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ignitedbynatsu · 3 years

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Apple Juice or Beer?

A/N: @pro-crastinator14 I hope you like it!! Thank you so much again for requesting! On another note, did I start writing this as soon as I got it to procrastinate on the Freed version of HMYFI? Pssht, no.... I have kind of the idea of what I want to write, but I can’t find the right way to start it yet 🤔 Anyway I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather lately so I don’t know when it will be up, sorry 😟

Warnings: accidental under aged drinking, fighting

Genre: a bit of fluff and a bit of angst

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"(Y/N)" Natsu whined as you were braiding your child's hair, finishing it off with a red ribbon at the end.

"What is it, love?" You hummed as you opened a bobby pin with your teeth to pull some stray hairs from the little girl's face.

"Can you help me train? I've been trying to get my punch to become more powerful but no matter what I do, it doesn't seem to work" he stuck his bottom lip out as he hugged you from behind.

"I can't, who will look after Nala if I'm busy with you?" You denied his request, turning in his embrace to give him a quick peck on his lips. You could see the gears in his mind spinning, but stopped him before he could speak "No, I'm not gonna let her stay with Cana. I love the girl, but I don't want her to accidentally switch Nala's apple juice with beer again"

"It was one time!" Cana called out from a few tables further.

"That's one time too much!" you stuck your tongue out at her in a playful manner.

"Well, then why don't we take the little devil with us? We'll make it like a sort of family trip" Natsu suggested as he picked up his child and tickled her side, resulting in a fit of giggles coming from the little girl.

You smiled at the little interaction in front of you "alright"

The three of you and Happy left shortly after. Nala was placed in Natsu's shoulder. Eyes wide open as she kept pointing at random stuff "I want that, mommy can I have that?"

"Aye sir- wait" you giggled at the Exceed that was being held by you, ruffling his head in the process.

"No, you can't have the bunny." Nala pouted at you dismissing her request "Besides, we already have Happy"

"We're here" Natsu announced, eyes growing wide with excitement as he took in the wide open space in front of him.

He placed Nalu down and ran around to scan the area.

"You think it's big enough?" You called out to him as you took a blanket out of your bag where Nala and Happy could be seated while you and Natsu trained.

"Definitely" he replied as he waited for you to get in your fighting stance.

Once you were sure your child and Happy had everything they needed, you positioned yourself a couple of feet away from your husband.

"Ready?" You asked as a smirk was playfully playing on your lips. You missed the adrenaline rush you felt when you were fighting delinquents. The way the blood rushed through your cheeks while your heart was beating against your rib cage at a higher speed than what one would call normal. Don't get me wrong, nothing could beat the happiness your child brought you. It was just an old passion that you couldn't practice as often as you once did.

"I'm all fired up" he mimicked your smirk before charging at you.

You blocked his flow with a sand wall, which he used as a stepping stone as he hurled himself at you. You rolled away right before his fire ignited fist could make contact with you.

You took the opportunity once Natsu's fist connected with the ground to lock him in place, sand wrapping around his limb to prevent him from moving.

You jumped up, ready to hit him with the heel of your foot, but he was quicker. He broke himself free from your sand prison and used that memento to hit you. You felt the warmth of his flames lick your soft skin as he missed you by just a hair.

"Daddy! Daddy! Stop! Don't hurt mommy!" You could hear your child cry as she got up from her place underneath a tree to run towards the place you and Natsu were standing, breathing heavily.

Nalu had finally made it to the two of you and tugged at her father's pants in an attempt to stop him "don't hurt mommy"

As you heard the soft sniffles of your daughter, both you and Natsu's head snapped in her direction, alerted at the sound of her crying.

It was difficult to hear what the upset child was saying through her hiccups as tears kept spilling out her eyes, but you heard it just fine.

You picked her up, and as soon as you placed her on your hip, she clung to you like you could disappear any second if she were to let go. Her soft wailing breaking both Natsu and your heart as you did your best to comfort your daughter "baby what's wrong?"

"Daddy nearly burned you" she managed to get out in between sobs. Your eyes flicker to Natsu, worry written all over your face "I don't want you to get hurt, mommy"

The loud sobs had died down and had been replaced by soft sniffs. Her tear-stained cheeks were still damp, but no new tears were falling.

"I'm fine, baby." you reassured Nalu as you tried to get her to lift her head, so she could look at you "mommy is completely fine. Daddy would never do anything to hurt mommy. I promise you"

"We were just training, princess. I would never hurt your mommy" Natsu said as he gently stroked your daughter's hair before making a small flame appears in his hand "look, I have complete control over my fire"

Nalu instinctively flinched away at the sight of the flame so close to her. The frown on Natsu's face deepened as he noticed the small movement of his daughter. Was she scared of him?

"Nalu, baby, what's wrong?" Natsu asked as he crouched down a little, so he was now on eye-level with his child.

"I see you and uncle Gray breaking stuff in the Guild when you fight. I just don't want mommy to get hurt like you hurt uncle Gray when you fight" she mumbled as her head was laying against your chest while looking at Natsu, her hands still grasping you tightly.

"I would never treat mommy the way I treat uncle Gray. I love your mommy very much, and I promise to not fight her with my fire again, will that make you happy?" Natsu suggested to which she nodded her head as she sucked on her thumb.

Her grip finally started to lose as you felt her get heavier too. The intensity of the situation had drained her of her energy. Natsu's reassuring words put her mind at ease, resulting in her letting sleep take over her body.

You carefully gave Nalu to Natsu as you picked up the blanket. "Let's go home, I think we could all use a nap"

"She's scared of my fire" Natsu mumbled, a heavy sadness lingering in his voice as he looked down at his daughter that was cuddled in his arms.

You hugged him from behind as you gave a kiss on his left shoulder blade "she'll come around. Once she fully understands the concept of magic, she'll see there is nothing to worry about. Maybe go a bit easier on Gray next time or at least have your brawls when she's not around."

"I was planning on doing so, but I can't make promises for that bastard" he stated as the two of you walked back to the guild. "Anyway, do you now agree that my first option was the best?"

"I will not let my daughter drink beer again!"

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superfreakerz · 4 years

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It’s Just Research 1

“It’s Just Research”

Rated M for smut

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

Chapter 1

Research

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lucy frowned. "Is it really that bad?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All except for Natsu.

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

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

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

"You know I have to walk home."

Natsu shrugged. "You usually walk faster."

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

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

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

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

"Oh, yeah. Sorry."

"You okay, Lucy?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

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

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

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

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

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

"I'll get the orange juice."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"I'm not telling you."

"Why not!?"

"Because!"

"Because why?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"I knew you wouldn't understand!"

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

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

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

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

"W-What about you?"

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

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

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

"All this for your writing?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Positive."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Like what you see?" Natsu joked.

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

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

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

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

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

Her eyes widened as she felt something twitch below her.

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

"You don't have to apologize."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"N-Natsu?" she asked.

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

"Okay."

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

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

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

"N-Natsu," she breathed out.

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Your turn," Natsu reminded her.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Really? Does that mean it was good?"

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

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

Lucy blushed. "G-Good."

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

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

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

Minutes passed by, neither of them saying a word.

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

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

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

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

#fairy tail #nalu #lucy heartfilia #natsu dragneel #nalu fanfiction #ftfanficton #its just research #ijr #super writes

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natsuxlucyfanfiction · 6 years

Text

Operation Get the Girl Chapter 11

Oh my goodness, I haven’t posted a chapter to OGTG in so long, I’m pretty sure y’all have forgotten about it already lol. Here it is, hope you enjoy!

About three weeks passed. The change in Natsu's life was phenomenal. Gray was more hostile towards him, unlike ever before. Yes, they would always get into fights and bicker, but never with serious intent. As they've gotten older, the motive had gotten less petty and more hateful. Natsu, being competitive in nature, fought back with all his might. Everyone in the guild noticed how intense their sporadic brawls have gotten, but no one said a word, blaming it on hormones and teenage masculinity. Master Makarov decided to cancel the S Class Tournament for reasons unknown. Erza seemed to never be at the guild anymore.

His relationship with Leela deepened. He got to know her better, and his whole view on her completely changed. Denying that he had feelings for her would be pointless. But were those feelings love? Questionable. He only felt like he liked her when he was with her. Nothing was set in stone. Everything confused Natsu, which pissed him off. He just wanted to know what was going on for a minute. Instead, he was always the dull idiot. So there he was in the same spot at the bar, drinking with Cana.

“I like this Natsu. The one that can stomach alcohol. You’re a good boy,” Cana hooted while pinching his cheeks. Natsu chose to down his drink instead of acknowledging her comment. He motioned for Mira to get another.

“What’s troubling you?” Mira asked before pouring his drink.

“Just thinking.”

“It’s hard to think when you’re inebriated,” Mira teased. “Besides, you never actually answered my question.”

Natsu sighed before beginning his rant. He cracked his knuckles, which was becoming a nervous habit. “So I love Lucy and Leela likes me and I like Leela too and Lucy wants to strengthen our friendship and I claimed that I didn’t love Lucy anymore and Gray is being a pissy little bi-”

“Slow down,” Mira interrupted. “All your words are slurring together. So you’re caught in a love triangle, and one side of it is unrequited. Lucy wants to be friends again. Gray not liking you is no news to me, or anyone for that matter.”

“Everything shifts so fast and I can’t keep up. I’m not smart like all of them, I need things to be black and white. This whole gray area pisses me off,” Natsu droned between swigs. “Mira, I think someone’s poisoned my drink. My head is spinning and my stomach is screaming. Do you wanna hear it?” Natsu hurdled over the bar effortlessly, but failed the landing. He stumbled until he eventually fell. Mirajane’s sniggers were overpowered by Cana’s guffaws.

“That’s enough alcohol for you, kid,” Mirajane spoke, grabbing Natsu’s hand to help him up. He didn’t budge, so she gave up.

“Don’t talk to me like that, Mira,” Natsu whined. “I’m a big boy.”

Cana drank the rest of Natsu’s alcohol. “You see why I like alcohol, Mira? It’s a miracle worker. One second Natsu is an angsty teen, the other he’s a childish clown. Get me another shot, on him.”

“On it,” Mira affirmed. Just when she thought it was all over, she saw a certain someone walk through the guild doors. “Uh oh. Look who just walked in,” she said with a sing-song tone. Cana spun around to find Leela, searching for her darling, heavily intoxicated boyfriend.

“Oh this just keeps getting better and better,” Cana reveled. “I’ll celebrate with two more shots, both on Natsu.”

“We both know he’s broke, Cana.”

“Exactly, a little bit more debt wouldn’t even be noticeable.” Like always, Cana shrugged it off. Sometimes it annoyed Mira, but at other times it was nice to have someone who took things lightly.

Leela’s heels thumped against the floor. She walked with purpose straight to the bar. “Hey, have you seen Natsu? It’s urgent.”

“Afraid I haven’t, sorry dear. Good luck on finding him,” Mira replied.

“What do mean, Lisanna? I’m right here,” Natsu countered. He managed to pull himself up on his own, greeting Leela with a smile reeking of alcohol.

“That’s Mirajane, you’ve known her for forever. What were you doing on the floor? And why do you smell like alcohol?” Her tone got more and more aggressive by the second. With her hands on her hips and brows furrowed, she was an intimidating figure, for a non-mage.

“It’s a really funny story actually,” Natsu began, “I got drunk.” He smiled, thinking that everything was fine and resolved.

“You told me you didn’t drink!” She shrieked, regardless of all the people surrounding them. But it was Fairy Tail, where everyone was too busy getting drunk or in fights themselves.

“You were never specific about what. I drink alcohol on the occasion. I don’t drink pomegranate-craisin juice, that stuff’s nasty. Who had the idea of putting it together like honestly? Not a fan.”

Leela threw her hands in the air and scoffed, eyes wide in disbelief. “Wow, not only am I dating a deceitful liar, he’s also a pitiful alcoholic.” She cried out. “You know, I promised myself I would never date an alcoholic or a druggie. You freaking tricked me into it. Our relationship was going well,” she admitted through tears, “and it’s such a shame, because I really liked you.”

“It’s over!” She bellowed on her way out. Everyone watched her storm away, then quickly returned to their own business.

Natsu sobered up a little. “Well, that makes it easier,” he said nonchalantly while pouring himself a drink.

“That’s it?” Mira queried.

“Yep,” he responded, popping the p.

“But she just broke up with you, and you said you liked her.” Mirajane was incredulous. Was Natsu just too drunk to care or was he legitimately not phased by being dumped by Leela.

“Yeah I liked her but she never had my heart, so how could she break it? Lucy does a better job at making me cry. Pass the salt.” She did as he asked, and watched in horror as he poured it into his drink.

“I should be a barista.”

“No, you really shouldn’t,” Cana and Mira replied in sync. Mira continued to laugh at Natsu’s silly drunken antics, but her heart wasn’t in it.

For the rest of the day, Natsu’s words stuck with her. “…she never had my heart, so how could she break it? Lucy does a better job at making me cry.” They rung in her head, really making her think. Was it her fault that Natsu has dealt with and gotten used to heartbreak?

If I didn’t encourage him all those years ago to chase after Lucy, then he would’ve been way over her by now. Maybe if I just gave him some helpful words of moving on, he wouldn’t have a drinking problem. Though stupid, he’s sensitive when it comes to romance. Scratch that, when it comes to romance with Lucy. It’s all my fault.

I have to fix this.

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

Two days later, Natsu was greeted at his front door by Gray with an extremely friendly punch to the face, note the sarcasm. "You broke Leela's heart!" Gray roared, face red with anger. Ice assembled on his fist, and he came at Natsu again. This time, the fire mage was able to dodge.

"Dude, what the heck? And not on purpose!"

"That makes it sooo much better. You're digging your own grave, Dragneel," Gray sneered, conjuring more ice. Natsu reciprocated the love by setting his fists and arms ablaze. Before either could move, they were stopped by Lucy.

"This is why I came along, to prevent any situations like this. Stop acting like children." She rolled her eyes, making herself at home in Natsu's cozy house. She spent many hours there in the past, and the place used to be her second home. Now she felt like a stranger. The thought saddened her.

