You and I

Author's Note: Hi everyone, welcome to my first Fairy Tail fic! This is one of the longest first chapters I've written in a completely new fandom. Please excuse any errors in grammar and spelling since I don't have a beta yet. I've tried to catch as many mistakes as I can but I'm only human (a sleep deprived one too). I hope that everyone will continue to support me and this fic. Now let's get to it!

Chapter One

"Hey princess, I'm going to be late tonight so don't wait up for me. Love you."

A finger pressed the 'End Call' button, hanging up on the voicemail left in the message box, and the owner let out a sigh. This wasn't the first time so she wasn't terribly surprised that he had bailed again on one of their date nights. It wasn't as if he could help it, most of the time. Being a manager in one of the city's largest banks tended to require long work hours and very little time for other things, such as a significant other but Lucy Heartfilia still didn't think that it meant it had to happen every week. Carefully manicured nails drummed against the polished top of the small table where she was currently sitting. Another night alone, which was fine but she had really been looking forward to spending the night with him. Especially since it was their anniversary.

Lucy could almost smile bitterly at the fact that this was the second time in a row where he had forgotten their anniversary. Last year, it was because there had been some kind of crisis back at work and he dashed out of the apartment as soon as he had just stepped inside. Lucy could still see the regret in his eyes as he opened the door again.

-Begin Flashback-

"Sorry princess, they need me back at the office."

Lucy was standing there, hair swept up in a bun, dressed in a simple black dress, dolled up just for the night, even wearing the necklace that he had gotten for her. Their special night. There were no words that could describe the disappointment she felt when she knew that he was heading back to work. She wanted to scream out that there were other people working there and that he shouldn't have to go just because, but she knew better than that. Why? She had already tried it, and that lead to their first argument since moving in together.

She could only watch the door close, the sound echoing throughout her whole being. She had no idea how long she stayed standing there, in front of the door. It had to have been hours because by the time she had gone back to the kitchen, where the meal she had spent all day fixing lay untouched, the candles she had lit were burnt all the way down to the holders.

With a heavy sigh that mimicked exactly how she felt, she had cleaned up the candle holders and packed away the food. She quickly scrubbed off her carefully applied make up, thrown her dress in a crumpled heap next to the hamper and dragged herself into bed. When she woke up, he still hadn't been home.

-End Flashback-

Standing up and gathering her coat and her purse, Lucy pushed open the door, where the sights and sounds of a busy street met her. As she walked, her heels clicked delicately on the concrete, her hips swaying. Lucy Heartfilia was by no means unattractive. Golden blonde locks shimmered in the sunlight, reaching just past her shoulders and framing a delicate face punctuated by deep brown eyes. She had been graced with an ample chest that was the envy of many women, a tiny waist that any man could encircle, and hips that swayed the right amount to attract any eyes.

Yes, she was blessed with all those attributes and yet why couldn't she get her man to stay? Perplexing to say the least. She almost laughed out loud as that thought crossed her mind. She was sure that she was appealing, her healthy sex life stated so but then why was it when she tried to use it to get her guy to stay he had blatantly refused and she was even reprimanded for keeping him from his job.

With car keys in hand, she made a list to run to the store before she went home. They were out of milk, which seems to happen often enough. Loke went through at least two cartons a week. She had teased him before about being a cat, lapping up the milk like any feline. He had retorted that if he was a cat, he'd be a lion since he had the stamina and power of one, especially in bed. Lucy had responded by throwing a pillow in his face.

Loke Regulus, banker by day, and a well-known player by night and right now, the boyfriend to one Miss Lucy Heartfilia. She was told time and time again how lucky she was to have such an attractive boyfriend by various women whenever they would walk around town together or have the occasional night out together. It was nice at first but as their relationship progressed, Lucy became weary of the constant compliments given to Loke, who was soaking in all the attention and occasionally had blatantly flirted in front of her. This had been their first argument as a couple. She was tired of it and he didn't understand why she was so upset. It had taken a reasonable talk over the phone with her best friend, Levy McGarden to finally calm down and she had Loke had made up, all night long.

Loke was older than she was and already working at the bank she had gone to to open up an account. She had recently moved to Magnolia to study at the university and was just settling in. Loke had been the teller to help her after she talked to an advisor. She had been drawn in by the dashing smile and open flirtations. The first time, she left the bank blushing and giddy. As time progressed, she and Loke had exchanged numbers and started seeing each other. One thing led another and now, they were talking about moving in together.

