Chapter One: Something More

There's something 'bout the way you sleep when you're lying next to me.

On the morning of his twenty-first birthday, Natsu Dragneel woke up to the soft breaths of his best friend. It was unusual of him to wake up before Lucy, but not unheard of, and so he simply readjusted his position in bed, pulling the sheets over them.

Happy, too, was asleep. He and Lucy had spent the previous day in the guild with last minute arrangements to the party that would take place in the evening. A surprise as it may be, Fairy Tail's brand of raucousness carried a certain predictability of which Natsu was well aware. They had exhausted themselves in preparations for celebrating his birthday and the least he could do was give them a few more hours of rest.

This didn't disappoint Natsu. A day out would have been nice, but Lucy's apartment had always pleased him, with its warmly lit rooms and the company that usually came with it. Despite what most people thought, he enjoyed tranquility. In small doses.

His impatience had proven to be a difficult friend; rashness could be useful, but it also could turn into poorly executed plans, as Erza and Lucy repeatedly told him. Natsu wanted to believe the last few years had showed them growth, even where it had not seen change.

No, the universe would need a bigger force than time if it wanted to make Fairy Tail something it was not.

Outside, summer clung to the cobblestone with an unshakable grip. The days kept getting longer and hotter, and Lucy had already started to pull out her shorts and skirts, flaunting her good mood around riverside as if the season would never end.

The last winter had been an easy one. It didn't snow in Magnolia, but the humid cold seeped through their layered clothes easily and the higher temperatures were welcomed. Even if something about the sweltering heat warned Natsu of a year of more violent extremes.

For now, the skies were clear and the sun shone down on them through the open window.

Although they weren't touching, Natsu could feel the strain of the covers and the dip of the mattress as Lucy moved, fighting against her growing awareness. He turned on his side and watched her squint her eyes at the sunlight, not annoyed, but confused as to what had awoken her.

"Good morning, Luce." He grinned. She had the strangest expressions, especially like this, with her hair twisted around and skin lined with the patterns of her pillow. This was one of the reasons why he kept sneaking into her bed, to see his partner out of what the expectations of others made her: Lucy, uncooked, unprepared.

Lucy glared at him, probably more out of habit than out of actual irritation. She no longer tried to stop his invasions of her home, given they didn't destroy anything important. Curtains and charred countertops could be replaced, but her books and clothes weren't to be touched, unless they were looking for a fight.

Happy was surprisingly okay with this, if it meant he had fish for breakfast.

"You are lucky it's your birthday," she said through her teeth, giving him a soft kick to the shin. "I should give you a lesson on boundaries."

He nudged her foot back.

"Boundaries?" He pulled his mouth into an expression of innocence. "What are those?"

Lucy snorted, but didn't push him off, as Natsu had expected. Instead, she buried deeper into the covers and closed her eyes once again.

"You are incorrigible," she said, a smile on her lips. "Happy birthday."

There were few things that Natsu remembered from his time with Igneel.

He remembered warmth and what he supposed to be the touch of his dad's claws as he drifted to sleep. He remembered that being with him felt like freedom, running around in the woods and laughing until they couldn't catch their breath, as if the rules of the world didn't apply to them.

Most of all, the boy remembered feeling like Igneel belonged to him and like he belonged to the dragon, because they were family and that… That was home.

Igneel was dead now, but the feeling had tucked itself into a corner of Natsu's heart, the only things left from a family that he would never know. His parents were gone and so was Zeref, but he couldn't find it in himself to mourn them. Those memories were lost long ago.

And Lucy was here, with Happy, with Gray and Erza, who were undoubtedly waiting for them at the guild.

There had been so many things he wanted to ask Igneel; about his biological parents, about why the dragons had agreed to raise human infants. Those questions had burned in the back of his mind for years, like a fire that could never go out. It drove him to fight and do better than he already had, because Natsu had to live and find his father.

