I'm trying to do a multichapter fic but... I want to get many chapters in before I post it x3 I have problems with leaving tthings as wips and all, but I whipped (get it?) This up in a few hours. So, know I'm working on that, which is definitely going to be naluuuu. It's a au set waaay back, I think x377 is when I decided it started? Somewhere around there. So look forward to that xD until then, have this dumb oneshot that's really just a mess but why not, practice makes perfect :)
Crazy
This wasn't as crazy as it seemed.
Lucy kept telling herself it was for the best but really, deep down she knew it was crazy. She had left home with just some clothes, her electronics and a little bit of snack food. There were a couple other things too, but mostly just what she could fit in one bag and on her body.
Lucy refused to go back home. It wasn't the first time she'd ran away, but she was sure it would be the very last.
Her destination was a town named Magnolia. It was quite a ways away from her father, and also bustling with ways for her to form a life for herself, not to mention it was also a beautiful town. It was the perfect place for her to start her own life.
The train there was torturous. People looked suspiciously at her, likely because they'd seen her in a a magazine or because she was a carbon copy of her deceased mother Layla. The Heartfilias were a well-known family, so it was a given she would get a couple stares for being dressed so casually with a backpack, especially one packed to the brim and looking pretty bulky and heavy.
No doubt any Heartfilia would prefer a Limousine to a shabby train.
She silently prayed nobody would comment, and, luckily for her, for the whole ride, nobody did. It was nice to be off the train and in the Magnolia, too. She'd been here for vacations as a child; it was her favorite place. It was a lot like the places in her fairy tales, so she had always loved it.
"Welcome to Magnolia!" A group of people chimed as soon as she arrived. Lucy recognized them to be Fairy Tail. They were a group who helped out around Magnolia. They gave tours, assisted the police, and such. She had read about them before.
"Fairy Tail is offering personal tours to any newcomers!" One of the people called out sweetly. She was a voluptuous female with white hair. Her bangs were pulled up into a ponytail on her forehead and was wearing a red dress with frills at the neckline that showed off a little too much cleavage for it to be unintentional. Her nametag read Mirajane, but Lucy immediately recognized the female from Sorcerer's weekly.
She could see people heading that way, and she contemplated for a minute before deciding not to. She could look around herself, and she didn't really have the money for a a tour. She wasn't even a tourist anyways, she planned to be a permanent resident, if all went well in town. She only had enough money to stay in a hotel for a bit while she waited.
She began to walk away, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her. "Yo! You look new! Lemme tour ya!"
Lucy was about to turn around and yell at this gutsy person about being nice to potential customers and not demanding a tour, but when she saw his face, her traitorous mouth couldn't really form words.
He was attractive. To even say that was an understatment. He had salmon hair which might send some people off, but it spiked out every which way attractively. Plus, aalmon seemed to fit him. His bangs fell over his forehead lazily. Sharp onyx eyes bore into her own chocolate ones confidently. His grin was a lazy one, but even then she could tell it was wide and genuine. He wasn't too tall, but he wasn't too short either; he was tan and seemed pretty muscular, too. He had a scarf and casual clothing, but the Fairy Tail mark on him and the nametag that said Natsu showed Lucy that he was a member of the Fairy Tail group.
"Okay." She spoke without thought. It took her a moment to register that she'd agreed, of course it distressed her much after that moment when she realized oops, there went dinner.
"Great!" Natsu threw an arm around her and she flushed, but followed obediently when he headed to the group of people.
"Wait wait- how much does it cost?" Lucy asked worriedly, glad that she'd regained her senses enough to ask about money
"Cost? You think I'm gonna charge you for walking around town with me? Pfft, you're weird." Her eyes widened. Not because of the laugh that he burst out, which could certainly cause anyone to fawn, but because the tour was free? And she had to walk?
"Aren't tours usually given in groups on busses or something?" She questioned quizzically. His face turned green, and he turned his head quickly.
"No transportation, blech! And Fairy Tail gives personal tours, not group tours. Didn't you hear Mira? You certainly looked like you wanted one. That's why I came over to ya!" He smiled and her insides mushed together, and she silently hoped he would smile a lot more during the tour.
"Mira! I'm touring blondie over here! Oh yeah," he turned to her, "what's your name?"
"Lucy Heartfilia." She answered with a nervous smile. She waited for a shocked reaction that never came. "Okay! I'm Natsu, but you probably saw the nametag right? Right. Let's go!"
Did he not even care? Somehow, that warmed Lucy's heart. She had always envied people with normal enough lives... Like the members of Fairy Tail. Not normal, but not rich and stuffy either.
"So, what are we going to do then?" Lucy inquired.
"Well," he began, "we'll just look at the buildings and stuff I guess. I don't usually do the tours, so we can kinda do whatever. We hafta eat at this one place called 8 Island too, they have the best fire chicken."
"Okay! Lead the way." Much to Lucy's amusement, it sounded more like a date then a tour. She wasn't going to consider it one though- hot or not, she wouldn't just date him spurt of the moment anyways.
She followed him as he led her out of the station.
