#not even gajeel can take her place i fear

[bumblebeehug]

i would marry lucy heartfilia. “oh but you like men” i’m straight not stupid🧎🏼‍♀️‍➡️🤌🏻💍 👩🏻‍❤️‍💋‍👩🏼

[stevmarie]

Me, casually waiting for my son to get done at the dentist, my phone 2 inches from my face so no one else in the waiting room sees I’m writing fanficiton…

Saint of Steel AU Part 2:

It had been two weeks of a forced march to make it to the tiny village. Two weeks of sleeping against the wagon, or what could reasonably pass as sleep if you didn’t look too closely. They didn't make camp for fear bandits would catch up to them, or fear that the wounded wouldn't make it. One of their men passed in the first night after the fight. Freed and Evergreen both were wounded, although Evergreen was far better off, her arm in a sling but otherwise fit. And she would never complain or accept assistance unless it was forced upon her - something Laxus and Bickslow both did more than once.

"Freed is in a bad way," Bickslow murmured to him lowly, motioning to their comrade when they were about a week in, "I don't know how much longer of this he can take."

Freed had taken a blow to the head during the fight. Laxus had known headwounds like this, and while he didn't think it would be deadly, a healer was necessary. And soon. Rattling around in the wagon would do little help, even if it allowed him to rest.

On more than one occasion, Laxus found Gajeel swaying, eyes unfocused as he stared at the ground. He had to hand it to the friar. He wasn't a soldier, but he kept good pace despite how exhausted he clearly was. There was one night when they had ended up side-by-side with their backs to the wagon. Laxus had led him over after an excruciatingly long day and half a night of walking. He'd slid to the ground and slumped forward, falling into a half-waking, half-sleeping fugue almost immediately.

At some time during the night, Laxus had stirred when Gajeel's weight pressed against his shoulder. He'd caught the scent of his hair, something he still wasn't quite able to place. That recognizable warmth that was reminiscent of vanilla and smoke. The friar had half-startled, mumbling an apology. Laxus reached around him carefully, lulling him back against his shoulder.

"It's alright..." he assured him gruffly, also drifting again, "...you can rest here. It’s alright…”

Finally, after long last, they had spotted smoke above the tree line. By that point, they were all little more than dead on their feet. Laxus had gone ahead to ready accommodations and send for a doctor or healer. Preferably both. He wasn't able to acquire much, as the village wasn't equipped for large groups of travelers, but he had obtained rooms for the wounded, for the friar, and a barn for the rest of them and the mules.

"Not much longer now, father," Laxus had said, guiding Gajeel to the back of the wagon and lifting him onto it. Too tired to make a fuss, he allowed himself to be sat at the edge, his eyes half-lidded and confused, "You'll have a good sleep tonight."

Gajeel blinked slowly up at him, a ghost of a smirk playing at his lips, "But this has been such fun. I could go another month, at least."

"Ah, you must be spritelier than I, then, father. Pray tell, what gives you such boundless energy?" Laxus chuckled.

"Stop calling me father. M'not a priest. I've taken no vows."

"So, it's not simply a spirit of dedication that drives you? Are you god-touched, then?"

"My order follows a saint, not a god," he replied absently, leaning heavily against the wall of the wagon as his eyelids fluttered closed.

"Ah, yes. You do seem a paragon of saintly qualities."

"The only thing I'm a paragon of is sleep, captain."

Laxus did his diligence, attending to his people before allowing himself even the thought of rest. He escorted Gajeel to his room at the inn, bidding him a good sleep and closing the door as he dropped heavily onto the tiny bed. He helped Bickslow carry Freed to a room, and waited for the doctor's prognosis. It was quite what he had suspected.

"He needs rest, but otherwise the wound should heal with no issues. I certainly don't recommend travel, not for a few weeks at least," the elderly woman said, "By then, the snow will be here."

She shook her head as if it couldn't be helped.

"The mountains are near impassible in the winter months. It'll be spring before the man can be on his way."

Laxus grunted his reply.

"That puts us down another man," Bickslow whistled, "Still, we've been in worse situations."

“Two,” Laxus said, nodding towards Evergreen’s room.

“Ah,” he hummed, “She’ll insist she’s well enough to go on.”

“Not if I ask her to stay and attend to Freed,” Laxus replied, “She’ll recover first and make arrangements to get them both to the nearest Pegasus Temple.”

Bickslow’s laugh was deep in his throat, “That might be worse than where we’re going.”

They made their way to the barn. He checked on the mules and their handler who was curled up in the hay, already falling asleep. They’d laid out pallets for the rest of them, and although it wasn’t a bed, it wasn’t the ground or the side of a wagon, either. As far as his body was concerned, it was the best accommodation he’d ever had.

He promptly fell into a deep sleep, and didn’t stir until well into the next morning.

Gajeel rose from slumber only because his stomach insisted. And when he rose, it wasn’t dawn, nor early morning, but a wonderfully satisfying time after noon. He stretched and his joints voiced their grievances at him, but he wasn’t quite able to let it put him in a foul mood.

The people were sturdy here, built compact and able to endure the harsh winters that this far north brought. Because of this, many things about the northern region simply weren’t made for him. His bed had been short, so much so that his feet had hung off the edge of the bed. He’d laid strangely on his shoulder, and his arm was half-asleep from hanging off the edge. All these discomforts paled in comparison to the riot of his stomach pressing against his spine, and as if hearing it, a delicious smell drifted beneath the door on a warm draft.

He pulled on his robes, wrinkling his nose at the stink of campfire, sweat, and days-old grime still clinging to it. To him. He made a mental note to bathe before they went on the road again, and promptly tromped down the stairs.

The murmur of conversation greeted him as he descended, and he turned the corner to find the host laying a spread on a long table. It was peasant food; some sort of fish stew with vegetables and bread, and Gajeel’s stomach howled at him to find a seat posthaste and begin shoveling something inside of him. Warm laughter interrupted this thought. His eyes swept to the captain who was speaking with Bickslow and some of the other men.

The captain, Gajeel noticed, had already bathed. His hair was bouncy and a few shades lighter now that it was no longer greasy. The sort of blonde bards in taverns sang about as being golden, or flaxen, or like sunshine and pretty flowers. He’d shaven, a dreadful crime in Gajeel’s opinion, but it didn’t make him look young. The jagged scar across his eye wouldn’t allow for such a thing. His tabard must have been washed since it was no longer stained with blood. He was standing with arms crossed, looking like a beam of sunshine cutting across frosted ground.

As if feeling Gajeel’s stare, the captain looked over to where Gajeel was standing, and he immediately felt a pang of self-consciousness. Gajeel was sure he looked like a starved mutt at the base of the stairs eyeing the food (and the captain) the way he was. And a mess. He nervously ran a hand through his hair, giving up halfway down when he snagged on a knot. Damn, and he smelled like shit, too.

The captain smiled in a way that was far too charming, “Ah, the father joins us at last.”

Gajeel stifled a gripe at the title, “You weren’t waiting on me, surely.”

“Oh no, never.”

Laxus chuckled and it was casual and warm and Gajeel didn’t appreciate it in the slightest. The corners of his eyes creased with mirth, and by the Saint Metalicana, how was a mercenary captain so damn pretty?

“I was just trying to strategize a way to ensure Bickslow didn’t eat your portion.”

“Would that be a sin, do you think?” Bickslow grinned widely, “To eat the priest’s meal?”

“Oh, certainly. And I would see you damned to the furthest pit of hell for it…” Gajeel smirked, “…if I were actually a priest.”

A look crossed Bickslow’s features, but he hid it quickly, “Forgive me, father-”

Gajeel raised a critical brow, “Not a priest.”

“As you’ve said but, correct me if I’m wrong, friars also claim the title father?”

“You are correct,” Gajeel nodded solemnly, “which is why I’m happy to inform you that I am also not a friar.”

“Ah! That’s right,” he gestured towards the ceiling as if to say silly me, “What position do you hold in the monastery?”

“I am a merchant,” he stated, gauging the man’s expression.

“A merchant?” he looked bemused. Suspicion crossed Laxus’s face but he schooled it almost fast enough for Gajeel to miss completely.

“Not even monasteries can live solely on the people’s generosity,” Laxus said, raising a brow to Bickslow, “You sound surprised when we’re contracted by the Pegasus Temple.”

“Not surprised. Curious,” he corrected.

“Planning a change in career?” Laxus asked, the suspicion returning again briefly.

“As long as they don’t make me vow pacifism.” Bickslow grinned. He shot Gajeel a scandalous look before he added, “Or chastity.”

Ah…

Gajeel realized immediately he was walking somewhere treacherous but refused to glance anywhere aside from Bickslow’s good-natured grin to determine just how treacherous of ground he was really on.

“No such vows in my order,” he replied breezily.

“What monastery doesn’t require chastity?” Bickslow prodded.

“The Order of Dracul.” Gajeel said, “We’re not the only ones, either. A lot of the smaller orders don’t have such…” he waved his hand in an attempt to pull the words forward, “rigid requirements. I have taken now vow of poverty, either.”

“Ahh… and here I thought you must have a lonely profession,” Bickslow said, grinning again.

There was a point to this, Gajeel knew. He also knew, given whom Bickslow shared a tent with and the particular sounds he’d heard on occasion, that it wasn’t for his benefit. Again, he very consciously refused to look at Laxus. He could feel, also, that the captain was very dutifully not looking at him either. His heart throbbed.

Don’t be stupid. He chided himself, you have important business to attend to. Lusting after a man who barely takes an interest in you when your brothers are in a cage somewhere. What kind of man are you?

And yet…

And yet it was a very, very good kiss…

He continued not to look at Laxus when he replied. He raised his brows and crossed his arms, trying to appear confident and maybe a bit debonair. Like it didn’t matter. Like he wasn’t saying this to catch his attention.

“You can rest assured child, the order doesn’t cull its followers simply by who they bring into their bed, or how many, or how often. Otherwise, I’m afraid they would have kicked me out a long time ago.”

“Then how do they cull their followers, if they’ll just let anyone in?” Bicklsow asked. “Are you god-touched?”

“We follow saints, not gods,” Gajeel said dismissively, “And if ya have to ask what it is that gets you in, you don’t have it.”

“Oh?” Bickslow raised his brows.

Laxus was looking at him now, his perceptive gaze far more that what Gajeel could handle. Thankfully, he didn’t have to elaborate. The hostess had finished setting the table and was calling them over to get their meals. Gajeel, relieved for many reasons, followed behind the captain as they chose their seats.

He and the captain both looked at the tiny bench, the short table, and exchanged a look between them. A smile curled at the corner of Laxus’s mouth.

“My knees are going to be up to my ears,” he said lowly, so as to not insult their host.

“Aye,” Gajeel found himself also grinning like a kid, “and I’ll be near broken in half.”

“Do you think you’ll be able to help me back up?” he said, stifling a laugh.

“Assuming I can also stand,” Gajeel snickered. He lowered himself down slowly, listening to his knees popping as if they’d been made from dry tender.

The captain took the seat across him, and when he sat he nearly overshot the seat, and caught himself, rocking the entire table. Bickslow broke into a loud laugh at his expense, a laugh that was also cut off when he, too, had to sit. Looking very much like three adults sitting at a table for children, they all dug in.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

[fics-n-stuff-n-stuff]

Natsu Dragneel/Lucy Heartfilia Gray Fullbuster/Juvia Lockser Levy McGarden/Gajeel Redfox

all fairy tail characters basically

CharacterAlternate Universe -

Modern with Magic

Fluff and Angst / Romance / Friendship / developing feelings / Lucy has new spirits I checked constellations and gave her ones I thought were cool

Summary

Lucy is thrown into a world she didn’t know existed. Join her as she unravels this new world full of magic that brings adventure, romance and destruction along with it.

———

Just a modern re-telling of Fairy tail following its arcs with a few twists and turns along the way💞

You can also read it here

—————————————————

Chapter 14

Natsu was not used to being this stressed out about another person's well-being.

Well, that is if you don't count Happy.

But the exceed was like a brother/son to him, and he's raised the fur-ball since he'd hatched, so it was natural to worry about the little guy.

It seems the whole ordeal with Phantom Lord left Natsu a little on edge when it came to Lucy. It was so easy for them to take her during the attack, and by the time he found her, she was so battered and bruised.

Natsu never wanted to witness that again.

Ever since Lucy's first disappearance when she was taken by Juvia, he's had an irrational fear of going to her apartment and not finding her there.

Add on everything that they've found out about her family, and that her father was the one behind the attacks, and it all left Natsu feeling a little paranoid.

But could you blame him?

His partner seems to have a unique ability to attract trouble, which in retrospect shouldn't be a surprise for him, given with how they met, and with how well-suited she was for Fairy Tail, fitting in nicely with all the chaos.

Everyone here is a trouble magnet.

But even with all that aside, ever since he found out about it, there was a part of Natsu that feared Lucy's father coming after her, and him not being able to save her.

So when he walked into her empty apartment a few days ago, he knew something was wrong.

Natsu came over to see if she wanted to have breakfast with him and Happy, even though it was past noon by that point.

Looking around, he could tell that nothing in the apartment was out of place, and there was no sign of a struggle, she could've been at the guild for all he knew.

But his gut was telling him something different.

That's when he found the note on her coffee table. It was addressed to him, with an explanation for her absence and asking them to give her two days before coming after her.

Feeling a sense of panic overrun him, Natsu immediately took out his phone and tried calling her, hoping this was some sort of prank.

'She wouldn't actually go alone, would she?' He asked himself as he waited for her to pick up.

He heard the sound of her ringtone coming from her room, and as he followed the ringing, he saw Lucy's phone on the nightstand next to her bed.

Natsu hung up the call with a frustrated huff, flashes of different scenarios went through his head at the thought of Lucy in the clutches of her father.

The man hired Jose Porla to come after her, who knows what he's prepared to do now that she went to him willingly.

Considering Natsu was by no means a sensible creature, this just seemed to rattle him into overdrive.

Thinking back to it now, he doesn't regret marching to Fairy Tail and lying about her being kidnapped.

In fact, Natsu was 100% sure he would do it again.

He needed to know she was safe, and since she didn't bring her phone with her, this was his second-best option.

Sitting back, Natsu downed his Fire whiskey and looked down at his hand, where the ring she'd gotten him was sitting on his middle finger.

The dragon's ruby eyes seemed to twinkle back at him like it was going to start spewing fire at any moment.

Her present was a surprise to him.

Lucy hadn't even known about his affinity for gold or the hoard he had hidden away when she bought it for him. She had just seen a golden dragon and thought of him.

The fact that it was a fireproof ring just made it better.

He rarely wore jewelry because it usually ended up melted by his fire, thankfully he doesn't have to worry about this one.

He debated on whether he should wear it in fear of losing it, or just put it in his hoard for safekeeping.

In the end, he couldn't bring himself to bury the piece with his other treasures, Natsu wanted to proudly wear the gift his partner had picked out for him.

And he liked the fact that they were matching in a way.

He turned back to watch the crowd, or rather, to try and find Lucy amongst the sea of mages.

Spotting her golden hair in the crowd, he followed her with his eyes as she went around the guild, watching her with a smile on his face as she went from table to table talking, drinking, and laughing with everyone.

He watched as Levy pulled her up so they could dance to the song that was playing, the two girls spinning and laughing as they moved to the beat.

The New Year's party was in full swing, and while not everyone was wasted, there were a few of Cana's victims passed out under the tables.

'Poor souls, they never learn.' Natsu thought with a laugh as he spotted Makao sleeping cuddled next to an empty wine barrel.

Even he knew better than to challenge the card mage to a drinking competition.

There were no winners in that one.

Well, besides Cana.

Standing, Natsu made his way to the bar wanting another drink, and from the corner of his eye, he spotted Wendy approaching him through the crowd.

The sky drakon had been in an almost sullen mood for a few days and Natsu waited for her to come to talk to him if she needed to.

Sitting down at the bar, he ordered another drink from Mira and waited for Wendy to approach him.

The younger girl sat next to him after a few minutes and ordered a drink for herself. He waited for her to start the conversation, not wanting to push the young healer.

"Can I ask you a question?" Her voice was tentative as she spoke, and he nodded his head in response and turned to look at her. "I, I know you found a golden key in, well, you know." She said quietly, looking around and making sure no one was eavesdropping.

"I, well, I mean."

Her voice was small as she spoke, and she looked like she was in distress and Natsu turned to face her fully, so he could try and calm her down.

"I remember the first time Igneel took me to see his collection, I was blown away by the amount of trinkets and treasure." There was a nostalgic smile on his face as he turned to look at the wall and reminisced about the past. "He could barely get me to leave that first time."

Natsu chuckled at the memory of Igneel dragging him away from the cave, promising they would come back.

"Grandeeney would always let me pick something to take back with me when we visited hers." Wendy chimed in, her voice slightly shaky as she talked about her mother.

Natsu turned to look at the bluenette, and seeing the tears in her eyes he moved to place a hand on her shoulder. "Is that what's been bothering ya lately?" He asked her with a squeeze.

Wendy moved to wipe the tears that seemed to have escaped and shook her head. "No, it's just, at the Christmas Party, I saw you give Lucy a key from your hoard. And there was a nagging feeling that told me I had one too, but you know I don't collect gold."

Natsu nodded, intrigued to where this was going, and urged her to continue with his hands. "I went to look through it a few days ago, and well." She turned out her left pocket and in her palm was a golden zodiac key.

"I think it belongs to the constellation Capricorn." Wendy whispered before shoving the object back into her pocket. "I've had this with me for 4 days now. I just can't get myself to give it to Lucy."

The tears were welling in her eyes, and Wendy let her head fall to avoid his gaze, as if ashamed. "I know it's wrong, they belong with her. But it's a piece of Grandeeney's hoard, and it's hard saying goodbye to any part of it."

The young girl was crying at this point, and Natsu couldn't help but feel for her. He was not unfamiliar with those emotions, he felt the same way when he first connected the dots.

It was the combination of getting to know and trust Lucy better, and having Scutum say she was considered royalty in the Spirit Realm for him to finally understand the importance behind it, and find the key.

But something was also weird about all this.

There weren't a lot of records about Lucy and her magic. She's been trying to research with Levy for months with little luck, they've only managed to find scraps of information to put together.

Now it turns out both Igneel and Grandeeney had golden spirit keys in their possession, keys that once belonged to Lucy's mother.

Did she know both dragons? Did the spirits know something of their disappearance?

Shaking himself out of his thoughts Natsu moved slowly, so as not to startle the crying girl, and wrapped his arms around her shoulders and brought her into a gentle hug.

"It was hard for me too. I figured out I had a key months ago. I debated on what I should do with it for a long time."

He let out an almost bitter huff of air before continuing. "I understand what you're going through, and I'm not gonna tell you to give it to her." He pauses for a moment, making sure she got his point. "But we both know it's what they would have wanted."

Natsu's tone was as gentle as he could make it, but it still made Wendy cry even harder, clutching his shirt as she did.

It was hard for him to watch her like this, Natsu generally didn't like anyone crying around him, he just felt awkward. But he viewed Wendy as a sort of younger sister and wanted to try his best to comfort her.

"It's why they made sure we have them."

He tried a different approach this time. "I don't know how, but they knew we would meet Lucy one day, and they knew we would do the right thing." He pushed on her shoulders gently so that she would move back to look at him.

Natsu sent her a beaming smile, knowing the young healer would understand.

"Plus, it's not like you're giving it away to a stranger. It's Lucy, she always has her keys with her. This way, you get to see a little reminder of Grandeeney every day and know she would be proud of you for giving it to its owner!"

He shared his reasoning with her and the younger girl finally cracked a genuine smile back, her tears stopped, and her breathing was evening out.

"You're right. I know it's hard for you to talk about them. So, thank you Natsu." Wendy said as she wiped her cheeks dry.

Natsu just smiled back at her and moved to ruffle her hair. "Anytime kiddo, you know I'm always here for you."

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

Coming back from Crocus was quick, thanks to the portal, and upon arrival, Lucy found herself at the receiving end of a long lecture from Master Makarov about the importance of knowing when to do things alone, and when to ask for help.

Followed by a few more lectures by Mira, Levy, and Lisanna about never scaring them like that again, the girls making Lucy promise to always bring her phone with her.

Even Cana had a few choice words about Lucy's little scare.

Lucy apologized profusely to everyone, promising not to scare them like that again, and then went on to tell the guild all about how her trip back home went.

Natsu and Gray found it hilarious that she managed to scare her father into agreeing to her terms, and Erza seemed proud of her bravery.

Everyone else was stunned to learn about her family and supposed status, but Lucy told them that was her past, and no longer applies.

She was just, Lucy of Fairy Tail now.

After retelling the events from her visit and answering all of the questions they had, Lucy finally had the chance to open the box Spetto had given her.

Inside she found two golden keys and a letter from her mother.

Lucy immediately tucked the envelope in her purse, not feeling ready to read her mother's words yet.

Something told her it would only lead to more questions and headaches, instead of any kind of answer.

Taurus and Sagittarius were her newest companions, and while the former was a bit of a pervert, and the latter looked even more ridiculous in his horse costume than she remembered, Lucy was extremely happy to have more of her mother's friends back with her.

Her collection was growing faster than she had expected.

When she first learned about magic and how rare her abilities seemed to be in this world, she thought that it would be impossible to find any gate keys.

But somehow they all end up finding her instead.

The whole guild surrounded Lucy when they noticed her preparing to summon her new spirits, always eager to see her use her magic.

She summoned them one at a time.

Lucy she still couldn't open two golden keys at once no matter how hard she trained.

It always ended up with her unconscious.

She was able to keep Scutum's gate open along with one golden key, which was an improvement!

Everyone watched in awe as she sent Taurus back in a flash of golden light, and summoned Sagittarius so they could form a contract.

They all seemed so fascinated by her abilities, and while she still couldn't understand how it was any more impressive than anything else they could do, she didn't mind the audience.

It was kind of sweet that they were so enthralled by it.

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

Lucy was still getting used to the partying tempo of Fairy Tail, but she was having fun nonetheless.

They had been drinking for more than half the day but the night was still young, and Lucy found herself dancing with Levy in the middle of the guild hall, surrounded by fellow guild mates as they all celebrated the coming of the new year.

Natsu had been in a good mood all day, and even bought her and Happy breakfast before they headed to the guild for the party.

Thought, he has been a tad overbearing and overprotective since her little adventure in Crocus.

He was at her apartment first thing in the morning, always by her side when they were together, following her with his gaze when they were on opposite ends of the room.

And while, admittedly, it was how he usually acted around her, there is more of an intensity to it now.

Lucy could sense the tension and worry that would sometimes project from him, and she felt guilty every time.

She knew he was rattled by the Phantom attack, and with his father's disappearance, she never considered how leaving like that would affect him.

Even with her note, he was worried about what her father was going to do to her.

And while Lucy would like to think he was just overreacting, she also knew what her father was capable of.

"Hey, let's go get a drink?" Levy's voice brought her out of her head, and she realized she stopped dancing and was just standing in the middle of the floor.

Lucy looked around the dancing bodies surrounding them and turned to nod at Levy. "Sure."

The two made their way to the bar and tried to order their drinks from Mira, who seemed busy chatting with a blonde Lucy had never met before today.

