjà vu Hoping for the right words Waiting for the right words

21.-I Wouldn’t Mind—He Is We

Carefully we're placed for our Destiny You came and you took this heart, and set it free Every word you write or sing is so warm to me, so warm to me I'm torn, I'm torn to be right where you are I'm not afraid anymore, I'm not afraid Forever is a long time But I wouldn't mind spending it by your side Tell me everyday I get to wake up to that smile I wouldn't mind it at all I wouldn't mind it at all

22.-Numb Without You—The Maine

You are my last, you are my first You kill me for the better You are the rising tide You're every fucking thing inside me now You are the violence in my veins You are the war inside my brain You are my glitter and my gloom I am so numb without you

23.-Kiss Me Again (Feat Alex Gaskarth)—We Are The In Crowd

I gotta say I wasn't expecting you To come this way and fall into my arms. And now I know I can't deny this feeling any longer. I close my eyes, I can't stop thinking about you. Crack a smile, I just can't lose. At a mile a minute my heart beats to the limit when I'm with you. So, kiss me again underneath the moonlight. You're more than a friend, oh. I knew it from the first sight, yeah. Hold me, feel my heart beat. Put your arms around me. And kiss me again.

24.-Right Girl—The Maine

Had a bad fling with a good girl I was stupid and dumb not giving a The blank stare out the window If I could just sober up I could just admit I did the wrong thing to the right girl It was your world, baby and I just lived in it

25.-Stay—Artist Vs Poet

And it's a sign The way your eyes reflect in mine You know it gets me everytime can't you see We'll be just fine you and me if you just stay. And I'm blown away By the way your hair moves past your fase As we keep shifting from the foot to the head Shake the frame of this bed where we lay And the only thing I want right now is for you to Stay stay stay stay stay with me now Stay stay stay stay with me And you're my cinderella You know I can't forget ya If you stay stay stay stay with me now

26.-Melt My Heart To Stone—Adele

And I hear your words that I made up You say my name like there could be an us I best tidy up my head I'm the only one in love I'm the only one in love Each and every time I turn around to leave I feel my heart begin to burst and bleed So desperately I try to link it with my head But instead I fall back to my knees As you tear your way right through me I forgive you once again Without me knowing You've burnt my heart to stone

27.-Take It All—Adele

Didn't I give it all? Tried my best Gave you everything I had, everything and no les Didn't I do it right? Did I let you down? Maybe you got too used to having me 'round Still how can you walk away From all my tears It's gonna be an empty road without me right here But go on and take it, take it all with you Don't look back at this crumbling fool Just take it all with my love, take it all with my love

28.-A Thousand Years Pt. 2—Christina Perri & Steve Kazee

Heart beats fast Colors and promises How to be brave How can I love when I'm afraid to fall But watching you stand alone All of my doubt, suddenly goes away somehow One step closer I have died everyday, waiting for you Darling, don't be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years I'll love you for a thousand more

29.-Tristan & Yvaine—Ilan Eshkeri

INSTRUMENTAL

30.-arms—Christina Perri

I hope that you see right through my walls I hope that you catch me, 'cause I'm already falling I'll never let a love get so close You put your arms around me and I'm home

31.-The Stars Shines—Ilan Eshkeri

INSTRUMENTAL

32.-Yo Quisiera—Reik

Yo quisiera ser Ese por quien tú te desvelas Y te desesperas Yo quisiera ser tu llanto Ese que viene de tus sentimientos Yo quisiera ser ése por quien Tú despertaras ilusionada Yo quisiera que vivieras De mí siempre enamorada

33.-You Are My Sunshine—Domino Dancing

You are my sunshine rice, my only sunshine yea You make me happy when skies are gray You'll never know dear, how much I love you Please don't take my sunshine away The other night dear, as I lay sleeping I dreamed I held you in my arms But when I awoke, dear, I was mistaken So I hung my head and I cried.

34.-Cuando Estás Conmigo—Reik

Cuando estás conmigo se llena mi corazón Tiene sentido la vida y el mundo es una ilusión Cuando estás conmigo la noche tiene color Y un beso es suficiente para entender el amor Y al abrazarte y sentir que me amas salen las estrellas Aun si es de día y todos esos días llenos de vació se volvieron polvo Porque estás conmigo, conmigo

35.-Más—Diego

Mas Te quiero más de lo que quiero a la vida Mas Si no te tengo a ti de que serviría Mas De que podría ya servir la respiración Muerto el corazón Quiero decir, que antes de ti Jamás imaginé que un día Iba a sentir algo así Lo que un amor tan mágico vivía

36.-Odio Amarte—Ha-Ash

Más que negarlo quisiera olvidarlo Pero hay algo entre los dos Deja de sentir algo a tu corazón Toma todo más en serio O yo te digo adiós Te odio te amo te amo te odio Ay como odio amarte Te odio te amo te amo te odio Ay como odio amarte

37.-Responde—Diego

¿Qué más podría hacer yo? Responde, ¿me quieres? Tú sabes que eres Mi todo No huyas más de mi amor Yo sé que te ha cegado el temor Porque jamás te han dado tanto amor No hay más que decir Tienes que sentir Dime algo por favor

38.-Me Enamoro de Ti—Fey

Te iré a buscar sin esperar Que cambien los semáforos al verde Hoy encontrare la forma de clavarte bien los dientes Desmigare sin compasión Tu corazón de dulce mandarina Te daré un amor que ni siquiera En sueños tuviste nunca Un café cargado para dos Y la noche va mucho mejor Me enamoro de ti Me enamoro de ti De tu forma de ser Del olor de tu piel Me enamoro de ti Sin dudar

39.-The Reason—Hoobastank

I'm not a perfect person There's many things I wish I didn't do But I continue Learning I never meant to do those things to you And so I have to say before I go That I just want you to know I've found a reason for me To change who I used to be A reason to start over new And the reason is you I'm sorry that I hurt you It's something I must live with everyday And all the pain I put you through I wish that I could take it all away And be the one who catches all your tears That's why I need you to hear

40.-Ease My Mind—Ben Platt

Most days I wake up with a pit in my chest There are thoughts that I can't put to rest There's a worry that I can't place Most nights, I am restless and quiet won't come So I lay there and wait for the sun There's a trouble that won't show its fase You came out of nowhere and you cut through all the noise I make sense to the madness when I listen to your voice Darling, only you can ease my mind Help me leave these lonely thoughts behind When they pull me under, and I can feel my sanity start to unwind Darling, only you can ease my mind

41.-Más Que Amigos—Matisse

Qué haces si te digo que te quiero Que por robarte un beso yo me muero Qué haces si te pido Que encontremos un camino Y a partir de ya ser más que amigos Qué hago si no aguanto el sentimiento De contarle a todos mi secreto Que siempre fantaseo con perdernos el respeto Y ya no ser tu amigo, ser tu dueño Sólo es conmigo, conmigo el camino Que debes tú tomar Sé que yo te puedo enamorar Sólo es contigo, contigo que pido Toda una eternidad Te ruego sólo una oportunidad

42.-Demons—Imagine Dragons

When your dreams all fail And the ones we hail Are the worst of all And the blood's run stale I want to hide the truth I want to shelter you But with the beast inside There's nowhere we can hide No matter what we breed We still are made of greed This is my kingdom come This is my kingdom come When you feel my heat Look into my eyes It's where my demons hide It's where my demons hide Don't get too close It's dark inside It's where my demons hide It's where my demons hide

43.-Prove You Wrong—He Is We

You're the boy with a real nice smile, But a broken heart inside. Give it to a girl, gave it to a girl, And I think she lost her mind. Are you giving up and done? Are you through with all this? Are you tired of the pain? Torn to pieces. Can you let me try? Tell me it's all right, Just for one night. Show you how to feel like, What it feels like. To be hugged, to be kissed. Yes I can be that part of you. I'll try my best. I'm the girl, I can make you smile, And I promise to be true. Give it all, Give until there's nothing left to lose. Don't say you're giving up and done, That you're through with all this. Yeah you're tired of the pain, Torn to pieces. Can you let me try? Tell me it's all right, Just for one night. Show you how to feel like, What it feels like. To be hugged, to be kissed. Be thought of and to be missed. I can be that part of you, Let me be that part of you. I see that you're breaking, Your heart is breaking. Here's my hand if you'll take it, We can make it out, Of all this mess. No more stress. I can be that part of you I'll try my best. Give me your heart, I don't want a piece or a part, I want it all. I want you to fall, Just a little bit. Take that leap of faith, If you want to, Don't let that broken heart haunt you. Can you let me try? Tell me it's all right. Just for one night,

44.-Dead Inside—Muse

Your lips feel warm to the touch You can bring me back to life On the outside you're ablaze and alive But you're dead inside! You're free to touch the sky Whilst I am crushed and pulverized Because you need control Now I'm the one who's letting go You like to give an inch Whilst I am giving infinity But now I've got nothing left You have no cares and I'm bereft Your skin feels warm to caress I see magic in your eyes On the outside you're ablaze and alive But you're dead inside!

