It was supposed to be the perfect day for creating stories. The sun was out, filtering through the tree canopies to dapple light onto the bench on which Lucy sat. Her long, blonde hair fluttered in the slight breeze, and mingled with the petals that twirled around the park. A gorgeous Spring day that made you believe magic was real and set imaginations running wild.
Except her imagination wasn't. She was stuck. She had a main character nearly fully fleshed out, and a general plot line. But something was missing. Lucy huffed to herself. Maybe another character? But who? Nothing was coming. The gears weren't turning. Writer's block; her worst enemy. She had come here hoping that being outside, seeing all the people, something would give her an idea. Unfortunately, so far she'd had no such luck.
Lucy sighed, deciding to give it up for the day. She had coffee plans later today anyway. Maybe she could bounce ideas off Levy. Half distracted by her internal monologue, Lucy rose from her bench and spun around to leave. Yet after only taking a single step, she froze. Ruffled hair the colour of Sakura blossoms captured her attention and refused to let go. It elicited thoughts of Springs and Summers, of nostalgia and comfort. The same breeze that played with her own hair earlier mussed up the pastel pink strands and Lucy found herself wanting to run her fingers through it. Finally she dragged her attention to the man the hair was attached to. In a daze, she took in his appearance. Rings and bars decorated his ears and hints of tattoos on tan skin peeked out from under his dark T-shirt. Brows furrowed over slanted eyes, his mouth drawn in a frown she recognised as intense concentration as he sat crossed legged on a bench, scribbling furiously in a notebook.
Lucy's mind whirled with ideas. This was her inspiration. Her story definitely needed another main character, one based off this man. This man with dark, piercing eyes. Lucy suddenly snapped back to reality with the realisation that she had temporarily become lost in her own mind and had subsequently been caught staring.
A blush worked its way up her cheeks, but she didn't break eye contact; couldn't, she was drawn like a moth to a flame. He fascinated her. She wanted to know more.
Suddenly the man grinned at her and the spell shattered. With a mortified squeak, she turned and ran. It wasn't fair. Even his smile had been amazing. It was so huge and honest, and had been joined by pointed fangs and sparkling eyes. He was like a fantasy creature. She couldn't take her mind off him. Nor did she want to just yet anyway; he had sparked her creative fire and she needed to get these ideas down. Coffee could wait. Levy would understand and Lucy was currently convinced that the man's existence was a fleeting thing. It might as well be, she doubted she would ever see him again.
Lucy breathed in the fresh air. She had been writing tirelessly for nearly two days but today she had come to her favourite park to sit under a tree with a book and a cup of tea. It was the perfect way to unwind.
Rounding a corner, Lucy made a beeline for her favourite oak tree, but a sight made her stop shirt. Lounging against the trunk was a man, his pink hair framing a frustrated face. She couldn't believe it. Lucy promptly decided this was the best coincidence of her life and she was not going to miss her chance. With a deep breath, she approached him.
"Um, hello?"
A surprised face snapped up to look at her. He had clearly distracted enough that he hadn't noticed her presence until she had spoken. Before Lucy could say anything further, his expression turned into an excited grin.
"Hey! You're the girl from the other day!"
She couldn't help but smile in response. She supposed catching a stranger staring at you would be a memorable experience, but he didn't seem annoyed at all.
"Yeah. Ah, I just wanted to say sorry and thank you. Sorry for staring; it was very rude of me."
He waved her off, chuckling.
"I didn't mind. What was the thank you for?"
Lucy paused for a second, trying to devise the best way of phrasing what she owed him for. She watched him cock his head to the side curiously and cleared her throat.
"This might sound a bit weird, but I'm a writer. Of stories and things. Nothing big or anything, but I enjoy it. Anyway, the other day I was suffering from a severe case of writer's block and was looking for people to offer inspiration. Your appearance gave me a lot of ideas. So thank you for removing my block, even though you weren't aware of it."
He simply continued to watch her with an expression she couldn't read. Lucy fidgeted and opened her mouth to break the awkward silence but before she could say anything, he started laughing.