Apparently, he was the master's grandson.

Laxus Dreyar.

He was a tall, brooding and muscular man with a lightning scar over his right eye.

Lucy didn't get to talk to him all that much, besides a basic introduction. He seemed nice enough, a little rough around the edges maybe. There was actually something about the man that reminded her of Gajeel the tiniest bit.

His team, the Thunder Legion, returned from a year-long mission just this morning, and everyone was excited to have them back, it seemed like the New Year's party was going to be even wilder than planned because of their return.

Lucy met all of the Thunder Legion, and they seemed like an interesting bunch, it made her wonder how such different people formed a team.

They all appear to be fond of each other though.

Evergreen was a tad snobbish, but it reminded Lucy of home in a weird way, Freed was a complete gentleman and Lucy was looking forward to getting to him, and Bickslow was a little odd, but he looked like a fun guy.

They were some of the strongest mages in the guild, from what she managed to overhear, and that made her a little scared as to what kind of monsters were out there.

If there were stronger mages here in Fairy Tail than the ones she's already met? Lucy doesn't want to meet any of the ones roaming outside of the guild.

"So, what's got you all in your head?" Levy asked her as they waited for Lisanna to bring them their drinks.

"Is that why Mira laughed when I gave her my present?" Lucy asked pointing over her shoulder, trying to avoid the topic.

Levy raised a brow at her, looking over Lucy's shoulder at where the take-over mage was flirting with the blonde, before turning back to look at Lucy.

"Don't think I don't see what you're doing." The short bluenette warned her, sternly pointing her index finger at Lucy. "But to answer your question, yes, but not for the reason you think." She told her with a wink, and now Lucy was even more confused.

"What does that mean?" Lucy almost whined as she went to take a sip from her cocktail. "Uh, uh. No. I answered your question, now you tell me what's going on."

Lucy huffed out, crossing her arms as she did, and slumped slightly forward. "It's nothing serious. Just, Natsu's been a little..." she trailed off, not really knowing how to describe the fire drakon's recent actions.

He acted the same as always towards her, it was just more intense, and sometimes even with a sense of panic.

"Possessive? Overprotective? Downright scary at times?" Levy finished her sentence, checking off each one on her fingers as she did.

Lucy felt a blush forming on her cheeks, looking around to check if anyone was listening in.

Thankfully, everyone in Fairy Tail was busy celebrating to notice the two of them in the corner of the bar.

"Yes. Well, I don't think he's ever scary, but yes to the rest of it." Lucy admitted and Levy only chuckled at her words.

"You don't think he's scary because you haven't seen him when he knows you are in danger." The bluenette told her and Lucy felt her heart jump at the words. "And besides, I don't see how it's any different than usual."

Lucy slumped on the bar and looked back at Levy. "It's different! He's more intense about it. I don't know how to explain." She ran a hand through her hair, trying not to get frustrated.

"You know for how simple he is, he is also a mystery to all of us." Levy said with mirth in her voice, and Lucy sat up straight and leaned in closer to her.

Natsu was a mystery to her too.

Which was a funny concept, considering he's an open book, you can almost always tell what's on his mind. But there was also so much Lucy didn't know about him, and she was interested in Levy's perspective.

"I've known him for a long time, we all have." Levy started, looking around the guild before turning back to her. "Do you know he's never once been out on a job with anyone besides Happy? And I have never seen him interact with the guild as much as he has since he came back that night with you in tow."

Lucy felt a blush at her words and didn't really know what to say, but it seemed Levy wasn't finished anyway.

"In fact, this is the longest I can remember him being in Magnolia since he's been able to go out on jobs." There was a faraway look in the bluenette's eyes for a moment before she continued.

"He's been chasing shadows and whispers since joining Fairy Tail. Running around Fiore and looking for any clues about Igneel and his whereabouts."

She let out a breathy chuckle before continuing. "The gods know how many times The Master or Erza tried to talk to him and explain that sometimes you need to slow down. But you know Natsu, once he's determined about something, he goes head first and without thinking it through."

Levy sent her a pointed look and Lucy chimed in with a giggle of her own, "Don't I know it." She said, thinking about her partner's impulsive tendencies.

"It wasn't until he met you that he finally slowed down." Lucy's heart clenched at Levy's words, she never knew any of this.

"I have never seen him spend so much time with the guild before, usually he would come in to eat, or brawl and get a drink occasionally. But he was mostly just taking jobs back to back, to think he's on a team now, and with Gray and Erza of all people." The bluenette shook her head as if she still couldn't believe it.

"If someone had told me, a day before you came to the guild that those three would be on a team together. That Natsu would be on a team with anyone that isn't Happy, I would have told them they were crazy and laughed in their face." Levy laughed at the thought and Lucy knew her face was a dark shade of red by now.

"Hey, I had nothing to do with their team-up! Erza got word of trouble and asked them to help her, and me too for some reason." She tried to protest her way out of the conversation.

"Okay, maybe so, but I still stand by my statement. He did ask you to go on a job with him! And he took you to the beach so you could summon Aquarius." Levy pointed an accusative finger at her, before giggling and clapping her hands in the air.

"Oh, that was your first date!" She exclaimed happily and Lucy went to shush her, looking around to make sure no one was listening.

You never know with this gossipy bunch.

"Not so loud! Geez!" Lucy moved so she could put a hand over Levy's mouth.

"And it was not a date! He came with me to get my stuff and then took me to the beach so I could make a contract with Aquarius. There was nothing romantic about it!" She explained to the bluenette, dropping the hand that was covering the shorter girl's mouth.

"But you had dinner afterwards?" Lucy felt the blush come back full force at Levy's question and she immediately regretted dropping her hand.

So she tried to change the subject instead.

"I just feel like I've betrayed his trust in some way, and I don't know what to do Lev." She pouted at the bluenette, hoping the shorter girl would take pity on her.

Lucy watched as Levy's brow furrowed at her words before she let out a sigh. "I don't know how to help you there Lu. But maybe you guys can go on a job and that way you could ask him about it." The bluenette offered as she went to clasp their hands, giving Lucy's a squeeze.

Lucy looked at her friend for a few moments, before turning to look at the crowd and tried to spot Natsu.

She saw a flash of pink in the crowd and there he was, sitting at a table across the room, drinking and laughing with Elfman, Evergreen, Bickskow, and a few other guild members.

Natsu's head snapped in her direction a second later, and when they made eye contact he sent a beaming smile her way, tipping his whisky glass towards her.

Lucy smiled back at him and raised her cocktail glass back at him. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." She said as she turned to look back at Levy, who had an almost cheshire smirk on her face.

"Mhmm, I bet it does." The bluenette chuckled before downing her drink. "I'm gonna go and try to get Laki to dance with me, wanna come?" She asked as she hopped out of the barstool.

Lucy looked out at the dance floor and back to Levy. "No, I'm good here. You go have fun."

She watched the shorter girl move through the crowd before disappearing into the sea of people and sighed, slumping slightly over the bar.

Lucy couldn't help but go over the conversation with Levy in her head.

Did Natsu really change that much with just her appearance?

But that doesn't make sense, she didn't do anything to prompt such a shift, she didn't know any other version of Natsu than the one he's been since that first night.

'Maybe I should think about this when I'm not so close to being drunk.' Lucy thought to herself as she took a sip from her drink.

Suddenly, there was a weight over her shoulders, and a familiar warmth enveloped her.

"Whatcha doing here all by yourself? This is a party!" Natsu's voice came from her right, and she turned her head to smile at him.

"You know, I just realized that I never know how cold I am until you're next to me." Lucy blurted out instead of an answer.

Natsu shot her an odd look, before moving to connect their foreheads, he was so close that their noses were almost touching.

"How much did ya have to drink?" His sudden question made Lucy giggle, finding his attempt at being stern hilarious.

She moved to clutch her stomach and suddenly felt her stool shift from underneath her and before she knew it Lucy was falling to the ground.

Thankfully, Natsu's instincts were sharp as ever, he was moving before she even slipped, and helped her back on the stool. "Easy, you're gonna get hurt."

"I'm not drunk!" Lucy protested, and Natsu raised a single brow at her, crossing his arms as he did. "Okay, maybe a little tipsy, but not drunk." She tried to rephrase.

"Yeah, yeah. You're such a lightweight." He laughed at her as he moved from the barstool and stood in front of her.

"I am not a lightweight!" She exclaimed at him, which only made him laugh harder.

"Sure you're not. Now come on, let's go see if Happy had any luck with Charla tonight." He offered his hand out and Lucy took it without hesitation.

"Like that will ever happen, he needs to give her something other than fish!"

Natsu laughed at her proclamation and tugged her through the crowd. "So you keep trying to tell him. Who knows, maybe it'll be a New Year's Miracle!"

They laughed at the thought as they tried finding their furry friend and his lady love.

The guild members were scattered throughout the second floor, drinking, laughing, and dancing. Some of the guys were fighting in the corner.

Lucy could see Levy and Laki dancing to the music, Jet and Droy keeping them company. Cana managed to rope Freed into a drinking competition, and the poor man seemed to be almost gone, she could see him swaying in his seat as they passed.

Erza was at a table with Gray, Juvia, and Lisanna. And they all looked drunk in their own right, with the red-headed seemingly changing armors as her moods shifted and threatening everyone in her sight.

Natsu quickly steered them clear of her as he saw that.

Juvia was almost melting by the proximity between her and Gray, and the ice mage looked a bit uncomfortable with her affection but Lucy could also spot a shadow of a blush on his face as the bluenette rested her head on his shoulder.

All in all, the spirits in Fairy Tail were high.

Everyone was happy to be alive and eager to welcome the New Year, hoping it would bring them joy and happiness.

No one seemed to notice a flyer appearing out of thin air on the job board, they were all too enthralled with the celebration.

[petri808]

Cover art by @rougescribe 💜

Nalu fantasy AU Chapters 1-5 here

6 | 7 | 8 | 9 finito

The women scramble to their feet and Levy instinctively pushes her new friend behind her. She’s been tasked to watch over Lucy and as a wizard of Faerytail, will protect her as best she can. Her eyes narrow in on the larger males guild mark. “What do you want Phantom Lord? Your Hui is not welcome here.” 

“Oh, don’t you worry your pretty little head,” Gajeel smirks. “We’re just here to collect the bounty on this woman’s head. “Her father’s placed a nice chunk of pyrite on her life.”

“Well, she’s under the protection of Faerytail now, so you need to leave!”

“Little Fae, you’re no match for a Draco, so I suggest you back away now before I get angry.”

Levy grits her teeth. “Faerytail doesn’t back down.”

“Suit yourself.” He looks at his compatriot, “cut off their escape.”

This is the moment the Fire Sprite has been waiting for. Finally, some action! Totomaru sends out a stream of flames that arcs around the two women, creating a wall between them and the entrance to the Hui. 

Levy quickly retaliates with a spell of her own and creates a wall of water to douse the fire. But it’s not working! Why isn’t it working?!

The man laughs, “that’s not a regular fire woman, it’s magic! You can’t put it out with mere water.”

Fine! If water doesn’t work, “Solid script sand!” and again nothing dulls the flames. Crap, she doesn’t know what will work on this guy’s fire! Her eyes flit over to the Hui’s entrance, if they could just get past this wall!

As she calculates her options, Lucy starts to panic. The situation is escalating quickly, they are cut off, and even if she ran, without a Hui mark she can’t get through the barrier on her own. Fear bore down on her and wipes her mind of any useful information. All the spell work she’d done is all for nothing if she can’t remember them in panic mode. But it’s not like she’d trained in a battle scenario like Levy probably had. 

So, before the women can make another move, the first male strikes back with his own magic. He creates an iron chain, whipping it and trapping them. The chains bind around them, pinning their arms to their bodies.

Lucy screams and thrashes at the chains. “Let us go!”

“No, gihi. Unlike that idiot Fire Draco, I’m not so easily swayed.”

Levy fights at her bindings, “I’m so, sorry Lucy, this Draco is too strong for me to handle.”

“It’s not your fault.” Lucy glares at the men. “Take me if you must, but let Levy go!”

Totomaru walks closer to Gajeel. “We should take them both for now.”

“Tch, transporting one is easier than two, and I can tell that woman will be a handful.” The large male grabs the brunette and pins her against a tree, manifesting more iron bindings until she’s locked to the trunk. “This’ll hold you,” he grins and grabs her chin harshly. “Very stupid to protect a woman you don’t even know.”

Levy glares at him. “Faerytail will always protect their own.” She spits in his face. 

Gajeel wipes the spit off his cheek. “Feisty bitch!” He growls. “Not very smart to piss off a Draco. You’re just lucky I ain’t got time to deal with you right now.” He grabs Lucy next, tightening the chains around her to keep her hands from moving. “Meet me at our base and just wait for me,” he tells his compatriot before taking to the skies. 

It’s moments like this when Totomaru wished he had wings too. “It’s you’re lucky day Fae. Gajeel rarely leaves any witnesses.” And without another word, he takes off through the forest so quickly, he’s gone in the blink of an eye. 

“Argh!!” Levy screams. The iron chains and straps holding her to the tree were too tight to free her hands. She knew it’s only a matter of time before someone came out of the Hui to look for them, but Lucy and the Draco will be long gone. Damn it! Why were these men here? What did they want with Lucy?!

Inside the hall, Natsu and Makarov finish talking and join the rest of the group. But as soon as the Draco leaves the man’s office, he’s immediately aware that something is amiss. Lucy’s scent is no longer in the building. He quickly scans the place and neither women are around, so he asks Erza if she’s seen them.

“They went outside for some fresh air,” the mountain Fae informs him. “Lucy was struggling with the side effects of our concealment magic.”

That’s not good! Natsu growls and rushes for the entrance. “Fuck!” His deep roar echoes outward mixed of pain and anger. He goes straight for the tree Levy was bound to and melts the iron straps, freeing the woman. “Levy what happened?!”

“I’m sorry Natsu,” she collapses to her knees. “I don’t know who it was that ambushed us and took her. I couldn’t stop them. The Draco and Fire Sprite were too strong.”

“Did they say where they were taking her?”

“No.”

Natsu turns to Makarov, “I’m going jiji. I’m getting her back!”

The old man nods, but frowns. “I understand your desire, but son, you cannot rush out without even knowing where to find her.” First, he motions to Wendy and Cana to help Levy to her feet. “Get her checked out. She’s been banged up good.” Then he grabs Natsu by the shoulder, “we will help you get Lucy back.”

Back inside the safety of the hui, it’s taking several members to restrain Natsu from leaving on his own. In the meantime, Makarov sits with Levy as Wendy attends to the Fae’s injuries.

“Tell me everything you can think of that might help us find them,” Makarov asks.

“The fire sprite called the Draco Gajeel, and they had phantom hui marks.”

Makarov rubs his chin. “I’ve heard that name before. A rouge Draco that takes any job to make money, and doesn’t care what that entails. But he’s usually a loner and I didn’t know he’s attached to phantom. Anything else?”

“Gajeel told the fire sprite to meet him at base, though I don’t know if that means the hui or somewhere else.”

“Master,” Erza questions Makarov, “perhaps this Gajeel just brought the fire sprite to defend against Natsu?”

At that moment Juvia Loxar, a fairly new member walks over as well. “Juvia knows the fire sprite and Gajeel. The fire sprite is Totomaru.”

“So, assuming base may mean their hui location, that’s a start. But he may also take Lucy straight to her home village to collect the bounty first.” Makarov broods over the decision. “I believe it’s best to start with her village. If he’s not there at least we’ll know Lucy has not been turned over to her father yet. And he wouldn’t kill her before obtaining the reward… How far is Lucy’s village from here?”

“It would take till nightfall to reach it with wings,” Gray answers. “Longer without.”

“Then we know Gajeel wouldn’t get there either till dark. Someone find Mest!”

All of a sudden, there’s a loud roar followed by a crashing sound. The group turns to the noise and sees Natsu storming out of the hui, leaving behind a pile of members in his wake. This is not good.

“Master, should we follow him?” Erza questions.

“Not yet,” Makarov decides, “he’ll still take time to reach her. If we can find Mest, he can teleport more members there to back him up.”

Cana chimes up. “Mest won’t be back in time.”

Makarov sighs, “then we have no choice. Erza and Juvia, you’ll have to help carry Gray and I to the village.”

“Juvia will happily carry my Gray darling!”

“And I can carry you master,” Erza adds. “But will we be enough?”

“Perhaps, you are right.” Makarov yells for his grandson. “Laxus, you and Mira will come too. Another Draco will come in handy against Gajeel if things gets out of hand.” Including Natsu, the elder worries. “Let’s get going!”

As the hui members head out after Natsu, the Draco is flying at his top speed in the direction of Lucy’s home village. He doesn’t know the exact location, but can track the scent Lucy is leaving behind along with the Draco stranger Gajeel. Oh, it’s making his blood boil and inner beast demand vengeance! How dare this Gajeel bastard touch his woman! Between hurting his fellow hui member and kidnapping his Fae, he’ll be lucky if Natsu doesn’t rip out his throat! His and maybe Jude’s for the pain he’s put his daughter through!

It was lunchtime when Lucy had been kidnapped. Hours have now passed by as her captor carries her towards her home village still bound in chains. Ugh! Even if she could remember her spells, with her hands bound they’re useless.

“You realize Natsu won’t stop to get me back!” Lucy spat at her captor.

“Tch, I can deal with him,” Gajeel growls. “He’s a puny Draco that needs to be taken down a notch. Now shut up till we get there or I’ll leave you broken on daddy’s doorstep.”

“My dad wouldn’t care…”

Lucy knew if Natsu doesn’t get there quick enough, she’s in trouble. Even if Gajeel doesn’t hurt her, she’s certain her father will for running away. Of course, if he truly plans to marry her off he won’t leave her scarred physically, but there’s a lot of other kinds of damage he can inflict.

Day has almost turned to night as Lucy recognizes the surrounding area of her home village. She cringes inside, ‘I’m back…’

Gajeel lands just outside of the village’s entrance where two sprites stand guard. Once they recognize their leaders daughter Lucy, they immediately take Gajeel straight to Jude.

“Please, don’t,” Lucy twists against her bindings despite how they’re cutting into her skin. “Don’t give me back to him!”

“I said shut it!” Gajeel slaps Lucy. “I don’t care about your family squabbles! Money is money!”

He continues to follow the guards, dragging her along towards a two-story villa. “Look at this place,” Gajeel sneers at Lucy. “Only a brat would run away from this. You’re lucky you didn’t grow up destitute like I had to.”

“It’s a gilded cage,” Lucy spat back. “You know nothing of what I went through in these walls.”

They were led into a fancy looking room and told to wait there while the guards summoned Jude. Gajeel held tight to Lucy chain. He isn’t giving her up unless the leader meets his demands. The original bounty was for 3 million pyrite, but with the additional problems, namely Natsu and Faerytail, he wanted double for bringing her back or he’d find another buyer. Lucy’s newly learned magic will easily boost her value. Or maybe he’ll even sell her back to that stupid Draco boyfriend of hers.

After what feels like forever to Lucy, she finally sees her father walk into the room. Figures the man didn’t rush there after learning of her return. Jude really doesn’t care about his own daughter. So, despite Gajeel being her captor, she cringes behind him unwilling to look at man who’s ruined her life.

“Ah, finally someone has brought my wayward daughter back home.” Jude commends Gajeel as he motions to a guard to bring in a chest of pyrite. “3 million pyrite.”

“Yeah…” Gajeel tugs on Lucy’s chain to pull her close. “This one came with a lot more trouble than 3 million worth. I want double.”

“That’s absurd!” Jude snaps. “She’s not worth double, she’s not even worth 3 million!”

“Maybe to you,” Gajeel spat back. “But this brat is protected not only by another Draco but the Faerytail hui. It’s gonna cause my hui a lot of grief for kidnapping her!”

The two continue arguing back and forth for several minutes over the bounty’s price. Gajeel is a bit surprised of how little Lucy’s father actually cares for his daughter after all. Regardless, it’s not his problem. Eventually, Jude agrees to pay 4.8 million pyrite. His guards bring in a new chest with the new amount.

“There!” Jude gestures in irritation. “There’s your damn money Draco. Now kill her!”

“What?!” Gajeel stops undoing the chains around Lucy in shock. “Whoa! I never agreed to kill her! That’s not part of the deal!”

“It is now, so kill her,” Jude directs again. “Kill her! Don’t you realize how powerful she is?! She’s a threat to me if she lives!”

Gajeel growls. “Yeah, that’s not happening sprite. I don’t care who the fuck you are. Kidnapping is fine, murder no. You kill her your damn self!”

Suddenly a loud boom rocks the building, and heat permeates the air.

“Aww, fuck!” Gajeel growls.

Jude snaps as Natsu barges into the room. “Who the hell is this?!”

Natsu let’s out a fierce and reverberating roar. His eyes have turned serpentine and glowing with the rage that’s consumed him, wings fully manifested and his claws extended with fire swirling over them. He glares at the sprite and Draco. “Your death bringer, that’s who.”

[prettylittleheartfilia]

The Usual

Neither of them knew how they ended up in this situation. One moment she was yelling at him for sneaking into her house, as usual. Then they began sparring, as usual. And now they found themselves on the couch, Natsu’s lips capturing hers, Lucy’s hands cupping his cheeks, which was not usual at all.

It was a soft kiss, neither of them really sure of what they were supposed to be doing with their mouths. They pulled away, pressing their foreheads together. The two stayed like that for a while, eyes closed, basking in the realization of what had just happened.

Lucy slowly opened her eyes and, just as she was about to speak, Happy flew in through the open window in her apartment.

“Lucy! Did you get any fish for me?”

Both Natsu and Lucy jumped at the sound of the exceed’s voice, scrambling to opposite ends of the couch so as to not raise any suspicion on what they had been doing less than a minute ago.

“Hey, buddy!” Natsu said a little too enthusiastically, his voice an octave higher than normal. “I thought you were hanging out with Carla.”

“Yeah, but I wanted to give her my fish and then I realized I actually ate it on the way to the guild, so I’m looking for another one.” He explained as he made his way to Lucy’s pantry.

“You already ate the fish I saved you.” Lucy called out, trying to hide her still reddened cheeks.

“What? Lucy~, that’s why I tell you to keep a bunch of them in the pantry!”

“I’m not saving any more of your stinky fish!” She got up and started pushing both of them towards the front door. “If you want more then go fishing and stop annoying me!”

The blonde slammed the door on their faces, leaning her head on it and letting her body slide down onto the floor. She normally didn’t mind their company, as much as she constantly berated them for invading her personal space, but today she needed to be alone in order to process what the hell had just happened.

The days following the incident were… weird. Lucy started avoiding Natsu like the plague. She dreaded going to the guild out of fear that she might run into him. And when she did inevitably run into him, she would make up a quick excuse as to why she couldn’t go on missions with him or sit with him to eat. The dragon slayer hadn’t sneaked into her place after that day either, which should have been a relief for the blonde, but it just made her feel like he thought what happened between them had been a mistake.

