Thank you to the amazing Satyrykal who edited this chapter for me! You're the best!
Chapter Ten: Juvia
"Gray?" Lucy repeated in a faint, colourless voice. "Gray Fullbuster?"
Juvia flung her arms out wide, still caught up in her fantasy of meeting the perfect guy, her head tilted back as she spun in place. She didn't notice Lucy was no longer rejoicing with her.
"Juvia does not know his last name." She sung, her irises deep pools of aqua.
Lucy felt her heart beat faster, she grasped onto sudden hope. Maybe there's another Gray at this party! There are a lot of people here that I've never met before.
"What does he look like?" Lucy plastered a fake smile on her face, cheeks straining with rigid tightness. Dial it down! Her smile slipped down a couple inches, but became no less genuine.
She had been happy for Juvia mere seconds ago, but this was akin to stepping onto a beach before suddenly realizing it was rigged with landmines. Lucy could sense the danger they were in, just one false step...
"He's tall with black hair," Juvia gushed, hearts in her eyes.
Could be practically anyone…
"He has gorgeous blue eyes…"
Maybe one of the waitstaff?
"When Juvia started talking with him, Gray-sama suddenly started to undress…"
Bullseye.
Shit.
Shitty shit shit.
The blonde felt her grin collapse in on itself slowly, her mouth flatlining. The blood drained from her face as she stared at the other girl.
The water-mage started hugging herself, her lashes scrunching closed as if to savour the memory.
"Juvia has never met a man so bold before."
"Yeah, Gray has a stripping habit." Lucy sighed.
Juvia's eyes sparked up like fireworks. "Lucy-san knows Gray-sama? You two are friends?"
She grabbed Lucy by the shoulders, shaking the celestial mage like a sandy beach towel.
Her jaw rattling, she pulled away from Juvia, wrapping an arm around her stomach as the ominous green shot threatened to come back up for another look.
"Yes, we are friends," Lucy said through gritted teeth. Her stomach was knotted in anxiety and she felt like a cotton ball had lodged in her windpipe. How do you tell one of your best friends that you both have a crush on the same guy?
She sucked in a fortifying breath. "Juvia, about Gray and I…"
"Lucy-san loves Gray-sama?" Juvia cut her off, her tone equal parts accusation and disbelief. She staggered backwards, a wounded look on her face.
"Love? What? No. I've never even been on a date with him," she blurted out honestly.
The water woman studied her intently for a moment, then breathed a sigh of deep relief, all smiles again.
"Good. Juvia has no interest in harbouring love-rivals for Gray-sama's affection."
Lucy was about to claim she was a love-rival—whatever that meant—when a horrible thought struck her.
"Wait...did Gray ask you out?"
It was a distinct possibility. Juvia was beautiful. If it turned out Gray preferred her friend, she would back off, not wanting to risk two friendships for a teenage crush. But oh, it hurt. She could hear her heartbeat, erratic and frantic in her eardrums. The blood rushing to her head was so loud, she could barely make out what the blunette was saying.
"Gray-sama does not need to ask Juvia anything. Our love is destined to be."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Um...you just said that outloud. Lucy fastened her hand over her mouth, horrified.
Juvia's eyes grew stormy. Lucy had never seen the water mage annoyed, let alone angry before, but she could feel the water woman's power. An unseen wind whipped the blunette's hair and clothes, her body becoming translucent as she fought to control her magic aura.
"It means," she hissed in a low, threatening voice, "that Juvia loves Gray Fullerbuster!"
"Fullbuster," Lucy corrected. "And how can you love a guy you met...what, twenty minutes ago?"
"My darling Gray deserves far better than some blonde bimbo. You are my love-rival!" Juvia exclaimed, her pretty mouth distorted into an ugly snarl.
She blinked twice. She had no idea what had gotten into the woman.
"My darling Gray? Bimbo? Love rival? Are you drunk?"
It seemed like a fair question.
