Okay guys, so this is just a short story birthed from my frustration at the latest chapter of Fairy Tail. I find myself completely annoyed at the way Mashima keeps destroying any chance for Lucy's character to shine. Every time he sets up a scene where Lucy is in a position to kick ass, he kills it - either by having her get decimated by the competition or by having Natsu save her. We've seen her be bad ass in the past, and I can't understand why he won't let her be so again. So, here's my story, my plea...

MASHIMA PLEASE...

Lucy scowled down at the drink in her hand. Today was just not her day, nor was the day before apparently, or the one before that. In a word, she was frustrated. She liked her life, enjoyed her job, loved her friends. She didn't have a man at the moment, but she was okay with that. The only thing that marred the landscape of her world was him...Hiro Mashima.

It wasn't that she disliked him. In fact, the truth was that she admired him, adored his work even, but she couldn't for the life of her understand why he wrote her character the way he did. Lucy related to the woman she played in the show, Fairy Tail. Hell, they even had the same name. Of course, so did everyone else that starred in the series.

Regardless, the point was that Lucy felt a kinship with her, and that meant that she took her role very seriously. Which was why she was having such a hard time at the moment. For some reason that Lucy couldn't fathom, Mashima seemed determined to write her character as a girl who always needed saving. She couldn't understand it, especially when previously he'd written such wonderful scenes for her in the Fantasia arc. The episode where her character had saved Loke was especially catching, and Lucy had been immensely proud of the way it had turned out.

The Tower of Heaven arc had also shown her in a favorable light, when she had performed a unison raid with Juvia's character to defeat Vidaldus. Then the show had moved on to Edolas, where she had been one of the only ones that could use their magic. Her character had come across as strong and determined, and Lucy had loved every moment of it. But that was where, it seemed to her, her highlights had ended.

At first, when they had entered the Grand Magic Games arc, Lucy had been excited. The thought of all the fight scenes involved thrilled her. It would show how hard she worked and give her fans a chance to really see her character shine. But after the scene with Flare, she'd realized that Mashima had no intention of playing up her strengths.

The Lucy in the show had come out of that, and the subsequent fight with Minerva, looking pitiful, like a girl to be pitied and sheltered. And that just pushed all her buttons, because she had busted her ass training with Capricorn for that very reason. She had wanted to be able to pull her own weight when it came time to act out the scenes for the battles she'd known were coming up.

When she'd first began reading over the script for the fight with Flare, she'd felt a flash of enthusiasm. Mashima had written her part as a strong, worthy opponent, one she knew would be a real challenge to play. She'd been completely stoked...until she'd gotten to the part where Flare would cut off any avenue of her winning. Flare would cheat, and then, with her character waiting for something to happen, Natsu would step in, realizing that Flare was threatening to harm Asuka, and once again save the day.

Then there'd been the tease of her using the incredibly powerful spell, Urano Metria, but that had gone awry as well. The crowd hadn't known that Raven Tail had cheated, but the fans would. Still, she'd come out of that one robbed of her chance to show her skills physically as an actor. The fight with Minerva had been even worse. In that one, she'd done nothing but taken a beating, both in the show and in her popularity.

She'd begun to notice that many of Fairy Tail's fans had begun to think of her character as weak. It was startling to realize that the role she loved playing was being pitied and so many found it lacking. She'd found herself becoming far more annoyed the longer she thought of it. She couldn't understand why it was happening, because she felt like her character had so much more to offer than Mashima was allowing her to show.

Why? Why did he want to show her in that light? She wanted him to write the role as fierce, the way he used to, not as some pathetic girl that Natsu always had to help.

Sighing, she slumped in her seat. She wasn't even sure why exactly it bothered her so badly. The show wasn't real, and her career was going well. She supposed it was just that she cared so much what the fans thought of this character. She wanted them to love it just as much as she did, and her personal fans certainly did. They were a loyal bunch, many of them touting the same grievances that she had.

But a large number of Fairy Tail's fans had expressed their annoyance at her character, calling her sad and weak next to Erza's and Mirajane's. Both of them had been shown as tough and hard as nails. Both had done wonderful fight scenes. Why not her?

Lucy took another drink. She was doing a piss poor job of drowning her sorrows. How was she to ever accomplish that if she only sipped at one drink all night? Firming her resolve, she downed the remainder in a single go.

The shot stung her eyes, making her curse, but for some strange reason, she felt proud of herself. Raising her hand to the bartender, she signaled for another, not noticing when someone dropped heavily into the seat beside her.

"Hey, what're you doing here?"