"Sit down, and don't make a mess or start a fight. I already don't clean this place, I don't need it getting worse." His guests obeyed, one rather reluctantly.

"You lied to Leela. You broke her heart! She loves you, Natsu. She was willing to put up with all of your stupid problems, and you threw that all away."

Natsu shifted. “I’m sorry, okay? The entire relationship was a mistake, it’s over now. If I can get over it, you can too.”

“Get it through your thick skull!” Gray exploded. He stood up and pointed at Natsu, restraining himself from attacking him. “She loves you!”

“And whose fault is that?” Natsu stood up barked with equal anger. “I’m not the one who used her for my own schemes!”

“Watch your mouth,” Gray threatened. Panic surged through him; Lucy couldn’t know of his past plans.

“What’s he talking about, Gray?” She asked with an hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

“Oh, that’s right, you were keeping it a secret from her,” Natsu smirked. “Well I think it’s time Lucy learned the truth, don’t you agree?”

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gingerxtrash · 6 years

Text

As the years go on /8

Pairing: Nalu

Rating: T

Magnolia has two sides, the good and the bad. There are those who are innocent or evil, or even in the middle. The most ruthless yet successful gang in Magnolia is Fairy Tail. The whole gang are best friends as kids but Lucy had to leave and had no chance to tell them. Four years later she came back, but will her friends still take her in? Nalu, Gruvia, Jerza, Gale MENTIONS DRUGS

Hey guys I’m so so sorry on taking so long on updating. I’ve been super busy with work or I would be extremely tired. Lately I’ve been having a lot more anxiety so that really sucks and it messes with my motivation on writing the story. I still have ideas on what to write but I also am having writers block so it’s difficult to decide what to write. I don’t know if I should continue the story because I don’t know if you guys like it or not….any way I hope that you guys enjoy this chapter and please leave a like and review on it.

---Lucy’s P.O.V---

It’s so warm, Natsu’s embrace feels so comforting and warm. Tears are still falling but I am trying to stop them, I don’t want anyone to see my weak side, I don’t ever want anybody to see my weak side once again.

Moments later, Natsu let go due to someone entering the room, it looks like Macao? He has blue pulled back hair with a blue mustache, he had a white jacket with a blue shirt and a pair of jeans. Honestly I couldn’t tell it was him at first because I never saw him with a mustache before, honestly looks like a pervy old man.

“Natsu, I’m sorry to interrupt but you have another mission from Igneel” Macao said then left. Natsu looked annoyed and broke the hug, “Damn old man can’t give me a break, huh. I’m sorry but I must go Luce” he said and stood up to walk out of the door.

I am trying to stop shaking but my body won’t follow my orders, I take some deep breaths then I see a women in the next bed to me from the corner of my eye. The person has long messy blue hair and a bandage is wrapped around her forehead. It didn’t take me long to realize that it was Juvia and he was already awake, ‘she must’ve saw my episode just now’ I curse myself internally because I hate it when others see my weak side.

Juvia is sitting up and just looking straight ahead of her, probably lost in thought. I’m surprised that she doesn’t have a concusion at all from that brick hitting her head, but I am happy nonetheless that she isn’t looking too bad.

“Why?” Juvia said out of nowhere, interrupting my thoughts. I turned my head to look at her but she is still looking straight ahead of her, “Why what?” I said in a quiet voice.

Juvia turned her head towards me and started to raise her voice, “Why are you so selfish that you don’t ask anyone for help!” I look at her, a little surprised at her sudden comment. “I didn’t want to bo-“. She cleched her fists, grabbing the sheets of her bed. “Why do you never ask for help, Lucy! Don’t you know that we care for you and will drop everything to help you!? You may have left us for four years, but that doesn’t mean we will leave you.” I look down in guilt saying nothing. “You give off such a stupid emotionless face, trying to tell everyone that you are not the same person you were before, but do you f*cking believe me to believe that! You never changed from the little girl you were before, even if the others can’t see it!”

I look to her in surprise of what she said, not noticing all that much that she isn’t talking in third person right now.

“Ever since middle school you were verbally and mentally abused, but you shook it off saying a bunch of lies about you had homework to do or sum’. Why would staying to do homework give you stuffy eyes, bruises, and a slight limp? No one else probably didn’t notice it but I sure did! I hated that you always kept that to yourself!” At this point Juvia was almost yelling but also choking up on her words. “But now!? You keep on hiding all the pain and suffering you are going through! It’s not bruises you have…. You were raped by a psychopath, your parents were murdered, and you are taking on these burdens all by yourself. Whatever reason you have to keep things to yourself is not selfless, it is absolutely selfish!” by now she was in tears. I know that all the words coming from her mouth is true, but I really don’t know what to say.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t of talked like that” Juvia said and turned her head.

“No, you are completely right, I didn’t want anyone to know, I kept everything a secret because I was too scared. I kept everything to myself because I didn’t want to look sad when I am with you guys, I wanted to be strong like everyone. Now, I have to keep everything to myself because I want to keep everyone safe. My parent died working on this project and I won’t let anyone take advantage of them.” I say with a serious face.

Juvia smiles a little and tries to hide her laughter, “you sure are forgetful, don’t you remember that Fairy Tail is the strongest gang is in all of Fiore.” Juvia said with a smirk. I don’t answer but I know without a doubt that she is right, Juvia gets out of her bed and walks towards me then sat on my bed. “Juvia has missed you so much” and gave me a soft smile. I put my head down and my bangs covered my eyes, but I look back up. “I’ve missed you too Juvia” I said, returning the smile she gave me. “Let’s get out of here, the others are worried sick about you” she said, I hesitate a little but I give her nod.

I get out of bed and walks towards the door and Juvia follows behind me, I opened the door, afraid of what I will see. I know for sure they will freak out from seeing the bruises on Juvia and I.

My thoughts are interrupted by a crimson haired woman that practically jumped on me and is now squeezing me to death. She pulls me out of the hug while she continued to grab my shoulders. “Lucy! We were so worried about you when we were told on what happened….how are you feeling?” She said with worried eyes but I responded with a smile, “Don’t worry, Juvia and I are tough girls, so we will be fine” and looked back to give Juvia a smile which she also returned. Gray ran up to Juvia to give her into a hug and said something which I couldn’t hear. I was just glad that he returned the feelings to her that he has always had.

---Third Person---

For the next two hours, everyone talked to each other, updating each other on what has happened over the years, but no one has dared to talk about the tragedies that everyone has gone through

Out of nowhere, a short girl with blue hair in piggy tails run towards the blonde, “I’m so sorry Lucy! It was my fault that you are hurt, I am so sorry that I wasn’t strong enough to protect you” Wendy said while tears were falling down her face. Lucy gently grabbed Wendy by the shoulders and bent down to be eye level with the blunette. “Wendy, you did an amazing job at protecting everyone, but sooner or later we cannot always be the hero. I know the feeling as well” Lucy looked down and remembered the moments that her parents sacrificed everything to save her but snapped out of the flashback to give Wendy a smile. Wendy was taken aback by Lucy’s words and gave her a sad yet happy smile, “Well, I am happy that you are safe now!”.

“I couldn’t agree more”, everyone turns their heads to see a smirking rose colored hair man standing in front of the table the group was sitting at. “What’s with the confused faces, shouldn’t this be a reunion here?” Natsu said with a toothy grin.

“Hell yeah! Let’s stop moping around and party!!!” Cana said while holding up her wine bottle, ditching the apple juice bottle now. Everyone laughed and nodded, moments later the whole gang was partying and drinking as if they just had a victory in battle, but that is Fairy Tail for you. Even though everyone was having fun, there was still one person who was so unsure about the situation. The blonde was sitting there enjoying the company of those she loved but still put a fake smile on so no one can see her uneasiness. Lucy is originally very good at hiding her emotions when she wanted to, except for one person, the infamous but caring Natsu.

---Lucy’s P.O.V.---

Everyone is so happy. Everyone is having so much fun. And everyone acts so calm right now.

I feel suffocated here, like I don’t belong, like I don’t have a right to be here….I betrayed everyone here, but I don’t get how they can forgive me so easily. What Juvia said earlier was completely right and I can not deny that, but I can’t let go of my ambitions so easily at this point. I remain in thought until I feel a hand on my shoulder, I flinch and quickly turn to see who is touching me. Once I look at the individual, the first thing I see is Natsu with a very concerned look on his face, “Lets go somewhere private” he said to me and turned. I decided to follow him due to feeling a little clausterphobic with everyone going wild.

While walking to a quiet area, it felt like we were walking forever. I don’t know if it’s just my head acting weird from the awkwardness between us. I really want to know what’s concerning him, but at the same time I don’t feel like I have the right to talk to him so freely. I try to speak, but I can’t figure out on what I should say. I can’t be like, “Hey, tough fight back there” or “Are you a trampoline because I wanna bounce on you”. I mentally stop myself from thinking like that and I can feel my face starting to heat up, thank the Lord that Natsu is still looking the other way.

Wow, I feel so embarrassed to know that I am thinking sexually about him…..I have no right….even if he has the body of a God. Natsu stopped out of nowhere and I accidentally bumped into him, but he didn’t even move.

“So, are you going to stop lying to me and tell me the truth?”

His voice is deep and a little bit hoarse right now, like he has been yelling or straining his voice. I wonder where he had to go earlier….wow, there I go again with thinking about him. Although, it makes sense, I’ve never stopped thinking about him after three long years.

“Uhh.. I- it depends on the question” I said to him while I looked down, so my bangs can cover my face.

“It’s a damn simple question Lucy” he said with a pause. Why does it make me sad that he doesn’t call me Luce, it’s just a nickname, but it’s only a nickname he can call me.

“Why did you create the Celestials?” he said in a husky voice.

I am not surprised nor disappointed by this question, I knew I had to tell him one day if he came back into my life. I look at him silently while he still had his back towards me.

“It was because I had no other choice” I said and there is a pause of silence, “I didn’t just do it for revenge…I did it because I would never be able to forgive myself if someone stole the work my parents died protecting” I said with my head down and my bangs covering my eyes. Only silence is filling the room which kind of bothered me but suddenly I feel warmth. I stand stiff on the ground, not moving a muscle when I feel Natsu wraps his arms around my waste.

“You really are a dumb little girl who has never changed over the last four years” Natsu said and chuckled a little, “Do you really think you are alone?”

“Honestly Natsu…. I am so confused with everything, I don’t know if what I am doing is right or wrong. Fairy Tail is the rightful owner of my parents’ project, but I am just being arrogant by trying to figure this out by myself” I said as I put my arms around Natsu and I rest my head on his chest, tears threatening to fall again.

He tightens the hug and I feel him slightly shake. I don’t know if he is shaking in anger, or if he is shaking because of something else.

“You have gone through so much, you were forced to endure so much pain and suffering at such a young age, yet you still fight for what is right. You are amazing, over the years you still are the girl who is so brave and still stands tall with a smile. As the years gone on, you are still the women I adore.” A tear falls down my face, but I try to hide it, Natsu puts his hand on my face and wiped away the single tear that fell. I am a little shocked from this I stay silent and he gives me a sad, yet uplifting smile, “Luce, you are not alone anymore, you are a member of Fairy Tail, you are my best friend, you are my inspiration, and you are the girl I fell in love with.”

Wait, did I hear him right?! Did he just say he loved me….I…Just how, I am unclean, unworthy of a man like him. He is the heir of Fairy Tail, he can make any girl fawn over him, so why would he want a girl with so many physical and mental scars?

“Natsu, why….why would you say something like that? I left you, I ignored you, and I rejected you….so that means I am not worthy of you” I said as I looked down at my feet and clenched my fists from how anxious I am. Natsu’s left hand squeezed my shoulder and his right index finger lifted my chin up. Our faces were just inches apart.

“Now, where is the girl who held her head up with a smile when she was broken?” He said with his toothy grin that can lighten the darkest room. “No matter what you do to me, no matter if you push me away, I will never let go of you. I won’t let go because I have the strength to protect you, unlike before” I can feel him leaning closer slowly and my body does the same without any thought. I close my eyes when I can feel his breath on my lips and I put my arms around his neck as his hands now rest around my waist. Natsu placed his lips on mine and I don’t dare to resist them….I cannot stop now because my body won’t let me. Without thinking, my hand traveled on the top of his head, softly gripped his hair and the other is wraps around his neck. He lets out a low moan and immediately I start craving more, like it’s becoming an addiction.

Natsu puts one hand around the back of my neck and the other on the arch of my back and rubs it, causing me to press myself closer to him. He moves his lips and starts to kiss my cheek and goes down to the side of my neck. I lean my head back and let out a soft moan in pleasure. I can feel him biting and sucking on my neck, making me let out a soft moan. His lips left my neck and lifts his head to his forehead on mine. I don’t bother on opening my eyes because I just want to enjoy this moment of pure bliss with him, and a moment to feel safe from everything. “Luce, you know I am not the type of person to lie. I will protect you from now on and I will fight with you in your battles. You are not alone when people who love you are around you” Natsu said in a deep and soothing voice. I looked up to see his smiling face, and the only thing I can do is smile. “O-okay” I said and then he gave me another kiss.

“Hey Natsu, Lucy…I’ve been looking for you two when Gray said you guys le-“ Grandeynee said as she entered the dark hallway we were in. She blushes a little then later had a big grin on her face and pulls out a camera, “ohhhh Natsu, just wait until your Father hears about this” Grandeynee starts to run away while Natsu yells for her not to and starts to chase her. I just let out a chuckle and proceed to go back where everyone else was.

‘Do I love Natsu?’

Ha, why am I even questioning this at all, of course I love him, but I don’t want to tell him because the mission I have promised is basically suicide. But I will not let my parents’ deaths be in vain. I will not be the weak one who is helpless anymore. If I die, I die of pride and nothing will change my mind on that.

