A/N: I apologize so much for taking as long of a break from this story as I did! It's unacceptable, really. I could apologize all day, but I'll save you all the bore and get on with it.
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Chapter Twelve – Drawing Inspiration
We all stared at Jellal anxiously, hardly daring to breathe for fear of missing something. It seemed an eternity before he finally responded. With a casual shrug, he said, "Sure."
The boys leapt up and high-fived each other, shouting excitedly. Jellal just kind of looked up at them with a "what did I just get myself into?" look.
"Yes! I was getting tired of making out with just you two during concerts," Loke exclaimed matter-of-factly.
"You son of a—" Gray started, glaring threateningly at the blond. Erza intervened with a slap to the backs of their heads. Now Jellal was really looking like he regretted agreeing so hastily.
"Just ignore them," Erza said coolly. "They're just a couple of over-sexed teenagers."
"Damn straight," Loke proclaimed proudly.
"Or not," Gray coughed.
"What did you say, princess?" Loke demanded, getting up in the other boy's face. "You calling me a fairy?"
"Yup."
"Oh. Okay. Just making sure." He grinned and, with a wink, slapped Gray's ass seductively.
"He's just teasing," I rushed to assure Jellal. He was staring at them with wide eyes, blinking in disbelief.
"Are they always like this?" he asked carefully.
"Always," Erza said drily. "They've known each other since they were kids, so they have a close relationship."
"Gray-sama…" Juvia cried pitifully. "I know I should be furious that you're being molested so blatantly…but I just can't seem to want to stop looking." Her morose statement went unnoticed by everyone else, as Natsu was trying to break Loke and Gray apart and Jellal was hearing the situation from Erza. I patted her consolingly on the back, nodding my head in grave understanding.
"There there, Juvia…I completely understand. This is the struggle of a fangirl," I sighed dramatically. Levy gave me a concerned look, and I grinned conspiratorially over at her. "Oh, come on, Levy! Don't pretend you don't enjoy some good fanservice." I winked at her with an impish grin.
To my surprise, a blush spread across her dainty cheeks. "I will admit to no such thing," she retorted hotly.
Juvia and I shared a knowing look, and I opened my mouth to say something. However, I was interrupted by Natsu, who had managed to subdue Loke and Gray by securing them in a chokehold. Panting somewhat heavily, he faced Jellal and said, "So, let's get back to business. I apologize for scouting you so suddenly, and especially when we're about to be cracking down for a competition. But of course, I'm not concerned about your ability to keep up with the rigorous pace."
"Competition?" Jellal asked, raising a perfectly-arched eyebrow.
"Yup. There's going to be a competition at the end of January for all the up-and-coming bands in Japan. Winner gets a million bucks and a signing to Sony Music Entertainment Japan."
Jellal stuffed his hands into his pockets and gave a low whistle. "Sounds serious. I'm looking forward to this." A slow grin spread across his face, his eyes alight with anticipation. He got to his feet and slung his guitar case strap over his shoulder. "I'll meet you here after school then."
"See ya!" we all called as he made his way over to the door and disappeared from view as he dropped down through the stairwell.
"Well, he left in a hurry," Natsu huffed indignantly, standing and stretching his back.
"That's because the bell just rang, you dolt," Erza retorted as she glanced at her phone. "Come on, or we're going to be late."
As we hurried off to class, I couldn't stop the excitement that crept over me. It continued to plague me all through the rest of the day, until the bell finally rang and dismissed us to assemble at the roof. Jellal was already waiting when the rest of us filed through the door and stepped out onto the roof. He was perched on the ledge, a book in hand and a pair of black glasses adorning his face. I glanced over at Erza with a sneaky look on my face, anxious to see her reaction. As expected, she looked suddenly flustered at the sight of him. Quickly regaining composure, she strode boldly over to him and plopped herself down on the ledge beside him. He glanced up at her with an unreadable expression, setting his book off to the side. We all joined them and took seats in a circle formation.
