Note: I have risen from the ashes! I have been born anew! I shouldn't be doing this but I have been in such a funk lately that I couldn't help myself. I needed to break back into the writing scene and this has kind of been swirling around my head a lot in recent months. (Just bear with me regarding my other stories. They have NOT been abandoned. They are simply taking a breather…a very long breather.)

Hope you enjoy this adventure!

Also! Where There's Smoke now has a lovely cover page from the talented and amazing fainttwinkling (tumblr!)

*Edited 3/9/2019 – Minor adjustments in sentence structures and wording. Added some additional dialogue.


Official Summary: Lucy, a cynical heiress, longs to find meaning in life. At a party she meets Natsu, a strange man who drags her into a world she never knew existed and never expected to be a part of. Greed, espionage and organized crime, it becomes a three way battle for her life - one to kill her, one to exploit her and one to save her.


Where There's Smoke

Chapter 1

Serendipity

Lucy had grown to hate parties.

Nothing about them was entertaining for her. Not the dancing, not the environment, and certainly not the company. All her life she had been forced to attend them and when she was not at them, she had to rehearse for them. Lucy was required to always be presentable and ladylike, especially when the upper echelons of society were present. Wealthy businessmen, lobbyists, politicians, even high ranking military officials – Heartfilia events was a breeding ground for corruption and pretension. The upper crust of society was the underbelly of humanity. Every part of it abhorrent.

At least, she consistently reminded herself, there was always the alcohol to make it a little more bearable, especially for moments such as these.

Lucy kept the practiced smile firmly in place as she listened to the man before her continue to boast about his fortune, as if it were truly something that would charm her. Lucy Heartfilia, heiress to the Heartfilia Conglomerate and its subsequent capital, could not be impressed by riches. She had been drowning in them her entire life. And people were constantly trying to appeal to her with things, never with thought. Despite existing amongst a sea of such bottomless wealth, she never understood how they were all so shallow.

She held a hand up, halting the conversation he was having with himself. "I'm terribly sorry but I really must entertain the other guests as well."

He was flummoxed at her blasé attitude as she politely removed herself. If she offended any of her father's potential business deals she would never hear the end of it from him. So she consistently had to be mindful of how she spoke to people, especially at these events. As much as they seemed a way to mingle and relax, it was simply a business meeting that served too much alcohol. Her father preferred it that way, so that he could get clients' spirits high and shake a couple extra hundred thousand out of them. And if they tried to backpedal, he would come after them, teeth bared and claws out, and in the end get even more. The only thing greater than her father's wealth was his hunger for more. A completely shameless avarice.

She could not fathom why and how people put up with his aggressive and manipulative tactics but being tied to the Heartfilia name was an automatic seal for success. Most were content throwing themselves into the fray at the cost of a metaphorical limb and literal dignity. Though the one she was born into, it was never meant to be a life for her.

"Lucy, darling!"

The shrill voice interrupted her thoughts and she instinctively reverted into her gracious heiress poise. It was nearly impossible for her to make it three steps without being stopped by someone, whether she knew them or not was a different story all together.

She recognized the woman. She could count the times she had spoken to her on one hand though. "Mrs. Ryuzetsu, how nice to see you." Her and her husband owned the ever popular resort Ryuzetsu Land that were scattered across Ishgar. She was nice enough but the few times she had spoken to her, the conversations always went the same way. It irked her.

"Oh, please. You can call me Lani." She waved her off. "Are you engaged yet? You know, my Evan is still single and thinks very highly of you. Why not give him a call sometime soon? He would be simply elated to hear from you. Just last month, he purchased—" She kept talking but Lucy tuned it out.

This happened often. She was frequently getting marriage proposals from men she did not know and attempts to be setup by overbearing mothers she did not like. At the ripe age of twenty-four, Lucy was Fiore's most eligible bachelorette. Her relationship status was a hot topic for the high society, highly scrutinized and hotly debated – thinking that it would be in her best interest to marry soon before she hits the undesirable age of 30.

Many of her so called suitors acted as if she were a prize to be won and displayed. It was the last thing Lucy wanted to be treated like – an object, left to be shielded from anything and anyone. Only meant to be bragged about and looked upon, never truly touched or cherished.