It was that ever present desire to reunite with Igneel that led Natsu to Hargeon, where there had been sights of "the Salamander". Impulsive and somewhat clueless to his surroundings, the boy had truly believed that to be his father, not even realizing the panic that a dragon in midtown would have caused.

He could never regret it.

Meeting Lucy was a strange occurrence, with her being so kind and so warm and so true. There was really no other way of describing the girl. She had accepted her shortcomings and tried to rise above them, making sure to be thankful for those who had helped her.

"Thank you for being here." He had rolled over to stare at the ceiling. Lucy never seemed to notice, but she had a way with making him feel embarrassed.

Sure enough, she huffed, unaware of his sincerity.

"This is my apartment, you know," she pointed out. "You two are the ones who keep breaking in." Happy chose that moment to let out a low purr and shifted to curl between the two mages. Lucy sat up, running a hand through his fur. "Mavis, it feels like forever since you started doing this."

Natsu laughed.

"Yeah," he looked up at Lucy, "at least we didn't bring Erza. She has the weirdest ideas."

The girl nodded, seeming appeased for the moment. They would never forget the strange situations Erza had forced on them during missions under the guise of strengthening their trust on each other. There were only so many traumatic memories a mind could block before it completely gave up.

Lucy pushed Natsu's feet aside, moving off the bed, and he strained his neck to follow her with his eyes.

"Are you planning to stay in bed the entire morning?" she asked from her wardrobe as she sorted through what to wear.

Natsu ignored that she'd been the one to sleep in. He, after all, had preferred the comfort of her presence to raiding her fridge.

He supposed he was in no hurry for food; there would be plenty in the guild.

"Yes," he answered, plopping down onto the pillow.

Lucy stopped to glance at him. "You are such a child," she sighed. "I can't believe you're older than me."

She was dramatic like this, sometimes, but never in a bad way. Just little things, blown out of proportion with a kick or an eye roll. It made life interesting.

"By 400 years, don't you forget it!"

Her laughter carried into the room as Lucy walked towards the bathroom, high and still heavy with sleep.

Natsu had a feeling it was going to be a good day.


When they arrived at the guild, noon had come and gone, but the sun beat at the asphalt without a care. The place brimmed with people, members and visiting mages alike, who wanted a place to sit down and eat; all boisterous, though in different stages of inebriation.

Natsu didn't mind them. He'd grown up in Fairy Tail and was used to its liveliness. The energy fired his own temper, to the point where he could barely sit still. Gray contributed to it by throwing insults and challenges, in complete disregard of the grimaces Lucy kept sending over her shoulder.

She spoke to Levy and Lisanna, having left at some point during his conversation with Mira and his fight with Gray. The three girls shared secretive whispers that were lost to the uproar of those around them. Natsu supposed he would eventually find out what it was, if he needed to.

"Flamebrain, you wouldn't know good music from Gajeel's screeching," Gray taunted, crossing his arms over his now naked chest, though neither boy could tell when that had happened.

"And you would, ice prick?" Natsu glared at him. Mira moved his plate to the side, just in time to avoid his flaming fist against the counter.

"Mira herself taught me some." He gestured to the bar. "I could kick your ass on the guitar."

Although they were certainly friends, times like this had Natsu on the brink of burning that self-satisfied smirk right off Gray's face. The bastard's arrogance grated on his nerves more than Elfman's insistent advices or Laxus' superiority, and that was saying something.

"I could kick your ass with the guitar!" he shouted back, standing up to tower over him.

"What does that have to do with anything?!" Gray stood too, his slanted eyes narrowed with irritation.

"Boys, boys," Mira called. She waved her hands at them and smiled, like it would be enough to settle the dispute. "Let's not fight."

A hand over his shoulder forced Natsu to sit down. He turned to see Lucy with her mouth set in a line, shoulders squared.

"Let's not destroy the guild today," she said, hard eyes shifting from one mage to the other. "You two already give me enough grief out on missions."

"When are we going on one anyway, Luce?" Natsu pouted at her. He didn't mean to whine, but the offers had started to pile up on the board and the blonde's refusal to work confused him. He knew her rent was due any day now.

