Hello everyone! So while my wonderful Gopher is working her beta magic, I decided to put out a story that I started a while ago. It should only have three chapters, but I figured it'd be a nice distraction for those who are waiting on "The Astrologist". So please, enjoy my inventive mind!
Disclaimer: Yeah, these characters? Totally not mine.
Warning: Eventually, there will be some citrus goodness. Of what kind, I'm not exactly positive on…guess we'll have to see how it turns out!
Chapter One: The Heart of the Matter
"Are you going to get him a flower or not?" Lucy paused just shy of the hallway, not wanting to walk into a private conversation. Peeking her head around the corner, Lucy blinked when seeing two familiar faces leaned against the lockers. A flushing Bisca twirled green strands around her finger, avoiding eye contact with the class president. With vibrant red hair and a toned body, Erza Scarlet peered over thick-rimmed glasses with a scowl. "Class will start soon; you need to decide before lunch is over."
"Do you think he even likes me?" It was a question that was whispered throughout the Magnolia hallways every time February came around.
"You want to know if Alzack likes you?" Instantly Bisca waved her hands in front of Erza, trying to quiet her loud friend.
"Don't say his name out loud! It's supposed to be a secret." A secret? Lucy had to hold back a snicker, knowing it would blow her cover. Alzack and Bisca were anything but discrete about their feelings. Any class Lucy had with the two, she watched them sneak glances at each other in unspoken adoration. They were partners for every project, and rarely were seen without the other by their side. Sure, they had yet to openly admit their feelings for the other; but everyone knew what they were hiding. The two had only been dancing around the subject since freshman year.
"If you send him a flower, you will have to sign it. Your intentions will be quite obvious." Not being one who dabbled in much romance, Erza remained stern despite her friend's embarrassed expression. "This is the last day to buy flowers, you know."
"You're right. It's the last year I can send him a flower, so I should…I should…I-I just don't know!" Bisca's loud cry rang through the hall before she ran off, Lucy pressing against the lockers to avoid the panicking girl slamming into her. She watched Bisca's disappearing form, shaking her head before entering the once occupied hallway. She sent a friendly wave to the president, smiling to hide her previous snooping.
"Hey, Erza."
"Ah, Lucy. It's a pleasure to see you," greeted the red head, watching her friend unlock her locker. Lucy dumped the books she no longer needed into the top shelf, gathering the history book she'd need after lunch. "I'm sure you studied for the history quiz we're having after lunch?"
"Well I tried to. Natsu asked to come over and study, but he was more of a distraction than a help. We got into a fight about the validity of the movie 'Troy'. He kept saying that it was exactly like the Iliad. Natsu then made me watch it to prove he was right, which he wasn't. We ended up passing out on the couch and I completely forgot about the quiz."
"But the information you were supposed to study was about World War two; why were you talking about the Iliad?" At Erza's question, Lucy sighed and dropped her head.
"It's Natsu, remember? Nothing really makes sense when he's involved."
"I'll have to have a serious talk with him after school about affecting your grades with his distractions. He should know studying is more important now that you're both seniors." Because Erza hadn't had this talk with Natsu eight times before. This was a reoccurring conversation between Erza and Natsu, the latter always brushing off Erza's warning. Natsu had already told Lucy he wasn't planning on going to college, more comfortable with a laborious job. He wasn't the valedictorian, that was for sure. Still, there was something charming about Natsu that Lucy couldn't help but feel compelled to be around. Maybe that was why Lucy always let Natsu come and distract her from her studies.
Maybe it was something else.
"I wasn't trying to listen in, but I overheard your conversation with Bisca. What's got her so troubled?"
"We're holding our annual flower sale for the senior class. We let you buy a flower and write your name on them. If you want, there's an area for a message too. On Valentine's Day, we deliver them throughout the classes. It's one of our better fundraisers, and the students seem to enjoy receiving gifts throughout the day. I was trying to convince Bisca to send a flower to Alzack. Since Valentine's Day is only two days away, we stop selling them so we can order them in time."
"Any particular reason you're focusing on her? We all know she's pretty shy."
"I'm simply looking to raise as much money as I can for the class. I'm hoping you've participated in the event?" Lucy nodded while the two walked toward the lunch room, the blond adjusting the books in her hands.
"I sent one to Levy and Juvia." The two managed to squeeze their way through the groups of people next to the cafeteria door, Lucy dropping her books onto their unofficial table. Even without designated seating, Lucy's friends always sat at the same table. She had seen both Levy and Gray in the lunch line, though Natsu was nowhere to be seen. Deciding she'd rather wait for the line to shrink before going to get food, Lucy sat down. "How about you? You buy anyone flowers?"