Turning her head toward the sound, she found herself with a rather unlikely companion. "I could ask you the same question."

The long-haired man smirked. "But I asked you first."

She hummed as she realized he was correct and shrugged. "I'm drinking away my problems," she said as if it was obvious.

"What problems?" Gajeel snorted.

"Hah! What problems? Have you seen some of the things our fans have been saying about me? My character looks wimpy! Mashima keeps writing me all boring," the blonde complained.

The man beside her took a moment to order himself a drink, before huffing. "You think you're the only one that's frustrated? He barely gives me any screen time at all."

"Yeah, but even with my screen time, I'm constantly getting saved. 'Oh Natsu help me! I couldn't possibly handle this one little villain on my own!' It's annoying as hell," she griped.

Gajeel snorted at her explanation. "Oh yeah, the fan favorite. It's always Natsu. Mashima always writes him saving the day. Can't have me doing it once in a while. Hell, even when he does have me kicking ass, he ends up making Natsu push me out of the scene."

"GMG," she commiserated with a groan. "Don't remind me."

"Yeah, he fucked up your fights too, didn't he?"

Lucy didn't answer the question. There was no need really. Everyone knew her fight scenes had bombed. Instead, she dropped her head to the bar with a comical groan. "Why does he hate us so much?"

"Who the fuck knows..."

There was silence for a moment, both lost in their own thoughts until Lucy spoke again. "You know, I don't even mind Natsu being so kick ass, or Erza, or Laxus, or Mira, or you even for that matter. I just...why can't he write me that way? Why can't I be the one that saves the day once?"

"Yeah...same here." Gajeel's shoulders drooped. "Damn, now I feel like shit. You know...you're depressing as hell."

Lucy looked over to find him frowning at her, and she grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. Wanna get drunk with me?" she asked, trying to make up for ruining his mood.

"What the hell. Might as well," he muttered.

"Oh look who's a poet and didn't know it!"

He arched a brow at her. "That was pitiful, you know that right?"

She shrugged, offering no excuse for her sad attempt at a joke. "Yeah yeah. So...shots?"

"Hell yeah, that sounds good." Calling out their order to the man behind the bar, he turned back to her and asked, "You're not a lightweight, are you?"

"I guess you'll just have to find out," she returned with a devious grin. She was already feeling better, knowing someone else was in this boat with her. Though who would have known it would be Gajeel that she'd find such a commonality with?

Another hour and who knew how many shots later, Lucy found herself leaning towards the man beside her. There was something she'd been wondering about for a while now, and the liquid courage in her system was giving her just enough balls to finally ask it. "So Gajeel...has Levy taken your sexy ass for a ride yet?"

She knew the instant the words were out, that she had just changed things. So far, their conversation had stayed firmly in the friend zone. What she'd just done very effectively pushed them out of that comfortable area and into the unknown.

But now, he was looking at her like she'd finally done something interesting. His expression was curious, not angry or closed off. He didn't seem to mind the question, and that set her mind at ease, calming her jumping nerves. She definitely hadn't wanted to offend him, but when she drank, her mouth had the tendency to get away from her.

Raising a brow, he smirked and answered, "No, that shit's not gonna happen."

His quick response encouraged her, igniting her sense of adventure enough that she was suddenly willing to push for more. She was unusually at ease with him, and with a boldness she normally didn't have, she teased, "Oh? Not a Gajevy shipper?"

Gajeel let out a bark of laughter and shook his head. "No."

"Why's that?" She was honestly curious. The two of them seemed incredibly close, not just on the set, but in real life as well, and she'd be lying if she said that she hadn't wondered about their relationship.

He looked across at her with a lazy grin and said simply, "Levy's a great girl, a really good friend, but that's it. Besides, she's not my type."

Lucy licked her lip nervously. She knew she needed to keep her mouth shut, but something was urging her to ask. Maybe it was the fact that the answer intrigued her, maybe it was just the alcohol making her stupid, but it made no matter, because the words were tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop herself. "Then what is your type?"

His grin turned sly, and his eyes dipped down over her body before coming back to her face. "I prefer my women blonde with a sassy mouth."

With that one leading statement, he changed the entire feel of the conversation. They were no longer two friends commiserating together. They weren't even friends having a couple of drinks anymore. No, this was on its way to becoming something else entirely, and Lucy knew without a doubt, this was one of those defining moments. How she responded now would decide the course of the rest of this night...possibly even longer than that.

