"Natsu!" In came Lucy, practically breaking down the door to the guild hall entrance.

"Lucy!" Several collected voices exclaimed in surprise as the celestial wizard strode in.

"What is it Lu-Lu?!" Levy asked, her words slightly slurring. That's when Lucy realized she was drunk. Levy swayed slightly on the spot, squinting her eyes at Lucy.

"Le-Levy? Are you drunk?" Lucy looked around her, suddenly aware that pretty much everyone in the guild hall was present. And drunk. What the hell was going on?

"Hehe, yeah Lu-Lu! Didn't you hear? Jellal just proposed to Erza!" Lucy's eyes grew wide as she looked at Levy. Her anger gave way to a smile as she looked for the Queen of the Fairies in the drunken mess.

"Oh, if you're looking for her, she's not back yet. This is kind of the pre-celebration." Levy giggled and swayed dangerously and Lucy held her hand out to steady her but Gajeel beat her to it. He grabbed Levy's hand and pulled her to him, tilting her chin up. The entire guild watched as Levy turned a bright red as Gajeel tilted her head up. The anticipated kiss however, didn't come. "I'm taking you home." He said roughly and Levy's eyes went wide. The others around them snickered. Suddenly, Gajeel became aware of what he said and how it sounded. He blushed furiously as he took a step back from Levy and turned to glare at them. "Shut up, morons!"

Gajeel gave one cool look to Levy who remained standing stunned, then turned and walked out of the guild hall, waves of laughter following him out.

He was almost out when a voice whispered to him. Confused, Gajeel stopped to make sure he'd heard right. Sure enough, something hissed at him through the bushes surrounding the guild hall and Gajeel put up his guard, taking a fighting stance.

"Hey, iron idiot, is Lucy in there?"

"Huh? Natsu?" Gajeel was too surprised to see Natsu hiding in the bushes to get mad over the name calling.

"Yeah, is Lucy in there?" Gajeel picked up on the nervousness emanating in Natsu's voice.

"Lucy? The cheerleader? Why?" What was going on? He suddenly recalled how Lucy had entered the guild just moments earlier, screaming Natsu's name.

"No reason...I just, is she there?!" Gajeel wondered what would happen if he said no. Too amused to let this opportunity slip up, he shook his head. Natsu seemed to visibly relax a bit.

"Hey, how come the guild hall is so lively?" Natsu said as he looked up at the tall, oddly built structure.

"Oh, you didn't hear flame breath? That blue haired kid just proposed to Erza." Gajeel knew that that wasn't confirmed, it was just a rumor Warren had spread after Jellal and Erza supposedly left on a date.

"WHAT?!" Natsu dashed past Gajeel, his thoughts whirling around. Erza?! Getting married?! What the hell! Gajeel smiled devilishly as he jogged behind the salamander, watching as he, like Lucy, practically tore down the guild door.

"Erza!" Natsu shouted, looking left and right for the scarlet haired wizard, ready to pound a blue haired pervert. Instead, his eyes fell on a laughing blonde, whose expression changed quickly as she found the source of her troubles.

"Lucy!" Damn that iron idiot, he lied to me! Natsu was about to turn on his feet, ready to dash out when suddenly, something wrapped around his foot, pulling him back and tripping him over. Natsu turned to see Lucy using her whip to drag Natsu towards her and he wondered when it was she got so strong.

"Don't you dare! Come back here!" The others watched, astonished as Lucy dragged Natsu. What the hell was going on?

"Lucy! Not now! I need to find Jellal and give him a beating of a lifetime!" Natsu said, trying to wiggle out of her hold.

"Oh no you don't! First you tell me what you did!" Confused Fairy Tail members looked anxiously between the celestial wizard and the fire mage.

"I..." Natsu's voice trailed off. What was he supposed to say? He knew he should apologize for what he did and he really wanted to but he wasn't sure that that'd be enough. He really had crossed the line this time, which was why he was hiding outside the guildhall, well away from Lucy when she found out what he'd done.

"Lucy, what's going on?" Gray said as he stepped forward. "What did the flame brain do this time?"