"Yeah, you're right, that does sound weird."
Lucy bristled. "Excuse me?"
What was wrong with this guy? How insulting!
Still chuckling, he waved his hands to cut off any further protestations from her.
"Sorry, sorry. No, I didn't mean it like that." He sighed slightly and ran a hand through his hair. "Let me try again. Hi, I'm Natsu!"
She matched his smile and accepted the offered hand. "I'm Lucy."
"So, do you come here often or…?"
She raised an eyebrow at him. Was he serious?
Natsu's eyes widened. "Oh god, that sounded like the most cliché pick up line ever. Sorry, I only ask because I'm having my own creative block and would really like someone to shoot ideas at. Maybe… Over coffee?"
Lucy giggled. Natsu was rubbing the back of his neck nervously.
"Even without the cheesy lines, are you trying to ask me on a date?"
"Ah, am I failing at it? I mean, it's sort of both reasons…" He trailed off, looking even more sheepish than before.
"Honestly, it sounds like my kind of date. I know a great little place close by if you'd like?"
Natsu's blinding smile returned in full force and Lucy found herself begging the universe for this date to go well.
"And so Popsicle, looking very singed, and I are locked in the freezer, the key is missing, and I can hear Erza going insane on the other side and I realise that if I don't die of cold, she's going to kill us instead. All we can do is look at each other and fall over laughing. It was one of the most ridiculous situations I've ever been in, and we get up to a lot of mischief!"
Lucy herself was doubled over with laughter. Natsu and her had met up nearly every day for two weeks now and every time he endeavoured to entertain her with stories of his antics. Every time she saw another aspect of his personality. It was as deep and complex as the ocean, but at its centre was a fire that burned bright and strong, fuelling his passion and determination. Today he had walked her home and now they were standing under the stars at the bottom of her apartment building.
As her laughter died down, Lucy regarded him. Though she should be going inside to sleep, she also didn't want the night to end.
"Hey, Natsu. How many tattoos do you have?"
His eyes rolled back slightly as he tried to count by memory. He wasn't phased by the sudden change of topic, it was a common occurrence in their conversations.
"I dunno… About six I think?"
"Are they all done by the same person?"
"Oh, I design them. But yeah, Gildarts does one whenever he reappears every few years."
"You design them?" Lucy was amazed. "You write song lyrics, which you sing, you fire twirl as a side hobby, and you can draw too? You must be really talented and creative!"
Natsu looked slightly shocked at her deduction but slowly shook his head.
"Not really. Gildarts says I'm just really passionate and probably ADHD, so having lots of different expressive outlets just sort of made sense. I don't think I'm even that good at any of them."
It was Lucy's turn to look shocked and she gaped at him.
"Not good at them?" She scoffed. "My arse! I can't comment on your singing, because you won't sing for me, but your lyrics are beautiful. I've seen most of your tattoos and they're stunning. I assume they're a direct copy of your artwork. Plus, you showed me some of your fire twirling and it's still one of the most magical sights I've ever seen! Don't you dare stomp on your own talents, Natsu! I will beat it into you if I have to!"
Natsu flinched slightly, the memory of when he challenged her to a fight, and severely underestimated her abilities, still fresh in his mind. But he was beaming, pride and gratefulness shining through. Natsu was a being of instinct. He didn't tend to examine his emotions and thoughts, favouring to simply act on them instead. So before he could think better of it, he took a step forward, and kissed her.
Lucy felt as if fireworks were painting the sky in every colour she could ever dream. Natsu's hand came up to support the back of her head and Lucy reached up to entwine her fingers in his hair. The hair that had originally caught her attention and started this chapter of her life.
Neither could tell you how long it was before they broke apart, panting slightly from the intensity. The first to react was Natsu; his teeth flashing as he smirked.
"Well, that went well."
Still high on the feeling of his lips on hers, Lucy succumbed to giggles and nuzzled into Natsu's neck.
"Hey Natsu, do you want to come inside and, um… Show me all of your tattoos?"