Her ringtone brought her out of her thoughts and she hastily reached into her purse to dig around and find her phone. This always happened to her; losing her phone in her purse became habitual even though her purse really wasn't all that big to begin with. All she carried in there were all the receipts from various stores and shops she visited, her wallet, a pack of gum just in case she had anything pungent for lunch, her compact for a quick dust up, there may have been a couple of pens in there, a wrapper from her snack a couple of days ago. . .so she could stand to clean out her purse a little.

Finally grabbing her phone, she glanced at the name before answering.

"Hi, Levy!" Her cheery tone masked any gloominess that clouded over her earlier.

"Hey, Lucy! Are you doing anything tonight?" Levy, her best friend, who somehow knew exactly when to call and usually brought news that cheered her up.

"Not really, my schedule just cleared."

"Oh, again?"

"Yeah."

"Work?"

"Yeah."

There was a sigh and a momentary pause. Levy knew Loke's bad habits well enough; Lucy had spilled everything to her after that initial fight. Levy hadn't said anything but Lucy didn't mind. She just needed someone to hear her out, give her a shoulder to cry on. It was only afterwards that she realized how invaluable Levy was as a friend, reminding her that Loke had good traits and if she really wanted to get revenge, tape a picture of Loke's face to a dartboard and throw a few darts. Lucy had laughed and declined, knowing that Levy wasn't serious (hopefully).

"Well, did you want to go with me to dinner? Apparently a hot new band is playing at this really good restaurant."

"I don't know. . .I still have a paper to write."

"Paper schmaper. Go out and live a little! The paper will be there when you get back. Besides, it isn't even due for another week."

It certainly was tempting. She knew that if she didn't go, she'd just curl up in her pajamas, stare at her laptop with a bowl of ice cream perched in her lap, books strewn haphazardly around. Most likely she would have Netflix playing and spend a good couple of hours watching shows before she realized that it was late and that her paper still only had a title page. She would then fall asleep and wake up to fifty pages of random letters typed on her word document, spend the next second deleting it all and repeat the same process until dawn.

"Why not?" she said. She knew Levy was right. She tended to coop up at home and try to finish all her work. She had been the nerdy type back in high school and it carried over to university. She was working on her double major in Astronomy and English with a minor in Astrology. She had more than a fair share of papers that still needed to be written and submitted.

"Great! I'll be over at 6!"

"Okay, see you!"

"Bye bye!"

Hanging up, Lucy chuckled to herself, feeling lighter already.

Six came by too quickly. Lucy had thought to sneak in a few hours of research and work but she had been in the midst of typing the introduction to her paper when the doorbell rang. Looking at the clock on her computer, she jumped out of seat and went to open the door. Why was she early?

"Levy!"

"Hiya!"

"You're early."

"I know, I know. And good thing I was, looks like."

Levy appraised her friend's look. Sweatpants. Oversized sweater. Glasses. Hair in a messy bun. Definitely not ready to go out. It didn't bother Levy. She enjoyed helping Lucy peruse through her closet and finding outfits for her to wear. She already knew her blonde bestie would be absorbed in her work, which is why she knew to plan ahead and arrive early.

Lucy grinned sheepishly. Levy knew her so well, almost like a sister would. She had met Levy during her freshman year in university. They had bumped into each other trying to find their introductory writing class and hit it off instantly. Levy was the first one she told when she started going out with Loke. "Sorry, lost track of time."

"Of course. Well now you can get back on track now that I'm here." Levy made a beeline for Lucy's closet.

Closing the door, Lucy followed after her blue-haired best friend. If she didn't keep an eye out, she would be cleaning up the mess in her closet for a good two days. Lucy like orderliness and cleanliness to a certain point but when Levy was on a mission to find "the perfect outfit", Lucy's closet had to suffer the consequences. When she walked into the room, she could already see a pile just outside the door of her closet.

"It's dinner, can't I just go in jeans and a shirt?"

The short, blue-haired woman paused in her rummaging and turned to stare at the blonde. "'Jeans and a shirt'?" Lucy took it from her friend's tone that her suggestion was not acceptable. "We gotta get you looking cute!"

"Jeans and a shirt could be cute," Lucy muttered.

