"Alright everybody, listen up!" Mira growled, her eyes glowing slightly and a dark presence swirling behind her. The rowdy guild instantly went silent, sinking back into their chairs in fear. Mira gave them one last glare before her sweet aura came back with a smile. "I assume you all know why you're here, right? I think we all can agree it's time for Natsu and Lucy to get their acts together."
"I'm sick of those side long gazes they keep tossin' at each other," Gray huffed, crossing his arms over his bare chest.
"Gray, clothes," Lisanna whispered from behind him, carefully avoiding her gaze. Gray looked down at himself in surprise before muttering curses and getting up to look for the missing articles. Juvia nearly fainted as he passed by, having to be held up by Jet and Droy.
"I agree with Th' Stripper," Gajeel spoke up, leaning on the table with a sigh. "Salamander talks a big talk, but he can't even get the guts to tell Bunny Girl he likes 'er. It's jus' pathetic." He shook his head sadly.
"Like you're one to talk, Gajeel, have you told Le-" Gajeel cut Wakaba off with a harsh glare that sent the old man falling off his barrel. The small blue-haired Mage beside him gave him a curious look before turning to Mira.
"I also want Lu-chan to be happy! I'm tired of seeing them deny their feelings," Levy piqued up, glancing discreetly at Gajeel. The iron dragon slayer coughed and looked away, a small blush on his cheeks.
"Well said, Levy," Mira said with a nod, turning back to the guild. "So then we're all in agreement; we are going to get Natsu and Lucy together!"
Most of the guild cheered in agreement, but still a few looked skeptical.
"Not that I don't want Blondie and Salamander to be happy and all, but what do we get outta it?" Laxus called from the back corner, sounding incredibly bored. His troop also nodded, murmuring about rewards. Mira smirked at this, giving a wink to Laxus before smirking down at the guild.
"I'm glad this was brought forth, but I've already come up with a solution. Let's have a little competition, shall we? Everyone must put in 200 jewels. You can work in groups or by yourself, but whoever gets the two of them together will get the money."
"Hmm, there's about 30 of us so that's what...6,000 jewels? Heh, I'm in," Gray smirked, returning to his seat fully clothed, although who knew how long that'd last.
"I will definitely get those two together! It's manly!" Elfman roared. A bunch of other guild members began bickering and teaming up. Juvia latched onto Gray as soon as the bickering started, glaring threateningly at anyone who came close to her Gray-Sama.
"Wanna team up, Mira-nee," Lisanna asked, skipping up to her sister.
"Of course! Together we will be the ultimate matchmaking team!" Mira began to laugh evilly. Lisanna giggles along with her and together they start planning out operation Nalu.
When Lucy came into the guild the next day, she picked up the change in atmosphere quickly. All the guild members smirked evilly at her, and Cana did a catcall that left her blushing and confused. Then Levy came up to her, smiling and clutching a book in her hands.
"Morning, Lu-chan!" She cheered, holding out said book so Lucy could see it was the latest update to her story that she'd given the girl the previous day. Lucy knew Levy liked her story, and she knew the bluenette worked fast, but she was still surprised to see she'd finished it so quickly.
"Good morning Levy-chan, did you finish already?" Lucy asked, grabbing the book from her outstretched hands. Levy nodded excitedly, her smile growing larger.
"Oh, yes, and it was a very good chapter Lu-chan! One of your best!" Levy gushed loudly, drawing the attention of a couple closer guild members. Lucy noticed Laxus' pack watching her from the back corner intently, causing shivers to counter the blush on her cheeks.
"Oh, thanks Levy-chan! Anyway, I won't be done with my next one for a while so you'll have to wait...uh," Lucy pulled Levy over to the side, away from the stares of the guild. "Is there something I'm missing? Do I have something on my face?"
"No, I have no idea what you're talking about," Levy said, her cheer a little too forced. "But Lu, there was something I wanted to ask you about your chapter."
"Um, okay," she nodded, thrown by the direction of this conversation.
"Well," levy said, looking down bashfully, "it's just that your story has a really strong theme of love, and I think it's great, but you told me you've never been in love before. How can you describe it so accurately?"
"Hmm, I guess I-wait. Did you just ask how I described it so accurately?" Lucy smirked, looking down at the bluenette. Levy's face instantly went red, and she began to shake her head viciously.
"I-I wasn't insinuating that I knew what love f-felt like, I've just read m-many books on it. T-that's all!" She said indignantly, blushing harder when she saw the smirk on Lucy's face.
"Oh I perfectly understand Levy-chan," Lucy nodded, leaning forward. "Is it Gajeel?"
