OK, so we're at 135 reviews and 177 followers. SO CLOSE! I think we can make it! Especially since I got carried away with our characters and get a little citrusy at the end...yum. A quick recap: 150 reviews gets you a double-length, two part chapter update on Monday, 200 reviews, and I'll get EVERYONE super drunk...which I REALLY want to do, so blow me up with reviews people! I'm ready to reply to every single one! Except the guest ones! But only because there isn't a way, so please log in! My conversations with you guys have given me so many great ideas, btw.

Small note on the beginning of this chapter...if you're a Venture Bros fan... yes. Think Mighty Monarch henchmen. You know the episode. Also, if you're somewhere you can, listen to the Mission Impossible theme while reading the first section...because I totally was while writing it...and its amusing.

Over and over, the bass line for the Mission Impossible theme song ran through Levy's head until, without realizing it, she was humming it out loud.

"Dum dum, Dahda dum dum, dahda Dum dum, Dahda dum dum, dahda"

As she pulled on her most nondescript, colorless outfit (which still sported a giant super thin drapey t-shirt that sported the quote "If you feel like you're going insane and you are trapped in a dysfunctional environment, You Are Not Crazy.") and a dark drapey beret to cover her hair, Levy found herself rhythmically saying it, over and over.

"Dum dum, Dahda dum dum, dahda Dum dum, Dahda dum dum, dahda"

She packed her mini binoculars into her red purse. She probably wouldn't need them, but they couldn't hurt. Her earbuds went into a side pocket, her phone newly tricked out with spying applications (lip reading program, laser microphone attachment [she had been dying to try that baby out for a while], timed film camera, etc.) held in hand.

"Dum dum, Dahda dum dum, dahda Dum dum, Dahda dum dum, dahda"

Metalicana's Gym was Google Mapped and ready. She drummed out the back beat on her kitchen counter as she passed.

"Dum dum, Dahda dum dum, dahda Dum dum, Dahda dum dum, dahda"

The walking directions indicated 12 minutes of travel time. She went staccato for a chill verse.

"Dm dm, Dahda dm dm, dahda Dm dm, Dahda dm dm, dahda"

Walking out into the hall, closing her door with a flourish, Levy turned to the door across the hall.

Lucy adjusted the oversized sunglasses covering the better part of her face in the mirror.

She tweaked her sleek blonde ponytail, and tugged at the twee midriff mini vest that barely covered the crop top tee underneath. The black skinny jeans were a little warm in the heat. Definitely not her style, but that was the point. No one could recognize them. Declaring herself impeccable (Ladies do not place a time limit on perfection!), she grabbed a banana from the bowl in her kitchen and headed to the door. As she approached, she heard something coming from the other side. Curious, she placed an ear to the door.

"Dum dum, Dahda dum dum, dahda Dum dum, Dahda dum dum, dahda"

Lucy grinned. Catching the tune (Levy had introduced her to Mission Impossible last night-apparently the first one was the only one worth watching) she added in the bit that was missing. The theme had been stuck in her head all night long, so she definitely knew it by heart.

"Duhnana! …...Duhnana!"

"Dum dum, Dahda dum dum, dahda Dum dum, Dahda dum dum, dahda"

The singing on the other side of the door got louder.

Lucy threw open the door before belting out her part again,

"Duhnana! …...Duhnana!"

She closed the door behind her and locked it, clipping her keys theatrically onto a chain wrapped around her hips like a belt. As one, they turned towards the end of the hall with the exit and linked arms. They made it about four steps.

Then tripped over their ridiculously tall platform wedges.

"Ok, so flats."

"Yeah."

They simultaneously picked themselves up off the floor and went back into their apartments to change their footwear.

Clad more appropriately, the girls got to the bakery in eleven and a half minutes (haHA Google Maps, we win again!), staking claim on a table in the corner by the front window, with just enough curtain to hide behind. Lucy took the corner seat, already drooling over the menu. This was going to be one expensive day.

After a decent spying-energy-sized breakfast of fresh chocolate-filled croissants, and a rousing version of The Pink Panther Theme, joined in by the owners of the bakery, since they didn't have any other customers yet, the disguised co-eds settled into their stake-out.

The gym had a glass front wall, dusty, but still transparent enough to see some of what was going on inside. A black Hercules approached the front door and unlocked it. He turned around to breath in the sunshine. Levy snapped a picture with the her kick-standed phone. She had it set to look like they were watching something on it. Which they totally were. Just not on YouTube. Hehe. Zooming in again, she took another. Perfect.

The man turned back to the store and went inside, barely visible as he climbed the stairs at the back. It was only ten o'clock in the morning, so they weren't expecting too much action yet. Levy plugged in her phone in the convenient nearby plugin and set it to record.