"Ask him." Lucy said with some attitude, too pissed of to think straight. Several moments ago she had burst into the guild, ready to kill Natsu but had been sidetracked by a drunk Levy and news of Jellal and Erza's supposed engagement. But then, Natsu had come in and the boiling rage was back.

"What the hell did you do Natsu?" Gray asked with a crossed face, a concerned Juvia standing next to him.

"Nothing! Lucy, can we please talk outside?" Natsu needed to get Lucy alone, he needed to apologize to her and make her understand.

"Natsu." Master Makarov's voice rang out in the guild as several members stepped aside to reveal him and Laxus.

Damn it, thought Natsu, still lying awkwardly on the floor. Why did Lucy have to be so stubborn!

"Natsu, what did you do?" Makarov looked at his children, wanting answers. He'd never seen Lucy this angry, especially not at Natsu. Sure he'd noticed like everyone else the odd behavior between the two recently, but it wasn't anything serious and so he hadn't intervened.

Realizing he couldn't escape it any longer, Natsu looked down at the floor, mumbling his answer. Three pairs of eyes turned to stare at Natsu as their dragon ears picked up on what he said. The others however remained confused as Makarov asked him to repeat himself.

"I burned Lucy's manuscript!" Natsu shouted and the guild went silent.

"Oh, Lu!" Levy exclaimed, still slightly drunk. She knew how much that manuscript meant to the celestial wizard though, heck the entire guild knew.

Natsu could feel angry glares on his back and he wondered how many more people he would have to apologize to.

"Natsu, why would you do such a thing?!" Levy asked.

"I didn't mean to. It just sort of happened!" Natsu said, trying to wriggle around and see Levy. When he couldn't, he grew frustrated and looked at Lucy who set her stone cold gaze on him. "Lucy, I'm sorry! Please let me up!"

Lucy narrowed her eyes at Natsu but let loose on her grip and allowed Natsu to get up. Rubbing at the mark left by the whip, Natsu walked closer to Lucy.

"I know. I messed up big time, but I'll make it up to you."

Lucy was about to reply when a voice rang out in the guild hall. "Make what up? What's going on here?" Erza stepped in, followed by a cloaked Jellal. The new council had long since released Jellal for his help with the Alvarez Empire situation but still, he hid his face.

"Erza!" Natsu said. "And you!" Natsu's hand erupted with flames as he charged at a surprised Jellal. Erza however, intervened and bonked Natsu on his head, sending him crashing to the floor, half passed out.

"Now then, what's going on here?" Erza said impassively. Jellal nervously shook Natsu with the tip of his foot to make sure he was okay before he too turned to look at the other members, who were smiling at them oddly. Weren't they just having an argument?

"You guys are back, how was the date?" Mirajane asked, approaching them and clasping her hands.

"Date?" Erza asked, confused.

"Yes, silly. Did you say yes?" Erza continued to look at Mirajane and her questioning eyes.

"Mirajane, we went on a mission into town, not on a date." Erza said, trying to clear up any confusion whilst trying hard not to blush.

"Sure... That's why you're all dolled up." Mirajane teased, then hiccoughed.

"Mirajane, you're drunk. You're all drunk." Erza said as she looked at her fellow guild members. "I'm dolled up because the mission was to infiltrate a merchant's mansion, but enough of that nonsense, tell me what Natsu was yelling about before he decided to rudely pass out."

Everyone's faces fell as they realized they had be celebrating for nothing. Jellal stood next to her, wondering how deft she could really be. Didn't she remember knocking Natsu out herself?

"Natsu thought burning-" Gray started but Lucy interrupted. "Nothing Erza, it's nothing."

"It doesn't seem like nothing." Erza rose a brow at Lucy, intimidating her into speaking but Lucy stood her ground. She couldn't tell Erza. No doubt, Natsu would have hell to pay to Lucy but he wouldn't be able to do that if Erza killed him. And she was 90% sure she would.

"Lu-Lucy..." Natsu mumbled her name and slowly began to sit up as he regained consciousness.

"Shut up Natsu." Urged Lucy. Maybe it had been a mistake to confront him in front of the others but she had been so mad...

"Lucy, I'm sorry, but honestly, if it was so important, why leave it sitting around like that?" Lucy's forgiving streak was gone, replaced by a dangerous aura.

