Not For Long

"Oh, so you were here after all."

Lucy lifted her head to meet the person that stood over her. Her eyes landed on scarlet hair and an intense stare. All of the moisture in her mouth completely dried up and she gaped.

"E-Erza?"

The girl smiled, "I've been looking all over for you, Lucy."

Natsu rolled over on the desk chair, still shirtless, scarf wrapped around his head once more.

"What's up, Erza?" he asked, leaning back, stacking his hands behind his head. As he moved, Lucy noticed for the first time the red tattoo on his right shoulder.

"I should have guessed our newbie would be hanging around you, Natsu," Erza cocked an eyebrow at the pink haired boy.

He grinned.

"You haven't been a bad influence on her, have you?"

Natsu's grin disappeared and he scowled at her. "No! I've been lookin' out for her!"

"Is that so?" the redhead looked down at the blonde once more.

She nodded, "Y-yes! I'm… I'm learning a lot about Fairy Tail!"

"See?" Natsu pointed. "I ain't a bad influence!"

"Hm," Erza crossed her arms over her chest. "Then why, may I ask, are you half naked in the presence of a lady? Are you picking up bad habits from Gray?"

He glanced down at his bare chest and then exclaimed, "NO WAY AM I TAKING AFTER THAT ICE PRINCESS!"

"Hmhm," she turned away from him. "Lucy if this idiot tries anything on you, just let me know and I'll be sure to teach him a lesson he won't soon forget."

"Uh…" Lucy blinked, "Uhm… alright…"

"So have you decided on a specialty?" the redhead asked, smiling gently.

"Oh… uhm. Actually… I was thinking that I might be able to… well… write."

"Hm? Write, you say?"

"Th-that's right. I… I'm actually in the process of writing a novel," she twiddled her thumbs in her lap. "And I bet if I spent specialty practice working on it, I'll finish it in no time…"

"That's wonderful!" Erza brightened. "It's refreshing to meet someone with an ironclad goal that they are striving towards." She gazed off into the distance wistfully, "Such drive and determination is admirable. You remind me of myself, Lucy." She looked back down at the girl. "I think we will end up being very good friends, you and I."

"O-oh! I… I hope so!" Lucy said timidly, cheeks turning pink.

Natsu smiled.

"So Lucy, tell me, will you be living in the girls' dorms with us?"

"Eh?"

Erza sat beside the girl, "Fairy Tail has both a male and female dorm. Most students stay within them. It makes it easier to make it to and from school. Especially considering that most students here are… well," she shifted, looking away as she struggled over the words. "Well… alone. It gives us a sense of unity to live together in one place."

"A-alone?" Lucy stared at her.

Natsu turned the desk chair slowly, eyes centered on the floor beneath his bare foot.

"That's right," she smiled. "Fairy Tail has always been a bit of a safe haven for children that have nowhere else to go." Her eyes were soft, "We take care of our own here."

Warmth spread through Lucy's chest, "I never realized… I…" she clasped her hands together. "Staying in the dorm sounds really fun, but… I actually just moved in to town with my father. I don't think he would like it if I just disappeared to live somewhere else. He would probably get quite lonely without me around."

"Understandable," Erza nodded. "So do you live far?"

"Not too far," she said. "It's only about twenty minutes from the campus, actually. It's a pleasant walk."

"You walk by yourself?" Erza's mouth twisted into a disapproving frown and Lucy rushed to appease her.

"It's not bad! It's a really nice neighborhood and I can take care of myself…"

"Where do you live?" Natsu interrupted.

She glanced up at him. His face had taken on a serious expression.

"Uh… It's like on a cul-de-sac past the public library… Hakobe Way?"

Erza and Natsu both perked at that.

"Hakobe Way?" Natsu repeated.

"Well then," Erza smiled in satisfaction. "This worked out well in the end after all."

"What do you mean?" Lucy wondered.

"I live on Hakobe Way too!" Natsu grinned. "That means we're neighbors! I can walk you!"

"O-oh!" Excitement filled Lucy's chest. "Really?"

"Yep!"

"Very good," Erza nodded. "I feel much better knowing that Natsu will be nearby to watch over you."

"This means we can spend weekends and holidays together too! And summer break!" Natsu leaned forward, face luminous. If he were a dog, his tail would be wagging.

Lucy smiled, "I'm looking forward to it."

