An annoyed Lucy was a new sight for the gang. It was surprising to them. But it wasn't a surprise to see that Natsu would be the one to bring out that side.

"Come on Lucy, I said I'm sorry!" Natsu whined, but the grin on his face was enough for anyone to know how sincere he is.

"No."

They watched as the couple walked towards them from the parking lot, Natsu trying to make eyes with the fuming blonde. But she determinedly looking away from him.

"Couple's first fight?" Jellal questioned as the sakura-haired boy jumped on the blonde's back to annoy her into looking at him.

"Looks like it." Gajeel answered before calling out to the duo. "What did Salamander do this time?"

The two of them walked closer to the gang, Lucy still adamantly looking away. "He made me sleep with him yesterday."

Jellal did a spit take, accidentally choking on the water he was drinking while Gray and Gajeel laughed out loud. The girls however were blushing, Erza especially who immediately put Natsu in a chokehold.

"Damn Flame brain, you work fast!" Gray laughed, even more, when Erza seems ready to skin Natsu alive.

"What did I say about taking advantage of her!"

"You were taking about skipping school! And it's not what you think!"

Lucy didn't know why they reacted like that until she realized how she had phrased her sentence. "N-no! That's n-not what I m-meant!"

She moved to remove Erza's hands from Natsu so that he could breathe again. She was mad at her boyfriend, but that doesn't mean she wanted him dead.

"Explain." Erza said looking at Natsu, who was trying to get him breathing right. Not wanting him to get in more trouble, Lucy steps up.

"Um, w-well, yesterday he brought m-me to his house because of... reasons. A-and he lied to me that t-there wasn't any other room available. S-so I had to s-sleep n-next to h-him."

Everyone seems to calm down at that, the boys even seem disappointed. But Erza was still glaring.

"He didn't do anything unsavory towards you?"

"No!" Both of them yelled out Natsu, more exasperated than Lucy. "You've been haunting my ass since yesterday! I'm not gonna do anything bad to Lucy!"

Suddenly Lucy remembered a vague memory of a phone call from yesterday.

"Do I really have to?... No, I'm not taking advantage of her!"

"... Natsu, yesterday... D-did someone call you yesterday?"

"Yesterday?" He rubbed his chin in a thinking position before he snapped his fingers. "Oh Yeah!"

He whirled around, pointing his finger at Erza accusingly. "You said I'm using Lucy to get out of school!"

"I said no such thing. I simply inquired if you will take advantage of her situation to avoid your responsibilities to your education."

"That's the same thing!"

As their bickering got louder, others started noticing them. But Lucy was still confused and scared. So to make her mind and heart at ease, she moved closer and tugged on his sleeve to get his attention.

"I-is that all y-you meant y-yesterday? Y-you didn't- I m-mean- y-you're n-it-" she gritted her teeth in frustration when she couldn't voice her thoughts properly.

"What's wrong, Lucy?" Natsu asked, suddenly concerned that his girlfriend seems so intense about a phone call.

Noticing all the attention she was getting from not only her friends but the other students too, Lucy moved closer to Natsu for comfort. She could see the way some of them were looking at them for some juicy gossip that they could use.

The gang also seem to realize the crowd was making her uncomfortable. "I think its time for class right Erza-san." Juvia said loudly for everyone to hear. Erza took the hint and soon the crowd was dispersing under the watchful eyes of the school president, though there were still some who linger, arguing that they'll leave when class starts.

'At least they're not close enough to hear us.'

"Hey. Want to tell me what's wrong?" Natsu said in a soft voice, as if afraid of spooking her. Hearing the affection in his voice, Lucy felt stupid for the thought she had.

"I-I thought that... that you're only dating me to get something out of me."

She closed her eyes, not wanting to see his reaction. She expected him to move away from her, to be angry or upset with her, but her breath caught when he pulled her closer to him.

"Did someone try to do that?"

"... Once. W-when I first started here, a boy asked me out. I wasn't s-sure what to answer him so h-he always followed me around." she hides her face in his chest in embarrassment. "Tu-turns out he just wanted to make his g-girlfriend jealous."*

His hands tighten around her and he nuzzled his face in her hair. "Well, you don't have to worry about something like that. You're the only real girlfriend I've had in a while." He moved back a little and lifted her chin to see her face more clearly. "And now that I know just how precious you are, I am never letting you go."

As his lips touched hers, she didn't care about their observers or the many comments around her. She just enjoyed the feeling of safe she felt in his arms.

Lucy grunted as she was tossed onto the ground. Her body hurt all over and all she wanted was to lie down.

"Again."

She groaned loudly and stood up, facing Erza again. Her expression has not changed since her first hit.

"Um, Erza-san? Maybe you should be more careful with her?" Juvia said tentatively, not wanting to face the redhead's wrath. But all of Erza's focus was on Lucy.

"Her attackers will not hold back and neither will I. Now, come."

Lucy moved into the stance that Erza taught her and attacked again. Just like last time, she tossed her to the ground easily.

"I'm kind of glad Natsu's not here to see this." Levy said to Juvia as Lucy got her ass beat again.

The boys had basketball practice for an upcoming tournament between Fairy Tail and Lamia Scale. So Erza decided Lucy will get self-defense classes from her while waiting for them.