"What did you say Natsu?" She asked, calmly. Others around her began to back away as Erza looked from her to Natsu.

"I just said-" Natsu said, starting to shrug before something pummeled him.

"Sorry Natsu." Loke stood in the center, appearing out of nowhere as he hit Natsu with a regalia blast. He adjusted his glasses and turned to look at his fuming celestial wizard. A dark aura surrounded her and he realized why he and the other spirits had been feeling so much unrest on the other side. "Damn Natsu, what did you do to her? She looks about ready to kill you." Loke joked just as a fire ball swished by his head and he stepped back. "Woah, hold it!"

"Loke, go back. I can handle this myself." Lucy stepped past Loke, looking Natsu in the eye. "I know what you said stupid flame breath." The other guild members took several steps back, wonder if what Lucy would do to Natsu. Knowing Natsu though, he would never hit her. Lucy on the other hand, wasn't so merciful.

Forget about me saving your ass from Erza, thought Lucy, who's going to save your ass from mine. Lucy had grown confident enough to believe she would be able to take Natsu on in a fight.

"Lucy-" Natsu eyed her closely, watching as she continued to get closer. Loke stood behind her, readying himself to get in the way should shots be fired.

Makarov, Erza, Jellal and the others, stood still, watching.

"You know something Natsu, we wouldn't be in this situation now if you knew how to mind your own business and give me some privacy." Lucy recalled every time Natsu had broken into her house, walked in on her taking a bath or changing, pried her for more information, but none of those irked her as much as what Natsu had done.

"I said I was sorry." Natsu said, a bit defiantly this time. He didn't understand why Lucy was acting so irrational.

"I put my heart, time, effort, everything I had into writing that book and you scorched it in seconds. How do you even do that? You're supposed to be a fire dragon slayer! Controlling fire is what you do!" Suddenly, Lucy's anger gave way to the tears she was holding back.

"Natsu did what?!" It took all of Jellal and Gray's strength to stop Erza and even then they were having difficulties.

"Calm down, all of you." Makarov said, finally having had enough. "Natsu-"

"You come into my house, you do the weirdest things, ruin my property, ask me the stupidest questions, get drunk and then climb into my bed, tea-" Loke immediately pressed a hand against Lucy's mouth, muffling her words. The rest of the guild just stared at her. What was she about to say?

Pin drop silence ensued as Lucy's eyes went wide, realizing what she almost said. She looked at Natsu to see him standing there, stunned. His face turned a deep red as he realized what she was talking about. God, he thought she didn't remember.

"Lucy..." Natsu whispered her name, forgetting everything. He understood now why she had been acting so weird, why she was so adamant on him giving her her space. It wasn't just about the book.
Lucy moved and Loke removed his hand to allow her to speak. "Loke, please take me home." Loke looked around him to the astonished looks of his other guild members. Makarov nodded in his direction and Loke placed his hands comfortingly on Lucy's shoulder and started to mechanically walk her out of the guild. When she passed Natsu, Natsu stopped her, his hand gripping her arm.

"Wait…" Lucy turned to look at him, tears trailing down her cheeks. Everyone waited silently. "I'm sorry…I really am…about everything." Lucy scrunched her brows as she looked at the boy standing in front of her. After everything, this is all he had to say?

She turned to Loke. "Let's go." Natsu, who had his eyes downcast turned to watch Loke escort Lucy out of the guildhall.

When they were gone, Erza finally spoke.

"What the hell was she talking about Natsu! What did you do to her?" Natsu looked down at the wooden floor of the guild, trying to get his thoughts together.

"Erza, I think we should give Natsu some space." Jellal said, still trying to restrain Erza.

"What?!" Erza turned on Jellal angrily but he just held her in place as he tried to calm her down.

Natsu didn't stay to listen to them bantering or remain in everyone else's questioning gaze. He turned on his heel and immediately ran out of the guild, ignoring the calls of his friends. He ran and ran, far into the night, away from everyone. A sort of pain had erupted in his chest and he clutched as his chest as jumped into the wilderness of the forest bordering Magnolia, not caring where he went.

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