"What do you wanna eat, Happy?"
"I dunno. Maybe a fish? Ooh I like fish."
"You eat that everyday. How about a fire stew?"
"Don't be stupid, Natsu."
"Then how about we go to Lucy's place?"
"Aye! Let's go!"
It was an ordinary afternoon in the land of Magnolia. Natsu and Happy are hovering directly over a familiar scene; a place where they spend at least once a day in. It wasn't luxurious nor upscale but it is where the pink-haired Dragon Slayer felt most soothed and relaxed. There resides a certain Celestial spirit mage, namely, Lucy Heartfilia, who has been the closest person in the dragon slayer's heart.
"Luuuce, are you hooome?!" Natsu called out wearing his huge trademark grin as he and Happy flew in from the window only to find an empty room. They searched everywhere: the bedroom, the kitchen, the bathroom, the lounge, the bathroom, the roof, the bathroom, but still no sign of her anywhere.
"Hmm. I'm sure Lucy would be here. Maybe she's still hanging around the guild. What do you think Happy? ..Happy?"
Natsu was like talking to a brick wall when he asked the cloth-eared cat. The Blue Exceed was out it; rolling over Lucy's bed, intrigued by an octopus plush toy he found. His eyes were gleaming with bliss as he squeezes the doll and mumbles "Mine" over and over.
"Hey! Happy! Snap out of it!"
"Aye!?"
"Quit messing around. I'm worri..I mean, getting hungry so let's just go to the guild."
"Sorry!" the Exceed dropped the doll and grew a pair of white wings. Before they went out the window, Happy stopped for a moment, looked back at the doll. "I'll come back for you later, octopus!" he said while laughing maniacally.
The duo cleared out of Lucy's apartment and headed towards their guild.
The usual scenario back at the Fairy Tail Guild house could be found when Natsu and Happy arrived. Cana greeted them while chugging down on her drink barrel like it was orange juice as they went in. Elfman's giving Romeo lessons on how to be a man. Gray, like always, was down to his boxers and looking for the shirt and pants he unconsciously threw away while being stalked by a certain Blue-haired Water Mage and the rest were having fun and being the jolly Mages they are. But the Pink-haired salamander noticed something odd. Where's Lucy?. He scanned the whole guild but he couldn't catch her scent.
"Hey Natsu! What ya up to?" Gray asked the confused Dragon Slayer. Natsu ignored him and gave him a faint growl knowing that the Ice mage might be up to something. "If you're looking for Lucy, she left hours ago. Saw her talking with Mira about a mission. I thought you were coming with her but I guess she realized she doesn't need an idiot." Gray added, provoking him with a devilish smirk.
"Who you calling an idiot, Popsicle head?"
"You're the only idiot around here, Human candle."
"You looking for a fight, Ice cube?"
"I dunno, Flame fart. Are you?"
"Gah! I have no time for this!" The frustrated Dragon Slayer swiftly fired a hard punch that landed on the Ice mage's face and sending him over to Elfman, knocking the Take Over Mage off his chair.
"Hey! I was teaching someone how to be a man here!"
"Sorry Elfman, but I'm kind of in the middle of someth- Hey Natsu! Where do you think you're going?"
"Shaddup. I can't play around right now."
"Man, what's wrong with you today?"
Natsu walked past the Ice Mage and headed straight to the bar. Mirajane was serving the drinks like usual at the bar when suddenly she found a grumpy Dragon Slayer sitting down in front of her. The White-haired Mage almost immediately knew what he wanted as she tried to contain her bright smile.
"Hey Mira, do you know where Lucy went?" he asked with an expression quite bizarre even for him.
"Hello Natsu." The elder Strauss let out a smile and handed a job request form. "This is the job Lucy took. I believe she planned to do it alone though. It's sweet that you're worried about her." She giggled at the flustered Mage.
"W-Whatever. Thanks. Oh, and say hi to Lisanna for me." The dragon slayer nonchalantly stood up and walked away.
"I'll make sure to tell her. Good luck Natsu!"
Everyone stared at the Rose-haired Mage, wondering why he wasn't as pumped as he always were. They also felt the awkwardness he had with everyone yesterday and the day before. It was like he wasn't himself at all, but the guild members just shrugged it off knowing that it is Natsu after all. He might just have some minor issues with something again.
On the way to their destination, Natsu was clearly spacing out. He was bothered by the fact that Lucy went off on her own without saying a word to him. I know she doesn't have to tell me, but we're partners. With a stressed look on his face all day and the depressing aura he's been giving off, his Exceed companion couldn't stand it much further.
"C'mon lighten up, Natsu! It's not like this is the first time she went off on her own without telling you. I mean, we go to missions without Lucy, too ya know."
"I guess that's true."
"You just miss Lucy, huh?"
"Yeah" he replied without hesitation and followed by a sheepish smile.
"Then why don't you tell her?" Happy said, giving him a questioned look. Natsu turned silent for a few moments, showing a broken down expression. His body quivered at the sudden thought of it.
"I..I can't Happy. You know what's up." The Flying feline was at a loss for words. It seemed he forgot an important detail about his fire-breathing friend.