I realize that I am lost so I just decide to keep wondering around, maybe it can keep my mind off of things for a while. I feel so overwhelmed with everything right now, a life I tried to keep secret is slowly being crumbled into pieces due to a simple injury. As I am walking I see an open door so I decide to peek inside and the only thing I saw was a room full of computers and a young boy. Wait…a young boy with blue hair? I knock on the door and startle the boy, “What’s with the gloomy face?” Happy turned around and had wide eyes, ‘are those tears I see?’ Without a second going by he runs into my arms “LUSHEE!!” Happy runs into my arms and hugs me tight, like he was scared that I was going to leave. “I’ve mi..missed you so much Lushee, please never leave us again” I’m a little shocked to see him crying but I give him a smile and reassure him that I am going nowhere. ‘He has grown up so much, but I am glad he is still as sweet and innocent just like before’.

After a couple minutes we decide to go back to the main hall, a.k.a. he is leading the way because I have no idea where I am.

Before I realize it, we end up in the main hall where all the people here are playing games and drinking to their hearts content, same as they always do. I look at the crowd and I immediately see an orange hair man and a pink haired woman, Loke and Virgo. Happy leaves to go meet up with Carla and Panther Lily. I walk over to Loke and Virgo to ask them when we are going to go home they looked at me with awkward expression.

“Well um…while Igneel and I were talking he told me that he wanted you to stay at his house, so his men can make sure that no one comes near you now that you’re a possible target due to last nights incident.” Loke said with a sweat drop over his head. My eyes start to widen due to these arrangements and I start to blush at the thought of being with Natsu…all alone… Why are they having me stay with them, I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself so I don’t need this kind of protection. “Ehhhhh!!!” I feel arms around my waist and I can feel someone’s breath on my neck, “Oh goodie Luce, we can share the same bed just like when we were kids!” I turn around to see an evil grin on my face and I can feel my face heating up. “WHAT WE NEVER SHARED THE SAME BED AS KIDS!!!” I yelled at him and scolded him while all he can do is laugh. I puffed my cheeks and of course….ran away to escape from this embarrassment. ‘Why does he need to act like this? I should be happy now that I have reunited with everyone that I love so dearly…but I just feel guilty. I should’ve just been more careful while facing Jackal and Tempester. Since I’ve done that, Tartaros are definetely going to make a move since I killed on of their best men. I can’t stop thinking that this is the beginning of something horrible’.

I run out side and I find Igneel out there sitting on the steps and smoking a cigarette, I don’t know what to do so I just decide to leave him in peace, “Oh hello there Lucy” Igneel said and gave me a smile, “Hello Mr. Dragneel” He was wearing suit pants and a red buttoned up shirt, his crimson colored hair is a bit messy right now and he looks stressed and tired.

“You smoke?” Igneel said and offered me a cigarette so I take the offer and take a cigarette, “Sometimes” I chuckled to myself. He gave me a lighter and I lit up the cancer stick, “Lucy, I’m sorry on what happened to you parents. This is my fault that they are dead, so I understand if you have a grudge between me or Fairy Tail” Igneel said with a worried voice as he took a puff of his cigarette. I looked over to him, a little bit surprised that he said this. “And why do you say that?” I looked forward and inhaled and exhaled the smoke from my cigarette, “My parents decided to work on this project. They were loyal members of Fairy Tail and took the name with pride. They looked to you guys with trust and you were their comrades. Their death is no one’s faults except for the ones who killed them.” I said as I looked up to the sky. I could tell that Igneel was a little bit surprised, but he didn’t say a word. “Fairy glitter is their invention, not Fairy Tail’s yet so it is no ones’ fault.” I said as I looked down to the ground.

“You should know that everyone was worried about you and your parents, especially Natsu and the others. Yet, none of them ever lost faith in you, they are true, loyal, and honorable friends that are hard to find in a world like this.” Igneel said and proceeded to smoke his cigarette.

He stood up and threw the cigarette aside and started to walk away, “You are still young so lighten up and let others help.” Igneel said and entered the building which causes me to be alone. I throw the finished cigarette aside and decide to just stop thinking, Igneel is right. Dang, it’s really destroying my ego because of what everyone is telling me.

I decide to rest my head on my knees and I slowly end up drifting off to sleep, ignoring the fact that I am sitting on the cold crick covered stairs.

Hey guys I am sorry for the boring chapter, I honestly hate this chapter but I feel like some people want at least some fluff between Natsu and Lucy. Originally I want them to be more cold against one another but I wanted to update asap because of making y’all wait so long. I like having humor in my stories because I don’t like being serious for too long. A lot more action will occur in the chapters but I just have to decide on how I will put in it order.

Any way I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and please remember to give a like or review of you opinions of the story. Love you guys and thank you for motivating me to keep writing the story.

Pairing: Nalu

Rating: T

Chapter 1 https://gingerxtrash.tumblr.com/post/173317577354/as-the-years-go-on

Chapter 2 https://gingerxtrash.tumblr.com/post/173429902759/as-the-years-go-onch2

Chapter 3 https://gingerxtrash.tumblr.com/post/173535087109/as-the-years-go-on3?is_related_post=1

Chapter 4 https://gingerxtrash.tumblr.com/post/173708634179/as-the-years-go-on-4

Chapter 5: https://gingerxtrash.tumblr.com/post/173978019329/as-the-years-go-on-5-pairing-nalu-rating-t

Chapter 6: https://gingerxtrash.tumblr.com/post/174105976019/as-the-years-go-on-6

Accent 6

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aldigond · 7 years

Text

Acnologia’s Legacy Chapter 4: The drunken Plan

tag for people who might be interested in this or I asked if I could tag: @marumigamer @chychymazzu and @theupcomingstorm19

feel free to comment or leave some critic for me and have fun. and if you wantt to be tagged, just message me or comment down below.

Both Levy and Gajeel look a little confused to Jonathan.

“Wait, did you just call me Ex-Commander?”, asked Gajeel.

Levy takes a closer look at Jonathan and asks him:”Have we met before?”.

Jonathan scratches the back of his head.

“Well, not in person. My comrades told me a lot about you. I was on a mission outside the country, at the time you worked for the council”, he explains to both of them.

“Oh, so you are working for the magic council? Your name is?”, asks Gajeel a suspicious .

“Jonathan. Jonathan Torias”, Jonathan replies to him.

Levy takes a seat next to Emma and thinks for a moment. Then she says:”Jonathan, huh? That name rings a bell, but I can’t quite put my finger on it”.

“I’m not surprised. Most of the council’s troops don’t even know that I exist”, he Jonathan responds.

Gajeel’s face is filled with questions.

“Wait. Why is that?” he asks.

“From what I hear he is a high officer of the Magic council. Was it the Elite Infiltrators?” Wendy tells her friends formally.

Jonathan responds:” Yes. It’s the Special Forces and the Elite Infiltrators”.

Gajeel and Wendy look at each other, with a thinking look on their faces.

Jonathan raises his hands and calms their minds about the topic:” Don’t worry about it for now. I’ll explain it to you all later”.

They look at him for a moment, before they agree to him. Jonathan takes the Top of his Uniform and walks out of the room, asking the others to excuse him for a moment. As he walks out of the Nurse’s room, he nearly walks right into Natsu and Lucy. Natsu stares at Jonathan for a while before realising what he is.

He screams out scared:” NO! What did I do now?!”.

Jonathan tries to calm him before something could happen:”Calm down, Na- I mean, Mister Dragneel! I’m not here for you!”.

The Fire-Dragonslayer immediately calms himself and casually talks to him:”oh. Ok. Then why are you here?”.

“Natsu isn’t it a l little rude of you to act like that in front of Mage of the Magic council?”, asks Lucy holding Luna in her arm.

“It’s fine. I even prefer if people are more normal around me. I’m not a Saint. My name is Jonathan, nice to meet you”, Jonathan tells them.

Luna looks at Jonathan and suddenly reaches out for him with one Hand. Lucy looks surprised at her:” that’s strange. She never reacts like that to new people?”.

Jonathan bows down a little to her stretching out his hand to her. Luna starts playing with his hand and he starts smiling at her. She starts clapping her hand against his and laughs. Lucy smiles a bit at them playing, while Natsu is confused. Jonathan boops the little girls nose and then stops playing whit her, as he notices that Wendy came out of the Nurse’s room.

“Natsu! Lucy! It’s so nice to see you”, the dark blue haired girl says to them.

Lucy faces towards Wendy as well as Natsu and she asks her:” Good to see you Wendy! Do you know why this man is here?”.

Wendy takes a moment before she gives her, a Statement to the situation. Then she tells them:” Jonathan saved my live on the last mission. But he got badly poisoned so I had to bring him here, since my magic couldn’t heal him”

“And he is still here, because...?”, asks Natsu rude.

“Natsu!”, admonishes Lucy him.

“Well...I asked her out on a date and...She agreed”, Jonathan explains.

Lucy looks a moment at Wendy:” A Date?...”. Suddenly she starts squealing around and hugs Wendy tightly, but holding Luna out of the way so she doesn’t get squished between them.

“Aaaaahhhh! I’m so Happy for you!”, she screams in excitement.

Natsu takes Jonathan under his arm and drags him a bit away from the extremely happy girls.

Then he whispers to him:” listen punk. I appreciate it, that you’re going out with Wendy, But if you do something to her, I’ll burn you to ashes!”.

Jonathan just looks at the Salamander with a modest smile:”I’ll keep that in mind”.

Wendy walks up to them and asks:” Natsu could you let go of him?”.

As he jumps away from Jonathan he just gives a fake laugh and says:”let go? Of who? I’m not holding anyone. Hahahahaha!”.

She looks at him a bit concerned, asking Jonathan quietly:” what did he say to you?”.

Jonathan also smiles at her and gives her as answer:” He just gave me a piece of advice”.

She looks at him suspecting, but stops thinking about it when Emma walks up to her and pulls on her dress, practically asking to get picked up by her. Wendy bows down and takes Emma in her arms. Talking to her and starts playing with her and Luna. Jonathan goes to the bar where Mirajane is standing and washing the dishes. He sits down near her.

“Could I have a glass of Water, please?”, he asks gently.

Mirajane takes out a glass from the cabinet and pours in some Water.

“There you go”, she says, while handing him over the Water.

He looks at the Water for a moment, thinking about something. Then he drinks up.

“Thank you”, he says and hands her the Glass back.

Mirajane looks at him for a brief moment before asking:”Do you happen to work with children?”.

He looks at her responding with a question:” why do you ask?”.

“Well. Luna is not very open towards new people. It takes her some time to even be comfortable enough to be around them, yet you were able to play with her the moment she saw you. Not many people have this kind of Aura, that kids would allow them to get closer”. Mirajane tells him.

His eyes face the ground for a second. After that he answers:”I do have some people with kids that I know. For them I’m like family. I was there when they were born and when they grew up. I guess I just have this kind of Aura that makes it possible”.

Mirajane looks at him with concerned eyes. Then Laxus walks in with Nova on his shoulder. As Mirajane attends her daughter and husband, Jonathan stands up and walks back to Wendy.

“Shall I pick you up at 4 p.m.?”, he asks her.

She hands Emma over to Levy and looks at the clock.

“That would be in 3 hours...sure. I’ll be waiting at my Apartment”, she replies.

Jonathan bows down to and leaves saying:” alright. I’ll see you later then”.

“Soooo. Who was that guy? He seemed quite cute”, asks Cana as soon as Jonathan leaves the Building.

Wendy gets scared over Cana sitting right next to her.

“Since when are you here?”, she asks the slightly drunk woman.

“Been here the whole time actually”, she replies to Wendy.

“W-Well. That was my date for today”, says Wendy to her.

Cana looks at her for a moment and tells her with a drunken smile:”Have fun then!”.

Lucy takes Wendy by the hand and says:” Let’s find a cute dress for you. We can’t have you go out on a date in the same dress you are wearing since yesterday”.

With that she takes off with Wendy, leaving everyone in the Guild. Cana stands up and calls everyone inside for attention.

“Levy! Gajeel! You two look for clues about that guy. There is something about him that makes me uncomfortable”, she says to them.

“Got it, Cana!”, replies Levy and drags Gajeel with Emma with her to look at all the old papers and reports that she kept from the magic council.

“Mirajane. You will crash that date with me! You will distract Wendy, while I take this boy and talk to him for a moment”, she says loudly.

“What do you expect me to do?”, asks Mirajane curious.

Cana looks at her for just a second and smiles:” You already know what”.

Mirajane starts smiling evil and even chuckles a little, if she were demon form.

Natsu and Laxus stand there not knowing what is going on and just ignore what the girls are planning.

1 hour later, in Wendy’s Apartment.

Lucy takes out all the different dresses that Wendy has in her closet. She takes out 2 that she thinks Wendy would look good in the most. One is a white dress, which has an open back and holds the upper part of the dress on a golden ring that goes around the neck. It also has some black stripes at the end of it. The other Dress is Green from the bottom and goes up to her waist. Stopping there the colour starts changing to a brighter blue. It this one is also with an open back.

“Which one Wendy?”. Lucy asks extremely nervous.

Wendy looks at both of them and says:” Well... both of them look very nice, but I don’t know which one to chose”.

Lucy looks at lets go of both dresses and sits down next to Wendy on her bed.

“It’s hopeless. We will never find a nice dress in time”, says Lucy to her.

Wendy looks at all the dresses lying in her room. Then she remembers something. She goes over to the closet and takes out a big box.

She opens it and shows the dress to Lucy asking:” How about this one?”.

Lucy looks up to see the dress Wendy was holding. She gasps on the looks of it.

“Isn’t this?”, she asks Wendy.

She nods.

”I held this one for a special occasion. I think that I can finally use it”, says Wendy in excitement.

Lucy nods. Wendy takes the last 2 hours to get ready. She takes a long shower and Lucy brushes her hair afterwards. Wendy is ready for the date. Now she just needs to wait for Jonathan to pick her up.

Meantime, at the Redfox house.

“Levy, we’ve been looking for hours. Do you really think that you have something about that guy in your old papers?”, asks Gajeel with an agonized tone in his voice.

“We are almost done, honey. There are just 3 boxes left”, replies Levy to her husband looking through one of the old reports that they got from different units.

Lily takes a break and drinks a bit of kiwi-juice Box.

Suddenly he yells to them:” I think I found something!”.

Both Gajeel and Levy run up to him to see what he has found.

“What is it, Lily?”, asks Levy.