Or not.
Juvia seemed on the verge of a mental breakdown, yanking on her wavy blue hair with both hands before she started pacing back and forth in agitation like a caged tiger, whispering under her breath. Lucy strained to hear what she was saying over the noise of the water fountain.
Drip, drip, drop.
Lucy scrunched her nose. At least that was what she thought Juvia was muttering over and over again.
That can't be right. That's certifiably insane.
Lucy watched for several moments as the blunette paced about, repeating 'drip, drip, drop' in a slow, steady voice that belied how crazy her eyes were getting. The celestial mage had to stop this. She didn't want to fight with Juvia or see her upset.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked if you were drunk. I'm the one who has had far too much to drink tonight. I didn't mean to cause you distress. Gray and I are friends. Just friends…" she trailed off as she wondered how honest she should be.
Yes, she'd been hoping for more when she'd invited him to meet her outside tonight, but he had met Juvia instead. Maybe everything she had been longing for had just been in her head. He had asked her to dance. Big deal.
It was a party, lots of people were dancing. It had meant something to her, but that didn't necessarily mean it meant anything to him. Erza and Laxus had danced, for crying out loud. And she knew there was nothing going on between them. Not to mention Levy had danced with a bunch of guys.
"Just friends," she repeated, her shoulders slumped, suddenly feeling exhausted. She had no idea what Gray had spoke to Juvia about or if they had flirted. She wondered if he had maybe liked Lucy briefly... until the gorgeous blunette had shown up and knocked him off his feet.
In the dress Lucy gave her.
Lucy shook her head, gold tendrils of her hair brushing against her cheek. It was unlike her to be bitter. It just hurt to hear her crush of four months was off the table. Especially since she had just put him on the table. Her mind was suddenly filled with the fantasy of Gray over at her house, picking her up by the waist and lifting her up to the kitchen table, leaning in to kiss her senseless.
No.
That wasn't the reality. Juvia had never so much as hinted at interest in a man before. She wasn't about to challenge the water mage's claim on Gray. Even if it seemed crazy to her, the two had obviously bonded to affect her friend so deeply.
Maybe I should dye my hair blue. It seems like the blunettes get all the attention around here.
Her senses trickled back to her as she realized Juvia was talking to her, apologizing for calling Lucy a 'bimbo.' She nodded mutely at the appropriate times, stunned by the evening's turn of events. They had been good friends for the past seven years together at Mermaid Heel. The water mage was modest, timid, the shyest of her friends. Now she was a woman obsessed. She kept gushing about how happy she was with her 'darling Gray'.
"Juvia is sure one day you will find the type of love that she has." She had her fists entwined under her chin and a dewy, far-off look on her face.
"Uh, sure. I'm happy for you both," Lucy muttered back, forcing a watery smile, though the words caused her eyes to fill with tears and a sharp pain stabbed her heart.
She looked up to the stars: the same stars that she praised, that guided her magic, that gave her immeasurable comfort...and for the first time ever, she felt small and insignificant.
"Levy isn't feeling well. We should go," her voice scarcely above a whisper, her tongue suddenly too large for her mouth.
Juvia stopped staring into the distance, refocusing as she nodded, following the blonde towards the house to locate Erza and Levy.
Time rushed by and somehow, Lucy found herself back inside a horse-drawn carriage. They were with the same driver whose horse Erza had sent whinnying into the sunset when they'd first arrived.
Considering his colourful language directed toward the requip wizard earlier, she hadn't expected him to come back. Still he was polite and docile towards Erza, offering her a hand to help her into the coach. The redhead graciously accepted, more out of propriety than any need for assistance. Juvia accepted the driver's white gloved hand and slid in beside the redhead.
Levy had managed to get shoes back on her feet, distractedly explaining that Jet and Droy had found them for her. Erza had found the tiny girl's huge, horribly mismatched brown purse. The requip mage had secured it like a mailbag criss-crossing over Levy's left shoulder to bump into her right thigh with every jolt of the carriage. She looked tired. Erza put a stainless steel water bottle into the exhausted girl's hand, forcing the blunette to take periodic sips.
