Hiya! Hope y'all are excited for PROM!

Just gonna drop chapter 16 here for ya. If you're wondering about the clothes, think Grand Magic Ball!

Happy reading!

Lucy was impressed at how composed Natsu was during their ride. She figured Mavis had given him something to help his motion sickness. They made it without any incident and left the limousine, already getting dazzled by the flashes of the cameras. The school had hired their regular over-enthusiastic, over-zealous photographer for the event. Lucy noticed many people looking and pointing at her and Natsu as they walked away from the curb.

Gajeel pushed off the wall where he was leaning to meet with Levy, who seemed genuinely surprised to see him be there. He was formally introduced to everyone else while Juvia searched the crowd for her boyfriend.

"There you are!" she called out at a young man walking their way. Natsu looked at the newcomer with a scrunch on his face.

"Hope I didn't make you wait too long," he told Juvia, following her back to their group. He was wearing a blue suit and had his black hair slicked back. Then he noticed Natsu's perplexed expression. "Whatcha squinting at, you pyro?" Natsu burst into a laugh that confused everyone.

"What d'you do to your hair? You look ridiculous!" he laughed.

"At least I did something with my hair, unlike you moron!"

"Uh, Gray, darling?" Juvia tried, but he and Natsu were already leaning almost head-to-head, exchanging insults.

"You wanna fight?" Natsu growled.

"Natsu?" Lucy's worried voice was all it took for Natsu to step back.

"Oh? Backing out?" Gray asked coldly.

"We can settle it after prom," Natsu snapped dangerously.

"Do you two know each other?" Juvia asked.

"Unfortunately," Gray groaned. "Sorry about this idiot. It's nice to see you again, Juvia."

"Nice to see you too, darling," Juvia replied with a smile. "You guys, this is Gray! Gray, meet my friends! Cana, Levy, Lucy, Gajeel and… well, you know Natsu."

"Are we all just gonna pretend that those two weren't about to fight?" Cana asked, looking between them.

"I'm curious to see who would come on top," Gajeel dared them with a smile.

"It's obviously me!" both of them yelled at the same time, butting head once more.

"Men, you guys sure are wild!" another voice piped in, and a tall guy draped his arm over Cana.

"Bacchus!" Cana exclaimed with a wide smile. "Good to see you!"

"Going to prom alone ain't wild," he grinned at her. Once he was formally introduced to everyone, Natsu and Gray were done bickering and they stayed outside for a while more, chatting.

"Kay, I can't be the only one dying to know how these two know each other? Why are we dancing around it?" Cana insisted when they didn't bring it back.

"Doncha all go to school together?" Bacchus questioned.

"I sure ain't," Gajeel huffed.

"I'm from out of town," Gray added. "This idiot was my neighbour growing up," he added with a glance to Cana.

"Who are you calling an idiot?" Natsu growled.

"Only an idiot would need to ask," Gray snapped back, and off they were bickering again. Lucy stood back with Juvia, wondering what they'd got themselves into. "Why do you even act like you're surprised to see me?" Gray asked him, backing up to run a hand in his hair. "I told you last winter I'd come when school was over, you even told me I could crash at your place." Natsu looked at him with an utterly blank look on his face. "Don't tell me you forgot?"

"You're outta luck pal, I got a roommate already."

"Seriously? Who could possibly bear to live with you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Natsu growled.

"Kiss and make up already," Cana groaned. Neighbours… How lame was that? "Come on, it's prom. You can fight all you want tomorrow, but if you make my friends miserable, you'll have to take it with me." Neither of them seemed to want to know if she would go through with her threats.

"People are starting to go in," Levy added. "We should go." They ventured inside at last, lining up for the official pictures. They did a picture with each pair, all of them together, then all the girls together, but the guys had no interest in having theirs taken. They moved into the reception room and found their table. The girls made quick work of the sitting arrangement, mostly so that Natsu and Gray wouldn't bicker.

There were speeches from some teachers, then a few words from the principal, then another speech from the class president. Then they asked if anyone wanted to speak a few words, and a few students did, mostly the popular kids. Lucy hid a relief that Cana didn't step up. All the while, a show slide showed pictures of some of the most popular groups in school, as well as some class pictures. Natsu was surprised to see himself in a few, in sporting events, mostly. He never noticed the photographers. As far as he could tell, most of them had been taken in the last few months of school. Lucy also found that there were a lot more picture of her than she expected, but some were also from the previous year – including the sexy nurse costume, which made her skin crawl just a little.