45.-Saturn—Sleeping At Last

You taught me the courage of stars before you left How light carries on endlessly, even after death With shortness of breath, you explained the infinite How rare and beautiful it is to even exist I couldn't help but ask For you to say it all again I tried to write it down But I could never find a pen I'd give anything to hear You say it one more time That the universe was made Just to be seen by my eyes

46.-Thinking You—The Maine

'Cause she's in my head And I can't take it I need you by my side Yeah So I'll take the chance and I'll drive 'til dawn To show you I'm the one Outside I saw the moon And it made me think of you

47.-About Love—Marina

Started in the strangest way Didn't see it coming Swept up in your hurricane Wouldn't give it up for nothing Now I'm all caught up in the highs and the lows It's a shock to my system I don't wanna run away so I stay My head gets messy when I try to hide The things I love about you in my mind I don't really know a lot about love A lot about love, a lot about love But you're in my head, you're in my blood And it feels so good, it hurts so much

48.-I Feel Alive—We The Kings

We're all alone watching shadows on the ceiling I've gone numb but I can't forget the feeling And I don't even know if I can close my eyes Don't want to sleep 'cause I'm wide and awake and dreaming Hold me close and catch your breath now I promise not to leave this bed yet 'Cause I feel alive I feel alive 'Cause I feel alive (Oh oh oh oh oh) I feel alive (Oh oh oh oh oh) I finally feel alive I'm lying here whispering the sweetest nothing I feel your heart beating faster than you're breathing And I don't even know if I can close my eyes Don't want to sleep 'cause I'm wide awake and dreaming Hold me close and catch your breath now I promise not to leave this bed yet

49.-Into Your Arms—The Maine

I'm falling in love But it's falling apart I need to find my way back to the start When we were in love Oh things were better than they are Let me back into Into your arms Into your arms

50.-Stay—Mayday Parade

What a night it is, when you live like this And you're coming up beneath the clouds, Don't let me down All the love's still there I just don't know what to do with it now You know, I still can't believe we both did some things I don't even wanna think about Just say you love me and I'll say "I'm sorry, I don't want anybody else to feel this way" No, no, no Oh can you tell, I haven't slept very well Since the last time that we spoke, I said "Please understand I've been drinking again, And all I do is hope" Please stay Please stay

                           FELIZ GOLDEN NAVIDAD ANDY

@thegoldenflowerr

Querida Andy:

¡FELIZ NAVIDAD EN EXTREMO ATRASADA! También feliz año, día de reyes, san valentín. Pues tu esto ya lo veías venir y ya sabes que enloquecí un montón, y aquí te dejamos un bello mix de 50 CANCIONES de GLIVAN. Disfrutalo

Eres un pequeño rayo de sol que ilumina todo a su alrededor, sabes que amo todas nuestras aventuras y que siempre estaré aquí para ti. Muchas gracias por todo y en especial. GRACIAS POR CREAR GOLDEN que sin ti ninguno de nosotros estaríamos por aquí

Te mando un abrazo enorme

Con amor:

Dannie

[nxnoire]

Desiderium

Don’t Let Them See You Cry

Part One Part Two Part Four

Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug

My third prompt for @badthingshappenbingo

———

Chat Noir had become a stray cat, roaming Paris trying to find a place to stay the night. It had been close to a half hour since he had barged out of his house. At first, he just needed to get out and make sense of the spinning thoughts in his head. Now that he had calmed down, he realized the danger of being out in the streets. The sun was slowly inching towards the horizon, nighttime coming soon to swallow the city in darkness. He wasn't safe out in the streets alone as a 15-year-old boy. His father—Hawkmoth could easily akumatize him, too. For once, he wished the demon wouldn't go looking for his lost son.

He jumped from rooftop to rooftop, trying to think of what to do. Marinette's house stood in front of him. He had considered Nino, but nobody was home. He'd crash with Alya, but she'd make a big deal out of it. All he needed was somebody who would help him without question. Marinette was the perfect person.

She sat on her rooftop balcony, sketching in her sketchbook. What would she think if he just waltzed in and asked her to shelter the superhero that was supposed to be a figure to look up to? Coming in as Adrien would be his best bet, but, still, it'd be like hitting a brick wall either way. How he would explain himself without giving his secret identity away, he had no idea.

There probably wasn't a good way to. All he'd be able to say is that his father was evil and he ran away. Basically, downplay the story until she was ready to hear the truth. Until he was ready. Truthfully, he didn't think he'd ever be ready to tell her, no matter how much it'd bug him.

He hopped off the roof and landed in an empty alley. Once he made sure nobody was around, he detransformed.

Plagg flew out of the ring and yawned, his yawn resembling a meow. "Did you find a place to stay yet?" He asked, expressing genuine concern for his owner.

"Yeah. We're gonna stay with Marinette for a while," he answered, beginning to head out of the alley.

Plagg didn't waste his time complaining. The kid needed to be with someone he knew. He needed someone that would understand him when he was ready to reveal his secrets. Someone that would save him and risk their own secret if necessary. He needed Ladybug, even if he didn't know it was her.

He hid in Adrien's pocket as they exited the safety of the alley. Adrien took a deep breath and crossed the street, walking closer and closer to the Dupain-Cheng bakery. Inside the shop was Marinette's mother, her father probably making pastries behind her. He'd just walk in that way and tell them he was there to get make-up work, or something like that.

He opened the shop door, causing a bell to ring. Sabine put on her retail face and looked up, but shed the mask when she saw it was Adrien who walked in. "Hello, Adrien, are you here to see Marinette?" she asked warmly.

"Yeah, is she here? I need help with the work I missed today," he said with his best fake smile.

"She should be in her room."

"Thank you, ma'am." He smiled and walked towards the door. He waved to Tom, who waved back, flour covering his hands and apron.

Once he walked into the apartment, he shed his  mask, a more comfortable frown laying on his face. Slowly, he made his way upstairs to Marinette's room. For some reason, he was nervous to be there. What was he supposed to say? Her friend just barges in unexpectedly asking to stay with her for an unknown period of time. Not exactly normal to say the least.

Marinette's room was void of her presence, as expected. He walked over to her ladder and climbed it, careful not to fall. Quietly, he poked his head out of the trap door and looked at the girl. She was unaware of his presence, her concentration deep in her newest design.

"Marinette?" He called softly.

Marinette threw her sketchbook, shot up and turned around. "A-Adrien?!" She looked at him, flustered. "I thought you were kisk–I mean sick!"

He shook his head. "It's a long story..."

She noticed whatever it was seemed to be bothering him. "Do you need to talk about it?"

"Can we?"

She nodded and walked over to him, her heart beating quickly. As they stepped down the ladder, she noticed that her hands were shaking and sweaty. It was all normal to her, but she really wished that in that moment her body would stop freaking out.

They walked over to her desk and sat down in the chairs, facing each other. "So...what's wrong?" she asked, worried.

Adrien looked at the ground. No matter how much he wanted to avoid telling her the story, he had to. He was in her bedroom, the point of no return. Whatever he said, he knew wouldn’t leave the house, through. That comforted him just enough to push him to tell her. "I can't go back home. It's not safe. Not now at least."

"What? Why?"

He sighed heavily. "I just found out my father is Hawkmoth."

Marinette’s eyes were about to pop out of her skull. Of all people she could have been fighting, it had to be Gabriel Agreste. The world-famous fashion designer she looked up to. The father of her crush. Why, of all people, did it have to be him? Why couldn’t it have been anyone else? Someone that didn’t affect her friends. “Adrien...” she muttered sadly, his tears reflecting on her eyes.

Her hands reached out but stopped, not knowing what to do. As Ladybug she found it easy to comfort others. As Marinette...not so much. Especially when the person crying was Adrien. Usually, she hugged those in need and assured them that everything would be alright. It wouldn’t work this time. Nothing would ever alright. What he had just gone through was so harsh that he would never recover. It wasn’t something Ladybug could fix by throwing a Lucy Charm in the air. It wasn’t something capturing an akuma would fix. Capturing Hawkmoth wouldn’t help.

“I’m so sorry...” A hot tear rolled down her cheek. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry,” she repeated, hating for herself for not knowing how to help him. “Please, stay here.” She sniffled and grabbed his hands, feeling the fallen droplets on his skin. He looked up at her, wanting to cry even more that he had made her cry too. “I promise you with my life that I will protect you. You’re safe here. Just...don’t go. I don’t know what’d happen if you didn’t have somewhere safe to stay.” She took in a shaky breath. “Please don’t leave me.”

Adrien smiled weakly, a smile that shattered Marinette’s heart. He was happy that he found a new home, even if it was temporary. There would be lively dinners, human interaction, people that truly cared about him, and, above all, no Miraculous to worry about, except for his own, of course. His face couldn’t display that joy. The pain was far too strong. Still, he forced himself to smile through the strong frown. “Thank you, Marinette.”

Without hesitation, he pulled her into a large hug. He held her tightly, a combination of needing human contact and not wanting to loose the only person that was there to protect him.

Marinette didn’t freak out for the first time in a while. Seeing him so raw had in turn made her raw, which worked in her favor as it curbed her anxiety. She closed her eyes and smiled, the last of her tears falling onto his shoulders.

After embracing each other for a few long moments, they pulled away. Adrien rubbed his eyes with his sleeve, the waterfall finally coming to a halt. He yawned, all of the sudden emotions tiring him out. His chronic lack of sleep wasn’t much help, either.

