"What'd you end up writing your paper about, Lucy?"
Lucy groaned. When Levy had asked her, she'd stared wide eyed, mind blank. She couldn't recall anything about a paper being due at first. No, her head was full of the hours of history notes she'd taken. A class that she was interested in, but would ultimately hold no benefit to her future career. But, no. It wasn't a history paper due.
It was a six page philosophy paper she had due in less than twenty four hours.
So, here she was, walking up the stairs to the library at ten-thirty with zero idea of what she was going to write. She was hoping that she would sit and the words would come to her like they usually did, but she was tired, her mind sluggish and she had a feeling it wasn't going to be so easy.
She flinched at the loud squeak of the library door. The warm air in the building eased away the chill in her skin.
She hadn't been expecting so many people. Then again, it was finals week. They were all trying to squeeze as much information into their heads as quickly as they could.
She stood on her toes as she looked for an open computer. She sagged in disappointment when she didn't see one.
Of course not. Just her luck. This paper counted towards 15 % of her grade and she wasn't even going to get it done.
Maybe she could get an extension. Yeah, she could definitely try that. She had just pulled up her email on her phone when she spotted someone getting up. She double checked to make sure that they were actually leaving before she darted towards the open computer, the zippers on her bag bouncing against each other with each step.
Her fingertips grazed the back of the chair to pull it out when a body slammed against her, shoving her to the side. Lucy lost her balance and fell in a heap on the floor.
She cursed, looking up to see who had shoved her, for a damned computer no less, and was met with the greenest eyes she had ever seen.
Natsu Dragneel. She'd seen him around often enough. They even had a class together.
"Whoa, I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention."
He ran a hand through his hair before holding out a hand to her. She accepted it, even though she was a little annoyed. She stood and brushed off her bottom.
"It's fine. Just pay attention next time, okay?"
He nodded and when they both reached for the chair, her irritation rose. Did he really think he was going to use it? She was here first!
"I've got a paper due tomorrow, so if you could go so I can get started, that'd be great."
"What? No way!" He stared at her like she had grown two heads. "I need to finish my bio assignment." He told her, as if somehow that bit of information would get her to change her mind.
"Tough luck. I was here first." She set her bag in the chair, claiming it.
He only smirked at her, then shoved the chair aside. She watched in annoyance as he made to sit on his knees, reaching for the mouse.
She snatched it before he could, dragging it towards her. His eyes narrowed and she swore she heard him growl.
Or maybe she just really needed to sleep. Yeah, that was probably it.
He stood and reached for the mouse and Lucy stretched her arm away from him, pulling the mouse as far as the cord would allow.
She hadn't expected him to lean over her body, his long fingers skimming the inside of her wrist. She tried to move even farther away, but the cord was already pulled tight. He pried it from her fingers and yanked it back his way, triumphant.
His triumph didn't last long. He'd pulled his arm back too quickly and when his elbow smacked into the tower Lucy heard him inhale sharply. She watched as he turned and tried to catch it before it tumbled off the edge of the table. Then noise it made as it hit the ground made her cringe.
In seconds, the librarian was at their side, glaring over the rim of her glasses.
And the next morning Lucy entered the library to see her face plastered on the wall, right beside Natsu's. She groaned more at the use of her I.D. photo than the fact that she was banned from using the computers for the entirety of spring semester.
When Natsu came in right behind her and pouted at the sight of their fate, she laughed and guided towards the 'hidden' lab in Dreyar Hall.
When classes resumed in January, anyone who walked by that lab around eight p.m. could hear them both in there, laughing more often than they studied.