Inversion
by SparklyLarry
Chapter Three
Fusion
Skies lazily sprinkle town's roofs, squeezing out a few pitiful tears just to spite pedestrians. People raise their heads in annoyance and hasten to find a shelter. One of the citizens, a short confectioner who is famous for his delicious strawberry cakes, is especially downcast due to the weather. Passers-by usually drop in when its raining, having a cup of something hot and some dessert to warm up and wait till the sun comes out again. This time, however, the usual routine isn't happening. The confectioner cringes at the memory, sobbing quietly. The first customer today was knocked down by a blur of something black right before he could enter the cafeteria... The second one didn't even make it to the front, slipping as a fish fell down right on his head. And when the third customer tried to help him, a blue flying fur-ball attacked him from the air, snatched the fish and disappeared in the mist. No need to say that the whole scene made the small cafeteria look very unattractive. The business for today is ruined...
Not that it mattered the said blue fur-ball. Clasping three fat fishes, Happy cheerfully soars above Magnolia. The day has an astonishingly bright start! Natsu and other Dragon Slayers had some fun yesterday. Well, the Exceeds threw a party of their own. The blue Exceed was too exhausted to fly home earlier (or rather the blonde's apartment, for his partner had accidentally blown up their house before the Grand Magic Games, so they decided tostay over at Lucy's... and they would probably keep her company while their house is being repaired). Anyway, Happy spent the night in the guild and woke up to his favourite sound of somebody punching someone that wasn't him. Turned out, the Sabertooth mages had some fun fighting each other on the first floor. Sting's and Rogue's Exceeds were watching the commotion, too. All the guild members started to lay bets, so the cats followed along, their fishes at stake. Lector bet on the blonde, no surprise, but Happy was pretty much dumbfounded when Frosh just said 'Fro thinks so, too!', hence supported Sting as well. The blue Exceed found himself in a nasty situation. He was quite certain that the White Dragon Slayer would win, but other cats had been first to lay bets. As a result, Happy could go either for the dark male or a draw. The memories of the scary Shadow Dragon Slayer were still vivid, so the blue cat was a bit (VERY) reluctant to cheer him. Discouraged and dispirited, he voted for draw...
Life is a funny thing. One moment you are mourning over losing a tasty fish, the next moment you are happily carrying three tasty fishes. Happy can't wait to boast about his luck. Speeding up, he flies towards Lucy's apartment.
"Natsu-u-u!" the blue Exceed calls to his partner joyously as he notices him in the window. Uh huh, Natsu is going to like the news! Stupid Tigers lost to Gajeel just like they had lost to him! Maybe, he can challenge them again? Then I can win some more yummy fishes!
The new peachy table-cloth covers a small table, blending in just perfectly with the room's palette. It makes the kitchen look cozy and tidy, a nice place to eat in peace. Actually, Lucy bought it long ago (what a ridiculously high price it had!), but never had the chance to finally spread it. So, here it is now! Fresh and new! The Celestial Wizard keeps a wary eye on the Fire Dragon Slayer as she sets the table, afraid of crumbles and drops staining her beautiful cloth. They kind of have a silent battle of prides, both pouting at each other: Natsu for being Lucy-Kicked upon leaving the bathroom, and Lucy for straining her ankle when he managed to half-block the famous kick. Neither of them apologized or said anything on the matter. But the blonde knows this game from her childhood. The first one to utter a word loses and ends up with a wounded ego. And she is pretty good at this game. Considering that her opponent is Natsu (also known as A Big Mouth That Never Shuts Up), Lucy is determined to claim the victory. But his behavior is beyond being simply suspicious now. Imagine her surprise when the table-cloth remains clean in Natsu's vicinity for more than five minutes. No snatching food from her plate. No legs on the table. This passiveness can't mean anything good. The Celestial Mage expected him to be extremely intolerable so that she would yell at him, giving up the victory. Seven minutes have passed. The table is still spotless, food's untouched. Is he doing something behind my back?! At this point, Lucy is confident that the salmon-haired male must be salting her tea or peppering pancakes when she is not looking, because Natsu just does not sit doing nothing, especially when offended. Playing innocent, huh? Oh, fine! I'll bring youto light! With a secret smirk playing on her lips, the blonde pretends to have a problem with turning over a pancake and looks away. She waits for a few seconds to catch the Fire Dragon Slayer red-handed. One, two... Gotcha!
