Chapter 1

Job - Chosen!
~*~

I sat down at the bar, and waited for Natsu to come up with a job. He always gets an interesting one. Although, knowing his knack for destructive jobs, I probably shouldn't let him choose. Somehow, I couldn't bring myself to care that much about picking a job. It was just... that weird dream that left me thinking about it all day. Oh, I wish I knew what did it mean...

"Lucy," a knowing male voice said from behind me. "Natsu found a job and the reward's pretty big, so we're coming too."

I turned to see Gray and Erza standing there. I was sure I sweat dropped when I saw Eza's luggage cart. Looking away from it, I glanced over at Natsu, who was talking to Macao, quite passionately, about some type of punishment Romeo had been issued because he went on a small mission by himself. I felt a smile flit onto my face. This was the Natsu I knew and loved.

Wait, no, not love love . . . not like that. Still, I couldn't look at him the same... It felt different somehow. And scary. Which was stupid but even so...

"Lucy, what are you waiting for?" Erza called from the doorway, bringing me back from my thoughts to reality.

I looked up and my eyes locked with Natsu's. He looked at me with some concern on his face, although there was no reason for him to worry about me. I broke the contact and ran up to them but subconsciously stood some distance from Natsu, right behind Gray.

"Natsu, I think Lucy's avoiding you," I heard Happy whisper loudly to Natsu. I didn't hear Natsu's reply though. I was too busy trying to avoid his gaze. But why was I acting like this anyway? Just because of a stupid dream that could mean anything... or nothing at all.

The problem was that, when we finally set out, I realized something: this job required us in partners, which could raise a few problems. Well, as long as I wasn't paired up with Natsu, I won't die. Now, I'm dramatizing...

"OK, Lucy, you go with Natsu, over to the center point and destroy the lacrima that is keeping this place intact, and Gray and I will try to find out where the master of this place is," Erza began organizing us when we began working on our strategy for this mission.

"But I wanna fight the master!" Natsu moaned.

"Better luck next time, fire-breath," Gray mocked him which in turn angered the pink-head and almost started an all-out-war between the two.

And it hit me! The perfect idea to keep myself away from Natsu, at least until I figured the dream out and nobody will suspect a thing.

"How about all of you go to the master and I destroy the lacrima? That way all of you can fight him," I suggested.

"But we can't leave you alone, Lucy. That wouldn't be fair on you and your Spirits!" Natsu exclaimed.

His words made me glance at him in surprise. I knew he cared, Natsu was a really caring person to anyone, but only now I realized how much he was willing to give up for those he cared about. Give up a good fight to look after me? It warmed my heart. (AN: try to add a few lines here, from your point of view, I gave you this opening and I think you should use it to trow in a few lines about how Lucy sees Natsu or about their friendship or anything you consider worthy. I didn't write more because I didn't want to add too much of my style in this.)

Thinking of this, I smiled at him and agreed reluctantly to be his partner. I also felt bad because I knew that he loved a good fight, that headstrong guy... He called out to me over his shoulder so I didn't waste any more time, just I turned and followed. This mission will totally be OK if I don't try to think about my dream, while with Natsu.

M-P: Sorry for the bad chapter, the next one is going to be more intense, so I'm just getting y'all in the mood.

AN: I'm not sure if this this chapter is ok as a tension builder for the next. I'm also slightly worried that the next chapter isn't intense.