What makes you special [Nalu, Gale, Gruvia]
Lucy stood in the shower, crying. Natsu had just brought her to the room, comforting her. She said she wanted to be alone, so he ran off to watch the ongoing fights.
"How did I become so weak? I... I thought I was more powerful because of the Second Origin. But... I still am useless... Why?"
Lucy cried in the shower while the water ran down her body. She thought of several things, like her father, the guild, Makarov...
"Mina... Gomen... I... I failed you..."
"Natsu! The fight is about to start you know!"
"Yeah, yeah I heard yah."
Natsu stood there a little uneasy with his hand in his pockets, facing Erza.
"What's the matter?" the scarlet haired mage asked.
"I just hope Lucy is ok."
"Let her be for now." said Erza.
"Yes, if she is a man, she will be just fine in no time."
"She's a girl, you know..."
"Anyway," Erza said, "you can go see her later, Natsu. It's not a good idea to be around her now."
"Guess you're right." he sighed.
He walked closer to see the fight, but he wasn't exactly excited to be here. Ever since Lucy had been hurt by Flare, there had been an enormous fire boiling inside of him. He knew that Lucy's opponent hadn't done anything to stop her Urano Metoria. She must have received help from someone in her team. Natsu felt his rage building up, but he told himself not to burst. He would show them that there was no messing with Fairy Tail, and especially, Lucy. She was his nakama and no one would even hurt a hair on her head without getting beaten up by him.
The fight came to an end, although Natsu hadn't paid any attention, for his thoughts where somewhere else. It was strange though... He had never felt THIS angry.
"Natsu! We're going back to the inn, you coming?"
He snapped out of his daydreaming. He walked along with his teammates, looking at his feet the entire way. Everyone of the guild had assembled in a nearby pub. They all drank and partied, celebrating the first day of the contest to be over. Master gave a speech so that everyone gathered their courage to face the upcoming days. Natsu looked around, but he couldn't find Lucy. Gray was silent, but at least he was here. Juvia kept comforting him, and he kind of liked it.
"Gray, where's Lucy?"
"She's still in the inn. She said she was coming later."
"I see."
Natsu sat down next to him and began sipping some beer from his glass.
"There's no need to be depressed, jeesh..."
"Shut up, Gajeel."
The iron dragonslayer patted his head while laughing.
"Gajeel! Stop it!"
A small blue haired mage pulled his arm but failed miserably in getting Gajeel out of there.
"Oi, Lucy will be just fine. And besides, she doesn't have to be all whiny about it. She lost, so what? We will turn things around."
"I don't like you calling her whiny."
Natsu was terribly cold, he didn't even bother looking to Gajeel while he was talking.
"At least look at me when I'm talking!" the buffed dragonslayer spouted.
"Leave me the hell ALONE!"
Natsu smashed his glass on Gajeels head. The pub went silent while they watched Natsu walk away. No one knew what it was what made him act like this. Natsu didn't know himself. What was this feeling of unease? What was it that let him be so angry when it involved her? Images popped in his head, images of Lucy, smiling. She looked at him with her deep, chocolate eyes. Her hair waving around her head, her cheeks a little rosy while she made a gesture with her thumb, showing her Fairy Tail mark. Natsu's hearth began to pound a little harder. Her smile was the cutest when she looked at him like that. To see that smile turn into a sad expression was the worst. He kept on walking towards the inn while he mumbled things like; 'I'm gonna show them', 'make them pay'.
Meanwhile at the inn.
Lucy dried her hair, causing her tears to flow in different directions on her cheeks. She tasted one when it slid between her lips and she wiped another away. She tried to stop, but she couldn't. She had a feeling similar to when the guild was attacked because of her father. It was all because of her that everyone suffered. And now, because of her, the team was in last place. She remembered collapsing as she felt her magic disappear. The only thing she could do back then was cry, just like she was doing now. Why was she so weak?
A sudden knock on the door caught her attention. She opened the door only to see a pink haired guy standing in front of her.
"Hey, I figured I'd check on you once more. Are you all right?"
Lucy smiled a little.
"Yeah... I'm..."
She felt a little surprised when she felt his hand on her cheek, caressing the tears away with his thumb.
"You've been crying long enough."
He pushed her a little bit backwards. He closed the door and pulled her in front of the window. He let her face the starry sky while he held his arms around her waist, his head next to hers.
"You see those stars? I don't know much about them, but the only thing I need to know, is that they will return every night, so that I can feel at home. It doesn't matter where I am, I just want to see those stars, returning every night to give me a sense of peace."
"They're beautiful."
"They are. Lucy," she looked at him sideways, "don't feel uneasy, because wherever you are, the sky will remain the same. If you ever feel alone, look up at the stars and know, that I'll be looking at them as well."
She smiled and looked back at the sky, filled with little lights.
"You always know how to sheer me up, don't you?"
He grinned and took her hand.
"Let's join the others, shall we?"
"Okay." she smiled.
At the pub.
"Gajeel! Why are you so mean!"
He munched some iron stuff in his mouth while he ignored the little blue haired mage.
"I just said your friends need to start training soon, or they won't be able to complete any jobs. Besides, they will only put you in danger."
By that, her cheeks became rosy, but her expression remained the same.
"Hey! Don't offend my friends! They are not as cold as you are, they actually CARE about me!"
"If they'd really care about you, they would put more effort in strengthening their stamina and stuff. I'd knock them out in less than a second."
"Really, you're such a prick!"
She stood up and left the table. Gajeel sighed and followed her. He didn't mean to make her upset, he just wanted to assure himself that there was someone strong enough to look after her. Wait. Why did he care so much? He was awfully protective when it involved the shrimp. It even scared him a little.
"Come on, now. I didn't want to sound mean. I'm just telling the truth."
He kept following her, pardoning himself countless times. She didn't react and soon, he had enough of it.
"Okay that's it, you're coming with me."
Gajeel grabbed her wrist and dragged her out of the pub. Levy tried to loosen his grip, but the man was just too strong for her. He suddenly took her in his arms bridal style, which made Levy blush as hell.
"Hold on to me, shrimp."
She held on to his vest when he jumped on a roof. He put her down and motioned her to sit down next to him.
"What is it?"
"I'm sorry."
Levy didn't know what she heard. Gajeel said he's sorry. GAJEEL? HE said he was SORRY? How could that even be possible? She avoided him by looking in the other direction. He, however, noticed this and he surprised her. He put hand on her head and rubbed her hair.
"Aw, don't be mad at me!"
"Hey! Stop that!"
She took his arm in her two tiny hands and tried to pull it away.
"No." he grinned.
He began to tickle her everywhere until she cried out to him.
"Hahahaha... Gajeel!... Hahahahaa!... Gajeel... STOP!... hahaha!"
Eventually, he stopped. He looked her in the eyes while leaning over her. She laid on her back, protecting her body with her arms from his tickle attacks. Her face was flushed red and her hair was messy. Gajeel thought she was beautiful like this. Her cheeks a little rosy, her hair wild and a happy expression on her face. He couldn't help but gaze in her big eyes. Levy didn't move at all. She liked him looking at her. There was something in his eyes at that moment. He looked at her with some kind of lovable expression. They felt a breeze passing by and Levy began to shake a little.
"You cold?" Gajeel asked.
"A... a little."
"Let's go back then."
He pulled her up and held on to her waist. She grabbed his shoulders as he jumped of the building. The blush on her face didn't disappear and Gajeel kept having this odd feeling. He wanted to know what it was, he had to.