Natsu knew that he usually came across as dense and oblivious, but when it mattered, he was incredibly quick-witted. Fire raced through his veins and his smile turned devilish. He pulled back slightly to gaze at the woman in whose eyes the stars themselves seemed to shine. He decided right then and there that he would do anything for this woman. He would give her the world if it meant she kept smiling.
"Yeah, I'd like that."
"Shit, Natsu, are you still writing songs?" Sting wandered into the bar carrying an amp. Rogue followed close behind with their guitar cases.
Natsu was sitting on a bar stool, untouched glass of his favourite fire whiskey beside him. He didn't look up, choosing instead to acknowledge the new arrival with a grunt.
From behind the bar, Gray shook his head.
"He's barely stopped. I haven't seen him this focused on anything in so long. It's starting to weird me out."
One of Natsu's hands lifted, throwing an obscene gesture his friend's way to prove he was aware enough to hear.
Rogue frowned slightly then decided that, as with anything related to their lead singer, directness was the best path of inquiry.
"Natsu, why are you so focussed at the moment? It's like something had given you inspiration." None of them could deny that, while Natsu's songs had always been great, they had been hitting a new level the past few weeks.
For a moment it didn't seem like Natsu was going to answer, but then the pen scratching stopped.
"A girl. But if you ask any more questions about it, I will fight you, and you will lose. She does not belong in a shitty pub like this hanging around you losers."
Earbuds appeared and Natsu cut off any further communication.
Around him, all three of his curious friends had jaws touching the floor. Gray didn't even bother arguing against being called a loser.
"That explains so much."
The doorbell rang causing Lucy to jump. She quickly turned it into a useful action, rising from the couch and rushing to open the door.
"Cana!"
It had been way too long since she'd seen her close friends; they had all been so busy recently. Tonight, however, was girl's night. Lucy, Cana and Levy were meeting up to share gossip and grab a few drinks.
Any further greeting from Lucy was interrupted by the weight of Cana throwing herself at the poor girl.
"Lucy! Oh my god, I have missed you! And I hear you have gossip! Spill, woman!"
Lucy pulled her friend off her with amusement.
"Drinking already? Why am I not surprised? Yes, yes, come on in. You will not believe what I have to tell you."
She guided Cana over to the couch while she talked where snacks and wine were ready to be consumed, however, before she could get any further, the ring of the doorbell sounded for the second time.
"Hold on, that should be Levy."
As soon as Lucy opened the door, her other friend mimiced Cana by pestering her for news. Lucy managed to hold off long enough to settle the three of them in the lounge with a glass of wine each. An expectant silence followed a steadying breath. Lucy made the attempt at a skilled storytellers pause, but the effect was ruined when she squealed in uncontrollable excitement.
"I have a boyfriend!"
Her statement was rewarded with twin screams and a barrage of follow up questions.
"Who?"
"When?"
"How did you meet?"
"Is he hot?"
Lucy made a calming gesture but couldn't help laughing at the faces her friends were making.
"Well, I think he's my boyfriend anyway. I don't think we've specifically discussed it. But we met a month ago and have gone on a fair number of dates. Guys, he looks at me like I'm the rarest jewel in the world." She sighed wistfully.
"He looks like the last person you'd expect me to date. Multiple piercings, tattoos, ripped jeans, band T-shirts."
Cana groaned. "God, he sounds hot as fuck. Share?"
Levy was guffawing. "Wow, Lu. I would have pictured you with shy bookworm type."
Lucy responded with a mischievous grin. "Too boring for me, Lev. And no, Cana, every inch of him is mine."
Cana let loose a cackle. "Have you kissed him yet?"
Lucy's grin disappeared and she blushed, not meeting the brown eyes twinkling evilly.
"Holy shit! You've slept with him already! You go girl!"
"Hold on! Lu, we've gotten ahead of ourselves. How did you meet?"
Lucy was thankful for the change to a more comfortable topic, though she knew it was only temporary.