"Oh..Right. I'm Sorry Natsu."
..Meanwhile..
Outside a small building near Onibus, Lucy is currently preoccupied with her job, handing out flyers to people passing by while wearing quite a revealing costume. The blonde was dressed up as a sexy bunny for a promotional event held by a Magical Cafe. She was sporting a pink mini skirt, sleeveless top that emphasizes on her well-developed parts and accompanied with matching pink bunny gloves, boots, headband and a small puffy white tail.
"Why did I even take this job? This is so embarrassing!" the Celestial spirit Mage whined, handing out more flyers while being ogled by the men passing by.
"Hey miss! You're shift is over. You can take a break now." the manger of the cafe waved his hand as a Gesture for Lucy to come inside.
Great! I can't take much more of this. Lucy gave a huge sigh.
"Here's your payment! Thanks for the help! You attracted a lot of customers today."
Lucy went back inside with the Manager of the Cafe. The Blonde was exasperated. The Job wasn't as easy as she first thought. Mira said this job was going to be fun. Why did I even believe her?. Shaking her head as she sat down, stretching her aching body and preparing a change of clothes. A bell rang as the door of the cafe opened.
"Oh, hey miss, can you get the last customer for me, please?" the manager pleaded.
"Sure. No sweat."
Lucy pranced towards the dining hall as instructed by the manager. She saw the customer sitting down, his chin resting on the table. As the distance between her and the customer slowly dwindle, the blonde noticed he had a very familiar spiky rose-hair and a scaly white scarf.
"N-N-Natsu! W-What are you doing here?" The blonde stuttered; shocked as she pointed at her friend, guild mate and partner.
"Huh? Lucy. I was looking for you..And what are you wearing?"
"Wah! No, don't look!" Lucy tried to get away from him to no avail. The Dragon Slayer managed to get a hold of the Celestial Spirit Mage's hand as he dragged her in a corner. He held her down with a tight grip as Natsu, with a completely serious face, stared deep into her eyes. She felt passion and warmth within those eyes and she couldn't help but stutter.
"P-Please Natsu. No. I-I..You're staring too much." Her face turned beet red. She could feel his breath on her skin. What the heck has gotten into him?
"Why didn't you say anything to me?" The rose-haired mage asked, keeping his reaction straight.
"I just didn't want you to see me work like this and.. Hey! I don't have to explain anything to you! You're not my boyfriend!"
Lucy surprised herself with that last statement she said to Natsu. She felt so embarrassed that she wanted to vanish into thin air at that moment. The blonde thought about pushing him away, if she could that is, but before she even thought of moving, he responded and released his tight grip on the struggling Mage.
"Yeah. You're right." Natsu quickly let her off, turned his back against her and left without saying a word or even looking back.
"Natsu..I didn't mean.."
"He's just got a bit worried, you know." The Blue Exceed whispered as he jumped on Lucy's back. "He's being strange these past few days so please don't be too harsh on him."
"What do you mean, Happy?"
"I don't know why Natsu gets extra sensitive when his flame turns.." Happy quickly shuts his mouth with his paws and flew away from Lucy. "Uhm, never mind. I'll go after Natsu now. By the way, your outfit is so lame, Lucy." The exceed cracked up from his insult.
"Oh, shut up you damn cat!" She shouted as she watched the exceed took off to where Natsu went. "Wait, what did he say about Natsu's flame?"
Lucy was left flabbergasted as she fell on the ground taking in what just happened. She couldn't process in her mind what the Dragon Slayer did.
"Sigh. Worrying about me and being serious all of a sudden. Why do you always find a way to make me feel like this? ..Stupid Natsu."
The Dragon Slayer and his Exceed companion traveled to a nearby waterfall up in the mountains. Happy kept on bothering Natsu about fish and how lovely it is. It made him remember about the plush toy.
"Hey, wanna go back to Lucy's later? You two can talk about stuff while I give Mr. Octopus a hug."
"Not gonna happen."
"But Natsu.."
"I said no." he stated, crossing his arms in front of him and tried to avoid Happy's blabbering and just forget whatever happened that day.
They arrived to the said waterfall before sunset. Happy was constructing a makeshift fishing rod to fish with at the river while Natsu leaped over to a huge rock just underneath where the water is crashing down and sat there unusually still. It was all silent and calm until the Rose-haired Mage began trembling violently.
"N-Natsu?!" Natsu's being weird again.
"Go Happy! Just go!"
"Aye sir!" Happy flew away from him knowingly. Natsu's condition is acting up. The reason he was being awkward is happening. His blood is boiling to the point where he couldn't control the fire he was spewing out from his body.
A few moments after, a huge blast of bright light characterized with a loud roar emerged from a mountain noticeable even from distances away. It was exactly where Natsu was. The waterfall site was a covered by steam with a silhouette of a person burning appeared within it. As the mist subsided and everything almost went clear, the figure could finally be identified. There stood Natsu, in the middle of the now empty hole where the water was. He was shrouded with bouncing flames that glowed...Pink?!
End of Chapter 1
My first attempt at this. I have a little knowledge about FanFics, so to anyone who actually read this, Thanks!