Then they got to work on homework. Why waste the down time of a perfect quiet morning?

Lucy finished her homework in the first hour and pulled out the fabric bound journal that housed her attempts at a novel. There were 22 in all so far.

All less than ten pages.

She just couldn't seem to find a plot that interested her enough to keep her going. They all fell stagnant, characters cliche and bland. So, today, attempt 23!

She opened to a new page and prepared to place pen to paper. Then her soulmate sense tingled and she felt his nose wiggling. Looking at her bare wrist, the words weren't long in coming.

where are you?! it smells delicious!

Breakfast. Nothing beats fresh croissants!

man, that sounds SOOOOO GOOOOOOOOD!

Tastes good too!

seriously?! the one sense that doesn't seem to transfer at all?! oh gods, why have you forsaken me? what have I done to deserve this torture? in what way have I offended you? that temple fire was an accident! I swear! please don't leave me to pine for the land of french desserts!

Lucy snorted and covered her nose with her hand quickly, hoping no one had heard her. (Ladies do NOT snort!)

wait, did you just snort? like a pig? you!? Godsdamnit. He could feel everything now. She had forgotten for a second.

Shut up! I did not. Deny Lucy. Deny deny deny! (Snorters do not get boyfriends!) Wait, that wasn't one of Miss Aquarius' phrases...but it definitely sounded like something she would say. If they were friends maybe...instead of pupil and tutor.

no, you totally did! it was adorable! Wait, what?

Adorable? Why? It was so unladylike…

what does that have to do with anything? it was just...like a really cute feeling. you must have a super tiny nose or something. whatever, it's no big deal.

No, you've got to tell me. Did it really not bother you?

nah. making a girl laugh hard enough to snort is totally awesome. just a guy thing I guess. we think we're pretty funny with each other, but, uh, when it's a girl laughing it seems like such an accomplishment or something...idk...come on everyone knows this stuff! it's like dating 101! But it's not like we're dating...or anything...

I wouldn't know. I've never been on a date.

Why the hell had she told him that?! That was not something she wanted her eventual soulmate to know! Gods, he was going to think she was so inexperienced! Hell, she was inexperienced! She really had to get a date. And soon. He had probably been on loads of dates. He walked around train stations half naked for gods' sakes. That body alone probably had women dropping at his feet.

Most of the things she had been sheltered from-great movies, naughty books, fanfiction-Levy had been cramming into her in their free time, so she would understand context in everyday conersation a little better, but dating just couldn't be crammed for like that. She could name the top five transportation companies in the world, and name the famous battles of WWI, but that didn't help at all when she was trying to flirt! She was woefully behind in so many aspects of life. And dating was just one of those things Levy couldn't help with. Unless Lucy wanted to practice with Jet or Droy, she was tapped out in that department. Levy was pretty much in the same boat as her. And it turned out they were terrible sailors when it came to the boat of love.

you're lying right?

No, I don't lie.

ok, now I don't know what to react to first... you never lie?! wait, no, definitely the dating thing. you, queen of the top-heavy platinum blondes, have never been out with anyone? ever? what, do you live in a convent or something?!

Something like that. Not nuns, but about as celibate. I had other priorities growing up. And gee, thanks, no one has ever commented on my breasts before. So original.

but you're 19 right? that's a whole year of legal freedom. still, no dates? is it because you're such a weirdo?

Hey! I just haven't had a lot of free time to meet people! The day we ran into each other I was moving to my very first apartment! It's been hard work paying rent. I've never had to worry about that before. Plus school

She abruptly stopped writing. Shit! Was that too personal? Had she given something away!?

She slumped further into her chair, looking at Levy's makeshift security camera as she stuck her arms between her legs, out of sight. She could feel more writing appearing, then stopping. Her heart was beating really fast. Had she really almost told him school in Magnolia was different from being tutored? What the hell!? Then he would know for sure where she lived! That was so close! Yeah, he had seen her getting on a train to Magnolia, but that didn't mean that was her last stop. Or that he even remembered. This would have confirmed it 100%.

As she stared at the tiny screen monitoring the gym across the street, avoiding her own problems, two things happened at once.

The first, captured all of her attention, as Levy glanced up at the screen, in between angry math problems, and suddenly wrapped her tiny elbow around Lucy's neck, pulling her face closer to the phone. Her whispered squeal of "That's him!" drowned out the sound of the bakery door opening as a tallish guy came in, in a loose red tank top and a pink and black beanie, with tufts of salmon hair sticking out, almost indecipherable from the hat itself. He approached the counter and ordered four dozen chocolate croissants.