As they were driving along, Erza asked Juvia if she had fun at the party. The water woman wasted no time in delving into a detailed description of how she had spotted Gray and he had stripped in front of her, then gushed about her love for 'Gray-sama'.
Erza raised her eyebrows. "Gray? Lucy, I had thought you and Gray…"
"Are good friends?" Lucy interrupted quickly, her voice falsely bright.
"Yes, we are all on Team Natsu together," She continued for Juvia's benefit, "but Erza has actually known Gray the longest. They have been at Fairy Tail together since they were kids."
The redhead narrowed her eyes at the blonde.
"I see," she muttered, more to herself than anyone else. Then she turned to the tall blunette beside her. "Yes, I have known him and Natsu since we were children. When they are not challenging each other like insufferable idiots, they are both skilled fighters."
Juvia swooned, seeming to take the slight against Gray in stride...possibly because it demonstrated one less potential love rival.
The water woman raised a delicate hand to touch her forehead. "Juvia is not the least bit surprised to hear my darling Gray is a powerful wizard. You must tell me of any fights you have witnessed where my love has emerged the victor."
Erza spared a glance at Lucy, who nodded back with a poorly disguised grimace.
"Yes, tell us about battles you guys have fought together."
… And save me from having to try to talk right now.
The lump in her throat was bigger than a duck's egg and she didn't trust her voice to speak any longer. Lucy felt Levy's hand on her knee, giving a reassuring squeeze. She looked down to find the solid script mage studying her intently.
He likes Juvia, she thought at her friend. Levy's eyes widened in shock and disbelief, but Lucy gave a short nod in confirmation. Shifting, she hid herself behind her friend's hair and tried to feign sleep, doing her best to tune out Juvia's incessant chatter about how beautiful Gray was and how compatible she thought their ice and water magics were together. Levy hugged her tight, opting not to contribute to the conversation, either.
It seemed to take forever to get back to their apartment building. Levy squeezed Erza and Juvia in turn, wishing them a good night. The blonde waited by the side for a moment, before moving forward, the hem of her dress floating above the cobblestones.
Lucy embraced the water mage, trying to keep her voice from shaking as she spoke, "I'm so glad you came to Fairy Tail, Juvia. I know you'll love it here just as much as I do."
Juvia returned the hug, her cerulean eyes sparkling. "Juvia is so happy she came! Thank you for making Juvia attend the party. It was wonderful."
If you ever wanted to be an actress, this is the time. She carefully schooled her face into a semblance of a happy expression and swallowed thickly.
"We'll see you both soon!" she chirped. All of a sudden, she was thankful for all the dinners her father had made her sit through. Always silent and obedient, wearing a practiced look of pleasantness on her face as the grown-ups talked around her, but never to her. The epitome of the perfect, well-behaved child. She swallowed back the bile that was rising in her throat, and lifted her hand to send Juvia and Erza off with a happy wave.
Levy stood beside her, giving her own enthusiastic wave goodnight. She rounded on her best friend the second the horse and buggy were out of sight.
"What's all this nonsense about Gray liking Juvia?"
She and Levy entered their apartment complex and started climbing the stairs together. Lucy gave a defeated sigh then shrugged.
"I went outside to find Juvia, and she had already met Gray. She was so excited, Levy."
Her brain recoiled from the memory of the water mage dancing and hugging her when she first told her that she had met someone.
"She says it was love at first sight," Lucy added, just in case Levy had been too drunk to pay any attention to the other blunette's prattling on back in the carriage.
Levy's eyes flashed in challenge. "Does Gray know about any of this?"
"What do you mean 'does he know'? He was there." She carded her fingers through her hair, the strands tugging her scalp slightly.