Marinette, rubbing her eyes, stood up and pushed her chair in. “Do you need anything? I could fix dinner for you, if you’d like.”

“No, but thank you. I just need sleep.” He ruffled his already messy hair.

Marinette finally took notice of how horrible he looked. His hair was a mess, nothing like the perfectly groomed hair Adrien normally donned. Instead of his typical outfit, he wore a hoodie and sweatpants. He hadn’t even bothered to grab tennis shoes, his feet fitting snug in a pair of slide-on sandals. The kindness that usually sat in his eyes was replaced with a gray haze. Dried tears he hadn’t bothered to wash off sat on top of the dark circles underneath them. This wasn’t the picture-perfect-company-image-Adrien she had come to know. This was his true form, him at his true worst.

"Maybe you should take a shower first," she suggested. Once her words registered, she became flustered again. "N-not that you're bad how you are now! I just thought-"

"No, I understand. I haven't been in the best mood lately. I think the shower can wait until tomorrow. Tonight, I need to separate myself from my old home."

An arrow shot through Marinette’s heart, shattering the broken pieces she had begun to put back together. It was almost impossible for her to imagine what it must have been like to be forced to leave all he loved behind. “Do you need to go back there and get a few things? I’d be glad to help.” She would 100% help him as Ladybug. The only problem was explaining how she got Ladybug to do it for her. In such a troubling time, she would willingly reveal her identity to help, but she couldn’t trust him, no matter how much she wanted to. This was Hawkmoth’s son. Even if she knew he was pure, she couldn’t take any chances.

“I can’t go back there. My father, he’d try to hurt me.” He looked at his Miraculous, and made himself aware of Plagg’s presence in his hoodie, half-wishing he had never been given it.

“Why would he do that? I’m sure he still loves you, even if he is...bad.”

"I can't explain it. If I did, it'd only put you in more danger."

"More danger?"

"He can find me, no matter where I am. He knows every single person I associate with. He's going to send my bodyguard and Nathalie. They're going to find out where I am eventually. If they can't, he'll just send over an akuma and figure it out easily." He sighed. "And I can't be akumatized.”

“If you were akumatized, I’m sure Ladybug and Chat Noir would help you.” She saw something strange flash in his eyes. “Besides...I don’t think I’d be in any more danger.” She was. She was Ladybug. She had the Miraculous his father wanted. If he found Adrien and her together, and tired to hurt her for helping him...he would figure it out easily and things wouldn’t be so pretty.

“What’s the worst he could do,” she continued, “akumatize me? If neither of us have a Miraculous, there’s no way he’d be able to do much harm to us.”

Plagg squirmed in the hoodie, hitting Adrien’s chest. It was tacit that the kwami was trying to warn him against mentioning his Miraculous. “It doesn’t matter. This will only end in pain. He’s going to find a way to get the Miraculous. He’s angry. Really angry. There’s going to be a really strong akuma soon, and it’s probably going to be me.”

"Not on my watch." He looked back up at Marinette. "I know how to avoid akumatization. All you have to do is tell yourself there's another way out, and he can't hurt you. Besides, he can't just come into my house and take you. If it comes down to it, we can run off to someone else's house. For now, though, we stay here and keep our eyes open."

But I have a Miraculous. It's extremely dangerous here, Adrien wished he could say.

It is dangerous being around him. I have a Miraculous, Marinette thought, weighing the good and bad.

Adrien stood up. "Can I go to bed now? I think I need to hit reset for a bit."

Marinette nodded. "You can sleep in my bed, if you'd like. I can sleep down here for a while until we figure something out."

"Can you lay with me? I don't feel comfortable being alone." He scratched the back of his head and looked to the side.

"U-uh, yes, I'd love to! Ah, I mean-yes, I'd love to help! Yeah, I'm always ready to help my best friend!"

Adrien smiled. Another yawn came over him, signaling he was about to crash. He climbed onto the bed, it’s warmth singing an irresistible song. Marinette followed, not bothering to change out of her normal clothes. A bright blush tinted her face, her anxiety finally coming back. Both teens got under the blanket awkwardly and lay down facing away from each other.

Almost immediately, Adrien fell asleep. He lay completely still, his chest softly rising and falling with his calm breathing. Marinette looked at him and smiled. She was in the same bed as Adrien Agreste! No, she shook her head. He's hurting. This isn't the time to be fangirling.

She turned around and looked at Tikki, who seemed more troubled than Marinette. "Tikki, what's wrong?"

"It's just...I feel so bad for him, and...there's other things that I can't tell you, to keep you safe. I'm sure when he's ready he'll tell you," Tikki explained.

Marinette nodded and turned the light off, enveloping the room in a comfortable darkness. The lights from Paris peeked through the windows, keeping the room from being completely dark. She closed her eyes and found sleep easy to come.

Tikki waited until Marinette had fallen asleep before flying over to Plagg, who had hidden under the bed. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'm just worried for him. It's a lot to handle, especially since he's so young," Plagg explained.

Tikki understood completely. "Come lay up here. You don't have to worry here." She flew onto the bed, Plagg following. Both kwamis curled up by their owners and lay, hoping Hawkmoth would be kind that night.

———

Marinette’s eyes slowly opened to the annoying sound of her alarm. She groaned and turned it off, wishing for another couple hours of sleep. Just as she was about to sit up, she felt something laying on her. She looked down. Flesh? Her body froze as she realized what—or who—it was.

A scream almost erupted from her mouth, the sharp pain of her biting her lip preventing it from manifesting. The fact that Adrien had stayed the night had completely gone out the window during her slumber. Surprisingly, he was still fast asleep. He had cuddled up next to her, his arm and leg resting on her.

What was she supposed to do? He looked so peaceful sleeping like that. Cute, even. They couldn't be late to school, though. Well, Marinette couldn't. Not again.

Tikki flew over and gave Marinette a sly grin. Marinette pouted her lip. "This isn't funny!" she whispered. "I slept in the same bed as Adrien Agreste! He slept in my bed!"

All she got in return was that same grin. She turned to face Adrien again, giving up on entrusting her kwami for support. It was now or never. If she hesitated, both of them would be late. She set her hand on his shoulder and shook it softly. "Adrien...it's time to get up."

Luckily, his eyes slid open not long after she began to wake him up. He blinked a couple times, trying to register where he was. Once he came to, he sat up quickly and looked at Marinette, who had already begun to sit up.

"Good morning," Marinette said, trying to hide her embarrassment. She hoped she’d be the only one to remember the position they had slept in."Let's get ready for school, okay?"

He nodded and was the first to get down, not saying a word. Marinette followed, hoping his silence was due to his lack of awareness.

"I can show you the way to the bathroom," she suggested.

"Okay," he muttered, his voice still hoarse from sleeping.

She led him downstairs, only to be greeted by her mother, who had made breakfast for the both of them. "Ah!" Marinette exclaimed, almost falling down the stairs. "M-mom! I can explain it's-"

"Oh, honey, you don't have to explain. I know you're just trying to help a friend out," Sabine said sweetly. "I made breakfast for the both of you!"

Both teens walked over to the table, trying to hide their embarrassment. Adrien had finally begun to wake up and fully realized how strange the situation was. With that also came him remembering the events that took place the day before. He swallowed and looked down at the breakfast made for him.

He looked back up at Marinette, who was staring at the TV behind him. He smiled, without truly knowing why. He snapped out of it and turned to look at the TV, but Marinette stopped him.

"Ah, so, uh, Adrien..." she began, gaining his attention. "I guess I could help you catch up on what you missed yesterday. Once you're done eating, that is."

He nodded. "Thanks, that would help a lot."

Once they had finished eating in awkward silence, Marinette showed Adrien the way to the bathroom, allowing him to take as much time as he needed.

She sighed on the other side of the door and walked over to her mother. "We need to protect him from the news, Mom."

Her mother nodded, watching the broadcast of Gabriel Agreste.

"My son and I had a little...argument last night. He ran off, all of his teen angst getting the better of him. I hope we find him soon."

Marinette narrowed her eyes, knowing the only true reason he wanted Adrien was because he was Hawkmoth. If Adrien was home, then the secret would be safe. He could prevent Adrien from saying a thing just by locking him up and taking his access to the outside world.

Adrien leaned against the vanity, trying not to cry. Of course he remembered every single word his father said to him. He wished he could go back, but he couldn't. Not if his father was...

He refused to put those two names in the same sentence. Maybe if he ignored it, he would eventually be numb to it, just like everything else. He splashed water on his face, cooling it down and washing the budding tears away with it. Once he dried his face, he ran his fingers through his hair, trying to make it look semi-presentable. Tonight, he'd have to return home and get his things, no matter what. He couldn't live with just the clothes in his back, the ring on his finger, and the cell phone in his pocket.

He pulled the phone out and saw texts from his father and Nathalie. He didn't bother reading them before he deleted them. Sighing, he put the phone back in his pocket and walked out of the bathroom.

He noticed Marinette was all ready. He remembered he had forgotten to grab his bag from home, so all of his school work was still there.

Marinette saw he had finished and walked over to him. "We can share notes today. We'll find a way to get your things back later, okay?"