What did she want to say? Or maybe the better question was what did she want to do? Because looking at the man before her, she could see something in his eyes that hadn't been there before. Heat...so much heat, and it was all for her. She bit her lip, suddenly feeling giddy with power. Did she want that? Did she want him?

She considered the question, forcing her mind to move past the haze of the alcohol and really think. She didn't want to do something she'd regret later. After all, she had to work with this man, and if she did this and it all went to hell later, it could screw things up for them on the set.

Gajeel waited patiently for her response, his body relaxed in his seat as if he hadn't just blown her mind. She couldn't quite believe how calm he was. Was he so certain they should cross this line? But Lucy had to be honest with herself - the idea of being with him wasn't a new one for her. She'd thought of it on more than one occasion, but she had always assumed that he was with Levy, so each time the interest had come, she's stuffed it down, denying herself even the fantasy.

Now, she didn't have to. She could have him - maybe not forever because she didn't know him that well - but for tonight...for one night, her could be hers. Suddenly, the answer didn't seem so difficult.

"Hmmm...I, myself, kinda have a thing for bad boys."

Gajeel's eyes turned a fiery red, lighting up with a hunger that nearly took her breath away. He shifted forward, sliding his arm along hers on the bar, his fingers brushing enticingly across her skin. "Is that right?"

"Yeah."

"And just what kind of bad boys do it for you, Lucy?" he asked, continuing to caress her arm in the lightest touch she'd ever felt.

The words trilled along her spine, and she nearly said 'Bad boys like you.' He had so messed up her control that she almost spoke without thinking, almost told him unequivocally that she wanted him, but at the last moment, she managed to change her answer to something a bit less direct. "The kind that ride motorcycles," she said huskily, thinking of the bike he came in on every day to work. "And wear leather like a second skin," she continued, her eyes skating over the pants that fit him like a glove, before rising back up to his face, "And look sexy as sin pierced."

He watched her with barely disguised lust, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat. The sight was oddly sexy, and she found herself wanting to see it again. "That's a pretty specific list. Anything else?" he prodded, dropping his hands to her bare thighs, his thumbs tracing slow patterns into her skin.

"Dangerous...I like 'em just a little bit dangerous." Her voice was breathy, and she cursed it, knowing there was no way he'd miss her reaction to his touch.

And he didn't. In fact it seemed to encourage him further, prompting him to grab behind her knees and yank her to the edge of her seat. "Oh yeah, you do," he rasped, his voice gone low at her pleased gasp.

In the next moment, he was standing to his feet, and as she had been staring rather intently at his mouth, it took her a moment to realize that he'd fit himself into the space between her legs. The thought barely registered in her mind that she shouldn't be so distracted by him, when he pushed himself closer, sliding himself snuggly against her, and then the thought was gone. His hand reached for her chin, tipping her face up as he leaned in. "How about a little more danger?"

Lucy looked into his eyes and nodded, not trusting her voice to work properly. Yes, she wanted more. How could she not? He was closer than she'd ever imagined he would be, and he felt so good, so muscled and delicious. If only he would kiss her...

Her eyes flicked to his mouth once again. The inclination to do so wasn't conscious, and it was damn near impossible to pull her gaze away. She wanted those full lips on hers with a fierceness she wasn't used to experiencing with a man she'd never dated. But this one was different. Somehow, he was different for her, and she found herself licking her lips, hoping he would close the gap between them.

Gajeel seemed to see the need written plainly across her face, and without another thought, reached for her, his strong hands cupping her cheeks as his mouth descended. She had an instant to cheer inside her head, and then their lips met, sending all coherent thought straight out the window.

His kiss was everything a woman wanted it to be - fierce, confident, and hot...so very hot. She couldn't have asked for more. He plundered her mouth expertly, his tongue seeking out the warmth just past her lips, drinking her down like she was the finest wine. He was insatiable, seeming determined to completely overwhelm her senses, and she was suddenly perfectly fine with that. The way she was feeling right now, he could do any damn thing he wanted, and she'd have begged for more.

She grasped at the leather that settled low on his hips and pulled him forward, humming her satisfaction at the feeling of all that hardness pressed up against her. It sent her pulse spiking, her heart pounding so loud in her chest, she was certain he would hear it. But she didn't care. She just wanted more - more of his mouth of hers, more of his hands on her heated flesh.

Much to her disappointment, he eased back, ending their kiss far sooner than she would have liked. But her frustration lasted only a moment, because he leaned in, moving his mouth teasingly against her ear. "Let's get outta here..."

A/N: Who knew, before the scene with Jackal and Lucy, what Mashima was going to do?