A/N: Hello there, reader. Happy Christmas! Thank you to the awesome people who put this story on alert. This chapter is a bit too long, because it will offer an introduction to our protagonists.

Enjoy!

17-year-old Lucy Heartfilia sat at a dainty white tea table filled with scones and tea sized snacks, complete with fine bone china teapots and cups. A silver cream jug and a selection of cinnamon and brown refined sugar sat beside a swan-shaped serviette. The table cloth was soft under her fingers as she lazily traced circles on it, not touching her tea. Lucy wore a simple pale yellow Louis Vuitton dress and white satin ballet pumps. Around her neck was a single pearl hanging daintily on a thin gold chain. Her golden hair was tied up as always, like a proper lady. She was sitting on the lawn grounds in front of her palatial house in Fiore. The expanse of green, the fresh air and the vast stretch of the acres of land in front of her ought to have taken anyone's breath away.

But none of this ever impressed the young heiress. It never did. Because she was always alone at her table- reading or thinking, and with no one to talk to. She was always alone, among her numerous maids and caretakers and among the guests and crème that attended the parties her father organised.

Parties? She scoffed. More like business meetings. Endless trains of painted faces, and a myriad of designer clothes.

The only familiar face was of a stranger's. Her Papa. Respectable, well-groomed, self-made and proud. Cold; and with a stony sadness buried deep inside his eyes, something that only Lucy saw. The sad longing that he held for her mother, Layla Heartfilia, who died nine long years ago, leaving in her wake a distraught young husband and an eight-year-old daughter.

Jude Heartfilia never was the same again. He alienated himself from his young daughter, in whose face he saw Layla's and in whose big brown eyes he saw a forlorn creature that craved for his love and attention. He buried himself in work and built a formidable business conglomerate, while effectively and responsibly educating Lucy through her personal tutors at home. Lucy was taught history, social sciences, psychology, etiquette and dancing. She was taught to be a charming hostess. She was taught to sit like a woman, dress like a woman and talk like one. It was a perfect life of opulence. Of megalomaniac rich people and evening soirées. And Lucy Heartfilia lived her life, accepting her fate grimly, as she was groomed Heiress Prima of the Heartfilia Kozern. She would marry a rich man and carry on her father's Historical Artifacts Export business. It was a decided, languid life for Lucy. But she didn't complain. She was...okay with it.

But ah, serendipity.

Enter Natsu Dragneel, a reckless young gun with no lineage and no family names to boast of. With wild natural pink hair and pointy canines, he was handsome and rakish. Amiable and boyish, at 18 he built up his own fishery business in Hargeon from the ruins of his father Igneel Dragneel's dwindling business, after Igneel died from liver cirrhosis. Natsu was young and inexperienced, and hardly educated because of his father's monetary state.

But he loved what he did and worked hard to make his late father proud. He loved him because he was the only one in the world he had. But Natsu never brooded or sat around cursing his fate. He was not one to accept what fate threw at him. He would bend it and shape it how he wanted it. His business was small but growing steadily, and he moved to the city of Magnolia for better prospects and maybe partnerships.

He met new people, city people and struck up some odd friendships. Like his closest friend and his almost-brother Sting Eucliffe. Sting was also his partner in business. His quasi-mother was Erza Scarlet, a medical intern at Hospicio Magnolia. Natsu's best friend Lisanna Strauss was the younger sister of his young landlady Mirajane and their brother Elfman. In the one year he'd been in Magnolia, Natsu had found these valuable relations who were nothing short of family to him. He felt settled and accomplished for his young age, and expected nothing more.

But ah, serendipity.

Like the dashing man he was, Natsu had unknowingly won over several wives of rich businessmen who promised him help through their husbands. He was invited to business parties and sometimes even hit gold by gaining investors in his small but promising business.

Soon I'll have a fleet of fishing boats, he had thought excitedly. And Dad will be proud.