He nodded and followed the girl outside, avoiding the eyes of her parents and the customers. "I'm sorry, again, for dragging you into all of this."

"No, no, don't apologize! I'm always happy to help, Adrien." They crossed the street and walked to the school in silence, both trying to find the right words to say.

Neither of them were able to say anything because Alya and Nino had noticed them walking together. Alya ran over, dragging Nino with her.

"Marinette! Adrien! Fancy seeing you two here," Alya said, obviously wanting a full length essay about why they had come to school together.

"Dude, are you okay? You look horrible," Nino noted, worried for his best friend.

"Oh, yeah, I still don't feel too well," he scratched the back of his head.

"Hmm." Alya narrowed her eyes. "You don't seem sick. Why didn't your bodyguard bring you to school today?"

He froze. "Uh...because, uh..." He could feel himself about to cry with the mention of a piece of his home. He bit his lip, trying to hold back the gushing river.

"It's a long story, guys," Marinette cut in. "How about you let him explain when he's ready?"

Alya was taken aback. "Woah, someone's getting defensive."

"Al, let's just them go," Nino, suggested, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"But this is big news! Marinette not being flustered around Adrien, Adrien looking like he just climbed out of a grave, and both of them arriving to school together without his bodyguard! Is this not–"

"Let it go."

Alya looked at her two friends, who looked more uncomfortable now. She sighed and heeded Nino's advice. "Whatever, just let us know when you're ready."

They all walked inside and into class in silence. Adrien leaned into Marinette's ear. "Can I sit by you today?" He asked.

She nodded, blushing. She sat down and patted the seat next to her, signaling for Adrien to sit down. He sat down and toyed with his Miraculous subconsciously, not having much to do. As he sat in silence, his ears picked up the conversations of others.

Did you hear what happened?

No, what?

Gabriel Agreste just came on the news and said Adrien had run away last night!

But...he's right there.

Where did he go?

What happened to him?

He tried to hold back his tears, but one slid down his cheek, causing the rest of them to flow. There was no sobbing, no messiness. Just tears falling down his cheeks and him burying his head in his arms to hide them.

Marinette noticed he had lay his head down and became concerned. He wasn't one to sleep in class or even rest his head. Still, she let him be, hoping he'd be fine. In his state, he didn’t need to be pestered.

He was anything but fine, but he had to hide his pain. He didn't know why. Maybe if nobody could see his pain, he wouldn't worry others. If he hid his pain then everyone would be safer. Marinette was already in danger. Nobody else needed to be put in danger because of himself.

Once he felt the tears stop, he lifted his head, sniffled, and rubbed his eyes. He rested his head in his hand and spaced out as Miss Bustier began her lesson.

[mdelpin]

edit by @mdelpin

I Take Pride In What I Am 2019 Prompt: “Are We Just Friends?” Pairing: Gray x Natsu

Part 1, Part 2

Natsu Dragneel was not in a good mood, in fact, he was as far from a good mood as he could possibly get. First, Loke had not let up about Gray the whole time they had been on their disastrous job, and that was most definitely the last time he took Loke on a job with him without Lucy.

He couldn’t understand how Cana and Gray could have possibly enjoyed it when they were a team. When Loke wasn’t trying to build Gray up or get Natsu to admit to feelings he wasn’t entirely sure about, he was openly talking about his conquests, including men.

Natsu was now armed with more knowledge about gay relationships and sex than he’d ever wanted to know. To be honest, at this point, he just wanted to keep Loke as far away from Gray as possible. And that in itself confused him. He’d been grateful when Gray had offered to go get Wendy because he just wasn’t capable of looking at him at the moment.

To make matters worse, he was stuck in the infirmary with an apologetic Celestial Spirit, a doting Mira and an Erza that was just acting... weird. It was irritating. Ugh! Why the hell did Gray have to say that to him?

Natsu closed his eyes, trying to block everyone out, but when he did that he was accosted by the memory of Gray kissing him, and the knowledge that before he'd freaked out, he had most definitely kissed him back.

And he didn't know what it meant. Was he in love with Gray too? Was he just surprised at being kissed? It's not like anyone else had ever kissed him before, not like that. He'd shared a few pecks with Lisanna, but he hadn't really felt much, and he was pretty sure she hadn't either.

Dammit!

He stiffened as he scented Wendy entering the guild, but relaxed again when he could only smell Lucy and Happy with her. Wendy entered the infirmary and asked everyone to leave so she could examine Natsu properly.

"Thank you," Natsu smiled at Wendy, who only nodded, keeping her expression impassive as she looked at his injuries.

“I thought you might like to be left alone for a bit,” Wendy smiled sweetly, “It’s been an exciting day around here.”

“Exciting?” Natsu pouted, always unhappy to miss anything that might be fun.

“Mhm,” Wendy mumbled, now content that the injuries were nothing too serious she began to use her magic to heal Natsu.

“How did you get all these anyway?” Wendy commented as she worked, “These types of injuries are unusual for you.”

“We got ambushed,” Natsu volunteered, “I got in the way of a few hits that were meant for Loke.”

“Loke?” Wendy stopped for a moment, her features scrunched in confusion, “I didn’t realize he went on jobs on his own.”

“He doesn’t usually,” Natsu explained and then muttered under his breath, “I should have realized what he was up to.”

“Up to?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Natsu smiled, then remembering some of the things that Loke had said he quickly added, “Just promise me you’ll never go on a job alone with that guy.”

Wendy looked surprised by the request, but she agreed. "Natsu-san, can I ask you something?"

“Sure, kiddo what’s up?”

“Are you and Gray-san together?”

“Not you too!” Natsu whined, “Why would you think that?”

"There was a lot of talk at Fairy Hills today, people were saying you and Gray did something, but they wouldn't tell me what it was."

Natsu groaned, why was everyone in this guild so damn nosy? “Nothing big happened,” Natsu assured the healer, “I swear, people in this guild need to mind their own business.”

“So Gray-san didn’t tell you he loved you?” Wendy stared at him with wide innocent eyes and an impish grin, the combination disconcerting to Natsu.

There it was again, those words that were wreaking havoc with his entire system. He wanted to deny it, but of all the people in the guild, Wendy was the one he couldn't lie to.

“He might have said something like that,” Natsu muttered, scratching the back of his head in exasperation.

“Do you love him back?” Wendy waited for his answer with obvious excitement.

"I," He took a deep breath, admitting the words out loud was physically painful to him at the moment, "I don't know."

“Oh,” Wendy looked saddened by his reply.

“What’s wrong, Wendy?”

"Nothing, I just," Wendy caught his gaze and refused to let go of it, "I was just hoping that you loved Gray-san back because I think he's loved you for a long time and he's very kind, and I think lonely."

“What do you mean he’s loved me for a long time?”

"Why else would he reject Juvia?" Wendy pointed out with a roll of her eyes, "Do you love Lucy, then?"

Natsu sighed, knowing that was part of the problem he was facing, “I do love Lucy, but not like that. More like I love you or Erza.”

Wendy nodded sadly, “So you don’t want to hurt Lucy or Juvia by admitting how you feel?”

"What?! Hey, I see what you're doing!" Natsu protested, folding his arms across his chest. "Don't go putting words in my mouth, you've been spending way too much time with Mira," He said accusingly before reiterating, "I said I don't know, and I mean I don't know."

“Fine, fine,” Wendy put her arms up in a gesture of surrender.

'Where is the Icicle anyway?" He didn't like to admit it, but as much as he didn't want to see the ice mage, part of him was disappointed that Gray hadn't come to see how he was doing.

“He stayed behind to talk to Juvia,” Wendy informed him before patting him on his knee, “You’re good to go, but don’t overdo it.”

"Yosh! I'm all fired up! Thanks, Wendy, you're the best!!" He gave the blushing girl a big hug before getting up from the bed and looking for some clothes to replace his blood stained ones.

Xxx

Gray stood in the Fairy Hills garden, Juvia still attached to his side. She hadn’t let go since Lucy had left with Wendy.

"Juvia," He began bravely before looking into the depths of her eyes. There was so much hope in them, and once again he felt terrible for not being able to return her affections. It certainly would have made his life so much easier.

But Gray was not one to hide from tough situations, and as much as he didn't want to hurt his friend, he couldn't let her continue to waste her life away in pursuit of him. He wondered briefly if this might be the way that Natsu felt about him but quickly shook the thought away. He'd have an answer sooner or later, Natsu would not extend this for long.

“Juvia,” Gray began once again, this time bracing himself for what was to come. “I told you a while back that I would give you my answer, and I think you’ve waited long enough.”

"Yes, my darling?" Juvia looked nervous and excited, but there was also something else hiding in her expression, and for the first time, Gray thought that maybe she already knew, had always known that her love was unrequited.

Juvia was an amazing woman, of that he’d never had a doubt. He couldn’t help who he was any more than she could.

“I’m sorry, but I’m in love with someone else,” Gray made sure to look into her eyes, he wanted there to be no doubt as to his feelings after today. He hoped that once she understood, she could move on and find love with someone who truly deserved her.

“But, but how can Gray-sama be so sure if he never tried to love Juvia?”

“Juvia, I’ve been in love with the same person for a long time now,” Gray explained firmly, “I finally told him yesterday.”