“It seems that those two boxes have all the Information’s we have on the infiltration Units and the special force Units”, he replies to the married couple.

Levy and Gajeel start reading the papers, while Lily takes care of Emma, which Levy was playing with, while reading the reports.

Thanks again to @marumigamer for all the help

#fairy tail #Acnologia's Legacy #fairy tail au #fairy tail afterstory #Jonathan Torias

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phoenix-before-the-flame · 7 years

Note

May i have a Nalu, “wtf you’re not my roommate, how did you get in here? oh sHIT you’re really drunk aND NOW YOU’RE CRYING OKay okay it’s okay shhhh, you can stay here i guess??” au. Thanks and have a nice day ^_^

bless you people for having the patience of the gods to deal with me and my slow updates.

I am currently dead inside from having to deal with finals and whatevs but thank god for fanfics to keep me going.

Thanks for the request and whoever you are anon, please enjoy!

Never again.

Never. Fucking. Again.

When next Natsu sees Loke-that stupid pretty bastard-he’s gonna break his nose and strangle him with that furry coat of his.

Natsu knew he shouldn’t have agreed to the party, even in his slightly buzzed thoughts when Loke suggested it, something banged pots and pans screaming at him “NO”, but of course he didn’t listen to the crazy little voice in his head the one time it was saying something smart.

A slice of pain shot through Natsu’s head as his eyes slid open. God he was hungover, in the literal sense and like that movie trilogy with those guys because for one, he couldn’t remember shit from last night.

Two, as he sat up, cracking his back with a satisfied grunt, the place was trashed mercilessly. Like there was cake on the ceiling (who does that? He’s done weird stuff but even then, standards) and something suspiciously like vomit on a spot a few feet from him. Also he was surrounded by empty bottles of Red Stripe.

At least he found his answer to the headache.

And third, like Doug from the first Hangover movie, Loke’s ass was nowhere to be seen. He’d have to check on the roof later to make sure last night really didn’t follow the plot of that movie.

But after his post hangover breakfast. Loke can wait when a cheese omelette and toast is calling.

The journey to the kitchen was longer and harder than he ever imagined, everything was a crutch, holding Natsu up as he hobbled to his goal of a healing meal.

He clutched his chest half way there to catch some breath. His shirt was gone, lost to the events of last night. As was his shoes. And his pants. Natsu was practically naked and he still couldn’t remember a damn thing.

God he hoped none of this made it on the internet.

“OOOOoooooOOOOOoooooooooo”

What the hell was that.

“oooOOOoooOOOOoooooOOOOOOoooooooo………………”

Well either the old fridge was acting up again and decided to start screaming in the early afternoon or someone was here with him, and it didn’t sound like Loke.

Natsu knew what a hungover Loke sounded like and he never sounded this alert. Well at least whatever it was is in the kitchen. Saves him some energy.

Sparkly red pumps attacked Natsu’s weak eyes, abandoned on the dirty tiles next to bare feet. Bare feet belonging to the woman with her head currently in the sink, groaning and maybe close to throwing up.

“Uh……..” Her head flew up, damp blonde hair sticking in clumps to her forehead. Well it looks like someone thought drowning herself was a good way to get rid of a hangover.

“You’re not Cana.” She said, voice raspy with sleep and alcohol.

“Nope. And you’re not Loke are you?”

“Oh thank god no.”Her raspy voice devolved into a fit of giggles. Cute hiccupy giggles. They sounded a little bit like alcohol.

“So i’m guessing this isn’t my apartment either.”

“Bingo.” “Cana isn’t here?” Mystery girl brushed wet hair from her eyes, propping herself up on the counter.

“I haven’t found anyone else yet so i’m guessing no.”

Natsu shouldn’t have said that. He should not have said that. If he were sober he wouldn’t have said that.

Small tears leaked from her eyes making them even redder and puffier. “You mean she left me? Cana went home without me……?” she choked up a sob and he realizes that maybe she’s a bit drunker than he probably thought.

“No wait! I just woke up!” Natsu exclaimed, trying to ease her distress.He shuffled a bit closer. “I haven’t searched the rest of the apartment, your friend might still be in here! We can go look!”

She hiccuped and let out another sob that had his semi-drunk self feeling so helpless and lost that even a few tears started to prickle at the corners of his eyes.

But Natsu held those back. Two people crying usually ended up in a never ending loop of tears. That happened once with Gajeel and he wasn’t gonna go through that again.

“You wanna maybe sit down?” Natsu suggested, “I think I got some orange juice left, you could have that and just take a breather to calm down or if you want I can get you something else to drink.”

She took a heavy breath through her nose to even out her breathing from crying.It took a few more but the tears stopped and Natsu couldn’t help a tiny sigh of relief.

“You ok now?” He asked cautiously.

“Yeah…..sorry about that, I just got a little…..overwhelmed.”

Natsu nodded. “You the emotional drunk?” “Yeah. You?”

“Calm and dead. Not a lot of stuff phases me.”

She gave a slightly sober chuckle. “Looks like we balance each other out. Must be a drunken twist of fate.”

Sh held out her hand and he grasped it with a weak shake. “I’m Lucy and well, sorry about the crying and for being in your place like this.”

He grinned. “No problem, you’re not the first hungover person i’ve dealt with. Had to knock out the first guy though. You want breakfast before we look for your friend?”

“If it’s not too much trouble.” “It ain’t, plus you can tell me about last night ‘cause i can’t remember jack shit. You like cheese omelettes?”

“Who doesn’t?”

Oh god.

That’s not what she think it is written on his chest in her handwriting, in her bright blue lipstick that she got herself on valentines.

“Hey is there something on me? You keep staring.” Natsu eyed her curiously as he shoveled the last of his meal in his mouth.

Yeah…NO! No, no no,no. You’re fine! Everything’s just fine!” Don’t look down, don’t look down, don’t look down

“Really? ‘Cause with how you were looking at me you’d think that there was something…….Did someone draw a dick on me?”

His gaze lowered to roam over his naked chest. He looked.

And no doubt he could read the word ‘MINE’ boldly written on him and see the smeared lipstick mark a little bit further down, close to inappropriateness.

“No way….” His eyes shot back up to meet Lucy’s and, dear lord, she must’ve had some still on her lips because his face twisted into something sinister.

“Did you do this?” He asked playfully,cackling at her reddened features.

“We were both really drunk and nothing happened!”

“You sure? Because this looks a bit out -” “Yes I’m sure! Just, stop talking! Our drunk selves are different people who we don’t know and must never speak of!”

Alright, alright.” The argument was dropped but that evil smirk was still plastered on his face. He motioned for her to hand over her empty plate and glass as he moved to the sink.

Water gushed from the faucet as Natsu cleaned up, and of course he just had to close off the issue properly.

“Just for the record Lucy,” he called, “You should probably take someone out to dinner first before calling dibs on them.”

She buried her face in her hands. No way in hell was she gonna tell him about the ‘JUICY’ cheekily peering at her, partially hidden by the band of his boxers.

#man i'm gonna be hella honest i think i projected myself on Natsu a little bit too much here #natsu dragneel #lucy heartfilia #natsu x lucy #Nalu #nalu fanfiction #fairy tail #What a Phoenix can do #nalu nerds

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remnantoforario · 7 years

Text

Toasted Pages

“What are you reading?” One little question. It seems simple enough, but it sets up a chain events that bloom into something quite wonderful.

Pairing: Natsu/Levy

It was a crisp autumn morning. The gentle breeze danced through the streets of Magnolia, caressing the faces of the town's denizens as they joyfully strolled down the stone paved streets.

Making its way through South Gate Park, the air also tickled the leaves in the tree that stood tall in the middle of the park. It also gently moved the leaves on the ground that were no longer attached to branches.

At the root of this huge tree sat Levy McGarden, Fairy Tail's resident solid script wizard - as well as it’s most avid reader - flipping through the pages of her latest literary escapade. As the azure haired young woman read through each page, she couldn't help but smile.

Whether they history books, maps, or full length novels, Levy always found a certain satisfaction about learning and exploring worlds inside books. To her books offered an insight into how different people saw the world, this in turn helped her gain new perspectives on how she viewed it as well.

Having finished the book she had started just last night, she placed it in her satchel and stood up, stretching her arms over her head with a satisfied smile painted on her face. She looked around, taking in all the sights and sounds of the morning. From the chirping birds flying above her, to the rustle of the leaves beneath her feet. All of it echoed the beauty of nature.

"It’s really nice out today, but that’s enough sight-seeing. Time to head to the guild."

She set off.

It was just like any other day inside the Fairy Tail guild hall. Nearly everyone lounged around discussing various topics that ranged from normal guild gossip, to recent job requests, and in some cases who in the guild was dating - though those particular fires were usually stoked by Mirajane.

"I'm so bored!" Natsu whined loudly as he sunk into the bench. "I wanna go on a job already!"

"Can't." Gray denied, sipping the juice in his mug. "We gotta wait until Lucy and Erza get here."

"Why?"

"Erza said she wanted us to do a job together. We haven't been on one as a team since we came back from Tenrou Island." Happy interjected. He was seated on the table that separated the two.

"So? Wendy doesn't have to go." Natsu retorted. "I shouldn't have to either."

"But Wendy and Carla went on a job with Gajeel and Pantherlily a hour ago." Happy reminded.

"If you wanna tell Erza you don't wanna go then be my guest." Gray said.

Natsu thought about this for a moment. After running the scenarios in his head about refusing a request from Erza - most of them ending with him being beaten to a pulp - he quickly backed down from that course of action.

"Fine." He huffed. “I’ll wait, but I'm sooo bored!"

"Then go bother someone else!" Gray snapped. "Go talk to Mira or something."

"Ok." Natsu lazily agreed. Slinking out from the table, he trudged over to the bar. His boredom still peaked, he let out a pained groan as his head rested on the bar top.

"Something bothering you, Natsu?" Mirajane teased.

"I'm bored."

"Why not go on a job?"

"Can't." Natsu pouted. "Gray said we have to wait on Erza and Lucy."

"Oh yes, Erza did tell me about that." Mirajane remembered. "Did you tell her you didn't want to go?"

Natsu shook his head. "I didn't wanna upset her. She might hit me."

Mirajane laughed. "That certainly is a possibility. How about I bring you something to eat? Grilled meat sound good?"

"Ok." Natsu nodded, his cheeks still puffed out; though he was smiling on the inside. His mood always elevated when food was mentioned.

"Coming right up."

As Mirajane went to prepare his meal Natsu sat patiently on the stool, his arms on the bar top to support his drooping head. He huffed and puffed as he watched the clock on the support beam ahead of him tick away. Erza and Lucy still had yet to arrive. Not paying attention he dropped his head, his forehead slamming the bar top with a loud thud.

"Ow~."

"Natsu, knock off all that racket!" Macao shouted.

"If you're gonna be noisy then go on a job." Wakaba added.

"I can't!" Natsu fired back. “I have to wait on Erza and Lucy!”

“Then wait quieter!” They both replied. Natsu rolled his eyes and turned around.

“How much longer, Mira?”

“About thirty minutes. Be patient.”

“Patient.” Natsu always heated that word.

Looking for something to entertain himself for half an hour, his eyes soon fell on Levy. She sat two stools down from him, a small smile on her lips as she turned a page in the book she was holding.

Curious, Natsu approached her. He slowly leaned in, peeking over her shoulder at the medium sized text she was so giddy about.

Levy was fully engrossed in the story until she felt a warm breath brush past and lightly rufflle her pages. Confused, she pulled back and looked over her shoulder to see a head of pink hair.

"Natsu!" She yelped. "W-what are you doing?!"

"I was trying to read." He replied, a hint of irritation in his voice.

"You know reading over someone's shoulder is rude, right?"

"Really? I don't really read so I didn't know." Natsu said. "Although that does explain why Lucy gets mad when I look at her book." He mumbled under his breath. "What are you reading anyway?"

"Oh this? It's a book I bought in Hargeon a couple of days ago." Levy answered with a small hint of pride. "It's about a boy who goes on a journey to look for his father after his mother dies of an illness. Only 50 copies were published. It's a really rare book."

"Does it have dragons in it?"

Levy was taken aback at the sudden question. "Um n-no. I don’t think so."

"Does it have explosions?"

"Not that I know of."

"Does it have fighting at least?" Natsu’s interest was rapidly fading.

"Sort of." Levy answered. "But it's more internal than external."

Natsu gave her a quizzical stare.

"It means he fights himself." She elaborated.

"Really?!" Natsu piped up. "Like he has a lookalike or a clone or something?"

"No, I mean he fights with his emotions and growth as a person."

"Oh." Natsu replied deadpan. "That sounds boring."

Levy was slightly offended by the dismissal. “I guess that’s one way to look at it.”

"Natsu!" Mirajane called. "The food is done!"

"Finally! See ya later, Levy." Natsu returned to his stool, his mouth hanging open as Mirajane presented him his meal.

Levy returned to her book, but found herself unable to focus. She knew Natsu didn't mean anything by his comment, but she couldn't help but take it a tad personal. Despite seeing everyone in Fairy Tail as a friend, Levy did at times feel ostracized by being one of the few who regularly read books, as well as being the only one who spent any extended time in the guild's library.

She knew Erza read, but romance books weren't really Levy's preference, especially not the ones Erza was partial to. Mirajane was another well-read wizard, but her literary resources mostly stretched to either cook books, or the same books Erza read. Juvia mostly flipped through books containing what she dubbed "boys-love". Cana dove mostly into drink recipes and - surprisingly - horror novels. Laki's tastes were more into art books and classic literature, the latter of which Levy dabbled in from time to time as well. Bisca tickled her literary fancies with gun catalogs and animal magazines.

Jet and Droy tried to read one of Levy's books before but were quickly turned off by the dense metaphors and meanings, and that was from the easiest book in her collection. Mostly the only people she talked to about books were Lucy and Freed since they had similar tastes as her, but even that tended to grow stale from time to time.

"So what are you going to do?" Levy's ears caught the cadence of a familiar voice.

"I don't know." Another familiar voice sighed. "He seems like a nice guy, and I don't wanna hurt his feelings."

Sure enough in walked Lucy and Erza.