"We're taking off!" Natsu draped his backpack over his right shoulder and waved exuberantly at the others.

"See you tomorrow!" Levy waved back, standing between Erza and Mirajane.

"Don't get into trouble on the way home, ya hear, Dumbass?" Gray said, standing next to Jet, Droy, and Elfman.

"Whatever," Natsu turned towards the street.

Lucy waved as the groups split. The girls walked along the sidewalk towards the south and the boys headed to the north. Natsu and Lucy crossed the street and traveled east. The sun was setting, casting an orange hue on the city.

Lucy breathed in the fresh air with a deep sigh, smiling gently as her eyes wandered over the neighborhood. There was a hushed peace that lingered over the quiet houses and rustling trees.

Natsu watched her for a moment.

A meow drew her attention and she glanced down at the pavement.

"Oh, Happy!" she grinned. "You're coming along too, are you?"

The blue cat glanced up at her, tail in the air. He meowed again before attacking Natsu's pant leg and clawing his way up and onto the boy's shoulder. Once there, he stretched comfortably around the back of his neck and rested his head on his shoulder, staring at Lucy with a dark eye.

She chuckled, "Does he ride like that often?"

"Yeah," Natsu scratched the back of his head. "He's kind of lazy. So he catches a ride whenever he gets the chance."

Lucy reached up and scratched Happy under the chin, earning his purr. "He's so cute. I bet he and Plue would get along really well."

"Plue?"

"Yeah! He's my dog!"

"Cool! We're gonna have to introduce them one day."

Lucy smiled, "Mm!"

They walked in silence for a short distance before Lucy asked, "So Natsu… why don't you live in the dorms with everyone else?"

He glanced at her in the corner of his eye and then stared forward, "Well… I used to live with my dad… and now…"

She gulped, "O-oh… I uh…"

He grinned at her, "I just think I'd feel weird living somewhere else, ya know?"

"Yeah… I understand."

"So, you live with your dad, Lucy?"

"Yes… and," she coughed. "Some others."

"Others? Like siblings?"

She pursed her lips, watching the concrete move under her feet, "You could say that."

"Cool! I don't have any siblings," he tickled Happy's cheek, "Unless you count this guy!"

"It's not all it's chalked up to be, trust m—" as if on cue, Lucy's phone blared in her pocket. She sighed and slipped it out. She checked the screen. Loke. Again. The annoying guy had been calling all day. She had ignored call after call because she was in school but now that she was out, she decided it'd be best to actually answer.

"What do you want?" she snapped.

"Is that any way to answer the phone?" Leo replied. "You sound like a cranky old man."

"I guess I like to get straight to the point."

Natsu watched as Lucy's face morphed. It turned stony, cold. Her eyes deadened until they lacked any of the usual light and joy they formerly held. Why? he wondered. Was it the man she was talking to? Did she hate him that much?

"Jude's been whining all day," Leo went on. "This school thing really isn't working out for us, Lucy."

"Oh I'm so sad for you. Deal with it!"

He chuckled, "Thought you'd say something like that. Anyway, he doesn't want you to think he's smothering you, so he ordered me to call you and casually find out how your first day of school was."

"He does realize I'm coming home, right? He could just ask then," she rolled her eyes.

"No he couldn't."

"Why not?"

"Because as soon as you get home, you're going to hole yourself up in your bedroom to write, completely ignoring everyone else as if they didn't exist, like you wish they wouldn't."

Lucy's breath caught. Her eyes flickered to Natsu, who moved his gaze forward once more, shoving his hands in the pockets of his pants.

"W-well," Lucy lowered her voice. "Whose fault is that?"

Leo sighed, "Listen, Lucy. I wish you'd cut the guy some slack. It's not like he wants—"

"My first day was great. Thanks for calling. I'll see you soon," Lucy ended the call with a quick jab to the screen. She slid the phone into her pocket once more.

Natsu examined her discreetly as she brushed a strand of blonde hair from her face. She was shaking, hand quivering as she lowered it once more. Her eyes were misty, cheeks flushed. She gulped and bit her bottom lip, turning her face away.

Natsu had good hearing. The exchange between Lucy and the man on the phone did not go unnoticed by the pink haired boy.

Family problems, he stacked his hands behind his head. He didn't really have any advice to give the girl on that. He had always solved all of his problems by beating the crud out of whoever pissed him off. But Lucy just didn't strike him as the kind of person that could feel better after a good brawl.

