Your Life's Art

by NavyBlueWings

Lucy is a Art major in her Senior year of college. She is roommates with Natsu. Taking a class called "Your Life's Art", Lucy is thrown a curve ball of an assignment. Not sure how to handle it, Lucy makes a decision that not only changes her life, but everyone in it! Now all she can think is... "Why Me?" Nalu mainly, but also Gale, Gruvia, Jerza. Mature content, be warned!

1. Your Life's Unexpected Art

Hello all! So, this isn't exactly my first time on FF, but it IS my first time writing a Fairy Tail story. Normally you'll find me roaming around in the Naruto section, but I've come across this anime/manga and fallen in love. So I decided to come hang out here as well. This story is completely out of my element, but I'm pretty sure I rocked it! This will be a six chapter story, so I hope you stick around and enjoy it! =D

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail…feels weird to say a different name.

Warning: This story will have mature content in later chapters. You have been warned.

Chapter One: Your Life's Unexpected Art

Why me?

It seemed to be the question of the week for Lucy. Sitting uncomfortably in nothing but a pink bra and matching underwear, the girl looked away from the completely lost boy in front of her. She knew his gaze was everywhere but her, probably realizing it wasn't okay to stare at her while she was half naked. Not like he was the reason she took her clothes off or anything. From the corner of her eyes she caught him awkwardly shifting the pillow that now was the only type of coverage the naked boy had. Her cheeks were molten red, her hands shaking as she tried not to cry. The whole situation might have been humorous to the blonde, if she wasn't involved. But she was. It was taking every ounce of her control to ignore the burning need to push her friend out of the third story window and lock herself in her room for eternity. Someone may think that was a little drastic, but after the week she had…

Seriously, why me?

She took a breath, thinking back to the dreadful Monday that had led to this situation.

---

Normally, Mondays were one of Lucy Heartfilia's favorite days. Despite being the end of her weekend, Lucy's college schedule left her with plenty of relaxation time on Mondays. And with it, she spent most of her time drawing whatever came to mind. Even when in class, Lucy found herself drawing story lines and random characters in-between her lecture notes. It was only natural, since her dream was to become a world known artist. Being a senior meant she had more freedom in which classes she took, since she had finished all of her core curriculum by her junior year. Lucy had enrolled in many advanced art classes; an American art class, a sculpting class, and an ancient/medieval art history class. Her fourth class was a psychology class, which she had taken with her best friend Levy McGarden and their friends Erza Scarlet and Juvia Lockser. With all the messed up men in their lives, each girl joked that a little psychology wouldn't hurt.

Oh! How could she forget her number one reason for liking Mondays? Every Monday night, she had an eccentric class simply called "Your Life's Art" that was suggested to her by her abstract art teacher the year before. The class wasn't offered every semester, and Lucy didn't want to miss out on her last chance to take it. Having been in the class for almost a month, Lucy knew this was not like any other class in the school. The first day, Professor Mirajane Strauss had informed them that this class was not based on mere skill or knowledge of art. It was a simple pass/fail style, where if the work was done, they would get an A.

"The class-" She said with a cheerful tone, "was made to focus on you."

At that point, most of the students were starting to drift into their own worlds. Lucy felt for the beautiful woman, assuming this was her first year teaching college students. Making it a pass/fail basically meant nobody would pay attention. But that thought process changed in the blonde when the teacher's next words were tainted with danger.

"But I warn you now; there are no boundaries in this class. I will push every one of you to edges you've never been asked to walk upon. You will draw things and experience them more in this class than you will for the rest of your life. Why? Because, as I said, the main focus of this class is you and whatever secrets you hold within yourself. You should be prepared for it." She said it with a smile and a tilt of her head, which left an air of uneasy mystery to her warning. While some of the students were scared and withdrew from the class, Lucy saw it as a challenge she was happy to accept. After all, how dangerous could one class be?

"Lucy!" The girl in question peered up from her sketchpad, smiling brightly at the blue-haired girl who called to her. Levy was a passionate philologist who was determined to learn every language ever written. She had been friends with Lucy since they were in high school. Though she was petite and sweet, Levy was not your average girl. But then again, who was in Lucy's crazy life?