Natsu was against it at first, not because she was learning defense, but because Erza will be the one who will teach her.

'And now I know why.' Lucy thought as she remembered her boyfriend's concern.

"You are getting better, Lucy." Erza said suddenly while she tried to catch her breath from the ground. She shot her a deadpan look.

"What, getting beat up? Hate to break it to you Erza, but I'm already good at it."

Erza just smiled and gave her a hand to get off the ground. "No, you're getting better at looking for weaknesses. The first time I asked you to fight me, you came in blank. Now your looking for my weak points."

'Yeah, because I want this to end soon.'

"Tomorrow, I will teach you some real moves."

'Joy.'

"Can we please go and see Gray-sama practice now? Juvia is dying!" Juvia whined, jumping up and down from her spot. The girls walked to the school grounds where the boys were practicing.

As they walked, many came to Lucy to apologize for bullying or ignoring her depending on the person. This was a new occurrence since the beat down. Apparently, after Natsu took her to his home, Erza and the boys had made a thorough check on all students and their behavior towards her. Many of them were scholarship students like her, so it made little sense that she was the only isolated one.

The gang found out that it all started because they were jealous. Lucy and Levy are Fairy Tail's best students, and since they couldn't do anything to Levy, they took it out on Lucy. They didn't think the rich kids would join in and it would get this big.

"We're really sorry, Ashley-san. We didn't think-"

"Yes. Clearly you didn't." Levy snapped, glaring at the girls who were trying to justify their actions.

Lucy didn't know what to do. On one hand, she wanted to forgive them and move on. But on the other, she had been hated, ignored, and bullied and the only excuse they could give was jealousy?

She took a huge breath in and out. "Um... I d-don't know if I c-can forgive e-everyone yet, but m-maybe? In the f-future? C-can you all ju-just give me some time?"

The girls smiled back hesitantly, but it quickly dimmed when the three behind Lucy still gave them the death glare. It seems even if Lucy forgives them her friends will not.

They finally reached the grounds to see the boys practicing.

"Pass the ball here!"

"Don't screw up Metal Freak!"

"Can it Ice dick!"

The boys seem to be engrossed in their game, not looking at the girls coming in. Other than their boys, there was Loki, Jet, and Droy in the field.

"Are you guys done yet?" Erza asked.

"One more game Erza, then we're done!" Natsu yelled back, taking the ball from Loki and running to the hoop.

"Lucy seems to still be in one piece." Jellal said coming to the benches for some water.

"Barely." Lucy grumbled, rubbing at a bruise on her arm. She watched as Natsu jumped and dunk the ball through the hoop. He was sweaty and panting after the game, but he looked absolutely radiant in her eyes, face bright and his smile splitting his face in two. Not to mention how fit his butt is in those shorts.

She was never interested in sports games but if this is the view she'll get then she's all for it.

"When are the cheerleaders going to have their practice Levy?" Erza asked snapping Lucy from her ogling. She blushed, but then let out a sigh when she realized no one noticed her staring and her attention went to Levy.

"We still have a week till everyone's free. Kind of ironic that the head cheerleader is the most free."

'That's right. Levy's the head cheerleader.'

"Juvia is always impressed by how Levy-san had performed at the tryouts. She was surprised when you did the jumps so easily."

"I just did it as a dig against Sherry. Who knew I would be cheer-captain!"

The practice finally ended and Natsu wasted no time hugging his girlfriend, sweaty and all.

"N-Natsu, stop it! You stick!" He just shook his drenched hair right next to her face and laughed at her frustrated protest. At least he did until she kicked him in the shins.

"Learned that from Erza?" He groaned, holding the wounded place.

"No. That ones all me." Lucy teased before helping him up.

"Man, if that's all her, then I'm scared to know what will happen when Erza's finished with her." A voice said, and they both turned to see Loke smirking at them. Natsu didn't seem to show any hostility towards him, but Lucy still felt his grip on her tighten.

"I'm assuming you'll be there at the game to cheer for your favorite player?" Loke said unassumingly but his smug grin easily revealed his pride for the pun.

Lucy wrapped her hands around Natsu, not minding the sweat and the smell, giving Loke an innocent smile. "S-sure. I'll definitely be there to cheer for my boyfriend."

Both Loki and Natsu seem stunned at her response. She didn't see what the deal was. She already made it clear that she wanted no one but Natsu, right?

Loke chuckles at her clueless look before smiling at Natsu as if saying 'I told you so'. In response, Natsu hugs her closer with both hands but he smiled back at Loke before he walks away.

"You mean it?" Lucy looked back up to see Natsu looking at her with hopeful eyes. "You'll really be there to cheer for me?"

She didn't enjoy going to these games. For one, she was always alone. Guess she didn't have to worry about that. But she also didn't like the loud noise, the compressed atmosphere, that she had no idea what was going on.

But...

"Yeah, I'll be the one cheering the loudest."

... if she gets to see that smile, then she doesn't mind.

*Fun fact: This actually happened to me when I was 15 and I'm still scared of relationships cause I'm always thinking that they want to use me in some way.

Updates are going to be slow because of my job but still hope the few who are reading this enjoy the story.

Till next time, bye!