"N-n-no! Why would you think that, Lu-chan!" Levy cried, slapping her cheeks and shaking her head. Lucy laughed and patted Levy's arm comfortingly.
"Don't worry, I won't tell metal head," she assured. Levy nodded thankfully, but then looked up at Lucy questioningly.
"Metal head? Isn't that what Natsu calls him?"
"Hmm? I guess it wore off on me," Lucy shrugged, giving Levy a smile. "So what's really going on here? Unless I've done something to Laxus, I don't think Team Thunder over there should be staring me down so intently."
"Oh, I don't know," Levy shrugged, swirling a strand of hair around her finger. "Where's Natsu, he usually comes down with you. Even happy's not here."
"Natsu went fishing with Happy. I passed up in the offer, but I think I might be reconsidering since half the guild looks like they want to devour me," Lucy glanced around nervously.
"Well, I should get going," Levy said suddenly, smiling at Lucy. "Good luck!" She turned and ran off.
"Good luck with what?" Lucy called after her, but didn't hear the reply as someone wrapped their arm around her shoulders, and the smell of booze filled her nose.
"Lucy," someone slurred. Lucy narrowed her eyes.
"Cana."
Levy ran out the back door of the guild, unsurprised to see a familiar dark haired dragon slayer leaning there. He stood up as she stumbled out, watching her with dark eyes.
"How'd it go, shrimp?" Gajeel asked and Levy's face went bright red again with memory.
"Not good, she turned the topic around and I couldn't get it back, but I do know where Natsu is," she said helpfully. She was surprised when Gajeel and Lily had suggested teaming up, and she didn't want to be dead weight. She bowed her head slightly, and was pushed down even more when someone put their hand on her head.
"Ya did good, shrimp. Bunny girl is pretty tricky unless you ask 'er head on, I shoulda told ya that." Gajeel removed his hand a Levy looked up to see him smiling, turning her body to mush. She smiled back, then remembered what she was going to say.
"Right! Lucy said Natsu and Happy went fishing and I remember she told me they fish at Mooberry creek because Happy likes the trout there," she related.
"Great, guess we're goin' fishin. You stay 'ere Shrimp, we'll wrap this up," Gajeel waved and started off, his nose leading him towards the salamander. Levy waved after him and sighed, going back inside the guild with a smile on her face.
"So, you and Natsu," Canna said, pulling away to look at the blonde. Lucy had been uncomfortably dragged to the back of the guild, and was now sitting in a chair in the cellar, surrounded by Mira, Lisanna, and Cana.
She jerked at Cana's sudden and rather suggestive question. "What're you talking about? Natsu and I are just partners."
"Don't give us that crap, Lucy," Mira said sweetly, but her smile was evil. "We all know you like him. It's obvious."
"Well then you all need you eyes checked, because I don't like him," Lucy said, glancing up at Lisanna. "Come on, you don't seriously believe this, do you? What happened to you liking him?"
"Oh, that was ages ago. Besides, I saw how he looked at you and knew anything I did would just get in the way of true love," she gushed, and Lucy felt her sliver of salvation slip away.
"Well, there's no true love because I don't like him and he doesn't like me," Lucy insisted firmly, although her cheeks were pinking slightly.
"Your cheeks say otherwise," Cana sang teasingly.
"Just because this is a weird conversation," Lucy fought back, willing the heat away.
"I heard you and Natsu sleep together, is that right?" Mira queered, and Lucy couldn't keep the blush from lighting up her face.
"T-that's misinterpreted. We only sleep in the same bed, not t-together," Lucy shivered at the thought.
"I still count it. What's it feel like, being so close to all that heat? Oh, do you two cuddle? Natsu seems like a cuddler," Mira squealed.
"N-no we do not!" Lucy denied, even though she had woken up on many occasions where here face was pressed into his arm and his other arm wrapped around her waist. She also didn't admit that in those moments she felt really happy, like nothing could touch her and-she forced her mind to stop thinking, her face feeling on fire.
"I think you do, and I think you like it," Cana laughed, smirking evilly.
"Alright fine!" Lucy gave in. "So what if I like him, just a little bit? He's too dense to notice anything!" She fought, folding her arms. The three girls above her shared a look.
"I wouldn't worry about that for too much longer, but I say you should go straight up to him and tell him," Lisanna suggested, placing her hands on Lucy's shoulders.
"W-what? No way! He'll just laugh at me, or reject me, or something!" Lucy tried to escape their grip, but all three had latched onto her like leeches and were carting her rudely up the stairs, despite her protests.