“Him?” Juvia cried in dismay, “So it’s true? Gray-sama loves Natsu-san?”

Gray closed his eyes and nodded. He waited for the inevitable mocking or tears and was surprised when they never came. He opened his eyes to see Juvia studying him thoughtfully.

"Does Gray-sama like women at all?" Juvia asked, and Gray could hear some vestiges of hope in her question, so he was quick to dash them.

“Not sexually or romantically, no,” He admitted honestly, it was a fact he’d known about himself for years even though he didn’t make a point of bringing it up to others.

"Do you mind leaving me alone for a bit?" Juvia asked pleasantly, but he could see the storm brewing behind her eyes, and he got up quickly, wanting to give the privacy she was asking for.

“Goodbye, Juvia,” Gray gave her one last smile before turning away and heading back to the guild.

“Goodbye, Gray,”

Gray pretended not to hear the way her voice broke on this new version of his name, just like he pretended to ignore the drops of rain that fell on his naked torso. With everything that had gone on, he wasn't even surprised to have lost his shirt. He was happy Juvia seemed to have taken things so well. He really hoped they could become friends.

Gray made his way back to the guild slowly, he wanted to make sure Natsu was okay, but he also wanted to think about what his next step was. If nothing else, he knew he could live with a lifetime of pining after Natsu, but if his feelings ended up being one-sided, he didn't want their friendship to suffer because of it.

He wished he’d waited for a better time, that they’d been able to talk about it calmly, although considering who Gray was in love with that idea was laughable. It would most likely only be discussed after many punches and kicks. But that would have been fine, it was who they were.

The same thought kept playing over and over in his mind like a broken record.

Are we just friends, or could we be something more?

Gray stood in front of the guild door, he could hear Natsu inside being his usual loud and lively self. He worked his courage up, opened the door, and walked inside.

To be continued...

A/N: Okay, one more part left. This one should absolutely be the last one, I promise!

[amehanaaa]

How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days

The Nalu is getting real juicy out here. It gets my blood pumping, wow.

Thank you all so much for reading so far! You all make my heart swell with happiness. 

Hope you enjoy this chapter! (Also can be read here.)

Chapter 5 – Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 Words: 4130 Summary: Lucy and Natsu are determined to take the necessary steps to fulfill their lifetime dreams. Little do they know, they have both given themselves 10 days to achieve it.

                                                 ——————–

“Hey, what are you doing right now?”

“Nothing much,” Natsu speaks into his phone as he tightens strings to a trash bag. “What’s up with you?”

“You want lunch?”

“You don’t have to ask me that even once. Come on over, Gray,” Natsu responds, not missing a beat.

Finished with his chores for the day, he waits for his friend to arrive at the station. He stands beneath an awning due to the early summer heat.

As soon Gray’s motorcycle rolls up on the driveway, Natsu’s stomach growls. He cracks a grin when he finds that Gray brought him his favorite—an Italian sandwich with spicy mayo.

Taking their usual seat at the outdoor table, Natsu doesn’t hesitate to take a large bite. “Thanks,” he says in between bites.

Gray nods while watching his friend happily eat the sandwich. Admittedly, Gray couldn’t bring himself to meet up with him yesterday after his episode with Lucy. A part of him regrets ambushing her; he wonders what she thinks of him now.

But most of all, Gray fears that he isn’t being loyal to his best friend. He can’t figure out if keeping the information about Lucy is betrayal. An overwhelming sense of guilt is scattered throughout his chest.

“So, how are you and the girl?” Gray forces himself to ask, careful enough to speak nonchalantly. “Lucy was her name, right?”

Natsu swallows the last bite and wipes the dripping mayo off the side of his mouth. He lets out a loud sigh. “Can I be honest with you? She’s a lot to handle right now. I don’t know what has gotten into her lately.”

His words cause Gray to lift a brow in response. “What has she been doing to you?”

“One second she’s great and loving,” Natsu begins. “The next second she’s being so difficult and toxic. It’s suffocating.”

Gray opens his mouth to respond, but Natsu is already too fired up to stop venting.

“I made her my famous ham last night, but she didn’t eat it because suddenly she was a vegetarian. Then, she assumed I thought she was overweight because I was looking at her plate of spinach. I can’t believe—”

“Hey, Natsu,” Gray stops him gently. “You’re starting to yell.”

“Sorry,” Natsu responds with a large gulp of water. “I don’t know how to fix this.”

“She reminds me of how Juvia used to act,” Gray mentions.

Natsu’s jaw drops at the sudden realization. “That’s exactly who she’s like! How did you and Juvia work through it?”

“Lots of a time and lots of communication,” Gray admits. He realizes that this is an opening to sway Natsu. “But do you think Lucy is even worth it? Or would it be better to cut her off?”

Natsu instantly starts to shake his head. “No way. I’m a man of my word, you know that. No matter how difficult Lucy is, I’m determined to win her over. We only have four days left, anyway.”

Gray sighs under his breath, expecting nothing else from Natsu. He perks up in his seat again when he gets an idea.

“Hey, why don’t we have a guys’ night tomorrow? You can bring your fire buddies and I’ll bring my coworkers.”

Natsu’s eyes light up at the idea. “Sign me up for that. We can have it at my place. It’s been a while since my home has felt like what it’s supposed to feel like—a home.”

The two share a nod, both satisfied that it worked out. Gray is about to stand up and ride back to work, but he freezes when he catches a glimpse of a car approaching the station.

“Lucy is here,” Natsu says.

Gray glances at him, finding Natsu stand and walk towards the car. He actually is taken aback for a second—he has never seen Natsu’s eyes soften that quickly before.

“I missed you today!” Lucy shouts while leaping into Natsu’s arms.

They share an embrace until he pulls back. “Hey, I have someone I want you to meet this time.”

He slides his hand down to intertwine fingers with her, bringing her to the table. Lucy and Gray make eye contact for a split second before they avert gazes to Natsu.

“Lucy, this is my best friend. Gray, this is Lucy,” Natsu introduces them.

There’s a moment of silence between the three of them, but Lucy makes sure it isn’t noticeable.

“Nice to meet you, Gray.” She extends her free hand to him.

“Nice to meet you, too,” he responds as he shakes her hand. He notices that her palm is sweaty, revealing to him that she is just as nervous as he is.

“How well do you know Natsu?” Lucy asks. After realizing that this is the perfect opportunity to find out what kind of person he is, she goes into reporter mode.

“Was it when we were second years in college?” Gray looks over at Natsu, trying to remember. “Or third years?”

“I thought we met our first year,” Natsu responds with a frown. “You sure it wasn’t first year?”

“No, because you had just broken up with Lisanna,” Gray reminds him.

“Oh,” Natsu says plainly.

Natsu is afraid to see Lucy’s expression, but he decides to sneak a glance. He’s surprised to see her with an amused look.

“You’ve known each other for a long time, then,” she comments.

Natsu tries not to express his shock. He expected her to investigate his past relationships, but she doesn’t seem to have any interest in that. Instead, she is more focused on him and Gray’s present friendship.

“Lisanna was a childhood friend,” Natsu explains, feeling as though he owes it to her.

Lucy slightly shakes her head with an assuring smile. “You don’t have to explain it to me. I get it.”

“Okay,” he answers hesitantly. He isn’t sure why he feels the way he does right now; he’s impressed by how relaxed she is about it.

Gray clears his throat. “Well, I should probably start heading out.”

“Wait!” Lucy abruptly exclaims. Releasing her hand from Natsu’s, she rushes over to a nearby tree. “Look, there’s a cat!”

Her hurried steps are enough to scare the cat, causing it to jump onto a branch above her. Once she reaches the tree, she tilts her head back and laughs.

“Natsu, look!” She continues to laugh and points at the branch. “You were made for this job!”

Gray has already put his helmet on when Natsu turns to him with tired eyes.

“Good luck. I’ll see you at guys’ night tomorrow.” He pats Natsu on the shoulder.

Natsu lets out a sigh as he starts to walk away. “Does she know that it’s pretty rare for firefighters to rescue cats out of trees?” He grumbles to himself.

Grabbing a ladder, he sets it at the tree and starts to reach for the unamused cat. Lucy can’t stop herself from giggling as he successfully rescues the feline.

“You should keep him,” she suggests. “Look, he’s snuggling against you!”

Natsu scoffs, not paying attention to its soft fur. “I don’t have time to take care of a cat.”

“We can co-parent!” she insists. “But he has to stay at your house. Please!”

He observes Lucy’s pleading eyes. Every part of him wants to reject the idea, but after remembering that he’s determined to win her over, he accepts the fact that he needs to show his commitment.

“Okay, I’ll keep him.”

“Yes!” Lucy cheers with a grin. “We’re going to be a happy family!”

Natsu gives a small smile in response. Although the station’s front yard is shaded by multiple trees, he feels beads of sweat trickling down his forehead. He can start to sense irritation bubbling up inside of him.

“I’m going to go inside and clean up. I’ll see you later tonight,” he tells her as he takes the ladder and lugs away.

“Um, Natsu?” Lucy asks before he gets too far away. As he turns around, she points to her puckered lips.

Natsu can physically feel his shoulders slump, but he tries to hide it as he returns to her. After they kiss, she tilts her head.

“Did you have a sandwich for lunch? I can taste it.”