"I focused on class council. Most of them are single, and I wanted to thank them for their hard work this week. Having them prepare the 'steal-a-heart' competition as well as flower arrangements have been a lot of work. They deserve a little recognition."
"I forgot about that contest! When does that start?" Lucy asked, excitement fluttering in her stomach. Every year, the high school would host the 'steal-a-heart' event. At the beginning of the school day, girls would be passed a pink heart in the first period of class. They were allowed to write their names on it, decorate it, and make it uniquely theirs. While wearing the hearts pinned to their shirts, the girls are not allowed to speak to any male for the rest of the day. If she slips up, she has to give her "heart" to the guy, who would then pin it to himself until the last bell rang. Some girls held out all day, while others were more than willing to hand their hearts to their potential others. Popular girls, like Mirajane Strauss or Levy McGarden, tended to have several boys fighting over getting their heart. But it was the girls who were secretly pining for someone that made the day interesting. If a guy liked a girl, he did everything he could to steal her heart. If a girl had a secret crush, she tended to hang around him during most of the day. Those were the people Lucy liked to watch.
"We're doing it the day before Valentine's Day this year. I hope that you'll be participating."
"I do every year, right? I've never made it through the whole day with my heart, though," Lucy said, ignoring the skip in her heartbeat.
"It must be difficult when your best friend is a guy," Ezra replied, nodding in understanding.
"Especially Natsu." Lucy jumped when a tray was dropped next to her, Levy's sweet giggle showing her enjoyment of scaring her friend. "Doesn't he always try to get your heart as soon as they hand it out?"
"You have no idea." It was no secret that her best friend was loud and more than enough to give the average person a headache. The pink-haired guy hated the game, complaining about Lucy not being able to talk to him. Because of it he would always annoy her the moment she got her heart. Whether it was talking about something embarrassing, or poking her throughout every class they had, Natsu would always think of new ways to get her to talk. The annoyance only stopped once Lucy yelled at him and lost her heart. It was the same every year, and she doubted little would change this time around.
"At least you don't have class with him until the last block this year. If you avoid him in the hallways, you're only real challenge would be lunch." Levy was right about that one. This was the first time that the two only had one class together. Though Lucy was doubtful, there was a chance she'd keep her heart for the whole day.
"Do you think Gajeel will go after your heart, Levy?" At Erza's question, Levy scowled.
"No way! He's been doing his normal complaining about Valentine's Day since the first day of February. Last year he did nothing, and this year he's not either. He's already told me twice that he doesn't participate in the 'stupid holiday for women'." Lucy laughed at Levy's impression of their friend. Gajeel Redfox was not known for being soft and fuzzy, even with the object of his desire. Levy had managed to convince him on the occasional date, and there were times that Levy admitted to letting Gajeel into her bedroom. Yet both teenagers refused to declare they were officially dating. They had been going on with this charade for two years now.
"He's not the only one who dislikes this holiday." A new voice entered the conversation, much deeper than the other three. Gray sat next to Erza, a loud sigh showing his annoyance with the conversation. "I'm not looking forward to it either."
"Oh, not you too!" Lucy said, frowning at the nod he sent her.
"Don't get me wrong, I admire the notion of showing the people you love your true feelings for them. Valentine's day is great for people in relationships."
"A pretty mature answer coming from a teenage boy," Erza said, complimenting her friend. It really wasn't surprising to Lucy. Gray had an old air about him that made him stand out from the other guys she hung out with. It made Gray pretty charming, and explained his popularity with her peers.
"Alright, so then what's with the look of dread on your face?" Lucy asked.
"This is the time of year I tend to get the most admissions of love; I dislike hurting people. And then there's Juvia…" He trailed off before glancing around the lunch, as if seeking out the blue-haired woman in question. Once seeing he was safe to speak freely, Gray returned his attention back to the conversation. "Juvia has a tendency to get extremely forward this time of year. Her confessions increase, as well as the random acts of love she uses to express her feelings for me. It's a little more than embarrassing."