"Wow, throwing some sort of brunch?" the sales lady asked, eyebrows shooting into her hairline.

"Look, Lucy! That's him! With the really long black hair!" Levy whispered right next to Lucy's ear.

"Nah, just craving them. It's like I'm smelling them everywhere I go this morning. I'm starving and it's driving me crazy!" the pink-hatted guy said with a smile.

"That's him? That's not hair, that's a fucking mane! Levy, he's enormous! He could eat you for breakfast! You can't go meet him alone!" Lucy whispered back, leaning forward to squint out the window, hiding partially behind the curtain, arms leaning on the chair between her legs for balance.

"What are you writing? To do list for the day? I do that all the time!" The sales lady struggled for something to fill the silence as she used a server to move each delicate pastry. The boy was scribbling on his arm in illegible chicken scratch.

"It will be fine! He's my soulmate, remember? He won't hurt me. I know it. Plus, it's in a public place with a glass wall for gods' sakes! And you'll be right here to call the police if something goes down. Can't go wrong!" Levy struggled a little to keep her voice enthusiastic. No joke, he was a REALLY big guy. He could probably lift her with one hand…around her neck. Gulp. But he wouldn't. He was her soulmate. HER SOULMATE. Levy could do this. She could!

"Yeah! Uh, something like that. Sort of," the hatted guy chuckled nervously and crossed his arms, hiding the two-toned writing up his forearm. Two boxes filled, two to go. His mouth watered as he handed the guy working the register a bundle of jewels.

"But, come on! He's even bigger than the black guy who owns the place! Plus he's probably friends with everyone in there! It will be you in a sea of raging testosterone! You should let me come with you! At least for moral support, if you still insist on doing this!" Lucy had been trying to convince Levy to let her come as back-up all morning. She had gotten self-defense training from a master from a young age. She probably couldn't handle taking the massive Goliath out, but she could definitely slow him down if need be.

"Ok, then. There you go, four dozen pastries! You paid my husband already right? Ok! Then they're all yours! Let me get you a bag! Enjoy..." the shop owner trailed off, a little stunned by the gorgeous grin on her customer's face. Wow, he had been attractive before. But when his eyes really lit up like that...talk about eye candy!

"Lu-chan, I got this! We talked about it. It's just something I have to do!" Levy said stubbornly, furrowing her brow at her friend.

"Thanks lady! These smell amazing!" He opened the top box and inhaled four of the croissants without hardly blinking. Shoving another three in his mouth, he grabbed the bag in his left hand and used his right to finish writing whatever he had started at the counter. As he walked to the door, his peripheral vision caught on an expanse of pale skin. His eyes were snared by the creamy exposed lower back of a blonde girl, banging her forehead repeatedly on the table while her friend with the hat threw an arm around her and whispered something fiercely to her. He winced. He could almost the banging on his own forehead. Those were pretty hard looking tables. Remembering that he was already trying to multi-task, he grabbed another couple of croissants, shoved them in his mouth, flickering an appreciative gaze one more time to where he could see the indent at the base of her spine, her skin sloping smoothly in and up from the low waistline of her jeans as she leaned forward. Hot. Feeling heat rush to his cheeks, he dragged his eyes back to the writing on his arm, ate another croissant, and pushed out of the bakery door.

Lucy's face was flushed with frustration. Why was Levy being so stubborn?! This was a really dangerous idea to begin with! Why was she rejecting back-up!?

She lifted her head from the table just as the bells over the door chimed behind an assumedly happy customer. The croissants did taste amazing. She could still taste the chocolate on her tongue, even though it had been an hour since they finished eating. She glanced back at the phone screen in front of her and gasped.

Uh oh. Not good.

"Levy! We've been made!" Lucy quickly slid her chair further into the corner, behind the curtain turning her head away from the window.

Levy looked at the screen, which showed her soulmate, very clearly still standing outside the gym, still holding the door half open.

Staring right at the bakery.

Right at their window.

Right at Levy.

She froze and slowly lifted her eyes from her phone, looking at him through the window. Their eyes met and he lost his grip on the door, dropping it right in front of the pink-hatted guy about to go through the door carrying two bakery boxes and a big ball of cardboard in a plastic bag over one arm. There was a minor hubbub from the bakery box guy, as the top box almost fell, but neither of them noticed as Gajeel strode across the empty morning street, not taking his eyes off of her. He stopped in front of the window, and squatted down to her eye level, two feet and a transparent barrier away. God he was tall. And hot. Really hot. The three lip rings on the left side of his mouth distracted her for a moment. His hand came up to tug on the lip around them absentmindedly, and broke her daze. Returning her gaze to his eyes, she slowly stood up from the table and came around the table to stand a little closer to the window.