“Yeah, I did,” he responds simply, already turning away.

“With meat in it?” she asks, although he doesn’t bother to look back at her.

“Yep!” he answers loud enough to hear her. “See you later!”

Lucy presses her hand to her lips in order for her laugh not to leave her lips. Natsu has already entered the station, leaving her on the yard alone.

“You don’t even know what else is coming,” she giggles under her breath. With that, she leaves the station to start the next part of her assignment for the day.

                                                 ——————–

Natsu has lost track on how many times his phone has buzzed in his pocket for the past hour. He has accepted that the vibration will forever be imprinted on his leg.

Once he is back to his apartment—with a cat in his arms—he checks his phone to find Lucy calling again. He lets the call ring until it automatically declines. He groans when she leaves another voicemail. 30 voicemails, to be exact.

“What is wrong with her?” he mutters, a wave of irritation returning to his chest. “She’s making this so much more difficult than it needs to be.”

He decides that it would be best to just sit down and breathe, so he kicks off his shoes and falls face first into the couch. He shuts his eyes, finally feeling some of the pressure fade.

The moment is promptly ruined as a round of knocks pound on the door.

“It’s unlocked!” Natsu turns his head to shout at the door.

“Natsu!” Lucy shouts while entering the apartment. “Where are you?”

He raises his arm up from the couch. As she walks towards him, he pushes himself to sit up.

“So, I did something a little crazy today,” Lucy says with a bashful smile.

“What did you do?” he asks, almost afraid to know the answer.

“Well, I was messing around at work today,” she explains. “And then I suddenly came up with the perfect name for our daughter!”

Natsu doesn’t have any time to react as he watches her pull out a journal from her purse. She sits next to him, opening the journal and half of the pages landing on his lap.

“Here are all the combinations I made with our names.” She drags her index finger down the lists on each page. Her finger stops at the final, circled name. “Look, her name is going to Nashi! Isn’t it cute?”

“What makes you think we’ll have a daughter?” Natsu’s brows furrow in response.

Lucy gapes at him in disbelief. She folds her arms across her chest and turns away with an audible huff.

“I’m sorry.” He forces himself to reach over and place a comforting hand on her shoulder. “I shouldn’t have questioned that.”

“That really hurt my feelings. You don’t think we could have a daughter someday?”

The realistic side of Natsu wants to be bluntly honest, but he feels as though he has to read a script. He swallows back his pride.

“I think we can be hopeful about it,” he replies.

Lucy shifts in her spot to send him a delighted smile. “Let’s be hopeful together!”

He nods, allowing her to nestle into his chest. Both of them let out sighs, although they’re for different reasons.

“Let’s stay in for the rest of the night?” Lucy suggests.

“Please,” Natsu mumbles in agreement. “Let’s just relax.”

Before she can change her mind, he leans over and turns on the TV. Just for good measure, he closes his eyes and dozes off until it’s too late to commit to anything for the rest of the night.

Meanwhile on the other side of the couch, Lucy can hardly believe that Natsu is still invested into the relationship after being shown the ridiculous journal she made. If it was the other way around, she would be finding excuses to never see him again.

Natsu must be a superhuman if his feelings for her are still as genuine when they first met.

And yet, Lucy can’t keep herself from wondering if her initial feelings are still the same as the current, swirling ones in her chest.

                                                 ——————–

“You’re still together after all that?!” Cana bursts out incredulously once Lucy has updated her from last night’s events. “He hasn’t even tried breaking up with you?”

“I have no idea what I’m doing wrong,” Lucy groans. She takes a bite out of the Italian sandwich she has been craving all day. “I’ve been clingy, needy, whiny, obsessive… I don’t see why he’s still with me.”

“You know what,” Cana begins with a mischievous smile. “I could make up some kind of drink for you to give him. It’d definitely make him dislike you for a bit.”

Lucy shakes her head, dismissing the idea. “I feel like not even that will work. I have to do more than that. It’s already been five days. I have to do something big tomorrow.”

“Why not tonight?” Cana asks.

“He’s having a guys’ night tonight with his friends,” Lucy explains.

“That sounds like something he wouldn’t want to miss out on,” Cana points out.

Lucy’s brows raise in recognition as she takes another bite of her sandwich. She takes a large gulp of her water.

“Cana, you are so right!” she exclaims.

Cana sends her a grin before taking a sip of her mysterious drink of the day. “Don’t forget to take your notes.”

Lucy nods before hastily adjusting the outline to her next move. She planned on taking it easy tonight to prepare new, absurd ways to get on Natsu’s last nerve. But of course, spontaneity always makes its appearance.

Anticipation begins to flow through Lucy’s veins as the workday comes to an end. A part of her doesn’t even know if she’s going to be able to pull off her new plan.  

“You got it,” Cana encourages her, sensing her apprehension.

Lucy sends her a grateful smile as she picks up her belongings. “Thanks. Don’t drink too much tonight.”

“You know that’s not possible!” Cana calls out to her, causing Lucy to scoff as she leaves the office.

Once Lucy is outside, she reads her watch. Natsu should be at his apartment by now, probably setting up for the guys’ night. If she wants her plan to work, she’ll have to wait at least another hour. That will at least give him some time to enjoy, too. To kill some time, she enters a clothing store.

Simultaneously, Natsu has never felt so refreshed coming home. The best part about a guys’ night is that there is no prerequisite for setting up. All it takes is showing up and deciding what to do on the spot.

Pouring the cat some food, Natsu can’t hold back his excitement as the first round of knocks sound throughout his apartment. Soon enough, his place is filled with some of his best friends, along with some of Gray’s familiar coworkers.

“Who wants to play some video games? Elfman and Laxus, you in?” Natsu offers.

“As a man, I can’t refuse a challenge,” Elfman responds while Laxus simply shrugs in response. “Give me the controller.”

It isn’t long until the three of them are yelling at one another, roughly slamming on the controller buttons. Natsu’s stomach even starts to hurt because of how much he laughs. He genuinely is having the time of his life for the first time in a while.

“Since I’ve won each round, I’ll let someone else play,” Natsu announces proudly. He looks over at one of Gray’s coworkers. “Here, Lyon. You’re up.”

“I don’t even know how to play this game,” Lyon mumbles, but still accepts the controller.

Grabbing a water bottle from the fridge, Natsu takes a long drink. He sighs out in relief and watches his friends play for a moment. He can’t remember the last time he has experienced this much freedom.

“It’s been a while since we’ve all gotten together like this,” Gray mentions as he takes another water from the fridge.

“Yeah, no kidding,” Natsu agrees. “I definitely needed this night.”

Although his words say otherwise, Lucy lingers in the back of his mind. After spending several consecutive nights together, he feels as though he should be seeing her. He isn’t sure if this means that he misses her. However, he knows that there’s a fun side to Lucy—she could surely have fun playing video games with him, too.

Making a mental note to invite her over after the guys leave, Natsu rejoins his group of friends. His stomach aches from laughing, his cheeks hurt from smiling, and his thumbs hurt from all the unsystematic button-pressing.

After about an hour of thoroughly enjoying himself, Natsu is in the midst of cheering Elfman on to beat Laxus when he hears the door behind him open. He curiously casts a look over his shoulder to see who it is.

“Hi, Natsu!” Lucy nearly sings as she enters the apartment. “I just wanted to come by and say hi!”

“How did you get in here?” he asks, wide-eyed.

“I was able to get a copy of the key,” she replies nonchalantly. She walks closer to observe Natsu’s friends, some of them acknowledging her while others remain focused on the TV. “Are these your friends?”

Without a second thought, Lucy extends her hands and shakes all of the guys’ hands with a large grin. She waits for Elfman to pause the game until she introduces herself.

“I’m Lucy. Nice to meet everyone!”

The guys mutter a hello in response before Elfman returns to the game. The sound of the TV slightly masks the awkward atmosphere.

Gray leans into Natsu’s ear. “Is she crazy?”

Before Natsu can respond, Lucy makes an announcement.

“I brought snacks!”

All of the guys’ seem surprised at her statement, some of them looking at her with hopeful eyes. The guys have been snacking on peanuts for the last hour.

Lucy reaches inside of her purse and slides out a veggie tray. She places it on the coffee table in front of the TV.

“Eat up!” she tells them excitedly. Being able to see all of their disappointment, she decides to wait until one of them feels obligated to open it and take a celery stick.

Lucy has to bite her lip in order to stop herself from laughing as she goes into the kitchen. Through the opening to the living area, it’s obvious how much they don’t want to eat it.

She stands in the kitchen for a few moments while the guys slowly start to make conversation again. In the midst of observing the back of their heads, she catches a glance of the plant that she placed on the windowsill several days ago. Walking over to it, she finds that nothing has sprouted yet.

“Natsu!” Lucy dramatically gasps. She takes the pot and brings it over to him. “Have you not been watering our plant?”

“N-No, I haven’t,” Natsu admits, helplessly stuttering. “It’s just sleeping, that’s all.”

Lucy is able to see the guys staring at them from her peripheral vision. This setup could not have been more perfect. She takes a deep breath before speaking.

“What if it’s dead already? You let our plant die! Will you let us die, too?” She doesn’t give Natsu any time to respond. “You know what… I’m leaving and taking the plant with me!”