The slides moved on to some couples that had formed over the year, and somewhere in the middle, there was a picture of her hugging Natsu. She remembered it. It was after she had learned about Lisanna. It was the only time she'd hugged him at school. Lucy didn't fail to notice all the eyes that turned their way when the picture was on the screen and blushed.

"Wait, you two are dating?" Gray asked.

"We're not," Natsu replied.

"So why were you in the couple category?" Gajeel joined.

"We started hanging out a few months ago," Lucy explained. "I guess people drew their own conclusion."

"Don't worry, we're all wondering when they'll stop being in denial," Cana teased, nudging Lucy with an elbow.

"Don't you get started on that again!" Lucy warned her.

Levy and Juvia exchanged a look. No matter what she knew, Cana didn't think it was worth Lucy boxing herself in for. Gajeel crossed his arms, entertained.

"I believe it," he argued. "Natsu definitely likes her."

"Of course, I do! That was never a question," Natsu scoffed.

"And you totally missed the point," Gray pointed out. "He meant you love her."

"Oh, shut it! I've had that conversation already today, I'm not doing it again," he added, crossing his arms with a pout.

"That makes two of us," Lucy agreed, her cheeks puffed in annoyance. "Let's just have fun." Natsu perked up, sniffing the air.

"I smell food," he announced. Sure enough, staff poured into the reception with platters of food a few seconds later.

...

The meal was spread over an hour, and once the last of the dishes were cleared, they were invited to move over to the ballroom, where decorations hung all over the place, the slides projected on the far wall. Long tables were laid on either side of the room with a variety of punches – all non-alcoholic, to Cana's dismay – and chairs for people to sit. A few people were already on the dancefloor, some dancing, some merely swaying with the music, and other simply talking. Cana and Bacchus were soon part of those who were dancing, but Gray and Gajeel had already found chairs to sit on.

"Do you want to dance?" Natsu asked Lucy. He wasn't much of a dancer, but he was here with her so she would have a good time.

"Do you?" she asked, surprised.

"Well… not particularly," he admitted. "But it's prom. I'm up for it if you are."

"You think the other two are gonna join if you do?" she asked, glancing toward Gray and Gajeel. Neither Levy nor Juvia seemed too pleased to have such unwilling dates.

"Only one way to know," he grinned, offering her hand. People whispered as they walked onto the dancefloor, but Lucy willed herself not to care for it. With the way her year had unraveled, she didn't think she would go to prom. Even now, as they danced together, she could barely believe she was there. Barely believe she made it this far.

"You guys are actually dancing!" Cana exclaimed, impressed as she and Bacchus moved closer.

"Prom is a dance," Natsu reminded her.

"You should go and say that to your pals," she scoffed, nodding toward the edge. Gray and Gajeel were chatting together, and Juvia and Levy were walking their way, both looking fairly annoyed.

"Well, it can't be helped," Levy sighed. "Let's make the best of it anyway."

"I guess you're right," Juvia mumbled. Cana whispered something for Bacchus and left. Lucy didn't really bother to look where she had gone to. She was happy to just stay there and dance with Levy and Juvia and Natsu. Bacchus had already left the dancefloor to join Gajeel and Gray.

"Come on, Lu!" Cana chirped, reappearing by her side without her bag. "You've got better moves than that!"

"I can't steal the spotlight," Lucy teased back, a wide smile on her face. Natsu forgot how to breathe for a moment. It had been so long since he'd seen her smiling like that. He'd never gone to a school dance before, so he wouldn't know that Lucy had some pretty daring moves. She had always known she was beautiful. Always known she was blessed with some truly generous curves and a perfect hourglass figure. For a long time, she had shamelessly flaunted them, especially when given the occasion like a dance or any type of costumed event. But the last year had changed her. She didn't want to attract that sort of attention anymore.

Cana cheered at her reply, and it occurred to Natsu that Lucy had probably had a much more playful and sassy temperament before her mother had passed away. The Lucy he had grown to know didn't seem like someone who would pull a sexy nurse outfit, and yet she had done it before.

"Well, don't just stand there, Natsu!" Bacchus nudged, patting him on the back so hard Natsu almost toppled over. "It's a dance, so get dancing!"