"And whose fault is that?" Gray straightened his spine while glancing to Erza, who sent him a disproving glare. "Juvia wouldn't be so attached if you hadn't sent her that drunk voicemail—"
"I already told you it was a mistake." Gray rubbed the back of his neck, discomfort evident in the hunching of his shoulders. Lucy, despite knowing it really was Gray's fault, felt for both of her friends. Juvia Lockser had been head over heels for Gray since the moment they met freshman year. It was a pretty big crush that looked almost hopeless going in junior year. Gray had only allowed a friendship between the two, despite the chemistry that Lucy and her other friends noticed. Toward Christmas time junior year, Juvia had started to doubt her feelings for her prince charming. It was enough for her to agree to a date with Lyon Vastia, a close friend of Gray's. Despite saying he lacked any feeling toward the situation, Gray had Natsu and Gajeel come over the night of the date. When Gajeel revealed a pack of beer to "drown their problems", the three drank themselves into a drunken stupor by the end of the night. Natsu, the lightweight of the three, passed out instantly. Gajeel was more interested in lying in the snow than watching Gray. With no voice of reason to keep his feelings in check, Gray dialed the first number on his favorite's list; Juvia. Distracted by Lyon's conversation at the table, Juvia didn't feel her phone vibrating in her purse. When she didn't pick up, Gray decided to leave a voicemail. To this day, Juvia still had it saved to her phone.
For Gray, it was a mistake he couldn't quite admit was a mistake to begin with. For Juvia, it extinguished any worry that Gray wasn't the man she was meant to end up with. It was only the matter of 'when'.
"I don't know; the drunken brain speaks a sober heart," Lucy teased, enjoying the slight irritation on his face.
"Can we just drop the topic? I get enough of this from Natsu."
"Speaking of Natsu, have you seen him today?"
"Last time I saw him, he was getting an earful from our basketball coach for nearly failing off the team." Lucy groaned and smacked her forehead, the statement all too familiar.
"Which class this time?"
"From Natsu saying he didn't care about Shakespeare's "Omlet", I'd guess English." Gray's dry response had Lucy groaning. Leave it to Natsu to mix Shakespeare's greatest work with a breakfast choice. He probably would have paid more attention if the play was about food.
"That…idiot…" Lucy glanced over to Erza's shaking form, yelping when Erza slammed her fists onto the table. The class president pushed her glasses up on her nose before rising from her seat. Both Lucy and Levy shrunk away from Erza's deadly aura. For a second, Lucy swore she saw the red strands lift to float around the angered woman. Despite all obvious signs of distress, Erza's voice remained calm. "First he tampers with Lucy's studying, then nearly fails English? Looks like Natsu and I will have a talk about the importance of schooling. If you'll excuse me, I'll go find our misguided friend."
"Don't break anything, Erza. We need him in one piece for the basketball game." Despite the warning, Gray kept his shoulders relaxed while sipping some tea. He didn't seem nearly as concerned as the two girls left at the table. The bookworm and writer exchanged nervous glances when Erza stormed out of the cafeteria, hunting down their clueless friend.
"You think she'll go easy on him?" Levy's question was answered instantly when Erza tore the door open, nearly ripping it off its hinges. Lucy winced, already feeling sorry for her best friend.
"Not a chance."
"Is that the last quiz?" While the teacher looked around the room, Lucy dropped her head to her desk and sighed. This definitely wasn't going to be her best grade in the class. She glanced over to Natsu, who seemed carefree while flicking paper footballs toward Gray's desk. How did he do that? Lucy lifted her head slowly when hearing the teacher speak again. "Since Valentine's Day is a few days away, I figured I'd take today's extra class to talk about the history of the misleading holiday. Get into groups of four, and each group will work on a famous myth about Valentine's Day."
"Juvia and Erza want to know if you wanna make a group, Lu-chan?" Lucy sent a smile toward Levy, knowing her group wouldn't be hard to make. They tended to stay with the same group for assignments. Even though she had plenty of friends in the class, working with the three girls promised the assignment would get done. None of them were slackers, something she couldn't promise with her other classmates.
"So long as you're ready to de-bunk some myths," Lucy said. Levy let out a quiet sigh, indicating something was amiss. Lucy scowled as Erza and Juvia joined the conversation. "Something wrong, Levy?"
"Don't you feel like this kind of ruins the holiday? I'm all for facts, but there's something special about Valentine's Day."
"That's an interesting point of view, especially since Gajeel dislikes the holiday." Erza's statement made Levy sigh again, shaking her head.
"Trust me, it confuses me too. Gajeel aside, the holiday shouldn't be dissected like this."
"Juvia also disagrees with this assignment." Juvia Lockser was nothing if not a romantic, and it was obvious that the February holiday would hold special value to her. Her pretty face was marred by a heavy frown, her blue eyes showing obvious displeasure.