"Hey! I haven't seen you since you came back from Greece with the anthropology department. How was the trip? You finally crack that language you were slaving over?" Lucy asked, pausing in her work as the girl plopped down next to her on the bench.

"Yes, finally. And I would have gotten it sooner if that big lug-nut Gajeel didn't hover over me every time I went into the ruins. He kept saying 'shrimp, you're going to hurt yourself' whenever I would go off on my own to explore. And it's not like he had to help me down more than twice!" Despite the annoyed tone in the pouting girl's voice, Lucy knew better than to take Levy's words at face value. Just like Levy's studies, nothing was ever what it seemed on the surface. Levy had first introduced the "lug-nut" to Lucy three years ago at a Halloween party. It was their freshman year of college, which Lucy had dressed up as a playboy bunny for (by the strange request of her kitty-costume friend Erza). Gajeel Redfox was a junior at the time, and took no time in deciding Lucy's real name was 'bunny girl'. Gajeel had met Levy in an introduction to anthropology class he was interning in. Gajeel was a paleontologist student, and damn good at what he did. He had a knack for finding fossils in places that nobody would ever guess to look. He said he just got 'hunches'. If anyone was meant to find proof of big foot or dragons, it was Gajeel Redfox.

At first, Gajeel wanted nothing to do with Levy. He didn't like her upbeat personality, or her optimistic view that he wasn't as tough as he pretended to be. To prove her wrong, he made it a point to embarrass Levy in front of the entire class during her midterm presentation on fossil preservation. It was simply to break the girl. He had expected her to back down or cry, and was not prepared for the book bag she threw at his head. He obviously didn't know what kind of place Lucy and her friends came from. That fiery spirit was born in every person who claimed Fairy Tail as their second home. Levy stood her ground and only pushed harder, and it seemed to make an impression on the gruff guy. So much so, that throughout the next few years, Gajeel continued to work with the school in order to keep an eye on Levy. He wouldn't admit it, just as Levy wouldn't say she enjoyed his company. The two were impossible, and yet the sideway glances and occasional kind moments between the two gave Lucy hope for their happy ending.

"He doesn't go on the trips to just annoy you." At Lucy's suggestion, Levy pouted and looked away from her. Trying to dig a little deeper in the sensitive subject, Lucy placed her hand tenderly on Levy's shoulder and smiled. "You know he pays out of pocket to go on these trips. You get a discount because you're a student, but Gajeel has to pay full price. He does it because he's worried about your safety, even if he won't admit it."

"…It's not like he deserves the discount. He's not even a student here anymore! He should just save his money and stop acting like my guard dog!" Levy yanked her knees up to her chest, placing the backs of her heels onto the bench to keep from falling forward. She scowled at the ground, her voice weaker than before. "Doesn't he get that I don't need him to baby me anymore? I'm not a naïve freshman; I'm already twenty one. I'm not a 'shrimp' anymore…why doesn't he see that?"

"Is that what's bothering you? That you think he doesn't see you as his equal?" When Lucy noticed the shade of pink that now tinted Levy's cheeks, she knew she hit the mark on the head. Since there was a two year age difference between the two, Gajeel had always told Levy to try and keep up with him. Though Lucy was sure it was his way to keeping Levy focused on him, she could see now how the words seemed to haunt Levy. And who wouldn't be upset when their person of interest constantly called them names like 'shrimp' and 'shorty'? She couldn't remember a time Gajeel had called Levy by name in the three years she had known him. Lucy pulled her friend into a hug, knowing that her friend needed comfort. "Levy, you've got to know he thinks of you in the highest regard."

"He's got a stupid way of showing it," Levy muttered, burying her face into her friend's shoulder.

"And that's why we're taking that psychology class, remember?" Both girls laughed at Lucy's reply, the spirit of the conversation turning much lighter than before. It lasted a second before Lucy's phone went off, and the blonde looked down at the familiar ringtone. "Speaking of morons…"

"Natsu texting you again?" Levy asked, flipping through the sketchbook that Lucy had almost forgotten about.