But what right did she have to feel this way? She was the one who continued to run away from him, too afraid of what might happen if they got the chance to be alone together. And now, she was all by herself in her apartment, deciding to focus on her novel instead of trying to go to the guild for a futile game of hide and seek like she had been doing all week. Except that this wasn’t working either. Every time she tried to write words on the paper, her mind went back to Natsu and that day. The way his lips felt against her own—chapped but sweet, the way his hands felt on top of her hips, how his wild hair smelled of-

Lucy flinched at the sound of someone knocking on her door. She jumped out of her desk chair and quickly opened the entrance to her apartment, not really caring who was behind the door as long as they could make her think of something other than her best friend’s lips.

“Hey, Lu!” As soon as the door opened, Levy jumped on the blonde, hugging her tight.

“Hey… everyone. What are you guys doing here?” Still a bit flustered from her earlier thoughts, Lucy hugged Levy back as she glanced up to see Cana, Juvia, Erza, Mira, and Lisanna all standing in her doorway.

“We thought today would be a perfect day for a girls’ night!” Mira explained as she and the other girls made themselves comfortable in Lucy’s home.

Lucy smiled softly. A girls’ night was just what she needed to clear her head, even if it was unexpected.

Or so she thought.

Not even ten minutes after her friends’ arrival, Cana exposed the real reason why they had suddenly come to visit. “So, Lucy, did something happen between you and Natsu?”

“Cana!” Levy smacked her arm as the other girls looked at the brunette with wide eyes.

“What? Might as well just come out and ask instead of beating around the bush.”

The blonde’s face glowed red as she hurriedly denied her friend’s question. “No! No no no, everything’s fine! W-why do you ask?”

“Please. We all notice how weird you’ve been acting lately. You run away if you see even a glimpse of pink hair.”

Lucy looked down. Maybe she should tell them what happened. She’s not used to talking about her feelings, normally just shoving them down and distracting herself by writing or going on a mission. But none of those distractions seemed to be working right now. And most of her friends had much more experience in this department than her, surely they would know what to do. Plus, she trusted these girls with her life.

“Natsu and I… we, we kissed… last week.” She muttered, still looking down. Part of her hoped they didn’t hear her but, alas, they did.

There was a resounding “WHAT?” from all of her guests and Lucy simply nodded, still too afraid to look up.

“Oh my God! Pay up, guys!” Cana jumped up, thrusting her open palm in front of Mira’s face.

“I really thought it would take them years.” Mirajane grumbled as she took out some rolled up jewels from her cleavage and handed them to the brunette. Both Lisanna and Erza also stood up and begrudgingly gave Cana their money.

“Juvia knew it was coming. They’ve been flirting more and more these days.” Said the water mage with a smug grin as Cana divided the bills with her and Levy.

“Wait, what?” Lucy finally looked up indignantly, “You guys made a bet about this?”

“Of course. We all know you two idiots are in love. You’re the last ones to realize it.” Cana shrugged as she sat down again.

“We’re not in love.” Lucy responded, but even she knew it was a weak protest.

“How did it happen? Who kissed who? Was it like you expected your first kiss to go?” Levy jumped from question to question excitedly.

“I don’t even know. We sat down on the couch after a sparring match and we were just playing around and then…” She trailed off.

“Did you like it?” Erza spoke up for the first time.

“...Yes?” Lucy responded after a while and groaned after she saw her friends’ cheeky smiles, burying her face in her hands.

“If you liked it so much, then why do you keep running away from him?” Asked Cana.

“I don’t know,” The blonde mumbled, face still buried in her hands before she moved to hug her knees instead, “Things are just… weird right now. I don’t know what I want, or what he wants.”

“Well, do you see yourself in a relationship with him?” Mira asked softly.

This got Lucy thinking. Ever since she was little, she had always fantasized about marrying her Prince Charming. Someone who was elegant, classy, a gentleman on all counts. But, after meeting Natsu, somehow the idea of that Prince Charming started fading away from her mind until there was no trace of it left. Now, whenever she thought about the one person she wanted to spend forever with, the only things she could envision were wide, warm smiles and pink hair. She never spent too much time thinking about what it could all mean, too afraid of what she might find if she dug deep enough in her heart. But the truth always found its way to the surface.

“I do.” She admitted in a whisper, more to herself than the people around her. “I want us to be together forever.”

“Then, what are you so afraid of? Go and talk to him.”

“I can’t. What if he doesn’t feel the same way? I don’t think he’s interested in relationships. And even if he was, he’s my best friend. I would never want to do anything that could jeopardize that.”

This time, Lisanna interjected. “Luce, I’ve known Natsu for a long time. I probably know him better than he knows himself in certain ways. I can assure you, the boy is head over heels for you. And I’m not the only one who sees it.” The other girls made gestures of agreement and Lisanna chuckled.

“You’re missing out on what could potentially be a beautiful thing because you’re scared of the what-ifs. Yes, maybe along the line something happens and you guys break up. But, maybe you don’t and you get to grow old together. You’ll never know unless you try. Life is all about risks and I know you’re brave enough to take them. I’ve seen you do it.”

Mira’s speech almost brought tears to Lucy’s eyes. She was right-- as she usually was about everything. If Lucy was able to leave everything behind at seventeen to become a mage and get through countless adversities in her way, even when all odds were against her, what’s stopping her from confronting a boy?

“No matter what happens, we will always be a team.” Erza added, and it was just the validation Lucy needed to make her mind up.

“Thank you, guys. Really. And you’re right. I need to stop running away and just talk to him.”

———

Today was the day. After going over everything the Strauss sisters had said to her in the mirror to gain courage, Lucy took a deep breath and made her way towards the guild.

As soon as she opened the grand doors, she was met with the familiar ruckus of Fairy Tail; chairs being thrown in the air, groups of people singing while drunk-- Cana being the most notable of all, of course. People yelling out what missions they were planning on taking to Mira, and what seemed to be a crowd of people cheering on a fight. She smiled. As much as Lucy loved peace and quiet, there was something so comforting about all the chaos that went on inside the guild. It felt like home.

Only when she got closer did the celestial mage notice that the people who were fighting were none other than Natsu and Gray. Gajeel seemed eager to join the fight from where he stood in the crowd, but he was being pulled back and chastised by Levy.

Rolling her eyes, Lucy squeezed her way through the group until she was standing on the front row. “Natsu, Gray! You better stop before Erza sees you.”

The threat fell on deaf ears, the two mages too entranced on beating each other up to even notice the presence of their friend. Sighing, Lucy made her way to where the two of them stood. Before either of the boys could process what was happening, Lucy grabbed their heads and crushed them together. The hollering crowd instantly went silent and slowly dispersed, knowing not to cross the blonde when she was in one of those moods.

“What the fuck, Lucy!” Cried out Gray as he rubbed the injured area.

Deciding there were more important matters at hand, Lucy ignored him and turned to Natsu who was also rubbing his head until he noticed the girl looking at him. He straightened up with wide eyes.

Before he could say anything though, Lucy hurriedly asked, “Can you come over for dinner later?” Knowing that if she didn’t ask now she would lose all the courage she worked so hard to build.

The question seemed to throw Natsu off. He sent a panicked look at Gray, as if questioning whether he heard her right, and answered after a few seconds. “S-sure! I’ll be there.”

———

Lucy decided to leave the guild early not only to make the food, but to mentally prepare for what was about to happen.

She was going to ask Natsu how he felt. And she had no idea what to expect. The boy had never been good with words or expressing himself, his thoughts always a mystery to whoever he was around. Perhaps if she hadn’t kicked him out of the apartment after their kiss and avoided him every day since then, she would have an idea of what was going on through his mind. But it’s too late for regret now.

Just as she finished setting up the small table, she heard someone knocking at her door. Taking a deep breath, Lucy opened the door to find her pink-haired partner scratching the back of his neck, a soft blush dusting his cheeks. Part of her was afraid he was going to fly in through the window with Happy, but she was glad to see he understood that she wanted them to talk alone.

“Natsu.” She breathed, suddenly at a loss for words.

“Hey, Luce.” He gave her one of his signature big smiles, but Lucy noticed that it didn’t reach his eyes. He seemed… nervous. She never thought Natsu was capable of feeling that emotion.

They stood awkwardly on the doorway for a few seconds before Lucy realized it was her turn to speak.

“C-come in! I made some of that spicy chicken you really like.” She looked down at the floor as she opened the door wider so he could pass.

“Thanks!” He chirped as he sat down on one of the dining chairs.

Lucy gulped. The entire speech she rehearsed over and over again had completely been erased from her mind the moment she saw him.

This was going to be a long night.

———

Once again, Lucy had no idea how they ended up like this. Dinnertime had been very awkward, the two of them eating silently for the most part, making small talk every once in a while, both of them too afraid to mention the elephant in the room. But, somehow, they had gone from barely talking at each other, to making a bet on who would win a sparring match. Even in the most difficult situations, Natsu always found a way to wreak havoc. And Lucy found a strange sense of comfort in that.

At first, the blonde was hesitant on accepting the bet, still feeling the discomfort of all the things left unsaid. But, when Natsu sent a Fire Dragon Iron Fist her way, breaking her favorite vase as she ducked, she decided to make good use of her Fleuve D’étoiles. After a few minutes of going back and forth, Lucy pretended to point at something surprising behind Natsu, which gave her the opportunity to wrap her whip around Natsu’s ankle when he looked back and tug him until he collapsed on the ground. The oldest and cheapest trick in the book, Lucy knew, but a win was a win. Honestly, she was more surprised that it had actually worked.

She unwrapped the whip from Natsu’s ankle and placed it gently on her desk. The dragon slayer was still laying flat on the floor, so Lucy decided to lay down next to him. She sighed as she felt all the tension she had been feeling lately leave her body. It had only been a week but she had seriously missed being around her best friend. It didn’t matter to her what they were, she just wanted to be with him. That was enough for her.

“Now my face is all red.” She muttered as she pressed her hands to her cheeks.

“I like your face.” Natsu mumbled and, as they both whipped their heads to look at each other with wide eyes, Lucy realized that he was just as surprised by what had come out of his mouth as she was. “I, I mean your face is cool! I-it’s nice. Even when it’s all red and sweaty like now.”

Lucy raised an eyebrow at his poor attempt to save himself but made no effort to stop him.

“But not only your face!” He continued, “Gray told me you should never just talk about a girl’s appearance.” He grumbled, as if upset he had broken some sort of special rule and Lucy could not stop her amused smile. “Like, yeah, your face is nice, but you are also nice! And smart. And I like how I feel when we hang out. Ugh, what am I saying?” He turned his face towards the ceiling again and covered it with his hands.

It took everything in Lucy’s power to not burst out laughing right then and there. Was Natsu… confessing? She had never seen him so flustered. Ever. Normally, that was her thing. She had to admit, it was nice being on the other end every once in a while. All this time, she tried her hardest to muster up the courage to talk to him, trying to convince herself that things would be fine even if he didn’t feel the same way and now here he was, making a fool out of himself in the most heartwarming way Lucy could have asked for.

After a couple moments of silence, Lucy finally decided to speak up with newfound confidence.

“... I like your face too. Just so you know.”

Natsu dropped his hands from his face and whipped his head to look at Lucy. She raised her eyebrows, hoping he would understand exactly what she meant. She knew he understood by the way his lips slowly formed a giddy smile, one to match hers. Without the need for any more words, they both turned to look at the ceiling as their hands found their way to each other’s, fingers entangling.

This definitely wasn’t the usual for them, but maybe it was time for a new normal.

[of-a-chaotic-mind]

Don't Have to Choose

Summary: Reader has been avoiding Laxus and Gajeel because of how she feels about them but soon they let Reader know that they don’t have to choose.

TW/CW: Poly Laxus Dreyar x genderfluid!afab!Reader x Gajeel Redfox,

Requested?: Yes, by a lovely Anon who said, “Hi Gin!! I was wondering if you still write for Fairy Tail? If so, could I request a poly Laxus x genderfluid reader afab x Gajeel imagine? Maybe the way they get together? And if the reader was a water or ice god or demon slayer that would be cool. If you do choose to write this it would be so exciting to read your great writing!”

Word Count: 1,543

A/N: It feels so good to write again. Again, I'm so sorry about it taking so long to get back to it. Also, when I say I wish I could be (Y/n), I mean it. Literally can never decide which is my favorite between Laxus and Gajeel lol. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the read! As always, love to all!

Your POV

As I made my way through the Guild Hall for another job request, I ducked behind a pillar as I spotted Laxus on the other side of the room. I silently prayed that no one would bring attention to me. Out the corner of my eye, I also spot Gajeel so I decide to beeline towards the Request Board and pick up the first one I could grab and take off. I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m avoiding my two best friends but I’m not even sure myself. Actually, that’s not true. I know why but I’d rather marry a Vulcan than admit the reason.

I make it to the board and grab a job request and then turn on my heel to speed out of there but slam right something big and sturdy. I’m knocked onto my butt and as I look up I find the Iron Dragon Slayer grinning down at me. I glare at him as he chuckles but my eyes are torn away from him as a hand is offered to help me up, said hand happens to be attached to a second Dragon Slayer, this one being of the lightning variety. I get up off the floor without taking Laxus’s hand and then turn to head towards Mirajane to accept the job.

I toss the paper down onto the counter and turn to leave but Mira stops me, “(Y/n), you should probably take back-up for this one. From what I hear there’s a lot more Vulcans than just one person can handle for this job.” Of course, having heard her, Laxus and Gajeel make their way over.

“We’ll go with you, Tiny,” Gajeel offers.

I internally scream as Laxus nods his head in agreement. “Great! Be safe you three, we’ll see you when you get back,” Mira exclaims happily. Something in the back of my mind says Mira did that on purpose but I don’t have the mental ability to argue with her right now. Without saying another word, I head straight to the door and out into the sunshine and bustling street of Magnolia. I don’t even need to look back to know that Gajeel and Laxus have joined me as well as Panther Lily. I head North on foot towards the mountain town overrun by Vulcans.

We walk in silence for quite some time before I hear something metal rattling. I turn to look over my shoulder to find Gajeel dropping a few nuts and bolts into his mouth. He offers some to me but I roll my eyes and turn my attention back ahead of us. Lily finally is the first to speak, “I’ll be blunt and quick about it, what has gotten into you three?”

The silence coming from Gajeel and Laxus tells me that they’re waiting for me to speak. I pretend not to notice. Unfortunately, Laxus doesn’t seem to want the subject to drop, “I don’t know about Metal Muncher, but you’ve been ignoring me for weeks.”

“Don’t be so dramatic, it hasn’t been that long,” I respond nonchalantly.

“So, you admit you’ve been ignoring him?” Gajeel inquires, “Glad it’s not just me.”

“It has been that long. It’s been three weeks since there’s been any semblance of an interaction between us,” Laxus adds.

I sigh and ignore them as were coming up on the outskirts of the town. It’s surprisingly quiet as I lean against a brick wall to take a break and survey the area from our position up on this hill. In a flash, Laxus is in front of me and has his hands pressed against the wall to cage me. I avoid eye contact with him as he speaks, “Don’t think we’re finished discussing this. When we get this job done, you’re gonna tell me why you’ve been ignoring me.” I finally look up at him to read his expression. He looks genuinely hurt which causes my own heart to ache. Then I could swear I hear Gajeel growl lowly as Laxus steps away from me to look over the town.

Seeing no sign of the Vulcans, we descend into the valley where the small town resides in search of them. It’s not long before we find them. Together the four of us make quick work of the job with only a short capture of myself by a Vulcan which led to even more tension between Gajeel, Laxus, and myself. Soon, we leave the town as the citizens cheer and thank us. The walk home is almost suffocatingly tense and quiet.

Upon our return to Magnolia, we make our way to the counter where Mira wanders back and forth serving drinks to our guildmates. Laxus heads upstairs where it’s undoubtedly quieter and Gajeel makes himself at home at one of the tables on the opposite side of the room. I take a seat at the bar as Lily hops up onto its surface, “Are we going to discuss what happened?”

Mira stops in front of us, “What happened?”

“Nothing,” I mumble in annoyance.

Lily looks as if he’s trying to decide if he should tell her but quickly makes up his mind, “(Y/n) here was kidnapped by one of the Vulcans. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Gajeel and Laxus work together so swiftly or become so angry.”

Mira giggles, “Let me guess, you too think they love our dear friend here, don’t you.”

“Yes,” and nods thoughtfully, “I also think that (Y/n) loves them too but is too scared of what that might mean.”

I sigh, “Fine, you’ve caught me. I just... there’s no way that I could choose.”

Mira looks at me with a mischievous grin on her face, “Who says you have to choose?”

I fidget with my fingernails as I drop my head to stare at the counter. A storm of thoughts rumbles its way through my mind. However, it’s quickly halted as someone gently places their hand on my shoulder. I look behind me to find Laxus and Gajeel both standing there. Gajeel nods his head towards the door to signal for me to come with them.

Mira mouths, “good luck,” at me as I hop down off the stool to leave the Guild Hall. Quietly, we make our way to my house as my stomach twists itself into knots and the storm in my mind begins raging again. I unlock the front door and step inside, leaving the door open for them to follow me in. I hear the door shut softly behind me as I drop my backpack off on the kitchen counter and then plop down onto the couch.

The quiet persists for a few moments until Laxus finally speaks up from his stance against the wall across from me, “I never knew there could be someone outside of the Thunder Legion that I could work so well with let alone with such little communication.”

I know without asking that he’s referring to the fact that he and Gajeel worked like a well-oiled machine to get me to safety. From the other couch, Gajeel agrees, “I didn’t either but we were pretty good out there huh?”

“We were... but it’s not just us,” comes Laxus’s response as he drops onto the couch beside me.

Gajeel stands and joins us, “Without Tiny, we’d be a pretty shitty team.”

“We’re not going to make you choose, (Y/n). Why would we when we’d know you’d be safer with both of us than just one?” Laxus adds.

All my fear of having to choose dissipates as I realize what they’re saying, “So, we’re really going to make this a thing?”

“Yup,” Gajeel answers, popping the p before getting up to go to the kitchen.

Several months later, the Fairy Tail Guild has been requested to help out taking down a dark guild. Here I stand, facing off against a trio of dark mages. One of them looks at me and chuckles, “You’ll make a cute little maid, sweetheart. What’s your name?”

One of his friends looks at him like he’s insane, “Dude, how do you not know who this is? I highly suggest you just fight and not try anything. Her boyfriends will level you in seconds if you even think about taking her.” Just then the guy is struck with a bolt of lightning and knocked out.

“You’re right about that one,” Laxus grumbles as he steps up beside me on my right, shortly joined by Gajeel on my left. The other two look at the three of us in absolute terror and try to flee but they too are knocked out, this time by Gajeel’s iron arm.

“Just when I thought I was going to have to take these idiots out myself,” I laugh.

“You know we’ve always got your back, Tiny,” Gajeel responds as he moves closer. The three of us form a sort of triangle with our backs turned to each other to face the oncoming hoard of dark mages who heard the lightning and decided they could take the challenge. In the midst of chaos with a battle raging on, I feel perfectly safe knowing that the two men who hold equal shares of my heart have my back and each other’s while I also have theirs.

Taglist:

Masterlist

[redsbrainrot]

Gruvia Week - Discovery

This is my first time positing on here lol - go easy on me please

Warning: minor smutty themes

_ _ _

"Juvia, you feeling alright?" 

Juvia, sat on a bench in the guildhall next to Levy and Gajeel, continued to rock back and forth in her seat with her arms clenched around her stomach. In Levy's lap was placed one of the twins in her hold, giddy and babbling while the one Gajeel was cradled into his shoulder and fast asleep. Therefore their conversation had to remain quiet or the six month old baby would awake screaming. 

"Juvia's okay," She mumbles, "I think I just ate something weird." 

Levy and Gajeel glance at each other, "Do you feel sick?" Levy asks. 

She nods, "A little." 

"Weren't you feeling crappy yesterday?" Gajeel adds. 

"A bit." Juvia would bend her truths to save her friends from worrying too much. 

For the past four days, Juvia had been experiencing mild nausea. Every day it appeared to be more frequent, this day being the worse. 

"Come on," Levy stands up and carefully hands over the twin she had to Gajeel, "I'll take you home."

Levy walks Juvia down the sunsetting street to the apartment Juvia shared with her boyfriend, who was currently out on a long lasting job, leaving Juvia with a feeling of absence in her apartment, and peacefully waiting for him to return in a months time. 

Juvia frantically gets out her keys to unlock the door, a sensation of rush bursting through her veins. As soon as she enters, her direction is in a locked path directly towards the sink as it was the closest thing for her to unleash half digested food from her stomach. 

Levy quickly grabs a chunk of Juvia's wavy blue locks to save them from being stuck together by portions of puke while her hand eases her by rubbing circular patterns on Juvia's back. After Juvia retracts her position from over the sink, she sinks to the ground, exhausted and somewhat hungry again. 

"Juvia, how long have you been feeling like this?" Levy questions, dropping next to her. 

"A few days." 

"Are you sure it's something you ate?" 

Juvia's eyes widen a little, peering up towards Levy's face. She hadn't exactly thought what it could be. Truthfully, she was denying what it most definitely was. Juvia's an intelligent woman, and can tell the difference between an illness and... the other topic. 

Juvia begins to twiddle her thumbs in nervousness as her nose buries into the skirt of her dress on top of her knees, "Juvia's not exactly sure..." She confesses. 

Levy's next query would for sure strike something, "Is your period late?"

That one didn't actually enter Juvia's mind. She mutters a sequence of dates and numbers to herself, counting on her fingers in concentration. "Shit!" Juvia cursed on rare occasions. 

"Is that a yes?" 

Eyes wider than ever, she nods. "Two weeks late!" 

Levy knew all these symptoms. Juvia had been oversleeping and coming to the guild at later times in the day, the nausea, the missed periods... It wasn't hard to calculate. She pushes herself from the floor and taking Juvia's hand with her, taking her towards the bedroom and implying her to sit on the bed, as this will be pretty heart stopping. 

She takes her hands into hold, and kneeling in front of the puzzled blunette, her voice gentle and calm, in attempt to keep things light hearted, "Juvia, I think you're pregnant." 

Her eyes slant to the side, taking in the life changing information that may be a high possibility. "No..." She says under her breath, "Gray-sama and Juvia aren't even married yet... not even engaged." Juvia likes to keep traditions in mind.

"Doesn't mean it's not a possibility. All the evidence is right in front of you, you can't possibly deny it. Plus you've always dreamed of having kids with Gray. This can be a good thing if you want it to be. If not, that's totally fine too." 

Juvia and Gray hadn't discussed kids more than once. At least alone together and not in a teasing situation surrounded by their guild-mates. 

"Have you got any pregnancy tests here?" 

Juvia shakes her head in reply. 

"I'll go out and get you one." She breaks the contact, exchanging a smile with her as she heads out the door. 

Juvia falls into her bed, glaring at the ceiling as she processes the situation. The chances of it being true were actually quite high. The two of them were very sexually active, yet also taking precautions. Most of the time. Once or twice, Gray may have relied on the withdrawal method. A few weeks before Gray left for his job along with Natsu, Lucy and Erza, the two of them went out to stargaze. Mere touches were grazed on each others skin. Those touches becoming more lewd, lewd gestures forming into kisses, and eventually, the kisses leading to sex under the midnight sky. 

Juvia's hands slap to her face in utter embarrassment, and stupidity flowing through her mind. No contraception which was one hundred percent effective existed, and they increased the chances of conceiving by using the worst method possible. 

