She stared at the blank page, and menacingly it stared back. She huffed, and arose from her desk chair, hoping a fleet of inspiration would suddenly attack her before she had to leave her apartment. No such luck. Lucy's writing had been on hold as of late, she knew she wanted to write, however her hands seemed still over the keyboard. Tapping on one letter key, thinking of even just one word to start a sentence.

It was her dream to be a writer.

"Nothing to write about." She groaned, banging her head down on her crossed arms in front of her.

"Boof!" Raising her head, she smiled at the familiar face of Plue, a small white dog she had acquired not long before leasing out this place.

"Ah, 'Boof', interesting concept, I'll definitely write that down!" Lucy laughed as she kneeled on the floor in front of the shivering animal, it jumped up on her immediately as it lapped happily away at her cheeks. "Hold on, Plue." She said, helping position the dog down as her phone buzzed in her pocket.

"Cana's already been at the bar for two hours. She's drunk already."

"I have to go early tonight, Plue. I'll be home soon!" She called out to her pet fondly as she grabbed out for a small handbag which hung by the front door.

The local pub wasn't at all that far away, it was even on the route her and Plue went for daily walks, the staff very much enjoyed seeing the small animal when the bar was mostly empty. It didn't take long for Lucy's quickened footsteps to reach her destination, and she very briskly pushed open Fairy Tail's doors.

It wasn't hard to spot her friends. Cana once worked part-time here at the pub, the staff were all friendly with her, and none dared tell her off for drinking too much. Beside the drunken shape of Cana was a tall red-head. Lucy was surprised Cana was arguing with Erza at all.

"Cana! We agreed 8pm, you can't arrive just before 6pm and start drinking alone!" Erza's voice was that of a champion; demanding respect from everyone around her. Yet, Cana had now just seen Lucy approaching and broken out into a grin.

"Lucy!" She cheered, gripping onto her arm and pulling the petite, blonde woman in for an embrace. "Hah! Erza is now outnumbered!" The drunk antiques of her friend were usually not this bad, in fact Cana held her liquor better than anyone, it surprised Lucy to see her like this. Looking up at Erza, the level-headed woman nodded to a guy at the other end of the bar. Lucy had never seen him before.

His shirt was gone and he was snickering with mates as he continued to drink, occasionally glancing over to the commotion Lucy was stuck in. The bartender strode over and gave them a glass of water to help their friend out, as Lucy saw Erza grab it and chuck the cold liquid at Cana, she yelped out.

"Erza! It was for her to drink and sober up!" Lucy scolded out, Erza genuinely looked apologetic as she mouthed out an 'oh'. Luckily, Mirajane simple chuckled lightly at the gesture and handed Lucy another glass, which Cana started sipping away at, though she didn't let her eyes leave Erza's as she refused to stop glaring at her.

They watched Cana finish the water and brought her into a booth, Lucy watched her intently as Erza explained Cana had lost a drinking competition. In response, the woman seemed to growl, any locals in this bar knew Cana could have drank pure ethanol and stomached it: the woman didn't lose. Until now, of course.

"I hate him." She sneered out, tying her slightly wet hair up into a ponytail as she kept looking over to the man. Lucy had never been one to drink, Cana always invited her out, but even then she would only have a few drinks, even then she still turned rosy.
"Hey guys!" The girls looked over and saw short waves of blue hair bounce over.

"Levy!" Lucy chimed at her. The girl was even shorter than Lucy was, but she fit right in among the tough personas of Cana and Erza, she definitely was stronger than she looked.

"Classic Cana." Levy smiled, watching Cana look over to her and give a toothy grin right back at her. "So, what happened?"

"Cana lost a drinking match and is probably going to murder that guy." Lucy said, subtly pointing over to the man, who coincidentally had also tied up his own long, dark hair.

"I'm going to sleep with him." Cana smirked, winking at the guy, who seemed to finally splutter at one of his drinks. Levy raised an eyebrow over to Erza and Lucy who seemed shocked by this statement.

"Please do not sleep with Bacchus Groth." Erza said, Cana ignored her as she strode proudly over to the man who seemed like he was just waiting on her. The girls watched as Cana pushed one of his friends out of their chair to sit next to him, Bacchus was laughing at the display. All notions of sex seemed to disappear as within minutes they were yelling and arguing with each other.

"You know him, Erza?" Lucy asked, and Erza nodded.

"He's a dick. Always gets drunk and fights people." She concluded, not adding anymore onto that sentence.

"Cana's very confident, isn't she?" Lucy said aloud, both her friends looked confused by that statement. Lucy groaned as now she had to explain. "I want to finally start writing my novel." The girls looked thrilled for her as Levy clapped her hands together, filled with excitement and Erza smiled kindly at her.

"I can't wait to read it!" Levy and Lucy became close instantly, once they found out they shared a common interest in books, their bond was inseparable. Lucy, however was the writer and Levy, the avid reader.

"And that's the problem, I want to write something personal." Lucy started, chewing absently at a straw in her drink.

"Does that mean you're going to write about us?" A slight sweep of pink blushed danced across Erza's cheeks. Though proud and as strong as she was, Erza never was one to be in the spotlight, it made Lucy chuckle to see the friend she thought of as a warrior so easily flushed.

"Well, I want to write a romance novel, talk about personal feelings, true emotion and love." Lucy had been looking down, when she glanced back up at the pair, Levy smiled and winked at her.

"So, it is about us then?" Lucy rolled her eyes and laughed with them.

"You wish, I wouldn't be able to choose between you." She even stuck her tongue out to add cheekiness.