"Well, I was at the park, trying to get past this horrible writers block, and I saw him on another bench scribbling in a notebook, and I just couldn't take my eyes off him. I think it was his hair, it's pink. I still don't know the story behind it but it completely shattered my block, and then-"
"Woah, woah, woah, hold up and backtrack a bit." Lucy looked up to find both other girls looking utterly flabbergasted. It was Cana who was speaking; Levy just kept opening and closing her mouth like a fish out of water.
"Did you say pink hair? Bar in top right ear? Flame sleeve tattoo?"
Lucy looked between her friends, confusion mounting. She nodded slowly.
"That's him exactly. What is going on here? Don't tell me he has some kind of bad womaniser reputation or something?"
She didn't get an answer. Instead, Cana and Levy looked at each other and promptly fell off the couch laughing.
"Oh shit!" Cana managed to get out between gasps. "That means I was drooling over Natsu! That's so weird!"
Deciding she'd had enough, Lucy shot up from her seat.
"Will someone please explain?"
With a deep breath, Levy collected herself.
"I am so sorry, Lu. That was horrible of us. It was just the last thing we expected. We grew up with Natsu and his lot. He's Gajeel's cousin." Gajeel was Levy's boyfriend. Lucy sat down again, processing this.
"Wait, is Gajeel Metal Face? And Popsicle must be Gray!" This set another laughing fit off from Cana, who still hadn't picked herself up off the floor. Lucy had met Gray, and his girlfriend Juvia, once or twice before. Suddenly Natsu's stories were making way more sense.
Levy on the other hand was looking pensive.
"Natsu hasn't had a girlfriend in years, and the last one barely counted. We just figured he wasn't interested." Her eyes refocused. "Lu, don't mistake our laughter. It was just an odd way to randomly find out our best friend is dating someone we've known for so long and met completely separately to our connection. It caught us off guard. But Natsu is a great guy. An idiot sometimes, with a knack for getting into trouble, often violent trouble, but he's got a huge heart."
Cana finally sat up to join in.
"He's protective of his friends and family and loyal to a fault. And I'm not going to lie, it wouldn't be the first time I've drooled over Natsu. But childhood friend; going there would to too weird."
"Gods, Lu, I'm actually super happy for you. This is fantastic news."
Another snicker sounded and Lucy hoped Cana didn't collapse again.
"I just realised that this means you've slept with Natsu! The kid acts so thick sometimes that I wouldn't have thought he knew where to stick it! I forget he's sharper than he lets on. I need to high five him."
Lucy looked thoughtful. "You know, he's actually pretty good…"
Cana cackled again while Levy looked horrified.
"No! I don't want to know, Lu! Stoooop! New question! Has he invited you to his gigs yet?"
"Wait, what? He actually plays gigs? Like, in a band? I knew he sang, but he never mentioned that! He won't let me hear him sing. Keeps saying he's not that good."
"Modesty from Natsu is rare. Shows you're pretty special, hun. As for not good? If Natsu can do anything, it's fight, fuck and sing. Kid's stupid good."
"Gajeel's in the same band. He plays bass. Hey, Cana… You know, they're playing tonight…"
Cana caught the suggestions instantly and jumped to her feet.
"Lucy! Put on something sexy now! We're crashing this party!"
Lucy moved quickly, scrambling to get changed while grinning. This could always count on her friends to bring excitement to her life and tonight was no different.
The bar was called Fairy Tail and Lucy decided it was everything she could have ever wanted. They passed under neon lighting the doorway as the bouncer recognised Cana and Levy and waved them through. Inside was awash with a soft orange light that gave a dreamlike feeling. People milled; drinking, talking, laughing, dancing, but it wasn't so busy that Lucy felt crushed. It wasn't swanky, but it felt comfortable, like the sort of place people came to just be. Lucy thought it felt like home.
And then, the music. Oh, the music. Her eyes sought out the stage. Gajeel was grinning with his bass. Two younger boys stood back to back playing their hearts out on their electric guitars. Lucy nearly fainted at the sight of a young girl on drums; she couldn't have been older than 14. Finally, she focused on Natsu. He took her breath away.