It was nauseating to think about. But if there were one kind thing she could say of her father, it was that he had the decency to never force her to marry anyone. Granted, he still wanted her to find someone that would suit his interests as well but she gladly accepted this one and only kindness from him. Perhaps he understood that this would be the final act to push her away entirely and he figured the risk wasn't worthy the reward.

Lani had finally taken a breath. "So what do you think? I can call him for you right now." She was already opening her clutch to grab her cell phone.

"Oh, Mrs. Ryuzetsu, my father is waving me over. Do excuse me." She stepped away quickly before she got trapped in another conversation she did not want to be a part of.

She wove through the throngs of people, nodding and smiling her greetings but not stopping for anyone. It was time for her to take a break, find some silence and space and just be alone. She would have to sneak past security because whoever she told would insist on following her wherever she went. Something about them not wanting to leave an heiress to a multibillion dollar corporation alone. She was flippant about that argument. It did not concern her either way when all she wanted was to breathe fresh air in a quiet place.

Walking up to the security guarding her ideal escape route, she motioned for him to lean in and pointed a finger in a general direction. "Excuse me but I believe there is a gentleman vomiting in the topiary over there."

With an exasperated eye roll and sigh of disapproval, he nodded and walked past her, alerting his team of a temporary vacancy at his sector. She had seen enough of such shenanigans at these events to know, especially of her own detail, that this would leave a brief window of an unattended exit and an opportune moment.

Lucy left the main hall, slinking through the door unseen, the guests too absorbed in conversations and alcohol to notice. Upon rounding the corner she immediately felt the air around her lift, no longer thick and stifling from the innumerable guests crowded into one room. She continued her escape, desperate to be free from an updo too tight, a gown too suffocating and a smile too forced. The majority of the staff were preoccupied with entertaining the guests so a fair portion of the mansion would be empty and it was the perfect moment for her to take break from everything.

She tugged at the pins that bound her hair, expertly loosening her confined tresses. Even with such a simple thing she already felt exponentially better. She sighed in relief as she walked out onto the balcony, resting against the intricate balustrade.

"The things I would give to get out of here," she whispered to herself as she closed her eyes, letting the crisp night wind dance across her skin. She leaned her head back, dark eyes opening to observe the sea of stars above her.

She longed for independence and every time she looked to the stars she felt that same pull, desperately wanting to break free and fly across the sky, go where no one could stop her.

It was with her mother, fifteen years ago, that she first saw a shooting star. And it was in that moment that she fell in love with them. Her and her mother would spend entire nights with them, finding constellations, making up new ones and waiting for another shooting star. It had become their little freedom. They had been her fondest memories and her mother was her best friend.

Her mother fell ill soon after. It was sudden and aggressive. And even with all the financial assets and the world's finest doctors, there was nothing that could be done.

They never did get to see that second shooting star together.

In only one year, her mother had succumbed to her illness. And her father, though never particularly forward with his emotions, grew more distant and irritable and buried himself deeper within his work. Lucy had become neglected and the only time he had for her was to tell her to get out. It did not take long before she stopped trying to reach out to him.

Alone and heartbroken, Lucy again found herself looking to the stars for help, for answers and for companionship. What had always made her so happy though now only seemed to be a bearer of sorrow. And to this day that bittersweet air was always lingering when she looked to the sparkling night sky.

"I'm still waiting for your help, you know." She whispered, praying her words would not be lost in that vast abyss that housed them. As she had done so many nights before, she patiently waited for their response.

"What are you doing out here all alone?"

Lucy yelped and quickly spun around, startled by the unwelcome visitor. "Wha-what are you doing here?" She snapped, glaring at the strange man, silently observing him. He was tall, muscular. "My bodyguards will realize I'm missing in about three minutes." It was a bluff.

"Wait, hang on." He held his hands up and took a small but noticeable step back. "Nothing like that, just got a little lost on my way to the john."