Juvia unconditionally loves her Gray-sama, and even though it took some time, the feeling was completely mutual. However, Juvia had planned out her life with Gray. First moving in together, which had already been achieved. Second, waiting for the day he proposes (she doesn't have the guts to do it herself). Third, the day the two lovebirds finally get married. Last but not least, babies. 

Juvia had strong mother instincts, she was born to be a mother. What made her dream bigger about it was the fact Gray would one day be a father to them. 

Ten to fifteen minutes later, Levy returns with a plastic bag. Containing some comfort food and of course a pregnancy test. 

Juvia hesitantly takes the test, and heads inside the bathroom. 

She follows the instructions while her heart beats worryingly fast. In fear of the answer, she slaps the test into Levy's hand while they wait a few minutes for the result, not wanting to see for herself. 

"Juv..." Levy calls after a few minutes. 

Juvia peaks up from her slouch as she sat on the end of the bed, her teeth grinding with anticipation. 

"It's positive." 

Juvia had trouble believing it. She was actually pregnant? Even though she was going to beat herself up for not being more careful, a hint of joy sprung out of nowhere. Hormones, perhaps?

A brief smile emerges on Juvia's round, porcelain face, while her eyes are screaming. She's actually, after all these years, going to have a baby with the man she's wanted to the most. Just a little bit earlier than she had originally planned.

Gray doesn't return for another month. After this, she wouldn't be able to bare another moment with him not knowing. 

"When does Gray get back?" 

"Just over a month... I don't know what I want to do..." 

_ _ _

On the couch, dressed in her boyfriend's shirt and a pair of shorts, Juvia sat in peace and comfort while skimming the pages of one of her favourite books to pass time. Gray's arrival was due that day. Juvia had a burst of anticipation to see her boyfriend after so long, but coated with fear in addition. 

Juvia slams her book as she catches the sound of keys turning the locks. After discovering she's pregnant with her Gray-sama's baby, she'd spent the previous month reading pregnancy books, making space for the baby in the spare bedroom, which was previously used as a storage room which would grow like mould. For the majority, she'd be sleeping and having naps three times a day, and throwing up anything that'd enter her body. Her cravings were wild, her tongue rejected almost all of her favourite foods, including her most adored Gray buns. 

Juvia'a smile lightens Gray's life up as he opens the door. His jacket is immediately stripped without a thought and his arms around her body, first pulling her closer to him and their lips briefly locking for a sweet moment. Juvia's hands crawl up to his neck, she retracts her lips for a second and tugs him back for an even deeper, more tender one. 

"Fuck," Gray curses in a breath, "I've missed these lips," He kisses her once more, "I've missed you." 

He makes her squeak as he grabs her thighs. Juvia loops her legs around his waist as an immediate reaction, giggling and melting into the strong, hungry kisses. Gray's tongue surprises her as he licks her bottom lip, needing to meet with hers. By how he was moving towards the bedroom, tugging his teeth at her lip and occasionally licking, his crotch pressed right against hers, she knew what he wanted and was aware he wanted it now. 

"Gray..." She pants, breaking the kiss. 

Gray ignores her, assuming her words are more of a moan and slips his tongue inside her mouth. She allows his tongue to take control of her mouth, being distracted by his taste and moving into a moment of bliss. Then reality slaps her in the face as her back hits a door. 

"Gray, I need to talk to you." Worried and out of breath, her usual third person switches to first. 

Gray's lips halt their work, his eyes opening and hands becoming looser, dropping her to the ground delicately. 

"Are you okay?" His fingers brush through her bangs, tracing to the side of her porcelain face. 

She nods, retaining a smile and she takes his hand, turning around and opening the door to their bedroom. She takes them to a bed, this time for conversational purposes, not making hot, sweet love. 

Holding his hand, her eyes flutter close, mouth intaking a deep breath, releasing a sigh a second after. "Remember that time, you and Juvia were out in the fields outside of town, stargazing?" 

Gray's smirk startles her, "Oh yeah, I remember that night." He recalls the sex immediately. 

"You also remember making love then?" She urges the memory, and a possible yearning sensation in Gray's boxers. 

"Yes?" He took note something was wrong rather quickly. 

"And how you had to pull out since Juvia wasn't on the pill that week, and we didn't have a condom?" 

He nods, eyes narrowing. 

"Well," She chokes on her words, unable to confess immediately, "you may have pulled out a moment too late..."

She pressures herself inside her own head "Spit it out, Juvia!". She'd had the perfect pep talk from Levy, and was convinced she'd have no trouble revealing her pregnancy. 

Luckily, words didn't have to be used. A more convenient way was also possible for her. 

Juvia lifts up her sweater, having a tighter t-shirt underneath. She holds the top of Gray's hand, and guides it to her stomach, having him feel her bump, confessing her pregnancy in a nonverbal way. 

Gray's eyes break from hers, darting to her stomach and widening, his reaction unreadable from Juvia's perspective. 

Juvia's concern over his reaction rises, as he wasn't uttering a sound. About to panic, scream of how she had the worst feeling in the world she knew he'd be against it, Gray's free hand holds the other side of her small bump. The anxiety in his eyes had faded, and gazing with awe in replacement. 

"Gray-sama?" Juvia says, after many silent moments of listening to each others breaths. 

"There's actually... a baby us in there?"

Having him say "a baby us" melted Juvia's heart. Out of all the possible ways Gray could've responded it, that she was not expecting. "Yes. What do you think?" 

He doesn't respond straight away, continuing to gaze at her bump, his hands trailing over it and lightly caressing. He catches Juvia off guard when his lips swiftly kiss hers. He places excited, soft, joyful kisses from her lips, to the corner of her mouth, cheeks and forehead. Juvia's unable to contain a smile, giggling into the final heartfelt, impassioned kiss. Her arm loops around his neck, deepening their kiss, while his hand is at the back of her neck and one staying on her bump. 

"Gray-sama is happy?" Her eyes widen with joy.

"Yes!" He exclaims while kissing her once more. 

She pulls away, out of breath with a hyper voice, "Gray-sama wants to have a baby with Juvia?" 

He pushes himself further back, regaining some control, taking her hands into his, "Well... Yeah. We've been together for two years. I know we both thought marriage would come first - I'll be honest, having a baby right now will be scary as we weren't trying for one and it's just happened. I know I don't bring up the thought of us having a child together often, as it's more of a you thing..." He pauses, nervously taking a bite at his lip, "But I knew we'd end up having one eventually. If you're happy with one now, so am I." 

Juvia's face had blushed immensely red throughout his words. There's no way in hell Gray would confess that in front of the entire guild. Having him say it to her face, while holding her hands, was just enough for her. 

_ _ _

Two days had passed. Gray and Juvia spent the weekend together, discussing their excitement over the baby, and mainly catching up on the past two months apart. 

First night back, Gray's sleep was muddled and would wake up at least three times during the night. His emotions were complicated to explain, but he could sum them up and admit his happiness. The news may have not fully kicked in, and he was shocked of how Juvia seemed to be able to relax, sit peacefully on a couch and read books. Yet again, she had just spent a month by herself well aware of what was growing inside her. 

The two agreed they'd wait a few weeks before fully announcing it to the guild, plus Gray's shyness. However, an infamous dragon slayer had other plans. 

Juvia was clothed in baggier clothes than normal, concealing her bump as her tighter dresses were incapable of that. Gray, Natsu and Lucy were sat at a table in the centre of the guild. Natsu throwing unintentional flirtatious comments at Lucy, and would receive relatively harsh slaps in the bicep in return. 

"Hi everyone." Juvia sweetly announces herself as she slides beside Gray, discretely grasping his fingers as she's sat down. 

"Hey, Juvia." Natsu grins, which soon disappears as his nose begins to twitch. 

"Something wrong?" Gray questions. 

He nods, his sniffing becoming more obvious, "Can you smell that?" 

"I can't." Gray shrugged, raising an eyebrow at Juvia. 

"We don't have the nose of a beast like you," Lucy giggles, "What is it?" 

Natsu leans forward, following his scent with his sight in attempt to locate it, which his glare ends on Juvia. "It's you!" 

She jumps at his forwardness, gripping Gray's hand firmer. "Huh?" 

"There's something different about you... new perfume?" She shakes her head in response, "It may be the dress, never seen you in something so loose." 

"Watch your mouth, pervert." Gray growls as he takes Natsu's innocent comment more crudely. 

"You're calling me a pervert!?" Natsu immediately bites back. 

Lucy slaps her hand to Natsu's shoulder, pushing him back into the seat, "It doesn't take much for you to get riled up, does it?" 

"Seriously though," He flounces out his hands towards Juvia, "Something is different! I can smell it!" Lucy sighs and hushes him as his bellowing was grabbing the rest of the guilds attention. 

Juvia and Gray eye each other in fear. Natsu may not have the IQ of a genius, however his nose is powerful enough to sense any form of change. Lucy quickly takes note of the glance they exchange, figuring out by the scent and the stares, something is certainly up. 

"Wait..." Her eyes narrow in query, "Is something actually different, Juvia?" Her choice of tone more calm than Natsu's, easing the two of them. 

Juvia's eyes slant as her leg bounces in anxiety. Announcing her pregnancy five days earlier than planned would certainly drive Gray crazy. He hasn't mentally prepared himself for the attention and congrats as he's soon to be a father. 

"Well..." 

"Juvia!" Gray objects. 

Juvia releases a frustrated breath, "Gray-sama, there's no harm-" 

"I'm not ready to tell yet!" 

"You're pregnant." 

Juvia and Gray's heated stare breaks as Natsu points a finger at them, shockingly figuring out their secret much quicker than expected. 

Lost for words, the two gape like blank minded sheep. 

"I'm right, right?" 

Gray's opinion on Natsu is still pretty low, even though over the past years it had risen. How on earth did he figure it out in the snap of his fingers!? 

In Juvia's head, it made sense. He wouldn't ask if they were engaged as her scent would remained the same. With the evidence of looser clothes, the scent, secrecy, there's no hiding her pregnancy from him! 

"Yes... Juvia is pregnant." Getting it off her chest to her closest friends, minus Gajeel who already knew, was a relief. Her confession initiated a smile to tug at her delicate lips, watching the two with stars in their eyes as they take in the information, while Gray slams his face into the palms of his hands. 

"You sneaky little fucker!" Natsu's method of congratulations are somewhat unique, "Nice!"

"Oh my god!" Lucy squeals in delight as her hands hyperly applaud, "I'm so happy for you!" 

"Thank you," Juvia caresses her bump under the table, "We weren't planning on one of course. But Juvia thinks she's ready for a baby, and so does Gray-sama." 

Gray pulls himself up from the grave of his hands, admitting a smile to Juvia, taking her hand and placing his lips on her knuckles. He may not express his love for her much in public, but that tiny gesture said it all. 

"Yeah... I am."

_ _ _

[lookatyoustrawberrynerd]

Forgiven - Gajeel X Levy

WARNINGS: Light swearing

WORD COUNT: 1.9k

GENRE: fluff, slight angst

FANDOM: Fairy Tail

PAIRING: Gajeel x Levy

The guild hall was loud and rowdy as ever as Gajeel sat alone at the bar, drinking whatever the hell Mira had put in his mug. It didn't matter to him as long as it got him drunk.

"Getting a head start today are we?" Gajeel turned around and saw the small master of Fairy Tail climbing into the stool next to him.

Gajeel chuckled as he took another swig, "It's gonna take a lot more than this to get me drunk, old man."

"Oh I don't doubt it," Makarov replied. He signaled for Mira to pour him a drink, then promptly chugged it down as if it were nothing but water. "Your tolerance must be impeccable if this is what you're putting away this early in the morning."

Gajeel smirked, "years of practice."

The two men chuckled as they drank together, falling into a comfortable silence as the guild hall roared behind them.

A small pair of arms wrapped themselves around Gajeels shoulders as a kiss was planted on his cheek. Gajeel turned his head to face his bright eyed girlfriend Levy.

Gajeel couldn't help the smile that came to his face every time he saw her. "Hey short stack," He said as he gave her a quick peck on the lips.

Levy ignored the nickname, "Me and the guys are heading out on a job for a few days."

Gajeel grunted, "is anyone else going?"

Levy shook her head, "No, but the job isn't that dangerous. Just a simple escort mission for a Lord and his daughter."

"Still, I'd feel better if you took Lily with you," Levy puffed our her cheeks.

"I can h-"

"Trust me Lev, I know you're capable of kicking so serious ass, it's the other two I don't trust." Gajeel looked behind Levy at Jet and Droy stuffing their faces.

Levy sighed, "fine, you big baby."

"That's my girl." Gajeel leaned in to whisper in Levy's ear, "I'll make it up to you when you get back."

He couldn't help but laugh as his girlfriend turned bright red in front of him. "I-I gotta go now!" Levy gave Gajeel a chaste kiss on the lips. He watched her as she met the black exceed by the door.

"Hey," Gajeel called out to Jet and Droy before they could join them. They walked over to Gajeel who then grabbed them both by the wrist and pulled them in close. "If she comes back with a single scratch," he hissed, "I will put you two in a fucking coffin."

Jet and Droy both shivered as they nodded frantically. Gajeel let go of them and they practically ran out of the guild hall. Sighing, Gajeel turned back around to take a drink, already missing his girlfriend.

"I must say Gajeel," The master started, "when I first took you in, I never would have imagined you would have fallen for my little Levy."

A faint blush dusted over his cheeks, "Well," He didn't like thinking about his time before Fairy Tail, the person he was, but he couldn't help it as the memories came back, "I was a real piece of shit back then."

He didn't realize how hard he was gripping the handle of his mug until he let go of it, revealing dents in the shape of his fingers.

"Shit," he muttered as Mira came up to grab the mug from him, "I'll buy you a new one."

Mira just laughed it off, "No need Gajeel. If we had to replace every dented mug in this place, we'd go bankrupt!"

"Mira, could you give us a minute?" Makarov asked. Nodding, Mira walked into the back room, leaving the two men alone at the bar.

"I was wondering when you were gonna cut to the chase," Gajeel said.

"Yes, but I believe it is you with something to say, my boy." The two men sat there in silence for a few seconds before the master asked, "Can I see it?"

The box in Gajeels pocket suddenly felt like a weight dragging him down. In one fluid motion, he grabbed the box and slid it to the old man next to him, careful to not let anyone see it.

Makarov pulled back the lid to reveal a small iron ring. Intricate designs of swirls carved to look like vines and flowers decorated its sides, meeting in the middle to hold a heart shaped diamond.

"How did you know?" Gajeel asked.

"I know a lot of things, Gajeel. I just happened to catch you staring at it when you think no one is watching." Makarov said as he twisted the box around to look at the ring from all angles.

Gajeel nearly choked on his drink, "fuck," he muttered. The master chuckled and clapped Gajeel on the back.

"It's a beautiful ring Gajeel," he said, sliding the ring back to him. "You must love her a great deal."

Gajeel smiled softly, "Yeah," he looked at the ring and closed the lid with a sigh. "I don't deserve her."

"How so?"

"Are you serious?" Gajeel asked, but Makarov stayed silent. Softly, Gajeel said, "I hurt her."

Makaraov hummed in acknowledgement, "So that's it huh?" Memories flooded into Gajeels mind. Him attacking her that night, the way she screamed, her nearly lifeless body hanging from that god damned tree. Gajeel swallowed down the bile rising in his throat.

"I hurt her, Master. I hurt her and her friends and laughed about it, bragged about it. But the moment I joined the guild, she treated me like nothing had ever happened. I wasn't 'Black Steel Gajeel', I was just Gajeel Redfox. If I'm being honest, it kinda pissed me off."

The master hummed, "Really?"

"Yeah," he replied, "it pissed me off because I had no idea why she would even bother being nice to me. I wouldn't have been. But of course, she's just that wildly forgiving of other people. I didn't deserve her forgiveness, and that's why it pissed me off."

"You have long since been forgiven for your sins of the past, Gajeel" The master said. Gajeel whipped his head to face him.

"What?"

"Do you know why I chose to recruit you instead of the other members of Phantom Lord?" Makarov asked and Gajeel shook his head. There was no hint of sarcasm or condescension in his voice, just plain sincerity. "I picked you because not just because I wanted to help you find the right path, but because I knew that it was possible. I saw a light in you that had been clouded by Jose and his teachings. The things you did were deplorable, and you know that more than anyone, but answer me this. Would you have done the things you did that night if Jose hadn't ordered you to?"

No. He wouldn't have. He didn't even go as far as he was supposed to that night. Jose had ordered him to kill Levy, Jet, and Droy, but he refused.

Makarov continued on, "Ever since I took you in, you have done nothing but prove me right. You have shown that you are willing to fight for your family and that you're proud to be a fairy, and we're proud to have you."

Gajeel looked around the guild hall as he processed the masters words. He looked at the people he had met over the past several years, and he realized he was proud. He had made legitimate friends in a guild he once tried to destroy and fell in love with a girl he had almost killed.

All those nice thoughts however couldn't stop the doubt from creeping into his mind. "Even still, I can't provide for her. It took me months to work enough jobs to even buy the materials for that ring, and it's not like those jobs were easy."

"You and I both know she doesn't care about that."

"But I do master!" Gajeel slammed his fist on the bar a little louder than he wanted to. Some people looked their way for a moment but quickly resumed doing whatever it was they were doing. "She deserves the world, but I simply can't give it to her."

Makarov took another swig of his drink, "You're right. She does deserve the world. But she wants you," He stood up on the bar stool and made eye contact with the man across from him. "We all have our demons, Gajeel. We all have scars that will never fade, those voices in our heads that tell us to just give up and that we'll never be good enough. But you are lucky enough to have a family that will support you in every choice you make, and a woman who loves you with her entire heart.

"You will have to live with the things you have done for the rest of your life. You cannot go back and undo it no matter how much you wish you could. What you can do is live every day showing how much you've grown. You have atoned for your sins. Levy, Jet, and Droy have forgiven you. I have forgiven you. Now you must work to forgive yourself. And if you never do, that's okay. Just don't let it stop you from living your new life.

"Never forget Gajeel that you deserve happiness just as much as everyone else under this roof. If that means a future with Levy, then I will spend every remaining second I have left ensuring that future comes to pass, and every second after that protecting it. On my honor as the master of the Fairy Tail guild."

Gajeel didn't know at what point he had started crying. No one had ever told him that he deserved to be happy, but here was someone saying it as if it were the most obvious thing it the world.

"Master I-"

"Do you love her, Gajeel?" Makarov asked.

In that moment, Gajeel saw Levys face. Her bright smile, her eyes that always sparkled, her blue hair that reminded him of the sky, the way she puffed her cheeks whenever he teased her.

He remembered all their missions together, their time in the military, all the times they had nearly died; Tenrou Island, Tartaros, Alvarez, he had never felt fear the way he did when he was confessing to Levy as he was slowly dying, and the pure elation he felt when he finally saw her again.

He thought about what he wanted in the future, and in his mind he saw Levy in a white dress walking down the aisle. He saw with a hand on her rounded stomach. He saw her reading to their children and him singing to them. He saw them growing old and gray together. His heart swelled with emotions he had never felt before as he looked into the future.

Every day he wakes up to Levy lying next to him, and he always thinks that he'll never be able to fall for her more than he already has, and every day he is proven wrong.

Gajeel smiled as he wiped away a tear from his face, "more than anything."

Makarov returned his smile, "Then marry her Gajeel. You have my blessing. Make a family with her. Make a life that both of you can be proud of living. Make her as happy as she makes you." Makarov held out his hand and Gajeel took it in his.

"I promise I will," Another tear fell down his face, "Thank you master."

"You're welcome, my son."

[embretheworld]

I was bored so here’s some hc’s

I have a lot surprisingly so a lot of these are coming off the top of my head

-Laxus does not have good eyesight in the eye with a scar because that's where the lacrima was implanted. But he can still see out of it, it just gets blurry sometimes.

-If you had a lacrima implanted in you, there's gonna be a scar where it was implanted, and depending on what type of magic it is determine's the shape.

-Laxus's mother was born without magic and had the same thing happen to her but she was 16 when she had it implanted in her hand, she also had asked to have one and Laxus didn't.

-Laxus was born without magic thanks to his mother being born without magic too.

-When you get a lacrima implanted in you, depending on what type and how strong it is, depends on how sick you get. It's a counterbalance so people won't always get lacrima's implanted in them. The day it was implanted you get very sick as the body's reaction to an overwhelming influx of magic in your system, it happens every year in the same day it was implanted but the first time is the worst.

-"This is what I get for being emotionally slutty," Loke probably looking back on some kind of event.

-Loke with freckles!

-Loke sleeps when he's bored.

-Lucy suffers the worst writer's block ever and can't seem to ever get out of it no matter how hard she tries(I feel you girl).

-Plue really likes candy.

-Happy got Lucy a little frame that said "Life is better with cats" for her Birthday and despite how much Happy annoys her sometimes she keeps it on the desk she writes on and treasures it dearly.

-Do not let Erza play whack a mole or the games where you have to throw balls at clowns or vases you have to knock down to win a prize.

-Or let the dragon slayers play any driving game in general.

-Horror movies do not scare Aries, a lot of things do, but not horror movies.

-Mira really likes candles, but always gets them when they're on sale.

- Gray once got banned from a strip club after being mistaken for one of the strippers.

-Juvia could literally kill someone if she wanted to since our bodies are made of 60% of water but has no idea. She desires to learn more about blood magic if she so desires but hasn't.

-Levy wants to study rune magic but procrastination is her worst enemy, also people trying to attack the guild interrupting her every time she tries to cracks open a book to try and learn it. She's stopped trying to learn it in fear that if she tries someone will start attacking the guild again.

-Gajeel & Juvia and Gray & Loke are very underrated friendships that need more attention.

-Natsu chugged hot sauce and didn't even flinch. (A friend of mine did that and they scare me.)

-Lucy carries around a box of matches just in case Natsu wants a snack whenever they go on missions.( which is a lot of the time, a lot of her money has went into buying matches, she's had to go to plenty different stores to buy some because she's scared the clerk will think she's up to something and explaining it will only make her seem more suspicious.)

-Technically demon slayers are just exorcists but with more violence.

-In a human au Gray was an exorcist once.

But in normal Fairy Tail he takes side jobs on getting rid of demons from ordinary houses or other places which pays a lot.

-The wool Aries can make, can make really nice jackets. She's made jackets using it, but Loke stole it cause he likes comfy things in general.

-Loke actually needs his glasses, his glasses double as both sunglasses and normal glasses(someone I know someone who has the same type of glasses, I also wear glasses so.) due to being in Earthland too long, certain things started deteriorating like important sense's thankfully it wasn't on a major scale but on a longer one but it can't be fixed.

-Due to his eyesight deteriorating he has better hearing.

-Loke and Evergreen are nearsighted, Levy is farsighted.

-Ivan named Laxus because Laxus looked so much like his mother it only seemed fair.

-Laxus has an aunt who's his mom's sister. He talks to her through letters because she lives across the sea.

-"My little dragon," was a nickname that Laxus's mom gave him after he had gotten the dragon lacrima implanted in him against her wishes since if they were to do it, she wanted to do it when he was 16 like her but Ivan thought 8 was a much more appropriate age. (It was not). The only one who knows of this nickname for him is Makarov, his mom, his aunt, and his dad.