"Yeah it's him, though he should be paying attention to Professor Dreyar right now. He's going to get yelled at…again," Lucy mumbled, writing back a reply. The guy in question was Natsu Dragneel, another one of Lucy's childhood friends. In fact, Natsu was the first one to greet Lucy when she moved into Magnolia at the age of fifteen. He wasted no time introducing himself as well as every person he could think of in town to her. Like wildfire, Natsu dragged her all over the town the first day they met, but nothing was more important for him to show her than the hangout simply called 'Fairy Tail'. It was a huge building that people of ages hung out at, swapping stories and making friends. Or fights, if you were Natsu and Gray Fullbuster. He introduced her to the whole gang and by nightfall, Lucy felt like she had known them for her entire life. Especially Natsu. She had even fallen asleep next to him on Fairy Tail's lawn that same summer night. It wasn't the last time, either.

Six years later, and the two were still attached at the hip. Not that Lucy really minded most of the time. Natsu was always the person she went to when things in her life got tough. Whether it was being bullied for being the new kid (Natsu had beat everyone of them up) or just holding her hand at her father's funeral, Natsu never left her side. He was loyal, if nothing else.

"Dreyar? That guy's had it out for Natsu ever since he decided to major in criminal justice. Why does Natsu keep taking classes with him?"

"Because Natsu says he's the best criminal justice teacher they have besides Professor Clive. And you know Natsu; he wants to be taught by the best so he can become better than them. He'll put himself through hell in their classes so long as he gets the pride of saying he 'beat' them." Levy laughed at Lucy's explanation, though she didn't seem surprised in the least.

"That sounds like our Natsu. Thank god you convinced him to go to school with us. Imagine if he had used this drive in some type of shady business? He'd be running a fight club or something, and nobody could stop him. Well, except maybe Erza."

"Erza could stop a small army if she was having a bad day," Lucy replied, the two of them shivering at the thought. Though kind to anyone she considered a friend, Erza was not someone you would want to meet in a dark alley. She specialized in several types of combat, both modern and ancient in style. She mastered any weapon she touched, and even without a sword she was quite dangerous. It was probably why she decided to have the concentration of medieval history. Fighting fascinated her way more than the average girl.

"Speaking of bad day, I should probably get going. I've got a meeting with Professor Makarov and him to discuss a possible presentation of our trip to the archeology board." Knowing she was speaking of Gajeel, Lucy smiled and nodded.

"That's fine; my class is starting in a little bit so I should head over there." Levy handed back the sketch book to Lucy and the two of them started to walk toward the middle of the campus.

"How is that class going? Is it really all about you?"

"It's very introspective. She's had us draw and paint a lot of things from our childhood, both good and bad. A few sensitive things here and there, but nothing I'm afraid to do. Professor Mira said we'd be getting into the hard stuff today; which makes me a little nervous. But, if I want to be an artist, I have to do whatever it takes."

"Now you're starting to sound like Natsu," Levy said, making Lucy shake her head.

"Don't say that! I already live with him; I don't need to turn into him too."

"You sure spend a lot of time with him, Lucy." At the implied tone in Levy's voice, Lucy stopped outside of the art building and rolled her eyes.

"He's my best friend, and that's it."

"You've never thought of him as something more? Not even once?" Lucy didn't know how many times she had been wrapped up in this conversation involving her and Natsu. And it wasn't just Levy either. Erza, Juvia, even Gray and Gajeel had made a comment or two. But every time they asked, it was always the same answer. Sure, Natsu had never really shown interest in dating before. And though Lucy had tried with a few guys, none had turned out to be more than a passing interest. The two of them were more likely to spend a Friday night on the couch watching horrible sy-fy movies than out enjoying the college nightlife. Did that mean that the two of them were in love? No! It just meant they were really compatible, and enjoyed each other's company. A lot.