"Yes, but sometimes what guys think and what girls think are two different things. Maybe he was just making polite conversation?" the blunette ventured. "When Juvia was telling us about her crush, she was going on and on about how beautiful Gray is, but she didn't say anything about what Gray had said to her."
As much as Lucy wanted to resurrect hope that Gray might prefer her, she was trying to be a realist.
"Whatever he said, it was enough to make her fall off the deep end."
Lucy and Levy reached the solid script wizard's apartment. The solid script wizard opened her apartment door and ushered her friend inside. Lucy stepped out of her stilettos with gratitude, wiggling her toes to get the blood circulating through them again. They made their way to the couch, clearing some books to make enough space for both of them to sit down.
"Hmmm…when I saw you and Gray dancing, I just thought…" Levy trailed off.
"I know, I was thinking that, too. Bad timing, I guess." Lucy moped for a moment but then forced the corners of her lips up. "At least this way I didn't jeopardize my friendship with Gray. I don't want to make things awkward between us."
"Lucy…" Levy wasn't fooled in the slightest.
The blonde interrupted her. "Lev, are you going to be alright? How are you feeling?"
Levy gave a small smile at her friend's concern, taking a diligent sip out of her water bottle. "I'm good, Lu-chan. Honest. Thank you for taking care of me."
"Anytime."
Levy gave a low hum, an indicator that she wanted to talk about the ice mage some more, but noticed the look her friend shot her – far too tired to get into it tonight.
Levy didn't say anything more, just offered her the water bottle. They sat in companionable silence for several minutes, just passing the drink back and forth until Lucy finally spoke.
"It's almost two-thirty in the morning. I should get to bed." She stood and Levy followed her lead – the shorter girl stretched her arms above her head.
"Yeah, me too." A yawn punctuated the end of the her sentence.
Lucy picked up her stilettos in one hand, no way she was jamming her feet back into them for the two flights up to her apartment. She seized her small gold clutch purse and dug out her house keys, the metal jangling in the quiet. The two girls hugged before Lucy slipped out the door. "Don't forget to lock up behind me, Lev."
"Yeah, yeah, I got it." Levy rolled her eyes and the two exchanged fond smiles. Lucy stepped out of her best friend's apartment, feeling reassured when she heard the telltale click of the deadbolt sliding into the lock behind her. She made her way up the stairs and opened her own door.
Home at last.
She went into her bedroom, unhooking her celestial keys and placing them in a small, star-shaped crystal bowl on her desk – a seventh birthday gift from her parents.
She unzipped herself out of her gorgeous amethyst dress, the fabric pooling at her feet. A pang of sadness twinging her heart as she thought of how she had chosen it specifically to impress Gray. With a sigh, she smoothed the material and packed it back into its garment bag, hanging it from the hook inside her closet door.
She pulled on her night clothes: a plain yellow tank top and a pair of cobalt PJ shorts. It was her 'sun and sky' pajama combo and she tended to wear it when she was feeling depressed. She found the mixture of the two colours comforting.
She went into the bathroom and gently pulled the bobby pins from her hair. She brushed her teeth and washed her face. The mirror reflected troubled amber eyes back at her.
Go to sleep, Lucy – she told her reflection sternly. She held her gaze a moment later before her chin fell.
I can't. I'm too tense.
She bit her lip, considering, then turned on the taps of her shower. She threw off her PJ's, stepping into the pulsating heat. Standing in the warmth and comfort of her own home, she finally succumbed to the tears that had been threatening to fall since Juvia had told her about her affection for Gray. She let sadness wash over her with the water.
Stupid, stupid, stupid. She berated herself, pouring shampoo into her hand and digging her nails into her skull with a bit more force than necessary, scrubbing her hair vigorously as the hot spray pelted down her body.
Maybe it's better this way. Like I told Levy, at least I didn't make a fool of myself by confessing to him... only to find out he likes Juvia. That would've been a thousand times more humiliating.