-His dad once used the name in a fight against him and he wanted to punch him so bad.

-If Mira were to swear she'd put sailors to shame.

-Erza has horrible road rage.

-I refuse to believe that Loke has two sets of ears, he does not have human ears and lion(cat ears?) ears at the same time just lion ears while in his celestial form and humans ones in his human form. He wears the piercing he used to wear on his human ears on his cat ears when in said celestial form, or outfit or whatever.

-The car ears(I'm calling them that now) are actual ears, you'd be surprised how many people try to pull on them in thinking that they aren't only to be pleasantly surprised that they in fact are. He likes to be pet behind them whenever they are there and he doesn't have regular human ears.

-He also despises chokers/collars with the very soul of his being. He might hiss at you if you bring one even close to him that's how much he hates them.

He doesn't even have a reason to he just hates them.

-Erza sometimes refers to her guildmates as "Feral children".

-Dragonslayers cannot whistle if their life depended on it.

-Loke knows French because most of his masters were in the French Court meaning it was mandatory for him to learn it. (I refuse to believe anyone with common sense would date him with that haircut he had in the human world, looked like something a 5-year-old would draw on a stick figure in an attempt to draw hair).

-Levy knows French, Arabic, and a few other languages.

-She fucks with people by talking to Loke in French and making them think that they're talking about that person why they aren't.

-Mira tried to learn French, she failed very badly since she kept forgetting the parts before the word and kept messing it up.

-The dragon slayers can purr when happy, growl when mad, and whimper when sad.

-The same thing applies to Loke but mostly because he's an overgrown cat.

-In order to date someone at the guild if you aren't in it you have to get Erza's blessing/asking her if it's alright since she's kinda the older sister and also the first one you wanna tell.

-Loke does not blow-dry his hair after he washes it because it just poof's up and there's no way to fix it other than to wash his hair again and look like a drowned cat for an hour or two. Though his hair is very soft after he washes it and it properly drys and isn't wet.

-Celestial spirits can dream, but their dreams consist of looking back on old memories from an outside viewpoint.

-Freed says "Let's have another round tonight" very unenthusiastically when drunk, just that sentence, no other sentence, just that one, only when he's drunk.

-Loke's good with finances along with fashion because one of his previous master, Valeria, pushed her financial work on him as a 'learning experience'.

-Loke was also offered a modeling job before and Lucy is super pissed since he of all people can get one but not her. (In the human au, he actual does modeling)

-If Mira and Loke were to team up it'd most like to be to help people in the guild get together.

-They would succeed.

-They both also like wine.

-Loke and Erza are bi, Mira is pan.

-Upon learning about this, Juvia considered Loke a love rival, be assured her that he was none and that he'd give her some advice to trying to date Gray because Gray and romance don't go well if she kept quiet about it.

-Gray ended up figuring it out and still holds it against him.

-Loke does not like being compared to a cat, he despises it so Gray as the best friend he is does exactly that.

-The two of them have blackmail on each other, and Gray often drags Loke into watching horror movies knowing he absolutely despises him with the very core of his being.

-Gajeel will fight anyone who hurts his best friend, Juvia.

Or anyone who hurts his guild but Juvia is different since she's been with him since they joined Fairy Tail.

Natsu once grabbed a pan straight out of the oven and horrified everyone in the room.

[gruviafan-forever]

GRUVIA WEEK- DAY III

"DISCOVERY"

When Gray had reported the drone issues to Erza and Mr Dreyar, the agency was in fix about who could be going to this extent to know about one of their actor's personal lives.

"Looks like there are still some reporters who believe that photos stuff,"

Makarov said while rubbing his forehead.

"But Master didn't we announce it's just a hoax that should have calmed everyone down" Erza reasoned.

"That's not the case, Erza. It's more like these people are working to uncover Gray's secret and create some scandalous sensations" 

Makarov said and tried calling his grandson, Laxus Dreyar who works in the police department.

After informing Laxus, Makarov seemed to have calmed down. That's when Erza informed Gray's decision to unravel his marriage.

"It's high time. However, it's a good decision" Makarov said with a smile.

He knew how hard Gray has worked for these four years to shape his career.

"Let's hope it goes accordingly. Tell Mr Jason to come and meet me. He needs to prepare an article about this and publish it the very next day of the award function on Sorceress Weekly. Also, I need to talk with Gray tomorrow, do inform him, Erza" Makarov informed.

"Yes Master," Erza said with a smile.

#

NEXT MORNING 

Gray got ready for the upcoming event and told her he could come late at night so that they don't wait for him for dinner.

"Yes, Gray-sama. Today I was planning to take Yuki to the park so that she could play with kids of her age. But after what happened yesterday, I decided not to," Juvia said and was adjusting Gray's coat.

Gray began to ponder before he spoke again, "I know it's not right to keep her inside the house and deny her playing freedom. But the situation calls for it, we have to bear for a few more days, Juvia."

He said confidently and kissed her forehead.

It was still 9 AM and Yuki was still fast asleep. So the couple had time for themselves to enjoy their company.

"Sure Gray-sama. You take care. Don't go getting rigid suddenly. Be smiling and welcome your fans warmly. It's because of them you have gained this popularity, remember that Gray-sama."

Juvia lectured her husband like every time any event comes up.

"Yes, madam"

Gray rolled his eyes and smiled at the end. At times, she treated him like a child which he secretly liked.

"Good boy, now get going. I have a lot of chores to do today. If possible, can we go to the supermarket? They're few things which we need to purchase." Juvia consulted him.

Gray agreed and told them to be wary of their surroundings.

"Don't let Yuki wander off on her own. She's such a ball of energy. I know she is a bit difficult to control but look after her. I will take my leave, bye, wifey."

Gray leaned forward to kiss her lips and got one in return.

After bidding bye to her husband, Juvia got freshened up to kick start her day before her daughter woke up.

Soon Gray reached the mentioned location, he was escorted by his manager through the back exit.

"Good morning, Erza"

"Happy morning, Gray. How's Juvia and Yuki doing?"

"Oh, they are doing great. Did Mr Dreyar say anything about the issue?" Gray questioned her.

"Yeah… he wants to meet you after this event. So get ready for that."

Erza informed them and soon they reached the main cabin where every celebrity under the Fairy Tail banner was present.

They greeted each other before Gray went to his friend, Natsu Dragneel and his girlfriend, Lucy Heartfilia.

They bumped their fist and the first thing Natsu asked about was Yuki and Juvia.

Almost every single member of Fairy Tail knew about him so it was not a piece of surprise news for them.

"They are good. Juvia's been calling you two for dinner. Why don't you come by one day? And you too, Erza. Come with your boyfriend."

Gray teased the red-haired woman who had the courtesy to blush on hearing about her love interest.

"Sure, we will come by, once we get to enjoy some free time,"

Natsu said and Lucy nodded in agreement.

That's when Gajeel decided to enter their group. It had been three years since he joined Fairy Tail after his Phantom Band got disbanded.

It was Juvia who proposed Gajeel join this big agency. Gray had spoken about this to Mr Dreyar on his girlfriend's insistence.

Mr Dreyar readily agreed after seeing his performance, ever since, then, Gajeel had been performing for this agency. 

His popularity soared after his debut. Gajeel was very much grateful to both Gray and Juvia.

Gajeel had insisted Juvia continue being his lyricist but she denied it as the agency had appointed their best Lyricist, Levy McGarden to aid her best friend.

Juvia knew Gajeel was smitten by her and didn't have the heart to the third wheel behind them.

Moreover, things happened which made her quit the part-time job which she was doing.

"Yo guys, it's been a long since I saw you all in existence. How's everything going on?"

Gajeel greeted and began with the conversation.

Gray greeted him back and soon everyone started to discuss the event and its aftermath.

#

It had been a month since Gray and Juvia had levelled up their relationship.

Gray's first tv drama shooting has been wrapped up. In a few more episodes, the drama reaches its conclusion.

For now, Gray enjoyed his free time before the shooting for the next drama commences.

The last two days were hectic for both of them as the agency had ordered Gray to move out of that lodging apartment to other high society flats which they had arranged for him.

This move was taken to avoid fans and reporters gathering around his place and prevented them from invading his privacy.

Juvia was sad hearing this news as now she will be left alone in his apartment.

Even her best friend had moved out to give privacy to her and Gray, same was the case with Gray, Natsu had moved out a couple of months as soon as he signed up for his first tv series.

Juvia tried to remain bold and not to tear up but nothing could get past Gray's eyes.

"Juvia"

"Juvia"

Gray pouted, she was not paying attention to him and was just staring blankly at his shirt.

To remove her from trance, Gray hugged her from behind which startled her.

"Gray-sama"

"Oi!! What's with the long face? I have never seen you thinking like this. Are you perhaps trying to ditch me?" Gray teased her and kissed her neck.

Juvia turned around and hit his chest, "Don't joke like that. You know how much I love you. Stupid Gray"

Juvia sounded serious especially when he heard her calling him 'Gray'.

She never called him by name without a suffix. That's when he noticed she was crying.

Gray began to fidget and cupped her face, "Hey dear, what happened? Why are you crying?" He asked her worriedly.

Juvia began to wipe her tears off but it never stopped until she told him the reason.

"I feel we will stay apart, Gray-sama, emotionally too. I'm scared that I will be left all alone once again in my life. Of course, I'm being clingy on you but I couldn't help it."

She conveyed her feelings and hugged her lover tightly.

Gray felt happy that she opened up her fear. Even he didn't want to move away from her and from the morning was thinking of asking her to move in with me as his fiancee.

Yes, Gray wanted to marry her and have a lovely life with her. He knew from these 7 months of dating, that she was born for him and he for her.

He was going to propose to her tonight but it looks like the plan needs to be executed at the moment to make her feel assured of their relationship.

"Juvia, I.." 

Before Gray could say anything, Juvia fell unconscious in his arms. He tried to wake her up but it was futile.

He carried her to the bedroom and went out to call a doctor from a nearby clinic.

Once the doctor had come and checked her up, Gray felt relief that she was alright and nothing to worry about except...

"WHAT??" Gray shrieked.

"Yes, Mr Fullbuster. Your girlfriend is pregnant. Congratulations, once Juvia wakes up, give her the medicine and go and visit the gynaecologist, they will guide you from there."

The doctor left him after advising him how to take care of a pregnant woman.

Gray couldn't believe what was happening at the moment. He had mixtures of thoughts and emotions.

But predominantly, it was happiness. He is going to be a father, that too really soon. He was going to lead a happy life with his beloved.

Soon, he was going to have a family which he and Juvia were denied from starting, this brought him happy tears and thanked the Gods for such a second chance.

Now all he hoped for was Juvia to feel the same as him.

After 30 minutes, Juvia woke up from her sleep, the first thing she saw was Gray resting beside her.

Juvia smiled at him and ruffled his hairs and that's when she noticed the ring on her finger. 

She couldn't believe her eyes and closed her mouth with her palms to avoid shouting.

Slowly, Gray woke up and saw his girlfriend's surprised expression which brought a smile to his face.

"Well, calm down, Juvia" 

Hearing his voice, Juvia pulled him into a hug and shouted 'yes'.

Gray chuckled, " I didn't even ask you yet"

Juvia began rubbing her face against his and kissed his forehead,

"I will marry you, Gray-sama."

Gray kissed her lips, "I was actually planning to do it tonight after dinner but here, I'm asking you 'Will you marry me?' "

"1000 times Yes… I'm waiting to live my life with you, Gray-sama…"

"So do I, dear"

Gray kissed her again.

Once their adrenaline has calmed down, Gray slowly broke the news.

"You know what, I found out something. Can you take a guess?"

Gray asked her while squeezing her palms.

Juvia wondered what it could be and accepted her defeat. Now she was curious what this could be.

"We are going to be parents. You are pregnant, Juvia. You are gonna be mama and I'm gonna be papa."

He said with a big smile and kissed her palm.

Then, he told her everything from the moment she fainted to till doctors departure.

Juvia was shedding happy tears and caressing her flat tummy for now. She was going to be a mother, she was going to have her own family now which she longed for since her childhood.

"Are you happy, Gray-sama?"

She wanted to know his feelings.

"My happiness goes beyond this world. I'm happy that we are gonna start be a family together. Juvia, let's get married tomorrow."

Gray shared his piece of mind.

"Thank you for sharing the same feeling as mine, Gray-sama. I love you a lot." Juvia said earnestly.

The very next day, they got their marriage registered in an office. Gray casually informed the recent events of his life to friends and Mr Dreyar.

They were shell shocked yet wished them both happiness enough for their life ahead.

That's when Mr Dreyar had told him to hide this news from the public as Gray was still a budding artist and this could hamper this growth.

Juvia agreed and supported this decision and even convinced Gray to agree with this. It's after sorting out these issues they finally went to their new home.

[marvel-ousfairy]

“Flesh eating plants, are you kidding me???” NALU Oneshot

Author’s Note: Ummm... So I don’t normally post my own writings, but I wrote this literally years ago and figured it was about time I posted it. Better late then never, right? *Chuckles nervously* Anyways, there are a few plot holes and things but I’m honestly too lazy to change it sooo, here you go! Let me know what y’all think. (Also I appologize in advance for any wierd formatting issues. I blame Tumblr.)

Warnings: Fighting, angst with a fluffy ending, killer plants? idk what else to put haha. If you read it and think there are any other warnings I should add, please please let me know.

Pairing(s): NaLu

_____

“Open, Gate of the Golden Bull: Taurus!” Lucy Heartfilia shouted, summoning the celestial spirit to her side.

“Mooo! It’s nice to see you again, Miss Luuucy.” Her celestial spirit, Taurus, drawled as the golden light of Lucy’s magic dissipated.

A large crash echoed through the forest near Magnolia as Lucy dove to avoid getting hit by a thick plant root, only a gaping hole left of the earth where she previously stood.

“Not the time,” Lucy panted before struggling to her feet again. “I need you to get in there and snap those vines!” she directed.

Celestial Wizard Lucy Heartfilia, her partner Fire Dragon Slayer Natsu Dragneel, and their cat companion, Happy, had taken a simple job helping out a local farmer. The request had asked for a few wizards to come assist in the extermination of the vermin rampaging through the owner’s crops.

“Stop pouting,” she said as the trio walked through town towards the agricultural district. “At least you get to beat something up.” She smiled, glancing around at the fruit and vegetable stalls lining the streets.

The pink haired wizard crossed his arms before letting out an offended huff. “I’m a dragon slayer, not an exterminator.” He whined.

The blonde let out a giggle, ignoring his petulant child act. Her laughter didn’t last long, however. Upon their arrival at the little farm, the trio soon realized that things weren’t as they appeared. Much to Lucy’s horror and Natsu’s delight, the vermin that needed bashing turned out to be full-fledged, plant-based monsters.

“’Let’s do it’ I said. ‘This will be easy’ I said. How does a Venus Flytrap even grow this large?” Lucy grumbled as she jumped over another stream of murderous plant roots. Finally finding solid ground, she pointed Taurus towards the twisted nether of roots and stems that kept the frightening flora grounded. Meanwhile, Natsu busied himself with torching the other five or so reanimated plants that littered the forests edge.

“Fire Dragon: Roar!” He let out a manic laugh as his flames transformed an entire line of trees into glittering torches, burning friend and foe indiscriminately.  

“Natsu, watch where you’re aiming,” Lucy scolded, letting loose a disgruntled shout as she once again narrowly missed a blow to the side via killer plants. The self-proclaimed farmer, apparently, was a wizard himself who specialized in foreign herbs with magical properties. Their current foes were the result of his latest creations gone very wrong.

“We already owe a great deal in repair costs as it is. The master will kill us if we burn down another building,” she reminded him, hand on her hip.

“Yeah, Yeah.” Natsu shrugged as he incinerated yet another row of trees and crops.  “Stop with your naggin’ already. We’ll be fi– Hey Lucy, watch out!” The dragon slayer let out a roar as Lucy whipped around. A faint gasp swept past her lips as a verdant blur crossed her vision. Pain ricocheted down her left side as a stray vine from the Flytrap knocked her to the ground, tangling with her legs and whipping her towards the Venus’ awaiting jaws.

“Argh,” Natsu screamed, face contorted in anger. “Fire Dragon: Wing Attack!” The vines that dug at her skin, slowly encroaching upon her torso, were suddenly engulfed in flame and burnt to a crisp. She yelped as Natsu’s flames left her stranded in the open air. With nothing left to catch her fall, she plummeted back down to the rigid ground, her head smacking against the dirt with a harsh crack. A muffled yowl came from beneath her and she rolled over to find a disgruntled Happy scowling back at her.

“You alright, Luce?” Natsu questioned, finishing off the last of the nasty creatures.

“I’m the one in pain,” Happy cried, indignantly. “Lucy squashed me with her fat butt!”

“WATCH IT, CAT!” she screeched at the little blue exceed, the pain from her fall quickly washed into the foreground.

Natsu cackled, causing the celestial spirit mage to turn her glare on him. Noticing the change in atmosphere, he yelped as a certain red-haired wizard came to mind.

“Scary,” he whined. Lucy’s scowl deepened before gifting him with another one of her signature Lucy Kicks.

“Humph,” she muttered, smiling in satisfaction. “Serves you right.”

_____

Later, at the Fairy Tail guildhall, the pair found themselves curled around the bar. Mira wiped down the counters, glancing at the two while she worked. Lucy sat on Natsu’s left with reequip mage Erza Scarlet on his right. Gajeel, Levy, and Pantherlily were located at a table behind him, while Gray was doing his best to avoid an overly exuberant Juvia. Happy had disappeared soon after their arrival back at the guild, dreams of fish and a particular white feline dancing in his head. An overall jubilant air had settled on the guild as members had returned from their missions to settle in for the day.

Lucy leaned against the bar, head spinning, with a strawberry concoction clutched between her palms. A dull ache had settled into her bones since their mission earlier, winding around her mind like a snake. A slight burning sensation danced along her side as a pair of onyx eyes watched her with intensity.

“I’m fine,” she said with a huff, not bothering to turn towards the dragon slayer gazing at her worriedly.

“Lucy, I–”

“Really, Natsu, I’m alright.”

Natsu grumbled, unconvinced, as he finished off the plate of food Mira had set before him. He knew Lucy was lying, but he also knew that she could be just as pigheaded as him. She had been acting strange ever since their return from their earlier expedition. Despite her claims otherwise, he could tell something was up.

Lucy stood up abruptly, letting out a heavy sigh, before turning towards Natsu once more. Ignoring the stars that threatened to consume her vision, she forced a wide smile onto her lips. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I’ll be okay. I think I’m just gonna head home and get some rest. The fight today really took it out of me. Thanks for the drink, Mira.”

She gave one more wave to the white-haired woman before making her way towards the entrance. Before he could make any move to stop Lucy’s departure, Erza placed an armor clad hand on his shoulder. “She’ll be fine, Natsu,” the red-haired warrior assured him. “She can take care of herself.”

He simply nodded, giving Lucy another intense stare before promptly getting knocked off of his barstool by a half-naked Gray. Mira giggled as Natsu let out an enraged scream. Apparently, Juvia had finally caught up to her beloved Gray.  

“What the heck was that for, you pervert?”  Natsu yelled as he quickly shifted into battle-mode, fists blazing with fire.

“Who you callin’ pervert, flame for brains?” Gray challenged.

Soon after, a fight broke out between the two, eventually expanding into a guild-wide brawl after another slice of Erza’s strawberry cake was destroyed. Lucy, who had been watching from the towering guild doors, shook her head. She let out a yelp as a chair smashed against the wall to her left, before finally disappearing out the door and into the streets of Magnolia.  

 Despite a slight limp in her step and pain in her side, the walk home wasn’t as bad as she’d first expected it to be. It wasn’t long before she was weaving her way past the ferrymen and stumbling into her apartment with a heavy sigh.

“Home at last,” she hummed to herself. She stretched out her limbs, cringing as her ankle buckled a bit in pain, before making her way toward the bathroom. “Maybe a shower will help wash off the pain from today,” she mused, ridding herself of her blood-stained clothes. With steam flooding the little room and the water temperature set on high, she stepped carefully into the scalding water. A shaky breath escaped her lips, but her mind continued to spin at a rapid fire pace. Groaning in frustration, she tried for another calming breath. Despite her chance to finally relax a bit, she couldn’t manage to quiet her mind. It had already been a long day, now made even longer by the pain that constricted her mind and body. A glance towards her numerous bruises sent a frustrated sigh past her lips, before her features contorted in confusion. A second glance down at her body caused her gaze to quickly slip from confusion to fear. Thin green lines painted swirls and complex designs across her torso, leaving angry red marks in their wake. The vines, she thought. They don’t just feed off human flesh… “They steal magic power!” She shouted, mentally kicking herself for forgetting the farmer’s warnings. He’d told them that this was a possibility.

Her hands shook as she slowly grew more and more hysterical, tearing frantically at the small vines cutting at her body. Just as she made some headway clearing the thin vines, however, the dizziness from before threatened to overtake her. She reached for her keys, only to find them rendered useless. My magic power is too far gone, she cursed. “Loke, Virgo, someone please!” She cried out desperately. They can’t hear me, she sobbed. A single step towards the bathroom door sent her vision shaking. By two steps, the light in the room began to dance. By the third, Lucy could feel herself losing her will to stand. By the forth, she found herself hitting the ground as the ceiling grew further and further away. “Natsu…” She whispered as vines tangle around her mouth. Her vision slipped away as she soon felt herself get swallowed whole by a cocoon of roots and vines, before she finally lost consciousness altogether.

______

Back at the guild hall, things had finally settled down. Luckily, the aftermath of the brawl had been minimal. A few burnt spots, some broken tables and chairs, and a few missing pillars. The building, by some miracle, still stood proudly in the heart of town.

“Where’s Lucy?” Natsu asked, having finally cooled down from his fight with Gray.

“Oh. Lucy? She went home a little bit ago.” Mira said, smiling sweetly from behind the bar.

“You even watched her go, you idiot.” Gray said with a laugh. Natsu shot the Ice mage a scowl.

“He loooooves her.” Happy drawled from his place next to Charle on the bar top.

Natsu reddened in embarrassment, brushing salmon strands out of his face. The dragon slayer stiffened as a ball of anxiety settled into his stomach. His nose twitched as he took in the stale undertones in the air, confirming some unknown fears. He could be wrong, but he knew Lucy. He knew her scent and how it changed depending on her mood. Right now, the thick smell of fear curdled his blood. Something was wrong.  

With one last vengeful fireball to Gray’s face, he ran off towards Lucy’s apartment with the blue exceed following close behind. Fellow mages and townsfolk cried out in protest as he pushed by them, but Natsu didn’t notice. Blood pumped in his ears, matching his racing footsteps as he hurtled himself down the stone streets. As Lucy’s apartment came into view he pushed his legs faster, using his fire to boost himself through her window in a single bound.