"Sorry, but I'm with the pyromaniac on this one." Gray came to stand next to Natsu. "You've been dodging us on this all month."

Lucy shifted her weigh, looking down. Her cheeks colored, and it made Natsu pause, unsure on what to do in the face of her embarrassment. He hadn't meant to pry, but he couldn't remember a time in the past weeks when she'd given them a clear reason not to find new jobs.

"I–" She wrung her hands on her lap. "I have a bad feeling, and with the anniversary of my mother's death approaching…" Lucy smiled tightly. "I just wanted today to be great, so we could celebrate and maybe forget everything else."

Natsu nodded, feeling Gray do the same.

He understood, somewhat. The time around her mother's death and Igneel's disappearance was always a strange period for them, with the mixed feelings that accompanied all the situations that had lead them to Fairy Tail. Odd as it may seem, the two had more in common than anyone could have anticipated back at Hargeon.

Lucy giggled nervously, but there was no humor to it, just discomfort. "I sound silly, sorry."

"No, Luce." He frowned. "If you got a bad feeling, then we get it. You know this time of year gets on my nerves, too. Nothing to say sorry for. You're our nakama and we trust you."

The blonde stared at him for a moment. The stain of her blush didn't disappear, but her expression turned sheepish, instead of ashamed.

"Thank you, Natsu." Lucy's smile was a flutter of butterflies, tiny and pretty and genuine to a nature that could be nothing else. Somewhere deeper into the guild, a woman's voice shouted, calling out to her. "Cana," she identified, turning towards the sound. "I should see what she wants."

Lucy waved at them as she left. As soon as she was out of sight, Gray moved into her chair. He looked at Natsu with amusement, to which the dragon slayer glared.

"What?" he asked, distrustful.

Gray scoffed. "Smooth."

"What are you talking about?" Natsu didn't feel like dealing with Gray's puzzles, not on his birthday and not after finding out Lucy was worried about something. He hadn't even noticed.

"Learn to take a compliment, idiot." He signaled for Mira to bring him a drink. "That was nice of you."

Natsu shrugged. "I'm nice."

Gray snorted into his cup.

"Yeah, right." He waited for Mira to reach Erza on the other side of the bar. "You're a lot, all the time. Thoughtless, for one. Loyal, sure. But nice?"

"You gonna say you're nicer than me, slanty eyes?" Natsu could see the girls glance their way, so he lowered himself back into his seat.

Gray wasn't fazed.

"Sometimes, I guess." He took a sip of his drink. "The thing is: we're honest, plain and simple. It can come out as polite, but we aren't usually thinking that far ahead. What you said to Lucy might've been sincere, but it was mostly just to make her feel better." He smirked. "Am I wrong?"

He wasn't, but that was just another reason why Natsu wanted to punch him in the face. Still, Lucy probably wouldn't appreciate him burning the tables to a crisp only hours before the party.

"Shut up," he said instead.

"I thought so." Gray was goading him, the smug little shit that he was. "Smooth."

Before Natsu could finally snap, Erza was on them. She rested a hand on both their shoulders, with more force than necessary.

"I see you are getting along." Her tone was amiable, but her gaze pierced right through them. "I can only imagine maturity has finally caught up, now that adulthood has settled."

The two boys shared a look of caution, forcing grins onto their faces.

"We were talking about…"

"Missions!" Natsu supplied to Gray's fumbling. His own expression eased into a smile now that he remembered Lucy and their previous conversation. "Luce isn't feeling great about it, but, I don't know." He scratched his chin. "She needs rent and I'm running low on food. Maybe something around Magnolia."

Erza nodded her approval.

"Yes, I did talk to Lucy about it some days ago. I had planned a solo mission, but, taking her sentiments into account, I believe it's best for us to stay together, even for a smaller job." She smiled down at him. "That was considerate of you."

Ignoring Gray's snickering, he hummed noncommittally.

"It's funny," Erza continued after a moment, "we really are better for having known her, aren't we?"