Natsu glanced at his watch. 19:20. He pursed his lips before an idea struck him.

"Hey Lucy!" he exclaimed, face brightening.

She turned to him, eyes wide, "Wh-what?"

"I'm starved!" he grinned. "Let's go get some dinner before going home, okay?"

She blinked at him, "Dinner?"

"Yeah!" he grabbed her wrist, "I know the perfect place!" he yanked her to the left, down a side street, towards the city's center.

"But-"

He glanced over his shoulder at her, "Eating dinner is more fun when you're with friends right?" she blinked at him as his grin widened and his eyes squinted shut. "Then come with me!"

Calm warmth spread through Lucy's chest as she was tugged along behind the enthusiastic boy. Where there was once turmoil and sadness, Natsu's cheer wedged its way inside and took over.

"Okay!" Lucy ran to keep pace with him.

"Hoo!" Natsu patted his belly. "That was some good food! Yours looked especially tasty! I've never had the spaghetti there before, was it good?"

"It was delicious," Lucy smiled, "Thank you for treating me. You really didn't have to though."

They walked slowly down the sidewalk, reveling in the cool night air.

"Nah, it was nothing," Natsu stacked his hands behind his head. "I expect you to pay me back a hundredfold anyway," he grinned down at her.

She rolled her eyes, glancing down at the cat that walked between them. "I was surprised that they allowed Happy to come in with us. And even eat on the table…"

"Oh yeah," Natsu said. "Old man Yajima is pretty cool. He likes Happy."

"I don't blame him!" Lucy leaned over and scooped the feline up into her arms. The cat didn't seem to mind, and in fact looked grateful to be relieved of the duty of walking. She snuggled him lovingly. "He's just so cute!"

They walked in silence for a short distance before Lucy said, "Hey, Natsu? Can I ask you a question?"

"Hm? Sure thing. What's on your mind?"

"It's about your fire show."

He glanced down at her.

She blushed, "I was just wondering… where you came up with the idea to do it to that song… the one you played…"

"Oh!" he laughed. "Actually… the thing about that is… well. I don't really listen to a lot of music. I'm not really into technology. Mostly because I don't understand how it works. And I'm just not that interested in it either… but normally, performances like that go so some kind of sound, you know? It would be weird for it to be silent. So I pretty much take what I can get. Whenever I hear something I like, I try to remember as much about it as I can so that Mirajane can help me find it later on. And well… when your phone went off in that park when we first met, I realized that I really liked the song. I just had to find it, no matter what." His face brightened, "I felt the same way about you!"

Lucy's breath caught. Heat blazed up her face as she stared, awestruck, up at him. "B-but… we're practically strangers… why did you feel so strongly about me?"

"Sometimes you just know." He chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head, "And I kinda made the snap judgment right then and there that I wanted to make you special to me." His smile gentled, "I hope that's okay."

"Sh-shut up," Lucy said, turning away to hide her blush. Her heart was doing somersaults inside her chest. She squeezed Happy a little too tightly, earning an annoyed yowl from him. She released the cat and crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to look at Natsu. "You shouldn't trust strangers so easily," she said.

"Like you're one to talk!" he cackled. "You're the one that followed me into an empty warehouse on the outskirts of campus! If I were a different kind of guy—"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Lucy let loose a flurry of smacks at his head.

Natsu laughed and protected his face with his arms. She huffed and turned away angrily, lifting her nose to the air.

"As if anyone would want to take advantage of Lucy," came a soft, mocking tone.

Lucy gasped and glared back at Natsu, "For your information, a lot of men find me very attractive!"

"It wasn't me," Natsu scratched his head and looked away. "Happy's the one that said it."

"Don't blame the cat, you buffoon," she slapped him on the shoulder, but then smiled. "Hey Natsu… thanks."

He faced her again, cocking an eyebrow. "For what?"

"Just… thanks."

He shrugged, "You're welcome then, I guess."

"So this is your house, huh?" Natsu stared up at the second story townhouse on the other side of the gated yard.

"That's right," Lucy said proudly. "It's really great! It's the perfect size! And Dad let me have the bedroom with the balcony that overlooks the backyard!"

