A/N: First off, I'd like to say that it feels good to be writing again! I know I'm still really rusty and I have a lot I need to brush up on again, but I'm just glad to at least be trying again.
Now, as for the story, this is a college AU in modern times. I don't want to give anything away so I'll put the rest of my notes at the end! I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters.
Today was not a normal day for Lucy Heartfilia, today was the beginning of a new chapter in her life, the day she moved into her college dorm, her first day as a college student. She was overflowing with excitement, she was always home schooled and this was her first real adventure outside of her family's estate by herself. Lucy had woken up entirely too early, she had her things packed weeks in advance, already stowed away on her family's private plane, and she was now sitting, or more accurately, bouncing, outside her mother's bathroom waiting to depart for the university. "Come on mama! I want to get there early so I don't have to fight Levy for the bed by the window!"
Levy was Lucy's soon to be roommate, they had spoken through emails non-stop since freshman orientation where everyone was given their schedules for the semester and the information of their respective dorm-mates. Though they had only met that one day, they instantly hit it off and became fast friends, and both had expressed their desire to have the bed by the window.
Lucy's mother Layla chuckled through the bathroom door at her exuberant daughter, "Oh Lucy, calm down my darling, I'll be ready in five minutes. How about you go find Ms. Spetto and make sure you have everything?"
Lucy sighed at her mother, "But mama, I already packed everything and I double checked an hour ago!"
"Just trust me darling, you're excited and might have overlooked something."
"Okay mama, but I'm telling you, I didn't miss anything." Lucy begrudgingly took off for the main foyer and heeded her mother's words. "I'll meet you downstairs in five minutes then!"
"Yes, my dear!" Lucy heard her mother chuckling once more before she rounded a corner and headed for the stairs.
It was quite easy to find Ms. Spetto, suspiciously so, as Lucy barely made it to the last step when she saw the kindly old maid smiling brightly at the young girl just 10 feet away. "Why hello Lady Lucy, are you excited for today?"
Lucy's smile grew wider at her favorite maid's question, "I feel like I can hardly sit still! I'm so happy to finally be going to a school with so many people! And so far all of the other freshman I met were really nice! I can't wait!"
"That's wonderful Lady Lucy!"
Nearly forgetting why her mother sent her to find the sweet old woman, she asked, "Oh, mama told me to check with you that I had everything before we leave? I don't think I forgot anything, I checked and double checked already…"
The old maid smiled once again and turned away from the young girl, "There is one thing young miss," Lucy followed her to a couch facing the other direction as Ms. Spetto reached down and grabbed a gift bag overflowing with tissue paper. "Lady Layla told me you might be wanting this."
Lucy took the gift and gave Ms. Spetto a curious stare as she carefully dug through the paper in the large bag until she felt something soft and plush. As she pulled out the mystery gift, her eyes went wide, "But how… how did you find this? And wait, did you fix his eye and nose?!" What Lucy held in her hands now, having already dropped the bag and paper, was a medium sized plushie, one that Lucy had thought she would never see again after bringing it on one of her father's business trips and losing it. It was a little white dog, or at least, she thought it was a dog, it could have also been a snowman, no one really knew what it was supposed to be, but Lucy had loved it dearly. "Plue… oh Ms. Spetto!" The young girl quickly hugged the kind maid with all her might.
Ms. Spetto simply laughed as she returned her mistress' hug, "My Lady, don't thank me, it was Lady Layla who found it, I simply patched the poor dear up!"
The young girl wiped a tear as she backed away, "But how? How did she find it after all these years?!"
"I saw it sitting in a thrift shop window while I was away with your father last month. I remembered how much you cherished it and how upset you were when you lost it, my dear. I could hardly believe it was yours, but the manager told me he found it lying in the street all those years ago and was never able to sell it." Layla Heartfilia was nearing the end of the staircase as she spoke, a light smile adorning her face as she watched her daughter light up at the little dog.
Having to wipe another tear away, Lucy hugged her mother and Ms. Spetto once more, "Thank you both so much!"
"You're welcome, my love. Now, since you have everything, are you ready?"
As Lucy hugged the little dog tightly to her chest, she pumped her fist in the air, "Yes! Now I know I'm ready for this, college, here I come!"
Lucy sat impatiently through the three hour plane ride from her home to Magnolia. She bounced her leg, and when she finally noticed she would cross her legs and the other would start, she couldn't sit still and changed positions in her seat multiple times, she even got up and walked around a few times. Lucy was getting nervous, restless, and antsy, though she couldn't help but still be excited as well. No comforting words from her mother or attempts to distract herself with a book could calm her. To her, the plane ride was nothing short of agonizing, so it was no small surprise to the both of them that stepping off the plane and piling things into the town car they had waiting at the small airport made her sigh with relief. "Finally! That had to be the longest plane ride ever!"
