#tried to wear the outfit shown in the ss but it just

[ashersbraincell]

Ready for the Winter Quest?

[kaelinlikespeas]

Kaino and Rosie HCs again!! (Supa Strikas)

Everything platonic except Ja Nein,Miko and Tiger !!

'Kaino Lin' (She/They)

She's Malaysian-Chinese(even though her name originated from Finland)

Her parents taught them English first,which was troublesome in her later stages in her life. She struggles a lot in Chinese,but she knows a few words and sentences in her dialect (Hokkien).

She's a minute and 20 seconds older than Rosie.

They usually had some As and frequent B's when grades were shown.

Their handwriting is really good,somehow.

Hates vegetables with all of their heart.

She used to be an errand girl (intern) for Hydra when she was 19 and couldn't describe the experience properly,but she's on good terms with Skipper. (They're friends, your honour)

Her favourite Super League teams are either Supa Strikas or Nakama, there's no in-between. (They're basic,she knows)

When she arrived at SS,she was shocked when she saw Twisting Tiger. They've been a fan of him,even before he joined Supa Strikas.

She mostly watched on TV,even when it was super late at night,she'd turn the volume down and continued watching matches.

But, during their internship,she was mostly awkward around him due to the fact that they'd be working with the Twisting Tiger.

But they grew closer together and became good friends when Tiger noticed her nervousness.

He also got them matching outfits.. (As you have seen in the arts, I post ..)

But back to their hcs,she really loves art and photography and joined many photography competitions. (And got participation medals,trophies,and a few 3rd place medals.)

She would spend their late nights drawing and sketching,which would get Rosie annoyed since they stayed in the same room together. So they had to leave the room to let Rosie get some sleep.

Her side of the room is really clean here and there. But their closet is a huge mess.

She prefers to be alone but wouldn't mind a friend or two to accompany her.

A secret fan of Croccie the smile-dile..

They have the same type of humor as Klaus,a bad one at that. She'd pull a quick joke and have the room turn silent immediately.

She dresses up nicely for some important stuff. (Formal,dates..whatever yada,yada) otherwise you'd see her in their supa strikas singlet,jacket,baggy sweatpants and slippers. (Only wears sneakers whenever she's around ss)

Likes drinking their drinks in those plastic bags that you ikat (tie) and drink out of.

It'd be a miracle if you saw her improve her sleep schedule.

When friends send her gifts,Kaino feels really appreciated. They do,but feel undeserving of them,so she tries to get them better ones.

She can remember the small details of people.

A huge nerd for certain stuff like jellyfish,Inspector Von Spector, and a lot of cartoons she'd remember at the back of her brain.

Randomly can sync the timing of what her and Rosie are saying at the same time.

She's Bisexual in terms of sexuality.

They like savoury things rather than sweet things.

Has a secret collection of beanie boos she would never let go ever in their whole entire life. (She showed it to Tiger,Miko, and Klaus once)

Miko let's them talk about photography mostly to him and really likes it when she yaps about different photos she took on one of their trips.

She has an itabag of Miko and Twisting Tiger but hides them whenever they visit her after the season.

Likes talking to herself for some reason,if you're next to them while they're thinking,you might hear some incoherent mumbling coming from them.

Hates the cold temperature with all her might but loves the air conditioning,they just can't stand the cold winter temp while she was at the Fortress Stadium.

They can fall asleep anywhere,they're just really talented like that.

Sometimes, she envies how easily Rosie could be so social because whenever she tried to,Kaino was just considered really awkward.

'Rosie Lin' (She/It)

Actually really bad at speaking Chinese too,like it's sibling.

Younger and gets annoyed whenever Kaino pulls out 'I'm the oldest' card.

Really likes doodling,would doodle everywhere when she was younger,and still loves it to this day,and surprisingly rlly good at it.

Gets away with practically anything,it's like magic. (Aswell during her internship,but it's a 50/50 chance if she gets scolded by Colonel or not)

The happiest person you can be around!

