A/N: I know I promised to post this chapter Sunday, but my mom made me study for the spelling bee. Gomen! Seventh place, by the way. Not bad for a sixth grader, because I was up against seventh and eighth graders. My friend won first, though, and he's pretty much a child prodigy. Hope you like it and don't forget to review!
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL.
I wake up to the sound of my buzzing alarm, and with a tired hand, I slam around my nightstand before effectively silencing the perturbing noise. With a sigh, I stretch, slumping over to the mirror. My features contort in disgust. I am a mess. My usually shining blond hair is a bedhead, drool dotting the corner of my mouth. A quick glance at the alarm clock tells me I have about an hour before I have to be at the committee meeting.
After a quick shower, using my favorite strawberry-vanilla scented shampoo, I change into a white, blue, and gold vested crop tee and a black miniskirt with long, dark socks- one of my father's "scandalous" outfits. It was a nice change from my usual school uniform. Slinging a small bag over my shoulder, which contained a few plans for the dance, I head outside to see a black BMW, shining in the early morning light. A tinted window rolls down to reveal a pink-haired maid with an emotionless face.
"Ohayo, Hime," Virgo says, getting out and opening a car door for me. Once I'm in the car, she asks in the same toneless voice, "Punishment time?"
I ignore the fact that her eyes are gleaming a little more than usual. "Erm... No, Virgo, that's quite alright. Arigato for doing this!"
The maid's features soften slightly-the most emotion she's ever shown. "For you, Hime." She's silent for the rest of the ride, before pulling to a stop in front of Fairy Tail High, bidding me a brief farewell.
Gripping my bag a little tighter than usual, my heels clank against the cobblestone floor. A hand stretches out to open the door, only to find it... locked. Damn. I frantically bang on the door, desperately yelling for someone to show up, but no one does. It's freaking cold out here! Defeated, I sigh, sitting back against the cool metal frame, sending shivers up my spine. The sun is hidden behind dark clouds, chilling the winter air tenfold. I whip out my phone, determined to call the number of some teacher in the faculty list, but my bad luck gets the best of me. Because that's when the universe decides to send rain pouring down on my head. Well shit. How unlucky can you get, "Lucky Lucy"? Lucky Lucy had been my mother's pet name for me before she died, but I didn't do it justice. I feel like crying again, but I hold it in. Now I just want to hide inside Hologram. Hologram was this giant grandfather clock that was big enough for me to go inside in when I was little, and even now since Father's recently enlarged the timepiece.
Lost in thought, I don't realize the rain has suddenly ceased. No... Scratch that... It's still raining. No, someone was blocking the rain. With wide eyes, I meet the gaze of my savior.
"Natsu?"
"Natsu!" Erza Scarlet cries, seeing said boy herd in a shivering blond.
She looks terrible. The red-head thought sympathetically. She wraps a blanket around the poor girl. "I'm Erza. Erza Scarlet. What's your name?"
"Lucy. Lucy H-" The girls breath hitches for a second. "My name's Lucy. A-arigato, Erza-san."
The Student Council President returns it with a warm smile. "Just Erza. We are comrades, are we not? If there is anything I can do to help a comrade, I'd gladly do it." She whips her head around to face Natsu. "Tell me everything that happened."
"Eh," Natsu says scratching his head.
Lucy sweat-drops. "Don't worry, Erza, I can tell you."
"Natsu?" Lucy asks, her brown orbs widened in surprise, as she made eye contact with his onyx ones.
"Filia? What are you doing out in the rain?" He holds the umbrella closer.
"I-I'm here for the meeting, same as you. But the door's locked." She mumbles, blushing lightly at his kind gesture and closeness.
"You know, Filia, this is the first time you've spoken to me."
"Huh?" The blond looks up at him in surprise. "What are you talking about?"
"Like, actually talked to me without your guard on, or without sounding mean." Natsu explains.
"Hmph..." Lucy says, refusing to look at him.