"You guys don't find it interesting to discover the origins of things? And not all of the stories are so bad; look at this one." Lucy turned the book she was reading, pointing to a picture on the bottom. "You see this guy? His name was Saint Valentine. Legend says that he was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers that couldn't get married. Then, while he was in jail, he healed his jailer's daughter. The two fell in love, and on the day of his execution, he wrote her a farewell letter. He signed it "from your Valentine", which is where they got the name for the holiday. And to this day, we sign our love letters on Valentine's Day with that same saying!"
"But didn't he die in the end?"At Levy's question, Lucy waved her hand and shut the book.
"You're missing the point. Even if some of these stories aren't real or have sad endings, their message is the same. The holiday is about love, and telling those that you do love about your feelings. Isn't that better than believing in some baby with an archery bow?"
"Isn't that a little contradictory, coming from you?" Lucy didn't have time to respond to Erza's question, a loud smash being heard across the room. The group of girls glanced up, Lucy groaning when seeing the two boys involved in the fight.
"Natsu Dragneel and Gray Fullbuster, sit down right now." The teacher, who had seen this same scenario unfold nearly every week, pressed his knuckles to his forehead to calm the pulsing vein just under the skin. The two boys ignored him, Natsu growling as he slammed his fist into his open palm.
"You want to fight, pretty boy?" Gray scoffed at the insult, not noticing his shirt flying to the chair behind him.
"Can I even call it a fight when it's with you?" Flashing a cocky smile had most of the girls in the room swooning. Lucy leaned her head in her hands, not surprised by the reactions. Gray was extremely attractive, and caught the eye of many girls in the school. It didn't help that he tended to lose his shirt every day. Even though he got several confessions from all types of girls in the school, never once did he entertain the thought of dating one. He always made sure they knew he did not have feelings for them, disliking the idea of leading anyone on.
"Juvia is not happy." Except one, that is. Lucy didn't have to look over her shoulder to know the murderous glare that Juvia was giving the other girls in the class. Juvia was very territorial of Gray, even though she knew he turned down every admission. She was almost surprised that Juvia allowed the girls in the group to talk to him. Silently Lucy laughed, remembering that it wasn't always that way. At first, Juvia had extreme resentment of any girl who talked to Gray. That slowly changed once the years started to pass. Erza reassured Juvia that she had a very platonic relationship with Gray, seeing him as a brother and nothing else. Juvia relaxed even more when Levy started to hang around Gajeel, showing her heart solely belonged to the big guy. And with Lucy…
Juvia was still working on that.
"Excuse me, girls. I have to go take care of some…pests." Erza was out of her seat, cracking her knuckles while heading toward the fighting teens. Though the two talked big, Natsu and Gray never really hit each other. Most of the time, they would just exchange insults and get worked up until Erza came along and knocked some sense into them. It was the same routine every week. Lucy laughed about what she knew was to come, her eyes glancing over to Natsu in slight concern.
Juvia had lost some of her glower when Lucy informed her that her heart was already swept up by another guy. For a reason she couldn't quite explain, Lucy was head over heels for her best friend. It had been gradual, slow enough for Lucy not to notice. Their first week of freshman year, Lucy had been getting harassed by a junior by the name of Bora. Natsu, whom she had never talked to before, stepped in and punched the kid in the nose. Too embarrassed to report himself getting beat up by a freshman, Bora ran off and never bothered Lucy again. In gratitude, Lucy paid for Natsu's lunch and sat next to him in any class they had together. It didn't take long for the two to become best friends, spending most of their days together.
Freshman and sophomore year, Lucy had passed her feelings off as a mini crush. He was extremely attractive, and his smile was quite intoxicating. He had girls comment about his looks many times, though he was always too distracted with fighting Gray and avoiding Erza to notice. He had a lot of friends, being popular without realizing it. Even still, Natsu always seemed to pop up next to Lucy's side. Lucy assumed her feelings the first two years were just growing because of the deepening of their friendship. But the summer before the two entered junior year, all of that changed.
One week after school ended, her mother died. In the years she needed her mother the most, a deadly virus had swiftly ended her mother's life. Lucy and her father were left with little answers and even less comfort, both devastated by her young mother's death. Though many of her friends had been supportive, none stood out more than Natsu. He hardly left her alone, annoying her enough to make her forget the hole in her heart. He constantly kept contact, and would climb into her bedroom window any time he got the "feeling" she was lonely. That "feeling" was always right. Any time she would break down, Natsu would be there. So it came to no surprise to her that the two were laying in a field outside of Magnolia the last day of summer vacation. They tended to spend a lot of time in the field that summer, Natsu claiming it was his "place of thought". He would take her there on days he knew the day had been really tough on her. That particular day was her mother's birthday.