"Ha!" she spins around and exclaims in triumph, her spatula pointing at him accusingly. Blink. Blink. "Huh?" Natsu just sits there with a blank expression, his left eyebrow slightly arched. "Fine, you win," Lucy accepts defeat grudgingly and flops down into the chair, starting to eat her pancakes in a challenging way as if daring the Dragon Slayer to comment. Oh please, give me a good reason to yell at you! I'm so mad at you that I wanna cut you into pieces! Well, the Celestial Wizard hasn't been that agitated for a long time. There is something infuriating in Natsu not reacting in a... Natsu-Way. He must be still suffering from the hangover... Anyway, serves him right!
"May I have a fork, please?"
... Strawberry jam and a pancake jump in bewilderment right in the middle of Lucy's throat. Chocking, the blonde coughs violently, wondering if her ears played a trick on her. Did Natsu just say 'fork'? Fork like a utensil, used for eating? Is he still drunk? She finally copes with her fit of coughs and gawks at him with watering eyes. The Fire Dragon Slayer stares back at her with a deep frown between black eyes. The blonde doesn't like this odd behavior. Well, she doesn't complain about him becoming more civilized and well-mannered, but this change is too abrupt, sudden and unnatural. Once again, concern rubs at the back of her mind. Ignoring Natsu's mumble, Lucy reaches out across the table to feel his forehead.
"Hm... You may have a fever..." she mutters uncertainly. It's always difficult to say with the Fire Dragon Slayer. His body temperature is always above norm.
"Ugh... I'm okay. Just... tired?" Natsu's reply sounds more like a question, and the Celestial Wizard scolds him as if he were a naughty child.
"Cana warned you several times not to drink so much if you can't hold your liquor, dummy."
"I can," the salmon-haired male tries to rejoin, but Lucy slightly smacks the back of his head for talking back and keeps on reprimanding him. Natsu meekly shuts his mouth and looks away.
"Agh, what would you have done without me? A big child," the blonde puffs, clicking her tongue. She flicks his nose then and chuckles at the stupid expression on the male's face. Who would have thought that sick Natsu would be so resigned? The Celestial Mage secretly admits that she probably won't miss his more energetic side any time soon. Though, I doubt that he'll be ill for more than a couple of days. Sighing, she brews some herbs Porlyusica gave her with dark honey and adds milk into the concoction. To be honest, the taste is pretty much sickening. Even remembering the last time she caught a cold makes her wanna gag... But Natsu, of course, doesn't need to know it.
"What's that?" he inquires, taking a cautious sniff. Lucy crosses fingers.
"Something to make you feel better," the Celestial Wizard puts all the enthusiasm her voice can generate into the answer, hoping it will ensure her gullible partner. Okay... Maybe be Luck doesn't favour me today.
"Thanks, but I am fine," the Fire Dragon Slayer declines politely after a long consideration and moves the cup away. The blonde narrows her eyes. Sick Natsu may be more obedient... but he is also more stubborn.
"Nope, you're evidently not," Lucy cuts him short, taking the cup and bringing it to his mouth which is firmly closed, lips pursed. "Natsu," threatening notes start to play a dangerous tune in her intonation. "Be a good boy and drink it."
"No. I'm not ill," the Dragon Slayer shakes his head and turns away. The Celestial Mage traces some irritation in her friend's tone and it irritates her all the more. How dare he get annoyed at me?! I am the one who must be exasperated here!
"Yes, you are, Natsu!" she finally loses her temper, her voice rising to an enraged scream. "Look at yourself! You've got all the symptoms! Or should I spell them for you? Fine, listen! a) depression..."
"I'm not depressed," the Dragon Slayer mutters through the clenched teeth, but Lucy deliberately ignores his words.
"...b) apathy,"
"Just fatigued."
"...c) spacing out,"
"Lost in thought for a moment."
"... d) poor appetite,"
"You've never given me a fork."
"Quit interrupting me!" she snaps, having enough of his flat comments. "I'm not done yet! Where was I... Right! e) droopy eyes..."
"Excuse me?!"
"... g) pa...-"
"You've missed 'f'."
"...F) passivism,"
"Not in the mood."
"...g) deliriousness and unusual mannerism,"
"Well, they forced thirteen bottles down my throat."
"...h)... Stop, what?!"
"You did not misheard me."
"Thirteen?! Natsu, are you crazy?!"
