Oh my goodness! I've finally reached 100 reviews! My goal! And it's all thanks to you guys who read my stories! Thank you so very much!~ You guys make me cry in joy!

Oh and I know it's really late in the story for this but...

Natsu: InLoveWithFairyTail doesn't own Fairy Tail, ya know!? Only the strongest does! Gray, where are you!? Fight me!

I should have probably asked Lucy to do the disclaimer huh?


Chapter 11: Encounter

Lucy felt flustered as she packed up her things to leave school. Today, Natsu couldn't take her home because he had somehow earned himself a detention. He had told her quite sadly this morning; it was apparent that he had been depressed and he had looked up at her sharply.

"Don't go and cheat on me, okay?" he had said. Lucy slapped him upside the head, annoyed.

"Shut up, Salmon Top! Can't you trust me a little?"

The salmon-haired boy had looked up, pouting. "Too many people could have their eyes on you."

As the blonde thought about his statement now, she blushed. That wasn't true; it had only been one other person - Hughes. Brushing this thought away, she bunched up all her things, slammed them into her bag, and exited the classroom. On her way out, people nodded to her in farewell, and turned back to their friends, laughing raucously. First years said bye to her, adding 'senpai' to the end of her last name politely; they dipped their heads forward slightly, in a sort of bow. The blonde smiled brightly at them, gave a sharp wave and rushed out of the building. She had been feeling antsy all afternoon. Erza and Levy had agreed to meet at the Blue Pegasus Café, but since it would have taken too much time to wait for all them to group together after leaving class, they decided to head straight to the shop after the dismissal bell. Levy had looked a little hesitant about entering the atmosphere she simply found distasteful, and Erza had paled when she remembered Ichiya, but in the end, the both of them had conceded. They would go.

Lucy felt particularly happy today, and breathed in the fresh autumn air. Colors were turning red, gold, and orange, and crunched under your feet pleasantly. It was finally time to slip on a light jacket to protect yourself from that slight chill in the mornings and evenings. Almost skipping , the blonde entered the café, swinging her bag dangerously around. A couple sitting at a nearby table ducked as it swung over their heads; tea spilled all over the girl's lap, and she glared at Lucy. But the blonde was only faintly aware of the girl's boyfriend rushing over to mop up his girlfriend's skirt. In the back, right up against the wall and seated in a polished, vinyl, old-fashioned booth were Levy and Erza, sitting next to each other, and sipping different fruit flavored smoothies. They were exchanging a few words with each other. Even now, weeks later, the two of them found it awkward to talk to each other after the incident. The scarlet-haired girl, head bent forward, leaned back to flip back her hair, and spotted Lucy. She waved her over with a bright smile, and maybe just a hint of relief.

"Hi you guys," the blonde greeted when she sat down in the seat across from them. Levy gave her a toothy grin in response and Erza turned the corners of her lips up. Karen Lilica, one of the women who worked there part time, came up to ask what Lucy wanted. The blonde requested a mango smoothie and sat back, observing her friends amusedly.

"So what's happening with Natsu?" Levy asked, stirring her beverage with her straw. She asked it casually, not looking at Lucy.

At the inquiry, Lucy remembered Natsu's words at the park and blushed. "A lot."

The petite girl didn't look satisfied with that kind of answer, but remained quiet, drinking her smoothie again. At the same time Erza started speaking, Lucy's own drink arrived, and the girl took it happily.

"I'll have you know that you're an Elite again."

"That's good," Lucy said, and thought sorrowfully, Natsu would like this drink…if it were spicy as well as fruity. Her scarlet-haired friend peered at her, and the three of them resumed their little meeting. Levy informed that her relationship with Gajeel was going on strong while Erza assured them that Jellal was extremely sweet. Their long conversation gradually turned from paragraphs into sentences, then phrases, and then snippets. The dribble of chat had faded and subsided away, so the three of them decided to leave. Lucy paid for her portion and her friends did the same. Together, they walked outside, strode a few paces, and parted ways. The farewells were a bit awkward, and the blonde went away wondering when everything would become normal once again. She heard yells of children's cheering and laughing as she passed the park.

The blonde stopped to watch them, holding onto the straps of her bag tightly; if someone tried to rob her, she'd turn and give them a painful karate kick. She'd break out all the fighting skills she had learned. A little girl with light brown hair ran just in front of her, successfully catching a Frisbee. "I got it, Hiro!"