Yes,her side of the room is also clean too,and her closet is also neat too.

Was a huge straight B student back then,Kaino and her would always compare grades.

It applied to Iron Tank due to wanting to impress her sister.

She's randomly good at translating bad handwriting,give her a crumpled up note with smudged ink and smudged letters,it would have the message figured out in no time.

Has really, really,good handwriting.

Her favourite Super League teams are Iron Tank (of course!!) And Technicali... (IT'S BEST FRIEND IS ON THERE OF COURSE ITS HER SECOND FAVOURITE.)

She's pansexual !!

She loves vegetables,except for yam..it can't stand yam.

It really loves sweet things! Usually sneaks in a snack or two.

Is really brave to defend a friend if she needs to. Literally doesn't care if they're tall and huge,she's still defending it's friends.

The other Iron Tank members except for Ja Nein treat Rosie like a younger sister, which includes practically annoying her a lot.

Rosie and Ja Nein usually work together and would spend sleepless nights to think of plans (totally not cheating dw) (it is cheating.)

Rosie likes leaning against practically anything or anyone whenever she wants to nap for a bit,she mostly does it to Ja Nein,but not that he doesn't mind. (JaRosie real)

Loves to cook for others,randomly whips up anything in the fridge, and feeds it to her friends,which always end up for them asking for more.

Rosie also makes tea and hot chocolate for Ja Nein and her whenever those sleepless nights happen again.

Likes yapping abt dinosaurs,especially the Velociraptor. (Ja Nein has heard her speak abt it a dozen of times)

She can yap abt random things and be so inconsistent with its topics to the point she flips through everything and literally just talks randomly.

Hates it whenever a room turns quiet all of a sudden,so it'd ask a question and hopes it would revive a conversation (usually works except for her team)

Likes reading a ton of comics,would also yap abt those comics..

Also a fan of Croccie the Smile-dile,but is actually more open to it than Kaino is.

Has an in-progress ita bag of Ja Nein hidden in her room.

Loves badges and bottle caps,she really likes collecting them and keeps them in a small trinket box.

It was not easy for her to immediately get used to the cold temperatures at Iron Tank,to the point where she got a small cold the first week there,but it got used to it soon enough.

Has a random sense of humor,she laughs at everything.

It has a good fashion style,likes wearing cute things when the season's over, and Ja Nein and her have some time to hang out together.

It wears mostly comforting and pinkish colors and loves,loves winter outfits with all of her heart. She also dresses up really well for events and really likes them.

Gets annoyed whenever Kaino does something very late,since Rosie liked it when they both had synced sleeping times to the point Kaino had to go into another room to continue whatever they were doing to let Rosie sleep.

Rosie likes it when someone praises her for her hardwork. And always responds with a smug reply.

Accidentally says something really dumb whenever Colonel,Uber,Ja Nein, and her are discussing plans of totally not cheating, and gets really embarrassed if no one gave her a proper reply.

She envies Kaino's smarts,even though Rosie was a bit above average,it feels the need to be better somehow.

Credit to Pinterest for the photos,what would I do without it..

[marshmallowprotection]

Hey hey Kait what if..... Hear me out......what if you......gave Ray an actual little crown as a gift.....and told him that it's only the right thing for him to have.....because he's a prince.....and he deserves to have a crown.....and he looks very pretty with it on his head..........what if......many thoughts.........yes this is what I tried to send you last night but Tumblr couldn't handle it and said it was simply too much.............

“I’m afraid I don’t... understand.” 

“Huh? What’s there to misunderstand? I thought it was plenty obvious!” 

Ray continued to stare down at the crown in his hands with scrutiny. It was kind of a confusing gift that didn’t make much sense to him. He wondered what you were trying to say to him by giving him such a thing. In his eyes, you were the one that was royalty, and no matter what he thought—

He was a lowly peasant that was lucky enough to be in the same room as you, much less be as close as this. He was just an airhead and... he wasn’t someone that deserved to be thought of as princely even though he definitely considered those thoughts when he was resting. 

