Happy Valentine's day!
I'm sure you've noticed at this point that there are a few one-shots out there with the tag line LLF in the title, it is in fact a conspiracy! The ladies of ::The Crack Fiction Liberation Army:: have decided that we want to spread the message of diverse shipping love on this day of 'Love'.
You can look forward to more of these amazing project from us in the near future!
Enjoy some fluffy Valentine's day goodness!
Chrys Stone: The Supreme Leader of the Crack Fiction Liberation Army.
Winter's harsh hand whipped the falling snow this way and that in a dramatic dance, as the wind swept across the rocky terrain. The distinct chill in the air made the warm breath of a certain Celestial Mage visible while she made the long trek up the mountain side passage. A series of crunches echoed off the wall of rock to her side, as the young woman's heeled boots carried her through the accumulation on the path that lead to her destination. Yukino cursed softly as she pulled her jacket tightly around her shoulders, burying her nose into the soft cashmere scarf that was wound tightly around her neck. It was insane to be out and about in a storm like this, but the young woman would have been bored to tears if she had stayed home. The tall building of the Sabertooth guild hall loomed in the near distance, and she put on a last burst of speed, anxious to be out of the cold, and snow.
A warm smile graced her pretty face while she waved hello to those of her guild mates that called good morning to her, before she resumed dusting the snow off her shoulders and hair. Her wind bitten cheeks covered the slight blush that coated her fair skin as she slipped into a table in the corner of the room, letting the distraction of her own thoughts dictate her actions.
The light haired woman dropped her bag off her shoulder and onto the table, hastily pulling her belongs out to begin her little ritual.
Things had been rather boring for Sabertooth since the games that summer, and Yukino found she had entirely far too much free time on her hands (Employment opportunities dried up at an alarming rate, but after months of hard work and damage control thing were starting to turn around for her guild). She participated in card game and other bits of tomfoolery that her guild mates got into, but she still managed to have enough time left over to daydream.
It didn't help that the festive decor of sparkling hearts in varying shade of pink and red, inspired warm feelings of hope inside her affection starved heart.
Yukino leaned heavily on her elbow, chin cradled in her open palm as she flipped through the pages of her favorite magazine, intent on reading a specific article in Sorcerer Weekly for the tenth time. She sighed wistfully, imagining the brilliant smile that was lighting up the page, was being directed at her instead of a camera. The man seemed to illuminate the paper in a way that was unnatural, instantly causing the corners of her lips to curl up into a soft affectionate smile of her own.
A soft sigh escaped the Celestial Mage as her delicate fingers traced the visage of her girlish crush, before she read over the words underneath.
Yukino felt hopeless where the opposite sex was concerned, mainly because none of the men she knew were worth the effort. That was the case for a very long time, but everything changed when she met him...
Yukino's next sigh was laced with longing.
For the first time she had been exposed to a warmth and compassion that was beyond her imagination.
The heat in her cheeks burned a little hotter when she remembered the way his features had been caught between boyish charm, and raw emotion when he rescued Lucy (and by extension her) from the prison in the palace (the second time she had been exposed to him). The way his forest green eyes had glittered between relief and pure rage, had her breath caught in her throat.
Natsu Dragneel was way out of her league, but a girl could dream, right?
Yet another sigh escaped her.
He fought like the world was weighing on his shoulders, and all she wanted to do was help him carry that burden.
A small wistful sigh came this time as she put her hand over the other side of the page, so only Natsu was visible.
He cared for people the way that she wanted to be cared about.
He was fierce and loyal... and that smile, oh my word, that smile!
Even though it was a pipe dream it was nice to imagine what it would be like. She could at least hope that maybe some day Natsu Dragneel would look at her with the same smile he seemed to use only for his blonde partner. A pained sigh escaped the young woman as she let herself think about what it would be like if said blonde in the picture wasn't, well, in the picture.
How could she ever even hope to compete with Lucy Heartfilia? The woman was proud, strong, beautiful and the one thing that Yukino might never be... confident.