"Dere you aw!" Natsu shouted, his mouth full of meat.

"Natsu, don't talk with your mouth full." Erza scolded.

"So-"Natsu swallowed. "Sorry. But you guys are finally here. Now we can go on a job!"

"Yeah and Natsu will stop whining like a baby." Gray smirked.

"You tryna pick a fight?" Natsu challenged, his meal having refueled his energy.

"Not really, but since you're offering." Gray walked towards the dragon slayer. The two pressed their foreheads together.

"Now, now you two." Mirajane said trying to calm them.

"Stop now." Erza ordered.

"Hey, Levy." Lucy greeted. During the commotion she decided it was best not to get involved.

"Hey, Lu." Levy replied. "How are you?"

"I'm doing alright. Just another day."

"Really? I couldn't help but hear your conversation when you came in." Levy smirked mischievously. “Sounds like something happened.

"No not really." Lucy looked away with an embarrassed blush.

"Who is he?" Levy prodded, poking Lucy's arm.

"This guy who lives in the building next to me." Lucy sighed, she knew hiding anything from Levy was a waste of time. "We shop at the same market."

"Oh, did he ask you out on a date?"

"Yeah."

"So~?"

"So what?"

"Are you going to go?"

"What?!" Lucy shrieked, her cheeks flushed red. "No, I mean yeah he's kinda cute but I barely know him."

"That's what dates are for right?"

Lucy looked down, her face growing redder. "Yeah but still…" she looked at Levy's hand, seeing the clutched book as an opportunity to change the subject. "Hey, is that the book you bought in Hargeon?"

"This?" Levy raised her hand to look at the book and smiled. "It is."

Lucy breathed a sigh of relief, her gamble paid off.

"You wanna read it when I finish?" Levy asked.

"Sure."

"So how's your novel coming along?"

"Fine, but I keep getting stuck at the climax…" Lucy began.

"You wanna say that again, frosty?" Natsu challenged Gray.

"Sure, clearly you have too much stupid in your ears." Gray retorted. "I said you whine like a baby. Which when you think about it is an insult to babies."

"That does it!" Natsu pulled back his fist.

"Bring it, dorkmander!" Gray followed suit.

"I said stop!" Erza commanded, but it was too late, the brawl had already begun.

Natsu and Gray struck one another hard on the cheek before resorting to magic. Bursts of fire and ice shot in all directions, quickly flaring and melting away as the two exchanged blows. After a minute or so Erza grabbed Gray by the underwear - the ice wizard having predictably stripped - and pulled him back.

Natsu smirked at his rival and created a fireball in his hand. "Now you can't move."

"Natsu, don't you dare." Erza’s glare did little to deter the dragon slayer and he threw the ball at them.

Erza and Gray ducked, but to their horror the ball was now headed towards Levy.

"Oh crap!" Natsu shouted.

Mirajane gasped. "Levy, look out!"

Lucy and Levy looked head on at the fireball, both of them screaming in fear. Without thinking Levy held up her book, using it as a shield. As soon as the fire made contact, Levy instantly dropped the book to the floor. She watched in shock as her book turned to ashes before her eyes.

"Levy!" Lucy shouted. "Are you alright?!"

Levy gave no response.

"Levy!" Lucy shook her this time.

"Huh? Lu?" Levy muttered, finally looking at her friend.

"Are you ok?" Mirajane asked.

"Y-yeah." Levy answered. "I'm fine."

"Look at your hands." Lucy said grabbing them. There were slight burn marks on Levy's fingers and palms.

"Thankfully it's not too serious." Mirajane sighed in relief. "Kinana, can you bring the first aid kit?"

"Ok." The purple haired barmaid went to the back.

"Do you see what happens when you fool around in the guild hall?!" Erza roared at an unconscious Natsu. She had captured right after he let go of his fireball and promptly knocked him out.

"Don't worry, Erza. I'm fine." Levy reassured with a smile. "I know Natsu didn't mean to do it."

"Yeah, but he should still feel bad." Lucy said.

"We can worry about that when he wakes up." Mirajane smiled. "For now let's treat those burns."

"Here you go." Kinana said, having brought the kit.

"Thank you, Kinana." Mirajane graciously accepted it. "Let me see your hands, Levy."

Levy placed them on the bar top and Mirajane quickly treated the wounds. While Levy felt her hands stinging, her real pain lie on the floor in a pile of black ash. Her rare book was gone, scorched at the hands of a careless Natsu Dragneel. While she was angry at what happened, she couldn't bring herself to be angry at him.

"There." Mirajane said after having finished wrapping Levy's hands. "That's all for now. We can ask Wendy to fully heal them when she returns from her job. Are you sure you're ok?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." Levy smiled softly. "Really."

"I'm sorry about your book, Levy." Lucy apologized.

"It's ok. 'll just go back to Hargeon and see if they have another copy."

"By yourself?"

"I'm sure Jet and Droy will tag along."

"Actually." Erza interjected, holding up Natsu’s body. "I have a better idea."

Natsu walked to the guild hall with a throbbing pain in his head. He remembered nothing after throwing his fireball at Gray yesterday, but he somehow woke up at home this morning.

Happy told him Erza brought him home, but the exceed refused to give details about everything in between. The only extraneous info Natsu was given was come to the guild hall prepared to work.

Upon opening the doors of the guild he was surprised - and frightened - to see Erza standing in the doorway. Apparently she was waiting for him.

"Good, you're finally here." Erza grinned. "Come, we're just about to leave."

"We're finally going on a job today?!" Natsu exclaimed. “Alright!"

He eagerly walked to the table where the rest of his friends were. "So what's the job?"

"We're going to stop a dark guild from robbing a wealthy business man in Oak Town." Erza answered. "The dark guild is really strong, so it's been labeled an S-Class quest."

"Really?! S-Class?! That sounds awesome!"

"Indeed." Erza nodded. "The four of us should be able to handle it without toomuch trouble."

"Yeah." Natsu agreed. "That-wait, four?"

“That is what I said. Yes.”

"We're leaving Lucy behind?" Natsu pointed at the blonde.

"Why did you single me out?!"

"No." Erza shook her head.

"Gray?"

Again Erza shook her head in refusal. "Nope, not Gray."

Natsu thought hard about who was staying behind, and came to a realization. "You're going let us go on an S-Class quest alone, Erza?!"

The redhead sighed roughly.

"You're the one being left behind, idiot." Gray finally said.

"What?" Natsu looked to Erza in disbelief, his eyes hoping his rival wasn’t telling the truth. That wasn’t the case.

"What Gray says is true, Natsu. You're not coming with us."

Natsu's heart sank into his feet. "But why?"

"Did you already forget yesterday's incident?"

"But Gray started it." Natsu blamed.

"Gray has already been punished for his part in yesterday’s scuffle. You on the other hand still have sins to atone for."

"But…"

"Don't worry." Erza sxmiled. "Just because you're staying here, that doesn't mean you'll be doing nothing."

As if on cue, Levy approached Natsu and the others with a smile on her face.

“Hi.” she greeted.

"You're going on a job with Levy." Erza revealed to the dejected Dragon Slayer.

"What kind of job?" Natsu asked, he was still hopeful that he’d get to fight some bad guys.

"You're going to Hargeon with her to purchase a book. The book you callously destroyed yesterday."

"What?" Natsu whined. "That's so lame! I don't get to fight anyone!"

"It isn't about fighting." Erza said. "It's about taking responsibility for your actions. You burned her book, you help buy her a new one."

"Yeah, but-"

"Natsu." Erza’s thunderous tone and glare, promptly silenced him. "You're going. Is that understood?"

Natsu gulped loudly and nodded. "Y-yes ma'am."

"Good." Erza smiled. "We'll be on our way now. We will see you once we return." With that Erza, Lucy, Happy, and Gray walked out of the guild.

"See ya, Natsu!" Happy waved. "Make sure you protect Levy."

"Bye, Levy." Lucy added. "Have a safe trip."

"Try and keep Natsu out of trouble." Gray smirked, much to Natsu's annoyance.

"Be on your best behavior, Natsu." Erza said, but it sounded more like a warning. "We should be back in a couple of days."

Natsu and Levy stood in the middle of the guild hall with very different expressions on their faces. Levy was calm about the whole affair, she would have went to Hargeon no matter her companion so the arrangement really didn’t bother her all that much.

Natsu on the other hand was crest fallen. It was nothing against Levy, but he would much rather fight a dark guild or even sit around bored than go book shopping.

"Well then, shall we get going?" Levy offered with a smile.

"Yeah." Natsu sighed. "Let's go."

Levy waited on Natsu inside of his home, apparently he had to get a couple of things before they set out. As she sat on his worn couch, she anxiously wished for the clock on the wall to stop ticking. They were going to miss the train if they waited any longer.

“Are you done yet?”

“Almost. Just give me a second.”

When Natsu finally finished his search for a fish of all things, they jogged to the station. Natsu nearly broke into a full run but slowed down for Levy's sake.

They headed straight for the ticket booth upon entering the station.

"T-two tickets for the train to Hargeon…please." Natsu said hesitantly, his stomach started turning knots before they even boarded.

"Ah, I'm sorry, Natsu." The attendant said. "That train left five minutes ago."

"What?!" Levy exclaimed. She forced herself in front of Natsu. "When does the next one arrive?"

"Not until tomorrow I'm afraid. I'm sorry."

"No, it's ok.” Levy sulked.”It's not your fault."

"Yeah, no sweat.” Natsu smiled. “We'll just walk there, right, Levy?"

"S-sure." Levy nervously smiled back.

"Are you sure?" the attendant asked. "It takes about a day and a half to get to Hargeon on foot."

"Yeah, we're sure." Natsu answered. "Trains suck anyway. Come on, Levy."

Levy reluctantly followed behind her guildmate as they left the station. As they reached the outskirts of town she felt herself getting irritated.

First he burns my book without apologizing and now he makes us miss the train. What’s next?

As they came upon East Forest, Levy noticed something was off. They were going the wrong way.

"Natsu." Levy spoke up.

"Yeah?"

“Where are we?”

“East Forest.”

“I know that.”

“Then why did you ask?”

“I-Ok. Stop walking, please.”

Natsu did as he was told. He then turned and faced Levy. “What’s up? I thought you wanted to get to Hargeon before nightfall.”

“I do, but not this way. Tell me something. Do you know how to get to Hargeon from Magnolia?”

Natsu smiled wide. "Nope, not a clue."

Levy sighed. "Of course you don't." she muttered.

“I just figured if we kept walking we’d make it there eventually.”

“That’s no way to travel. Just hold on a minute, ok?”

“Alright.” Natsu watched as Levy started fumbling around in her bag. "What're you looking for?"

"This." She pulled out a map.

"Whoa you sure come prepared, Levy." Natsu complimented.

"Well it helps to always know where you're going." She pointed out Magnolia to Natsu on the map. "We’re here, give or take a couple of miles. Hargeon…" she moved her finger left across the map until she found the city marker. "Is here. If we cut through this forest here-"she circled the landmark with her finger. "We should be able to cut a few hours off our time. Although we'll end up pretty far from the market district where the shop is located."

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's get going!" Natsu ran off in the new direction Levy provided.

"Wait up, Natsu! You’ll get lost again!" Levy quickly putting the map back into her bag and ran after him.

Erza and the others disembarked the train in Oak Town. All of them were somewhat anxious about the job, but not for the reason they were supposed to be.

"I hope Natsu's doing ok." Happy worried.

"I'm more worried about Levy." Gray said. "Who knows what kind of trouble that guy will get her in?"

"I know." Lucy fretted. "Why did you send Natsu with her, Erza? Why not Gray or better yet me?"

"This will be an enlightening experience for Natsu." Erza said as the group ventured through town. "Not only will he learn a lesson in responsibility, as far as I know he and Levy have never worked together before. It will be good for him to go on a job with someone of Levy's skill. I also thought that it would give Levy a chance to loosen up some, she's been so rigid since Tenrou Island."

"In that case, maybe you should have sent her with Gajeel instead." Lucy suggested.

"Really?" Erza questioned. "Why is that?"

Does she really not know? Lucy, Gray, and Happy thought at once.

"The client's home is just around this corner." Erza pointed.

"Hurry up, Levy! We're losing daylight!"

Levy huffed as she trudged up the steep hill to meet Natsu. "Not all of us are as nature savvy as you."

"Savvy?" Natsu tilted his head at the unfamiliar word.

"It means to know, or be well versed in something."

"Oh. Thanks.” He didn’t quite understand, but he took it as a compliment anyway. “Here." He offered his hand with a smile. "You gotta see this."

Levy grabbed Natsu’s hand and he pulled her up to her feet until she was level on the hill.

"What did you want me to see…?" her voice trailed off when she looked out from on high.

Laid before her was the entire forest she and Natsu were walking through for the past few hours. It was breathtaking.

The treetops stood bathed in a golden brown light due to the orange glow of the setting sun. The birds sang as they flew majestically through the air. She felt like she was on top of the world. It was the one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen.

"Come on." Natsu scooped Levy into his arms. "We should find a place to set up camp."

"What are you doing? Let me go." she started to move around.

“If you keep fidgeting I might drop you.” he said.

“What are you talking about? Just-”

Suddenly everything started to click. Levy looked down the hill, her heart racing in terror as she looked back to Natsu’s smiling face.

"No, Natsu.” she pleaded. “Don’t-"

"Hold on tight!"

"Natsu!" Levy shrieked as the dragon slayer took a step, sending them racing down the hill. She gripped his vest tightly, burying her face in his chest as she screamed in terror.

Natsu on the other hand was smiling as wide as he could, yelling and laughing as he snaked through the trees and bushes on his way down. He took a few steps to slow his momentum when he made it to the bottom, finally coming to a complete stop.

"That was awesome!" He looked down at a frightened Levy, her body still shaking as he held her in his arms. "It's over." He told her.

"What? We're alive." Levy said as she slowly opened her eyes. She looked up to see Natsu smiling at her. Realizing her hand's position on his body she quickly jumped out of his arms and turned away from him.

"Fun, right?" Natsu asked, his adrenaline still high.