Once safely inside, the first thing he noticed was the silence. Despite the distinct sound of a shower in the background, the stillness hung like a thick fog in the air, suffocating him.  Steam seeped from beneath the bathroom door as he flung it open to reveal a horrific jungle. Vines grew up and off the walls, roots digging out of cracks in the floor.  Leafy plants twisted in midair like worms burrowing through the dirt, dragging curious fingers along his face and down his legs. “Lucy!” Natsu shouted, digging through twists and snarls in the vines. “Lucy!” No answer. Frantic, he set his body ablaze, burning down every vine he could get his hands on. The twisted nether of green squealed and screeched, cutting at his arms and face as every vine soon turned to ash. Finally, there was nothing left but a pale sleeping beauty curled up on the scorched and broken tile.

“Lucy…” his voice was barely a whisper as he pulled the blonde into his arms, swaddling her in a nearby towel. Ashen vines were like cobwebs arching across her ghostly pale skin, her fingers tinged blue as if frost bitten. Even her hair seemed somehow drained of life, as the last of her magical energy seemed to fall dangerously low.

“Nat-su,” a shuddering gasp swept past her grey, cracked lips. “Help m-me… S-so c-cold…” Her words came out in little puffs as her eyes fluttered open, straining to gaze up at his face.

“Lucy. Lucy, look at me. I – I’m here. I’m here. I’ve got you.” He hugged her into his chest, his tears melting into sobs as the smell of strawberries and vanilla wrapped around him. Desperately, he looked around the small apartment before his eyes settled on his blue companion, standing wide-eyed at the door.

“Get Wendy!” He cried out to the little exceed.

“Natsu?” His little eyes rounded with horror.

“NOW, HAPPY!”

“A-Aye, sir!” Happy jumped up and gave him a determined nod before soaring back out the open window from whence they’d come.

A shaky hand grasped onto his scarf, pulling his gaze back down to Lucy’s shaking form.  She curled like a sunflower into his warmth before letting out a shuttering gasp.

“Don’t leave me,” she wheezed. Every note grated against his ears, her normally melodic voice cracked and broken. Regret settled like a stone in his stomach as he cradled her closer to his chest.    “Never,” he whispered.

A soft kiss warmed her clammy skin, flowering across her cheek, as exhaustion finally pulled her into a deep, restless sleep.

______

Warm hands wrapped around her as the smell of wood smoke and cinnamon swirled through the air. She knew that scent. It meant safety, warmth. It meant home.

A slow smile stretched across her lips as her eyes fluttered open to see a chiseled chest and strong arms holding her close. A quick blink shot her eyes upward, only for them to be met with slightly parted lips. As her eyes roamed over the curved planes of his jaw, the slightly parted lips morphed gradually until she was met with a wide, toothy grin. One more shift left her breathless, as she tumbled deep into the depths of his obsidian gaze.

“Natsu –” she stammered.

“Welcome back.” He pulled her closer, resting his forehead onto hers before finally releasing a heavy sigh of relief.

All the pain that had previously ensnared her was gone without a trace. The telltale signs of the guildhall infirmary told her that she had Wendy’s sky magic to thank for that. The warmth that flooded her senses, however, was thanks to her one and only favorite dragon slayer. Although, she doubted it was his naturally higher body temperature that caused warmth to flood her cheeks. Curious eyes peered up at him as his eyes danced behind hooded eyelids. Her very presence seemed to melt him, soften his normally sharp edges.

“Natsu?” She questioned as his face lowered towards hers, their noses brushing together.

“Hmm?” he hummed a response, not quite focusing on her words.

“I –” she began, her words causing their lips to brush. Fire raced through her veins at the sudden touch. A gasp escaped her as their lips finally connected, the sound muffled by the gentle caress of his lips on hers. She felt the fire that raced through him swirling just beneath the skin, held back by an unseen floodgate. He nipped playfully at her bottom lip as their lips danced together in perfect harmony. Abandoning its previous position around her legs, his right hand slid up her side to cup her face while his left hand snaked around her waist, tugging her closer still to his chest. Trails of fire blazed across her skin wherever his fingers danced, sending a shiver of delight down her spine. Her delicate fingers dug into his silky salmon locks as all of their raw emotions were poured out, left open and vulnerable for the other to see. Their kiss grew desperate as the spicy taste of cinnamon filled her senses, causing her toes to curl and her fingers to tug harder at his cotton candy locks. With one last shuddering breath Natsu pulled away, studying her rosy cheeks and her chocolaty brown eyes alight with joy and complete contentment. A deep, throaty chuckle escaped his lips, vibrating against her chest, as he took in her dopey smile. Swollen red lips downturned into a pout, enticing him into another sweet kiss upon her lips, before her dopey grin returned with renewed vigor and her laughter intertwined with his. Lucy gazed sleepily up at Natsu as he mindlessly spun her golden locks through his fingers, a gentle lullaby to her tired mind.

“I –” she began slowly.

“She loooooves him!” came a teasing voice, followed by fits of laughter and giggles. Lucy’s eyes widened, taking in the audience staring at them from the doorway. Spotting the culprit for the interruption, her eyes narrowed on a certain blue exceed hidden in the crowd.

“SHUT IT, CAT!” She screeched as Natsu’s chuckles rolled into cackles, his body shaking as his face twisted with laughter. Lucy burrowed into his scaly white scarf, groans mixing with laughter as she took in a beautiful, terrifying truth. Happy was right about her and Natsu. She really did looooove him, and the adoration he showered down upon her told the mage that he really did looooove her, too.

[fantasyandromancelover]

Peter Pan AU

So I recently started watching one of my favorite childhood movies again which was the 2003 live action Peter Pan movie and this popped into my head.

Peter Pan - Gray Fullbuster

Wendy Darling - Juvia Lockser

John Darling - Natsu Dragneel

Michael Darling - Romeo Conbolt

Tinker Bell - Meredy

Captain Hook - Precht Gaeblog

Mr. Smee - Capricorn

Princess Tiger Lily - Lucy Heartfilia

The Lost Boys - Elfman, Gajeel, Sting, and Rogue.

George Darling - Jellal Fernandes

Mary Darling - Erza Scarlet

Nana - Panther Lily (He’s the only exceed I know of who could play the role as a parental guardian)

Aunt Millicent - Mirajane

Okay a couple of things. Number one all the main characters aside from Jellal, Erza, Porlyusica, and the main antagonists are in an age group that ranges from thirteen to five. Number two I chose Gray and Juvia to portray Peter and Wendy because I noticed that like Wendy, Juvia is a hopeless romantic and is ready to confess her true feelings while like Peter, Gray is aware that he’s in love but won’t confess due to fear.

So here’s the summary.

As a baby, Gray was left at an orphanage in Magnolia by his mother and spends his childhood being abused in said orphanage. On his thirteenth year he meets Meredy a fairy who came looking for him and tells him about how his mother left him though she doesn’t know the whole story. This revelation hurts Gray, causing him to believe his parents never wanted him and that all adults are either cruel, abusive, and/or negligent while also developing a fear of growing up. Meredy proposes that she take him to Tendrou Island a place where children never grow up, always have fun, and can even fly. He agrees and he spends many years on the island never aging but eventually becomes lonely so he begins bring other children (Boys) who come from abusive families (or think they do) to the island.

Time passes and back in Magnolia, Jellal and Erza Fernandes are a happily married couple but sad because they can have no children of their own biologically. Eventually they adopt three orphans: Juvia, Natsu, and Romeo. The family lives together lovingly with their loyal family pet cat Panther Lily to look after them and throughout the years of childhood all is bliss with games to play and wonderful stories that Juvia tells. But when Juvia turns twelve, Erza’s proper cousin Mirajane comes to live with them and she begins to notice how mature Juvia and Natsu are growing so she suggests to the parents that the children leave the nursery which worries the boys but Juvia assures them that they’ll always be together by telling them another one of her stories.

Gray happens to fly by their house which has the nursery window open. He hears the story, becomes interested, and spies on them to hear more. He becomes further intrigued when he sees that the storyteller is something he’s never seen before. A girl his own age (and a very pretty one at that). When the children fall asleep, Gray sneaks inside to get a closer look at Juvia but he wakes Panther Lily who chases him out and manages to steal his shadow.

The next day a mishap with the children and Panther Lily leads to Jellal being embarrassed in front of his colleagues at work so he angrily leaves Lily outside and declares that the older children will leave the nursery, begin lessons of maturity with Mirajane, and participate in no more childish nonsense. That same night the couple leaves for a party however Erza is apprehensive to leave the children because she feels something is about to happen tonight but her husband assures her that the children will be fine because all the doors to the house are locked. However the windows are not.

Shortly after they leave, Gray sneaks back into the nursery through the window to retrieve his shadow. As he struggles to get back onto his body he wakes up Juvia who sews it back on to him while they introduce each other. When she tells him about her situation with her family and how she’ll have to grow up soon he misunderstands that she has unloving parents so he offers to take her back with him to Tendrou Island much to the protests and jealousy of Meredy. (Who has been the most prominent female in his life before now).

Juvia agrees but only if her brothers can come too. He complies with her request although he does get into an argument with Natsu. He teaches them how to fly with Meredy’s fairy dust and while Natsu and Romeo are eager to leave, Juvia is more hesitant out of her love and devotion to her parents. Meanwhile Panther Lily manages to break free from his chain and warn the parents about the stranger in the nursery. But by the time Jellal and Erza get back Gray’s silver tongue had already charmed Juvia and her brothers to fly away with him.

They fly off to Tendrou Island which is home to many inhabitants including the boys who Gray brought there, the Indians led by Lucy their young princess, and the pirate crew known as Grimore Heart which is run by the Gaeblog Precht a.k.a Captain Hades. A heartless, bloodthirsty, and child hating pirate who once battled Gray which led to his eye getting plucked out and fed to a dragon that has followed him since licking it’s chops for the rest of him. Now the evil, eye patched man wants revenge and is determined to find out Gray’s one weakness so that he may finally kill him. Problem is the boy doesn’t appear to have any weakness. That is until Hades learns about the young girl Gray has become smitten with. 

If I write this I plan to make to make it dramatic, dark, suspenseful, adventurous, and comedic with shout outs to various adaptions of Peter Pan like Hook and the mini series Neverland.

[fics-n-stuff-n-stuff]

Natsu Dragneel/Lucy Heartfilia Gray Fullbuster/Juvia Lockser Levy McGarden/Gajeel Redfox /

all fairy tail characters basically - CharacterAlternate Universe - Modern with Magic / Fluff and Angst / Romance / Friendship / developing feelings / Lucy has new spirits I checked constellations and gave her ones I thought were cool

Summary

Lucy is thrown into a world she didn’t know existed. Join her as she unravels this new world full of magic that brings adventure, romance and destruction along with it.

———

Just a modern re-telling of Fairy tail following its arcs with a few twists and turns along the way💞

You can also read it here -

———————————————

Chapter 8

Lucy woke up in a cold, dark cell. Her head was pounding, her lungs aching.

Shaking off the confusion she struggled to remember what happened and how she got there.

Looking around, she tried to focus and figure out where the hell she was, but it was dark and she could barely see past the bars in her cell.

Turning her thoughts over, the last thing Lucy remembered was disconnecting her call with Natsu, and the next thing she knew she was swallowed by a vortex of water.

The mage seemed to have snuck up on her, catching her off guard. It was a woman with blue hair who was able to manipulate water.

And turn into water, if what she remembers is correct, she was losing oxygen fast.

She tried to fight her way through the water and tried to get free, but it was no use.

Her keys were in a bowl by her bedside, her whip in one of the drawers. She hadn't planned on doing anything but relaxing for the day after her rambunctious night out.

Shuffling around, Lucy stood up and started pacing back and forth in her small cell.

Who had abducted her? And why did they take her? Natsu said something about a rival guild being the one to hurt Levy and the guys, but she'd just joined Fairy Tail.

Why would they take her of all people?

If they were even the ones behind this, it could be someone else entirely.

The sudden sound of footsteps bouncing off the walls turned Lucy's attention back to the cell door. A few moments later a tall man, dressed like he'd just got off set filming for Harry Potter, appeared on the other side of the bars. Smirking at her.

He had a menacing aura surrounding him, auburn hair was hidden underneath a ridiculously purple pointed hat, and he was also wearing a purple cape, with fake bat-like wings attached to it.

'Seriously, he looks like a stereotypical bad guy, how drab.' Lucy thought as she looked at the man, waiting for him to speak.

"Ah Miss Heartfilia, you are awake. Good, Welcome to my guild." He spread his arms "Or rather my guild's prison cell."

The man stopped in front of her cell and leered at her. "My name is Jose Porla, I am the master of Phantom Lord. Apologies for your accommodations, but we had to take the necessary precautions, considering you are a Fairy Tail Mage."

Lucy was petrified, frozen in place the moment her last name passed his lips. She tried to school her features and show no fear. But she was petrified.

What was happening here?

"What do you want from me?" She managed to grit out, hands clenching at her sides as she tried to compose herself.

Because that's what it always came down to, he wouldn't have used her last name if he didn't want something from her, or rather, the benefits her title could provide.

The man let out a laugh at her question

"My, my, where are your manners Lady Heartfilia? What would your father think, if he saw you." The man taunted her.

"I am no lady, I can assure you. And my father can go rot in hell, as far as I'm concerned." She spat out at him, her anger coming out at the mention of Jude Heartfilia.

"Oh, well then aren't you a lucky one? It's a good thing, that I have no intention of handing you over to him like I was hired to do." He said as he unlocked and opened the door of her cell before coming in.

Lucy felt like someone poured a bucket of ice down her shirt.

Her father.

Her father hired a magical guild to deliver her back to Crocus.

He knew where she was, he knew and he simply sent someone to retrieve her. It shouldn't surprise her, not really, he was used to letting other people handle his business.

Backing up until her back was up against the wall, Lucy tried to put as much distance between her and the older man as possible.

"You attacked Levy, Jet, and Droy because my father hired you to bring me back?" Lucy's voice was trembling, heart sinking to her stomach.

It was her fault. They got hurt because of her.

"Causing pain to the pathetic fairies and Makarov was a bonus." He laughed cruelly, putting his hand in his pocket as if to retrieve something.

"But once Juvia brought you back, along with these-" The man held out his hands and showed her the chain holding her golden and silver keys in his possession.

"I realized your father was holding out on me. You are not just a runaway, but a genuine spirit summoner, and in Fairy Tail of all places. Who would've thought?" He let out a laugh before continuing his rant.

"Now that I know, I've decided to keep you. I will tell your father you were unfortunately killed in the crosshairs of a guild battle." He put the keys in his cloak pocket, the sinister smile never leaving his face.

"I'm sure you will be of great value to me, and if not, these will fetch a pretty price." He patted the pocket where her keys were and Lucy almost jumped him at his thinly veiled threat towards her spirits.

"I will never willingly help you, you twisted son of a bitch." Lucy spat at his feet, making the man furrow his brows in disdain and slap her across the face.

Lucy fought the urge to clasp her throbbing cheek as she turned her head back to look at the vile man in front of her. She will not show weakness.

"How dare you spit at me you ungrateful little tart. This is your reality now, as far as I'm concerned, you have two options."

He moved suddenly Lucy could barely react and a blast of dark purple matter was coming toward her, but instead of hitting her, it blasted the wall behind her, blowing a hole in the wall and revealing how high up they were.

Lucy jumped forward at the impact catching herself and, looking back she could see debris falling to the ground and shattering.

"You can stay here, or you can jump. The decision is yours, Miss Heartfilia." He said with a smug smirk on his face.

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

Natsu was never known for keeping his cool.

Maybe, it was because he was a creature of fire, or maybe because his instincts always lead him to triumph, so he never saw the need to stop and think things through.

He was the punch now, ask questions later kind of person, and having to sit around listening to most of Fairy Tail argue with each other about how they should handle Phantom Lord was close to tipping him off an already nonexistent ledge.

When he burst through the door earlier that day shaking with rage and announcing that Lucy was abducted, all hell broke loose with the guild.

The attack on their fellow nakama was bad enough, and hearing one of their own was taken had them ready for war.

The master was able to round everyone up, standing on the railing of the second floor.

"Shut it you brats, we have a serious situation on our hands." His voice boomed through the guild, immediately silencing everyone.

"Three of our own have been severely injured by Phantom Lord l, and they have now kidnapped Lucy!" Natsu could see the tension and anger radiating from the short man.

Makarov Dreyar was not an easy man to provoke, but if you hurt his children, you will feel his wrath.

"This was an unjustifiable attack and I will not have anyone hurting my children and getting away with it. Now I want you all to ready yourselves for battle. Mira, prepare a portal to Oak Town!" The master ordered before disappearing into his office, everyone cheered and scrambled to get ready for their upcoming fight.

All Natsu could do was stow in his anger, he couldn't stop thinking about Lucy.

'Was she okay? Why did they take her in the first place?'

He also felt guilty because she wanted to go to the guild, and maybe if he weren't so insistent on her waiting for him, she would still be here, still be safe.

Maybe if they were on the phone when it happened, he would've gotten there faster.

Unbeknownst to Natsu, the temperature surrounding him started rising turning the air humid, almost sticky, as he went around in circles in his head.

"Natsu?" He heard a voice call out, bringing him out of his head.

"I told her to wait for me. She wanted to come to the guild and see Levy, she was so worried when I called her." He turned to look at Erza as he spoke, almost trembling with the need to run.

To run to Oak Town, find Lucy, and burn everyone involved to a crisp. "But I told her to stay in her apartment because we didn't know how dangerous it was." He let out a depreciating laugh at the irony, the fire inside him burning to escape and unleash its fury.

"This is not your fault. We don't even know why they're doing all of this, so how could you have known they'd take her?" The armored woman tried to console him, going to pat his shoulder and almost dislocating it with her strength.

"I should have been there to protect her."

This time, Erza hit the back of his head, hard.

"Tch, idiot. She doesn't need you to protect her. Lucy can protect herself, I've made sure of it." She said proudly, tilting her chin upwards. "Her fighting skills, while still needing work, are sufficient. Though she is still hesitant when we spar, I am confident that if put on the spot against an enemy, she could hold her own." The scarlet mage lectured him.

'Jeez, she almost knocked my head off.' Natsu thought with a slight pout on his face as he rubbed his head where she hit him.

"I don't need ya to tell me that Luce is strong. I know that. It's just, I don't know, an instinct of sorts that is screaming at me for not being there for her." He tried to explain, turning his head to look at the side as he tried to regulate his emotions.

It was a difficult concept for him. He's never felt this way before. He loves all his Nakama and is willing to do anything to protect them. But there is something different about the way he feels about Lucy.

It challenged him and drove him in a way he'd never experienced before, and he couldn't understand it.

Looking back up at Erza, he saw a warm, understanding look in her eyes. She went to pat him on the shoulder, gentler this time.

"We will get Lucy back, and you will get the chance to raise hell on the people that took her." The older girl said with determination, leaving no room for doubt.

Natsu straightened his posture and gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you." He told her.

She nodded back at him, squeezing his shoulder before turning to leave and prepare for the fight.

Natsu, feeling a bit better, went to find Happy, who will be staying back with Charla and some of the younger guild members with Wendy overseeing them.

"Hey Happy, we're about to leave, so I wanted to say bye. You're gonna be okay here?" Natsu asked his little buddy as he approached the table he was sitting at.

"Aye, we'll be waiting for you here when you get back! Maybe after, we can make Lushi come fishing with us again?" The blue exceed shot out, and Natsu smiled at his optimism, knowing it was highly unlikely that Lucy would go fishing with them in the middle of December.

"Sure thing buddy, you keep the guild safe while I'm gone, yeah?" Natsu stretched his hand to pat Happy on the head.

"Aye, sir!" The cat exclaimed nuzzling into his hand.

Natsu smiled at the blue cat and turned his gaze to where he could feel Wendy, who was trying to hide her trepidation behind a small smile.

He left Happy to his antics in trying to woo Charla and approached the younger girl, startling her as he put his hands on her shoulders, leveling her with a firm gaze.

"Don't worry Wendy, you stay here, look after Levy and the others. We'll get Lucy back and kick Phantom's ass, you'll see!" He told her, and some of the tension in her lessened at his words.

Giving him a form nod, she smiled.

"Go and give them hell!"

"Aye! I'm all fired up now!" He shouted, fist pumping in the air, and fire wisping from his mouth as he went to where the rest of the guild was gathering by the doors, readying to go through the portal.

Mira and the master at the front of it.

"All right ya brats, when we step through this door and attack, we violate the guild's treaty, but given what Phantom has done to us, the treaty is as good as void." There was a unanimous acclamation through the crowd at the old man's words as he continued with his speech.

"No one attacks Fairy Tail and gets away with it! Now get ready my children, for we are going to war!" Master Makarov exclaimed, and with the chants and roars from the rest of the guild, he stepped through the portal, everyone following behind.

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

Lucy was at a loss for what to do as she stood in her cell, cold wind creeping from the crater that was blown through the wall.

The vile man was examining her with a smirk on his face, knowing she wouldn't dare jump, and that he had her right where he wanted her.

"I'll let you mull your choices over, but don't take too long, or I'll have to resort to a more unsavory approach." Tipping his hat toward her, he left the cell, locking it on his way out and leaving Lucy trapped, between steel bars and a hundred-meter fall.

The moment the clacking of his heels was out of earshot, Lucy fell to her knees in despair, tears spilling down her face.

She didn't know what to do.

She was sure that by now Natsu knew she was missing, and maybe they'd put together who took her, maybe they'd even take down Jose and his guild.

But that still left her father.

The man responsible for all the chaos and pain caused to the people she'd grown to love in these short months.

He hired someone to take her back once, he'd do it again if they managed to take down Phantom Lord and she refused to go back to him, She would not go back to that life.

And if Fairy Tail fails, (she couldn't bear thinking it, but a contingency plan was always a good thing.) there was no way she was letting that man use her and her spirits, she would rather die than have that happen. Mind made up, Lucy straightened her spine, wiping the tears from her face.

She stood up, feeling slightly more composed, and waited for Jose to return.

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

The moment they stepped foot out of the portal door and into the clearing a little way out of Oak Town where the Phantom's building was located, all hell broke loose.

While there were the standard wards to keep out any curious humans, that could easily be taken down by a determined mage, there also appeared to be guards placed in front of the castle-like structure ahead who seemed to be expecting them.

All of Fairy Tail charged with a roar, handling the guards with ease before breaking the door down with a bang and storming the rival guild.

"Where is Lucy?" Natsu bellowed, body ablaze as he went around and bulldozed everyone in sight, not giving any of them a chance to answer his question.

The rest of the guild was fighting as well, everyone feeling the need to avenge their fellow guild mates and get Lucy back.

Erza was wielding her heavens wheel armor, a hundred swords raining down on her enemies.

The chill of Gray's magic was barely noticeable with how angry Natsu was, but he could still see from the corner of his eye the ice princess knocking people out left and right.

Elfman transformed into a monster, a mix between a bull and a bear, hulking his way through the guild.

Everyone else spread out, equally ferocious in their own way.

In his peripheral vision, Natsu could see the Master climbing the stairs, in search of someone. Leaving him be, he charged at another mage demanding once more to know where Lucy was.

The man was unconscious before he could answer and Natsu felt his anger rising, he tried sniffing her out, but there was an onslaught of magical residue and too many people for him to pinpoint anything.

There was also something pulling him out of the building, telling him Lucy wasn't there.

Like how he knew she wouldn't be in her apartment.