"Yes, clearly." She deadpanned, relaxing slightly. She still refused to take her eyes off him. He didn't look like a traditional guest and she was curious who or what he was affiliated with. His hair was an unkempt mess and he wore no tie, the top two buttons of his black dress shirt undone. The worn scarf that was draped over shoulders wasn't something typically paired with a fancy suit but strangely worked, as if it were a part of himself. An eccentric millionaire was her guess. "Go back the way you came and make a right. There's an usher who can point you in the right direction."

"Thanks," he smiled at her. A little too enthusiastically she thought, considering the nature of their conversation. But years of seeing fake smiles and rehearsing her own she could see, plain as the one on his face, that it was genuine.

And without realizing or expecting it, she found herself smiling back at him. "This area is technically off limits so you should head back before they throw you out."

"Ah, that's why it's so empty." He turned back to the double doors that lead to the balcony, hands on his hips and nodding in understanding. He's odd. She thought. "Well that makes sense." Lucy blanched, worried that she said it aloud but he grinned at her over his shoulder, the same way he had just seconds ago. "I'll head back and stay out of trouble."

He was only three steps away before he turned around, stopping arm's length away from her. He held a hand out. "By the way, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Natsu." He smiled. "Natsu Dragneel."

She lifted her hand to his, delicately, as she had been trained to do. "Lucy Heartfilia." She waited for him to kiss it, as they always did, or for him to try smooth talk her, as they always did , or both, as most did – especially after learning her name.

But he did neither.

Instead, he grimaced, confusion contorting his face. He awkwardly grasped her fingers and shook her hand. "Okay then." He said simply. "Nice to meet you, Lucy. You're kind of weird."

"What?" Lucy shouted, abandoning all decorum that had been ingrained in her since childhood. This man was utterly incorrigible and hopelessly clueless. "You come wandering over here with that lame bathroom excuse and you have the audacity to call me odd?"

"Weird." He corrected.

"Whatever!" She spun around quickly, crossing her arms over chest and muttering frustrations to herself.

"Being weird isn't a bad thing." He stepped forward and leaned his arms against the balustrade, looking up at the stars the same way she had been minutes ago. "I mean, doesn't it just mean you're unique? Like all those stars up there. They're all different. I am, you are, Jimmy working the valet is. So don't worry too much about someone calling you odd."

She smiled, hands finding their way to the cold stone next to his arms. "Weird."

"Whatever." He mimicked.

They stood in comfortable silence just a few minutes and for the first time in a long time that lingering sadness had lifted and she could truly enjoy the twinkling lights above her. She hoped that this feeling would never her leave again. After years of being without it, she had long forgotten the way the happiness they brought her felt like. And now she could not bring herself to separate from its embrace.

"I should head back, it's probably about time to get moving anyway." He eventually said.

"Ah, yes, of course." She realized in that moment that if he were to go back in now, he would be in quite a bit of trouble for entering a restricted area. "There will likely be a guard already of the door. If he gives you trouble, just say I invited you out here."

"They won't believe that." He said knowingly.

"Right," she laughed. She took a moment to think of something only she would be able to tell someone. If they were going to get upset at anyone it could be her, it wasn't as if they could actually punish her. They will just give her the usual spiel of the dangers of walking around unattended. "Just say 'Miss Spetto won't like you picking on Lucy's friends' and that should work." None of them would want to get on Miss Spetto's bad side so she figured it was the most effective way to deter them. Natsu proved to be of no harm to her so she figured she would help him out.

He chuckled. "Got it, thanks."

She politely dipped her head, a silent acceptance of his thanks.

Natsu pushed himself back, walking to the empty hallway. "Oh, one last thing before I go," he announced. She rolled her eyes but acknowledged. "I would recommend you not drink anymore tonight. You reek of booze."

Her face burned. "What is with you?" She yelled as he scampered off, leaving her alone once again. Her anger was shallow and short lived. She had enjoyed their little bantering but she had no clue how to respond, she just reacted. It was a foreign experience, not having to tiptoe around a conversation and talk with a feigned graciousness. She was able to be herself, not the Lucy everyone expected her to be. And never had she encountered such a peculiar man. Another testament to just how sheltered she was. "He is so weird." She whispered through an exasperated smile.

With a resigned sigh, she walked back to the main hall, prepared to plunge herself back into the fray.