Lucy-The-Drunken-Philosopher decided to rear her ugly head. Humiliating, maybe. But if you had given him a choice, would he have still chosen her?
A sob racked her body, more painful than the others, as she played the arguments back and forth in her thoughts. She found herself sliding down the slick tiled wall to sit with her knees pulled up to her chin, her arms wrapped around them and her head hanging low, tears streaming down her face. Her mind circled over and over, grieving for something she never had to begin with.
Her ruminations became mushy and intangible – too knotted up to unsnarl in her current emotional state. The tears stopped flowing and exhaustion overtook her. She stood on shaky legs and washed her body quickly, wanting to scrub away all reminders of the party.
She turned off the taps and towelled off.
After she pulled her pajamas back on, she ran her tongue along her canines. Maybe it was her imagination, but she felt she could still taste the nasty green shooter. She brushed her teeth again, being extra thorough until all she could smell or taste in her mouth was minty freshness.
She gargled some mouthwash, to be on the safe side. She dried her honeyed strands with a towel. Her hair dryer would do the job faster, but she couldn't be bothered to dig it out. She ran a brush through her damp locks, wiping the steam off the bathroom mirror with the palm of her hand to see herself better. A choice she regretted instantly.
Her eyes were glassy, her face pink and puffy, the muscles on her neck corded with tension, sticking out in stark relief. She dropped the hairbrush beside the sink, a single tear leaking out the corner of her left eye.
She padded into her bedroom, pulling back her thick duvet and climbed into bed with a sigh. She tucked the blanket under her chin and closed her eyes, her body sinking into the mattress, the heat of her skin from the hot shower commingled with the warmth of her sheets. She felt heavy yet lightheaded as she sought the sweet refuge of slumber. In no time at all, she was fast asleep.
In her dream, she was in front of an old fashioned floor safe, the type that banks used a hundred years ago. The safe was sitting on a rough-hewn wooden floor. Sawdust motes floated through the air. She wanted to break in, but the combination lock was whirling of its own accord, as if possessed by a poltergeist. Watching it spin of its own violation filled her with unease, but something important was inside...something she needed.
All of a sudden, the lock came to an abrupt halt. Click.
Lucy's eyes flew open and she was certain she wasn't alone in her bedroom. She scrambled to the corner of her bed, fear flashing through her body as her eyes tried to focus in the blackness, searching for the intruder she knew was there.
If he thought she was easy prey, he would soon learn his mistake.
"Open – Gate of the Lion, Leo!" she screamed, voice hoarse from sleep. She wasn't holding his key, but a few of her spirits could be summoned in desperate times if she needed them. The flash of brilliant light was blinding before Loke appeared before of her, his stance protective. He cast his own glow, but it was hurting her eyes, she couldn't see anything in front of him with his body blocking her view.
"I'm so pleased you summoned me, Lucy. Now, what seems to be the trouble?" Loke purred, a smirk pulling at his full lips.
"There's someone in my apartment!" Lucy fumbled, trying to find the switch to her bedside lamp. She pulled the cord and the fixture illuminated the room.
Only to find a very surprised dragon slayer staring back at her with a blue exceed perched on his shoulder.
"I told you this was a bad idea, Natsu," Happy cautioned, eyes flitting from the lion spirit to the blonde.
"What the hell are the two of you doing in my apartment?" She squeaked, glancing at the clock, "at five fifteen in the morning?" All vestiges of sleep fled, her heart jackhammering in her chest.
"Gee, you sure aren't a morning person, Lucy," Happy said, his tone reproachful even as his whiskers quivered.
Her right eye twitched up, she wouldn't be surprised if it hit her hairline.
"I'm not the problem here! The problem is you two idiots broke into my house!"
"We didn't break in! The window was open!" Natsu protested, standing in the middle of her bedroom. His corded arms crossed behind his head, the picture of ease, acting for all the world like he owned the place. "Kinda over-reacting, dont'cha think?"
