NOTE: I KNOW SOME PEOPLE SKIP THESE BUT PLEASE READ! OK, so I don't write like other people, I write REALLY weird. I write short chapters. So if they seem bunched together in odd places, it's because I write them in seperate files and then combine them. So, sorry, but bear with me here!
Chapter 1: New Day, New Quests
Lucy breathed it all in: The peace, the serenity of the morning sun peaking through her pastel curtains. She felt like she was forgetting something, something that was going to happen... Eh, she'll probably remember later. She's probably just tired.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM. "Lucy! Come on, Lucy, let us in! We're hungry!" Oh. That was it. It was that, no matter where she was, noisy uno and noisy dous were SURE to be lurking around some corner. Oh, wait, scratch that. They couldn't lurk. They're too loud. BOOM BOOM BOOM. "Alright, Lucy, you asked for it!" Lucy saw a bright light down the stairwell, and groaned. Come ON, Natsu. Really? AGAIN? Lucy deeply wished for some of that serenity that was here fleetingly moments before, but knew it wasn't going to happen, so she sat up.
"Lucy! Still in bed? Get up, get up, we have to do a job!" Lucy shrugged the heavy comforter off her shoulders and stretched her arms. She looked at the clock. "Natsu, it is SEVEN IN THE MORNING. I LIKE TO SLEEP IN." Natsu tilted his head, as if he had never heard the concept before. "Igneel always made me get up when the stars go away... He says that's when the dream is over and the reality has begun..." Natsu got that faraway look in his eyes, the one you see and KNOW who he's thinking of. Way to make something petty turn into something heartfelt, Natsu. But I guess that's why I... Lucy shook her head and got up. Only when she was up did she realize...
"Lucy..." Natsu tried to smother his oncoming smile. "You're wearing underwear and a shirt." Lucy looked down and shrieked. Then it somehow became Natsu's fault ("A girl needs some time ALONE in the morning!") and she threw a pillow at him. She chased him out of her room and closed the door, sliding down to the floor. She put her head in her hands. Dang Natsu... What am I gonna do about you... And then, unconciously, she smiled.
"Lucy! Come on!" "Aye!" Lucy laughed a bit and shoved herself off the ground. "Alright, alright, wait a few minutes. Did I forget to mention that I'm a whiz at getting dressed?"
Lucy was correct: 30 seconds and she was down the stairs wearing a cute blue outfit and her typical-always-present celestial keys pouch/belt. Natsu looked up in surprise when she skidded to a stop in front of front of him, and he smiled. "Guess you're right. You DO get dressed fast." Lucy smiled at him, and, tugging Happy out of her fridge, they set off for Fairy Tail.
"Yes, but Natsu, the job says THREE people." Natsu gestured to Happy. "We've got Happy." Lucy flourished the job request in her hand in his face. "Natsu, read that little bit at the bottom." Natsu squinted and read out loud, "Animals do NOT count. I need three MAGES." Lucy grinned smugly. Natsu sighed. "Dang, I really wanted that job. Your rent, food, AND a good adventure. Well, back to the job board!" Lucy grabbed his collar and pulled him back. "Wait, wait, wait. WHY are we not just getting someone else to join us?" Natsu shrugged. "I just don't work well with anyone but you and Happy. And, WHY doesn't Happy count? He can FLY." Lucy shrugged back. She rattled off a list of names, all of which Natsu said no to, with explisite disgust and distaste for Gajeel and Gray.
"Well, no job for us then. It's already noon, if we don't get a third mage soon, we can kiss that job AND my rent goodbye." "AND me and Happy's food money!" Just then, someone tapped Lucy on the shoulder, and Lucy turned. "Excuse me, but you need a third mage?" Natsu IMMEDIATLY opened his mouth to say NO, but Gray Fullbuster held up a finger. "I wanna help. No charge." Lucy glanced out Natsu out of her periphial vision and quickly nodded, hushing Natsu's frantic protests. "Natsu, you've been on missions together before! You actually work... Quite well together!" Natsu, so stubborn, screamed NO and grabbed Lucy's arm.
"WE'RE Team Natsu and Lucy and Happy. WE are going, ALONE. Gray, stop following us." Gray jogged to catch up, and frowned. "Team Natsu and Lucy and Happy? What kind of a name is that?" Natsu opened his mouth to answer, but Gray answered "A STUPID one. How about... Team Lucy?" Lucy furrowed her eyebrows and Natsu shrugged and said smugly, "As long as your name has NOTHING associated with it, I'm fine with-" "No. How about Team Natsu?" Natsu looked hesitently at Lucy, then grinned at Gray who was grinding his teeth together. "Sure. Team NaLu." Lucy gave him a questioning glance. "Huh?" "Team NaLu. 'Na' for Natsu, and 'Lu' for Lucy! It's prefect. And Gray, go ahead and come! Just know WE'RE in charge."
'Big and Mature In Charge' Natsu ended as soon as the train lurched to life. Literally, five seconds and Natsu was GONE. Lucy ended up with his head in her lap, stroking his hair soothingly. Gray looked on with disgust, knowing full well that if he had to say something, say it when it would go in one flame-head ear and OUT the other. "Why do you put up with that? Doesn't it get... Annoying? Having him as a burden every time you leave town?"
Lucy shrugged. "I don't know, I kind've like it. Makes me feel like someone cares for me and I care for them. Gray's smug aura vanished and he frowed down at flame-brain. How come HE gets all the girls? How come Lisanna AND Lucy prefer NATSU over HIM?! Sure, he had Juvia, but she just got ANNOYING sometimes. He did somewhat like her, though, but that's not the point!
Lucy sighed and it brought his attention to her. Happy lay sleeping like a, well, a cat, and Lucy was smiling contently down at the idiot. Gray swallowed and it felt like hell. Watching her, so close to him, but then not on the same wavelengths. He REALLY liked her, even more then he liked Lisanna Straus all those years ago... He hadn't felt this way in a LONG time. He felt himself begin to sweat, and worried about Lucy looking up to see him looking at her like this. So he looked away, only to find his eyes sliding right back.
The train screeched to a stop, and Natsu jumped up and smiled at Lucy like nothing had happened. He noticed Gray glaring at him. "What's your problem, ice-brain?" Gray shrugged it off, he didn't need this right now. "Nothing." "No, ice-brain, what's your problem? You got a beef with me, you're superior on this quest, say it now." Lucy stepped in between them. "OK, boys, I know we're already here, but SO HELP ME, I'll call ERZA." Gray and Natsu immediatly turned and pleaded, 'no, no, no, no PLEASE O'MERCIFULE ONE!' and Lucy smiled and laughed it off. Gray's heart thumped in his chest, and so did Natsu's, but only the former knew why.