She couldn't remember why the two got onto the topic of kissing. She was sure it had something to do with the rumor that Levy and Gajeel were caught making out in Gajeel's car after the group had gone bowling. Natsu had been upset that Gajeel got his first kiss before him, something that surprised Lucy. For a guy who never seemed to care about girls, he had been extremely bent out of shape by the idea. Lucy had told him about the girls who were interested in him (why she kept a mental note of that, she still wasn't sure), but Natsu refused to kiss someone he didn't connect to. She stared up at the night sky, continuing to name the girls while Natsu only repeated 'no'.
Without warning, Lucy flashed back to a memory of her mother. It had been after the homecoming dance, where Lucy had forced Natsu to dance with her for the last song of the night. After replaying the night to her mother, Layla teased Lucy about her special relationship with Natsu. It embarrassed Lucy enough to leave the room, though the comment wasn't out of the ordinary. It used to annoy her how her mother constantly asked about Natsu, always having a soft spot for the rambunctious teen. Layla made it obvious who she'd prefer to see her daughter hang around, and Natsu was on the top of her list. Whenever Lucy would ask why, Layla always said that Natsu would always be by her daughter's side, no matter what. Even after her death, Lucy's mother knew best.
With the bittersweet memory pushing logic into the wind, Lucy offered to exchange first kisses with him. It was half joking, half serious, Lucy holding her breath in anticipation. She wasn't quite sure what surprised her more; how much she enjoyed the idea of testing her mother's theory, or how easily Natsu took her up on it. The sky she had once been looking at was blocked by Natsu's head, the unusually calm teen leaning over her. Her eyes went wide at his cheeky smile, Natsu nervously mumbling something about 'trying his best' before kissing her. Lucy was quick to close her eyes, her heart trying to burst out of her ribcage at the gentle way his fingertips brushed against her cheek. Letting reason drop off the face of earth, Lucy had kissed Natsu back, the two not breaking away for several minutes. What she was sure was meant to be one kiss turned into two, and then a few more than that. The kisses were small and inexperienced, but Lucy didn't care. It was enough to make Lucy realize she loved Natsu.
Natsu's phone vibrating against her thigh ended the experiment quickly. Panicking from her revelation, Lucy used the phone call as an excuse to leave much earlier than she had intended. The next day, neither brought up the night's events. In fact, they never talked about it again. Though she knew her feelings for Natsu were no longer just a crush, Lucy didn't tell Natsu. She was happy being his best friend, and she didn't intend to lose that. The only people she told were Juvia, Levy, and Erza, though she was positive others knew by now. She didn't mind, so long as nobody told Natsu. At some point she knew she'd have to confess, but she wasn't ready to let go of him yet.
"Lucy!" Lucy snapped herself out of her daydream when hearing Erza's loud voice. She stood from her chair to show she was listening, though regretted it a second later. A heavy body slammed into her, the two quickly stumbling into the wall behind her. She groaned when her head smashed into the wall, momentarily making her lose focus. She closed her eyes and pressed her hand to the back of her head, though was shocked to find a hand already there.
"Shit! Luce, are you okay?" Forcing her eyes open, Lucy looked up and brushed her nose against the guy who had previously filled her thoughts.
"Na-Natsu!" Lucy squeaked when he pulled her to him, making her press her forehead to his shoulder. Without permission her cheeks flushed, Lucy trying to speak. "W-What are yo-you—"
"Hold on, I've got to check you out. If you're hurt, Erza will have my head." Lucy winced when his fingers pressed on the sensitive spot, but she remained quiet. Honestly, she couldn't say she minded being cradled in Natsu's embrace like this. He was always doing things like this, never once thinking of the intimacy behind it. Any other guy would give her the suspicion that they enjoyed her busty chest pressed into their own, but Lucy knew that Natsu didn't like her for that. Part of her was ecstatic that Natsu saw the girl in the inside, while the other side wondered if he would ever notice her outside as well.
"Great going, idiot." Lucy slowly turned her head on Natsu's shoulder, seeing Gray roll his eyes while crouching down. The two linked eyes, Gray sending her a sympathetic look. "You okay, Lucy? Natsu hit you pretty hard."
"I'm okay," Lucy mumbled, feeling Natsu's hand guide her head up slowly. She glanced over Gray's shoulder, seeing Erza talking to the teacher. Her guess was to keep Natsu and Gray out of suspension, something that Erza did quite often. Most teachers allowed it, understanding her 'punishment' was much more fitting than giving the two boys a vacation from school. "You two want to tell me why you were fighting this time?"
"Natsu was bitching about steal-a-heart day, again. I finally told him that he's just mad because no girl would willingly give him their hearts."