Levy popped her head up again. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing." Lucy knew it was better than to argue with her friend. Levy had majored in English and minored History with a specialization in historical literature. Her friend knew the ins and outs of an argument and could convince an apple that it was an orange.

"You're going to love the band! Music's good and the members are HOT!"

Lucy resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Levy. . .in case you forgot, I have Loke."

"I didn't forget. He's the one that forgot."

Ouch, Levy did make a good point (like always) and memories of her cancelled date with him came rushing back. She felt that familiar tug on her heart and had to take a deep breath to quell it.

Levy didn't miss the look on her friend's face. Actually, Levy was mixed in her opinion of Loke. Sure, he was a nice guy and treated Lucy well, really well, almost like a princess. However, there were things about him that she didn't like, such as canceling on plans regularly. She never knew that bankers were required to stay that long and work that much overtime. The rumors about him didn't help either. She had heard many of the women on campus, some in both her and Lucy's class, talking about their desires regarding a certain ginger banker with 'an incredible body and a dazzling smile'. As far as Levy knew, there was only one. She wouldn't go so far to say that Loke would cheat on Lucy, no, if that ever happened, she would make sure that Loke could never sleep with a woman again with a technique involving a rusty spoon and a sharp knife. His actions, though, left much to be desired, especially when it happened in front of his girlfriend. Some times Levy would quietly observe Loke's actions and it left a bitter taste in her mouth. One time she remembered that he had injected himself between two very attractive females at a bar when Lucy had excused herself to the restroom. Needless to say when the blonde came back, the double date was over.

"You're not seriously suggesting I wear a swimsuit to dinner, are you?"

Lucy's voice broke through Levy's walk down memory lane and she focused on the article of clothing in her hand. "Hey, you'd be the center of attention at least," she joked before tossing it aside. "Found it!" Lucy looked at the top that Levy was holding up. A pink ruffled halter top that Lucy had even forgotten that she owned. Leave it to Levy to rummage up something like that. "Aaand. . .this skirt!" With her other hand, Levy produced a white high-low skirt Lucy recognized as a recent purchase. She hadn't had a chance to wear it yet, the tags were still dangling on it.

"I still think jeans and a tshirt," Lucy joked and barely had time to dodge a pair of pants that sailed towards her, only to be hit in the face with the outfit Levy picked out.

"Just go change," Levy said, barely containing her laughter at her carefully aimed throw.

"What are you wearing?" Lucy asked, taking the clothes towards the bathroom. She eyed the blue-haired student's attire; black capris and a sleeveless orange top. Lucy wanted to ask why Levy loved orange so much, especially since her hair was blue but to each their own. Lucy had her fair share of pink things so she really had no right to judge.

"What I'm wearing is fine," Levy said, looking down at her outfit.

"You said no jeans!" Lucy exclaimed.

"They're capris, Lulu," Levy retorted. "Now go, I made reservations."

"Reservations? For dinner? Is it that nice of a restaurant?"

"Not the restaurant, the band," Levy explained. "Whenever they play, there's always a waitlist to get in. No waiting for us."

"You must really love this band," Lucy said, going into the bathroom to change. "Or is it someone in the band?"

Silence and then a bang and a pained yelp from her friend followed. "No!"

Lucy chuckled and finished changing before opening the door. "Are you sure?" She had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at her friend's impression of a tomato.

"Let's just go," Levy muttered, rushing past her towards the front door.

Lucy gathered her purse, glancing at the mess in her closet and let out a shake of her head. Making sure everything was turned off, Lucy slipped into a pair of white strappy heels and locked the door behind her. Levy was waiting for her at the end of the hallway, waving excitedly. "Hurry, slowpoke."

"Didn't you know that slow and steady wins the race?"

"Yeah but early bird gets the worm!"

Damn it.

Levy hadn't been kidding when she said there would be a waitlist. There was already a long line out the door by the time they arrived at the restaurant. Lucy felt a small sense of satisfaction walking past the long line to the front and Levy talking with the hostess about her reservation. The both of them ignored the glaring looks shot their way and were ushered to a table in front of the stage. Lucy could feel Levy vibrating and turned to see if she was okay. Clearly Levy was trying very hard not to cause a scene and managed to sit herself down.