It was one thing to hold pride in her ability as a mage, but as a woman?
Yukino was nearly certain that no one would ever see her as someone desirable.
Her shoulders slumped forward and another depressed sigh slipped out.
"I do believe that is the seventh time you've sighed in the past five minutes." Yukino jumped at the sound of Rufus's voice. Swallowing hard around a lump in her throat, the light haired woman looked up to see worry clouding his emerald eyes. "Is there something on your mind, my dear?"
The blush on her milky white skin intensified tenfold, her delicate hands rising to cover it from the rest of the world.
"If you wish to talk, I am here to listen." Yukino simply nodded her head trying to be polite, as her eyes trailed back down to the magazine open on the table in front of her (from between her fingers). She took a deep breath to settle her nerve before letting her hands fall into her lap.
"There is nothing to worry about, just silly daydreams." Yukino put on her brightest smile, ignoring the slight pang of disappointment in her chest and the lingering dusting of pink on her round cheeks.
No, she didn't stand a chance with someone like Natsu, not in a million years.
Lucy groaned in irritation for what seemed like the hundredth time since they had started this horrible trek from Magnolia to god-only-knows where, in a fricken blizzard.
The reason she was present on her partner's most recent adventure eluded the blonde, but she was pretty sure it had been a helpful suggestion from the loving (read as scheming) Mira-jane. Why he would want to randomly take off was completely beyond the young woman, who was still trying to unravel the puzzle that was Natsu Dragneel's mind. It was pointless to speculate at this point anyway since her sanity was a hairsbreadth away from fizzling out of existence.
Natsu had been following his nose for two days, and they still weren't at their destination. Lucy wasn't even sure where that destination was! She was starting to wonder if Natsu even had a destination at all, or if he was just messing with her for the hell of it. The wind whipping in her face was serving as a fair distraction from her ever growing annoyance with her spontaneous partner, displacing her rising anger on the shrapnel like snow that was slicing at her sensitive neck.
For some reason she could never even try to comprehend they were climbing up some random, rocky mountain side, effectively slicing up her palms and knees on the rough surface. Lucy's fingers were starting to lose feeling as they turned a pale shade of blue; on the bright side she couldn't feel the painful sting of her torn skin any longer.
"Damn it Natsu, are we almost there?" Just a foot ahead of her, the pink haired, lovable moron threw a warm smile over his shoulder.
"We're getting close, right Happy?" Lucy looked around her to locate the blue cat, who was surveying their surroundings from up above.
"Aye Sir! I can see it from here, Natsu." Lucy followed the path that the cat was pointing to, and her eyes grew two sizes.
"You've got to be kidding me." For a moment the blonde was tempted to violently smash her head into the rocky face of the mountain, just to put herself out of her own misery. What had she ever done to deserve this torture? Was she a horrible person in her past life?
Lucy sighed in defeat, knowing that there was no point in sulking; she needed to focus, so that maybe when all this was over she could salvage at least half of her frozen appendages.
Yukino looked over the board, tapping her toe as she scanned through the jobs. She needed a good distraction, something that would challenge her strength, or her intellect. It was ridiculous to feel left out just because of a silly celebration like Valentine's day, but there she was, wanting nothing more than to get away. She chided herself for such childish behavior, after all hardly anyone in the guild had a significant other, and those that did had stayed home to enjoy the frivolous holiday with said person. There were exemption of course, since she had spied a few members that were trying their best to avoid their groupies like the plague (and had been for at least a week).
It wasn't like she was jealous that women were always practically busting down the doors in hopes of securing a date with her male friends; on the contrary she wished that they would pick one and be done with it. Unfortunately, for two very prominent members settling down was the most unappealing idea in the whole of Earthland. It was irritating, but it was the way of the world.
A sudden commotion brought Yukino's attention back to her surroundings, the sound of cracking wood exploding through the previously quiet room.
"COME ON OUT AND FIGHT ME!" Her soft amber eyes went wide as the familiar voice echoed off the stone walls.