Dreaming of sweeping you off your feet and holding you tightly, what a lovely outfit you’d be wearing that he’d chosen for you, eyes unable to leave your person because he was that much in love with the absolute charm of your love and your grace. 

You were meant to be the prince/ss. 

He... he wasn’t. 

So, why were you trying to gift him a crown? 

Laughing, you gently took the gift from his hands and placed it atop his head with a gentle nudge. He gasped and stared up at you with widened mint eyes that trembled underneath your fingertips against his skin. You looked so bright and vibrant against the seas of color in the garden. 

You were ethereal. 

But, he would never know how you saw him.

How you saw a prince within him and every second that he stared at you, you found more and more reason to be drawn towards him. He let himself get so lost in his fantasy of you being his fairytale prince/ss that he never even considered that he was a lost prince, trying to find his way in the world. 

“There,” you beamed without a care in the world. “That’s my prince. I knew that it would be the perfect fit for you. You’re just as handsome as I thought you would look, my Ray.” 

His lips parted but no words would come out. His skin began to warm from his neck to his cheeks as you made matters worse, leaning over to kiss his forehead with a smile that he could feel against his face. You were the one that made him feel like a prince.  

 His heart clattered in his chest. “Y/N...” 

You called him your Ray. Your laughter stole his heart and ran away with it just as quickly as it had shown itself to him. “I would never lie about that, Ray. You really are my prince.” 

You made him feel like someone desired him and that he could be saved. The most dangerous part was: He wanted you to save him and not the woman that claimed to be his Savior.

[space--cadet-glow]

“Laverne and Shirley” Theory: Billy Kane is Norman Hughes

...Or, at least, Billy Kane is Norman Hughes undercover.

Okay, so I managed to get my hands on the first of the three "Laverne and Shirley" novels-- "Teamwork". (I'm still waiting for the other two to arrive in the post). I'm pretty sure they're non-canon to the actual show, but I'd like to propose a theory that may or may not also explain several in-show oddities.

Much like everything I become interested in, I tend to attach myself to one particular character (a couple of examples: Vaati for "The Minish Cap", Shut for "Go! Princess PreCure", or Jack Spicer for "Xiaolin Showdown"). When it comes to "Laverne and Shirley", I (naturally) attached myself to Officer Norman Hughes.

So, when I was reading the book, imagine my disappointment when I noticed that Hughes wasn't in it. ...Or, was he?

There was a particular character that caught my attention. Billy Kane. And the more he showed up in the story, the more my mind came up with quite the bewildering theory.

Billy Kane is Norman Hughes in-disguise. Here's why I thought so:

1. Kane is described rather close to how Hughes looks Skipping past the part describing where he and Laverne are standing, on Page 77, it goes, "...hands in pockets, was a medium-sized young man of twenty-eight. He had red hair and was wearing a black pullover and black slacks. His tennis shoes were black, too."

You may argue that "red hair" is definitely NOT Hughes (Hughes actually has brown hair), but the book is a bit inaccurate in places; including not only getting Lenny's last name, Kosnowski, wrong ("Kowalski" is used on Page 14), but Laverne's hair is ALSO-- arguably-- incorrectly called "auburn" and not blond on Page 5!

But, the other points seem to be fitting. "Medium-sized", to me at least, seems to be another way to say "chubby": the way Hughes was consistently described in the show! The ages match as well. Like Hughes, Kane's supposed to be around Laverne's age because a weird age-gap was never mentioned anywhere for either of them. And a rather small thing that's probably a coincidence: the laced shoes. The reason I even mention this is because Hughes wears black oxfords-- there's even the joke about how he would have died if he had bent over to tie his shoe when Laverne hit him with the car in "Drive! She Said".