"He is..."
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Weirdo. Anyway, h)... Oh, great! I forgot what I was about to say!"
"That's a relief."
When the words cease to be effective, a staring contest begins. Nobody wants to back up. After the verbal skirmish, Lucy is quite sure that fever isn't the reason behind Natsu's odd behavior (a sick person can't have that much energy to argue!). The only explanation her tired logic comes up with is excessive alcohol in his system that is probably forcing his brain cells to work in a reversed mode or something. Thirteen bottles... No wonder he acts a bit different. She wonders if there is a way to make a few after-effects, like not being a pig at the table, permanent... Anyway, it is beyond the point now whether Natsu is ill or not. They've started this fight over the concoction, and the Celestial Mage is determined to claim victory this time. This, and she just wants to see her dear partner's furious face after he drinks the stuff. Revenge is sweeter than milk chocolate, especially when heated. That's what Natsu gets for breaking into my apartment in the middle of the night, drunk nonetheless! Oh, and for abusing my hospitality. And for locking himself in my bathroom for two hours. And for talking back when I wanted to help. In short, the jerk must suffer! The blonde can almost feel devil's horns popping out from her head and a black tail swishing impatiently behind. The salmon-haired mage watches in apprehension as she takes slow purposeful steps towards him, smiling innocently.
"Natsu, you'll drink this brew, right," the blonde states rather than asks.
"It is clear that I am not ill," his stubbornness laces the even voice. It's as if the Dragon Slayer can read her mind. Lucy's brows furrow further when he continues nonchalantly. "You simply want to humiliate. Your concern for my well-being is irrelevant."
"Wow... That takes a lot logic, you know," the girl utters under her breath and slightly purses lips. Still, her chin is high as she glares at him challengingly. "But it doesn't matter, because you will drink it, Natsu."
"Oh?" this new habit of raising brows starts to get on her nerves, and the Celestial Wizard suppresses the urge to smack his face. Refraining from another remark, Lucy flings her small but tenacious hands at him, thin fingers running up and down his sides. He is doomed! The Fire Dragon Slayer stands still, watching her with unruffled amusement as a malicious smirk eventually slides from her face. Huh?
"Hey, I am tickling you!" Lucy cries in despair and silent anger. Inconspicuous annoyance she had before has grown into a giant exasperation that walks freely along her face features.
"Yes, I can see that," Natsu shrugs indifferently. Well, the blonde would have been flabbergasted were she not so galled at the moment. There is a thing called axiom. Like when Lucy tickles her best friend, he rolls about and begs her to stop. It works that way. Natsu does not laughs at the futile attempts. She is always the one laughing. Gritting teeth, the Celestial Mage pokes his sides so furiously that it hurts her fingers. An idea to give up seems very alluring a few minutes later, and Lucy almost succumbs to it... When accidentally her hand slips and she jabs his stomach instead of ribs. The Dragon Slayer suddenly becomes stiff and serious as though skies are about to fall. They blink at each other in confusion. Oh? A sly fox that is Lucy's smile quietly threads its way to her lips. Panic smashes into her partner's face like a custard-pie, but he is too late to make an escape now. Pushing him backwards onto the sofa, the blonde traps the salmon-haired mage under her and begins a long, sweet, hilarious torture... Strange, though. I was sure it's not his stomach that's ticklish. Ah, who cares, anyway! And so her devilish fingers are mirthlessly chucking Natsu's abdomen as he squirms and wriggles under her like a caught snake.
"Hey! You're supposed to laugh, dummy! Neh, I'm not letting you go unless you laugh!" the Celestial Wizard cackles viciously as Natsu valiantly tries to contain himself. Snorts start to escape him, causing Lucy to nod contentedly.
"S-...stop-p..." the male's hoarse voice just fuels the blonde's mischief. A sugary smile flies at him.
"Um? Did you say something, Natsu? Can't hear ya!" she singsongs joyfully. Success, however, can be more dangerous and intoxicating than the strongest spirits. It makes boys overconfident. As to girls... They get the wrong idea of being omnipotent and muscular. Drunk on her triumph, Lucy fails to notice the Dragon Slayer cautiously moving his legs away... A chuckle dies on her lips as their places are suddenly reversed. Pouting at the male from underneath, she struggles to break free, but Natsu's grip is a firm one. But his hands aren't the main problem. It's the mage's expression that has her worried. Black eyes aren't just drilling holes in her. They are probably inaugurating the first Fiore's Freak-Lucy-Out Mining Company. Gulp. The blonde can only prey that her friend's imagination hasn't boosted after thirteen bottles. He was rarely creative with his revenge on her... But this onyx glare tells her differently... as well as his suddenly very hot hands. Natsu is all fired-up now. Literally.