"I thought you were done," he pointed out.

"Nah, I had to tell those losers that they couldn't let you show them off, but if you're not dancing, then what was the point?" Natsu noticed both Gray and Gajeel had made it on the dancefloor, both looking like they'd rather to be elsewhere. He grinned at them and turned back to Lucy. For her, he could dance all night. To see that smile again, he would do anything.

The first slow dance dawned on them a few minutes later and Gajeel and Gray both looked like they were going to leave. Natsu looked at Lucy, and she nodded ever so slightly, a blush coating her cheeks. He moved in closer, taking her hand in his and, after a moment of hesitation, settling the other hand on her arm.

"Are you having fun?" he asked, as they swayed together to the rhythm of the slow dance.

"I am," she smiled. "Thank you so much, Natsu. For everything."

He grinned wide. Lucy smiled back and blinked after a flash blinded her, but she couldn't see the photographer. She didn't bother looking, keeping close to Natsu and dancing, content with the moment. She didn't notice her friend's looks, nor the people around them. All she could do was to stare into his dark eyes and enjoy the warmth of his hand on hers.

"You two should get closer," Cana teased, she and Bacchus tightly intertwined, her arms around his neck, and his hands low enough on her hips that they were almost on her ass, their bodies pressed together. Lucy could see that Juvia had a similar distance with Gray, who didn't seem as comfortable with it as Bacchus, but Gajeel and Levy were also a bit further apart, mostly because of the height difference between them.

Natsu leaned his head and Lucy's heart skipped, thinking he would kiss her. But he merely rested his forehead against hers. "Don't worry about it," he told her. "As long as you're comfortable." She squeezed his hand and he squeezed back, smiling softly.

...

Though Natsu wasn't too keen on after prom, and Lucy didn't really want to go, they got peer pressured into it. The party was out of town, so they all went back home to change and headed out. Bisca's parents owned a farmland on the outskirt of the city and they all were allowed to bring tents and spend the night. The only rule was no one inside the main house. Near three hundred people were assembled. A DJ had been hired. Barrels of liquors were flowing, regardless of who was still underage.

People were stumbling on the uneven ground outside, pitching their tents in the dark, while others were dancing inside the barn, where the DJ was located, and other were making out. Cana and Bacchus had brought one, because they fully intended to spend the night there. And they both had had more beer than was reasonable in the hour since they arrived. After getting their tent up, Cana had dragged all of them in the barn to dance some more, but her and Bacchus were not really paying attention to the lot of them anymore.

Natsu was being a good sport, for someone who hadn't wanted to come. Though he had been handed many drinks, he only set them down near someone who would think it was theirs and take it. Lucy quickly followed his lead, because it was much easier than justifying why she wouldn't have any. She had been asked multiple times if she was pregnant too – which was perplexing, cause she hadn't heard of anyone being pregnant.

After a few beers, Gray had loosened up and seemed content with dancing with Juvia. Gajeel and Levy were sitting on a bale of hay, half screaming to hear each other over the music, but still looking like they were having a good time.

Lucy was having fun, dancing with Natsu. If they had been at something like that the year before, she would have been plastered, dancing the night away. But as the crowd got rowdier, she started feeling uneasy. Natsu had told her a while ago that Cana probably wouldn't notice if they left, but what would people think if they saw them sneaking out into the night?

"Do you wanna sit?" she asked him.

"Sure," he agreed, and followed her near where Levy and Gajeel were. Natsu observed her. "Do you wanna leave?" he asked.

"Not quite yet," she admitted.

"Man, I'm sure glad we took tomorrow off too," he chuckled. "That would be a rough one."

"No kidding," she agreed. It had been past midnight when she last checked the time. The music shifted to a slow and Lucy was surprised to find herself wanting to dance it close to Natsu again. "Oh, I love this song," she said. Natsu listened to it. He knew he heard it on the radio before, but he never paid it much mind.

"Do you want to dance?" he asked. She smiled and took the hand he offered, and they danced to Perfect by Ed Sheeran, Lucy singing along as they went. Natsu still loved her voice and tuned most of the noise out to focus on her. And then they danced some more as the music changed. Lucy thought she would have been content to spend the whole night dancing with him.

"They're sneaking away!" Cana's voice hollered over the music. Everyone turned in time to see Alzack and Bisca halfway through the door. Alzack blushed, but Bisca shamelessly pulled him closer.