2. Both are into detective work In fact, Kane calls himself "the house detective" on Page 77. And the very first thing Hughes does in "Fakeout at the Stakeout" was gather information and help Laverne and Shirley hide out and try and find the Milwaukee Masher so that they could get their stolen clothes back!

3. Both incessantly use Laverne's name Okay, this one's a stretch, but this is legitimately something you can make a drinking game out of. In the show, take a drink every time Hughes says Laverne's name. I can tell you right now, if you tried it with "Drive! She Said", you'll probably die because he says it EIGHT TIMES in the span of about three minutes. Meanwhile, at one point, Kane has said "Laverne" FOUR times within two pages of eachother (Pages 80 and 81). Very Hughes-like, I would say.

4. Both don't like guns As stated on Page 77 for Kane ("Actually, I'm not certain I even want a gun. All sorts of accidents can happen with guns; they're worse than bathtubs."). This is a weird one: what cop doesn't use a gun? ...Um... Hughes. Yes, Hughes HAS a gun with him at all times, but he's never shown using it-- choosing instead to rely on a truncheon (as seen in "Two of Our Weirdos Are Missing"). Hold on. No, I'm not forgetting the cop in "Dog Day Blind Dates", who uses a gun and is played by the same actor as Hughes. Here's why I'm still saying he never uses a gun: that cop in "DDBD" was never actually stated to be Norman Hughes.

In fact, in "D!SS", there's even the bit where Hughes said that he attended "Pistol Orientation"-- a class that teaches gun safety. Since he was already well-established to be a cop, that either means that it's some sort of reoccurring class that just refreshes minds, or he has some problem with guns that he needed to take classes for (which, again, would explain the truncheon in "TOOWAM").

5. "Billy Kane" could easily be a stage-name Or an "undercover" name. Which would explain why Laverne was so proud about figuring out that Hughes's full name was "Norman Morton Hughes" in "Fakeout at the Stakeout".

6. There's an odd tid-bit about not being recognised On Page 90, Kane makes a comment about how he thinks he and Laverne can afford to go snooping around to find Shirley at the Ritz Diamond, BECAUSE, "Sure, I don't believe they'll recognise either one of us". This seems to imply that either he's not from around Lake Watanabe (like how Laverne is) or he's in disguise.

7. Kane has a few things in common with Hughes's real-life actor The absolute comedic genius that is Bo Kaprall played Norman Hughes. Why do I bring this up? Well, like Billy Kane in-novel, Bo Kaprall started off as a comedian.

Both of their names have the same initials-- BK. And they both appear to go by nicknames, as presumably "Billy" is short for "William" like how "Bo" is short for "Robert".

8. Both keep information written on notepads As seen on Page 101 for Kane and "TOOWAM" for Hughes. Although, Kane keeps his tucked inside his sweater and Hughes keeps his in his back pants pocket.

9. Both don't exactly think things through Kane quite randomly gets captured by the same mob that kidnapped Shirley-- on Page 124, it even specifies, "Letting Roscoe jump him out in the woods, that was stupid". In "The Obstacle Course", Hughes (and Laverne) automatically assume that Shirley was voh-de-oh-doh'ing with Carmine while they were gone-- and when they discover that they were wrong, Hughes loudly declares, "I feel STUPID!"

10. Both try to save the day, but technically fail at it Kane attempts to distract the mob with a comedy bit so that our heroes can take them down and escape, but it's Lenny and Squiggy barrelling through the walls with their truck (don't ask) that saves everyone. Meanwhile, Hughes puts in a request for a public defender for Laverne when she winds up in jail in "Guilty Until Proven Not Innocent", but it's Shirley taking the guy who accused Laverne of stealing out to dinner that leads to her release!