He straightened, following her movements.

A little belatedly, she remembered to smile, and lifted a hand to wave, unnecessarily. Her cheeks turned red, but her eyes stayed unabashedly locked on his. He broke out into a smirk, lifting one side of his mouth to expose exceptionally white teeth.

"Hey there Shrimp," he muttered to himself. The laser mic picked it up and projected it through her phone speakers. Caught in the moment, she didn't even argue with him. She muttered back with a smile, feeling weirdly peaceful,

"Hey there Soulmate"

Levy went with Gajeel over to the gym, to have some privacy while they figured things out, and Lucy found herself alone in the bakery.

She was at a loss for what to do now, since she could just barely see Levy's blue hair through the picture window in the upstairs office, and she seemed fine. She suddenly remembered what had been happening right before Levy's soulmate had shown up. She glanced around the bakery to make sure no one was watching her, and bent her head to read her arm under the table. The sun went behind a cloud and she had to push her sunglasses out of the way to make out the words.

school? what about it? I would think that would be a great place to meet guys. I'm still not buying that you've never had a date. just doesn't seem possible. girls that look like you never have trouble getting a date. Well, if someone hadn't been making her act like a crazy person for weeks on end...

I mean... I guess it should be about more than just looks though right? It's just that you're pretty cool, even if you're kinda weird. hell, Gray's half in love with you and he hasn't even seen you...I mean, I guess I kind of haven't either, but well, you know, I kind of have...too...

Um, all I'm trying to say is the guys at your school must be pretty dense if no one has asked you out yet...that's all I'm saying. just... don't worry about it. it will happen.

you still there? did I offend you or something?

Weirdo?

OK, well, I'm gonna go workout for a bit now. don't say it, I promise not to start any fights.

spoil sport.

Lucy sat back in her chair and brought her arm into the light to read what he had written again. She tried to keep a straight face, but the huge grin that spread on her lips couldn't be contained.

Natsu, punching a heavy, sand-filled bag, felt a grin pulling at her lips and smiled. He couldn't help it. The feeling was contagious. It was like trying not to laugh when someone was rolling around on the floor laughing in front of him. How could he not share in the happiness? He kind of hoped her smile was because of what he had written. Wasn't like it had happened right away, or anything really suggested she was smiling at his words, but he paused long enough in punching to undo the wraps around his wrist a little and check, hoping to see something new written there.

Lucy felt fabric being pulled across her arm. What a weird feeling. Maybe he was drying his hands, or taking off gloves or something. Either way, it meant he was looking at his arm again. Right now.

Without thinking about what it meant for her, or what could happen, for once, she acted on a pure wish to make him as happy as his words had made her.

She had often wondered, particularly now that she lived out in the world, why no one ever seemed to ask her out. Somehow, he had figured it out. And made her feel better. It was so….nice. And he thought she was attractive. That didn't hurt.

You have an hour...starting now. Please try not to get hit in the face. And you better win.

Natsu stared at the words, trying to figure out what she was saying...then he got it. His grin grew enormous as he yelled at the top of his lungs, "YES! FINALLY! Someone fight me! Right now!"

He had several takers. He hadn't fought in weeks and some of the other guys were getting cocky, forgetting the poundings they had received in the past and hoping he was going through a slump. Something had to be going on. Real fighters could not survive on punching bags alone. Especially not a fighter like Natsu.

He pulled on his gloves and took them down one at a time. Playing it safe, but not pulling his punches. Poor guys. He wasn't even giving them a chance.

He didn't want her to regret it. This was his shot to show her that he could fight and not get her hurt.

So she would stop freaking out about it.

And, if he was being honest with himself, he was a little high on the idea that she could feel him winning.

He was showing off for her again.

Whatever, he finally got to punch some people out! It was like breathing again after being underwater!

All the stress he didn't realize he had been carrying with him, about this whole second origin thing happening, melted away and his mind turned off. He was where he belonged. In the fire of the fight. In his element.

After the seventh guy, they quit volunteering. Natsu had been hard to beat before, but easily distracted by taunts or challenges. His opponents could usually get in a hit or two once in awhile. But today? He was hyper-focused. They had never seen him fight like that before. Except maybe against Gray. Or Gajeel, way back in the day. And that was usually because he actually had to work to keep up. This was unreal. When he ran out of opponents he hopped out of the ring and checked the time. Twenty minutes left.

Ten minutes or so back to campus...eight if he ran.

Just enough time. He set an alarm on his watch to make sure he got every second of his hour.

