Shitballs, I just realized there's an inconsistency in the chapters. Ok, I know I had Natsu slide the deadbolt in c.19 but that would have been a problem for this chapter. Let's just take it that at some point at the other, that fact was changed… Lalalalalalalalala~

I really should just edit the previous chapter but then the tone would not be the same anymore. Sorry guys. Writer's ethics and all, I feel like crap now.

Sam.

21:Déjà Vu

Lucy let out a loud squeak as she frantically turned her body away from the door, ignoring the grunt that Natsu let out when her shoulder whacked right into his jaw. Grimacing, Natsu wrapped himself over the nervous blonde before turning up to glare at the unwanted intruder.

"What the f, Erza?"

"Wh-wh-wh-what's going on?"

The redhead's skin was as crimson as her hair as she stood in the doorway, her form silhouetted by the dim light in the corridor. Much to his consternation, a second head popped up from behind the doorframe, a curious look on his face.

"Erz, what's- Pffft!"

At the man's snort, Natsu growled and hugged Lucy tighter while glaring at the second, more unwanted intruder. Instead of backing off, a knowing look came into Jellal's eyes and his face creased up in amusement. Natsu fervently wished that he could reach out and rip the fleur-de-lis from his cheek, just so that he could wipe the cocky smirk of the blunette's face. Erza meanwhile, was clutching onto the doorframe for support as she continued to sputter in a mortified tone.

"Na-na-na-natsu! Wh-who's that w-with y-y-you?"

"Huh? Of course it's Lu- OW! What the hell?!"

"Don't tell them it's me!" The blonde's voice squeaked angrily.

Erza's brown gaze peered inquisitively. "L-Lucy?"

Natsu's chest rumbled with laughter, earning him a smack against his head, when Lucy stubbornly kept mum. That only made the male laughed harder and he climbed off the bed. At the sudden lost of her only means towards anonymity, Lucy's eyes flew wide open and her limbs flailed frantically. Glaring at the male now leaning against the wall, his arms folded together tightly as he grinned at her, Lucy pulled herself into an upright position. Sighing at her intensely terrible luck, she snuck a humiliated glance at their visitors.

"Yep."

Tiny wisps of steam puffed out from Erza's ears but the redhead managed to steady herself before she toppled over, mostly due to the help she got from her chuckling boyfriend. Awarding the embarrassed pair a fraction of their much-needed privacy, she held her left hand over her face till only her mouth could be seen. Behind her came an exaggerated eye roll, but luckily for the culprit, she was too distracted by everything else.

"L-Lucy! W-were the two of you a-a-about to have s-s-s-se-se-se-haaaa~!"

The blonde's face flushed crimson and she yelled out a vehement "NO!" the very same second Natsu bluntly stated, "Yes". The pinkette sweat-dropped when Lucy whipped her dagger hurling glare his way. Cringing, Natsu shrunk a little into the wall.

"I see. Natsu, c-come here!"

"Huh?"

"Just do as I say." Erza demanded again, her free hand stretched out and beckoning him over. Natsu threw a pleading glance at the blonde, who merely folded her arms and dared him on, still pissed at him from his thoughtless interruption.

"Godamnit." He padded his way over to the door.

Never in his life had he been so embarrassed. He felt like a school kid being caught by the disciplinary marm, humbled but seething before her authority. People who walked in on him always hightailed away from the room so hat the hell was wrong with this redhead? It certainly did not help that her conceited boyfriend was hiding his grin between pursed lips.

"Erza. Now wh-"

Natsu gasped and backed up when the redhead suddenly thrust both her hands into his pockets.

"The f- HEY!"

She was not listening as she spun him around and dove into the back pockets, her fingers fumbling about as if searching. Behind her, Jellal was not even trying to hide his amusement anymore. Shocked beyond belief, Natsu threw Lucy another pleading look, but the blonde was too stunned to even move.

Erza sighed when she finally released him and the male swerved around swinging a fist, albeit a little fearfully.

"What was that about?! OI! Erza!"

Ignoring him, Erza turned to Jellal and extended a hand, prompting a surprised look from him.

"… Erza?"

"Hand me those."

His brows shot down. "But I thought we…"

"Just give it. We'll get more later."

"But I- damnit."

The blunette grumbled and glared in annoyance at Natsu. Natsu's confusion only intensified when Erza strode past him towards Lucy, who jumped when the redhead frowned down at her with stern eyes.

"Lucy."

"Eep! Y-yes?"

"What did I tell you before we left?"

"H-huh? Uh, I don't…?"