11. Both are polite/nice and calm/composed Kane knocks and waits for Laverne to get ready on Page 89, and even starts off just calling her "Miss DeFazio" until she straight-up tells him to call her "Laverne" (back on Page 80). He only even remotely gets frustrated when his escape plan fails on Page 134. Then, Hughes repeatedly says "sorry" and "please" when trying to get everyone out of the apartment so he can discuss the case with Laverne alone in "Two of Our Weirdos Are Missing". And the only time I can think of that he got angry was when he got ran over in "Drive! She Said".

12. Both are (probably) not from Milwaukee Because, going off of information I have yet to mention from the final chapter, Kane comes DOWN to Milwaukee... And if I'm understanding the geography correctly-- since Lake Watanabe is still in Wisconsin (Laverne says this on Page 57), and must be ABOVE Milwaukee... And because Lenny and Squiggy's instructions include crossing something called the Owl Creek Bridge (Page 128)... This most likely places Lake Watanabe somewhere in Wood County, Wisconsin-- which just-so happens to have an Owl Creek.

And assuming that Kane was either born there or had moved there, this is similar to how Hughes was originally from Chicago and then moved to Detroit before somehow winding up in Milwaukee (as Laverne pointed out in "FOATSO"). So, technically, both travel a lot.

13. Both have a thing for Laverne And they fall for her quite quickly, too.

Kane is already calling her "pretty" by Page 91 (after having only been around since Page 77) and Hughes is laughing at her jokes and calling her "funny" within five minutes of their meeting in "Fakeout at the Stakeout". Of course, Laverne ends up dating Hughes no less than five times in-show (as mentioned in "D!SS") and Kane asks Laverne out on Page 142 (and arguably, them eating breakfast together back on Pages 92-93 could be seen as a date).

They both also like having their dates on weekends. Page 142 for Kane; “FOATSO” for Hughes.

14. Both have a thing for humour Kane was a comedian and Hughes said that he likes to "laugh at life" like Laverne does ("FOATSO"). Kane's escape plan involved a comedy routine, while Hughes still tried to joke about Laverne's reckless driving ("D!SS").

15. Kane is described as if he's important And what I mean by this is, all the other novel-original characters, whether they be plot-relevant (like the mobsters) or random bystanders (like the ticket taker or door greeter), are just described with-- at most-- a sentence, like "he's the taller one" or "the knight". However, Kane is described in-detail twice; once when he's introduced on Page 77 and again when he changes his outfit on Page 89. This is a trait that he strangely shares... WITH THE MAIN CHARACTERS. Why put so much emphasis on him unless he was an important character... ...Just like our dear Officer Hughes?

...So, yeah. Is Billy Kane actually Norman Hughes in-disguise? I have no idea- but I'd like to think so. If anything, maybe this could be a weird headcanon.

If something in the second or third novels disprove this in any way, please tell me. I haven't read them yet.

[petri808]

It Was Always You

Happy Valentine’s Day! 🌹  @cosmicdragonwizard @fairytailvalentinesexchange  I was really excited to be your valentine :)  

A heart has two sides, so I wanted to give you a couple different stories to enjoy based on your feedback.  Here’s Part 1 of your gift:  Hope you like it!  

It was like a pulse under the skin, an unnerving sensation constantly reminding the fire slayer there was something beneath his boyish and often jester-like façade.  A much more precarious side biding its time, just waiting for another opportunity to present itself to the world.  

Still, he paid it no mind, it was just a weird feeling that he chalked up to an increase in his powers.  Nothing to worry about since it wasn’t causing him any issues, and besides, he had no idea what it was…  although he had an inkling…

The Stella mission was the first time E.N.D. had fully appeared but when it happened there were only two people and an Exceed to witness it.  A remarkable spectacle it was for Lucy to watch as her best friend began to transform into…  well, a dragon.  

Not that the celestial mage cared either way, to her it didn’t matter what form he took on, because he would always be the same person who brought her into a world of excitement, family, and maybe… one day… an adventure of a different kind…  

Until the Alvarez incident occurred, and all hell broke loose.  With the seed of E.N.D. having sprouted once, all it took was another spark for it grow, to escalate, and when DiMaria made the mistake of torturing Lucy, it was enough to send Natsu into a full-blown rage with all the trimmings.  