Natsu grinned and pretended not to feel the weight of their eyes on him.


"You can't look."

Natsu scoffed, resisting the urge to just open his eyes and put an end to the whole charade. But he could still picture the smile on Lucy's face when she'd appeared at his house, and it made it difficult for him to go against her wishes. She'd probably been very tired the past month, with the party and how she'd tried to keep her worries from them.

"I won't," he promised. Her hand was rough on his, from where her whip and her writing had created calluses. Natsu liked the feel of it. He wondered if Lucy did too, if it reminded her of all she had accomplished since her days of soft, unmarred skin.

"Yeah, right." He could almost hear Lucy roll her eyes, and it made his smile grow.

Natsu stopped, tugging at her hand, and opened his eyes.

"Luce, wait a sec." He reached into his pocket and brought out an envelope. "I know you did something for my birthday or whatever, but I wanted to give ya something too." He put it on her open palm. "Happy anniversary."

Lucy shifted her gaze from the gift, then back to him. Despite her glare, a smile rose on her lips, betraying her true feelings.

"You shouldn't have!" she exclaimed. "We agreed we would use today to celebrate your birthday." Her righteous indignation amused Natsu, who shrugged.

"Yeah, but it doesn't really mean anything. Who even knows how old I am? Time travel is weird." He chuckled. "But this was the day we met. That's what I want to celebrate."

There was a pause in which Lucy just looked at him. She had her forehead creased, as if he had dropped the last edition of Sorcerer Magazine's crossword puzzle on her lap.

"How come you always remember?" Her lips tugged into a smile. "Even when it's been years, even when I tell you not to."

Natsu shrugged.

"It's nothing, really." He tapped the envelope. "Are you gonna open it or not?"

"What is it?" asked Lucy, suddenly wary. The grin on Natsu's face was as mischievous as ever, and he knew why she would be concerned. He had a habit of choosing dangerous gifts, like the cursed book from the previous year and the acid-spewing lizard from before that.

"Relax," he answered. "You're too dressed up for me to give you anything actually cool."

With a final glare his way, Lucy ripped the envelope open. She lifted the paper to her eyes, which grew wide once she'd recognized what it was.

"This is a receipt. For this month's rent." She looked up at him. "Natsu, I…"

"I know you're low on money, and we haven't gone on a mission in… I don't even know how long. I ran into your landlady and she wasn't all that happy, so I just gave her the money."

Lucy shook her head, confused. "What about earlier today? You mentioned rent."

He laughed.

"I wasn't gonna ruin the surprise, Luce."

She laughed too, turning her head to the side to hide it from him. It was a quiet thing, even more so in the middle of a Magnolia summer night, with the racket that came from the guild.

"So you just paid for me to keep my apartment. Out of the goodness of your heart." Lucy crossed her arms, feigning suspicion. "Are you sure this isn't just another plot to get into my bed?"

Natsu smiled, looking at her, then around her, to where Wendy had just halted her steps.

"Hey, Wendy!" he called out.

Lucy froze and, though he could not see it in the dim lighting, probably blushed. She worried a lot about what others thought of her and the implication in her words was clearly not lost on her.

Wendy, a few steps from them, looked mortified. "Hi," she replied. "You guys are finally here."

This seemed to snap Lucy out of her embarrassment. The blonde whirled around and grimaced at Wendy. "Oh Mavis!" she exclaimed, sending a nervous look towards Natsu. He pretended not to notice. "What time is it? Levy must be waiting for me!"

"She is," Wendy said. "You should go in. Natsu and I will be right over."

Lucy nodded, but turned inquisitive eyes towards Natsu. It was unusual for their younger friend to sound so firm and it brought an onslaught of questions over what could have possibly happened. Natsu shook his head back, trying to indicate that he was innocent in this.

"I –" She seemed to remember why they were at the guild in the first place. "I guess your surprise will have to wait." She grimaced nervously.