"But you don't want to admit it, do you?"
"What the hell are you trying to say Dragneel?" Lucy snaps, inching away from him.
"I'm saying that you don't think I'm such a bad guy, but you don't want people to ask questions or anything, because you don't want them to know..."
"Why." The blond finishes, glaring at him. "I guess you've hidden a brain somewhere in there, Dragneel."
"Hey!" Natsu protests. "You didn't let me finish."
She arches an elegant eyebrow, then huffs in annoyance. "Okay, fine, continue!"
"I'm okay with that. So let's make a deal, kay? We'll keep being mean to each other at school, but other times, alone or whatever, we're normal. Deal?"
"What kind of fucking whacko deal is that?"
"DEAL?"
Another huff of annoyance.
...
...
...
"Deal..."
"YOSH!"
Natsu scoops her into a hug. Lucy blushes furiously.
"THIS AIN'T NORMAL DRAGNEEL!"
"S-sorry!"
Natsu looks at the blond for a second. "You're shivering."
"Duh. It's cold."
He frowns. "You said you'd be normal, and only mean at school."
Another huff of annoyance.
The pink haired boy grins at the shivering blond, before wrapping his own jacket around her shoulders.
She smiles back at him. "Thanks, Natsu."
I felt proud of myself for telling the story of me in the rain to Erza, who had listened intently and nodded. Natsu and I glance at each other quickly. His mouth tugs into a small smile, as if saying, "Good save". I had told Erza almost everything. Almost.
"Dragneel?" Lucy asks, her brown orbs widened in surprise, as she made eye contact with his onyx ones.
"Filia? What are you doing out in the rain?" He holds the umbrella closer.
"I'm here for the meeting, same as you. But the door's locked." She says unblushingly.
"Oh." He looks at the blond closely. "You're shivering. Here. Wear my jacket."
"Okay. Thanks." She wraps it around her shoulders, before he herded her inside.
"Right," Erza says, shaking her red head clear of the previous ordeal. I can tell that she's still slightly dubious-not that I can blame her of course.
She moves away from my side, muttering about missing committee members, and walks out, removing the previous warmth from my side. Unconsciously, I shiver.
"You cold?" Natsu asks suddenly. He hadn't spoken since I recalled what happened earlier.
"A-a little..." I murmur softly, pressing closer against the sofa.
"Come here." He says plainly.
"Wha-what?" I shoot up, flustered.
"Oi, you heard me. Just come here, and I'll warm you up."
I fight back a blush as I hesitantly sit beside Natsu. He snakes an arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him. Dammit. He's actually kinda warm... My eyelids begin to droop, feeling heavy with exhaustion and cold from the rain.
"Just... this... once..." I mumble before falling asleep. I think I'm dreaming as I hear him say,
"Anytime, Luce,"
...
Luce?
A/N: So what did everyone think? Did you like it? I'm trying to do a gradual Nalu, but I'm trying to give Natsu and Lucy their normal personalities and relationship in the anime/manga at first, before giving them a bit... more. Anyways, I have a lot of homework today, and my mom is absolutely... pissed. So what I plan to do everyday when I come home from school is update my chapters and insert new ones, that won't always be complete. It's a tad complicated, but this way I can get chapters in quicker for viewers during the week. This isn't a promise that I'll update everyday, because that would be a lie, but I'm doing my best. On a different note, who saw the new Fairy Tail opening? I'm not exactly "in the loop", so to say, but I hope this means the new season is coming out. I thought it was freaking awesome! And Natsu in his suit? And Lucy in the dress? Anyways, hope you liked this chapter, and don't forget to review! Below is a sneak preview of the next chapter.
I am definitely dreaming. The sky is a light pink shade, and the sun is a mere yellow blob in the sky. And I'm a blue cat, sitting on a couch, with wings, shouting "Aye!" while Natsu is petting me, flames dancing at his fingertips. But everything disappears when-
"WHAT THE HELL?!"