He was about to charge at another mage and demand answers when a steel rod appeared in front of him, stopping him in his tracks.

"Gihi, the little fairy's all riled up." A raspy voice came from above Natsu, who tipped his head back and looked up to see a man with long dark hair sitting atop one of the ceiling beams.

The steel morphed back into an appendage and the mage jumped down to stand a few meters from Natsu, hands crossed as he smirked at him.

"That little blonde piece of ass isn't here."

He sneered at Natsu, who bristled in response and found himself at a crossroads, not knowing whether he should listen to the instinct yelling at him to run and search for Lucy or to stay and fight this spiky-haired bastard.

"Where the hell is she?" Natsu shouted at the man, who only laughed in response.

"Probably long gone, now that you're here." He snickered out, shoulders shaking.

Mind made up, Natsu sent a fire blast towards the insufferable mage and booked it out the doors of Phantom before the other man could retaliate.

He could hear several of his Nakama calling after him but he paid no mind to them, he didn't know where he was going, but he was certain it would be wherever Lucy was.

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

The chill was starting to get to Lucy as she waited in her cell.

There was a shockwave a few minutes back that went throughout the building, and she was certain it was Fairy Tail.

She had rushed to the bars, straining herself to try and hear any commotion, or if anyone would approach.

After a few minutes of silence, she heard the same clacking of boots and knew it was Jose.

Taking a few steps back, she mulled over her next course of action.

"It seems things have escalated quicker than I anticipated, we need to go." He told her as he unlocked her cell, sauntering toward her casually, acting as if she wasn't here against her will.

A sudden anger encompassed Lucy at his attitude, there was a boiling rage that didn't quite feel like her own flowing from her core.

Embracing her in a familiar way, making her feel warm. It gave Lucy the needed courage to go for the attack.

Moving suddenly, taking the amber-haired man by surprise, she grabbed him by the shoulders digging her fingers into his cape keeping a firm hold.

She used the leverage and kicked him between his legs as hard as she could, making the man yell out in pain and double over, clutching his crotch.

Lucy moved quickly, reaching into his pocket she took her keys out and walked backward and away from the keeling man on the floor.

"You little bitch! Get back here!" Jose shouted at her as he went to stand, and in a move of pure panic, or maybe stupidity she wasn't sure, Lucy found herself turning to jump out of the tower.

Her heart was racing as the wind whipped around her, hair flying everywhere, keys clutched to her chest as she fell, hearing Jose's screams on her way down.

'I can feel him, I know he's down there, I can feel him!' Lucy thought to herself as she plummeted to her death.

That anger, the heat that accompanied it, it had to be him.

"Natsu!" She yelled as a final precaution, mind flashing through the last few months of her life in Fairy Tail as she braced herself for the worst.

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

Natsu realized he was running to the back part of the castle, where in the distance there seemed to be a tower of sorts with a wall blown through, he could see debris on the ground from where he was as he approached.

Knowing that's where Lucy was, Natsu increased his speed, dread filling his body. 

As he looked up once more at the hole in the tower, he saw a figure throw itself off the ledge and his heart sank and he prayed it wasn't her.

A flash of gold glinted in the air as he watched her fall.

"Fuck!" Natsu exclaimed at the sight. 'The hell is she thinking?'

"Natsu!" He heard her scream and instantly increased his speed, adrenaline pumping through his body as he prayed to whoever was out there that he makes it in time.

As he watched her near the ground his panic arose, and he found himself strained as he sped up and in a desperate move used his fire as a boost.

Natsu jumped, managing to catch Lucy mid-air in the last second.

His arms wrapped securely around her waist, and her head tucked in his shoulder, he turned their bodies so he would take the impact as they tumbled to the ground.

"Lucy? Luce, are you okay?"

Natsu called out once they hit the ground, pulling his hands away and grasping her shoulders gently, trying to look her over for injuries, but she refused to budge.

He could feel her shaking in his arms, and the anger returned at the thought of someone hurting his Luce and making her cry.

Looking up at the hole in the tower he vowed to burn them all.

The sound of her laughter diminished any negative emotions from him as he turned to watch her lean away from him and throw her head back.

He watched, mesmerized by the way her hair cascaded down her back, glowing as the sun hit it, making it look like melted gold.

The way her eyes were shining with mischief.

His hand moved on its own accord and brushed itself through her hair, It was soft, a little tangled from the wind, and he was completely in awe. She looked beautiful.

Free.

He wanted her to always be like this.

"I'm sorry, I know none of this is funny." She wiped a tear from her face as she tried to reign her laughter, looking at him with mirth in her eyes she chuckled again.

"I just jumped out of a fucking tower, and, and you caught me." She giggled at her words and Natsu's smile warmed as he watched her.

Moving his hand from her hair, he traced the side of her jaw. "I'll always be there to catch you, weirdo." And he meant it. "But don't make a habit out of jumping off buildings, the fall wasn't kind to my back." Natsu told her, moving his other hand to rub a sore spot on his back.

Lucy winced at his words, eyes turning sad, and all the previous happiness was gone.

She looked up at him, eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry. It's all my fault!"

Taken by surprise, Natsu didn't know what to do, he was never good at consoling people.

He decided after a few beats to scoop her into his arms and rub her back comfortingly.

"Hey, none of this is your fault. Phantom Lord did this. They're the ones to blame."

He told her, but she only cried harder at his words.

"You don't understand, I don't want to go back!" Her voice was muffled by his shirt but he still heard her, heart dropping at her words.

"What do you mean you don't want to go back?" He tried to keep the hurt out of his voice but something gave him away as she lifted her head to look at him.

"No, no, it's not like that! I don't want to go back home!" She exclaimed through her tears, waving her hands in front of him, nearly missing his face in her haste.

"My father hired Jose to deliver me to Crocus."

Her voice was small and shaky, and Natsu felt the boiling anger returning with a vengeance at her words. "What?" Was the only thing he managed to get passed his teeth.

Lucy's tears were flowing down her cheeks, glistening in the sun as they fell. He watched her take deep breaths to calm herself before she tried explaining.

"They took me from my apartment, you know that already. I woke up in that tower and the master of the guild told me that my father was the reason all of this happened!" Her voice cracked and Natsu moved to clasp their hands together, giving her a reassuring squeeze.

"He hired them to take me back home! I don't want to go home Natsu, please." She choked on a sob at the end of her plea, and Natsu felt like someone was crushing his heart as he watched her.

He was stunned by the fact that her father would hire thugs like Phantom to kidnap Lucy, the fact that he would hire anyone.

He moved slowly, not wanting to startle the crying girl, and wrapped his arms around her, bringing her into his chest.

"You're not going anywhere you don't want to. No one's gonna force ya out of Fairy Tail, and as for these clowns-" he pointed to the tower behind them. "They've wanted to take us down for a long time, if this didn't happen they would've found another excuse to attack us. None of this is your fault."

He could hear her breathing steady and she looked up at him, red-eyed with puffy cheeks from crying.

"But, my dad-" She started but Nastu shot her down.

"You're not responsible for what he does." He cut her off, bringing one of his hands to wipe the tears off her cheek.

She offered him a strained smile but relaxed in his hold.

"Come on, let's go find everyone else and see what happened with the fight between Phantom." He told her pulling away slowly he helped her stand and took her hand in his.

They walked slowly and in silence, as Natsu let Lucy gather her feelings. Not wanting to push. He had a lot of questions, but they could all wait until she felt calmer and was safe in the guild.

As they neared the front of the castle, they could see the mayhem inside and outside of the building.

Unconscious bodies of Phantom and Fairy Tail mages alike sprawled everywhere, the rest were fiercely fighting. Amongst all the pandemonium they saw Erza calling for Fairy Tail to retreat.

They could see Lisanna crying as she looked down at Mira, who was holding Master Makarov's unconscious body.

He looked unearthly pale.

Picking up the pace, Natsu and Lucy hurried to where the guild was gathering,

"What the hell happened?" Natsu asked gruffly as they stopped a few meters from them, he felt and heard Lucy's gasp, her hand clutching his tighter as she looked at the old man lying in Mira's hold.

"We need to get back to the Guild, he needs medical attention fast!" Mira shouted, focusing on the man in her arms.

Someone opened a portal, and everyone started rushing through it, taking their fallen Nakama with them, leaving Phantom Lord behind.

[petri808]

We’ll Take Back Heaven a Nalu Yakuza Au

1 | 2

—

The moment Lucy left the room, Natsu simply turned and gave a silent look to his lieutenant Gray who nodded back in acknowledgment and left with one of the men. He sat back in his chair, fingers steepled below his chin in thought. Could it really be one of his own men? Some of the lower level guys didn’t always follow the rules, but it was rare for them to utterly disregard them! Oh! That really pissed him off, because they knew better then to test Natsu’s patience. There’s a damn good reason he was able to create such a lucrative gang in the heart of Tokyo when so many others would kill for it. By the age of 21, his father retired and left the position of Oyabun leader to Natsu. But, Natsu wasn’t satisfied with the old way of doing things. This was the 21st century and times must change.

It was well known that the Yakuza traversed a dangerous underworld full of illegalities. Drugs, prostitution, gambling, shake downs and extortion, theft, or in other words the seedier side of society. So that is where Natsu focused his attention. Some of the very first of the changes were to reign in unauthorized violence or any crimes that utilized it. Such a move sent a utter shockwave through the order and those that refused to let go of the old ways were swiftly eliminated to instill an image of power and fear that Natsu Dragneel was not to be messed with. His logic behind the move was simple. Do not do anything that brings attention to the gang and attacking someone on the street for a few yen is a quick way for the authorities to show up. So, in a way, Natsu was lucky it happened to be one of Lucy’s employees and not a random person, because they would have immediately called the police. Though it also brought up another question. Were there other crimes he just hadn’t heard of yet?

“Well, she’s still as feisty as ever, gihi.” Gajeel broke the silence of the room when he returned. “Could’ve cut the sexual tension with a sword.”

Natsu crossed his arms in feigned annoyance. If it were any other underling, they would have received a harsher response, but Gajeel was one of his oldest and trusted friends. “Pfft. I don’t know what you’re talking about. She’s a rival, that’s it. You know that.”

“Mmhmm.” Gajeel snickered. “So, now what?”

“Gray started working on finding who it was. I want you to call your contacts at police and see if they’ve had any reports of recent robberies in the area, and if there were, any details we can use to figure out who it might be.”

“Can do boss. Anything else?”

“You think it could one of our own?”

Gajeel looked up for a couple of minutes as if he were running their personnel through his mind. Finally, he rubbed his chin. “There’s a couple of newbies, a bit young and dumb that might be stupid enough to break the rules. I’ll call my contacts first before helping Gray press the men for info. Someone’s gotta know something.”

“Good. You do that and let me know as soon as you get a lead. I want this dealt with as quickly as possible.”

“Gotcha.”

Between Natsu’s two lieutenants and their best men, they interviewed all of the most likely suspects. Gajeel’s police informant let him know that there were a couple other robberies that sounded similar a few blocks away from where Lucy’s employee and client had been accosted. He also learned those two victims gave a similar description of the robber. With the new information, along with other snitches, they narrowed it down within a few days to a low-level street guy in the organization. But unlike Gajeel’s initial hunch, it wasn’t one of the newbies. Instead, the male had been with them for a couple of years now and never caused any problems. In fact, the guy fashioned himself as a smooth talking ladies’ man who supposedly disliked violence. So, it was a bit surprising it was one of the ones they’d least expected.

Gajeel and his men found the man named Bora Prominence laying low at his girlfriend’s apartment after he’d heard the gang was looking for him. Not the smartest move. The woman gave him up without a fight, fearing the Yakuza more than her boyfriend. So, once she’d let them inside, they quickly found Bora hiding in the bathroom and dragged him out.

“It wasn’t me!” Bora screamed as the men beat him to the floor. “You got no proof I did shit!”

Gajeel planted his foot into the small of the man’s back and held him down. “Two of the witnesses saw the tattoo on your face. That’s enough evidence for us.” He growled. “You knew the code and what would happen if you broke it, so stop being a bitch.”

But Bora continued to resist the four men, pushing off the floor with his arms unsuccessfully against Gajeel’s massive weight or fending off kicks from the others. They pummeled him with fists and kicks over and over until one clear blow finally knocked him unconscious long enough to be tied up. Despite a heavy beating bad enough to leave him bruised and bloodied, he continued to scream about his innocence. Back at headquarters, they dragged him into Natsu’s office with hands bound behind his back and forced him onto his knees.

The room held Natsu sitting at his desk, along with both lieutenants, four of their men keeping Bora restrained, and lastly Lucy with the victim to Natsu’s right side. He had contacted her as soon as he knew the suspect was being brought in. And thought they were pretty certain of guilt, the woman’s immediate reaction when they’d brought Bora in of cringing back and moving closer to her boss spoke volumes.

“Is that him?” Natsu questioned to gain a verbal confirmation.

“Y-Yeah,” the woman squeaked out. “He’s the one who pushed me down and robbed us.”

Natsu’s eyes stayed narrowed and glaring at Bora as he addressed the women. “Thank you, that’ll be all. Heartfilia you both can leave now I’ll handle things from here.”

“You’re a doll,” Lucy giggled and gave Natsu a quick teasing peck on the cheek before ushering her employee away. They’d done what they needed to do, now it was his job to finish it.

“Tch, so that’s what this is all about.” Bora sneered, spitting out a clot of blood. “Cause that bitch got you all worked up over a measly few bucks?”

“Watch it!” Natsu roared. “It ain’t a good idea to piss me off anymore then I already am!” There was a fire burning behind Natsu’s stare because when he looked at this man Bora, he doesn’t see the crimes themselves, but the disobedient threat he posed to their organization. How dare this selfish ignorant punk threaten everything they’ve worked hard to build! And to accuse him of weakness in doing Lucy’s bidding just sealed the man’s fate.

Bora snapped back defiantly, though the crack in his tone gave away the fear brewing beneath. “What does it matter, I know what awaits me.”

“You’re right.” Natsu relaxed back into his chair once he sensed the man’s inevitable compliance. “You knew the consequences for crossing me. What does it matter if my rival is also benefiting in this way? Because I know there are other victims. Dumbass, how do you think we linked you to all this? Those other victims reported it to the police! Which is exactly why I have the rules I have in place! You put all of us in jeopardy by pulling this kind of stupid low level bullshit!”

“Pfft, you act like we’re saints. If the cops really wanted to, they’d look into the other illegal shit we do regardless.”

“No, it’s you who fails to recognize there is a hierarchy to the kinds of crimes that bring heat on us. Drugs? Prostitution? The cops don’t care as much, but assault? Robbing people, murders, now those are things they will pay attention to, and I will not tolerate it!” Natsu sat forward with a malevolent grin. “Welcome to the modern Yakuza.”

Drugs and prostitution were a part of the gangs dealings, but the bigger scheme was in shaking down the local business owners for protection money. Thing is, Natsu’s gang actually did the protection part causing crimes in that area for customers or businesses to drop down to nearly zero. So, while the business owners weren’t thrilled to cut a portion of their profits, they also appreciated not having to worry about security. That and because of the gangs connections, they had pipelines of cheaper priced products which helped to keep their costs down. This more symbiotic relationship is why they didn’t go to the authorities and why the gang could hold such a control over the area. Making sure the areas streets were protected from violent crime is a testament to the gangs power and would insure that these businesses stayed compliant.

“Tch.” Bora retorted. “You’re just young and dumb. Eventually you’ll realize there’s a reason why things were done a certain way in the old days.”

“Maybe, maybe not, but your days of worrying about it are over.” Natsu motioned to Gajeel. “I’m done. Get him out of my face.”

Gajeel then motioned to his men to haul Bora to his feet and drag him away to an unknown destination never to be seen from again. Cliche as it may sound, even in killing off a problem like Bora, Natsu’s gang didn’t follow tradition. Bora would be held as a prisoner until his wounds healed then his death made to look like just another suicide statistic. In the seven years that Natsu has reigned, not one murder had been laid at their doorstep and he intended to keep it that way.

Now that the Bora business was over, Natsu closed his eyes and fully relaxed into his chair with a sigh. He didn’t exactly enjoy playing the tough guy bit and only did it out of necessity. This was a life his father groomed him for since birth, but he’d love nothing more than to just settle down with a wife and start a family of his own. Not that he couldn’t already do so, but that required finding the right woman to settle down with and no one other than his old flame has ever evoked I’m him more than a passing glance.

He didn’t know how long he’d been relaxing when there was a knock on his office door. “Yeah? Come in.”

“Sorry to disturb you,” the man spoke as he quietly entered the room. Invel Yura was Natsu’s Saiko-kamon, the top advisor and managed the administrative side of the organization. “I wanted to go over your schedule for tomorrow in case I need to make any changes.”

“It’s fine.” Natsu gestured to the chair fronting the desk. Invel had been the advisor to his father for the last few years of his tenure and he fully trusted the man’s diligence.

Invel sat down and opened up a calendar. “Tomorrow morning, we have a new shipment of prescription drugs coming in as well as some ecstasy, so you’ll need to appoint someone to oversee inventory processing.”

“Hmm, who should I have work on this?” Natsu asked for Invel’s opinion.

“Might I suggest Rajeel Ramal? He’s gruff but meticulous and has done a good job so far.”

“Is that so? Then that’s fine, let him continue. What’s next?”

“Okay,” Invel scribbled the orders in his book. “Next, the only other thing you have is a party to attend with one of our high end clients.”

“Which one?”

“The son of Yuuji Katsunuma of Katsunuma industries.”

“Ah yes, the one we supply with cocaine. Such a spoiled brat, but he spends a lot with us.”

Invel chuckled. “That’s the one. It starts at 8pm.”

“Okay. Thank you, Invel. Is that all for now?”

“Yes. If anything, else comes up I will let you know.”

“I’m sure you will. Oh. Have an appropriate suit pressed and ready for me for the occasion.”

“Very well, sir. Is there anything else you need from me?”

“No. You may go.”

Invel nodded and returned to his own office. He made a few typical phone calls such as to Natsu’s house staff regarding an evening outfit and the transporters bringing the morning inventory to make sure everything was on schedule. Aside from the Bora issue, the going’s-on of business continued as normal. The final call he placed before he’d leave for lunch was to Rajeel of a simple a five word instruction. Nothing more needed to be said, knowing that his associate would understand. Invel sat back in his chair with a smile. “It’s almost too easy…”

[be-dazzled]

The Art of Falling

Chapter II LOVE, AN ABSTRACT CONCEPT

Gray Fullbuster, Juvia Lockser, Gajeel Redfox Alternative Historical Universe Genre: Old World Vibes, Period Romance All Chapters: Click here

Writer’s Corner: I think we have to make this one alternative historical since, Juvia will obviously maintain her blue locks. She isn’t Juvia if she won’t. Also, as promised, this is going to be a monthly update. So, see you next September! Let me know what you think. Show your girl some love.

Masterlist

“Let me put this into perspective,” Lady Mika Fullbuster slowly started, trying to make sense out of Gray’s proposal, “this woman you speak of, the woman who left you beaten out in the cold, is the woman you wish to marry?”

The gentleman seated opposite her inside the carriage was looking out the window, at the passing scenery through the small frame of the horse-drawn carriage. He expelled a breath of exasperation as he repeatedly answered the question since the first night he proposed the notion.

“Mother, no matter how many times you ask, the answer will remain unchanged.” Gray did not take his eyes off the window as he answered; finding the herd of cattle tended by an old cattleman far more interesting than to keep repeating himself. So, he only heard his mother turn to the patriarch for confirmation.

“And we are going to allow this?”

“The Locksers aren’t a bad family, dear. I’ve met the gentleman many times.” There was a rustle of paper as Silver turned the page of the periodicals he was reading. “As a matter of fact, their family was one of the original settlers of Magnolia. They still have some connection, although very little.”

It took Gray a week or two to finally find the peculiar woman he met at the night of his welcome party. It came as a surprise to him when he learned that Juvia Lockser, one of the daughters of the Lockser family, had lived her entire life in Magnolia. She didn’t seem to share the genteel modesty expected of the ladies of such prestigious town. But who was he to judge as he only met him through those humiliating affairs.

“That wasn’t what I meant, dear.” The other half of the Fullbuster couple swiftly rectified. There was a slight embarrassment in her tone as she feared that her question was deemed critical of the Locksers. “I am only concerned for our son’s well-being. For him to marry a woman he just met in such an extraordinary circumstance…” She trailed off, mulling over her next words.

Gray had an idea what his mother was most worried about – that he would be bringing an unrefined lady into the Fullbuster family. It was, after all, his mother’s duty to see to it that the woman he chooses to marry was fit for the Fullbuster name. That meant that his future wife must possess all his mother’s requirements. Unfortunately, Juvia Lockser seemed to have fallen short of those requirements. So, why was he squandering time travelling to the Lockser household? He could simply not tell them the true reason. Hence, he covered with, “She is the woman I choose.” As if his words offered any explanation but certainly resolve.

“If she tickles his fancy, my love, there is nothing either of us can do about it.” He folded the paper and turned to his wife, saying his next words with finality and resignation. “The heart desires what it desires.”

His father’s words pulled Gray’s attention towards the couple who shared a look filled with silent adoration. It made Gray consider about ‘his heart’s desire’? It was preposterous to think that a heart, a living organ inside his chest, a mere tool for his blood circulation, had the ability to contemplate on wants or desires when the heart lacked a brain on its own. The mind, logic, those were the things that seek for purpose, for desire, for ends and, without a doubt, not an organ like the heart. What a preposterous notion.

Silence once again settled above their heads as the carriage continued to traverse the dirty road towards their destination – the Lockser Home.

…

“My dear, my dear! Come downstairs this instant!”

The Lockser patriarch, with his dull, blue hair sticking flatly to his head, descended the steps with lazy strides.

“What is with this commotion so early in the morning?” he riled, not sparing a glance at the woman jumping at the landing of the staircase, something she’d never done in decades.

“What’s lighting your bottoms, my dear?”

“Oh, my dear, Mr. Lockser,” she swooned beside her husband, feeling lightheaded with the news that came to her this morning, “you have no idea what fortune is about to befall our suffering family.”

“Our family is only suffering from your cry of woes, Mother.”

The Lockser sisters trailed behind their father with Eliana, Juvia and Wendy falling in line on the narrow staircase. The eldest, disapproving of Juvia’s attitude, reprimanded her with a loud slap on the shoulder.

“Don’t speak to mother in such a manner, Juvia. A proper lady only speaks politely.”

As Juvia opened her mouth and about to retort, Eli knew better to cut her off.

“What is this good fortune you speak of, Mother?”

“Oh, my loveliest daughter Eliana!” she exclaimed, caressing the eldest Lockser’s smooth skin of her cheeks with her palms. “Lord Fullbuster has sent word that they are heading to pay our family a visit!”

There was no other news that could send Mrs. Lockser into a high spirits other than even the slightest prospect of an offer of marriage from a wealthy gentleman.

“Oh, Eli!” Elmara flatted the strands of hair into Eliana’s clean and tight bun and pretended to brush imaginary dust on the Eldest’s shoulders, preparing the young lady for the destined meeting. “You must have captured the heart of the Lord’s son. Oh, what beauty!”