He watched as Lucy left. For once, she'd decided to wear a long blue skirt, instead of her usual shorts. It flowed behind her, lighter than air, and it made her look a little like the fairies in the stories Erza had told him as a child.

When he looked at Wendy again, she was staring at him, a strange glint to her gaze. It wasn't unkind – he didn't think the girl knew how to be unkind –, but it was unsettling.

"You really have no idea, do you?" she asked.

"I–" He blinked. "What?"

Wendy smiled, breaking from her previous soberness. "Ah, I'm sorry. I got a little carried away." She pulled at the sleeves of her dress. "You and Lucy have known each other for what, four years?"

Natsu felt a grin spread across his face. "I guess. Wow, that's weird. It feels like a lot longer."

Wendy laughed.

"Sometimes I wonder," she started, a strange weight in her inflection, "what we did of so good to deserve someone like her by our side." She moved towards the guild's entrance. "Enjoy the party, Natsu. It's all for you."

He followed quietly, still unsure of her reasoning.

As soon as he entered, the room exploded in cheers. People bustled around him, with good-natured punches to his arm and smiles and laughter. The familiarity of it erased the discomfort of his and Wendy's conversation, leaving only the excitement that only Fairy Tail could inspire.

At the same time, he noticed how different everything looked.

The tables had been pushed back to create a dancing floor and there was an actual band playing alongside Mira up on the stage. Natsu suddenly understood why Lucy had insisted on picking his outfit, because his guild mates were all in new clothes; raucous and tactless, but dressed for a proper celebration.

"Do you like it?" Lisanna had sidled up to him. She skimmed the room, playful and happy, before turning to Natsu.

"Yes," he answered automatically. "But why is it…"

"Kinda fancy?" she completed, to which he nodded. "Twenty-one isn't just any age. Magically, it means more stability. Legally, it means responsibility."

Natsu stuck his tongue out. "I'll drink to that."

Lisanna laughed, motioning for Cana, who was behind the bar.

"Besides, it was Lucy who organized everything and she wanted you to have all the traditional things. The drinks, the food, the ceremony."

"Why?" he asked. He was never big on tradition, especially given how he'd been raised. Normality just wasn't in the cards for him.

"Because you never had this before, did you? We are your family and we wanted you to know that some of these things might be a bore for the rest of us, the planning and such, but we're willing to do it. For you."

Her words echoed what Wendy had just said, but they didn't feel like an accusation, just a fact; just a reminder that he was loved.

Natsu looked around them.

Gray and Juvia were with Lyon, laughing as their drinks spilled over the counter. Rogue and Frosch sat at a table, ignoring what seemed to be an argument between Sting and Yukino. Gajeel was dancing with Levy, swinging her around in a way that almost knocked down the other dancers.

"They don't seem bored," he pointed out.

"Well," Lisanna laughed, "Lucy knows how to throw a party."

"Thanks," Lucy said as she approached them, two drinks in her hands. "These are for you. Cana is a bit busy with Elfman and Wakaba."

"The guild does look wonderful, Lucy." Lisanna took one of the glasses. "I can't believe you convinced my brother to help."

"What can I say?" Lucy smirked. "Birthday ceremonies are manly."

Natsu snickered, all too aware of Elfman's susceptibility to manipulation. "You two scare me."

Lisanna ignored him, linking her arm to Lucy's.

"I promise to work just as hard when it's your turn. Mira and I will have everyone in ball gowns."

Lucy nodded, not quite sheepishly, but clearly touched. "Even Natsu and Gray?"

"You can count on it!"

The two laughed at the expression of horror that took Natsu's face.

He didn't doubt them. Lisanna could be as terrifying as Mira when she wanted to, and Lucy had the strongest will he'd ever faced. Together, they could probably take on Erza.

From the other side of the room, Levy waved him over. To Gajeel's obvious annoyance, they had stopped dancing and were waiting at the edge of the stage. Gray and Erza had joined them at some point and they too gestured for Natsu to catch Lucy's attention.