"Great. Now that we're all here, I will explain the schedule to everyone," Erza said in a crisp, professional voice. Jellal took his glasses off and slid them into his breast pocket as he fixed his attention on her. In the same tone, Erza continued, "Since we only have about four months to prepare for the competition, we need to use our time wisely. We're going to be performing two original pieces, so we should spend two weeks writing them. One piece needs to be a fast, upbeat song. The other can be whatever we want. I'd suggest something a little heavier and slower. Any opposed? Good. After the writing is complete, we'll need to spend about two and a half months learning and memorizing the songs. That'll leave the remaining month to choreograph and practice the routine onstage. Any questions about the timeline?"
We all shook our heads.
"Good. Now, the distribution of tasks. Natsu, I know you always like to have a hand in the lyrics. Does anyone else want to work with him on writing them?"
"Lucy does," Natsu piped up with a sly smile on his face. I gaped over at him in surprise. As I opened my mouth to protest, he shot me the most pleading look I'd ever seen. My heart started beating rapidly, sending a flush to my cheeks. Wh-why is my heart beating so fast? Ugh, stop looking at me like that! He was making it extremely hard to resist.
Releasing a defeated sigh, I grumbled, "Fine." I crossed my arms and turned away from him with a pout. Damn, that was low, Dragneel. Really low.
"Alright," Erza said, all business. She whipped out a pocket-sized notepad and jotted something down. "Natsu and Lucy will be writing the lyrics. As usual, I will be writing the music. Does anyone else want to collaborate with me on that?"
"I will," Jellal murmured. I could swear I saw a faint blush spread across Erza's cheeks, but she hid it well behind a professional mask.
"Very good." More scribbling in her notepad. "That leaves Gray and Loke to work on the costumes. Are you two good with that?"
Loke popped his knuckles with an evil grin on his face. "We're going to have the sexiest outfits Japan has ever seen!"
"I'll ask Mira to keep an eye on the costume design," she muttered, writing it down. "I hate to keep burdening her like this, especially since she already helps Laxus with the dance choreography." A worried frown creased her brow, and I looked around in confusion.
"Who's Mira?"
Everyone else turned to look at me with varying degrees of disbelief. Gray helpfully filled me in. "Mirajane Strauss, of course."
"What? Ms. Strauss?! Why is she involved with this?"
"Her boyfriend, Laxus Dreyar, is our manager," Natsu explained.
"Huh. That's some serious relationship, it sounds like."
"It's only a matter of time before he proposes," Erza hummed with a smile. "They've been dating for over a year."
I raised my eyebrows, impressed. Wariness settled over me as I recalled Levy's words about Laxus. To think, this man who looked like a mafia boss was actually our manager. I suppressed a shiver, not wanting to let my anxiety slip through.
"Now," Erza barked, once again taking the floor with her no-nonsense tone, "let's split up and begin tackling our assignments. We'll reconvene up here at five before heading out for the evening."
We all got to our feet and started to move out, splitting up into our groups of two. Jellal and Erza seemed to have claimed the roof as their base of operations, so Natsu grabbed my arm and led me towards the door. Loke and Gray followed us down the steps, already arguing over the color schemes. Shaking his head in exasperation, Natsu guided me down the hall, his hand still on my arm.
"Since we're in charge of writing the lyrics, environment is important. I always like to write them in a place with the proper mood. I think we should work on the upbeat song first, if that's alright with you." I nodded my consent. "Great. I know a place we can go to get the right vibes. Follow me." He smiled back at me, his hand sliding down my arm to clasp my hand in his.
I smiled hesitantly back at him, wanting to be irritated with him for volunteering me for this task, but unable to hold it against him when my chest was filled with such a warm feeling. His hand squeezed mine for a moment, making my heart flutter in my chest. These will be a long two weeks.