With the pot in her arms, Lucy swiftly turns away and grabs her purse. She storms out of the apartment, not bothering to look behind her. Her hurried steps almost make it to the elevator when she hears footsteps following after her. She has to suppress her disbelief when Natsu sets his hand on her shoulder.

“What are you doing?” they ask simultaneously.

“This is getting a little weird,” Natsu responds first. “You’re acting insane, Lucy.”

She lifts a brow. “Are you calling me insane?”

“No, I said you’re acting,” he clarifies. His voice comes out harsher than he meant it to.

Lucy lets out a short laugh, pressing the elevator button. “You know, I don’t think I can be with someone who thinks I’m insane.”

The door to the elevator slides open. Once she is inside, she turns around to send him a final goodbye wave. Natsu already has his hand at the door to stop it from closing.

“Can you tell me where the real Lucy went?” he demands. “Where is the person I knew before? The one who was observant and kind? The one who wanted to be a dedicated journalist?”

Lucy opens her mouth to respond, but Natsu keeps going.

“Lately, you’ve been all over the place!” he proclaims. “I don’t even know who you are anymore.”

She sends him a hard gaze. “So, does this mean we’re over?”

He returns her stare, swallowing thickly. “Yeah. I guess it does.”

After he takes a step back, she nods in understanding. “Okay, fine.”

“Fine,” Natsu sighs out. His arms stay limp by his sides as the elevator closes.

Once the elevator starts to lower, Lucy leans against the wall with a loud sigh. She can sense the intensity from their argument slowly fizzling out of her body.

“Finally,” she breathes out.

She stands there for a moment, realizing that a pit is developing in her chest. Not out of hurt, but out of loneliness. It’s a heaviness that reminds her of a few nights ago. Lucy’s façade isn’t as strong as it used to be—she is finally feeling her true self peek through.

As Natsu returns to his apartment, he tries to avoid the concerned looks on the guys’ faces. He makes direct eye contact with Gray.

“It’s over,” Natsu states plainly.

Immediately, Gray charges towards him and firmly takes his shoulders. “Natsu. You have four more days! You can’t give up now!”

“Did you just see what she was like?” Natsu scoffs while taking a step back from Gray’s grip. “No way.”

“What about couples’ therapy?” Gray suggests.

“What does that even mean?” Natsu scrutinizes at him, trying to see if he’s serious.

“That’s how Juvia and I were able to work everything out between us,” Gray reveals. “Now, go catch up with Lucy and tell her you’re still dedicated to her. You want that job, right?”

Despite being exhausted, annoyed, and confused all at once, Natsu begins to recognize the reality of the situation. His heart races inside of his chest.

“Okay, okay. I’ll be right back,” he says before taking off.

Since the elevator would be too slow, Natsu goes for the stairs instead. He jumps down three at a time until he reaches the lobby. He’s out of breath as he rushes outside. Luckily, Lucy is still close enough for him to call out to her.

“Lucy!” Natsu shouts. “Wait!”

Lucy’s instantly stops in her tracks. She slowly turns around, finding Natsu catch up to her. She can hardly believe that he’s still chasing after her.

Once Natsu is in front of her, he takes a moment to regain his breaths. “I’m so sorry,” he says in between breaths. “Can you forgive me? I don’t know what I was just saying back there.”

Lucy waits until his breathing regulates. She tightly grips onto the plant pot as she watches him. If she looked insane at the elevator, she isn’t sure what to call Natsu right now.

Natsu knows how desperate he appears right now, but he also knows that he needs to embarrass himself to make his despair look believable. His words frantically spew out of him. “Can you give me another chance?”

“Haven’t you had enough already?” she asks, her voice escaping as a whisper.

“I’ll do anything to get you back,” he nearly pleads. “Gray told me about this thing him and his girlfriend used to do. It’s couples’ therapy. Would you like to do that with me?”

“Couples’ therapy?” she echoes. As Natsu nods, she suddenly gets an idea. “Actually, I know a doctor who would give us a free session. I could call her and schedule an emergency appointment.”

“Yes, let’s do that.” He reaches for her hand, brushing his lips across her knuckles.

Lucy presses her lips together and gently pulls her hand back. “I don’t have to like you right now. So, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Without another word, she continues to walk away. She doesn’t allow herself to look back as Natsu shouts out endless thank yous. She physically cannot believe anything she just witnessed.

Natsu returns to his apartment with the most clenched jaw he has ever made in his life. He cannot believe that Lucy has caused him to turn into someone he never thought he would become.

[onceuponadetectivedemigod]

House Of The Rising Sun

Part One

Pairing: Female Reader x Ben Hardy

Warnings: language, references to sex but no actual smut, alcohol, guns

Summary: New Orleans, 1923. There is a House, who covers as a Mythology Museum however it’s is actually housing the most dangerous mob around. Ben, an English businessman, comes seeking a new life in The United States. Gwylim, sneaks in alcohol into the states, specifically to The House’s Speakeasy, during prohibition. While Roger, Brian, and Lucy, from a sister mob in the UK come to help out Rami, Joe, and The House. Meanwhile Y/N runs away from home to become a flapper and when all their paths cross Ben, and Y/N get mixed up in the wrongs stuff at the wrong time.

Chapter Summary: Ben gets to New Orleans and meets a beautiful young flapper. 

Word Count: 2,812

AN: So I was listening to House of The Rising Sun by The Animals AND I HAD A VISION SO HERE YOU GO! Lmk if you like it, if you hate it, ect. Also  I HAVE A WHOLE DAMN PLAYLIST FOR BEN HARDY to which you can find here: Ben’s Playlist New songs are added regularly! Also I am not trying to “cross-tag” in this. I am typically guilty of it, but with this particular story, I would like people other than ben stans to read it because I quite proud of it and it will have more of everyone in it later.