"Oh, I suppose it's time to begin," said Lisanna. She pulled away from Lucy, pushing the other girl forward. "Go on, you two. I'll go help Cana."

Natsu squinted his eyes at Lucy. "What is about to begin?"

She shifted under his gaze. "It's a custom from, well, from when I lived with my father. Once you reached twenty-one, there was a party," she motioned to the crowd around them, "and you had a ceremony in which you danced with your family. It was silly of us, but…"

He smiled. "That is silly, you weirdo. How am I supposed to dance with the entire guild?"

Lucy glared at him.

"For mages, it's almost a ritual, it settles your soul. After everything we went through with Zeref, I thought it would be nice." She paused, then continued walking. "I thought it would help."

She knew he had been having trouble with nightmares. It wasn't as bad as right after the war, but his magic still felt unstable sometimes, as if he couldn't completely trust it.

Natsu followed after her.

"Hey! I didn't say I wasn't gonna do it!"

They reached the group just as Wendy appeared on stage. She smiled down at him, and the joy in it was enough to make the whole party worth it.

"Hello, everyone," she said shyly, to a boisterous response of the guild. "I'll keep this short. Natsu, after Grandine disappeared, I thought I was never going to have a family again. I was wrong and I have you to thank for that. So today I'm here as your sister, to start the ritual." Wendy clapped her hands in front of her chest, creating a wave of magic energy, and her hair undulated in the air as she floated down to the dance floor. "Happy birthday."

Mira started singing, once more.

Natsu took Wendy's hand and sent her into a series of spins. She giggled, the magic crackling at the edges of her dress. He didn't know what to do with his feet and she stepped on his toes more than once, but all the two could do was laugh as the song progressed.

"You guys went all out." They'd just rounded back to the stage, and Natsu awkwardly tried to accompany the lively rhythm, even as the beat picked up.

Wendy hummed her agreement, pulling him by one hand and grabbing onto an unsuspecting Gajeel with the other.

"Bunny girl better know she has hell coming for her," he said to Natsu, scowling, but did nothing to stop Wendy as she led them across the floor.

Always one to do things his way, instead of reaching out a hand, Gajeel seized the collar of Natsu's shirt and closed their circle. Despite struggling with the hold, Natsu could feel the chain they'd created intensify the buzz of magic around them. It slithered from one to the other, like a serpent moving through branches.

Maybe that was where the ceremony came from, the idea of a family tree and such. He would have to ask Lucy about it.

With a shove from Gajeel, Natsu found himself in the middle of the dance floor as the song melted into a deeper tune. Suddenly Erza was on him, a hand on his hand, the other on his waist. She waltzed her way back to the stage, despite Natsu's resistance.

After a brief struggle, he let her. There was no stopping Erza when she wanted to put on a show, and Natsu was not interested in the damage that trying would ensue. He shifted along as best he could, making sure not to hurt himself on the heels of her sandals.

"I imagine you are surprised with the lack of choreography, but Lucy would not allow me anything more complicated," she explained. "It appears to be frowned upon for the birthday person to know beforehand."

Natsu didn't know if this was true or not, but he would have to thank Lucy. He didn't think his spine would have survived any more dance lessons.

"I'm not much of a dancer, anyway." He wanted to shrug, but didn't dare break his stance.

"You have gotten better at this," she remarked, moving him into a spinout.

"That's 'cause you didn't try to dip him, this time," Gray interceded. He grabbed Natsu's free hand, pulling him away from Erza, and the two stepped into a quicker beat. "Happy birthday, or whatever."

"Why are you even doing this?" Natsu readjusted their hands. When they touched, he was usually trying to hit Gray over the head or send him across the guild. This truce was way out of their comfort zone.

"Because you're my best friend and I probably owe you my life." Gray grimaced. "But I'm never saying any of this again."

Natsu snickered, elbowing him on the ribs. "Finally admitting it, then?"

"You wanna start a fight? Seriously, the shit I do for Lucy."

"Should've just said no. Not like I wanted to dance with ya." They galloped across the floor, and Lisanna had to pull one of the tables out of the way to avoid their aggressive steps.

