Hey! So this is my first attempt at ErLu, and my first attempt at a Yuri story EVER, so please go easy on me. This is dedicated to my friend, Maddy, and I really hope you like it!

"Lucy!"

The blonde flinched for the third time that day, wishing she weren't the object of the pinkette's attention. 'Honestly...' she thought, 'Does he ever quit?'

She tried to look as if she were busy, shuffling the stack of books in front of her, and pretending to read, hoping he would get the picture and LEAVE. But seconds later, an arm was slung around her shoulders, and a slip of paper was shoved in her face.

"Let's go on this job together!" said Natsu, flashing his signature grin. He seemed not to have noticed the sour expression on his teammate's face, and if he did, he pretended not to, "Happy picked it out!"

The blue cat appeared next to him, hovering in the air, and looking equally excited, "It's a really easy one!" said the Exceed, "And the payment is really high!"

Lucy stared at the paper, feeling suddenly unwell. It wasn't that she didn't want to work with Natsu, it was just that she had been doing nothing BUT go on jobs with him.

She had been looking forward to some alone time, and really... how much money did those two need?

"Sorry, guys," she said, "I..." she sighed, "I can't."

"Huh?" Natsu's tone changed to surprise, and he backed up, but still leaned closer, trying to meet her eyes, "Why not?"

"I just..." she looked up at him for a moment, but couldn't bear to see that crestfallen expression, and looked down again, trying not to feel guilty, "I'm tired of going on jobs. I want to stay here and relax."

"But why would you want to stay home? Missions are so much more fun!"

Lucy sighed, because he CLEARLY didn't get it, and gave an exasperated, "Natsu..."

"Maybe she's sick..." said Happy, in what was supposed to be a whisper.

"Then she'll feel better by going on this job!"

"Natsu! I'm not going on a-"

"Oi!"

The trio looked up to see a (shirtless) ice mage storming over to them. He too had a request slip in his hand, and Lucy was getting a bad feeling about it.

He looked down at the blonde, "You're going on a job with me."

"G-Gray-sama!" said a certain ex Phantom, appearing behind him.

Lucy started to reject him, not liking the look the bluenette was giving her, but Natsu angrily cut in.

"No way, you pervert stripper! Lucy is going with me and Happy!"

"Aye!"

"You wish, droopy eyes! She's my teammate!"

"She was my teammate first! I get first dibs!"

"No way! That's not fair! I'm taking Lucy!"

"No! Take someone else!"

"You take someone else! My job requires a celestial spirit mage!"

"Too bad! Take Yukino!"

"Yukino is in Sabertooth! You take Yukino!"

"I DON'T WANNA!"

The two started arguing back and forth, Happy cheering Natsu on, while Juvia looked ready to murder, growling, "Love rival..."

The fight began to escalate, the volume increasing, and Natsu banging his fists on the table. Lucy could feel her face growing hot as she began to attract more attention, and she just wanted to melt through the floor. Tears began to gather in her eyes, as she grew more and more frustrated, and she was about ready to run out of the guild... but something stopped her.

One minute, she was getting ready to run, then all of a sudden, a new wizard entered the situation, appearing behind her, and brandishing a sword at the other three.

Lucy stared up at her in awe, never having seen the red-haired mage so angry.

"E...Erza..." she said.

"If you two have a problem, you need to take it outside," Erza said, in her sternest voice, "Stop dragging other people into everything! That's the reason we're always in trouble with the council!"

Natsu and Gray stared at her in fear, frozen to the spot, neither able to say anything. But of course, Natsu tried to argue, "B-B-But..." He held up the paper, "The job..."

Erza growled, and slashed the paper in half with her sword, making Natsu jump back in fear, "Find someone else to go with! You're making Lucy uncomfortable! I doubt she'll want to go with you now!"

"But..."

The look Gray received was even colder than iced-shell. When he, Natsu, Happy, and Juvia were thoroughly terrified into next week, Erza looked away, and grabbed Lucy's hand.

Now it was Lucy's turn to be surprised. Entirely forgetting the current situation, she felt her face turn a furious shade of crimson, and she stuttered to get out her next sentence.

"E-Erza-"

The requip mage turned to her, mood doing a 360, and gave a brilliant smile, making Lucy's insides melt.

"Come on, Lucy," she said to her, voice filled with warmth and kindness that hadn't been there a moment ago, "Let's go to my room. We can relax together."

Lucy nodded, still in shock, but let herself be pulled along, "O-Ok..."

Her heart was accelerating, and her face felt like it was on fire. But she couldn't keep the wide smile from creeping up onto her face.

And even though the chinks in Erza's armored fingers pinched the skin on Lucy's hand, she held on as tightly as she could. And when they left the guild and Erza threw an arm around her shoulders, she couldn't be happier.

Well... she might've been when they got back to Erza's dorm, and the redhead pulled her close, kissing her fiercely.