Natsu's unique hair was wet from sweat and was drooping over his face, but his eyes were closed and he was belting out his lyrics like they were his lifeline. As she watched she saw how much he enjoyed it. His eyes would flick open during calmer parts of the song and they blazed as he worked the crowd. Then the chorus would hit and he would lose himself to the world he was creating with his voice.
"They're great, aren't they?"
Cana's voice sounded in Lucy's ear. She nodded.
"Want to go to the front and wave at him?"
Lucy laughed but shook her head.
"No, it'll probably throw him off too much. I'll find a better way to surprise him. Right now, I'm content to listen and watch."
She followed Cana over to the bar where Levy was already chatting to a beautiful, platinum haired bartender.
"Oh, Lucy! This is Mira. She basically runs the place, though Makrov technically owns it."
"It's nice to meet you, Lucy! We love making new friends here! Try not to let anyone scare you off. And let me know if anyone is giving you trouble."
Lucy thanked her before responding to summons to greet Gray and Juvia, who thankfully remembered her. Then, with a drink and a prime spot at the bar, she sat back to enjoy the show.
Before she knew it, two more songs had passed and the music stopped. The band members were breathing heavily and Lucy guessed that it must be break time for them. Sure enough, Natsu spoke into the microphone to announce intermission and thank everyone for supporting them.
"As usual, we'll be taking requests in the second half. Most of you know the drill, the arsehole that is Gray will be at the bar with a box. We'll look through them and pick ones we know and feel like playing."
Lucy turned to see a shirtless Gray standing on the bar counter, waving a box around.
"And I'll be giving a free shot to anyone who asks for Nickelback!"
"Fuck you, Ice Princess!"
Lucy couldn't help giggling; it was clear the two were good friends. Additionally, she'd just had a good idea for a suggestion herself.
"Um, I know the drum line from this one, but this one is way too complex…"
"No worries, Wendy, put it in the No pile."
Natsu sat with his band and Gray, going through a mountain of scribbled suggestions.
"Some of these are basically unreadable!" Sting was complaining.
"That's probably because you can barely read."
"What was that Gajeel?"
"Both of you, shut up." Gray cut off the fight before it could start. "I don't understand this one. Listen to this: 'the song you were struggling to write the end of in the park about a month ago'"
The band members stared at him, trying he decipher the cryptic message.
"That's oddly specific…" Natsu muttered. The next second his eyes became as large as saucers and he jumped up, snatching the piece of paper from Gray's grasp.
"What the hell, Ash for Brains?"
"Gray, is she here? Did you see the person who wrote this?"
"What? No! I don't keep track of who writes what!"
"Well you're fucking useless aren't you."
"The fuck?" Gray was baffled, but it was too late as Natsu had shot out the door towards the public area of the bar. He shared a look with Sting and they both scrambled to follow, leaving the rest looking equally confused.
Gray had never seen Natsu act like this, but if he had to guess, he'd say it was related to the girl that was apparently the new inspiration, and he desperately needed to know. Mostly so he could hold it against Natsu in some way, but still.
They watched him weave his way through the crowd, deftly avoiding calls to hang, or girls trying to flirt with him. He was obsessively scanning as he went, head twisting this way and that. Then, he stopped.
Natsu had spotted her. The strands of sunlight that was her hair, glowing the the dim light. She looked like an angel in such a dodgy bar; like she was too pure and innocent for this place. Natsu knew better, but that wasn't his main concern right now. Currently, Lucy was looking annoyed and uncomfortable. Two men looked like they had essentially cornered her, standing either side of where she sat on the bar stool, hitting on her. Mira was too busy down the other end to have noticed.
It wasn't that Lucy couldn't look after herself. She had a mean kick and he'd helped hone her natural skills recently. But she was also kind and didn't enjoy fighting like he did; it was more a last resort tactic. And he didn't want her to have to fight anyone. How dare these scum ruin her night?