Panic started to set in, and Yukino subconsciously did a once over of her outfit as well as her hair. The action did not go unnoticed by the blonde man who had been observing her from the table where her purse and magazine were laying. A small chuckle left his lips as the corners curled into a devious smile; it seemed like maybe it wasn't going to be a boring day after all.
"Damn it, Natsu!" The Sabertooth mages cringed when the angry, blonde Celestial Mage delivered a swift blow to the back of the rambunctious Fire Mage's head. "Did you really come all this way just to fight?!"
"Luuuucy, that huuuurt." Natsu whined as he nursed the back of his now throbbing skull.
"Serves you right! You don't just bust down the front door to someone else's Guild and demand a fight!" Her hands were balled tightly and placed squarely on her hips as she berated her friend for his childish and destructive behavior. Sometimes she felt more like his mother than his partner.
"Buuuuuuuuut Lucy, I wanna fight." A second blow was delivered to his head the instant Natsu had gotten to his feet, laying him out flat on his face.
"I can't believe I wasted two whole days! Ugh, make it four because we still have to travel back." Happy snickered as he flew just out of reach. "You are paying for a carriage when we get off this mountain, do you hear me? I am not walking all the way back to Magnolia, no matter how sick you get!"
"What's going on over here?" Lucy knew instantly, from the look on Natsu's face, that he could care less about her little speech; he had found his target.
"Oi, come fight me!" The Fire Mage was on his feet again, with that happy-go-lucky smile shining as he lowered himself into a fighting stance.
Lucy took the opportunity to step back a few feet before Natsu launched himself at the now grinning Master of Sabertooth. She decided to ignore them both as they rolled on the floor in favor of warming her hands; dust clouds of flying limbs were something that could start a guild wide brawl, and she wanted no part in it. With a shake of her head, the blonde summoned Taurus, ready to start cleaning up her partner's mess, before tucking her hands into her pockets once more.
Rufus swept across the space, expertly dodging the now flying chairs and bits of obliterated tables as he neared his objective. The blonde woman was taking care to stay close to the wall as she instructed her spirit to replace one of the doors that had been knocked right off it's hinges, a bright smile on her face even if she had sounded furious moments before. He had to admit that Lucy Heartfilia was rather intriguing, if not for her attitude towards the world, then simply by the company she kept.
Clearing his throat once he was close enough to get her attention, Rufus took note of how her smile softened at the small show of manners, her warm chocolate eyes practically twinkling with amusement.
"Lucy, right?" The woman nodded her head before dismissing her spirit. Rufus decided not to waste time with more pleasantries than necessary, so he swiftly pulled two undamaged chairs from a table nearby and set them against the wall. "You've picked the safest spot in the guild, at the moment." It was an embellishment, but who was going to dispute his claim? No one. A light tinkle of laughter greeted his assessment, and one of his delicate eye brows arched as he watched it grow to a full blown fit, tears streaming down her wind bitten cheeks and everything.
The glow of joy illuminating her feature pulled at the Memory Make Mage's interest even more, even though she looked exactly the way she should from traveling in the middle of a horrible storm, her unkempt appearance was stunning. Her laughter pulled a chuckle or two from Rufus, not that he payed it much mind.
"I-I'm sorry." Lucy finally manage to reign in her mirth till her unladylike laugther became merely a small fit of giggles. "It's Rufus, right? I really don't know what came over me." Rufus settled back in his chair, deciding that he now had a second objective.
"There is no need to apologize." A warm smile was directed at the Celestial Mage, and a speckling of crimson (that had nothing to do with the late winter storm) started to blossom on her round cheeks. "I must ask you a favor, it is rather important."
Not a boring day in the least, he nodded internally at his assessment.
Yukino wasn't sure what to make of the chaos that had become the guild hall, all she did know was that there was a slim chance she could at least talk to the man she admired so much. Keeping a safe distance from the flying bits of furniture, the light haired woman observed the brawl, waiting in silence till she was certain it was safe to venture over and at least force a simple greeting out.