With a sheen of sweat coating his skin and a shit-eating grin stuck to his face, he grabbed his workout bag and ran out the doors of the gym. He didn't notice the hat fall out of his bag as he ran down the sidewalk, and barely heard the sound of the bell chiming at the bakery across the street as a busty blonde girl backed her way out of the door, waving both hands at the owners, fellow book lovers, who kept shoving food at her, insisting she was too skinny.

Lucy had tried to get some writing done, but all she could do was feel the adrenaline rushing through her and her fists pounding into opponent after opponent. It was nerve-racking at first, not knowing where or when she could be in pain. She braced herself and held her breath for a whole minute. But it never came.

Huh. He really was good. Then his growing excitement and adrenaline caused her to get antsy. He had so much energy! It was catching. Bouncing her knees alternately, she found it even harder to write. So she stopped and grabbed her phone, glancing to the office where Levy and Gajeel were still talking. She had texted her friend.

How's it going? You doing good? Do I need to come get you?

And when she had gotten no response, she had decided: she was going in!

Turning around to face forward after leaving the bakery, she looked up the one way street to make sure there weren't any cars coming and crossed, not bothering to look the other way. When she reached the gym door, she saw a hat sitting on the sidewalk. Pink, with a black stripe running around the middle, parallel to the edge. She looked around, but didn't see anyone around, except a guy jogging way down the street. Man, he was really booking it.

Hmm, maybe someone inside would know whose it was. She shoved it into her purse, absentmindedly.

She pulled on the handle of the door, stepping into the gym, and letting it woosh shut behind her. No one looked up right away, focused on helping a couple of fighters on the floor of the padded ring back onto their feet. They both had black eyes and red puffy skin that suggested the swelling would only get worse. They must have had one hell of a fight if all of that had happened with gloves on.

She walked toward the back of the gym, where the stairs were, not realizing the men stopping to stare at her and elbow their buddies as she passed. The sweat from his fights, and the summer heat, still dripped down her back and the adrenaline rush was really distracting. She paused before going up the stairs, giving one guy a chance to set his hand on her shoulder, trying to get her attention to say something. Probably a stupid pick-up line. She'd never know.

The minute the hand landed on her shoulder, panic spiked through her, fed by the adrenaline already burning through her veins. After that split second, where she stiffened and drew herself to her full height, her training kicked-in. Grabbing his hand, she ducked back under his arm, sandwiching his hand between both of hers and twisting, hard.

The six-foot-two, heavily muscled boxer with spiky sea green hair, who had dared to touch her, squealed like a baby, dancing on his tiptoes and trying to pull his arm away without luck. Snapping out of the moment, Lucy quickly released his arm before she broke anything and took a step back. Every wide eye was on her, thick silence permeating the space. It was a little creepy.

Natsu stood frozen on the pavement, hand over his heart as he felt her own, panicked, spike of adrenaline subside. She had done...something. Something physical.

It felt like a fighting move, but that couldn't be right. She definitely didn't seem like the fighting type. But the harmony of her muscles. It had felt...so...familiar. Like when he nailed a combination, or crept under someone's guard with a perfectly executed right hook. So weird. He snapped out of his reverie and checked his watch. Shit, ten minutes left. He had to get a move on.

Lucy smiled awkwardly and stepped back again, running into the railing for the stairs. Her heart fell at their astonished faces. This was why she never got dates. She really was a weirdo. Guys did not want a girl who would beat them up just for trying to get her attention. What would she do to them if they tried to kiss her or something? That was just too much for most guys. Well, she thought, there went another crop of decent choices.

She turned to go up the stairs, only to see Levy and Gajeel standing in the open office door, staring down at her. She carefully made her way up the stairs, head turned down, avoiding all the eyes on her. Levy met her halfway.

"Wow Lu! I didn't know you could fight like that!"

Gajeel glared over her head at the men in the room, quickly scaring them back to their workout routines.

"That wasn't fighting Lev, that was just a hold. Self-defense, that's all. It's so drilled into me, I didn't even realize what I was doing!" Lucy giggled nervously, rubbing the back of her neck with one hand. "I wish I could say it was the first time I needed it, but unfortunately, I've had a lot of opportunities to practice…how's it going with you guys?" she changed the subject awkwardly, almost wincing at the abrupt topic shift. But Levy didn't seem to notice.

"Oh my gods Lu, it's incredible! It's like I've known him for years. It's so weird. Like...I don't know! I can't even think of any words to describe it!" She turned to him in wonder, catching the tail end of a soft smile on his face, quickly hidden away again in a smirk, but undeniably there.

"Well, that's great… I'm really happy for you! But you could have texted me back then...I was a little worried about you...so I came over. If you're good though, I think I'm going to leave. He's working off some adrenaline, so writing is pretty much impossible right now. I think I'm going to run home and work out. I already smell like his sweat, so I might as well do some yoga or something."