“But I haven’t met the Lord’s son, Mother.”

Juvia had this bitter feeling starting at the pit of her stomach. The Lord’s son? She would not have the chance to know the Lord’s son since she did not stay long enough to meet him. But somehow, she felt something she could not place a finger on. Like, something was amiss. Strangely, her mind travelled back to the night she met that debauch of an opportunist and her anger with his shamelessness made her blood boil. An ugly idea crossed her mind, but which she quickly dismissed. There was nothing noble about that lad except for his expensive coat he forced upon her which later, she realized, she badly needed. Catching herself thinking about him again, Juvia dragged herself back to reality – the bothersome reality of her mother preparing the eldest Lockser for a possible destined meeting. She couldn’t fully sort out her feelings about it; about the possibility that Juvia might have to lose her eldest sister in marriage and that saddened her. But to Eliana, she seemed enamored about the idea.

In a rush, the family’s help broke into the living room with an announcement.

“Lord Silver Fullbuster, Lady Mika Fullbuster and their son, Lord Grayden Fullbuster.”

Elmara did everything in her power not to squeal and embarrass herself and, in extension, her entire family. Fearing that she was in earshot of the guests, she restrained her voice as Mrs. Elmara Lockser spat out her orders, forcing her family to arrange some staged presentation to somehow make the Fullbusters believe that the Locksers still possessed the gentry they once held, to which her family fell uncomfortably into.

“Tell me why are we pretending to be something we are not again?”

“Just be quiet, young lady.” The reprimand was spoken through gritted teeth and an awfully pretentious smile. “Do not ruin this opportunity for your sister.”

But to this kind of larking around, Juvia saw an ally. She threw a knowing glance at her father. They shared a resigned smile and a shrug of the shoulders. Her father has long accepted that Mrs. Lockser’s priority was finding a suitable mate for their daughters. That if she failed to do so, Mrs. Lockser deemed herself an unfit mother. As the head of the family, however, Mr. Julian Lockser still had the last word.

The old wooden floors of the house creaked as it welcomed the nobility that paid the Lockser household a visit. It was Lord Silver Fullbuster himself, aided with a cane, who introduced himself first, his wife and then his son, Grayden Fullbuster, who was the one who had business to discuss with the family.

Juvia’s expression was one which seemed like she saw a ghost or thought that maybe her eyes deceived her. But her vision was clear as day. The shameless man who did all sort of unspeakable things to her back at the party now stood before her and her family, walking in with one of the most powerful and influential families in Magnolia. There was a bad feeling gripping at her, disliking the road where her thoughts led. She wanted to leave, to discreetly escape from the house. It was a tad too late as the moment his dark blue eyes locked with Juvia’s, Gray immediately recognized the woman who visited his mind quite frequently. She sternly met his gaze and he held her foreboding glare as long as he could.

Oblivious of the staring match his second daughter and the son of his guests engaged in, Mr. Lockser invited one and all to the parlor. Mrs. Lockser, who was pleased more than anyone, apologized for the current state of the room, only to give off false humility.

“We were not expecting your arrival, Your Lordship.” Elmara waved the help into the room and offered the guests her finest tea and bread. “Please, help yourself with the refreshments. I understand you have travelled far only to meet our humble family.”

“Don’t mind if I do.” Lord Silver accepted, resting his cane against his chair’s armrest and made himself comfortable on his seat. The Lady, on the other hand, was still quite reserve; contrary to the friendliness her husband displayed. Lady Mika has yet to make her mind about the Locksers. So, as her husband enjoyed himself with the offered treats, Lady Mika stated their purpose.

“We apologize for coming without prior notice.” She started. “However, I believe my son has a matter to discuss with your daughter. One which cannot be simply delayed.”

All expectant blue eyes, varied in shade, landed on the aptly dressed young lord. He was initially surprised by the sudden attention. Then, he coughed into his fist and cleared his throat before speaking.

“Yes. Our purpose for coming here.” He said inaudibly, as if reminding himself of their goal. Finally composing himself, Gray met those expectant eyes without waver. “I would like to request a private audience with your daughter...”

Juvia prayed he would say the right name as the rest of the Locksers, save her father, held their breaths.

“Ms. Juvia.”

Juvia knew what everyone was thinking; she thought of it too. How could a man of his stature look pass the real beauty in the family? Was he blind? Has he lost hold of reality?

“My daughter Juvia?” Elmara repeated, releasing the breath that hitched in her throat and voicing the question the rest of the Lockser family had in mind.

“Yes.” Gray reiterated, meeting the doubtful eyes of Mrs. Lockser, and then turned to the woman who was the purpose of his long journey. “The second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lockser, if she would allow.”

Albeit still quite confused, Elmara turned to her second daughter, uncertain of what to say or how to react, exactly.

“Then, Mr. Fullbuster…” Both men of the Fullbusters answered, making Juvia realize her mistake. “I meant, Mr. Grayden, please come follow me.” Juvia excused herself from the room, expecting the lad she requested to follow her where they could discuss their matter more privately.

Juvia gathered the skirt of her dress, only to pull the hem above her ankle, so she could ascend the stairs more quickly, without sparing a glance behind her. If Mr. Grayden Fullbuster lost his way around the Lockser home, she’d feel much better. She traversed the narrow hallways to bring the man to the room she shared with her sisters, only to have him keep himself behind the threshold, reluctant to take another step.

“Would it really be alright if I…” the gentleman’s voice trailed off, his dusky eyes inspecting the small room, taking inventory of its minimal contents, until he met Juvia’s reticent stare. “If I enter your personal room?”

“I invited you, haven’t I?” If he wasn’t too confident or too sure of himself when he spoke to her parents earlier, Juvia would have assumed that the gentleman who refused to enter a woman’s room without permission was a nervous wreck. She watched him hesitantly cross the threshold into her room but maintained a distance between them.

“I shall not waste your time any longer and quickly state my business.” He took a deep breath, making it quite obvious that it was his first time to be in such a situation. “It is of common knowledge by now that I am to inherit my father’s estate. It is estimated at about–” Gray’s speech was abruptly cut when something textured hit his face and darkened his vision. He removed the clothing and realized it was the coat he lent the woman the night they met.

“I assume you are here for that. It must be expensive, after all.”

This time, when Gray met her eyes, he caught him staring at the strong-willed pools, same as those the night of the fateful meeting. There was no more of that modesty she pretended she had around her family. She was, once again, the defiant girl who left him in cold blood, out in the streets after the air left his body with a single punch. This was the girl who he came here for and he was unsure why he was quite relieved when Juvia behaved more like the peculiar woman at the party.

“Ah, yes. Thank you.” Confronting a woman like Juvia left his mind all befuddled that he, for the first time in his life, was at loss for words. Gray shook his head, finding the act ironically useful to clear his mind. “But my purpose for coming isn’t just about this coat. No.” He corrected himself. “My purpose for taking the journey isn’t about this coat at all.”

With a clearer mind, his intention swam into focus. Gray stepped forward, bridging the small distance between him and the woman, and settled the coat on the bed nearest to Juvia.

“I, Grayden Fullbuster, would like to ask your hand in–”

“No! Don’t speak of it!” Juvia’s blue eyes turned into angry oceans.

Gray had to take a step back, to keep his distance as her harsh tone made him feel unwelcomed. He beseeched her eyes, searching for a reason that could possibly explain how his attempt to ask her hand in marriage might offend the woman. All he found were her deep-seated ire to his audacity and a buried ache that she probably did not wish for him to see. Perhaps Juvia saw the confusion in Gray’s remorseful stare that she chose to hide and turn her back on him. The young lord felt a bitter taste stir in the pit of his stomach, burning its way up his mouth. How a gentleman could cause a lady such pain?

“I just wanted to take responsibility for that night.”

Juvia faced him again, her face twisted in an expression of pure arrogance. “I never asked you to.”

The declaration came as another surprise. This woman, the woman standing her ground so firmly, so determinedly, was no one like any other he had met before. Gray was growing impatient that despite himself, the young gentleman had raised his voice over the lady.

“We found each other under circumstances that must only transpire between married couples. I invaded your personal space. You look at me defiantly as against tradition. I put my hands on you without permission. Yet you refuse my proposal?”

There was no more pain but her eyes held such fierce fury that burned Gray’s skin. “I am not aware of how you perceive a man and a woman should behave around each other nor would I give it time in my day. Despite appearances, Mr. Fullbuster, I am a woman who will only marry for no other reason than love.”

Before taking the journey to the Lockser Household, Gray Fullbuster had practiced his speech, selecting the words with utmost consideration. Doubts frequented his mind about the second daughter accepting his offer. With the way she carried herself so differently from the women that came before her, he had expected Juvia to act and decide reasonably. To accept the gentleman’s offer of mutually beneficial partnership was, in all sense, very logical. Grayden Fullbuster was a man who had a lot to offer: fortune and prestige as among others. Any woman would be induced to accept his proposal of marrying into the noble clan of the Fullbusters. Hence, he could not seem to fathom how a sensible woman such as Juvia would even entertain the idea of love. But Gray Fullbuster ought to laugh at himself for expecting something so usual and ordinary from an extraordinary woman such as Juvia.

His silence stretched on, making the young lady uncomfortable. In her final act of rejection, she turned away from him again, and broke the silence with her own proposal.

“I understand your Lord and the Lady have traveled this far only for it to be unfruitful. I am not the only daughter in this household.” There was a slight twinge of ache in her chest that ran deep than the mere rejection of the marriage for the wrong reasons. “You might have noticed the beauty might eldest sister possesses.” Who could have not seen and appreciated the beaut that is Eliana Lockser? “Perhaps, you’d take fancy on her.”

If she was being honest to herself, a part of Juvia wanted him to reject the idea. A part of her wanted to believe that the proposal of marriage was Gray’s sincere offer. A part of her wished he’d noticed her own charm in spite of the presence of the most beautiful Lockser sister.

A part of her, however, believed that in a world where Eliana existed, Juvia could not.

“Perhaps.”

And that part of her, laughing at her own silliness to dream, had always been right.

…

Like the way they arrived, the Fullbusters travelled back home in silence. But despite the lack of exchange between the parents and the only son, the heir of Lord Silver Fullbuster, Gray’s head was far from at peace. Juvia’s words about seeking marriage for love had Gray question his own belief system.

Love? Wasn’t love a mere chemical reaction in the brain? A by-product of the need to procreate?

“Did she accept?”

Gray lifted his gaze to meet his mother’s inquiring look. “She imposed upon me a condition.” He answered.

“What condition?”

“That I make her fall in love with me.”

Love. An abstract thought which cannot be seen nor held. Something Gray had yet to understand the concept of. That which no one could ever fully explain, not by his books or any accounts to those who fell victim to it. How, then, could he make Juvia Lockser fall in love with him?

[ajerzaaddict]

Ready for Love

Written based on the Jerza moments in Ch. 63 of 100 years quest, for celebrating Jerza Day 2020.

Rated: K+

Words: 2.8+

FFN 

~~~~~

"We haven't brawled in a while, Elfman!" Natsu exclaimed. Although he hadn't fully recovered from his fight with Aldoron, his enthusiasm for a match with his comrade was as strong as ever.

"Manly!" Elfman roared, and accepted Natsu's challenge by punching his face.

"Hahaha, not bad! But mine is even stronger!"

Like always, a supposedly dual match between them soon turned into a group fight as Gray and Gajeel got dragged into half-voluntarily.

While there were guildmates who enjoyed watching their fight and cheering for them, some others, like Lucy, Cana and Mira, preferred having their own fun, drinking and chatting at the other corner of the room.

But there was one guild member who had not engaged in any of these group activities.

Sitting alone by the window, Erza looked up at the moonlit sky as her mind drifted off to Jellal who had appeared unexpectedly together with her guild in Drasil but was currently absent on the occasion. Her guild had been partying for three nights straight in the pub, and not one time had Jellal shown his face. It wasn't like she thought he had done anything wrong for not turning up. In fact, no one from Fairy Tail had officially invited him to join the party. Her guildmates hadn't thought about inviting him, simply because they saw him like a member and assumed that he would naturally join them. And when she tried to look for him to check if he would be coming, he was always nowhere to be found. She hoped it was just a coincidence but not him trying to avoid her.

But she also wouldn't be too surprised if Jellal had been intentionally keeping a certain distance between himself and Fairy Tail. He probably didn't feel it was appropriate for him, a non-member, to get involved with the guild too much, acting like he belonged to and taking benefits from it. He was just stubborn like this sometimes. She wished that one day, he could accept that even though he was not a member, Fairy Tail, like her, would always welcome him with open arms. Even though he was an independent mage, it didn't mean he must stay alone all the time.

She didn't want to leave him alone too now they met again finally after months of separation. Erza glanced at her guildmates. Everyone was having a good time, in the company of friends or lovers. She supposed they wouldn't have a problem with her leaving the party earlier without informing them first. Not wanting to disturb her guildmates and raise any unnecessary attention, she got up and moved quietly, slowly, to the front door, and slipped out of it when she confirmed that no one was watching her.

The night breeze danced around her long red tresses as Erza strolled the main street of the town. Her eyes searched for passersby who might be Jellal, while she tried to figure out what place in this unfamiliar town Jellal might go to spend his private time. She would always pick the riverbank when she wanted to be alone but it was not necessarily Jellal's case. She then recalled that he had this practice of meeting her under the bridge when she worked for his guild temporarily as an investigator. He had once told her, he wished that one day he would no longer need to hide in the shadow of the bridge, but could walk on it freely and without the fear of being caught by the council to appreciate his surroundings as long as he wanted to.

She decided it would be a good start to look for Jellal from the nearest bridge, and summoned the tourist map from her requip space to look for its location. It was a canal bridge that was within twenty minutes of walking distance. According to the description, it was a touristic point too for it allowed people to appreciate not only the canal's beauty but also the historical buildings on the two townpaths connected by it.

Erza felt extremely lucky when she arrived at her first stop and saw a lone figure with a head of familiar blue hair standing on the canal bridge. He seemed to be deep in thought, leaning over the parapet and watching the water flowing under the bridge. She took a deep breath, then straightened her skirt and smoothed her hair messed by the night breeze earlier with her fingers, before she steadily walked towards the man she had been looking for.

He turned his head to her direction, sensing her presence before she called him. He was always sensitive to his surroundings.

"I thought I'd find you here, Jellal." Erza couldn't contain her satisfied smile as she greeted Jellal.

"Erza." Jellal returned her a gentle smile. He hadn't shown any hint of surprise at her sudden appearance as if he had prepared to meet her. "I can't be part of a guild-only occasion, right?"

"Nobody would mind." Erza told him simply but surely. His reason for his absence from the party was just like how she had guessed it. She could have given him more reasons on why he was wrong, but to lecture him and persuade him to join the party wasn't her purpose to find him. Nonetheless, she felt obligated to at least make it clear to him, being a Fairy Tail member herself, that he would always be welcomed to be part of the guild, member or not.

Jellal didn't express agreement nor talk back, but merely deepened his smile and held Erza's gaze as she came closer to him.

They broke their eye contact when Erza reached Jellal's side with not more than an arm's length distance left between them. Standing side-by-side, they fell into a comfortable silence as they switched their focus to the night view of the town expanded in front of them: the buildings on the either side of the canal looked warm and lively as lights of different colors emitting from the shops' and homes' windows brighten them up; the canal looked liked it was gold-plated as the water glimmered under the soft yellow light of the street lamps; and the sky was a spectacular backdrop of the town, being lighted up by the silver-white crescent moon and also countless diamond-like twinkling stars.

Erza thought the sight was quite a romantic one, and it felt dreamy to be able to enjoy it with Jellal in peace. They were always either apart from each other, or had some battles to fight when they met.

"It's been a while." She remarked lightly.

"Yeah…" Jellal answered simply, before he signed and did a facepalm. "But I have no memory of what happened while I was whited out." He sounded clearly worried and uncertain. "Did I do anything bad?"

"Um...um, well…" Erza could feel her face warming up as she recalled their earlier encounter. She didn't like lying to Jellal but she also really didn't know how she could tell him the truth. They would both be embarrassed to death if she told him everything honestly, that he had displayed practically no shame when he was whited out, becoming uncharacteristically overly open and flirty with her and almost losing it when she put on her seduction armour. Avoiding looking at his direction, she mumbled. "There were no problems."

Jellal nodded and put his hand covering his face down finally. However, his furrowed brow was telling that there was still something bothering him.

"I feel...so ashamed…" He admitted, a little bit hesitantly. "To think I'd end up like that while pursuing the White Wizard…"

"Here we go again." Erza said softly with a knowing smile on her lips. "Is this the part where you say, 'it's all my fault'"? She teased him lightheartedly.

"It really was my fault." Jellal replied matter-of-factly.

Erza was about to tell him he was too harsh on himself for something that wasn't in his control, but she fell silent when she turned to look at him because she was surprised to find him smiling, and not bitterly but calmly.

Jellal turned to Erza looking into her eyes. "But...I will no longer beat myself up over every failure I make."

A wave of relief washed over Erza as she realized what Jellal had just declared meant that he had finally accepted that he could take responsibility for his wrongdoings in the past without self-loathing and self-depreciation, but with self-forgiveness instead. She looked at him admiringly, wearing a big proud smile on her lips, as she waited for his further elaboration.

Jellal raised his head, looking into the sky with hopeful eyes. "Of course, I'll continue to reflect over my past sins and mistakes. And by doing that, I will find a path that will lead to tomorrow."

"I see."

Erza noted simply, for she just couldn't find the right word to express how extremely happy her heart felt for Jellal for having found a new purpose in his life beyond punishment and redemption. At last, he was able to break free from the shackles of his guilt tying him to the past, ready to explore his future.

"That's what it means to live, right?"

Erza knew there was no need for her to reassure Jellal anymore, finding no sign of uncertainty or anxiety, but only confidence and easiness on his face. He was no longer the man who felt complete lost in life whom she met two years ago when she came back from her seven years of "sleep" at Tenrou Island:

"I set up Crime Sorciere to help pay for my crimes. But I'm beginning to think that nothing can make up the atrocities I committed at the Tower of Heaven. I've started to wonder what I'm doing any of this for. And I can't seem to find a way out of the maze those thoughts put me in. I think that perhaps I should die after all."

"You've changed, Jellal."

Jellal gave Erza a meaningful sidelong glance as he gently placed his palm over her hand.

"It's all thanks to you, Erza." He closed his fingers around hers.

Jellal's gesture, despite being small and simple, was enough to make Erza blush and her heart skip a few beats. And before she could give him any response, she had been pulled into his embrace next.

"I can love people freely now."

For a brief moment, Erza wondered if she was only dreaming about Jellal confessing to her that he was ready for love. But she could genuinely feel his warmth enveloping her body, his arms holding her firmly and his heart beating strongly against hers through their touching chests, that she couldn't be in her dream. Smiling gratefully, she closed her eyes and leaned toward Jellal, resting her head on his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around his torso.

"That's right."

Finally, the boy she loved so dearly but lost seventeen years ago, had found his way back to her.

For a long while, they held each other in silence to enjoy the closeness as much as they could. Erza knew, and so as Jellal, their time together wouldn't last long. Soon, she would have to return to her team to continue her mission on the 100 years quest, and Jellal would probably go on with his investigation on the white mage.

But Erza wasn't one to lose hope even if there seemed to be no solution to a problem. Making up her mind and gathering her courage, she pulled away to look at Jellal.

"May I...stay over at your hotel room tonight, Jellal?" She asked timidly but there was also resolution in her voice.

"S-stay over at my hotel room?" Jellal blushed faintly.

"I-it's purely innocent!" Erza stressed; face reddened like Jellal's. "I just...hope that we can spend more time together before we part ways. You know, we aren't lodging in the same hotel, but I thought I can still spend tonight with you at the very least if I stay over…..."

Jellal's tense face softened, and his lips turned up into a gentle smile. "Surely you can come over if you want to. It's my hope too, to spend time with you as much as I'm allowed before you leave."

"I'm glad that you feel the same." Erza smiled in relief.

"Let's go back to my hotel then, it's quite late at night already."

They unwrapped their arms from each other, then reached for each other's hand and intertwined their fingers as Jellal led the way to his hotel. It was only a short ten minutes walk, but nonetheless an enjoyable one for them, as they took the chance for moon viewing and star gazing in each other's company.

After they had returned to Jellal's hotel room, they firstly took turns using the bathroom, not only for showing to wash away the dirt but also for replacing the bandages on their bodies with new clean ones. And when done, both of them changed into their sleepwear.

Jellal dressed in a plain black long-sleeve t-shirt and a pair of color-matching pajama pants after showering. As for Erza, she had put on her favorite Heart Kreuz purple pajama set which she had always stored one in her requip space. But she had also considered for a brief moment to wear the more sexy nightgown she had bought to prepare for any possible "special occasion", only decided against it quickly because she didn't want Jellal to think that she was pushing anything between them.

The room was small and simple, provided with only a double bed, a closet, a writing desk and a chair. They therefore chose to make themselves comfortable in the bed as they updated each other on the recent happenings in their lives: sitting side-by-side with their backs resting against the bed's headboard as well as sipping the hot chocolate Jellal got for them from the hotel's bar.

But Erza wasn't able to share much details about her mission on the 100 years quest. So she let Jellal talk most of the time and would post questions sometimes. When she noticed that Jellal had fallen silent at one point, seemingly running out of things to share, she suggested calling it a night.

"I'm sorry that there's nothing much I can share with you even though I'm the one who asked to spend the night with you." Erza looked at Jellal apologetically as he offered to take her mug now emptied of chocolate.

"It's really fine, Erza." Jellal got off the bed to place both his and Erza's empty mugs on the writing desk. "I understood it perfectly as someone who has been taking secret missions all the time. You don't have to do anything to justify your stay over; your company alone is good enough for me."

He then reached for the closet and pulled out the sleeping bag he always carried when travelling around.

"You can take the bed, Erza. I will sleep on the floor."

Erza shook her head. "You won't."

She got off the bed as well, going to Jellal's side. She took his sleeping bed and put it back into the closet, then held his hand to pull him with her to go back into the bed again.

"The bed is big enough for us both to sleep in it. And the hard floor is not doing any good to your wounds."

"Erza." Jellal tried to reason with her. "I'm fine…"

"Shhh." Erza wouldn't listen. She knew it was out of his respect for her that Jellal hadn't asked to sleep with her in the same bed. But she wanted nothing more than him staying close to her as much as possible, making up for their time apart even just a little now that he had no reason to avoid her anymore. She held his hand firmly even after she had gotten under the blanket and looked at him resolutely, while he still tried to resist her invitation by standing at the bedside.

But at last, Jellal gave in and slipped into the bed, as he didn't have the heart to pull his hand away from Erza's.

Erza smiled in relief and snuggled to Jellal. She used to do this a lot to him when they were in the Tower of Heaven, seeking his comfort over the sufferings she endured. She was strong enough to protect herself now. But Jellal was still a presence which could always make her feel safe and at peace.

"Thanks, Jellal. And good night."

"Good night, Erza." Jellal turned the bedside lamps off. He then slid an arm around Erza's waist to hold her closer, and whispered lowly in her ear. "I love you."

Erza felt her heart soaring with joy; a sweet smile spread across her face. "I-I love you too."