"I'll show you 'kind of over-reacting'..." Lucy fumed. "Loke, ready to kick some ass?" She vaulted out of bed, standing beside her celestial spirit.
Anger. Pure, unadulterated rage coursed through her veins and for the first time in her life, she welcomed it.
All the fury, sadness, and bitterness combined into a white-hot ball of pent-up frustration. With Natsu breaking into her bedroom, she found the perfect outlet. The urge to hit something so strong, it almost felt primal. Natsu was giving her a cocky, carefree grin, shifting his feet slightly into a defensive stance, his eyes shining with delight.
Loke nodded in agreement, pushing up the sleeves of his suit, exposing his golden forearms. "Let's show these poor fools the power of our love."
She did a double take.
"What? Stop talking like that!" Lucy grabbed her whip, readying herself for battle, not allowing his familiar flirtations to hinder her concentration.
"All right! I'm all fired up now!" Natsu's fists were engulfed in flames, making his salmon-coloured hair glow hot pink. She forced air through her teeth in a hiss.
"Don't use your magic, you jerk! I'll never get my security deposit back if you level the place!"
"Huh?" He canted his head to the side, his jade eyes shaded below his fringe. "I can't use magic? Then why are you using yours?"
Lucy couldn't argue with that. Her fingers flexed as she turned to her celestial spirit. "Loke, he's right. I need to close your gate."
"Very well, but you really should keep your celestial keys under your pillow, like I asked," said Loke, inflection serious.
"The last time I did that, your key somehow ended up wedged between my breasts!" Lucy yelled, then clamped both hands over her mouth, mortified Natsu and Happy had just heard that.
"I know," He snickered with a salacious grin, eyes travelling downward to her assets. She crossed her arms protectively over her chest, her face flushed scarlet.
The leader of the zodiac gave a deep bow. "Call whenever you need me, and I shall come, Princess," He paused, tilting his head up so he could wink under his glasses. "After all, I'm your knight in shining armour."
"Please just go," Lucy begged, wanting to die of humiliation. He obliged, disappearing in a bronze blaze as his gate shut closed. She flinched as she took in her remaining company.
Natsu and Happy were doubled over in laughter, the fire mage clutching his knees, the blue exceed covering his mouth with his paws...all thoughts of fighting gone as the two yukked it up at her expense.
"You keep your celestial keys in your bra?" Natsu asked, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye, irises flashing.
Lucy was about to retort that she didn't wear a bra to bed, but that wouldn't have come off sounding any better.
"Maybe they make nice pillows?" Happy asked, chortling beside his partner, his blue fur shifting to lilac as he flushed beneath his coat
Lucy could feel her face going lava-red, her head about to explode as heat shot through her.
"It was one time, alright? Loke asked if I would leave them under my pillow, in...in case...in case...an intruder broke into my house!"
She flared with further indignation as she remembered waking up to find both Loke and Taurus's keys buried between her cleavage. When confronted, they swore it wasn't their doing and had insisted she rolled around in her sleep.
Holding the keys to my heart, my ass. Perverts, the both of them.
Since she couldn't prove anything, she dropped it, but she never slept with them underneath her pillow again.
"What are you two doing here?" she demanded, fidgeting her fingers along her arms, her anger seeping away.
"Oh, that. We came for a sleepover. Right, Happy?" Natsu scratched his abdominals lazily, the muscles pulling under his touch in the weak light. He acted like it was an everyday occurrence for him to break into people's houses.
Perhaps for him, it was.
"Aye, sir!" Happy flew to Lucy's arms, his huge eyes pleading at her not to be mad as he nuzzled into her. Without thinking, she started petting the cat's soft blue fur, his gentle purrs relaxing her. Still she sighed, transferring her weight to one hip.
"Why don't you both go sleep in your own bed?"
"We don't have a bed," Happy lamented.