And it wasn't like Lucy had never thought about it before. She had given a good amount of time thinking of what a relationship with Natsu would be like. More than once too. It was most apparent sophomore year when Gray had told her some troubling news. Gray had invited the two of them to a party he was hosting the Friday before winter break. Lucy and Natsu had gotten into a fight about her not going. Natsu had agreed for both of them without Lucy's permission, which angered the girl more than Natsu said it should have. After all, how many other times had Natsu dragged her into situations without her permission? Lucy, however, had a huge project due and refused to put it off until the very last minute like Natsu had suggested. Natsu never came home that night, and Lucy had passed it off to him still being mad at her. Temptation to call him was strong, but she refused to apologize for putting her studies first.

She instantly regretted declining her invitation when calling Gray the next morning looking for Natsu. She had tried to call the pink-haired boy, but his phone was shut off for some reason. Getting worried, she put aside their fight and called Gray. She didn't want to see obsessive by asking about Natsu right away, so instead she pretended to be interested in how the party went. It was then Gray informed her that Natsu had "finally" lost his virginity. It had made her feel awkward, and not in a good way. She had avoided her best friend for a week after, trying to decipher what the aching in her heart had meant. Natsu, not being quite as dense as he was in high school, eventually cornered her into talking to him in their apartment bathroom. She denied avoiding him while she tried to casually bring up what Gray said, only to find that Natsu had no interest of going down that path again.

"What's there to talk about? It really wasn't that great; I didn't even know the girl. Besides, I'd much rather just hang out with you here than go to ice princess's party. You feel the same way, right Luce?" He said it like it was obvious, and she quickly felt stupid for the emotional turmoil she had put herself through. No matter who came into their lives, Natsu would never abandon her. Lucy never heard Natsu speak of the girl again, not that she really minded. Determining her feelings were from fear of losing her best friend, and nothing more, Lucy resigned on the fact that a relationship would only ruin that.

But that didn't stop the occasional 'what if' from popping into her head.

"I really have to get to class," Lucy said, knowing if she didn't stop the conversation before it started, Levy would stir up feelings she didn't want to think about.

"Oh, right! And I have that meeting…which I'm officially late for. Gajeel is never going to let me live this down. I'll see you in psychology tomorrow!" The energetic girl gave a wave before running off, Lucy watching her until she was out of sight. Only then did she let out a relieved breath, pulling herself to walk up the long set of stairs and toward her classroom. By now the room was full, since class was going to start any minute. She put her phone on silent, knowing that her teacher could be a real demon if interrupted. She was just about to put her phone away when another text message popped up, Natsu's name scrolling over her screen.

Good luck with class today! Draw me something cool and I'll make dinner?

Leaning her head against her arm, Lucy couldn't stop the smile that rose from his text. Despite his annoying moments and lack of cleanliness, Natsu was amazing in his own way. Never letting the world put him down, he made his own brilliant path that even amazed those who didn't know him. People always looked at him and determined what he could and couldn't do. He said they had done that to him since he was a child. Natsu would only get 'fired up' at people's assumptions before blowing their expectations out of the water. It was obvious he was meant to be something great in life. Despite that, he never forgot to bring Lucy along, and encouraged her with every dream she had. And if anyone tried to crush her dreams, he would crush their faces with his fist.

How had she been so lucky to meet someone like him?

"Good afternoon class." A soft voice entered Lucy's thoughts, steering them away from anything dangerous. She slipped her phone into her purse as Professor "Mira" (as she liked her students to call her) Strauss moved to the front of the classroom with a smile. Lucy listened as role call was done, which was followed by a lecture of human perception. The lecture itself was fascinating, if not a bit risky when the conversation went to nudity in art.

"Now, class. Art is about the perception of what we find alluring, beautiful, and even exciting. It's no surprise that most of our prized art collections involve the human body of some sorts. Michelangelo's David , Botticelli's Birth of Venus and the many depictions of Adam and Eve all center around the beauty of the human body." Mira now had the class in a circle, which she walked in the middle of while lecturing. "Beauty that we, as artists, should be able to capture in a drawing. But, like with everything we do in this class, this is about you as an individual. So, I'd like to open the floor with this simple question; what parts of the human body do you find arousing to the eye?"