Lucy was fast shrinking into the pillows as the redhead loomed, an intimidating aura radiating from her form.

"I told you to play it safe." Erza stated bluntly, her annoyance overriding her embarrassment. "Here, take this." Lucy burned afresh when the line of sachets tumbled down onto her lap. Her jaw dropping, she stared at Erza with unblinking eyes.

"Er-Erza, I don't… I mean…"

She startled again when the redhead's fury segued into a motherly expression, a 180 turnabout from before. Clasping her hands over the blonde's stunned ones, she coaxed softly.

"I know you're really happy, but remember to take care of yourself too."

"I…"

"Ok. I'm leaving. You guys have … 45 minutes before we meet at 2. Uhm… G-good luck."

The scarlet peeked back onto Erza's face as she dashed past the stunned pinkette, grabbed Jellal and whisked them both away before anyone could react.

Blinking, Natsu swung the door close and retreated into the room. "What was that about? Lucy…?"

The blonde was staring open-mouthed at the pile on her lap,.

"Luce, you alr-"

His words gave way to a strangled choke when his eyes registered the items on her lap. Grimacing, he picked one up and the rest of the sachets followed dutifully to hang in front of Lucy's face whose jaw immediately snapped shut.

"Maximus L, for the man raging within you." The pinkette muttered in distaste as he dangled the line of condoms, oblivious to the mortification spreading across Lucy's face.

"I did not need to know this about that bastard. Erz-"

His voice ground to a halt and Lucy jolted when he sat down onto the bed next to her. Peeking through her bangs, her jaw failed again at the cheeky grin plastered across his face.

"Wh-what?"

"I think Erza just gave us her blessings." Natsu chortled gleefully as he shook the sachets about. Lucy blushed adorably and ducked her head into her chest.

"How about it, Luce? We still have time, enough for 3… 4 rounds?" He smirked at her, loving how there was barely an inch of fair skin left on her face. Lucy only sputtered to life when he started to lean in.

"Forget it!" She shoved him away and leapt from the bed.

"Babe, where are you going?"

"Out."

Lucy was standing by the open door as she pointed a hand out the corridor. "I need to get ready."

"It's more than enough…" Natsu whined as he padded over and came to a stop next to her. "You sure you don't want to?"

"… Yes."

"Liar." He poked at the cheek she had sucked in.

"Shut up."

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Your loss. I'll wait for you out here at… 1:40? We'll get a quick lunch then meet Erza."

"Yep, ok." Her gaze was stubbornly trained at the ground.

"Hey Luce?"

"Hmm?"

"There's… something on your face. It looks so… uhhhh."

That brought her gaze up. "There is? Whe-"

Natsu cut her off by pressing his lips softly against hers, smiling when she responded.

"You lied…" She murmured, as her hand came up to lightly touch his arm.

"I lied." He agreed obediently. "Also, about those…"

Lucy's eyes were slightly glazed when he finally withdrew. "Hmm?"

"I'm leaving them in your safekeeping."

He laughed loudly and left when Lucy sputtered upon finally noticed the stack piled up nicely on her pillow.

Her slippers rustled noisily against the loose gravel of the garden path. The night was quiet so far out in the gardens and the air around her was humid and warm. Sighing, Lucy flapped the hem of her shirt to dispel some of the stickiness that clung to her skin. There were no new notifications awaiting her perusal on her phone and disappointed twanged in her belly again.

Sting had been missing the entire day, along with a good quarter of the male audience. It was only later that Lucy had learned that the organizing committee had roped in the more fit guys present to help set up of the venue for the dinner and dance.

Natsu had not been spared; as soon as they arrived, Erza had unceremoniously unlatched him from around Lucy's waist and dragged him away to the banquet hall. The pinkette had been spared the morning duties only because they had returned to the hotel in the morning after the festival and Erza could not find him. As a member of the committee, the overzealous redhead had descended upon him like a vulture and plucked him away to start his 'waiting on her hand and foot', just as she had demanded outside the Dean's office.

At least Lucy had not been bored without him there.

Between being Erza's scribe and watching Jellal attempting to flirt with his unresponsive girlfriend, it had been non-stop amusement. She had struck up conversation with Jellal's companions and learnt that the darker one of the pair had a most disturbing sadistic streak. Who the hell force-fed jalapeños to friends for pure entertainment?