"And risk the combined wrath of Lucy and Erza? Yeah… no, thanks."

Natsu bared his teeth at him. He squeezed Gray's shoulder and, in return, felt ice start to enclose his fingers.

"Popsicle breath," he growled.

"Flame brain," Gray fired back.

"Ok, that's enough." Lucy pushed them apart, slipping into Natsu's arms. "If you guys mess with this decoration, I'm sicking Erza on you."

Gray snickered behind them. Although Natsu didn't like his self-satisfied expression, he could do little when Lucy had her arms around his neck.

Like Wendy, the magic clung to her hair, to the fabric of her skirt. Unsure of where to put his hands, Natsu settled for resting them on the curve of her waist, against the sliver of flesh that peeked from where her top ended.

"You seem happy," she said. He supposed he had seen this smile before – the way she looked down a little, how he could see the redness flooding her cheeks –, but never as brightly, never as fondly.

"I am," he answered, grinning. "I don't think I've ever told you how happy I am that I met you back at Hargeon."

Her eyes shot up to meet his, open and uneasy, and then they shifted to his lips, quick as if it had never happened.

Lucy pressed a little closer and his hold on her tightened. They swayed to the gentle beat, letting the quietness fall around them.

It was the truth, though one he had never expected to tell her. They had been connected by their pasts, a tangled mess from times he could no longer remember, when Zeref had been kind and Igneel had been alive. They were fated to meet and to die.

Yet, there they were. They had challenged every possible outcome and paved their own destinies, in the way that only Fairy Tail could.

Natsu remembered being afraid for her.

Lucy had proven herself, but being a worthy mage hadn't always stopped people from dying. Even now, most of his nightmares were still of her: Lucy tied to a chair, unmoving; future Lucy lying broken after saving her past self; Lucy, beaten and chained to a wall, smiling in spite of herself. Lucy, Lucy, Lucy.

He leaned down to touch their foreheads, smiling at the feel of her. She really was his best friend.

Silence set, followed by a round of applause, and he felt the magic simmer, then die down. The song had ended and so had the ritual.

Lucy pulled away, still blushing.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" she breathed out, a nervous quality to her voice, just as Happy flew over them.

Natsu laughed. "It was kinda fun! What did you think, Happy?"

The exceed popped his wings away and fell to the ground, nodding. "Yes! And Carla agreed to dance with me!"

Lucy and Natsu shared a look of surprise.

"Did she really?" the blonde asked. "That's certainly a reason to celebrate. Not as if we have any other reason."

Natsu snickered at her tone. Happy was too busy in his excitement to notice she was making fun of him.

"C'mon, buddy," he threw an arm around Lucy's shoulders and pretended not to notice the way she tensed. "You have to tell us everything."


"Will you need help transporting the gifts home?" Erza asked. She had two pieces of strawberry birthday cake with her, but Natsu suspected none of those were for him.

"Nah." He shrugged. "Lucy and Happy are helping. Whatever we can't carry, I'll just leave somewhere in the guild to grab later."

Erza nodded, but she seemed surprised, if not a little exasperated. "You are going back to Lucy's apartment? I hope you are not overstaying your welcome."

"We're always welcome at Lucy's." He took a bite off his flaming meal. "She leaves the window open and everything."

This didn't appease her.

"I am reasonably certain that Lucy leaves her window open because of the weather. I doubt she has agreed to have both of you invading her space so often."

Natsu didn't want to start a fight with Erza, not just as the party ended, but he couldn't think of anything that would placate her obvious irritation. He wasn't going to stop visiting Lucy, he and Happy would continue to sleep on her bed and eat her food. For years they'd been like this.

Maybe it was strange, but he didn't know how to break out of this habit. When they'd first met, he'd wanted to be around her, had enjoyed the scent of her books and the warmth of her room. Now, whether he wanted it or not, it was home in a way that his little shed in the woods never could be.

"It's not like I have any space left in my house," he said instead.