Lucy could feel herself flush a bit at the question. This wasn't the first time the topic of sex was brought up, and Lucy was guessing it wouldn't be the last. Mira had warned that this class would have no boundaries, and she wasn't lying. Death, sex, mutilation, addictions…they were all free game for the teacher to explore. The class glanced around at each other, unsure of how to answer the question. Seeing the slight nerves in her peers made Lucy feel better. While she doubted that most of them were virgins like her, Lucy still felt a little closer in knowing they weren't sex fiends either.

"The stomach." Lucy jerked her head over to a boy who was leaning back in his chair, seeming to be the only one unaffected by the question. Not that she was surprised. Loke was nothing if not confident in his sexual knowledge. She should know; he had only tried to get in her pants every day in at Fairy Tail. The astronomy major had calmed down after college opened doors to many more women, but he still tended to offer his 'assistance' to her whenever the group was together. A part of her even thought that he had taken some art classes just to have the opportunity to tease her without Natsu being around. Still, she couldn't deny his ability to draw either. Loke tilted his glasses down his nose as he glanced over to Lucy, smirking slightly while he continued. "I find a woman's stomach to be very alluring. The more times I see it, the better in my opinion. A woman confident in her own skin, willing to show off her body, is what inspires me."

"Excellent Loke. Thank you for opening up the floor, I can tell you're a natural born leader," Mira said, smiling at the handsome boy before looking around again. Slowly, the other artists spoke as well, throwing any body part out there that came to mind. The obvious ones, like boobs and asses, came into play. Some, like the shoulder, legs, and even tongue were explored as well. Lucy stayed perfectly silent, taking notes meticulously while constantly glancing to the clock. Though she loved this class, she was somewhat uneducated when it came to this part. She had been kissed many times before; and one boyfriend had even gotten her shirt off. But other than that, she wasn't quite sure what got her excited. Maybe eyes? Hair? Stomach like Loke? She scrunched her nose while she tried to come up with anything to contribute.

But the only thing she could think about was what Natsu had cooked up for dinner. She knew it was off topic, and had nothing to do with the question, but it made her smile despite the embarrassing conversation. She knew Natsu was more of a 'take-out' kind of guy, always seeming to somehow swindle her into paying. She didn't even think he knew how to cook, always asking her to make him something if the funds for food were not available. Knowing Natsu's obsession with food, she could only hope he didn't go overboard.

"Now, I would like to spend the last ten minutes explaining your next project." Every week, Mira would assign a project that was to be completed by the next class. The best of the class was then posted in the front of the class for the next week, in order to inspire the other students to work hard. Lucy had never had the honor of having her piece displayed, but she was determined to do it by the end of the year. If she could beat the other fifteen talented artists in her class, then she could beat anyone in the real world. "As we've discussed, nudity in art is common as well as welcome. And for this project, each one of you will be drawing a model, naked."

"What?"

"Oh, cool!"

"This should be fun." The reactions came in droves, though Mira allowed the class to chatter for a few moments amongst themselves. Lucy herself didn't make a peep, nervously glancing to her other classmates. She caught Loke's eye, who smirked at her in a way that made her face burn. He was enjoying her discomfort, wasn't he? Quickly her eyes shot back to the teacher, not letting the mischievous astronomy major see how he affected her.

"Who are we drawing?" Finally, Mira placed her hand up when the specific question was asked. Mira's eyes opened with a gleam that seemed to instantly shut the class up. Lucy watched the innocuous teacher scan the classroom.

"Is this class not about yourselves? And yet you ask me to pick who you are to draw. That should be my question. Who are you drawing? That is your challenge. I want you to find someone in your life, be it your partner, friend, co-worker, or fellow student, to draw. They must, however, be someone who you find, in your own perception, to be beautiful. We've talked about what each of you finds beautiful and enticing. You know what you look for.