"Ugh... Sorry?" the Celestial Wizards tries meekly. The Dragon Slayer doesn't budge a muscle, his face terrifyingly void of emotion. Did I really piss him off that badly?
Natsu would have probably come up with a dreadful plan 'Make-Lucy's-Life-Miserable', but Fate was in the mood for more fun that day. Of all the times the three Dragon Slayers could enter, of course they chose the most awkward one. Lucy doesn't even bother to sigh when her guests just intrude without knocking and via Natsu's favorite window. At the back of her mind, the blonde gets the idea of how the scene must look like, but the blush is late this time. Relief that her partner missed the chance to torture her outshines the embarrassment. She doesn't even wonder what the heck the Sabertooth mages along with Gajeel are doing in her apartment. Right now, Lucy wants to give them all a big bear hug for saving her from mad Natsu. The spell of quietness, however, is due to fall sooner or later. For a few blissful moments, the five just blink at each other, reality sinking into their heads at a leisurely pace. Lucy comes to her senses a bit earlier than others, the heat hastens to take its place on her cheeks. She moans inwardly at what is about to come next, imagining prankish Fate enjoying the show. Hope you like it, jerk.
"Wow, eh... Ya lucky bastard, Salamander!" different expressions color the Dragon Slayers' faces, but Gajeel gets the creepiest one. The sofa suddenly seems too solid for Lucy. Why can't it just open under the blonde and save her from this disaster?! And why the heck Natsu hasn't changed his position yet?! The Iron Dragon Slayer wriggles his metal brows suggestively at the two of them; the action freaks the girl even more. "How comes you end up with gorgeous Blondie and I'm stuck with a midget?" What?
"You've got problems with your woman?" Lucy's express of thoughts doesn't take her very far as it crashes into the White Dragon Slayer's sharp remark. There is something threatening in the blond Tiger's tone. And that something sends shivers down her spine. She thought he had problems with Natsu, not Gajeel... But if the killing intent in his blue glare is any indication, the girl must have made wrong assumptions...
"Oh, my woman? Ya mean the cutie there is my girlfriend? Well, well, sounds good to me!" Gajeel then clears his throat and adds uncertainly as if something is preventing him from sounding correct. "Gee-hee".
A loud smack distracts Lucy from the confusing ideas that cloud her mind; Natsu has finally let her go and sat up. His palm is glued to his forehead as he utters under breath, but loud enough for the girl to hear. "You must be kidding me... Seriously?" The Celestial Wizard is about to ask him what the heck is going on (because there's definitely something fishy taking place in her apartment and she is the only one who is absolutely lost), but a loud intimidating growl makes Lucy flinch and she quickly shuts her mouth. The Light Dragon Slayer is emitting a very dark aura, his eyes tearing ignorant Gajeel into pieces. Unconsciously, the Celestial Mage draws closer to her partner as trepidation prickles her insides. Somehow, she has misjudged the Twin Dragon Slayers... Well, the Tigers didn't strike as harmless kittens in the first place, but after the Grand Magic Games they appeared to be kind of... friendly? The blonde one even resembled Natsu... or rather Lucy thought he did. Our guilds were getting along just fine during the ball. One would think it's a sign of friendship. Yeah, good job, Lucy! Keep dreaming. Whatever has happened in the short period between the ball and today, there is not a single trace of amiability in the Tigers' looks. She wonders how Gajeel manages to stay in one piece under such a piercing glare. Yeap, that's our Gajeel for you! Natsu doesn't seem to be perturbed by their animosity either. That fact calms her down a bit, but the Celestial Wizard is suddenly disturbed by an unrelenting feeling of being stared at. She bends her head slightly to determine the source of the uneasiness and almost jumps out of her skin as crimson eyes transfix her. Sitting on the window sill is... him, Rogue Cheney. It's not like she holds a grudge against him or something... All in all, it wasn't really her who died and it wasn't actually him who killed, but still. You don't just say 'Oh, hi! How's it going?' in this kind of situation. The open hostility in the intense blood-red look tends to make you a bit hesitant to warm up towards your murder-to-be. The damn shiver won't go. The instinct of self-preservation orders Lucy to nestle in the Fire Dragon Slayer's protective arms. The girl restrains herself from smirking as Rogue's eyes flare up upon her snuggling into Natsu. Ha, not that scary any more, are you? He'll kick your butt again if you harass me, kitty!