"He?" Gajeel spoke to Lucy for the first time. Levy seemed to remember her manners then.

"Oh Gajeel, this is Lucy. Lucy, meet Gajeel. Lucy has a similar...situation to ours. She was the friend I was with when this all happened. Her bond started a few weeks ago though," she finished in an undertone, trying to keep their conversation from reaching the men below.

"Yeah, and my...uh...guy...is a bit of a loose canon," Lucy hedged, uncomfortable talking about it so casually after weeks of hiding it from people. "But I gave him permission to blow off some steam, so he's taking full advantage."

"Permission? You already got him that whipped? What a pussy," Gajeel muttered the last bit under his breath.

Lucy's hand reared back and slapped Gajeel across the face before she realized what she was doing. Levy let out a cry and a hand went to her face. Gajeel and Lucy's eyes immediately went to her, worried.

"I'm so sorry Levy! I totally forgot for a minute!" Lucy cried, apologizing to her friend before rounding on Gajeel again, "But you! Don't you dare belittle his efforts! He's a born fighter. A good one, apparently, but he hasn't fought in weeks because I was afraid of getting hurt! So he's not whipped! He just fucking cares enough not to hurt me. If you aren't willing to do the same, then I don't want you anywhere near her," she said fiercely. "Got it, Lennie?"

With that Lucy pivoted on her heel, hugged a stunned Levy quickly with another whisper of apology, and trotted down the stairs, ignoring the audience quickly turning back around, pretending, poorly, that they hadn't just watched the whole bizarre scene, even if they couldn't hear most of what was being said. Gajeel muttered, "Lennie?" and Levy replied quietly, "Book reference. I'll explain later."

Lucy strode out the door, forgetting that she still had the pink hat stuffed in her bag. Lily leaned against the window next to the door, watching as the beautiful blonde pushed through the doors, totally oblivious to him. She had spirit alright. If he had read the situation on the stairs even halfway right, she had a hell of a lot of courage too.

Not to mention the lock she had put on Orga. He was not a small guy. Or a weak one.

A thought hitting him, his eyes swept the room, landing on a slender red-haired woman way in the back of the gym, in a corner, but impossible to miss if you knew what to look for. She was staring out the window, watching the girl walk away, a thoughtful look in her eyes. Noticing Lily looking at her, she gave him a little smile and made her way over. The guys were careful not to meet her eye as they got back to work. They were used to seeing her around.

And she had trained half of them.

Unwillingly of course.

"Lily," she said, serious as always.

"Erza," he returned, just as serious.

"Who was that girl just now?"

"Couldn't tell you. Friend of Gajeel's new girl I think. Impressive though."

"Certainly. If you see her around again, let me know. I would like to get to know her better."

"Will do," Lily responded, sweating a bit on the blonde's behalf. That poor girl. Everyone regretted catching the Titania's attention at some point. She had impossibly high standards. Word was she had gotten that nickname because she was even harder on her female trainees than on her male ones. And she was only 22 years old. Lily shivered just thinking about it.

Erza smirked to herself and returned to her corner. An interesting girl indeed.

Natsu burst through the door to Fairy Tail with five minutes to spare. He ran down the hall and pulled open the door to the room he shared with Gray, guys sticking their heads out of doors all down the hall at the racket he was making.

Gray looked up from his political science homework just in time to get punched in the face. So hard, in fact, that he flew off the couch he was sitting on and hit the floor before he knew what had happened. A collective gasp came from the crowd behind him. Gray stared up at Natsu, shocked.

"But, what about her! You bastard! You promised!"

"And I didn't break my promise, popsicle breath! Momentary stay of sentence. I have," Natsu looked at his watch again, "three more minutes to fight whoever I want. And I owed you one for kicking me in the balls!"

Gray was on his feet in an instant.

"That was your idea, you idiot!"

"You gonna fight me for the next three minutes or not, ice dick?"

Gray didn't waste any more time. He threw a punch that Natsu caught and returned, falling into a rhythm that both realized they had been missing since the Weirdo had entered the picture. Grinning like maniacs, they battled it out at double speed, neither landing a solid hit anywhere.

Then the alarm went off on Natsu's watch.

They both froze, looking at the beeping wristwatch, then looked back at each other, still grinning. Natsu dropped his stance first, shaking the sweat off his hair in droplets, like a dog.

"Til next reprieve then, douche," he said as he headed into their bathroom to shower.

Gray straightened up too, grin fading into a smug smile.