"Calm down, Levy," Lucy said, chuckling at her friend. "You look like you just found out you've won the lottery."

"I have!" Levy blurted, her voice a bit loud. "This is the best seat to see the band!"

"Right, band. . ."

Lucy avoided Levy's gaze, thankful that there was nothing within Levy's reach that she could use as a projectile. She was even more thankful that Levy decided to peruse the menu, figuring that revenge could wait. Food was more important right now and there was a burger and French fries with her name on it. Levy had to have been thinking the same because they almost ordered the exact same thing.

There was nothing to do but wait now so Lucy took the time to check her phone, in case she had another message or a text waiting for her. Seeing nothing, she took the initiative and send a quick text to Loke.

[Out with Levy. Try not to overwork yourself.]

There was a pause as she stared at the screen before her phone buzzed and a new message popped up.

[Ok.]

That was it? Just a simple 'ok'? Lucy stared at her phone a bit longer. Maybe it was a mistake and he just pushed 'send' before he was done. Smartphones were tricky like that. One slip of the finger and messages would send without meaning to. A few more moments and it was clear that 'ok' was all she would get.

[Love you.]

[Yeah, me too.]

"Lulu, what's wrong?"

Lucy looked up at Levy and her concerned face and knew that she was causing her friend to worry. Smiling, she shook her head. "Nothing."

"Don't lie." Double damn. Sometimes it was hard having a best friend who could read you like a book.

"I'm not," Lucy looked Levy straight in the eyes. She carefully controlled her gaze, her facial features so she could convince the bluenette. The last thing she needed was to ruin an evening with her friend and bring her down too. "I swear."

Levy scrutinized the blonde sitting directly across from her. Her instincts told her that something was definitely wrong but she didn't want to push. Yes, she was Lucy's best friend and wanted to try and make everything right but she also knew that Lucy was a grown woman and not as weak as everyone thought she was. She could handle herself pretty well and Levy knew there were certain times where Lucy just needed to settle things her own way. This was one of those times.

"Okay, but you better not be a gloomy gus in front of the band!"

Lucky chuckled. "Why? It'll ruin your chances with someone?"

"Lucy!"

The blonde had a feeling that before the night was over, she would get something thrown at her, maybe a breadstick or a french fry or something.

A hush fell over the crowd and Levy let out a girly shriek as four guys walked to the front of the stage. "It's them!" Levy shrilled, hardly containing her excitement. Lucy looked over to the four guys and noticed that one had pink hair! It was unusual and oddly enough, it fit the owner relatively well. Lucy tried to imagine herself with dark pink hair and the image was enough to make her shudder and file it away in the 'never again' folder in her brain. And along with the pink hair, he wore an unusual looking scarf, at least the pattern wasn't something popular since she hadn't seen it before.

Looking away from Pink Hair, she saw another one who was relatively good looking but why the hell was he semi-naked?! So Pink Hair and Mr. Naked together with. . .her eyes strayed to the third person in the band. Piercings. So many piercings. There were piercings where Lucy had to wonder whether he was a masochist to get it pierced. And now the fourth member. Just how much gel did he put into his hair to make it stand like that? He was blonde just like her with a curious marking across his right eye; it was the shape of a lightning bolt. Lucy had to give it to Levy. They were nice to look at.

"Heya everyone. Thanks for comin' out tonight to see us. We are the DragonSlayers!" Pink Hair was talking now and by the applause given by the crowd, a lot of them liked the band. "Ain't gonna talk much because I know you're here to listen to music, not a speech." Looking around him, he nodded to his bandmates. "One…two…one, two, three, four!"

Lucy sat back and just watched the band play, her food momentarily forgotten in front of her. She had to admit that the group was eclectic, a bit. Pink Hair plus Mr. Naked plus Piercings and then Lightning Bolt didn't exactly seem, to Lucy, like they would form a band together but then again, who was she to judge? All that mattered was the music and she had to admit that she liked it. The melody itself was nice but then with the bass and a killer keyboard solo, Lucy was hooked.

"Lulu," came Levy's voice and she knew that tone. It was an I-told-you-so tone. "What was that about a boyfriend?"

Lucy's eyes locked with Levy's. Her face flushed. "I was not looking at them! I was enjoying the music!"

"Suuuuuure," came the mocking reply.