"You're just anxious to start this new chapter in your life, dear, it's perfectly normal to think things are moving too slowly. Just be patient." The older Heartfilia woman had told her daughter just as the last bag was being placed into the trunk, "See, it's only 15 minutes from here, now let's get you to your dorm so you can get your window bunk." Layla chuckled a bit at the end of her statement as Lucy sarcastically rolled her eyes and smiled at her mother.
"I know, you're right mama, let's go."
Once they got to the campus, Lucy could do nothing but stare in awe at all the students and parents walking around, all carrying bags, suitcases, and various boxes. She never actually realized how many people attended Magnolia University, and these were only the ones that lived in the dorms and the older students that were directing everyone!
They found a nice spot close to Lucy's dorm building, Fairy Tail Hall, and Lucy and her mother proceeded to step out of the car, their driver already opening up the trunk, but Lucy quickly caught him, "Oh, Capricorn, please, you don't have to do any more, I can take everything up myself!" She was frantically waving her hands in front of her to tell him it was okay.
"Are you sure Lady Lucy?" The tall gentleman known as Capricorn looked at the young miss skeptically through his chauffer glasses.
Lucy laughed uncomfortably for a second while trying to think of a valid excuse, "Yeah, I mean I need to start doing everything on my own from here on out anyway right? Heheh, besides, it's really no trouble, I want to!"
"Alright my Lady, if you so wish it." Capricorn bowed slightly to her and made his way back to the driver's seat.
Lucy internally cheered that her excuse was enough. If there was one thing she didn't want starting this new chapter of her life, it was for people to see her as a snooty rich girl who couldn't do anything for herself, and having a chauffer carrying her things and calling her Miss and Lady wasn't going to help. She turned to her mother, relieved to know that she didn't question her decision and just started unloading her things. Lucy and her mother grabbed all they could carry and made their way toward the dorm, "My room is on the second floor mama, are you sure you don't want me to carry any of that for you?"
"No dear, I'm fine, I should be asking you that, you look like you're having trouble…"
As soon as Lucy turned her head to question her mother, she crashed into someone walking out the door of the building, both obviously not paying attention to where they were going, and the things hanging loosely over her arms fell. "Agh!"
"What the hell?" a mysterious stranger muffled from the ground.
"I tried to warn you dear. Now, are you alright young man?" Layla asked the poor boy on the ground, although she couldn't quite maneuver things out of her hands enough to help him up.
The boy looked around Lucy, who he couldn't quite see behind her boxes, and answered her mother, "Oh, yeah, I'm alright, I wasn't really watching where I was going, sorry about that." He looked around and saw the things scattered on the ground and started picking them up, chuckling, "Actually, here, let me help you carry some of this up since you've already dropped it once."
At this Lucy finally replied to the boy she couldn't see, "Oh, no, you don't have to do that! It's alright! It was my fault for carrying too much and not watching where I was going, just pile it back on and-"
"Oh no, I'm not gonna let you claim another victim with all this stuff, trust me, there are some people here in Fairy Tail you do NOT want to crash into." The boy shivered visibly for a second and resumed picking things up, though when he saw a certain stuffed dog-thing, he froze, unable to stop himself from asking, "Where did you get THIS thing?"
The younger girl finally turned her head to see the thing in question, "Oh, that's Plue, I got him-" now it was Lucy's turn to freeze. She finally saw her 'victim', and she was thrown off by his pink, yes pink, hair. Lucy found it oddly familiar, but she quickly brushed it off to get back to the question at hand, hoping he didn't notice how intensely she was looking at him, "Er, sorry, your hair is pink. But anyway, I got him when I was young from a little boy who helped me find my parents when I was lost. Why am I telling you this?!"
He smirked and flashed the girl a toothy grin, finally standing with the items she dropped, and beginning to take more things from Layla to help out, "Calm down there, I was just wondering, it's… well it's a really weird dog-thing. Anyway, where we headed?!"
Layla answered the boy this time, "We're taking this up to the second floor young man, thank you."
"Oh no! We've spent so much time dawdling here already! I have to get there first!" With that, Lucy ran up the stairs to where she remembered her room waited, hopefully void of her roommate, while Layla and the pink haired boy quickly followed suit.
Lucy rounded the stairs as fast as her legs could take her, her room in sight at the middle of the hall, that's when she saw Levy at the other end of the hallway. Both girls looked at each other for a second, and Lucy started running again, her keys already in her hand, which she somehow managed to dig out of her pockets in all the mess. "I'm gonna get that window!"
Levy took off as fast as her little legs could take her after her roommate, "Not if I have anything to say about it Lu!"
The girls struggled to keep their items in their hands, but it was Lucy who made it to the door first, and how she managed to get the door open so fast was a mystery to everyone, she ran in with Levy right behind her, both girls laughing as they raced towards their prize. The bed was in arms reach, the girls were neck and neck, but suddenly, Lucy tripped over something, something that was apparently moving, because the petite blunette next to her tripped as well. They fell in typical anime style, things flung everywhere, arms strung out in front of them, and face-planted the floor.
The pink haired boy and Lucy's mother had made it to the door just in time to see the girls crash, and much to their chagrin, the boy started laughing, "Happy! How did you get down here, bud?!"