The whole guild turned to watch as the three carted the struggling blonde up into the main room, knowing perfectly well what was going on and sighing in defeat.
"Juvia and Gray-Sama did not even get a chance!"
"You three just dragged her off!"
"Look, it's happening!"
Different shouts and cheers surrounded Lucy as they carted her towards the only brightly colored head in the mass of people.
"Hey Natsu! Lucy has something she wants to tell you," Mira called, and said pinkette turned away from talking to Gajeel to look at the girl's hostage curiously. He looked surprised to see it was Lucy, despite that Mira had just told him so, and looked a little...flustered?
"Um, why are you dragging Lucy over here?" Natsu asked quitly, but his voice carried as suddenly the entire guild quieted. He blushed slightly, looking around questioningly.
"That's because Lucy has something to tell you," Mira said, pushing the blonde forward. Lucy looked limp and absolutely petrified in the she-devil's grasp. Natsu frowned, not liking the nervous aura that was surrounding the blonde. He remembered Gajeel's words from earlier, about a dragon's need to always protect one person. He was smart enough to know the iron slayer had been pointing towards Lucy, but it was odd to feel and recognize the sensation.
"I-I-I...um, I...I...I'm not doing this," she shook her head and hands in denial, trying to turn away, but finding herself face to face with three angry girls. Natsu watched with narrowed eyes as they corralled Lucy forward, and Cana even reached forward and, with a smirk, pushed Lucy back. The blonde tripped over the many feet around her, and Natsu moved forward quickly, wrapping both arms around her waist and pulling her back against his chest. As it always seemed to happen when he held her, Natsu began to feel warmer and knew that his face would have been a blushing mess if he'd had a skin color as light as Lucy's.
"Oi! What was that for?" Natsu growled, glaring at the giggling girl. Usually he'd think she was drunk, but she seemed uncommonly sober.
"We can't let her get away before she confesses," Cana explained, laughing again. Mira elbowed her in the side, causing her to gasp, while Natsu frowned in confusion. He still had his arms around Lucy, despite the fact that she seemed to be trying to escape his grip.
"Confess what?" That stilled the struggling blonde. She seemed to deflate as she turned slowly. Natsu noticed her red cheeks and the fear in her eyes, causing apprehension to bloom in his stomach. "What's going on?"
"W-well, I um," Lucy bowed her head, taking in a deep breath. "Natsu I like you! I've liked you for a long time, so long I think I might love you!"
The whole guild went silent, including the fire dragon slayer. Lucy was still shaking though, and now her whole upper body seemed to go red. She tried to step back, out of Natsu's grip, but suddenly he was pulling her towards him. She squealed when her cheek hit his chest, swallowed up by his warmth.
"I love you too," he said, and it took Lucy a minute to realize that he was whispering. His breath was warm and tickled her ear, but it still made her feel weak.
"R-really?" She gasped, clutching his vest.
"Yup!" He exclaimed, suddenly sweeping her legs out from under her. She screeched when her feet left the ground and closed her eyes, expecting to drop. Instead she felt someone grab her back and suddenly she was being kissed.
Natsu's lips were warm and kind of dry, but Lucy didn't think that anything had tasted sweeter. She sunk into his kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. He pulled away a moment later and smiled down at her. She was shocked to see that even his dark skin had a red flush to it.
"Now you're mine," he said lowly, smirking. The next second he had her in his arms and was walking through the crowd, glaring at all the others. "Forever," he said, and exited the bar.
It was quiet for a long minute. After that minute though there were cheers, especially loud from the three girls who were now holding 2,000 jewels each.
"Told you it'd work!" Mira said, practically crying.
"Ultimate matchmaking team!" Lisanna yelled.
"Oh, i'll have so much booze," Cana cried, hugging the jewels.
"Hey, we get some of that money, too," Levy spoke up, crossing her arms. The tall man beside her also frowned, his cat hissing.
"What? No way," Cana shook her head, holding her money closer. "We were the ones who got Lucy to confess."
"And we were the ones who brought the fire idiot here," Gajeel supplied, smirking evilly as the realization dawned on the other three.
"What a bummer," Mira sighed, handing over half of her jewels to Levy. Lisanna gave half to Lily and Cana reluctantly handed over half of her share to the glaring dragon slayer.
"You know, we could make a business out of this," Lisanna said later on, after most of the guild had calmed down.
"You're right," Cana hiccuped, slamming down her mug and smiling. "And I think I've got the perfect candidates."
"Already ahead of you," Mira giggled. All three girl's eyes darted over to the trio who'd stolen half of their hard earned reward. Lisanna laughed.
"Revenge will be sweet."