We left the building and continued toward the parking lot. I tugged on Natsu's hand and shot him a questioning look. With a grin, he pulled his car keys from his pocket and twirled them around his index finger. "We'll need to go somewhere a little different if we want to get the inspirations flowing." We stopped in front of his Maserati and he pulled the passenger door open for me.
"Thanks," I murmured. He grinned down at me and closed the door before walking around to the driver's side. As he climbed in, I became all too aware of how alone we were, just the two of us headed off to some unknown destination in his car. Clearing my throat, I looked out the window as we began pulling out of the lot. "So…are you going to tell me where we're going now?"
"Nope. You're just going to have to wait until we get there." He had a supremely satisfied smirk on his lips when I turned to face him.
"I could press charges for kidnapping, you know," I said shrewdly. "I am still a minor, after all."
"And who would believe that someone as dashing as I would have to resort to kidnapping to get you to come with me?" Natsu glanced at me with a playful wink, a charming smile in place. I laughed and made a sound of protest, slapping him on the shoulder.
"Please. You practically ooze creeper vibes. The worst criminals often have the most charisma." I sniffed delicately, affecting disdain as I peered down my nose at him.
"Ooh, be careful I don't steal your heart then."
I burst into laughter, clutching my stomach as I shook with mirth. "Did you take that quote straight from some cheesy soap? I thought you were a better flirt than that," I scoffed, my giggles subsiding enough to let me breathe again.
Peering at me out of the corner of his eye, Natsu pouted his lips. "I spent hours coming up with cool pickup lines to use just for you, Luce," he protested. The wicked glint in his eye was not lost on me.
I rolled my eyes and poked his cheek, forcing him to look straight. "Yeah yeah, you poor thing. Just focus on the road and concentrate on getting us there in one piece."
We both laughed some more before lapsing into companionable silence for the last five minutes of our drive. When he finally turned down a narrow, winding drive, I saw a sign proclaiming our arrival at a nature park. I raised my eyebrow at Natsu in question, wondering what we were doing at a park. Instead of answering, he silently took my hand in his and squeezed it. Suddenly flustered, I looked away and feigned great interest in the trees we were passing. He chuckled softly and maneuvered the car into the small lot at the end of the drive. It was the only car in the lot, and I found myself grateful that we wouldn't have to deal with other people distracting us.
Natsu hopped out of the car and strode over to open my door for me, extending a hand to help me out. I hesitated a moment before taking it and allowing him to pull me gently from the car. The sound of his car locking followed us as we walked away, heading towards a neatly-paved path through the trees. Natsu's bag was slung over his shoulder, his schoolbooks removed to make room for the extra notebooks and pencils he'd packed.
As we followed the path, I noticed the way the golden sunlight filtered down through the trees lining the path. Birds were chirping overhead, their songs a gentle cacophony mixing with the rustling of the branches in the wind. Despite the chill in the air, I felt warm on the inside. A minute later, the trees gave way to a field of tall grass on either side of us. The paved path turned into a mowed trail through the grass. I gasped in delight at the sight of the stalks blowing softly in the breeze, the crisp scent of fall hanging thick in the air.
"This field is filled with flowers during the spring and summer," Natsu remarked casually as he walked ahead of me, his hands stuffed in his pockets. "Everywhere you look, they're sparkling like jewels and filling the air with their fragrance."
I stared at him in awe, unable to say anything. Something stirred within me, and I couldn't keep the soft smile from curving my lips.
Feeling my gaze on his back, Natsu glanced back at me over his shoulder. Seeing my expression, he gave me a quizzical look. "What? Did I say something?"
I chuckled softly, shaking my head in amusement. "You sound like a romantic poet. How old are you?" I teased, stepping up to nudge him in the arm with my shoulder.
He looked down at me in surprise, a genuine smile spreading across his face. Rubbing the back of his head, he laughed awkwardly. It was a beautiful sound. "You caught me. I suppose I am a bit of a romantic. I'll have to take you here when the flowers are in bloom."