Magnolia was as she remembered it and more. Old stone lined the streets, and there were small businesses and the such at the side of the streets. There was the a vehicle or two, but mostly only cars for business related things. The streets were obviously worn from walking, but they didn't seem to be driven on often. Small birds fluttered along the rooftops and there were plants growing everywhere. Outside of mostly every business were tables and benches to sit on and eat. It was like the city was in its own pocket of time, unaffected by technolgy. Even for a big city, it seemed like everyone knew everyone. It didn't surprise Lucy that they had personal tours instead of busses anymore.
"That," Natsu pointed at a homey looking building, "Is the Fairy Tail building. Beside it is the Kardia Cathedral. A ways down the street is the cherry blossom park. We can go look at that if you want too. It's about a twenty minute minute walk, but most people enjoy it."
She grinned. "Let's go see it! I've heard a lot about the cherry blossoms."
"They turn rainbow one day of the year, so we have a festival that day. Fairy Tail hosts it; it's a big deal here in town." Lucy nodded to acknowledge she heard him, but she was caught up in the city lights and even the few skyscrapers that stuck out like a sore thumb. The town was so beautiful, and if she recalled correctly, even prettier at night. She couldn't wait to settle down here and start her life, however she was going to do that.
She made conversation with Natsu on the way, finding out useless things about him, like he had a blue cat and loved fire and dragons and, unsurprisingly, fire dragons. She told him she liked dogs, and yearned for one. He promised to show her the best animal breeders in town.
About halfway there, Natsu complained about being hungry.
"Why don't we stop for food?" She giggled. "I don't really have the money for snacks and it's not nearly dinner time, but I don't mind waiting." A smile danced across her face
"Thanks, Luce!" He grinned warmly. Lucy noticed this didn't seem like a tour at all, but more like she was hanging out with a friend. Maybe that was just Natsu, though.
The duo went to a small store, Lamia Scale, at the side of the street and bought some snack food they didn't have to cook. They sat down at a small table outside of the store.
Lucy sat patiently while Natsu scarfed down some frito chili pie. And like, 15 bananas and ramen. Dang, this guy could eat. She could tell, especially with his food splashing all over her nose and cheeks... Ew.
"So," he took a breather to unpeel a banana and decided to make conversation, "You vacationing in Magnolia? For how long?"
"I-I'm planning to move here... I don't have a house or apartment yet, but soon." She assured, hoping she didn't sound like she needed help in any way.
"So you're just coming here on a whim or something, no job or stuff?" She nodded to confirm this. "I'll get a job soon, of course."
He seemed to think something over for a second, but said nothing to Lucy and returned to gobbling his now peeled banana.
They didn't talk much after that, as Natsu was busy eating, though she was surprised the handsome male had the manners to not talk while eating.
They arrived at the cherry blossom tree park in thirty minutes minutes rather than twenty, due to the unexpected stop.
"Wow..." Lucy gasped as she saw the cherry blossoms in person for the first time. "They're so beautiful!"
"I guess so. Not really my thing, but I can appreciate some pretty trees too, I guess. This was where I joined Fairy Tail, too. It's a special place for me." He smiled.
"Ah, that would make it pretty special." She agreed, before adding, "Do you only work at Fairy Tail?" Natsu nodded.
"I have no reason to work anywhere else. I guess around the Fourth of July I make fireworks and sell those... but it's pretty cheap I'd consider it nearly community service, so kind of the idea of Fairy Tail even then."
"Don't take this any weird way or anything, but I'm actually kind of surprised you don't do modeling or something." Lucy meant it as a kind of joke, but it didn't sound like that went it came out.
"Well," he pulled out a piece of paper from his backpack and handed it to her, "I am on the front of this application to Fairy Tail! I mean, I photoshopped myself in... It's basically the same thing. I bet I could get plenty of people to apply!" He grinned proudly.
"You don't put models on applications, dumbie." Lucy eyed the application judgingly. "Aren't you thinking of a Brochure or maybe a flier?" Natsu shrugged, and Lucy guessed he either didn't want to admit defeat or didn't really care about application standards, and the blonde figured it was the latter.
"Anyways!" He nudged her side and gave her a look. "You gonna or am I gonna have to for you?"
"Gonna what?" Lucy blinked curiously, not getting where this was going.
"Fill out the application, silly! If those sweatpants and that sweater say anything, especially in early summer. you probably need a job pretty bad. And anyways, Fairy Tail doesn't reject anybody unless it's an extreme circumstance." He reasoned.
"You expect me to just join out of the blue like that? I don't really know anything about Fairy Tail." She tried to ignore his adorable pout and continued, "Why do you want me to anyways? You're just my tour guide!"
"Becauuuuse," he whined, his face hopeful as he hopped on the balls of his feet, "I like youuu! I want to be your frieeend!"
"Fine." Lucy crossed her arms, only to choke on her breath a second later. Oh, no no no- she did not mean to agree to this! What was it with him and getting her to agree to things?!
"Great!" He cheered, his face lighting up. Lucy swore she heard a delighted sounding meow from his backpack, too.
He grabbed her hand and pulled her along the street childishly. "Gramps'll mark ya and you can join us and all will be good in the world!" He bubbled out as if it was the best thing ever, and Lucy just rolled his eyes at his laughter, but followed anyways. A job is a job, cute tour guide guy or not.
After all, running away isn't crazy, but running away and meeting a cute boy and getting a job right off the bat was what was actually crazy.
thanks for reading! Review to save a life, maybe?