Levy's heart was still racing, but not for the same reason Natsu's was. She turned around, her eyes narrowed in anger. "Fun?!" she shouted. "You could have killed us! Are you crazy?!"

"Sorry about that." Natsu grinned apologetically.

“What is wrong with you?! First you start a fight, then you set my book on fire and burn my hands, you caused us to miss the train, and now you almost go us killed coming down a hill because you wanted to have ‘fun’! Don’t you have any self-control?!”

Natsu’s smile started to fade. It was clear that Levy was in no mood. She had finally gotten fed up.

“Sorry.” He said again, this time with much more sincerity.

Levy noticed his change in demeanor and turned her back to him. She was still annoyed, but also felt bad herself for blowing up at him.

"I-It’s fine. Let's just hurry and find a place to stop before it gets dark."

"Ok."

The unlikely pair found a small clearing to settle down for the night after about an hour or so.

Levy, always prepared, set up a small tent to sleep in while Natsu started a fire to cook the food he had in his bag. In fact it was the food was pretty much the only thing he had in his bag.

"Is that all you brought?" Levy asked, watching him turn a pig's leg over the fire.

"Yeah."

That short reply was all Levy needed to see how the night was going to go. The entire trip to the clearing was a silent one, with only the occasional question of how far into the forest they were.

Levy expected as much. She had never really blown up at someone like that before. So she had no idea how to speak normally after it.

“Want one?”

Levy was brought out of her head when Natsu offered her a piece of meat. She graciously accepted it if only to appease her growling stomach.

“Thank you.”

“Yeah.”

The two sat in silence as they ate. Neither one of them had any idea what to say after Levy’s outburst earlier. Natsu was surprised at how much her words affected him. He had been told similar things by Lucy, Erza, and Lisanna for years but something about Levy saying it made it sting all the more.

Perhaps it was because before this job they hadn’t really talked during their entire time in the guild. He always thought of her as quiet, and kind of passive. So seeing her just react the way she did was a huge shock.

He couldn’t help but look at Levy's hands as she ate. They were still wrapped with gauze, although not as much as yesterday thanks to Wendy's healing magic. He felt a tightness in his gut. Guilt.

"I'm sorry." he finally apologized.

"Hmm?"

Levy looked up, unsure of what he had said.

“I’m sorry for burning you. You were right I don’t have any self-control.”

“It’s ok.” Levy reassured. “I know you didn't mean to hurt me. I’m sorry for lashing out at you earlier. That wasn’t very nice."

"It’s fine. I deserved it anyway. Lucy and Erza are always getting on me about that type of stuff, but I never listened. Because of that I ended up burning you and destroying your book too."

“It was an accident. I forgive you, but try to be more careful in future, please?"

"You got it." Natsu smiled. “Thanks, Levy.”

"You're welcome.” she reteurned.

The awkward tension between them started to melt away, and they smiled at one another.

“So…" Levy began. "I've been meaning to ask for a while now. What's the deal with you and Lu?"

"What do you mean?" Natsu asked, his mouth still full.

"You know what I mean." Levy prompted.

"Not really."

Levy sighed. I forgot how clueless he is. "I mean do you like her?"

"Yeah." Natsu answered plainly.

"Really?" Levy gasped with widened eyes.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I? We're friends and we're on the same team."

Levy's excitement slowly petered out. Wait. "Do you like, Erza?" she asked in an attempt to confirm her suspicions.

"Yeah."

"Happy?"

"Of course."

"Gray?"

"I don't hate him…much."

Levy sighed heavily as her shoulders dropped in disappointment. I should have known he meant as a friend.

Just then a light bulb went off in her head. She smirked mischievously. Let's try this one.

"Do you like Lisanna?"

Natsu nearly choked on his food. "W-what?!” he spat “Where did that come from?!"

"You two have been joined at the hip since we were kids. It only makes sense that you would like one another."

"That doesn't mean anything." Natsu looked away a blush on his cheeks. "She just followed me all the time. It was annoying."

"That's what all boys say about the girl they like." Levy teased.

"Oh yeah? What about you and Gajeel?" Natsu countered.

"What about me and Gajeel?" It was now Levy's turn to blush.

"You two hang around each other every day at the guild. What's up with that?"

"Nothing's 'up with that'." Levy retorted. "Gajeel doesn't have many friends at the guild. I'm just being nice."

"That's not what Mira says."

"What did she say?!"

"She said you guys hang around each other because you're in love."

"We are not!" Levy shot up from her seat on the log, her cheeks growing redder by the second.

Natsu started laughing. This only agitated her more.

“What’s so funny?”

"I've never seen you so fired up before.” he chuckled. “It's kinda nice."

"Nice?" Levy was confused.

"Yeah. It's kinda cool to see you like this. I always thought you were kinda shy and timid, but I was wrong. You’re pretty cool, Levy"

"Thank you...I guess" She sat back down. "No one's ever really said that about me before. I always though you were just a hot head that picked fights and got into trouble just for fun. I was actually a little afraid of you."

"Oh.” Natsu was slightly offended by this. “I mean yeah I like to fight, but I don’t like getting in trouble. You were afraid of me?”

“I wasn’t terrified or anything, I just didn’t think I could approach you. We really don’t have anything in common other than being in the same guild.”

“Is that not enough?” Natsu asked genuinely.

Levy thought for a moment. Just because they were in the same guild doesn’t mean they had to have the same hobbies. Fairy Tail was a place where people from all over could come together and be welcomed as a family. The reason it was such a good place to be was because everyone was so different, besides it wasn’t like she hated talking to Natsu. If anything she enjoyed the conversation they’d had a few minutes ago.

She smiled. “I guess it is.”

Levy followed after Natsu, the pair passing through numerous trees and shrubs as they inched closer to the edge of the forest.

The longer they walked and talked the more comfortable they found themselves around each other. The initial awkwardness had worn off, allowing a more comfortable atmosphere to rise between them.

He had his own way of seeing and doing things Levy noticed. His philosophy on life was much more free spirited than the solid script wizard's more controlled one. She likened it to Gajeel's in a sense, but Natsu's personality was much more open and inviting than the mostly moody Iron Dragon's.

"Hey, Levy, why do you like books so much?"

"I’m not really sure." Levy answered. No one had ever asked her that question before.

"I suppose it’s because books let you explore all kinds of worlds and meet all kinds of different people just by telling stories. Do you not like books?"

"It's not that I don't like them." Natsu said as he moved a branch from in front of his face. "I just kind of find them boring. I mean I like to see stuff and meet people on my own. If I look at a book too long, I get sleepy."

"Igneel taught you to how read, right?"

"Yeah, but he only taught me basic stuff like names of people, places, and foods. Erza taught me everything else."

"I bet that was an interesting lesson." Levy joked.

"Yeah." Natsu grinned. "She was really strict and really scary."

"I can imagine." the scribe laughed.

"Achoo!"

Erza sneezed after dodging a beam of fire. She dashed ahead in her flight armor, taking out a group of dark wizards standing in her path.

"I hope I’m not coming down with a cold." she sniffed.

"So, do you really not like Lisanna anymore?"

"I don't know." Natsu blushed. He was obviously still embarrassed about the subject. "Things got weird when she came back from Edolas."

"Weird how?" Levy prodded.

"Things just feel different. I mean we're still friends, but not like we used to be. I can't explain it."

"I see. I'm sorry for bringing it up again."

"It's fine. What about you and Gajeel?"

"Well to be honest." Levy looked down with a sad smile. "I don't know either. I think I like him, but I don't think he notices me most of the time. Even when he does I feel like I just annoy him."

"That guy can be pretty annoying too."

"Tell me about it." Levy giggled. "I guess you and I are kindred spirits when it comes to this stuff."

"You use a lot of big words."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Levy apologized again.

"Don't worry about it." Natsu waved. "Erza keeps telling me to learn new things anyway."

"Well then, if you need a lesson. Just let me know."

"Will do." Natsu said. He stepped out of the forest, the sun shining in his face as he looked upon the outskirts of Hargeon. "We finally made it!"

"It looks like we ended up downtown." Levy observed as she and Natsu walked into the city. "I think the marketplace is down this road." She pointed to a road on the left.

"Lead the way." Natsu said.

The pair continued on into the marketplace, eventually coming upon a small book shop tucked away at the edge of the street corner. One would have missed it easily if they weren't looking for it.

"This place is so small." Natsu said.

"Yeah, but it has a ton of books." Levy smiled. "Come on, let's go in."

Natsu was amazed when he stepped inside the store. It was much bigger on the inside than it was on the outside. Bookshelves lined the wall as far as the eye could see.

"Whoa." He muttered as he walked down the aisles.

It wasn't as big as the guild's library by a long shot, but the dragon slayer still found himself oddly captivated by the number of tomes. Big books. Small books. All were categorized by their genre. He ventured to the back of the store and soon found himself in the history section. He scanned through all the titles on the spines, his eyes widening when he saw something he didn't even know what he was looking for. He took it and sprinted to the front counter.

"Levy!"

"Keep your voice down, Natsu." She hissed, the book she came for was already in her arms. "We're not the only people in here."

He looked around, seeing the glares of all of the other patrons in the store. He scratched the back of his head, letting out a nervous laugh. “Sorry.”

"Now what were you yelling about?"

"I found this book. I think I want it." He held the tome up so Levy could see it.

"Dragons: The Miracles in the Skies. That looks like a book you would be interested in. Ok then.” She took it from him and put it on the counter along with hers. "We'll take these two." She said to the cashier.

"Alright that'll be 7500 jewel."

"Wait, Levy, you don't have to-"

Levy ignored him and handed the cashier the money. "Here you go."

"Out of 8000." He gave Levy her change and her books with a smile. "And here you are. Come and see us again."

"Thank you. I will." Levy smiled. "Come on, Natsu."

"Right."

The two left the store and entered the street.

"I got lucky." Levy said as she looked at her book. "This was the last one they had in stock." She then handed Natsu his book. "Here you go."

"You know you didn't have to buy this for me."

"Yeah, but think of it as a thank you gift for coming with me."

"Oh, ok." Natsu acknowledged with a smile. “Thanks, Levy.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Things went back to normal almost as soon as the pair returned home. Natsu went on jobs with his team and being rambunctious, while Levy resumed her normal time reading her books and going on occasional jobs with Shadow Gear.

Levy expected this to happen, but couldn’t help feel a little saddened about the situation. Nonetheless she carried on as she normally, though she did notice that Natsu wasn’t as willing to start fights anymore.

Lost inside another book, Levy barely noticed as a shadow slowly began looming over her. A small grin pulled at her lips as she looked up.

"Hi, Natsu."

"Hey, Levy." Natsu smiled. "Reading another new book?"

"Yeah."

"What happened with that other one?"

"I didn't really like it." She answered. "It got a bit too full of itself near the end."

"Oh."

Levy knew he had no idea what she was talking about, but she chose not to call him out on it. "Did you like the book you picked out?"

"No." Natsu sighed, taking a seat next to her.

Surprisingly she was ok with this, though their close proximity to one another caused the azure haired maiden to blush slightly.

"I don't think that guy who wrote that book has ever seen a dragon before." Natsu complained. "Igneel never did half of that stuff that book said."

"Well Igneel's not the only dragon out there, right?" Levy chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess you're right.” He leaned in to Levy, causing her to blush even harder. "What you readin’?"

"A-a book about a man and his journey to catch a supposed legendary fish." Levy said.

"I bet Happy would like this book. What's that word say?" He pointed at the page Levy was currently on.

"Translucent." Levy answered.

"What does that mean?"

"It means-"Levy stopped speaking when she turned her head. Natsu was staring directly at her, his eyes wide with curiosity and wonder as he waited on her answer. It unnerved her a bit, but not in a bad way. "It means clear."

"Then why didn't they just write that instead of the hard word?"

Levy smiled softly at his innocence. "Because that would be too simple, I think. They're trying to create an atmosphere. It's supposed to intrigue you and challenge you into reading more."

"That might be a tough challenge for me then." Natsu admitted.

"Oh? Giving up already?" Levy teased.

"Never." Natsu declared proudly. "I can beat this guy."

"You can't fight a book, Natsu." Levy giggled. "Do you want to read this with me?"

“Can I?” His eyes widened.

“I don’t see why not. Books are better whn you share them anyway.”

“Awesome. Let’s read then.”

“Alright.”

When they started it was clear Levy read through the pages much faster than Natsu did, but she decided to slow down just a bit and hold the pages until he was done. Even though he struggled with most of the words, Levy found Natsu's commitment and determination endearing. So she had no qualms with helping him pronounce and define them as he asked.

"Hey, Levy…"

"Yeah?" Levy answered as she flipped the next page.

"Can you take me to that book shop again? I want to buy another book."

Levy's eyes widened in surprise, but when she saw Natsu looking over the page they were on she settled into a warm smile..

"Sure. Just tell me when."

This is essentially a reworked version of the same story I wrote on FF.Net a couple of years ago. If you want you can check it out here

#Fairy Tail #fanfic #Natsu x Levy #NaLe #Natsu Dragneel #Levy McGarden #ships #otp

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instantdeerlover · 4 years

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How To Make A Painkiller added to Google Docs

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We often hear that “rum is too sweet,” and that just isn’t true. There’s definitely some sweet rum out there, but there’s also sweet gin, sweet whiskey, and sweet vodka. The best rums are dry and super aromatic, and there are plenty of fine varieties out there that you can sip neat from a rocks glass while you do a crossword or shout at the neighbor kids across the street.

Now that we’ve convinced you to start hoarding rum like a pirate, we’re going to tell you how to make one of our all-time favorite rum drinks. It’s called a Painkiller, and it’s exactly what it sounds like. You’ll want to drink this on a summer day when the sun is trying to nudge you in the direction of a refreshing alcoholic beverage, and it tastes just as good in a dark corner of your apartment.

the painkiller

You’ll Need:

3 Ounces Pineapple Juice

1 Ounce Light Coconut Milk

.5 Ounce Orange Juice

.5 Ounce Lime Juice

2 Ounces Rum

Nutmeg and optional fruits (or flowers) for garnish

Step One: Lime Juice

A traditional Painkiller doesn’t actually call for lime juice, but half an ounce is going to make this cocktail brighter and help balance it out. So put .5 lime juice ounce in your shaker. And make sure it’s fresh lime juice. Don’t cut corners.