The train of thoughts has carried her away from reality for a moment or two. The Celestial Wizard hops off only when the voices at the background turn into shouts.
"Aha! I must be in denial then!"
"Shut your mouth or I'll do it for ya, boy!"
"Seriously, a four-eyed cutie like her is my type? Ha-ha, sorry-sorry! That's just a bit unexpected... Ha-ha... Shouldn't a guy like me have someone feisty like Blondie over there with Ro...- romantic Salamander? Gee-hee."
"Gee-hee one more time and I'll gee-hee you."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Don't be mad at me, oh Great Sting Eucliffe! Who am I to challenge the great Light Dragon Slayer? You're too powerful for me!... gee-hee... ... Fork, I AM sorry! Fork, it just slipped! Fork, what the fork with me saying fork?!.. No-no! I'm serious! I didn't mean that gee-hee! Heee..!"
Lucy's brows twitch in annoyance. She has no clue what the fork... Fork?!... umm... what the heck it was about, but the girl is very well aware of the two crazy Dragon Slayers running around her apartment wrecking havoc.
"Excuse me," as expected, she doesn't get any response from the two. Well, that was foolish. Before Lucy can stand up and grab a frying pan, the salmon-haired male rapidly makes his way to the fellow Dragon Slayers and catches Gajeel by the collar. All four of them focus their blinking eyes on Natsu who heaves an exasperated sigh and punches the Iron Dragon Slayer. A groan about forks reaches their ears, but the pink-haired mage ignores it.
"I think we should talk," the Fire Dragon Slayer stresses the last word and looks at everyone present. The blonde mage nods solemnly, his arms crossed in a business-like manner.
"Yeah... Sounds like a plan to me," Lucy casts a worried glance at the Shadow Dragon Slayer who finally jumps off of the sill and comes up to the rest of them, his scorching orbs never leaving her partner. And then three pairs of eyes, plus the red one from the floor, fix upon the Celestial Wizard, causing her to step back from the intensity.
"Umm... What?" she giggles nervously under their unblinking stares.
"Dragon Slayers talk. Blondie's out," Gajeel croaks as he stands up and brushes off the imaginary dust. Others give curt affirmative nods. Lucy can only gape at them in disbelief. You have the cheek to break into MY APARTMENT and kick me out?!
"What?! If you think that-" before she can finish the sentence, Rogue sweeps the girl off her feet. She blinks in confusion as colors blend in her eyes. A moment later the dark male puts her down at the other side of the threshold.
"Buy us a snack or something, 'kay?"
Before the door is unceremoniously slammed in Lucy's face, two appalling things burn into her memory simultaneously. The first one is the familiar joyful cry 'Na-a-a-tsu!' and a blur of blue flashing behind Rogue's shoulder. She gets a glimpse of three wet fishes being flopped on the table... her table that is covered by a clean peachy cloth. Her heart wrenches at the sight, but there is something else in store for her... Out of the blue, the Shadow Dragon Slayer, cracks a wide toothy grin at her. And slams the door. Okay... That was creepy... It's like a maniac was smiling and chopping me at the same time. Eeek!
It's still raining with drops singing stupid songs with roofs and puddles. No umbrella. No coat. No shoes. Does she have a reason to curse her luck? Nope. Because now Lucy has all the reasons to pay a visit to mighty Titania... and complain about certain someone.
A/N: Here comes Chapter Three! Actually, I didn't plan to stop here. But it'll turn into a monster if I continue)) Moreover, my Philosophy exam is tomorrow, so I should at least pretend to study. There'll be no time tomorrow to do pleasant things like writing or reading (and by reading I don't mean Aristotle or Kant ._.)
Aaaah, you're all so sweet to read, fav, fol and rev this! You've no idea how much I appreciate it! He-he, anyway, Beware: Exceeds are on the way! ... and Erza... I'm not even sure who's gonna make it after her visit... It's not too late to change the genre and make it a tragedy)
Hope you enjoy!
P.S. Mistakes? Oh. Yeah. Right. Fork. So Sorry...