The memory made the blonde shiver again as she trudged back up the path towards the hotel. Just as she had stepped into the lobby, there was a loud cracking sound in the distance as the dark night sky beyond the doors lit up in a brilliant scintillation. Lucy instantly shivered, though not because of the cool air that wrapped itself around her exposed flesh. Muttering invectives, the blonde hurried towards the lift, trying her best to drown out the rumblings in the distance. Barely halfway across the lobby however, a deafening crash split the air and for a second, the lights in the lobby flickered. Her breath jarred in her throat and Lucy squeezed her eyes shut as she instinctively ducked her head.

Now blinded, she rammed headfirst into a hard wall that groaned upon the sudden contact. Crying out, her eyes shot open as she stumbled backwards; the very real fear of coming into painful contact with the cold floor made her heart thunder so loudly that the organ threatened to drum right out of her chest. However, the pain never came.

Lucy flinched when she felt her entire body being lifted up, supported by two strong grips on her upper arms.

"Filia? You ok?"

Looking up, she dazedly registered alarmed blue eyes focused on her.

"Sting…"

"Hey, you al- woah!" An arm pulled her flush against the male when Lucy's legs gave way under her again. "Are you injured?"

"No, I'm- Gaah!"

Lucy jumped unladylike at the sound of rumbling. Without thinking, she latched herself onto the taller blonde, her nails digging into his bare arms. Feeling her tremble in his arms, the male's voice softened as he gently eased her fingers from his skin. Shifting her weight to get a better hold on the tremulous female, Sting looped her arms over his shoulders instead.

"You're afraid of thunder? Since when…?"

"Since-" Lucy's voice caught. The truth would only make him feel guilty. Shaking her head, she smiled weakly. "Just a long time ago."

His hold around her waist only tightened. "Since the day I left, isn't it?"

"I- It's not…"

"You don't need to lie, Filia. I know exactly what you're going through. I… I went through the same phase as you."

"… What?"

His admission surprised her. Gripping tightly onto his shoulders just in case, Lucy tilted her head up to look at him. Under her intense eye contact, Sting's expression turned sheepish and… was that a blush on his face? Lucy gawped.

"Are you b-blushing?"

He snorted at her words but still looked away in embarrassment. "I was 11 when I left, alright?" He protested. "Leaving you made me really depressed."

There was a pang in her chest at his sincerity.

"So… you're scared of storms too?" Her eyes searched his face, a sudden thrill running through her veins at the prospect that she had not been suffering alone. Groaning, Sting raked a hand into his hair, ruffling the already messy strands.

"I, uh… couldn't sleep without my mom till I was… uhm… 13." He winced at the memories. "I'd crawl into my parents' bed every time it-"

Lucy jumped and dug further into his embrace when lightning banished the darkness outside.

"Yeah." Sting's chest rumbled with empathic laughter as he gently patted her head. "Imagine that you're me and I'm my mom."

"Your mom's way prettier than you, and I'm too pretty to be you." Lucy snorted, earning herself a commendatory gasp from him. "Anyway, you've stopped being scared. I still have it bad, damn you."

"I'm a guy. I had it worse." She could almost hear him roll his eyes. "Do you know how many guys, and some really mean girls, picked on me because I got scared every time it stormed? I had to miss like, 3, camping trips."

"Serves you right."

Her words were biting, grudging of the fact that Sting had gotten over his fears while she had yet to, but there was no real annoyance behind them. Instead, Lucy felt oddly soothed. It was weird but being held within his strong arms, Lucy could feel the trembling anxiety within her dwindle into a shadow of its former self. His embrace and embarrassing confessions were steadily coaxing the fear out of her. Letting out a soft sigh, she muttered a "thanks" against his shirt.

Sting's chest rumbled against her cheek as he leaned down to kiss the crown of her head.

"You alright now?"

She nodded silently. Perhaps it was because the fear had started due to his departure. In light of his return, and his promise that morning to stay by her side, it was likely that she was on the first step to rehabilitation. The fact that it was happening so quickly only seemed like a second miracle.

"Hey…"

"Hmmm?"

"Are you going to continue to hug me, Filia? People are starting to stare." Sting laughed softly.

"I won't be seeing them ever again once I return to Magnolia. Let them stare all they want."

Lucy mumbled and snuggled further into his embrace, her hands pressing into the small of his spine. It was the first storm in over a decade that the blonde felt neither the urge to cry or hide under her bed. It was a wonderful relief that she wanted to savor for just that little while longer.

"You sure? Cause your friends are here. And uh… Natsu-san seems really pissed off for some reason."

Dun-dun-duuuuum. Just because Natsu's confessed and Lucy's confessed doesn't mean there's going to be happy ever after just yet.

I'll start on c. 22 tomorrow night once I'm back from my chillaxing cycle.

Sam.