Now it was my turn to look up at him in surprise. Seeing my wide eyes, he grinned softly down at me and slipped his hand into mine. My breath caught in my throat as I stared down at our joined hands. The other times he'd held my hand, I'd been able to write it off as him guiding me. Now, I had no such excuse. Which meant my brain was now trying to process this move rapid-fire, spinning at the speed of light with all the possibilities. Does this mean something? Is he just being friendly, or does he like me? What will I do if he does like me? I glanced back up at him. He was smiling serenely as he looked ahead, unaware of my inner turmoil. Maybe I'm over-thinking things.
A few minutes later, Natsu broke me from my wildly spinning thoughts when he halted. "We're here."
I blinked and took in the scenery around me. We were standing on a grassy bluff overlooking a small field like the one we'd passed. On the other side of the field lay the city. From our height, we could look down on the roads and buildings, watching the tiny, faraway figures scurrying around like insects. The afternoon sun reflected off of the metal and glass on the buildings, creating a sparkling glow over the city. The breeze rustling through the trees at our backs cast moving shadows on the grass at our feet.
"It's beautiful," I breathed, unable to take my eyes from the sight. I could imagine how breathtaking the view would be when the flowers were in full bloom.
"Yeah, it is," Natsu agreed softly. "I love this place. I've been coming here for years, and nowhere else makes me feel as on top of the world as right here. I just feel like…life is great whenever I come here. Like I can do whatever I want with my life, and the whole world is before me. That's the feeling I want to convey through this song." He turned to face me, a peaceful but intense look on his face.
Holding his gaze, I nodded and cast a smile at him. "Alright, Natsu. Let's do this."
We ended up returning to the school a quarter after five. I didn't want to let go of the peaceful yet excited feeling that I had experienced while sitting on the bluff beneath the trees. Much as I was loath to admit it, spending time alone with Natsu like that had been…nice. The others gave us a mixture of annoyed and amused looks when we trooped onto the roof, our notebooks full of potential lines to use.
"Good of you to show," Erza said drily. Despite her tone, there was a glint of amusement and fondness in her eyes as she looked back and forth between us. Under such scrutiny, a blush rose to my cheeks again. "You look like you got a lot of work done though, so I'll let you go this once. Don't lose track of time again!" she scolded, propping one hand on her hip.
I gave a short, nervous laugh. "Thank you. I promise we won't be late next time. Right, Natsu?"
He grinned impishly at Erza, his hands stuffed in his pockets. "Sure thing!" His tone was anything but reassuring.
Looking just as unconvinced as I felt, Erza shook her head in exasperation and addressed us all. "Good work, everyone! See you all tomorrow."
"Good night," I returned as we made our way to the door and filed down the steps and through the building. We parted ways in the parking lot, and I was surprised to see my family's car sitting there as well. Anxiously hurrying over to it, I was relieved to see Aquarius sitting in the driver's seat.
She leaned over to push the passenger door open and grinned out at me. "Good evening, Miss Lucy. I thought I'd come by and pick you up from now on." She winked conspiratorially at me, and I did a mental facepalm.
Hopping into the car and shutting the door before she could call out to my friends and embarrass me, I rolled my eyes and said, "Thanks, Aquarius. As long as you don't bother anyone."
As she complained about how ungrateful I was, I looked out the window and waved at everyone. Natsu was leaning against his car door with his hands tucked into his pockets, staring at me with an unreadable expression on his face. As our gazes locked, he smiled helplessly at me and saluted me once.
"Looks like someone's got a little crush," Aquarius said evilly, poking me in the cheek as we roared out of the lot.
"Wh-what?" I spluttered, a furious blush spreading across my face. "I do not!"
My blue-haired maid snorted. "Sure you don't. But don't worry—I think he likes you, too."
A/N: Thanks for reading! This time, I promise it won't be four months before the next update. O.o Let me know what you think by leaving a review! :) Don't forget to favorite and follow, if you haven't done so already! Thanks, everyone!