"You're so whipped, Tabasco breath," he muttered under his breath. "But then, I guess, so am I, which is pretty pathetic considering, so I really can't say anything…" He shut the door to their room and went back to his homework, rubbing the mounting bruise on his jaw.

In the hallway outside their door, swamping Bacchus as he counted out the winnings, the brothers of Fairy Tail wondered what had inspired Natsu to break his non-violent streak. They might never know.

Lucy finished out her yoga routine with a downward dog and stretched out her muscles. She was a little sore, probably from his fighting, but nothing she couldn't handle. She was just letting out her last deep, relaxing breath, like the toothpick in the video told her to, when she felt it.

Holy shit. He was showering.

She felt the almost too hot water running over her head, soaking into her scalp, trickling down her bare chest, over her stomach, down her thighs. It was a really odd sensation to have while semi-clothed, face to the floor in one's living room. It was sort of relaxing, soothing...She could feel his fingers massaging in shampoo, the feeling almost luring her to sleep...until he started soaping up.

Shit. This was so very, very wrong. Didn't he have any idea she could feel him doing this?

Frozen in place, she closed her eyes, lost in the sensation of hands rubbing a slippery bar of soap over her skin. She could feel the wet soap transferring to her skin, slippery on her arms and chest. She gasped as his hands roughly crossed over her breasts, rubbing under her arms and slowly down her sides. That tickled a bit and she let out a giggle, her abdomen muscles spasming.

The hands stopped, though the sensation of running water continued. The soap seemed to dissolve off her skin again.

Had he figured out she could feel it?

She ran a hand over her exposed arms, trying to rid herself of the water her brain told her was there, but wasn't. Eventually, after what felt like hours, but was probably closer to seconds, she couldn't take it anymore.

Heading to the bathroom, she turned on her shower and stripped off the sports bra and stretchy capris she wore for yoga. Biting her lip, she hesitated, then slid her bikini briefs slowly down her hips and dropped them to the floor. She could feel his breath catch.

Ok, so that was kind of fun... She was so going to hell. No! She was just taking a shower, like she did everyday! But, knowing that someone else...that he...could feel every touch on her skin made her feel so...hot. And the way he seemed to stop breathing when she ran her fingers over her skin made her feel desirable...sexy. Really, really sexy.

The water finally hot enough, she stepped into her own shower and soaked her hair, massaging in strawberry scented shampoo until her locks were well loved and rinsing it out again. Then she grabbed her loofah, coating it with vanilla scented body wash. Taking her time, she ran the rough sponge slowly over her shoulders...down her chest...into her belly button. That tickled him. She smiled, closing her eyes and trying to picture him in the shower with her.

She felt a flicker of guilt. She really shouldn't be doing this. That flicker slowed her hand with the loofah until it stopped moving. She was practically violating the guy here...yeah, he had started it, but he didn't seem to realize what he was doing to her until she had gotten ticklish. And he hadn't really moved since she had started stripping...maybe he wasn't into it… She should probably just hurry up, get clean and get out.

But then he moved his bar of soap again, fingertips caressing the sensitive skin under her breasts and around her nipples. Tracing over her stomach, sending shocks of sensation to her core as they ventured over her hips.

Ok, he was definitely into it. And two could play at that game.

Firming up her grip on the loofah again, she lifted her foot onto the side of the tub and ran the loofah from the inside of her ankle, in a smooth line, up her calf, past her knee and to her inner thigh. Just as she reached the inside of her thigh, she felt him mimic the movement with his soap, drawing a line from her ankle to her knee and up her thigh. Then, after pausing for a deep breathe, they both repeated the motion on the other leg. Slower than before, but perfectly in sync, eyes closed, both breathing together, harder than necessary.

Then she could feel fingers caress her ankle, traveling up after the loofah, barely touching, but just enough to cause swirls of soap to disappear. She watched fascinated through half-closed, hazy eyes as she could follow the progress of his fingers up her leg, following the soap. She could almost see his handprint on her inner thigh, smoothing away the water. He tightened his grip and the feeling made her want to squeeze her legs together as a coil of muscle in her core tightened and twitched.

She had basically stopped breathing at this point, lost in fantastical sensation. Her fingers lost their grip on her loofah, and it feel to the floor of the shower unnoticed. With soap slick fingers, Lucy closed her eyes and drew small slippery circles on her inner thigh, climbing steadily higher. With her other hand she crept northward over her ribs, cupping her own sizable breast and squeezing. A moan escaped her as she felt his hand on her other breast mirroring the movement.