"Cool!" he looked down at her, "Well, anyway. My house is that one, over there," he pointed directly across the street to a similar looking two story house with a gated yard. "So if you ever need me, that's where I am."

"Wow," she smiled, "You really are close by. That's great!"

"Yeah!"

Lucy unlatched the gate to her yard, "Well, I should go in now."

"Okay! I'll see you soon."

Lucy went inside the yard and turned back to him. She matched his cheerful grin, "See you soon!" she closed the gate and ran up the path to the front door, a bounce in her step. She hummed the tune of her ringtone as she pushed through the door and into the house.

"How was school?"

Lucy squeaked and jumped in surprise. Jude, Leo, Capricorn, and Scorpio all stood just inside the foyer. She glared at her father, who stood entirely too close to her, eyes bright and expectant, if not a little concerned.

"Jeez," she gave him a little push. "Give me space, will ya?"

He took a step back, but asked again, "Did you have a good time? Were the other students nice to you? Did you make any friends?"

She rolled her eyes and passed him. "No, I got my ass kicked six times before lunch and someone pulled a knife on me in the bathroom."

She heard a soft ch-ck behind her and turned, scowling, hands on her hips. "DAD."

Jude glanced at his daughter, one hand on the front door, the other wrapped tightly around the handle of a shining black pistol.

"I was kidding," she walked up to him and took the gun from his hand. She passed it over to Capricorn, and turned away. "Everyone was really nice to me. And I've already made a couple of friends."

Capricorn passed the gun back to Jude and he stuffed the weapon into the waistband of his pants. He followed his daughter down the hall, "So tell me more about it! Tell me about the friends you've made! Tell me about the teachers! Did you learn anything? What did you eat for lunch? That reminds me… you missed dinner. But I could whip you up something—"

"I already ate," she replied, kicking her shoes off. She walked down the hallway to the kitchen on the end past a swinging door. Jude, Leo, Capricorn, and Scorpio came in behind her. "A friend of mine took me to a restaurant after school."

"What'd you eat?" Leo asked.

Scorpio rolled his eyes.

"Spaghetti."

"That's different."

Capricorn glared at the redheaded man.

"A friend of yours?" Jude rubbed his hands together nervously. "What's she like? What's her name?" he snapped his fingers at Capricorn, who pulled out a small notebook and a pen from his pocket and readied to record the information Lucy divulged.

Lucy opened the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water. "His name is none of your business. And I'd prefer if you didn't run background checks on my new friends," she glared at him before shifting the scowl to Capricorn, who closed the notebook once more and slipped it into his pocket.

Jude was silent for a moment and Leo leaned his forehead on the marble island in the center of the kitchen.

"Here we go," Scorpio muttered, rubbing his eyes.

"H…" Jude gulped. "His… name…"

"That's right, Daddy," Lucy smirked, twisting the top off of the water bottle. She walked up to him and patted his chest, "Your baby girl's new friend has a penis." She passed him and headed for the door again.

"Not for long," Jude whispered darkly, eyeing the block of knives on the island next to Leo's head.

Lucy stopped at the door of the kitchen and turned back to the men, "Listen up," she announced.

They all snapped to attention, Leo straightening away from the island and Jude walking around to stand in front of their group.

Lucy pointed to her father, "I forbid you to do anything to my new friends! That includes background checks, stalking, threatening, and otherwise speaking to them unless under my supervision! You hear me?"

The group of men let out a collective sigh before mumbling their agreement.

Lucy gave each and every one of them a hard stare before nodding firmly and turning back to the door. "I'm going to go take a shower and write. Don't bug me!"

"Yes Ma'am," they grumbled and she left.

Author's Note: A little boring today guys. Sorry about that. It's gonna start picking up soon. Swear.

Thank you so much for all of the love and support! I really just absolutely love hearing from you! Every day it's like waking up, walking through the living room, opening the front door, wiping the sleep from my eyes with a yawn, just to discover a pretty wrapped box with a giant red bow sitting on my porch. And inside? I dunno. Like... cupcakes or something else as pleasant as that. I like cupcakes. A lot.

Anyway, Moo trivia: My hair is now half teal, half purple. Weird. A random guy on the streets told me he loved me. What is this power.

Alright. I love you guys. You're the best. If you ever want to talk to me for any reason whatsoever, just pop me a message. I promise I'll always respond! (Even if I do it kind of slowly sometimes.)

Love-Moo