One month later, an event was held by Jude Heartfilia at his mansion. He had announced his interest in investing in a fishing business firm, for he had heard of the success of the industry in Hargeon. Jude was usually a proud man who'd never dream of associating with small town businesses. But he was also an astute businessman and hence sent out invites to all potential fishery investment firms, big and small. And of course, the ambitious and feisty Natsu was one of the invited. He was ecstatic, and confident of selling a few shares to.

Natsu rented a decent car and bought himself a suit on Sting's suggestion to make an impression. It was a black 3 piece suit which he wore with his Dad's scarf instead of a tie. As he drove through the gates of the mansion on the appointed day, he looked around.

This is how I'll live one day, he smirked to himself and grinned at the image he formed of himself atop a large pile of money. And food, obviously.

He parked his car and strode in the vestibule of the house along with the other guests. He didn't notice the flirtatious smiles and batting of eyelids he received as he grinned boyishly at them. The guests entered the main hall. Jude was descending the stairs with his beautiful young daughter linking her arm with his. What nobody knew was that she knew him only as much as the guests did. And they were all strangers.

Natsu looked up at Jude as the rich man haughtily walked down the stairs.

What a vain creep, Natsu thought. Couldn't he have come down the stairs like a normal person, before the guests arrived? He sighed, and looked over at the female flanking him, walking equally ridiculously in her big puffy dress.

Lucy wore her blonde locks in an elegant chignon and wore a jade green Versace gown that flowed down to the ground and was cut deep at the décolletage. She wore he mother's turquoise necklace that was set in gold, a less expensive but classy piece compared to her other diamonds. She internally grimaced at the leering looks the men in the room gave her as they swept their eyes up and down her well endowed figure. The only thing that gave her a little happiness was the fact that she met and spoke, although laconically, to her father after several days and now stood by his side. He almost looked proud of her, but she knew that she was just a porcelain doll to him. Lovely but fragile.

And deserving no love and compassion, she thought bitterly.

She looked over at the crowd, scanning it out of habit and not interest. There were new faces, perhaps commoners, she observed. Among the usual vibrant display of colours, she noticed an odd sight. Spiky hair in a shocking salmon pink colour. In spite of herself, she giggled out loud. Nobody noticed her though, the guests were busy trying to impress her father, whose side she had left a few minutes ago.

While people flocked closer to Jude Heartfilia, the incongruous owner of the bunch of pink hair moved away from the crowd and towards the buffet table. She followed the young man, keeping a distance as she navigated through the crowd.

Natsu had looked at the crowd surrounding Jude and then at the succulent food on the table across the hall. He made the obvious choice. On reaching the table he grabbed the nearest piece of chicken leg and began chomping on it. He heard someone stifle a laugh behind him. On turning around he saw Jude's female companion staring at him intently with an amused expression.

She's weird, Natsu mused insightfully. Weirdly...cute. Hm.

He's ridiculous, Lucy decided. And oddly funny. And a bit adorable, the way he childishly eats, eyes wide with wonder. Hm.

"Natsu Dragneel, owner of Igneel & Son'' he said, as if stating something obvious, and by way of explanation for his reason being there. He held out a chicken wing at her.

Lucy waved a hand politely at his offer and wrinkled her nose at his unabashed and messy eating habits.

"Lucy Heartfilia'' she said simply, and bowed slightly.

Natsu almost choked and ran his free hand through his hair boyishly while gulping down the chicken. She was Jude's daughter? He tried not to think about and admire how dulcet her soft voice sounded or how she was so restrained and did not attack the delicious food laid out before them.

"Are you from the Heartfilia Kozern, Luigi?'' he asked sincerely.

And Lucy began laughing again. She'd never laughed so much in one day since before her mother's death. He was so blunt and silly. He was the only one other than her parents who had ever called her by her first name without her requesting it. Well, atleast what he thought was her name.

"Yes, . I am Lu-cy of the Heartfilia Kozern. Pleasure to meet you,'' she said and beamed at him.

He is quite the looker, she thought and laughed at how she sounded like her forever intoxicated friend Cana Alberona, the daughter of Gildarts, financial advisor to Jude.

