This was originally only a third of the length it is now, but I had a sudden burst of inspiration this morning for it. So I wrote an entire extra section, twice as long as the first. As one does.
I like this pairing a lot, and I feel like it has a lot of potential. Yukino and Lucy mean a good deal to each other in canon, and it seems a shame to waste it by never having them see each other!
Yukino brushed her hair, not satisfied with the way it lay on top. There was always one bit that refused to stay put, springing upward at a moment's inattention. It frustrated her to no end. She couldn't afford to look unkempt, not when it was so important to be as presentable as possible. At this point, she was almost ready to go to a professional for help even if it meant being a little late to the party.
Her dress for the evening was laid out upon the bed – a sapphire blue she had felt very confident in front of the dressing room mirror in. She had a white shawl laid out beside the dress, along with her shoes, a flower headpiece to match the dress, and a necklace to complete the outfit. No earrings this time, she had decided. Mostly because she hadn't been able to find any amongst her collection that she felt any confidence in. And also maybe a little because heavy earrings made her ears hurt.
It was of paramount importance that she stunned tonight.
Because she was finally going to work up the courage to ask Lucy Heartfilia out on a date.
She had never really gotten the chance to properly hang out with the woman outside of a crisis setting before, with the exception of the afternoon they'd spent with their spirits, and she really wanted the opportunity to do so. Just her and Lucy, together, with no distractions. She found her fellow celestial mage absolutely enchanting to be around, even when the world was falling around their ears. Lucy had been so kind to her, too, when she'd tried to give her the keys she'd held so dear. Keys that Lucy had admitted to desiring so badly, and yet had rejected out of respect for the bonds that Yukino hadn't truly been ready to sever. When she had been wavering greatly, Lucy had helped her regain her confidence in her magic, in her bonds with her spirits. It was an immeasurably precious gift.
It had taken Yukino some time realize that her feelings for the blonde went somewhat beyond the scope of friendship and gratitude. That the reason her heart soared whenever Lucy was near, even in horrible circumstances, was not so much from the adrenaline of combat. She wanted to be with her all the time, to hold her hand and be close, to feel Lucy's hands threading through her hair, calming that awful perpetual cowlick, to lay kisses on her scalp, her cheeks, her lips…
Yukino suddenly realized that her hands had stilled, and her face rendered crimson from the force of her imagination. A glance at the clock had her squeaking in alarm – her daydreams of the golden-haired beauty having taken up more time than she'd realized.
She couldn't waste this opportunity to get closer to Lucy! Fairy Tail's anniversary party was her best chance for the foreseeable future. Yukino would get there, and she would dazzle Lucy just as much as Lucy dazzled her. And then she'd take the plunge, and ask her out.
That she could be rejected was a dark possibility Yukino didn't want to consider. Lucy was awfully close to a lot of people – people she knew better and longer than Yukino. But Yukino wouldn't let that impede her resolve to see this through.
Yukino had grown a great deal since she had first met Lucy, after all.
She was ready for this.
The party was already in full swing by the time she arrived with her guild, Fairy Tail never content with sticking to a planned schedule. It was amazing how many people were already present, and it was packed a little tightly in and around the guild hall. Party-goers, from several different guilds that she could identify, milled about outside, beer in hand as the barmaids bustled about with refills and picking up empty glasses. The pool area was packed with people hanging around the snack bar, or in the pool itself.
Mirajane spotted the new arrivals quickly, a true smile breaking out across her face and wiping away her normal customer service one. "Yukino!" she greeted her happily, striding forward to meet them with a heavy tray balanced on one arm. "And the rest of Sabertooth! We're glad you could make it!"
"Looks like you got started without us!" Sting complained. "You couldn't wait?" The friendly grin on his face showed that he wasn't actually upset, however.
The barmaid giggled in response to his good-natured bellyaching. "Well, you know us. When there's a party or a brawl to be had, there's no holding us back!"
"We should have known better than to arrive on time," Rogue offered.
Sting threw his head back in a loud laugh. "I guess so! Say, Mirajane… know where we can find Natsu and Gajeel?"