"This piece is not meant to be you sketching a human body you've never encountered before. That has no inspiration or introspection. This has to be someone who has affected you, someone who you can pour your own feelings for into the drawing. That, my lovely students, is what I wish to see on my desk Monday afternoon. Your intimate passion. This is my favorite project. A weird one, I'll admit, but my favorite. Why? Because it is the one that most of my students find the true meaning to this class. Where they find the artist only they can be."

The room fell completely silent, the only noise being Mira's high heels clicking across the floor to her desk. She shuffled her papers and student projects into her arms, moving to the doorway. She glanced back at her stunned classroom, her beautiful smile never wavering despite the horrified looks on some of her student's faces.

"Class dismissed!" Like she hadn't just dropped a bomb on them, Mira closed her eyes and giggled before walking out of the room. The students seemed frozen with the still sinking assignment from her teacher. But, after a few more moments of shock, the classroom started to come alive again with chatter. Questions of who each were picking were exchanged while the students followed their teacher in gathering their stuff. Seats were put back into place, and each person managed to find their way back into the world they had come from before stepping into their 2:15 art class.

One, however, did not move. She did not blink, did not speak, and did not lean an inch from where she was the moment the assignment was handed down to her. Lucy was sure she had heard the assignment wrong. There was no way, she reasoned, that Mira would make her do something like this. She must have fallen asleep during the lecture. Because if she didn't fall asleep, if she didn't hear it wrong, if Mira was making her do something like that…

"Lucy?" Finally Lucy blinked, a hand waving in front of her face. Slowly looking up, she jumped when seeing Loke's eyebrow arching toward her.

"Lo-Lo-Loke!" Lucy exclaimed, jumping out of her seat and nearly falling onto the floor. The person in question quickly grabbed her shoulders, blinking once when seeing her knees give out.

"Are you going to be okay? Do you need me to walk you home?" Lucy shook her head fiercely, trying to stabilize her jell-o legs while taking a few long breaths. Pushing up to hold her own weight, Lucy gave him a shaken smile and stepped out of his hold.

"I'm fine. I just…did you hear that assignment?!" Loke laughed at her obvious embarrassment, shrugging while escorting her out of the room. The two walked in sync toward her apartment despite her previous answer.

"Yeah, a few people I know took this class and warned me about this. I guess I was a little more prepared than some of you." Lucy looked over to him in question, making Loke smirk. "Aries asked me to be her model two years ago."

"A-A-Aries took this cla-class?!" That almost shocked her as much as the actual assignment. Aries was an extremely shy girl, who made Lucy look almost slutty in comparison. She was so sweet and soft-spoken, Lucy couldn't figure out how a girl like her could have made it through this class without passing out.

"She's really good friends with Mira's little sister, Lisanna. The two took it together two years ago in order to support Mira's first trial. Lisanna drew Juvia since they are roommates in the girls' dormitory. Aries asked to draw me, which gives me a perfectly good reason to ask her for the same favor." Lucy watched the smile grow on Loke's face, and scowled. Loke was confident in his body, and loved it when girls praised and gawked him. Being asked to be drawn by Aries would have been no problem for him. But with the tables turned, it seemed almost cruel for the boy to ask so much from the timid girl.

"Do you really think she'll let you?" Loke's smile only grew as he grabbed Lucy's hand, pulling her chest into his. Instinctively she gasped, weakly blushing at how intimate the position was. Despite her refusal to date Loke, Lucy wasn't stupid enough to deny he was handsome.

"An eye for an eye right? Unless you'd like to be my muse…" The words were spoken so smoothly into her ear, Lucy almost swayed. But after hearing a soft chucked against her skin, Lucy shoved the suave playboy away from her and glared.

"Not in your lifetime! You keep your paws off me!" Lucy shouted, trying to override the blush creeping through her skin. Loke let out a loud sigh, pushing his glasses closer to his eyes.