"Loo-shee?" he repeated, grinning widely at her funny name. "And call me Natsu please,'' he added.

The two hit off instantly and shared a good camaraderie throughout the night. Natsu soon forgot the reason of him being there. He told Lucy of his adventures as a child, his friends and his Dad.

She listened quietly, fascinated by this exotic creature from a world different from hers. Lucy never had anyone her age to talk to. She met Cana thrice a month whenever the older girl came over to Fiore from Magnolia with Gildarts. And that was all. Never had anyone treated her as an equal and not as some princess. Never had she felt so exposed and small. Natsu Dragneel made her feel her age. He treated her like...a friend.

Suddenly through his stories she saw a world beyond her own. Through his adventures she saw an unwonted freedom. She felt insignificant in her expensive clothes and make up. She was decorated, but with no story to tell. Lucy Heartfilia felt like an invalid; she felt dumb and crippled.

As he told her of his life, Natsu glanced at her occasionally as he stared off in space remembering memories. He noticed how mesmerised she looked, attentively absorbing every word he said. He looked into her huge velvety brown eyes, at how alone they seemed. Maybe she didn't have friends. Yeah, she needed to get out and breathe some polluted city air. It'll do her good.

"So, erm...Lucy. Do you go out often?'' he asked her. She cocked her head to the side and blinked.

Cute, He thought to himself. Yeesh, what is wrong with me? I sound like a poof!

"I do, all the time. I roam around the grounds. But, um, I've never really frequented the towns and the city, especially... I-I guess,'' the young heiress replied, looking awkward.

"Just like I guessed,'' Natsu said bluntly, a stranger to common courtesy. "You should visit Magnolia, my city. Come meet me and my friends sometimes, if you'd like..''

"I...thank you Natsu. I'd love to do that.'' she replied earnestly. She felt giddy with happiness, at the prospect of perhaps making friends.

The party ended shortly afterwards as guests began to shake hands, pat backs and leave. Natsu chuckled, visibly discomfited at how he didn't get his work done. Lucy apologised repeatedly for taking his time and he told her it wasn't a great thing.

"We meet friends just sometimes, Lucy. Businesses will come,'' he gestured at himself. "And they will leave.'' He pointed at the main exit door.

Lucy giggled at his ridiculous gesticulation. They shook hands and she walked him to the door. She cleared her throat.

"Thank you for keeping me company today evening, Natsu.'' she was surprised at how easily she could call him by his first name, without any honorifics.

"Thank you Lucy for...um...the food..." he grinned sheepishly and saluted at her, as she laughed.

She leaned forward and pecked him on the cheek. He scratched the back of his head said good bye and left.

What a nice guy, Lucy thought. She was impressed by his honesty and simplicity. He had no airs about himself. She was glad to have him as a friend, and she couldn't wait to meet him again.

What a weird girl, Natsu thought, as he drove home. He would return the car later. He liked Lucy. Because she was nothing of the proud princess he expected her to be. She was kind and friendly. He wanted her to meet his friends and they'd surely love her.

Plus, she looks like a sunfish when she smiles, he mused. Maybe Happy will like her too.

As if on cue, his pet tabby cat Happy ran up to Natsu who picked him up and tickled him.

Both Natsu and Lucy had had a unique night that made them feel strangely happy on the inside.

Until we meet again, they both thought.

Little did they know the chain of events they had just sparked. Or how their lives would soon change completely.

A/N: *Takes deep breath* Ermingard. Look at how long this is! I'll definitely write less next time. I tried splitting this up into two chapters, but I didn't know where to stop. I hope the huge size of this didn't scare you away. XD

So yeah, if you're confused, the previous chapter was a prologue. This is the actual chapter 1, something a la novel style. Please tell me how I can improve and I'm sorry for any grammatical errors.

So yeah, nothing much happens in here, but I really wanted to set the scene and characters. This is an AU-ish story, modern day but modern day FT universe, minus the magic.

Thanks for reading!

KClare.