A boy with dark black hair went up to her, congratulating her. In a flash, though, he snatched the toy from her hands and ran away with it; the little girl screamed in dismay and chased after him, flailing her tiny fists in the air.

"Come back here Hiro!"

"Not until you agree to marry me!"

The blonde smiled in mild amusement. For little kids to be talking about such a far off thing as marriage was quite funny.

"They're really cheerful, huh?"

The blonde girl whirled around to face a blonde boy. He had blue eyes and a scar. His hands were shoved deep into his pockets, and he looked at her with a slight interest.

"Oh, you're Lisanna's new boyfriend."

His face fell. "Yeah, I guess I am."

On a brighter note, he swung around to offer her a handshake. "I'm Sting Eucliffe, nice to meet ya!"

Lucy took his hand with hesitation, and he gave a nice firm shake. Then, the boy let go, withdrawing his hand to his pocket again. "I'm Lucy Heartfilia."

"That's a pretty name."

"Thank you."

Sting rocked back and forth on his feet, whistling cheerfully. His blue eyes sparkled in the setting sunlight, and he stepped on a dry leaf on the ground so that it crackled loudly. Lucy grew uncomfortable in the silence, wishing for him to say something. She couldn't just leave suddenly; it would feel rude. A breeze picked up her hair and chilled the back of her neck; shivering slightly, she became impatient.

"Do you want to grab something to eat?" Sting asked suddenly, turning to face her. It caught her by surprise, and she spent some time trying to answer.

"Um, I…"

Don't go and cheat on me, okay?

"…can't. I can't."

The blonde boy inspected her face for a moment, and sighed. "I know what this is about. Your boyfriend Natsu Dragneel won't like it if you hang out with me."

He said Salmon Top's name with contempt, almost spitting it out onto the pavement in front of him. Lucy didn't like it, and almost told him off, then and there.

"Come on, only a small drink of tea? What do you say?"

Lucy fidgeted and after a lot of cajoling, she agreed reluctantly, trailing after the boy as he led her to a tea shop called Aye Sir! Tea & Coffee. As they entered the little business, a bell rang and aromas of sweet and bitter coffee hit their noses. Several people were seated at tables, and the low buzz of chatter circulated around the room. A maid with short ear-length purple hair and wide purple eyes dressed in cat ears and a clip-on tail bowed to them respectfully, "Welcome to Aye Sir! Tea & Coffee! I will lead you to your table."

As she turned, Lucy noticed a pair of tiny wings plastered to her uniform. Imprinted on both wings was AERA. The blonde stared in utter confusion. Upon seeing this, Sting whispered, "Aera is a type of flying magic. This café is really into those kinds of things. That and these fictional race of beings called Exceeds…who used that type of magic."

The blonde moved her head up and down slowly, letting all the information sink in. The maid, whose name tag Lucy could now make out as HINATA, gestured for them to sit down at a comfortable lavender-colored booth right next to the floor-to-ceiling windows the shop had at the front. On the windows were written Aye Sir! or Exceeds Equal Awesomeness! or a phrase written in something that looked suspiciously like runes.

"Aye, here is your menu. I recommend the couple of section of the menu. There are a lot of things there that you can share with each other," Hinata said, smiling.

Lucy stared at her and shook her hands frantically in front of her face. "Oh, no! It's not like that between him and me! I have a boyfriend! And…and, maybe we'll come here next time."

Hinata smiled, "Oh, I'm sorry for the mistake, aye! Please order whatever you want then!"

Heart pumping fast, the blonde ordered some green tea and a small bowl of noodles while Sting ordered a latte and a burger. Hinata bowed, issued a soft "Aye sir!" and retreated to a set of doors that most likely led to the kitchen. Lucy sat there, horribly aware of Sting looking right at her.

"Won't – won't Lisanna be upset if she finds you here with me?"

Sting Eucliffe snorted, leaning his head on his hand. "I doubt it."

That remark produced an uncomfortable silence which was finally broken when Hinata came back with their orders. She set a bowl of steaming noodles in front of Lucy, and set down a teapot and cup. Next, she slid off a plate containing a delicious-looking hamburger in front of the blonde boy, and gently put the latte in front of him. They thanked her politely and the maid walked off, going to meet the requests of other people. Lucy immediately began to eat her meal.

"I think it would reel in a lot of business if they said Meow-come or something."