But, thankfully for everyone around, she was able to soothe the beast back into remission and give Natsu a chance to recover his control long enough to continue the battle still raging in Fiore; and it wasn’t over by far.  

This rollercoaster ride was pushing the pair to the breaking point, him dying, her bringing him back, only for him to disappear, battling an enemy on two fronts.  From Hell to Heaven, they’d find a way to reach each other again.

And when it was all said and done, Lucy had her Natsu, and Natsu had his Lucy.  Everything could go back to normal, right?  

By the time the slayer arrived home after that exhausting battle, it had become perfectly clear to him that his demon side was no longer just a dormant bystander.  Twice it had reared its head and both times triggered by one common denominator, Lucy.

But why?  It wasn’t the first, second, or even third time this kind of dire situation had occurred in their years together, so what changed things so suddenly?  As he laid in his bed pondering such questions, the answer had become painstakingly simple,  

Because he loved her.  

And not as a friend, teammate, or any other platonic relationship, no, as in settle down, let’s get married and start a family, till death-do-us-part and even then, I’ll follow you to the great beyond kind of love.  

‘Baka!  How had I not figured this out sooner?!’  Sneaking into her apartment all the time.  He was always thinking about her, always wanting to be near her, to be stronger for her.  Just her scent was enough to soothe him and damn the consequences, it made him smile to see her happy; remember the Rainbow tree?  If someone made her sad his first thoughts were only to kick their ass!  

Not to mention he didn’t like it when other guys flirted with her and that dated way back to the Galuna Island mission.  Apparently, no one thought twice about his miffed response to Gray and her interaction, including him at the time.  Or how about his scrutinizing reaction of Loke for giving Lucy tickets to Akane Resort?  

Someone once told him only a soulmate could break the spell Bora had put on her, but he hadn’t believed them.  Virgo always dressed them in matching celestial outfits because of what she read in their hearts, even Lisanna could clearly see they meant more to each other than they even realized.  

How many other signs had just gone by unnoticed?  Because, it was all there if he read between the lines.  Whose smiling face brought him back from the brink in Stella, it was hers.  His eyes pop open,  ‘it was always Lucy…’

A twinge in his heart.  

Natsu clutches to his chest as light explodes around him, ‘crap!’  He scrambles to a sitting position just to see his body morphing again into the creature.  Scales all along his extremities, his hands, his feet transforming, claws!  Sharp, menacing appendages… Reaching up to his face, oh Mavis, he can feel the roughened features…  

‘No, No, No!  I need to stop thinking about her like that, I-I don’t wanna be E.N.D.!’    

But why now?  There was no battle, she wasn’t in harm?  All he was doing was thinking about her and…  ‘That’s it,’  too many emotions are flooding his system and if she is the catalyst of his change…  

So, he did the only thing he could think of at the time, bury his feelings for the blonde, lock it deep within his heart thinking if he didn’t give in to the urges, it would keep the beast at bay.  

And for the most part, it worked for a couple more years…  

Granted there were a few times when the demon came out in various stages, but they were always during a mission when he needed to protect his beloved Starisha.  Easy enough to explain away, she was his best friend and all so of course he would do anything to protect her like he always had.    

Unfortunately, with each transformation, it would take a little longer, and a little longer to revert to normal.  Remember that pulse?  Like a caged animal, the creature seemed desperate for freedom and desired the one thing he was working so hard to suppress.  

But over time, Natsu started ignoring the warning signs.  

Hiding his feelings was one thing, but there was no way he’d let it stop him from being around his best friend!  And just once, the drunken Lucy at her book release almost did him in, but luckily, she passed out before discovering the few tell-tale signs that had begun to manifest…

Within a few months into their first 100-year mission it was obvious to the team that it was a complete waste of time, just some rogue wizards telling wild stories and convincing the locals it would be the third coming of Zeref.  