"Oh, honey, we're no secret!" she called back. It was true. The whole school had learned about their relationship pretty early on, mostly because they had it coming for years, but also because they would just make out wherever they pleased through the school.

"Invite me to the wedding!" Cana called over the whooping when they left.

"I hope she doesn't do that when we leave," Natsu shuddered. Lucy suddenly looked at him with a panicked look.

"How are we gonna get home?" she asked.

"Zeref said to call him if we needed a ride," he reassured her. "If he doesn't wake up, I'll call a cab."

Lucy smiled, reassured, then looked over at her friends. They all seemed to be having fun. Juvia and Gray had stepped away from the dancefloor and were talking, and Levy and Gajeel were still sitting together. Cana and Bacchus were half dancing, half making out. Lucy thought she should have been concerned for her friend, but Cana could handle her booze and herself, and she had said she liked Bacchus, and told them his meeting with her dad went surprisingly well on the way here.

Just as she started to think it wasn't so bad after all, Natsu suddenly grabbed her and pulled her over him, falling back. A moment later, someone crashed where she had been sitting seconds ago. Lucy struggled to comprehend what had happened.

"You okay?" Natsu asked her. She pushed herself up, realized she was laying on top of him and quickly scrambled back.

"What happened?" He accepted her hand to get back up, though he didn't really need it. Natsu glared at the man who struggled to stand from where he crashed, but still helped him.

"You might want to be more careful," he told him, though his voice was kind enough. Lucy recognized Nab. He had had a few classes with her the last year.

"Sorry," Nab said sheepishly.

"No biggie. No one got hurt."

"I'm just gonna sit outside for a bit," he mumbled and scuttled away. As Natsu turned back to check on Lucy, people were crowding around him.

"Dude, that was awesome!"

"Nice save!"

"Your reflexes are out of this world, man!"

"That's the second time you've saved her!"

Natsu quickly got irritated with all of it. "It's not a big deal!" he argued. "I saw him trip!" But soon he just butted through the crowd and stormed outside. Lucy tried to follow him, not wanting the crowd to turn back on her. Lucky for her, Cana was already by her side, helping her outside.

"That was wild!" Bacchus exclaimed when they stepped into the fresh air.

"I wouldn't, if I were you," Cana informed him.

"Natsu?" Lucy called him. Natsu was sitting in the grass a few steps ahead, his back to them. He raised his head, the moon highlighting his profile and shining in his hair.

"I don't wanna go back in yet," he mumbled.

"Neither do I," Lucy admitted. "Let's go home."

"We should let Ca…" he turned around, noticing Cana and Bacchus near her.

"All good. Just text me when you're there, kay? I'll let the others know you left."

"Sure," he agreed, standing up. He wasn't quite ready for Cana's bear hug.

"Thanks for looking out for her," she whispered to him before pulling away. Natsu nodded ever so slightly, the promise that he would always look over Lucy clear in his eyes. He called Zeref and waited outside. Juvia, Gray, Levy and Gajeel all came out to bid them a good night and withdrew to the party. Lucy snuggled in Natsu's hoodie when he gave it to her, and they waited for Zeref.

So I realize most American prom are held in the gym or something, but where I went to Highschool, we actually went to a hotel for prom, which was pretty cool. But prom itself wasn't that exciting. It was fun, but I mostly remember the after prom. We went out on a big field and a bunch of other schools were there so there was a lot of people.

We happened to pitch our tent near the toilets, and some dudes would try to pee on our tent through the fence, so we took our friend's camera and took pictures with the flash to spook them away. Poor girl must have been confused when she found those (couldn't see anything cause cameras sucked in 2011 and the pictures were taken through a screen, but it worked, so I'm not complaining haha.

Also, I'm canadian, so legal drinking age is 18 or 19 across the country, if anyone wondered. Hope you were satisfied with this chapter. And I hope you're ready for the incoming drama *wink wink*

Valerioux: Lucy sure has a lot to sort through still. I can't imagine it would be easy to recover from what she's been through.

Lovemutbabe: Hope that was a satisfactory prom!

SailingNotSelling: I know, clueless characters are so much better than super pervy ones! (But both in the same story would be awesome lol)

CodenameMise: Is it bad that I didn't even know I was writing sexual tension? hahaha