"You sure are clueless, little Lucy. The reason I know Aries will help me out is because we've been dating for over a year." Lucy stared at Loke, trying to see if he was joking or not. Sure, she hadn't really talked to Loke since their last class together sophomore year, but this was a little farfetched. Loke and Aries? When did that happen? As far as Lucy knew, Loke was too flirtatious to be anyone's boyfriend, never mind for a year! And Aries? The girl could hardly speak in front of boys, never mind someone with such a strong personality.

"B-but…you're so flirty! There's no way you can be in a relationship!"

"I only tease you because you're just too funny to resist. But you can ask Juvia or Gray, both will confirm my statement. When Aries asked me to be her model, it wasn't long before I figured out why. And once I gave it some thought, being with her only seemed natural. It took a while for her to trust that I wouldn't run off with another girl, since she had watched me for so long chase short skirts." As if to emphasis his point, Loke gave a short nod to the skirt Lucy was wearing. She yanked it down slightly at his acknowledgement, fuming for implying something so blunt. "But after a year of courting, she became my girlfriend."

"Wow. Well…congratulations! I'm sorry I never noticed, but you are fortunate that she'd look past your playboy ways." Lucy smiled as Loke missed a step in his walking. It was rare to see the king lose his cool, even for a second.

"You'd be surprised at how much I've changed from that boy you knew in high school. And it's all because of this assignment. Which makes me wonder…" As the two approached Lucy's apartment, she glanced up casually to see him lost in thought. It was only when she finally reached the steps to her door that she spoke.

"Wonder what?"

"I'm just wondering what you'll discover by the end of this." At the intangible question, Lucy looked back to Loke in confusion. Just what was he talking about now? She put her hand on the doorknob, the jingling seeming to shake off Loke's contemplative thoughts. He sent her a small salute, his debonair smile coming back. "I suppose this is goodbye until Monday, unless you happen to come over to Gray's party Friday."

"Most likely not. I tend to stay away from those things." She smiled and waved, thanking him for walking her home. She started to walk into her complex when she heard her classmate call her name. Looking over her shoulder, she tilted her head to let him know she was listening.

"Just so you know; a good way to get someone to relax is to make them feel like they're not alone." It took her a moment to realize he was talking about the drawing.

"How do I do that?" She asked, not being able to see his expression from how dark it had become. Still, she could hear the playful tone in his answer.

"You'll figure it out, I'm sure." Without another word, Loke shoved his hands in his pockets and turned away from the blonde, letting the darkness engulf him. Lucy leaned against the doorframe, slightly unnerved by his response. What did he mean by that? And who was he thinking about when he was talking to her? Loke sure made her head spin. A cold breeze reminded her she was still outside. She quickly shut the door behind her before climbing up the two flights of stairs to her apartment. Having a student apartment with Natsu was great, but the trek up to the third floor always killed her. Was she really that out of shape? Lucy ran her fingers over her stomach as she opened the door to her apartment, trying to feel for any extra fat. Satisfied to see she was still pretty skinny, Lucy dropped her bag on the floor and called out into the open space.

"I'm home!" As soon as she said it, she heard a loud swear coming from the kitchen. She giggled as she made her way through the living room, but slowly lost her humor when seeing the black smoke in the air. Running into the kitchen, Lucy screamed when seeing a pan was literally on fire. Natsu, who was covered in multiple food items, was now waving the pan in the air to try and put out the flame. When the air only enhanced the flame's power, Lucy ran across the kitchen and turned on the sink. With little thought to her roommate, Lucy grabbed the sprayer and aimed it at the pan, effectively putting out the fire and giving Natsu a bath in the process. Before he could yell at the girl, he slipped on the water and fell onto the floor, hitting the smoldering pan against his own head. Lucy gasped and instantly stopped spraying, dropping the instrument and running to Natsu's side. Helping him up onto his butt, Lucy let him lean back against her while she checked the red mark on the side of his temple.

"That hurts, Lucy," The boy whined, though didn't push her fingers away. She shushed him before pushing his hair back, wincing at the lump that was quickly starting to form.

"You idiot. What the heck were you thinking, waving fire in the air like that? You could have lit something else on fire. Or even yourself! You're not turning into a pyromaniac are you?" He glared over to her as she smiled, gently rubbing the sore spot to try and relieve the pain.