Was a simple shower supposed to feel this amazing? Her fingers drifted over to play with the patch of golden curls covering her core, swirling her fingers through the soft hairs as he continued to massage her breast. She could feel her heartbeat pulsing between her legs, blood rushing to heat her up. And then, just as her fingers brushed over a very sensitive bundle of nerves, she felt something indescribable. It was like something was inside her. Squeezing...the touch and pressure exactly where her body had been luring her fingers. She moaned at the feeling, as the fingers caressing her moved, somehow reaching a deeper part of her. It was the most incredible thing she had ever felt. Her own fingers convulsing from the overwhelming sensation, she pressed down on that bundle of nerves and she almost came right there. His fingers halted movement for a breath of time and Lucy was able to break through the fog with a single thought.

Was he...doing what she thought he was? Did it feel that incredible every time he..touched himself?

She had never done anything like this. Ladies did not touch themselves...there!

But, right now, she sure as hell wasn't a lady. And it felt so good. Too good to be bad...

His fingers starting the stroking motion she could feel inside of her again.

Hell, who was she kidding, it felt like a fucking religious experience. No wonder so many people had trouble keeping it in their pants. It suddenly made a lot more sense to her. Eager to feel the feeling of euphoria again, she pressed on the hard knot of nerve again, her wet fingers sliding on her slippery folds and inside her a bit.

Holy shit, that was new. And great. And just...fucking great. She slid her fingers in and out, mirroring the rhythm she could feel him using. That coil in her stomach tightened an almost painful amount and her fingertips tingled, like there wasn't enough blood flowing to them. His pace increased, just a continuous feeling of pressure and warmth inside of her. And then with a final push of her slippery fingers, she felt a tingle at the base of her spine, and was falling off a cliff of pleasure. Waves of heat hitting her as her legs clenched and unclenched uncontrollably. She almost fell, catching herself on the wall of the shower with her palms, panting as though she had run a marathon, weak knees pressed together as her thighs rubbed slowly together, back and forth, slick with the hot liquid that ran down her thighs.

That was just...wow. Kdlsajhfldkahgirhoiaghroiahdsiof. There were no words.

She bent down and picked up her loofah, using the lingering soap to clean the... juices off her inner thighs. Trying hard to ignore the hands that she could feel braced, gripping on her quads, like he was catching his breath, she washed her face and then turned off the water. He turned off the water in his shower too, and they stood in the steamy silence, eyes closed, neither willing to break the unbelievably hot moment floating in the air around them.

Lucy was the first to grab a towel, breaking the tension as she rubbed the drips of water off her skin. Wrapping herself in the towel, she staggered her way back to her bedroom on unsteady legs, getting dressed, languidly, unable to rush the warmth spilling into her muscles from deep in her bones. Suddenly struck by the idea that she never wanted to forget a single moment of what had just happened, she opened her notebook and began scribbling furiously. She wrote the afternoon away, completely oblivious to the sun traveling across the sky in the window in front of her. She had finally found her inspiration.

Showered and clean, Natsu slung a towel around his hips and sauntered back into his room, thankfully Gray-less, trying to keep his mind off what had just happened, so he didn't have another...problem to take care of...again. Fuck. Think of something else! Anything else...

He had had a pretty damn good morning. Great food, great workout, great fights, great punch right to the ice princess' face. And he had made her laugh so hard she snorted.

Then the most amazing shower sex he'd ever had...by himself. FUCK! Don't think about it! Don't think about how it was better than all of his one night stands...that he could remember. Don't think about how that shower had felt better than anything he had ever done with anyone else. Ever. Yep, not thinking about hunting her down and fucking her so hard she couldn't walk. Nope, definitely not thinking about that. At all.

Fuck.

So, I tortured you with some near misses, but then...showering… So, you're welcome. ;)

And a special thanks to KittyCrow12 for giving me "Ladies do NOT snort!" like a million (so really what? like five?) chapters ago. Finally got that gem in. Knew it would happen eventually!

"If you feel like you're going insane and you are trapped in a dysfunctional environment, You Are Not Crazy."-quote from Holden in Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

black Hercules- no, I'm not going to explain who Hercules is. You should know. If not, get out. No, I'm actually going to throw a little art reference in here. There is a statue of Hercules, currently housed in a museum in Naples, where he has so much muscle that it seems to be weighing him down. It is known as the Farnese Hercules. That is what I'm picturing here. Just ridiculous-crazy-ripped.

Goliath-referring to the biblical behemoth defeated by the comparatively much smaller David

Lennie-referring to one of the main characters in the novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, a hulking man with a mental disability who cannot control his own strength, often killing the small animals he dotes on by accident and causing problems for the brother who takes care of him. I won't say anymore about the plot, because this is one that really is ruined by spoilers, but I'll just say, it's not a flattering reference for Gajeel, and it's really sad in the end.