"Which isn't true! I get more hearts than you do!" Natsu shouted, Lucy wincing from the loudness.
"Funny, the only heart I ever see you with is Lucy's." The blunt statement made Lucy cough, Natsu's hand dropping to rub her back. Realizing she was still in Natsu's arms, Lucy quickly pushed off the floor and brushed her shirt off.
"You couldn't think of another way you two could solve this fight?" At Lucy's question, both men glared to each other, then looked away.
"Not with this bonehead."
"No fucking way!"
"But I have one." An excited tone grabbed Lucy's attention, the blonde glancing to Levy's smiling face. "A way that the two of you can settle this once and for all."
"I'm all ears," Gray said, Levy nodding once.
"You could always have a competition. You know, to see who can gather the most hearts. You start at the beginning of the day, and then meet up in the cafeteria after school. Count up all the hearts, and then whoever has the most gets bragging rights." Levy's competition made sense, though Lucy felt the strong urge to disagree. Did she really want Natsu parading around with other people's hearts? The answer was obvious to herself, but she'd never voice her concerns. Maybe he'd refuse because of his hatred of steal-a-heart day? He always complained about this school event, but Lucy knew Natsu better than anyone else. A challenge like this was impossible for him to ignore.
"You're going to eat your words, Gray." And just like that, Lucy's fears were confirmed. The two boys shook hands, both sending the other a confident smirk.
"You sure about that? Confident enough to make a bet?" Gray's suggestion of an added bonus to the competition made Lucy inwardly groan. As if Natsu wasn't "fired up" enough about the competition to begin with. She could practically see the fire around Natsu at the heightened stakes.
"What kind of bet? What about…whoever loses runs around the school naked? Wait, you do that anyways." Levy giggled while Gray glared, not impressed with Natsu's joke. Lucy hide her smile behind her hand, trying not to take a side. Natsu furrowed his eyebrows, rubbing his chin slowly. "The loser could steal Erza's bra from her gym locker. Or we could eat something that Gajeel cooks, that'd be pretty bad."
"No, none of those." Easily Gray dismissed Natsu's suggestions, Natsu losing his patience.
"Well then you come up with something!"
"Let's do that bet." Gray's implication left Lucy confused and Natsu stunned.
"What bet?" Lucy asked, curious about Gray's emphasis. Her interest only grew when seeing an instant reaction from Natsu.
"No way, I'm not doing it." Natsu shook his head, surprising Lucy. She had never seen Natsu back away from a fight or challenge. She almost thought he didn't know the word 'quit'. Yet for some reason, this mention of a specific bet had Natsu high-tailing it out of the competition. Just what the heck were the two talking about?
"So then you know I'll win?"
"Keep dreaming!"
"Then accept the bet." A silent conversation passed between her friend's eyes. The moment of silence lingered before disappearing, Natsu giving a sharp nod.
"Fine, that bet. Get ready to face the music, asshole." Gray barked out a mocking laugh, showing Lucy he wasn't as riled as Natsu was. Getting aggravated with the private conversation, Lucy crossed her arms and huffed.
"What are you two talking about? What bet?" Natsu refused to look at her, keeping a narrowed glare on Gray's smug face. The dark-haired teen glanced over to Lucy with a devilish look that sent a chill straight down her spine.
"You'll be the first to know, Lucy." It was a second later that Natsu shoved Gray, ignoring Erza's shout across the room.
"Knock it off, asshole!" The two growled at each other, then instantly backed off when hearing the bell signaling the end of school. Natsu snatched his books off his desk, tucking them under his armpit before glaring at Gray again. "Get ready to lose tomorrow."
"Doubt it, hot head." The two bumped shoulders roughly when Natsu pushed past Gray, neither showing the contact hurt in fear of seeming less masculine. Lucy's eyes watched Natsu leave the room, missing Erza entering the conversation.
"Those two need to learn to get along, or they're going to get expelled." Levy giggled at Erza's long sigh, placing her hand on Erza's shoulder.
"If they weren't so lively, your job would be boring!"
"I might just need a little boring every now and then."
"You say that—" Levy was quickly cut off when Juvia entered the conversation, slamming her hands onto a desk between them. Lucy jumped when seeing the look of anger on the woman's face, an action that was very rare when not involving Gray.
"Juvia does not like this bet! Juvia does not want other girls near Gray! And Juvia wants to know what this bet is."
"I don't think either boy will tell us about it; they were being pretty secretive during the conversation," Lucy replied, still curious about the same thing. Levy shrugged, gathering her books in her little grasp.