Today I woke up to the soft playing of jazz from across the street. I was living with with these two boys I met when I got here. Joe and Rami. They told me I could stay as long as I wished. They won’t tell me what their job is but I know they work together. They constantly invite me to parties and cool speakeasies, maybe they smuggle alcohol. I’m not sure, but they always avoid talking about it. I got out of bed and looked out the window, towards the beautiful music. I opened the window and let in the perfectly  cool breeze. I let the music fill the house as I walked downstairs. “Hey boys!” “Morning, Y/N/N! You doing good today?” Joe asked. “Well I woke up to a nice breeze and some smooth, seductive jazz.” “Seductive?” Rami asked, as he walked in. “Joe is not seductive.” His response made me giggle. “Not Joe, THE JAZZ!” I laughed. Joe was born and raised in California and moved down here a few years ago. Rami’s parents were Egyptian and he was a first generation American. His parents moved down here seeking a new life. “Makes sense. What you up to today?” Rami said. “Oh I don’t know.” I responded. “Maybe catch a parade. I love that I came just in time for Mardi Gras!” “Well if you want, the speakeasy is open tonight. The code is ‘God save the Queen.’” Joe told me. “I will probably make an appearance. How do you get all the codes?” I asked him. “You gotta know the right people, which I do, and you do. So don’t worry about it. See you there tonight.” He responded. “See you boys tonight!” I giggled as you kissed them both on the cheek and ran back upstairs to my room. I am thankful you found these two. I met them on the trolley. They saw my small suitcase and asked if I needed a place to stay. They had an extra room available and were willing to let me stay. We have grown quite close since I moved here a month ago. I walked towards the closet and put on my favorite dress! It was black with gold beading, and it came up above my ankles. I love wearing short dresses; all the old rich men look at me funny. It makes me feel happy when I throw everyone’s sense of order right into hell. Once I was done I grabbed my purse and hat and marched down the stairs. “Bye boys!” I shouted as I started out the door. I heard them both say bye back and made my way down to Café Du Monde, for the best beignets in town. I was almost there and the line was fairly short. I took another few steps, closed my eyes, and breathed in that soft smell of powdered sugar and the misty water. Suddenly a man with a brief case ran into me. “Oh! Miss, I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you!” He spoke with an unfamiliar accent. We both scrambled to the ground to pick up his stuff. He smelled like cigars and cinnamon. He had short blonde hair and his eyes were greener than an evergreen. “Hey, it’s all right! I’m Y/N. If you don’t mind me askin’ where are you from? I haven’t heard nobody with an accent like that.” I asked him, as I handed him the spilled contents. “Ben. I uh, am from England. I just moved to the U.S. a few weeks ago. Been trying to make my way down here from New York. Trying to start a new life.” He said, putting everything back in the brief case. “Well, Ben, You came awfully long way. But you definitely came to the right place! This town right here is perfect for running away to a new life.” I told him. “That’s what I like to hear. I guess, I will maybe see you around, Miss Y/N.” He told me. “Yeah, Maybe See you around Mister, Ben.” I said back. We both walked our separate ways as I went and got in line. After I ate, I just went on my daily walk through the city. Everything seemed just as usual. Then I saw that Ben boy getting thrown out of a building by two larger gentleman. I ran over to him. “Hey, you okay?” I asked helping him, once again collect his things. “Yeah. Fine. We can’t keep doing this. You always helping me pick up my things.” He smiled at me. “It really is no problem. What happened in there?” I asked him. “I guess I’m to progressive for that lot. I was interviewing for a jo-“ He looked up, and stopped, and pulled me into the alley beside the building. He put his hand over my mouth as he noticed I was about to scream. I was trying to get him off of me when he whispered “Please don’t scream! I swear I’m not gonna hurt you! Please, I can explain if you are quiet!” I stopped fighting against him, but kept my guard up. He moved his hand off my mouth. “Those are three around the corner are apart of the most dangerous mob in London. If you even look at them funny they will shoot you! So please just be careful. I don’t know you all that well but I don’t want anything to happen to you either.” He spoke. I nodded and looked around the corner, extremely carefully. I noticed two older gentleman and a very pretty, younger, blonde woman. All three were dressed nicely and the woman looked as if she would only wear the fanciest of perfumes. I turned back and looked at him. “Them? They look like they wouldn’t even harm a fly. She looks way too nice and way too high class to be in a mob.” I told him. “They steal all of their money. They kill while doing it. Please just believe me, Y/N.”   He looked at me. His face has pure fear written all over it. “Why are you so afraid of them? If you leave them alone, you won’t have a problem.” I told him. He looked down and blushed. “Were you involved with them? Oh MY GOD YOU WERE!” “SH! Keep your voice down! They can’t know I’m here. It’s not that I was apart of the mob, I wasn’t. But I know one of the older men, Roger. I didn’t know he was in the mob. I was just trying to get a job and he told me, he would pay me to drive him around. So I got a job as his driver. Eventually I found out too much, I found out that he not only was in, but was in charge of the mob. When he asked if it was a problem, I told him yes and quit. I heard he had been looking for me but I never knew he would go to this length to try and find me.” As he explained, my sympathy for him grew. These three were coming to make sure he didn’t tell anyone of their shenanigans. “Okay... so are we just supposed to hide in this alleyway?” I asked. I was too late. The three of them rounded the corner. “Well. Well. Well. There is my boy, Ben! Who do we have here? A new girlfriend, Benny? You know I didn’t know you’d be in town. Quite surprised, actually. But while we are in town, maybe we can kill to birds with one stone eh?” The one I presumed was Roger spoke. He wore a red velvet suit. He also smelled like cigars but also like pine and lilac. He had gorgeous blue eyes. Dangerous blue eyes. His hair was gray and he had a very high but raspy voice. The other man had thick, curly, silver hair. He was a bit taller. He was in a Purple velvet suit. He seemed a lot softer. He looked almost concerned at your fear. And the woman, she had short blonde hair, but she was stunning. She was dressed in a nice long black dress with spaghetti straps. A little showy for most of the country’s taste, but I thought it was beautiful. “I asked your name sweetheart!” Roger shouted at me, pulling me from my trans-like state. “Y/N.” “No last name?” The girl spoke. Her actual voice was very soft but her tone was so harsh that it was scarier than Roger’s. “I don’t like it much. Too many family ties.” I said without going into detail. “Look Roger. She has nothing to do with any of this. You want me.” Ben spoke. “You think I honestly care what happens to her? I don’t. But since you nobly step forward it means you must care.” He looked at Ben then focused his attention on the girl. “Lucy make sure she comes with us.” “Yes, sir.” “Roger! I swear to God that I won’t tell anyone, please! Don’t do this!” Ben pleaded. My heart started beating faster and faster. Was I about to die? What was going to happen next? “That’s enough! We are taking both of you. We will decide what to do with you after that.” Roger shouted. “Roger, while I do think we need to take care of him, he said he wouldn’t tell. She has nothing to do with th-“ the taller one spoke. “Brian! We can’t talk big and not be able to follow through with action! We will discuss it after the meeting. Get the car.” Roger looked at him. “Don’t talk to me like I’m some servant! I am your equal Rog! We run this together.” Brian whispered harshly. “But I will get the car, only because you lost THE FUCKING DRIVER!” He turned around and in 45 seconds drove a nice black car towards the alley way. Roger walked around to the passenger side and got in. “Get In or I will shoot you.” Lucy said very plainly. I did as she said and Ben followed. What kind of shit did this kid get himself into? We pulled into an empty lot somewhere I wasn’t familiar with. We sat there for hours. Roger, Lucy, and Brian stepped out of the car. At this point it was dark outside. No one had really said much, surely not me and Ben. But once they stepped outside of the car, I had my with him. “WHAT KIND OF SHIT HAVE YOU GOTTEN US INTO?! WE ARE BOTH GOING TO DIE! I REALLY DO NOT WANT TO DIE! I LITERALLY JUST MET YOU TODAY!" I whisper-shouted at him. "THIS WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN! THEY WEREN'T SUPPOS-" he started but was cut off when everyone got back into the car. Roger hopped into the driver side this time. Our next stop was a random boat launch. It looked abandoned but, it was night time so it was not going to be busy. I looked around out the window. All three of the monsters stepped outside again. It was quiet for a minute then I heard a muffled voice that I didn’t quite recognize. It felt as if they were putting something in the trunk of the car. Suddenly the door opened. “If you want to live, sit in his lap.” Roger spoke to me as he pointed a gun at my face. I did as he told and sat in Ben’s lap. Then a new man got into the car and Lucy followed. Roger got back in the drivers seat and Brian back in the passenger. The ride was a bit bumpy sitting on Ben’s lap. He wrapped his arms around my waist to steady me. The ride was short and we pulled up to the club that I frequent. This was the speakeasy that Rami and Joe got me into. The music was blaring so loud it was hard to understand why the cops haven’t busted the place. Roger opened our door, pointing the gun back at us. He motioned for us to hop out. We did as told in fear of what would happen if we didn’t obey. They walked up to the door and knocked the secret knock. A slit in the middle of the door opened up and I saw Allen. Allen was an Irishman who came here. He worked as the doorman for the club. Allen cleared his throat. “Who is it?” Allen asked. “Allen, open the goddamn door.” Roger whisper yelled at him. “No can do sir. You know the rules. Give me the code and you enter.” Allen was always a good doorman for the club. “He didn’t give me the fucking code. You know us!” Brian said. “GOD SAVE THE QUEEN!” I shouted in fear of my life. I just wanted to be somewhere I was familiar with. “Y/N! Is that you?” Allen asked opening the door. “Look Allen, let us in please! I really don’t want to die tonight.” He opened the door all the way, ushering us all in. “He is upstairs waiting for you all.” Allen said to Roger and Brian. Roger pointed his gun at us and then at the stairs directly in front of us. “Go!” He said. We started up the stairs. It was much quieter up here. You could definitely still hear the music but not as loudly as before. Lucy grabbed some rope that was hidden in her garter under her dress and tied our hands to the door handles across from the room they were about to enter. “Stay put, or I kill you both.” She smiled following the other three men as the entered the room and locked the door behind them. “How did you know the code?” Ben looked at me. “I frequent. I have friends who I think work here or something. I’m not entirely sure what they do, but they always give me the right code. Who was the other man?” “He smuggles alcohol into the states. Specifically for this club. It’s run by a sister gang of Roger’s. They call themselves The House. The leader is an old friend of Roger’s and Brian’s. It’s funny that you know the code and don’t even know the background of it.” He laughed. “What do you mean?” I inquired. “Queen. That’s the name of their gang. God save the Queen. This meeting has been planned. They probably didn’t tell them what the code would be because they thought they would guess it.” Ben laughed. “I don’t understand what’s funny.” “Oh. Just that I’ve run this far and now I’m gonna die here tonight.” He laughed more. “To think I could actually be safe.” “Ben, if you knew the sister gang was here in New Orleans, WHY WOULD YOU COME HERE?!” I whisper yelled at him. “I was mislead. I thought they were in New York. I can see now I was gravely mistaken.” “Y/N?” I snapped my head towards the stairs. “RAMI? JOE? MY GOD ARE YOU GUYS IN TROUBLE TOO?” “Y/N who did you get in trouble with?” Rami asked me, looking fearful. The door to the meeting room opened. This other man walked out. My guess is the other mob boss. He was holding a gun and he pointed it at me. “WAIT! Sir! We know her! She is not going to tell anyone!” Joe spoke up. “If anything sir, she needs a job! We can recruit her! Please don’t kill her.” Rami spoke up. “RECRUIT ME?! WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!” I looked at them and back at the gun pointed at my face. Ben bursted into a laughing fit. “WHAT?!” I snapped my head towards him. “Y/N, your friends here are involved with the house.” He laughed shaking his head. “She needs a job? Alright. Untie them. Bring them in.” The other older man spoke. He had a unique British accent. He motioned for us to enter the room. We were standing in a dark lit room with the other man sitting in front of us behind a desk, with Brian and Roger on either side of him. Lucy guarded the door. The Alcohol Smuggler stood by the window, minding his own business. Rami and Joe stood behind Ben and I, who were seated. “Benjamin right?” The mob boss asked. “Just Ben.” He answered simply, looking completely unafraid. “Your name, sweetheart?” “Y/N.” I answered, fear making my voice shake. “Okay. Ben. Y/N. I willing to spare your lives, if you join us. We have a war coming. I need all the soldiers I can get. You either say you are in or you die. By the way my name is John. You’ve met the others. So what do you say?”

Taglist: @bitemerog @sevenseasofrog