"Who is it about then, Lucy?" They waited whilst Lucy was sat fiddling with her thumbs, feeling the heat all rush to her face. She silently cursed her body, wishing it didn't have to be obvious and make her face red.

"That's where I'm struggling." She confessed, looking away again as the other girls looked to one another. Erza seemed to not understand, Levy motioned a gesture which Lucy had missed and Erza nodded, seeming to understand the issue now.

"Lucy, if a guy hasn't been the best in bed, you don't have to put that in." Levy said sympathetically.

"What!" Lucy looked back at them in shock. "It's not just the sex stuff! It's…I've never had a proper boyfriend before!" She called out, smacking Levy playfully over the head for commenting about her sex, or lack of. "I want this novel to just feel real, but how can I do that if I don't even know what feelings are like." She said, mumbling at the end as she let her head rest between her hands, slightly ashamed of her situation.

"Maybe Cana can help you out?" Levy piped out, looking up at her, Levy nodded back towards where Cana had started fighting with Bacchus and was surprised the pair were now in a hefty make-out session. The group started giggling between themselves and Lucy felt her embarrassment start to fade away. She was lucky to have such understanding friends.

"I don't know how she does it." Erza commented.

"I like that about Cana, when she wants something, she goes for it, she doesn't ask permission." Lucy had to agree, out of them Cana was the one who seemed the luckiest when it came to affairs of the heart. Though, Lucy seemed to peg part of that on having such an intimidating father figure. Cana loved to rebel against his desire to keep every man away from her.

Looking over at Levy, she wondered why her friend was single. She had many admirers after all. Levy had once told her it's worth waiting for someone who challenges her. Erza on the other hand was a mystery. It seemed fitting Lucy saw her somewhat like a rose. Beautiful, of course, but bearing thorns which were dangerously sharp and never let anyone close. Lucy had once found out through Cana that Erza has only had one boyfriend in the whole time she's known her, she didn't know what had happened, but apparently the boy made her feel something so real she knew it wasn't worth trying to pretend with someone else. Though strong on her own, it made sense to Lucy a sword deserved a shield.

"We know plenty of guys, we'll find you someone Lucy!" Lucy hoped that didn't mean joining a dating website. "What about Gray? I know he's been distant, but you guys get along."

Lucy pondered and thought about the cool character that he was, she knew he had a deeper side, but he was so emotionless to the naked eye. She laughed as she thought about the idea of going out with Gray. Erza and Levy looked at her, expecting an answer.

"Natsu would murder me if he knew I went out with Gray! You know they don't get along!" She had to wipe a slight tear forming in her right eye from laughter. As she blinked and adjusted her sight, she saw the girls looking at each other, an idea forming between them.

"Natsu, hmm." Levy started, her index finger and thumb rubbing across her chin as she put the idea out there. Lucy glared at her, but Erza was already in on the idea as well.

"You have been best friends forever." Erza nodded to herself.

"Subtle." Lucy commented, unamused. "I mean, when I first met him? Yeah, I thought he liked me. He's so hot-tempered and fiery." She pouted, remembering how Natsu was the first person she had met in Magnolia, he was the reason she had even met the group in front of her. Though why he still attained pink hair was a mystery to her. ("It's washed out salmon, Lucy!")

When Lucy thought about Natsu, she figured he was cute in how people also found a monkey cute, but monkeys can be annoying and loud.

"Natsu is important to me, I don't want to spoil our friendship."

"If you guys fake dated, then you get to experience what a boyfriend is like, but you guys are still just friends." Erza said, even Levy seemed to agree with her.

"I don't want to lead him on…" The thought was slightly disturbing to Lucy of having to tell her friend she wanted to date but didn't actually want to invest feelings in him.

"Be honest with him Lucy." Levy smiled at her sincerely. "You guys can figure something out." Lucy didn't think it would work, but she appreciated the idea. In fact, she was now wondering just how her and Natsu would work together in a romantic sense.

"As long as he doesn't try take me fire-swallowing for our first date!" They laughed about the notion for a few more minutes before Erza rose from the table and announced she was going to rescue Cana and take her home. Levy stood up with Lucy and told her she would walk home with her. As Lucy and Levy started to leave, they waved to Erza who was dragging Cana from having a one-night stand with someone who also smelled like a distillery.

Lucy and Levy parted waves when the streets broke off into a crossroads where they would go down different paths. Streetlights paved the wave all along the footpath. She was glad for the added light in contrast to the dark nights of Fiore.

Just before she reached her apartment, she spotted a silver scarf, blowing gently in the slight breeze. The material of the scarf shone like scales yet was soft as cotton. It was just as big of a mystery as the man who wore it. She already knew he was planning on coming over, his cat positioned on his shoulders like it belonged with him.

"Hey Natsu!" She called out, Natsu was slightly taken aback that Lucy had been out. He shrugged of any thoughts and waited for Lucy to come up to him as they walked together to her apartment. "Staying at mine tonight?" He nodded.

"I always sleep better on your couch than my bed for some reason." Lucy was used to their sleepovers. Recently, Natsu's father had passed, she never pestered him to talk about it, Natsu coming over was his way of asking for company. "Why were you not at home at this time?"

"Me and the girls were talking about my up-coming bestselling novel!" He smiled, nodding as he listened to her.

"What's it about?"

She blushed, fumbling for words.

"Oh, you know. Classic zero-boyfriends Lucy is writing a romance novel, pretty ironic, huh?" She shrugged, how was she supposed to even talk about this. "Hey, why don't me and you go to a restaurant, hold hands, sit under a tree so I know how to write about it?" She laughed, attempting to make this less awkward but she found Natsu had stopped walking alongside her.

"Lucy, are you asking me on a date?"