Step Two: Orange Juice

Next, add .5 ounce orange juice to your shaker. Once again, fresh-squeezed is ideal.

Step Three: Coconut Milk

A classic Painkiller uses cream of coconut, but that has a bunch of sugar in it, and it’s harder to find than just a plain old can of coconut milk. So go with 1 ounce of coconut milk (make sure you stir the can before you pour), straight in your shaker. We prefer the consistency of light coconut milk, but use what you have.

Step Four: Pineapple Juice

Yes, we’re always telling you to use fresh juice - but you don’t really have to do that here. Some pineapple juice straight from a bottle or can is perfectly fine. Pour 1 ounce in your shaker.

Step Five: Rum

There’s a lot of different rum you could go with here, but for this we like an amber-colored rum with a bit of age. (You can find a lot of great bottles for less than $30, like Appleton Reserve Blend or Flor De Cana 7 Year). Or, if you have some dark rum sitting around your house, that works too. You want deep, toasty notes for this drink. Add 2 ounces of rum to your cocktail shaker.

Step Six: Shake

Shake hard for 15 seconds while you visualize yourself enjoying this painkiller on a beach without any seagulls trying to steal your food.

Step Seven: Pour & Garnish

Pour everything into a highball filled with ice. We like to use crushed ice, but regular ice cubes are just fine. If you’d like to break some cubes up, however, it’s easy. Just put them in the palm of your hand and smack them with the back of a spoon. Once your drink is poured, grate some fresh nutmeg over it. (Nutmeg is especially nice on creamy drinks like this one.) Finally, garnish with whatever else you want. Go wild. An orange slice? Perfect. A few pineapple leaves? Amazing. A fistful of blueberries? 100%. Maybe even some flowers that you just plucked from your garden? You bet. This is a fun cocktail. Have fun.

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ultrachoppedpenguinbouquet · 6 years

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Alcohol in the Bible

Alcohol in the Bible In general, we can say that the Bible neither condemns drinking per se nor promotes it. Drinking alcoholic beverages is one of those grey areas that is a matter of one’s personal conscience. But there is more in scripture than just this individualistic approach.Isn’t it Really Grape Juice?Some take the words for wine to mean ‘grape juice.’ If this were so, then why would there be prohibitions against drunkenness? One cannot get drunk on grape juice. Further, Jesus’ first miracle was changing the water into wine at the wedding of Cana in Galilee. He made between 120 and 180 gallons of wine! Even if this had been grape juice, it would soon turn to wine because the fermentation process would immediately begin. But it most certainly was not grape juice: the head waiter in John 2:10 said, “Every man sets out the good wine first, then after the guests have drunk freely, the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” The verb translated ‘drunk freely’ is almost always used of getting drunk (and is so translated in the NRSV here). In the least, the people at this wedding feast, if not drunk, would certainly be drinking alcohol fairly freely (if not, this verb means something here that is nowhere else attested4). And this makes perfect sense in the context: The reason why a man brings out the poorer wine later is because the good wine has numbed the senses a bit. Grape juice would hardly mask anything. Note also Acts 2:13—”they are full of sweet wine”—an inaccurate comment made about the apostles when they began speaking in tongues, as though this explained their unusual behavior. The point is: If they were full of grape juice would this comment even have made any sense at all? That would be like saying, “Well, they’re all acting strange and silly because they have had too much orange juice this morning!”There are other references to alcoholic beverages in the Bible: Several times in the first books of the Bible, wine, and strong drink are prohibited to those who take a Nazarite vow (cf. Num 6, Judges 13). Even grape juice and fresh and dried grapes (i.e., raisins, as the NIV renders the word) are prohibited to the Nazarite (Numbers 6:3)!5 But that restriction is only for those who make this vow. If someone today wants to claim that believers do not have the right to drink alcohol on the analogy of a Nazarite vow (as some today are fond of doing), they also should say that believers ought not to eat Raisin Bran!Negative Statements about Wine Indicate that it is not Grape JuiceFurther, the Bible at times speaks very harshly about becoming enslaved to drink or allowing it to control a person, especially to the point of drunkenness. Proverbs 20:1—“Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, And whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise” (NASB). Cf. also Prov 21:17 (where heavy drinking and gluttony are equally condemned); 1 Sam 1:14; Isa 5:11, 22; 28:1 (drunkenness is condemned); 28:7; 29:9; 56:12; Jer 23:9; 51:7; Joel 3:3. In the New Testament notice: Eph 5:18 (“do not get drunk with wine”); 1 Tim 3:3, 8; Titus 1:7 ([elders and deacons ought not be] “addicted to wine or strong drink”); Titus 2:3 (older women, who would serve as role models to the younger ones, must not be addicted to wine). As well, numerous passages use wine or drunkenness in an analogy about God’s wrath, immorality, etc. (cf. Rev. 14:8, 10; 16:19; 17:2; 18:3).The significance of these negative statements is just this: If this were only grape juice, why would excess in drinking it be condemned? If this were only grape juice, why are certain mental effects attributed to it (cf., e.g., Psalm 60:3)? One can’t have it both ways. You can’t say that wine is always grape juice, for then the negative statements in scripture make no sense; those who say that it is only grape juice tend to focus just on the neutral and positive passages, conveniently allowing them to condemn the drinking of real wine at all times. But even this position is not logical: If the Bible only speaks of grape juice, then it makes no comment about alcoholic wine. And if so, then it does not directly prohibit it. And if we are going to prohibit something that the Bible does not address, why stop at wine? Why don’t we include the ballet, opera, football games, country-western music (actually, I might be in favor of banning this one!), saltwater fishing, zippers on clothes, etc. Once legalism infests the soul it doesn’t know where to quit.In sum, is wine the same as grape juice? No, for if it were, the Bible would hardly condemn the abuse of such. Those who argue that the two are identical simply cannot handle the passages that speak about excess.Neutral and Positive References to Alcoholic Beverages in the Bible At the same time, there are several neutral, almost casual references to alcoholic beverages. Genesis 14:18 refers to Melchizedek, a type of Christ, as offering wine to Abram; Nehemiah 2:1 refers to the king drinking wine (Nehemiah was required to taste it first to make sure it was not poisoned); Esther 5:6; 7:1-2 speaks of wine that Esther (the godly Jewess) drank with the king; Job 1:13 refers to righteous Job’s family drinking wine; Daniel 10:3 speaks of drinking wine as a blessing after a time of fasting. Some of Jesus’ parables are about wine, wineskins, vineyards (cf. Matt 9:17; 21:33; even John 15 speaks of God the Father as the vinedresser!). Paul tells Timothy to drink some wine for his stomach’s sake and not just water (1 Tim 5:23). The same Greek and Hebrew terms that were used to speak of the abuses of wine are used in these passages. One cannot argue, therefore, that alcoholic beverages are in themselves proscribed, while grape juice is permitted. The lexical data cannot be so twisted.There are, as well, positive statements about alcoholic beverages: Deut 14:26 implies that it is a good thing to drink wine and strong drink to the Lord: “And you may spend the money for whatever your heart desires, for oxen, or sheep, or wine, or strong drink, or whatever your heart desires; and there you shall eat in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice, you and your household” (NASB). Psalm 4:7 compares joy in the Lord to the abundance of wine; Psalm 104:14-15 credits God as the creator of wine that “makes a man’s heart glad” (cf. also Hos 2:8); honoring the Lord with one’s wealth is rewarded with the blessings of abundant stores of wine (Prov 3:10); love is compared to wine repeatedly in the Song of Songs, as though good wine were similarly sweet (1:2, 4; 4:10; 7:9). The Lord prepares a banquet with “well-aged wines... and fine, well-aged wines” for his people (Isa 25:6) [obviously this cannot be grape juice, for aging does nothing but ferment it!].The lack of wine is viewed as a judgment from God (Jer 48:33; Lam 2:12; Hos 2:9; Joel 1:10; Hag 2:16); and, conversely, its provision is viewed as a blessing from the Lord (cf. Gen 27:28; Deut 7:13; 11:14; Joel 2:19, 24; 3:18; Amos 9:13-14). Cf. also Isa 55:1; Jer 31:12; Zech 9:17.Indeed, there was even the Passover tradition that went beyond the biblical teaching: by the time of the first century, every adult was obliged to have four glasses of wine during the Passover celebration. Jesus and his disciples did this in the Last Supper.6 The fact that the wine of the Passover was a symbol the Lord used for his blood and for the new covenant implicitly shows that our Lord’s view of wine was quite different from that of many modern Christians.What is truly remarkable here are the many positive statements made about wine and alcoholic beverages in the Bible.7 Wine is so often connected with the blessings of God that we are hard-pressed to figure out why so many modern Christians view drink as the worst of all evils. Why, if one didn’t know better, he might think that God actually wanted us to enjoy life! Unfortunately, the only Bible most of our pagan friends will read is the one written on our lives and spoken from our lips. The Bible they know is a book of ‘Thou shalt nots,’ and the God they know is a cosmic killjoy.I think the best balance on this issue can be see in Luke 7:33-34: John the Baptist abstained from drinking wine; Jesus did not abstain [indeed, people called him a drunkard! Although certainly not true, it would be difficult for this charge to have been made had Jesus only drunk grape juice]. Both respected one another and both recognized that their individual lifestyles were not universal principles. One man may choose not to drink; another may choose to drink. We ought not condemn another servant of the Lord for his choice.As well, Romans 14 is a key passage for gleaning principles about how we ought to conduct ourselves in relation to one another on this issue: weaker brothers ought not to judge those whose freedom in Christ allows them to enjoy alcoholic beverages; stronger brothers ought not to disdain weaker brothers for their stance. Whether we drink or not, let us do all things to the glory of God.

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adventuras-de-nicaragua · 6 years

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Todos los deportes en Matagalpa

Flying into Matagalpa from the mountains was a refreshing and scenic way to end our cycling for the day. We quickly saw why Matagalpa is referred to as San Francisco; it has very sharp inclined streets throughout the city. Our hotel we booked was located on the north side of town and worked well as we were coming from the north. We picked a hotel based on its good booking.com rating and also our Swiss friends we made in Esteli had a pleasant stay there earlier in their travels.

After sorting out the bikes and showering we set out to explore Matagalpa and find the tour agency. We heard there was only one tour company and that Matagalpa was a basic city, even more so than Esteli by the Swiss Couple. We were a bit surprised by that as we had read it is the 4th largest city and hoped it would be a bit more interesting than Esteli. After a walk to the south end of town to find Matagalpa tour company we were feeling good about the city, it seemed to have lots more interesting things included endless good looking coffee shops. At the tour company we really wanted to do a coffee tour and get to see some coffee farms and the coffee process. At first the tour company told us they were booked and doing the coffee tour wouldn't be possible, but after several calls were able to arrange it for the following day starting at 11:30. We left happy that we were going to be able to visit a farm and learn the artisans way of coffee making.

On our journey back to the hotel we first stopped in a juice/smoothie shop. The girl working spoke great English and everything seemed a bit easier than it had been for the last couple of days. We happily drank delicious fruit and smoothie drinks out of maison jars before heading on our way back to the hotel. We took the main street back and walked past many good option eateries and more cafes. Looking down one street we even spotted a Yum Yum donut shop, that of course we had to check out. The girl working in there also spoke good English and we learned a bit about the city. The donut shop was 2 years old and the city has been building up its attractive appearing cafe's and restaurants in the last 5 years. Walking around town you could see all the new construction and showed that investment was being put into the city. Our hotel looked very pristine and they were adding on upward. Be interesting to see what the city will look like in another 5 years.

That night we headed back to the main street and settled on a "The Balcon", a three level building with the first level being a shop and the upper two the restaurant. As the name indicates the second layer had a nice balcony overlooking the street which was the reason Alex and I chose it. We happily ordered the Flor de Cana and Cola and watched the world go by. Every other vehicle ended up being a Toyota Hilux, or in the US is the Tacoma, as the truck bed was used to mostly transport many people. In an hour time you would see more than 40 Hilux drive through the street!

We revert to some comfort and ordered a pasta dish each and pleasantly happy with the quality and quantity of it. After eating it was still early and were not sure what to do. On the way back was a stadium and we saw people coming in and out so decided to go in and see what was going on. Local adult league of soccer was going on and we took a seat in the bleachers to watch. The next morning we had our first breakfast at the hotel and were very pleased. Half was buffet style and the other you order you main plate. We saw a picture of eggs, bacon and pancakes on the menu and asked for the picture. It was a great big plate of food on top of the fruit, toast, coffe and juice we got as well. We spent the morning walking around and really killing the time before 11:30 came and our guide would pick us up for our coffee tour.

Right on time our guide for the day, Hector picked us up. He had a truck from the company and he took us up the mountain, the way we cycled yesterday, to the Fundadora area. The Fundadora is a protective land area that is owned by 65 families. The history has a very turbulent past with difficulties from the government, but after many years of hard ships the land has been returned to the families. The land is used mostly for farming of diverse crops with coffee being one of them.

I had originally hoped to stay at the Fundadora ecolodge, however the lodge was booked and we were not able to. A bit happy about not being able to stay after seeing the poor quality of the road leading there from the main road, although the area was lovely and be an ideal place to wake up and drink your first cup of coffee. We visited a small coffee farm called 'La Lotteria', were our amazing guide become our translator to understand the history and coffee process from the farmer. First we were severed lunch and were joined by an earlier tour that went around the farm in the morning. Lunch was traditional Nica food of rice and beans, plantain chips, chicken, veggies, local cheese, and tortilla with a cup of fresh juice. The other group were nice to chat with being a very international group.

After being well food the farmer took us around his farm and explained to us the coffee making process. There are two main types of coffee beans Robusta or Arabica, with our farm being Arabica. Arabica types of coffee are more flavorful and require more shade for a quality crop. This is the reason it is grown at high altitude and most commonly under large banana trees. Robusta beans can be grown with more sun and commonly grown at lower attitudes. The farmer showed us what a healthy looking cherry and we split open a couple to look at the quality of the beans within. He explained how Nov through Feb was the cherry picking stage and that a tree will mature its cherries at all different times. After picking the cherries, the process of separating the seeds from the cherry occurs and at a small farm like we were at this is through a hand cranked depulper. The pulp, or cherry, will be used to make compost for the soil while the seeds then go through the next stage.