Natsu was even more handsome than she remembered, and the brilliance of that smile only seemed to grow more dazzling as he panted and wiped sweat off his brow. Her eyes raked over his form, taking note that he had tossed off the red coat he's been wearing before the brawl began without her even noticing. Yukino secretly wished he was wearing the open vest the way he had in the pictures from seven years ago. Her mind conjured up the image and added the new tone and definition that intensive training had intensified in the hard lines of his muscular build. The embarrassed pink hue to her cheeks deepened while she stared openly at the radiance of his perfect smile.
She had gone absolutely insane, but then again, who could resist the temptation when it came with a face like his?
Her gaze swept over the room, and fixated on the blonde woman talking animatedly with Rufus, who (to her absolute surprise) was being just as animated with a smile on his face. Confusion clouded Yukino's mind for a moment as she watched the other woman bat her eyes in a seductive way that made Yukino's blood run cold.
Questions rose up in her mind, ones that she wouldn't dare voice. Yukino remained unwilling to hope that Lucy and Natsu weren't, in fact, an item.
A small burning heat of anger rose as she watched Lucy place a delicate hand on Rufus's upper arm, the woman's cheeks coated in a healthy shade of rose as he whispered something in her ear. 'The nerve of that woman, so openly flitting while Natsu's less than fifty yards away.' Yukino puffed her cheeks out, counting backward from ten to settle the mini tantrum that wreaking havoc on her internal organs.
Shaking her head, Yukino tried desperately to clear the thoughts from her mind; it wasn't any of her business what Lucy Heartfilia did with her time, or who she chose to grace with her presence. Even still, in that moment Yukino very much wanted to slap the blonde woman for her transgressions.
The distinctive crackling of fire caught Lucy's attention, and she knew it was going to get worse if she let it go any longer. Damn Natsu to hell for interrupting at the worst time! She wasn't as talented as Erza in the ways of keeping Natsu in line, but she was proficient enough for this. She made a small gesture to the man she had been plotting with, and turned her full attention on her partner, who's hands had ignited.
"Knock. It. Off. Right. Now." To the onlookers' astonishment Natsu froze with wide fear filled eyes, sweat pouring down his face. Lucy's tone meant she was two seconds away from putting his sorry hide through a wall, and he wasn't in the mood to be unconscious for hours. He silently cursed Erza for teaching his partner how to spark fear in the pit of his stomach like that.
"Natsuuuuuuu it's scary Lucy, let's make a break for it!" Happy shot up into the rafters, well out of range of said blonde, were she to decide that he needed punishment as well.
"It's one thing to start a fist fight, but you will not destroy their guild." Lucy leveled a frosty glare on Natsu that sent a shiver up his spine.
"A-aye." Natsu swallowed against the lump in his throat, extinguishing the flames as quickly as he could.
Sting was rolling on the floor laughing at the exchange, much to Natsu's horror. He tried to quietly tell the other man that it was a really stupid move, but his warning was falling on deaf ears.
The menacing aura his partner was exuding meant someone was about to pay, so Natsu made quick work of distancing himself. Sting was on his own, Natsu was not going to get caught in a 'misplaced' kick that would render him useless for hours.
Lucy stalked over to the near hyperventilating Guild Master, a sickly sweet smile pulling at her plump lips.
"What, pray-tell is so funny?" When Sting's laughter only increased the woman's temper flared. Sting realized that he was in danger a moment too late as a swift 'Lucy Kick' sent him flying across the room, and into a very solid stone wall. A rasping cough ripped it's way out of the man before he slid to the ground in a crumpled pile, his arms wrapped protectively around his injured torso.
Rogue stepped up next to Natsu (having the common sense to stay out of the line of fire during the assault) with a low whistle. "Is that normal?" Natsu shook his head with a frown.