She pointed them out and the pair took their leave of their guildmates, Sting turning at waving at them. "Enjoy yourselves!" he commanded, right before he was lost in the crowd of partygoers.
The others shrugged, and dispersed themselves – though Orga, unlike the rest, was still somewhat easy to keep track of.
Alone with Mirajane, Yukino suddenly found herself in a strong, one-armed hug by the barmaid. "It's good to see you again, Yukino!" Mirajane told her.
Yukino returned the embrace. "It's good to see you too, Mirajane."
Releasing her, Mirajane stepped back slightly and gave her outfit a critical once over. Her blue eyes sparkled with something a little too much like mischief for Yukino's peace of mind. She gave a low whistle and winked at the celestial mage. "You look absolutely amazing!" praised Mirajane. "Looking to impress someone special, are we?"
The woman furiously shook her head, nearly dislodging her hairpiece in her vehement denial. "N-no! Nothing like that!" Her ears burned as Mirajane's smile turned devious in the space of a heartbeat. She knew, because her heart was threatening to escape her chest with how strongly it pounded. "Um… have you seen Lucy, by any chance?"
"Last I saw, she was trying to get Natsu to dance with her and it wasn't going well," Mirajane stated. "They were over by the dancing area we set up in the side yard. I would recommend getting over there fast, though." She winked at Yukino. "If Erza's gotten ahold of her, she won't be in any condition to dance with anyone else!"
Yukino stammered out her thanks, and Mirajane left with a knowing giggle.
It didn't take long to find Lucy. The blonde celestial mage was indeed in the dancing area like Mirajane had informed her, though she was sitting on one of the benches surrounding the wooden dance floor. Dressed in a black dress that shimmered like the night sky, she was a vision to behold and stopped Yukino dead in her tracks. Lucy's eyes were sparkling, and she was grinning widely at the spectacle unfolding before her, where Erza was enlightening Yukino's guildmates as to why one should not accept the redhead's invitation to dance. Sting, the current victim, was beginning to turn the same delicate shade of green as Orga's hair.
It did not take Lucy long to notice Yukino hovering at the edge of the dance floor. "Yukino!" she called out, waving enthusiastically to catch the silver-haired woman's attention – not that Yukino could peel said attention away from Lucy in the first place. "Come sit over here!"
Unable to resist the invitation, and unwilling to besides, Yukino drifted over to the bench and sat down. Lucy beamed at her; Yukino tentatively returned it with a small smile of her own. Her stomach was full of butterflies, and her palms were sweaty. Around the sudden dryness of her mouth, she managed to stutter out, "Hello, Lucy."
The next thing she knew, Lucy had enveloped her in a hug. Her arms automatically going around the other celestial mage, Yukino felt as if she would melt with happiness. The hug was all-too brief, Lucy soon releasing her friend, and Yukino felt the loss of her warm arms keenly.
"It's good to see you, Yukino. I'm glad you could make it."
Yukino flushed, and then nodded. "Likewise."
"Did you just get here?" Lucy inquired, and Yukino felt faint from the full force of Lucy's sole focus on her.
"Yes. I wasn't aware that Fairy Tail parties start earlier than the advertised time."
That drew a laugh out of Lucy. The sound was beautiful, and her face lit up in a way that made Yukino's heart ache in her chest. "Yeah, sorry about that. I should have given you some warning." She clapped her hands in front of her body in a pleading motion and squeezed her eyes shut, imploring, "Forgive me?"
"It's fine!" Yukino was quick to reassure. "In all honesty… we probably should have guessed that was the case from the start." In a moment of rare boldness, she reached out and clasped Lucy's hands. The other woman's eyes opened, as Yukino lowered and failed to release them. Nervousness had yet to release her, looking into Lucy's beautiful brown eyes, that were swimming with curiosity.
It seized her, then, that if she passed up this chance, Yukino would not again work up the nerve that night. Like with cold water, she had to take the plunge now, or sit on the sidelines.
"Do you… do you want to dance?"
Lucy blinked a couple of times, her mouth falling slightly open in surprise. It was a long heartbeat, Yukino's breath catching in her throat. Then Lucy grinned, her fingertips curling around Yukino's and breaking the spell.
"Sure!"