"I wasn't!" Lucy was adamant. Sure, the guys were nice to look at but that truly wasn't what she was looking at. She really was enjoying the music. "I already ha-." She paused when suddenly the singing became louder. She heard Levy gasp and she turned her head in time to see a very well defined chest meet her eyes. Looking up, she stared as Pink Hair stood in front of her, still singing, with a large grin on his face. He held out a hand as if waiting for her to take it. Unsure of what to do, Lucy just stared at him.

Before she had a chance to react, Pink Hair took a hold of her hand and held it for a moment. Lucy stared at him wide eyed, unsure how to react. She could see out of the corner of her eye, Levy was holding up her phone, recording every moment. Lucy made a mental note to delete this later on. She did not need to be reminded of this embarrassing moment after tonight.

After an indeterminably long time, Pink Hair finally let go of her hand and ran back to the stage to finish the number. After he was safely back on stage, Lucy hear a shrill squeal coming from her friend.

"Oh my god, Lulu!" Levy's eyes were shining, like she had diamonds for irises.

"Levy. . ." Lucy started to say.

"He held your hand!" Thanks Captain Obvious Levy, Lucy thought. She looked down at the hand he held and wondered why there was a lingering warmth. Was it purely her imagination? Shaking her head, Lucy reached in for her phone. Swiping in her passcode, she couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed that she still had no other text messages from Loke. "You're so lucky, Lucy!"

"Yeah, I suppose," she answered, without thinking.

"Natsu held your hand. THE Natsu."

Was that his name? It fit the singer well just like his pink hair and his oddly patterned scarf and the warmth that he left on her hand. Just thinking about it, Lucy felt the blush starting to creep up again. She quickly took a sip of water and jammed her phone into her purse. She was going to think about nothing but the food in front of her. Her stomach made a loud noise, suddenly deciding to remind her that she hadn't eaten anything yet.

The rest of the night passed without any more embarrassing episodes, thankfully and she and Levy managed to get out of the restaurant without drawing any more attention.

"Hey Lulu, wanna come over and spend the night?"

Lucy was sorely tempted to take Levy's offer. She could use some company and a tall mug of Levy's famous jasmine tea to help relax her. Her workload was piling up, though and ignoring it only meant that she would have to face it the next day, with the deadline approaching, fast. "I'd love to but I can't. I've got my paper on the Zodiac to write."

"Oh crabapples, the one for Literature?"

Lucy nodded. "Have you started?"

"I don't even have a topic yet!"

"Levy. . . "

"Okay maybe don't come over tonight! I have some research to do. But come over some other time okay?! Promise!"

"I promise, I promise. Now go and start on your paper!"

"Sorry Lulu!" The blue-haired girl rushed off and Lucy could only chuckle. Levy was a great student but sometimes she could be a little scatterbrained when she was stressed. Lucy wasn't worried though. Levy could read books fast. In their first term, Levy had already read the entire booklist within the first couple of weeks.

Heading home herself, Lucy kicked off her heels with a sigh, her feet glad to be flat on the ground. She headed into the bedroom to change out of the top and skirt and pulled on her familiar sweatpants and oversized shirt. Settling into her bed, she pulled her laptop closer to her. Opening up her paper, she stared at the screen, the blinking cursor mocking her. Cracking open her book, she flipped through a few pages, reading a few lines before closing it in frustration. No matter what she did, her brain refused to cooperate with her. She found herself rereading the same lines over and over again and the words seemed to make no sense.

Shoving away her materials to the edge, she flopped down on her bed and brought one of her pillows to cuddle. Reaching for her purse that hung on her bedpost, she again reached for the phone. Again, she was disappointed when she still didn't get anything, not even a phone call. Biting her lip, she called Loke.

"The number you have reached is not in service. Please hang up and try again."

What? Confused, she tried again and received the same message. What did that mean? Was Loke's phone off? Why would it be off? Did it run out of battery? It couldn't be. Loke was meticulous about keeping his phone charged and on him at all times. She had woken up a couple of times when Loke would come to spend the night to find him still on the phone, texting away or talking in a hushed tone. So why was it off now?

Something didn't feel right.

She spent the rest of the night thinking of different reasons why until she finally fell asleep, her phone resting on her chest. Strangely, that night, she dreamed of pink hair and a scarf.

Author's Note: Sorry if anyone seems a little OOC! Please leave feedback in a review!