Talk about a serious disappointment, especially for a boy brimming with excitement at his first SS-Class mission.

So, to take Natsu’s mind off being home so soon, Lucy proposes to drag her friend out for the night, figuring that filling his belly with some good food from one of his favorite restaurants, would make the slayer happy.  

And once he agreed to go, she planned out everything, right down to the color of the dress she would wear; everything had to be perfect, so he’d forget all about the mission…  

“What’s taking you so long Luce, just throw some clothes on and let’s go, I’m starving.”  He parks himself on the couch to rest.  “You’ll look fine in whatever.”  

They had just got back yesterday from a quick mission, stupid easy, just one he had taken simply to get out the energy he didn’t get to release on the failed one.  He was still tired and going out to dinner at some restaurant was the last thing he wanted to do, but of course, when she flashed those vixen eyes and batted her lashes, how could the slayer say no?  

She calls out from behind the bathroom door, “I’m almost done Natsu, and no peeking, I wanna look special for tonight.”

‘Special?’   “Fine, I won’t…” he mumbles and starts pacing in front of the couch, ‘what’s so special about tonight?’  Now the young man is nervous, if she was dolling up just for him, something was up.  

His pulse quickens as every scenario runs through his mind and he’s using every bit of willpower to keep the creature in check.  The longer she was in that bathroom, the worse they became, especially the more, suggestive ones and why?  

Because Lucy’s never just ‘dressed up’ for anyone…

As Natsu turns to the click of the handle, his fears became reality as the world stops and what his eyes behold just makes him wanna burst into flames right there.

“Do I look okay?” the divine goddess speaks with a wisp to her voice, but all the fallen demon wants to do is buckle.  His mouth opens, but his throat has gone dry and constricted while the moisture on his palms double, sweat beads forming along his forehead; oh boy, the slayer was in trouble.    

“L-Luce…”  The blonde’s bangs are framed around her face and curls pinned up in the back, damn if the pulse in her neck wasn’t just calling out to him! … Soft voluptuous bosoms peeking out from the sweetheart neck line…  and her long, creamy stems perfectly shown off when contrasted against the darker color of her dress…

But his emerald hues focus on the one feature making his blood drain south, a flirty blood orange dress barely covering her thighs.  ‘Oh Shit!’  Special was an understatement when that color hit below the belt.  “Wh-why…” he cringes.

“Excuse me?  What do you mean why!  I just wanted to do something to cheer you up,” she frowns from his reaction, “You don’t like it?  And I even picked your favorite color.”

“N-no, I like it…” he clutches to his chest as that familiar pang hits, “…t-too much…” voice starting to strain.  

“Natsu?”  She’s seen him transform several times but not without physical provocation.  “Natsu why are you changing now?!”

He starts to back-peddle towards the window, “I g-gotta go…”

“No way mister, you are not leaving,” she blocks his escape out the window, “until you tell me what is happening to you!”

“Lucy, move, I don’t want you to see me like this.”

“What are you talking about?” the blonde is both confused and irritated, “I’ve seen you plenty of times….”

“In fights, but…”

“Exactly,” she crosses her arms, “are you upset with me or something?  I-I didn’t think this,” she motions to her outfit, “could make you so angry…”

“Luce please let me leave…  I’m not mad at you, it’s just that, y-you…”

She tries to reach out to him, but he takes a step back out of her reach, Exhale, with tears threatening to spill, the sorrow in her voice is like a dagger aimed straight at his heart.  “Natsu, please, I’m your best friend, you can tell me if something is bothering you…”

Sigh, It’s, too draining to keep up this charade, and seeing her upset…  He slumps his head and shoulders, “it was never the fighting that,” exhale, “that caused me to change… it was always you.”

“M-me?” she blinks, “I don’t understand.”