"You went easy on him, Lucy! No fair!" Natsu was near outraged that Sting was already on his feet, a thin layer of mortar dust coating his blonde hair from the force of hitting the wall.
"Didn't I just say we aren't here to break their guild hall." Lucy leveled a glare over her shoulder. "Maybe if you learned how to control you're level of destructive power I wouldn't have to put you through the wall at all."
"That hurt, why the hell did that hurt?" Sting grumbled as he walked back over to Natsu, wobbling as he went.
"Don't complain, when Lucy's playing favorites." Natsu crossed his arms over his chest like a spoiled child. "That was barely a tenth of the force she usually uses."
Lucy ignored the exchange as she made her way over to talk things out with Yukino. She wasn't nearly as talented at match making as Mira, but it was worth a shot. A brilliant smile coated her face as she noticed the 'older' woman watching her pink haired partner, who was now in a heated conversation with the two Dragon Slayers of Sabertooth.
"You can go talk to him when ever you like, he's not going to bite you know." Lucy whispered next to the other woman's ear. "You like him, right?"
Yukino jumped, her face burning ruby red, as her eyes darted off in another direction. She didn't trust her voice, not when speaking to the blonde who was her crush's partner, so begrudgingly she nodded.
"I'll let you in on a secret then, Natsu is very much a single man." Lucy let a satisfied smirk turn up the corner of her lips as Yukino turned back to her.
"Y-you're not together?" There was hope in the light haired woman's eyes, enough to make Lucy want to do something drastically Mira-esque.
"Just the best of friends." Lucy locked her arm with Yukino's and began dragging her across the room, enjoying how Natsu had stalled in his conversation with the other two men. Lucy sent a small wink across to where Rufus was watching the display his emerald eyes dancing with amusement.
"W-why are you smiling like that?" Natsu hesitated as he watched his partner drag the other woman in his direction; he knew that Lucy was up to something, and it wasn't something good by the looks of it. The blonde woman stopped, and reached out an hand for her fiery friend and tugged his arm so that he was standing right beside her. Before either Yukino or Natsu knew what was happening Lucy had slide her hands up to the base of their necks.
"Happy Valentine's day! Now kiss!" She pushed their faces together, then turned to walk back to the chair next to Rufus, completely satisfied with the way her plan had turned out. Lucy dusted her hands on her worn jeans and sent the other blonde a smirk. "That takes care of them, now where were we?"
"I think I might want to ask you to accompany me on a date." Lucy tilted her head with a bright smile.
"I think I might want to say yes."
Meanwhile Natsu and Yukino, who were both brilliant shades of vermillion, struggled to make sense of what had happened. A sense of bravery that Yukino was completely unfamiliar with washed over her small frame, and she forced herself to look up into the face of the man she was very steadily falling for with a shy smile.
"W-would you be my Valentine, Natsu-sama?"
Years in the distant future Natsu Dragneel would firmly deny the fact that on that very first Valentine's day, he had fainted from the shock of such a question. Of course his two best friends Lucy, and Happy would never allow him to live it down, not for a moment.
END.
To make it easier for you all these are the other participants in CFLA's very first monthly project!
Leoslady4ever: LLF- Begin Again (ErLo) (tentative title)
Paname: LLF- The Proper Way to Spend Valentine's Day (RoLu)
Dragon'shost: LLF- Vignettes for Valentine's (shorts); LLF- Field Trip (TotoMary, CocoRomeo); LLF- Antivenin (CoLu); LLF- Friend's Day (FlaLax, RoLu)
GemNika: LLF- Admirer of Frost (WendEve)
Eien no Touko: LLF- Of Hangovers and Jail Cells (RoCa)
LittlePrincessNana: LLF- Stay (RoFla)
Kairrie: LLF- Only With You (RoLe)
NIchiki: LLF- Chocolates Are So Overrated (ElfLu)
Next month will be a Big CFLA Collab where the star is Jason of Sorcerer Weekly Magazine! It will be a week long event so prepare yourselves for mega crack-oh-lious goodness!