"Who is Happy?" the blunette turned her head to ask the boy, but she was met with a cat's face staring right at her. "Oh! This cute little guy?"
"That's Happy for ya! No idea how he got down here though, I thought I closed the door to my room…"
"Ha! The bed is mine! I win!" Everyone's attention was quickly redirected at Lucy, who managed to get up and plop herself right onto the bed while no one was looking.
"Aww, no fair, Lu!" Levy pouted as she was pulling herself up.
"THAT'S why you were running up here so fast? Haha! You should have just gotten here early like I did!"
The blonde pursed her lips and puffed her cheeks at the boy who was laughing at her, "Whatever! I still got it and I won fair and square!" she then turned her attention to Levy, who was giggling and smiling lightly at the girl, and quickly stuck her tongue out and giggled along with her.
"Oh my," the older Heartfilia had joined in on the laughter, "that's my Lucky Lucy alright. It seems you are going to have a good time here. I'm going to head down to the car and start grabbing the rest of your things."
"Alright mama, I'll be right there, I'm just going to pick this up first."
"I'll help you Lu, after all, half of it is my mess too."
The boy had since put his armful down and replaced it with the onyx and blue cat, yes, blue. "I'm gonna take Happy back to my room. I'll still help you if you want, I moved all my things in a while ago." He now looked to the blonde for confirmation.
"Oh, umm, you don't have to, you've already done enough to help…" The blonde looked down timidly as her cheeks heated up slightly.
"It's no problem! My roommate's probably here by now and I'd rather not stay in my room for a while anyway!" He once again flashed a toothy grin, his canines popping out more than anything, Lucy had noticed. With that he rushed out of the room, cat in hand, before Lucy had a chance to say anything more.
"So who was that? I thought you didn't know anyone here Lu?" Levy questioned Lucy while the girls cleaned up their mess.
"I really don't know, I kinda crashed into him on my way in and he just decided to help my mom and I. He seems like a good guy I guess. Didn't give me a name though, and that hair, it really reminds me of something, but I just can't place what…" The blonde stared off as her last sentence dragged on through the silence.
Said boy entered the room not moments later, practically bouncing, startling the two girls "Alright, let's go blondie! Hop to it!"
"I have a name you know!" Lucy looked at the boy incredulously with her hands on her hips, now standing to face him.
"Yeah, yeah, come on Rushi!" the pinked haired boy ran out of the room snickering with Lucy following close behind.
"Say it right! It's Lucy!"
Once everyone had managed to get Lucy and Levy's things into the room, an hour had passed, and it was time Layla Heartfilia had to head home. "Alright my darling, we've gotten all of your things. I'm sure you want to start unpacking right away, and I need to get home to meet your father before he has to leave again tomorrow. I love you so very much," she kissed her daughter on the forehead and encased her in a tight hug, "call me when you're settled."
"I will mama, I love you."
"Goodbye ma'am, it was nice to meet you!"
The older Heartfilia waved and made her way to the door, but stopped short to turn to the pink haired boy, "Young man, before I leave, what is your name?"
Said boy straightened himself and flashed a grin at the older woman, "My name's Natsu, Natsu Dragneel!"
Layla gave the boy a knowing smile and hugged him, whispering to him, "Take care of my daughter Natsu, and thank you for everything." She turned to smile at her daughter once again and left without another word.
The room was silent for a second, Levy and Lucy had started unpacking and Natsu sat there, dumbfounded and deep in thought, until Lucy broke him out of his stupor, "Thank you for all your help Natsu, I'll make it up to you."
Natsu was staring at the form of the blonde now, catching her glance for a split second before putting a hand behind his head and walking out of the room, chuckling, "You'll just have to buy me lunch sometime!"
"I can do-" He was gone, "that." Again there was silence, Lucy simply shook her head and returned to the daunting task of unpacking all her things. She made it. Maybe not exactly the way she planned, but she made it, and nothing excited her more than starting this new chapter.
A/N: Alright, so first off, Lucy's mother is alive. I want Lucy to have a happy backstory for once, and this is my AU dammit, so there will be a happy background! Oh, and if you get the feeling that I'm alluding to something, I am, I just won't tell you what yet ;P. Lucy is going to be a little out of character this time around, considering she has never really been around people in a school environment or stayed around kids her own age for very long, so don't yell at me alright? Also, I'm just going to tell you now, some ages are going to be changed a bit for characters in the future.
Anyway, I kinda just started writing this and word vomit came out and took shape, I guess this is going to be a multi-chapter type deal, which is weird for me.
I have no idea when the next chapter will be out, I have part of it written, but I need to sleep on it and get some fresh ideas before I continue. I at least knew where I wanted this chapter to start and where I wanted it to end, the middle just took shape until this came out, and I need my next chapter to do the same for me to be happy about it. I'll try to get a chapter up every few weeks, could be sooner, could be later, but I will try.
Please review, follow, favorite, ya know, whatever you feel like XD.