“Think about all the times I’ve morphed into E.N.D. Luce, who was I protecting?”  Her eyes growing wider as he reflects, “Stella, you and Happy.  DiMaria, you…”

“During the missions…” she whispers…

“Yes,” he quietly responds, “it was always, for you.”

“B-But why just me?  You’ve known me the shortest amount of time, I mean t-there’s Gray, and Erza, and all the others too, all your friends…” the moisture is starting to cloud her eyes again.  “Why am I so special?”

Natsu finally looks back up at the blonde, blinking in total astonishment, “Do I really have to answer?” he reaches out to console her but when he remembers his hands are clawed now, he retracts them, sighing again, “how do you not know you are the most precious thing in my life?”  

“I am?” the tears have breached their dam and trickle down her cheeks.

With a slight nod, he closes his eyes, exhale, “Every time I change my desire for you becomes so intense, E.N.D. covets you and I don’t know what’ll happen if he gets what he wants…  I can’t risk…”

Feeling soft, warm hands cupping around his cheeks, Natsu opens his eyes to find Lucy face to face with him.  “Do you…” with chocolate eyes probing emerald hues, begging for a specific answer.  “…love me Natsu?”

Sigh, “Yes.”  He rests his forehead against hers, “I just want us to always be together.”

Lucy giggles, “But we will, Natsu, because I love you too!” and tilts her head molding her soft lips to his, humming with sheer delight that their first kiss was no longer just a fanciful dream.  Such adorable vibrations emanating from the blonde, soothe the pulse drumming in the slayers ears and melts away any lingering doubts he once held.                

The world around them slows its cadence as Natsu embraces her tiny frame, mindful of his sharp claws against such delicate skin.  He smiles against her lips, as her fingers thread behind and through his locks, even caressing the new horns that grace its crown, “finally, my dragon…” purring, “I really am Lucky Lucy…” through their kisses.

“I’m the lucky one…” he breaths back, “that such an angel would want this demon…”

As abruptly as his change had taken them earlier, the glowing around him returns.  Slowly, while the pair are carried away by their newly amended synergy, Natsu’s body begins to transform back to its old self once more.  

And as the last of his fears dwindle away along with the scales, he grins at the notion that their future will surely be the greatest 100-year mission they could ever take…

Pulling back to soak in the vision of his love in all her blushing glow.  “I guess I worried for nothing,” he chuckles, smoothing over the skin of her cheek with his thumb and wiping away the last of her tears, “all he wanted was for me to confess.”

She smiles back, “He wasn’t the only one waiting…”

“Really?!”

“Duh!”  Punching his chest with cheeks flushing, “Didn’t drunken Lucy make that clear to you?”

Exhale,” I’m still happy to be normal again.”

“Oh, I don’t know, I kinda like my dragon,” running her hands along his chest, “it’s sexy.”

The slayer blushes from her compliment, “Did you still, um wanna go out to dinner?”

“Not really, but if you’re hungry we can…”

“Yeah…” he runs his hand through his hair, “sorry but I missed lunch.”

“Mmm,” the blonde’s loins are not thrilled but what can she do?  She sighs and caresses his cheek, “Well I can’t have a grumpy demon on my hands…”

All through dinner, Natsu’s insatiable appetite is only being superseded by a new one developing below the waist.  Because, if she had to suffer a little longer, apparently, so did he.  

Precocious hints the blonde is dropping only fuel the literal buildup, licking her fingers slowly instead of using a napkin, accidentally rubbing her feet against his thigh under the table.

How is he supposed to concentrate on his plate with her teasing him!  But she just grins and plays coy, “finish your meal…” she whispers while stroking the stem of a wine glass between her fingers.

“Keep that up,” he whispers back, “You just wait till we get home and see what this dragon does to you.”

Lucy leans in closer and batts her lashes, “Is that a promise?”

His mouth drops, ‘Whoa?!’   “Waiter, check please!”

*Any idea what song may have inspired the closing scene?  It’s MAGIC!  Happy Valentine’s Day! <3