"How was I supposed to know that oil caught on fire?" Her face deadpanned at the common fact she expected anyone to know. Then again, this was Natsu she was talking to. She let out a long sigh, scanning the kitchen for any more disasters she'd have to tackle.

"Wow, Nastu…" Surprisingly, everything else seemed intact. Even the table was set up nicely. When she felt the guy in front of her squirm, she looked down to see him looking at the wall in slight embarrassment.

"It's just that I got some extra money from working with Gray and Elfman at the bar, and I figured you'd want a nice dinner or something. Elfman was going on and on about how it was 'manly' to take care of any woman in your life, even if it's just you." Well gee, didn't that make her feel special. Still, she couldn't help but laugh.

"This is really nice, even if it is 'just me'. Thank you," she said, helping him to his feet while trying to see what it was he actually had made. A pasta dinner may have seemed simple enough for Lucy. But she had a feeling it was like slaying a dragon for Natsu. He even attempted at a salad? Looking back to her roommate, she felt the stress from earlier lift off her shoulders. She grinned and placed her hand on his head, ruffling his wet hair. "Why don't you go change so we can actually enjoy this?"

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing now?!"

"Besides the fact that you're soaked and covered with food? Food I don't even see on this table…"

"I couldn't decide what I wanted to make!" She rolled her eyes, pushing him toward his room.

"Hurry up, or the food's going to get cold." At the mention of his dinner going to waste, Natsu quickly stopped his resisting and disappeared into his room. Lucy sighed, wondering just how old Natsu's inner self was. She moved to the fridge, grabbing a water bottle and a beer, before she cleaned up the water mess. The last thing she needed was Natsu falling down for a second time. She had just finished cleaning the pan he had used when Natsu came back scowling. Before he could open his mouth, Lucy tossed him the beer bottle and sat at the table. "What's with the sour look?"

"That bastard Gildarts—"

"Professor Clive," Lucy corrected, knowing the teacher's first name. A lot of the professors, including Professor Dreyar and Professor Clive, were sometimes seen in Fairy Tail. Mira, Lucy discovered, even worked there during the semesters she wasn't teaching. It was kind of weird to see the teachers outside of the college, but it was a public place outside of the school, so it didn't technically break the rules. And even if it did, nobody was going to tell. Fairy Tail had that affect on people.

"Yeah, him. He just texted me and told me I had to run his classes for him tomorrow."

"Isn't that a good thing that he trusts you?"

"More like that booze is going out drinking with his alcoholic daughter tonight and is expecting to be hung over tomorrow. What do I look like, a substitute? I'm an intern!" It was kind of the same thing, but Lucy wasn't going to argue. She watched Natsu crack the beer cap off with his teeth, making her cringe.

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop doing that? You're going to break your teeth." At the comment Natsu scoffed and spit the cap across the room, beaming at her to show her his teeth.

"You could hit these babies with a truck and not one would move. I'm practically invincible." And with the statement, Natsu wasted no time stuffing his face with food. Lucy laughed and started on her own dinner, the rest of the night going as smoothly as a night with Natsu and Lucy could. After dinner they got ready for bed, then sat on the couch and skimmed through the channels. Like every time before, they ended up watching some B-rated movie that was more comedy than horror. Even with Natsu's constant laughing, Lucy felt the drain from everything today start to hit. Without much warning she felt her head dropping before it was guided to lie on Natsu's shoulder. She snuggled into his warmth, happy to know he took care of her as much as she did him.

"Go to sleep Luce. I'll bring you to bed when the movie's done." She knew, as she fell asleep, that she was forgetting to tell him something important. But before she could remember what it was, she was out like a light.

And that's a wrap for chapter one! I always knew saw Mira as the teaching kind! I hope that you guys enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it! It definitely helped clear some plot bunnies. So, who will Lucy pick for her drawing? How will her roommate react to her choice? And who else would love to see Natsu as Gildarts intern? I can see the anarchy now.

Chapter Two: A Stripper has its Benefits