The seeds will then go through the fermentation process for 24-36 hours to get some of the sugar/stickiness out. After that the seeds are washed and dried in wood built trays. Once they are dried you have to remove the last shell covering, the parchment, which can be done with a large pastel mortar. Finally, you are ready to roast the coffee beans. Over an open fire coffee beans can be roasted making sure to be stirred constantly. How strong you want your roast really just depends on how long you roast the coffee beans.

For a coffee farmer who does not have access to a nice grinder or espresso maker they resort to a more basic way of coffee making. They use a three legged hand grind stone to grind the beans to a powder. Once they have done that they boil water and some of hte powder to create coffee. We helped due this and were rewarded with a fresh cup of coffee. Although it was good we had a feeling that if we grinded it in a grinder nad used a proper machine it will come out slightly better so ended up buying some fresh beans to try at home. Going through the farm the farmer explained how to grow a coffee tree, which really just involved taking a good looking coffee seed and planting it and nursing it till it becomes 6 months old. Alex and I's eyes lit up as we both had the same idea, we want to try to make our own coffee plants! We nicely asked if it was possible to take some seeds home and try and of course this would be fine, just warned about customs and if they find our seeds. We know it probably will never fruit and create coffee as it needs a certain climate, but hey worth a shot.

The tour ended and we journey through the small town of Fundarora and got to see some of the other farms and some trucks being put into good work. That night we chose a local Mexican restaurant and after a delicious burrito and fajitas we weren't sure what to do. So clearly we wondered back to the stadium in the middle of town to see what was going on. Tonight was the master's basketball league and we happily sat and watched the local sport for the night. Our last full day in Matagalpa and we didn't have too much on. We spoke to our tour guide Hector the day before he recommended the hike to the cross at the top of a mountain to get a good view of town. There was two overlook points of the city and of course we picked the higher one. We journeyed up a more basic route while passing crosses with imagery of Jesus carrying the cross all the way up; seemed to be a pilgrimage hike. Near the top was another coffee farm and tempted to go pick cherries but restrained.

It was a perfect blue skied day and the view was fantastic. We could see down in the valley of where Matagalpa sat as well as 360 mountain views. We chose a different path down and were treated to more pleasant views and a better hiking path. Near the end we journed a bubbling stream and ended up in fields near a house. Seemed we went up the none hiking way and at the end we took the hiking way which meant we ownded about a dollar each to exit. Oh well. After our hike it was only mid day and we went to go pick up our clothes. We had decided to get our clothes washed at the local launderia as it was close to our hotel and traveling back in clean clothes would be nice. The rest of the day we floated in cafes and on our way back to the hotel heard loud dance music coming from the stadium. Surprised it was so early we popped in and were treated to the championship volleyball game for the local high school. The atmosphere was crazy and it was easy to sit and be captured by it all. Our last night in Matagalpa and we went back to the Balcon for the farewell dinner. Again we ordered our Flor de Cana and pasta and watched the Hilux roll on by. Since we had already watched our local sport for the day we headed back and started to think about our cycle back to Managua tomorrow and flying home.

One last amazing breakfast and we were off for 120 km mostly downhill back to the Best Western hotel. I started not to feel very good and although it should be easy cycling with favorable winds and downhill I struggled. As we started losing elevation the temperature spiked hitting about 90 degrees. The sky was bight blue without a cloud in sight which aided in gorgeous mountain/volcano/lake views as we swept out of the mountain region to the low lands. We stopped for lunch only with 25 km left to go at a Comedora and ate our last Nica lunch of rice and beans with chicken and fruit juice.

By the time we reached the hotel we were pretty cooked and just wanted to cool off. We anxiously asked if they had received our mail addressed to me. Alex had forgotten to take his green card and my mom was nice enough to ship it to the hotel. The hotel, however did not speak very good English and although we think they said it would be okay to send to the hotel and they would keep it, we weren't sure what woudl really happen. After searching for our piece of mail for longer than we would have liked the mail was delivered to us and a weight was lifted off our shoulders.

We also got back our bike boxes and Alex packed the bikes back up as I watched some television and cooled off. We spent our last sunset by the pool and then headed for an early dinner. Our flight was scheduled for 2:23 in the morning so we were planning on going to bed around 8 and catching 4 hours of sleep before our flight. When the alarms went off at midnight we quickly got ready and lugged the bike boxes across the street, say 100 meters, to the airport door. Once the bikes were happily accepted we were on our long journey back home to the frigid temperatures of single digits.

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dulcusdomus-blog · 7 years

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Inner Warmth

Summary: After not being able to fall asleep, Lucy is surprised to find Natsu–a boy who had passed out on her doorstep, making Lucy drag him into her apartment and onto her couch– awake and sitting on her balcony.

Genre: Fluff, AU

Rated T for language.

It’s not exactly romantic and it’s pretty short, but... enjoy lol

——————————————————

Lucy couldn’t sleep.

Plus, it was hot in her room. And cold. She stuck her foot out of the covers, but then it was too cold and her foot felt too bare, so she put her foot back in. Then it was hot all over again.

It was November, and she couldn’t remember if she had payed the bills for the month. It had been rough the last couple of months, and money was shallow. She had taken odd jobs, praying for money. Everyone kept mentioning how she could sell her celestial keys for money, but there was no chance in hell she would ever sell her keys. Her friends.

She slung her feet over her bed, glancing at her alarm clock. Two in the morning. She let out a sigh. It was only three hours ago that the cute boy with the pink hair and his blue cat crashed into her balcony, his loud snores waking her. She mentally cursed him. If he hadn’t woken her, maybe she would still be asleep.

She managed to drag him onto her couch so he could at least sleep in peace. What if the poor guy got kidnapped or something? Plus, it would be embarrassing to have people walking by and seeing a boy passed out on her doorstep. People would probably think she’d done something to him. She really hoped he wasn’t a weirdo.

Maybe it would be a good idea to check on him, she thought. After all, who knows what the guy was like. For all she knows, he could be out there, going through her stuff, looking for money or jewelry or whatever. She stood, the hair on her legs bristling from the cold air drafting through the house.

But that was odd. Her apartment was hot just a few seconds ago. She looked around her room, spotting a baseball bat. She picked it up, then slipped her celestial keys in her pocket, just in case. Slowly, she opened the door, looking out into the main room. Her couch was empty. She crept into the room, noticing he had deposited his bag on the other side of the couch, and the blue cat was slumped on the side of it, purring in his sleep.

He was still there.

Lucy knew she was probably being paranoid, but you never know when there’s a crazy person somewhere in your apartment. Suddenly, she heard a creak in her kitchen.

At that point, Lucy was scared out of her pants. She took a deep breath. “Get yourself together, Lucy.” She swiftly rounded the corner into the kitchen, pointing her bat, ready to start swinging. But it was just the fridge door, swaying back and forth because of the draft. There was an empty granola bar wrapper on her counter, and also an apple core. She threw it in the trash, wiping the juices on her shorts. Maybe the guy got hungry?

The cold draft had to be coming from her patio, at the other side of the apartment. She slightly lowered her bat, headed towards the sliding doors. One of them was open. She peeked her head outside, and there he was.

His salmon pink hair was swaying slightly in the wind. The white, scaly scarf he had on last night was in his hands as he rubbed a thumb over the lines. A scar on his neck was revealed, and the gash made Lucy cringe.

Lucy slowly backed out of the doorway. She hoped he would still be there in the morning for him to talk to. She was curious as to what he was doing when he randomly appeared. But the edge of her bat hit the wall, creating a large thump, which scared herself, making her drop the bat, creating another thump against the floor. She winced, knowing he was now aware of her presence.

When she looked up, he was looking at her. His eyes fixed on hers, and he gave a sheepish smile. “Oh. Hey,” He said. The sound of his voice almost startled her. His appearances made it seem like his voice should be low and rough, but it was light and airy. It was sweet.

Lucy then realized she was staring, so she quickly looked away, heat rising up her neck. “Hi.”

“So... I guess I should explain, huh?” He laughed.

Lucy walked up next to him on the balcony, looking down on the streets. “Well, Maybe. I wasn’t exactly expecting to drag a dude into my house,” Lucy said, crossing her arms.

“Yeah, sorry. I was out with some buddies, and then we started playing this drinking game with a friend, Cana. She bet I would get completely slam-dunk drunk after five shots. So I took ten,” He said, smirking.

“Are you serious?” Lucy raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah. And then I got hungry, so I decided to ditch Cana and find a restaurant. And then I got lost and passed out, apparently on your step.”

“Hmm. That’s an... interesting story.” Lucy hummed awkwardly, not looking at his face. She wasn’t sure if she should believe him or not.

“Yeah, well,” He sighed. “I don’t do smart things. Only fun things.”

After a few moments, Lucy finally looked back up at him. He was wrapping the scarf back around his neck with a faraway look in his eyes. Obviously, something was hurting him. And it was connected to the scarf, whatever it was. Lucy could tell.

“What’s your name?” Lucy asked, rubbing her arms to warm them from the fall breeze nipping at her skin.

He gave a sharp toothy-grin “Natsu. And my friend is Happy.”

“The cat?” Natsu nodded. “His name is Happy?” Lucy questioned. It was an unusual name.

“It’s a long story.”

“Oh. Uh, well, I’m Lucy.”

“Nice to meet you, officially,” Natsu said, smiling.

Lucy’s teeth began to chatter. The temperature must’ve been dropping. She noticed he only had on a white t-shirt and baggy shorts, much like herself. He didn’t show the slightest sign of being cold at all. Not even any goosebumps.

“Aren’t you freezing?” Lucy asked.

He shrugged. “I’m never cold.”

“Well, your skin must be like ice,” Lucy laughed. She curiously reached up and put a hand on his forearm, but the sensation he got shocked him. His skin was hot. Not super hot, but Lucy was surprised it wasn’t steaming against the November air.

“Woah. How...” She laid another hand on his arm. It was the weirdest thing. She’d never felt anything like it. She could feel the warmth traveling from his arm into her veins, warming her whole body. She sighed, relaxing into his inner warmth.

She then jolted out of her state, realizing she was holding his arm still. “Shit, sorry. I kinda just groped your arm,” Lucy blushed profusely, quickly removing her hands and stepping away.

He laughed. “You’re fine. Give me your hands again.”

Natsu seemed a little weird. She wasn’t sure how she was to feel about a guy she literally had known for less than ten minutes. Hesitantly, she held her hands out. He scooped them up in his own rough hands, and the warm sensation returned to her body. Her eyes closed, and she felt herself relax once again.

“Is this your magic?” Lucy asked, still feeling like she was floating on a warm cloud.

“Sort of. Technically, I’m a Fire Dragon Slayer, but I can warm people up too–“

“Wait. A fire dragon what now? As in the Fire Dragon Slayer?”

“I wouldn’t say the–“

“You’re the Salamander!” Lucy exclaimed, smiling wide.

Natsu blushed, removing one of his hands to scratch the back of his neck. “I guess.”

Lucy could barely contain herself. She heard that The Salamander was to be in town, but she figured the crowd would be so big to see him that she wouldn’t get even a glance. However, she didn’t say anything else. He probably hated being crowded and chased around.

“I won’t tell anyone.”

“Hmm?”

Lucy sighed. “I won’t tell any of my friends you were here. It probably sucks being chased around.”

“I don’t really get chased around a lot, actually. I don’t exactly look the part of a Dragon Slayer.”

Lucy looked at his pink hair. “Huh. I guess not.”

Natsu still had Lucy’s hands in his. “I’m just on my way back to Fairy Tail.”

“Fairy Tail?” Lucy asked, her eyes wide.

Natsu pulled his left sleeve up, revealing the red mark of Fairy Tail. “Yeah. Why?”

Lucy thought about having a mark of her own. She wasn’t sure where she would put it. “Oh. It’s always been a dream of mine to go to Fairy Tail. I always see Mira and Erza in Sorcerer Weekly, and I wish I could meet them, I guess.”

“You use magic too, then?” Natsu asked.

Lucy withdrew her hands to grab her keys from her pocket, even though she didn’t enjoy the feeling of Natsu’s warmth draining from her. She showed her celestial keys to Natsu, explaining the different spirits she had contracts with. She even summoned Virgo, just to show Natsu how it worked.

“That’s really cool, Lucy. You should come with me to Fairy Tail. Y’know, just check it out.” Natsu said.

“W-what? Me? At Fairy Tail? I’m not good enough to get in...” Lucy said, shoving her keys back into her pocket.

“It doesn’t matter how good you are. Anyone is welcome.”

Lucy rubbed her fingers over her keys. She’d always dreamt of being a part of Fairy Tail. Maybe even one day being on the cover of Sorceror Weekly. Her father popped into her mind, though. That, and another million reasons not to go. Lucy pushed them away. It couldn’t hurt to visit, right?

“Okay. I guess I’ll tag along,” Lucy sighed.

Natsu fist pumped. “Yes! This’ll be so cool.”

Lucy yawned. She’s been up since one, and if she was going to Fairy Tail in the morning, then she had a long day ahead of her.

“I’d better go to bed then,” Lucy said, brushing her hair behind her ear.

“Yeah. Busy day tomorrow, I guess.”

“Right.” Lucy blushed. She would be traveling with Natsu tomorrow, and Happy, too. She had a feeling it would be the start of a new chapter in her life. A great new chapter. “Well, I’m going to go now,” She laughed nervously.

“Okay. Good night.”

Lucy walked back into her apartment and into her bedroom. As she pulled the covers over herself, she thought about Natsu. He was sweet. He wasn’t hard on the eyes, either. She hoped they would remain friends for a while.

And as she slept, she dreamt of the adventures she would go on when she would join Fairy Tail.

#dolcusdomus #nalu #Natsu and Lucy #Natsu x Lucy #Fairy Tail #nalu fanfic #nalu fanfiction

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