"Maybe there's a reason they haven't told you? It could have something to do with you, after all. But I've got to go; Gajeel's waiting to give me a ride home. I'll see you guys tomorrow!"
"I have to go as well; the student council team is asking for my help after school. Make sure you don't get swept up in that bet tomorrow. Focus on your studies!" Lucy jumped quickly at the serious tone, nodding several times until her red-haired friend left the room. She turned to ask Juvia her plans for the day, but the quiet woman had already snuck away. If Lucy had to guess, it was to stalk a particular stripper again. Sighing, Lucy slowly packed up her stuff and left as well, trying to get the conversation out of her head. She knew that the mysterious bet shouldn't have bothered her like it did. Natsu and Lucy were best friends, but even friends had their own lives. Lucy had kept her feelings for the pink-haired teen secret, and she was sure there were other things he didn't know. Wasn't Natsu allowed to have secrets too? It seemed only fair.
"Natsu will tell me when he thinks I'm ready, and that's it." Nodding to herself happily at her own decision, Lucy smiled and practically skipped the rest of the way to her car. She would just have to wait until tomorrow to see what the bet was about.
How hard could that be?
"Luce?" Cringing at the sleepy tone her best friend used, Lucy felt a slight pinch of guilt well in her stomach. Truly she hadn't planned to call Natsu. But when her thoughts were making it impossible for her to get to sleep, Lucy knew that she had to call him. Though the florescent numbers of her alarm flashed '2:34' am, Lucy had held hope that her energetic best friend would still be awake. Now, hearing the loud yawn on the other side of the phone, she knew that wasn't the case.
"Hey, Natsu. Uh…can we talk?"
"Sure, do you need me to come over? Nothing happened with your dad, right? Give me five minutes to put on some pants and I'll be—"
"No, no! Really, it's not that serious!" Lucy turned on her back, fanning her overheated face with her hand when realizing Natsu was most likely naked. Though he made fun of Gray for his nudity problem, Natsu had always slept in the buff. He complained about how overheated his body became with clothes at night. The only exception to this rule was when he was at Lucy's house, out of sheer respect for her late mother. Still, even with the clothing on, Lucy could feel the furnace that resided in her hot-tempered friend whenever he slept over. While very appreciated in the winter, it was a serious problem in the hotter weather.
"Well it's gotta be important if you're up this late. Don't old ladies like you need lots of beauty sleep?" She pouted when she heard his sleepy chuckle, Lucy glaring up at the ceiling.
"You do realize you're older than me, right?"
"Yeah, but I look hot for my old age." She heard a loud slap in the phone, and she knew he was admiring his own six-pack. Rolling her eyes, Lucy let a loud sigh embody her irritation.
"Are you going to continue to admire yourself, or would you like to continue with why I called you?" There was a pause on the phone, as if Natsu was actually weighing the options. Not giving him time to continue his pointless pondering, Lucy continued. "It's about that bet."
"Oh." Instantly, Lucy heard the humor leave Natsu's voice.
"What's going to happen if you lose the bet tomorrow?" She asked, too tired to beat around the bush.
"I'm not going to lose! You really think girls are going to give their hearts to some psycho stripper? Where are they even going to pin their hearts?" Despite her disapproval of his avoiding maneuver, Lucy giggled.
"Even if his nudity freaks you out, it's not like Gray is ugly. He's got a nice body." She smiled when she heard a loud scoff on the other side of the phone, Lucy rolling to look out the window. Despite her true motive for her phone call, Natsu's conversation was somehow dragging the need to sleep out of her. Even though he was loud and rambunctious, Lucy had fallen asleep several times while Natsu was on the phone. If he was offended, he didn't say it.
"What, you turning into Juvia? I don't think the school can handle another stalker."
"She wouldn't be so invested in him if he didn't leave that voicemail, you know."
"You think she's bad now? Wait until Gray loses tomorrow. Then she'll never leave his side!" Pouting slightly at the tease, Lucy yawned and snuggled closer to her pillow.
"So the consequences of the bet involve Juvia and me?"
"I'm not telling you about the bet."
"If you don't tell me, I'll refuse to give you my heart tomorrow."
"Don't you every year?" She scowled at his truthful statement. Every year prior, she had promised to keep her heart away from Natsu. But, just like her real heart, Natsu always found new ways to get it for himself. Accepting the fact that Natsu was not going to give her the information she wanted, Lucy switched the question's focus.
"When did you guys come up with this bet, anyways?"
"The same night Gray made that damn voicemail. Never thought the ice-prick would ever actually use it."
"Wait, you were drunk?!" She could practically hear him nodding into the phone, making her groan. "Now I'm almost scared to know how I'm involved."