"You don't have a bed?" Lucy lifted the exceed to look him in the eye. Happy nodded forlornly. She squeezed him tighter.
Was Natsu just a roaming nomad who couch-surfs between jobs?
She was beginning to wonder if she should have joined Team Natsu with so few questions.
"You should at least make sure Happy has a bed to sleep in," she chastised the pink-haired man, her arms encaged around the feline in a blissful snuggle.
Natsu dropped his arms to his sides, dark eyes narrowing at his exceed as his jaw clenched. "Oi! I don't have a bed, but we own a house! He's not out on the street or nothing."
Happy gave a pitiful mewl, looking more catlike than ever, nuzzling and bumping the bottom of her chin with the top of his head, inviting affection. She scratched around the silky scruff of his neck. She took him to her bed and gently tucked him under her duvet. He curled up in contentment and closed his eyes. Lucy turned back to face Natsu.
"Happy's more than welcome to stay here whenever he likes, but you can just go back to your own house," she told the dragon slayer.
The blue exceed stuck his tongue out at his best friend from behind Lucy's back, then gave a loud purr to show his partner how cozy he was.
The pinkette balked at the little traitor, crossing his arms over his chest. His biceps flexed over the open fabric of his vest even as his brows creased. A growl built deep inside him at the dismissal.
"No fair! Why does he get to stay but I don't?"
"Because he's a cat! You're a boy!" she stated the obvious.
"And…?"
Okay, not so obvious to some.
"I'm not sharing my bed with you!" she cried. There was no way the first time she slept beside a boy—even in a platonic arrangement—was that guy going to be Natsu. He'd probably accidentally set her on fire in his sleep or something.
"Aw, c'mon, Luce. It's late. Let me just catch a few hours of sleep here, then we'll go home." His emerald eyes grew huge, sparkling with fervor as his look froze her solid. Lucy found herself having to break his gaze, turning sharply.
She cleared her throat.
"Fine, but you're sleeping on the couch."
"Awesome! Thanks, Luce!" He punched a fist into the air in celebration, glee oozing from his figure.
Lucy moved to her hallway linen closet and pulled out a pillow and blanket for Natsu. She made up the couch while he stood by and watched. After she threw the cushion in place, she stalked back towards her bedroom.
"Good night, Natsu," she grumbled.
"Night, Luce. Thanks for letting us stay over," he replied over his shoulder, settling into the couch. Fully clothed, thank Mavis.
"Yeah, you're welcome. Don't wake me too early." She grumbled, closing her bedroom door and crawled back under her sheets. Happy was curled up and she reached out to pet him. His soft purrs soon lulled her to the verge of sleep.
Then a certain pink-haired idiot started rapping on her door.
"Natsu, what is it now?" she huffed to the closed door. It was almost six in the morning.
"I forgot to tell ya something, can I come in?" His voice was muffled.
"Can't it wait until morning?" Or afternoon, she amended mentally. She was drowsy; she pulled the cover a bit tighter around her and let her eyes close.
"I guess so…it was just a message from the frosty porn star, anyway," he muttered.
Lucy popped up like a jack-in-the-box, upright and swaying.
"Natsu, get in here!"
A/N - Have I mentioned what a phenomenal writer Satyrykal is? I have? Well, it's still worth repeating. Satyryrkal, Satyrykal, Satyrykal. She writes Boiling Point and The Edge…totally worth checking out!
Okay, so even though we had Lucy upset over Gray and Juvia meeting, Natsu has broken into her apartment. And he'll probably just go to sleep on the couch like a good dragon, right? (Shifts eyes nervously around. Anyone buying this? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?)
Thank you to all my reviewers from last time! MasterGildarts, AzmariaMinohi, Celistastar, Graciewashere33, Satyrykal, they call me Bridge, stranger1999, ShanaHollows, silver light of dawn!
Hiro Mashima announced that some new Fairy Tail will be coming out! I'm so excited, guys!