The comment had come from Sting.

The blonde stared at him incredulously. Did this boy have a weird fetish for cheesy jokes? She set down her fork, and commenced her staring. Finally, he glanced up.

"What?"

"That has got to be the corniest thing I have ever heard."

"I like corny jokes. I think they're quite interesting, actually. Back in London, I had a few friends who knew some. I nearly spilt my sides cracking up at them all."

"You came from London?"

"Yep, I was born originally in Japan, but when I was two, my parents wanted to change venue, and so they decided to go to England. Rogue's parents also took an appeal to it, and left with us – with him along of course."

"Rogue?"

"Yeah. Rogue Cheney. He has black hair and wears, well, black most of the time."

For a moment, Lucy took some time to remember the red-eyed boy from the park the other day.

The blonde cocked her head sideways, peering at him. "Where are your parents now?"

"Rogue and I are exchange students, so our parents are back at home. We're going here to study in Sabertooth Advanced Elite Academy High for a while, then we're going back to London. "

"That's a mouthful. The name of your school, that is."

"I know, but our headmaster simply insists on being the best there is. So he came up with that tedious name."

Lucy slurped up the last noodle, and Sting, likewise, ate the last bite of his burger. He downed the latte in one whole setting, but the blonde girl took light sips of her scorching tea. Sting offered to pay for the whole meal, but Lucy persisted in dividing it up. She ended up contributing five dollars, but Lucy suspected Sting had taken the portion of the payment that cost more. They left a tip on the table – two dollars - and left. The blonde male politely pushed open the door for her and she passed through it, nodding her thanks. When they got out, Lucy almost had a heart attack. Natsu was standing right in front of her, dressed in a sweatshirt and shorts, looking absolutely furious.

"Lucy…" he panted. "I thought I saw you…what are you doing here?"

The question was directed at Sting, who smirked at him. Salmon Top pushed the blonde girl so that she stood behind him. He scowled at Sting with hate-filled onyx eyes. As fast as lightning, Natsu ran up to the guy and jabbed his finger in a surprised blonde boy's chest.

"Look…punk…Lucy's mine."

With that, Natsu hauled her away. By the time they had rounded the corner and were on the path to Lucy's house, Salmon Top turned on her.

"What were you doing with another guy?"

"Look, Natsu, we were just having a meal."

"But it was a guy!"

The blonde examined his face. It was flushed and filled to the brim with jealousy and hurt. He had not found it very amusing to find his girl talking and eating with another guy. Lucy began to feel guilty.

"What's with that?"

"What?" he asked gruffly.

"'Lucy's mine'? I'm not an object, you know."

Salmon Top looked up at her, then suddenly, unexpectedly, he pulled her into a hug. "Yeah…but you're my trophy."

Burying her face into the crook of his arm, she blushed. He smelled faintly of something spicy and something minty. An unusual combination of scents, but it worked perfectly for Natsu Dragneel.

"I'm sorry, Natsu," she said, her voice muffled by his arm.

"If I ever catch you with another guy, I'll beat them up right away."

Hidden from view, the blonde smiled, clutching onto his sweater sleeve. At last, he pulled away, and blushed slightly. "Listen…on Sunday…are you busy?"

He blurted out the last part in a rush, and the blonde cocked her head.

"No, I'm not."

"Then," he held out his hand, and hesitantly, Lucy interlocked her fingers with his, "what do you say we go on a date?"

Lucy scooted closer to him so that their shoulders were touching. They began to walk. "Okay."

It didn't matter to the blonde where the date was right now…all that was on her mind was complete happiness.


But Sting was absolutely not happy. As he walked home to the Sabertooth dorms Rogue and he were currently inhabiting, he adorned a deep scowl on his face. When he shut the door with a loud bang, Rogue knew that something had upset his roommate.

"What-?"

"Do NOT ask."

So Rogue didn't. The blonde retreated to his room, where he picked up a soda can and pulled at it until it tore into two pieces. He then crumpled it up, not caring about the cuts he was receiving from the action. Angrily, Sting threw the trash into the wastebasket, and flung himself down on his bed. Punching his pillow, he growled, "Natsu Dragneel…you are in for it."


I hope you guys liked this chapter! :D Please review and tell me what you think of it! Next chapter is the fated date...but things don't seem to work out the way Lucy wants it to...(I had a lot of fun with the Aye Sir! Tea&Coffee...I know, random...)