"Does nobody think I'm going to win?!" Despite her slight irritation, Lucy smiled softly as she closed her eyes. Her voice dimmed, the edges of her sentences tinged with sleep.
"I believe in whatever you do, Natsu."
"You really mean that?"
"Of course, you mean a lot to me." She was rambling, as she did every time she fell asleep on him. Despite trying to keep herself from talking, the words continued to pour out. "You won't steal my heart tomorrow, ya know."
"You already said this," he said, chuckling afterwards. Lucy heard the response, but her sleepy mind took a few moments to mumble a slow response.
"I'm giving it away."
"Eh? For who?"
"It's a secret. But I will give my heart to the guy I want tomorrow."
"What does that mean? Lucy? Luuuuucy!" Despite Natsu's calling of her name, Lucy allowed herself to fall asleep. He would find out tomorrow, after all.
"Please?"
"No."
"Pretty please?"
"No."
"Don't make me get Levy."
"Like the shrimp's gonna get a word out of me. She's probably the one who told you where my first class was, huh?"
"…That's not the point here!"
"Go away."
"But Gajeel—"
"I'm not telling you a damn thing, Blondie." Though the tall man snapped out his response, Lucy refused to give up the fight.
"I only have five minutes until that first bell goes off and I can't talk to any male for the rest of the day. Natsu and Gray are refusing to talk about it to anyone, let alone me. But you were there the night the bet went down; you know what the deal is!"
"Why do you care so much anyways? Normally by now you're bitching about 'keeping your heart from Natsu this year'. Which, might I add, never happens cause you can't go a day without talking to lover boy." Though his imitation of her was horrible, Lucy still blushed and waved her hands in front of her.
"Lover boy? Me an-and Natsu? Don't be ridiculous! If anyone is in love it's you and Levy!" She watched in amusement as Gajeel visibly reacted to her calling him out. His eyes widened, and it took a moment of him stumbling over his words before he could reply.
"Don't be jumping to conclusions on your own! What's the shrimp been telling people?"
"If you tell me the bet, I'll tell you about Levy."
"Woman, I was piss drunk and trying to determine if jumping out the second story window was as fun as it sounded. Like I was really listening to the stipulations of this bet they made up." Hearing Gajeel's logic made Lucy sigh, leaning back against the wall he was residing against.
"Yeah, you're probably right," she mumbled, lowering her head slightly.
"Whatever it was, don't worry about it." She closed her eyes when a rough hand was drop on top of her head, Gajeel grinning while messing up her ponytail.
"Gajeel!"
"Natsu wouldn't put you in danger; you're the one thing he'll always protect. He won't even let the guys talk about you in the locker room. I'd bet he wouldn't of even bet about you if he hadn't been so drunk." Despite her best efforts, Lucy smiled and blushed at the information. That moment of happiness was short-lived when repeating Gajeel's statement in her head.
"Wait, people talk about me in the locker room? What do they say?!"
"Nothing you need to know about." He snickered, and Lucy went to yell again before the first bell went off. Instantly she stopped, slapping both hands over her mouth to keep herself from talking. Giving his trademark smirk, Gajeel crossed his arms and pushed off the wall. "You better get to class and get your heart. Normally I hate this holiday, but today should be more than amusing to watch."
Lucy glared at Gajeel, but heeded his words and ran toward her homeroom class. She barely made it in time for the late bell, her teaching giving her a warning look before handing her a pink paper heart. One of the rules of the competition was that you wrote your name on it, to show who got whose heart. Feeling risky, Lucy wrote 'Luce', a name only Natsu called her. Lucy looked at her handiwork then pinned the heart on her shirt and smiled. She glanced over to Juvia, who was already drawing Gray's name all over her heart. She knew that Juvia would take all day designing the heart before finally giving it to Gray at the end of the day. What Gray did with all the hearts he collected, Lucy wasn't sure. She could only hope that Gray kept Juvia's from being dumpster-bound.
"And with the final heart, let the 'Steal-a-Heart' day begin!" At her teacher's announcement, Lucy glanced down at her own heart and sighed.
"Let's hope this bet doesn't get out of hand."
And there's the first chapter! I hope that this minor cliff hanger doesn't ruffle anyone's feathers too much. But with its ending comes lots and lots of questions! Like, who will win the competition? What will happen with everyone's hearts? Will Natsu manage to steal Lucy's? Or will a different character come along and mess things up? And what else will that poor history teacher have to endure? Guess you'll have to review and wait for the next chapter!
Chapter two: A Twist in the Game