Erza considered this, tilting her head to the side and taking a bite of the second piece of cake.

"I suppose that's true." She turned to look at him. "That place is a dump."

Her lips tugged into a smile and they both cracked, laughing.

"It's close to the river. Fishing is cheaper than buying whatever Happy wants."

"Oh yes," she replied, "because you need that money to pay Lucy's rent, isn't that right?"

Natsu lifted his eyes to her, caught by surprise. There was nothing on Erza's face that indicated what she thought of this, but he knew it wasn't good news for him.

"She didn't have enough money," he said simply.

"I helped you earlier today, with Gray," she sighed, "but it is unusual of you to be so helpful."

Natsu chose to take offense to this.

"You saying I ain't helpful?"

She lifted an eyebrow, straightening her posture to loom menacingly over him. "Yes," she deadpanned. "Which raises the question of what are your true intentions towards Lucy."

"I have no intentions towards her." He frowned. "She's my best friend."

"You are not getting any younger, Natsu, and we do live in a difficult world. Wasting intentions is also a waste of time."

"There's nothing there, Erza."

She gave him a fulminating look. "Then maybe I am not the one with whom you should be having this conversation."

He bristled. "What do you want me to say?"

"I want you to tell me what happened today on the dance floor, because it did not look like nothing from where I was standing."

She was right, even though he didn't want to accept it. The whole day, he had been stuck to Lucy's orbit, so completely involved in their anniversary and her preparations for this party. And then the dance had happened and he hadn't been able to get her alone for three hours.

"I don't know what happened, Lucy and I just…" he trailed off. For a second there, Natsu had thought Lucy was going to kiss him.

For a second, he had wanted her to.

Something in his expression must have worried Erza, because she broke their stare.

"I am sorry. I shouldn't have said anything." She turned back to her plate. "Who am I to meddle when my own thoughts are so jumbled?" She laughed dryly.

Natsu knew she was thinking of Jellal, had been thinking of him for the past four years. He didn't know what exactly stopped them from being together, but his opinion on the matter probably wouldn't change Erza's mind.

"When I think of home," he told her, "I think of Lucy. She's my best friend, Erza. That's it."

The redhead nodded, still not looking at him.

"I believe I raised you well, Natsu, in spite of your brashness."

He grimaced. "You didn't raise me at all. Grandpa was the one who took me in."

Erza smiled at the mention of Makarov. They missed him, but the pain had given way to understanding. There wasn't a mage in Fairy Tail who wouldn't die for their guild.

"He would have enjoyed today's celebration," she said. "So would Igneel."

"Maybe." Natsu leaned back into his seat and watched as Happy stumbled towards them from the dance floor. "I'm just glad you guys are here."

"He likes us!" Happy sing-sang, stretching his vowels as he always did.

"Not much of a secret," said Erza. She had finished her cakes and seemed to have deemed their conversation finished. "Tell Lucy not to worry, that I will bring over whatever gifts are left here. I had intended to visit soon, anyway."

Happy nodded. "She's with Levy, if you wanted to say goodbye."

"I will go do that, then." With one last wave, she was gone.

Natsu downed his drink as Happy flew onto the seat next to him.

"Ah, I'm about ready to go home!" He rubbed a hand over his belly, grinning down at the exceed.

"Lucy's too." Happy was smiling, watching the people who still danced. Natsu could tell he was thinking of the time he'd spent with Carla. "She said we should grab her before we go." He pouted. "She doesn't trust me near her fridge on my own."

Natsu chuckled, ignoring the sudden lurch of his stomach. He probably shouldn't have eaten that last portion of chicken. He wasn't in the mood to handle the bubbling sensation that now spiked inside his chest.

It was funny, though, that Lucy hadn't even considered going home without them.


This might be the oddest thing I've done in a while, posting to ffnet once again. I have had this chapter written in my computer for a very long time and since I'm almost finished with the second chapter, I thought I should post it before FT actually ends. So this is a pick me up after the last few FT chapters. I hope you guys will like it.