All the warning the men got was the sound of a low growl behind them before they were slammed face first into the bar. As they stumbled back, stunned, Natsu placed himself between them and Lucy, snarling at them. They took one look at the fury written across Natsu's face and bolted. He silently thanked his reputation. A voice behind him made him forget his anger and he spun to face the source.
"Natsu!" Lucy was whining. "You could have at least warned me! Gave the fright of my life."
Natsu smirked at her and winked. He brought his arms up to lean on the bench either side of her, caging her in.
"Got your message."
Lucy chuckled. She wondered if, after her most recent unpleasant encounter, she should feel more nervous about being apparently trapped by Natsu, but she didn't. On the contrary, his presence made her feel a lot safer and she knew that if she moved, he would back off immediately.
"Oh? What message was that?"
He pouted, doubt flashing across his face. Lucy's resolve very nearly crumbled.
"Why was I never invited to watch you perform? You're not good enough for me to hear you sing, but you are for a bar full of people?"
Natsu cringed. He was hoping she'd ignore that fact.
"It's complicated?"
"Try harder." Shit, he wasn't good with words and if he didn't explain this well, she was going to be pissed. He stepped back to think.
"Okay, so, your opinion means more than anyone else in this room. But also this is a bit like meet the family… I basically grew up in this bar. I wasn't ready. And I wanted to keep you to myself for a while longer… I was being selfish, but it wasn't about you at all… This is probably the best surprise ever."
Lucy's expression softened. Sometimes she couldn't believe how sweet and adorable this man could be. She'd seen people shy away from him in fear and mothers pull their kids away because of his looks. They didn't realise how much of a childish softy he was.
Before she could forgive him with a kiss, however, they were interrupted.
"Woah, woah, hold on. You're dating Lucy?" Gray had come up behind Natsu and looked like his eyes would fall out of their sockets. Sting wasn't far behind.
"I don't even know who she is! How the fuck did you manage her?"
Natsu twitched. Lucy lay a hand on his arm. She had already learned that look.
"Wait, don't tell me your tapping that? You? We weren't sure you even knew how."
Natsu was close to snapping. Sting was pushing it way too far, and insulting Lucy in the process. Even Gray had quickly shut his mouth. Sting, on the hand, still hadn't learnt the life-saving beauty of silence. Natsu glanced at Lucy. She was fuming. He could feel her hand on his arm, shaking from holding back. She caught his eye and her lips split into a wicked grin. Natsu felt an odd calm settle over his anger and he matched the grin with his own. This was why he loved her.
Sting didn't get any warning. He was halfway through his next sentence when twin fists connected with his gut. Silence settled as he gasped for breath and looked up. Natsu and Lucy were standing in front of him, slightly turned back to back, looking pleased with themselves. Natsu in particular looked like he would burst with pride. Lucy took a step forward.
"Firstly, if you ever insult my boyfriend like that again, I will personally see to your violent destruction. Second, insult me like that again, and I will let Natsu loose on you, and trust me, he won't be as forgiving as me. Are we clear?"
Sting nodded so hard that Natsu thought his head might fall off. His face was a hilarious mixture of terror and awe. Natsu understood those emotions full well. Lucy was gorgeous and one of the nicest people he'd ever met, but she was also utterly terrifying when she wanted to be. It caught everyone off guard. He loved it way more than he felt he probably should.
Now that Sting was dealt with, Natsu had other plans. He could properly introduce her to everyone who mattered after the show, and by the way the girls were giggling, they already knew anyway.
Natsu grabbed Lucy's wrist instead and dragged her through the crowd to the backstage door. After making sure Laxus knew that Lucy was allowed anywhere from now on, they continued on to his dressing room.
He couldn't close the door fast enough, ecstatic to have her with him, and impatient to show her his love. His band mates would come to find him soon enough; they still had a show to finish. For now, though, he would put that off for as long as possible and lose himself in his muse. Further brain function ceased as her lips captured his. He was in so much trouble, but he wouldn't change a thing.
"Hey, Natsu?"
"Mm?"
"Does this make me a groupie?"
"I have the hottest groupie ever. Awesome!"