This is going to be a two-shot. It came to over 15k words total, so I had to split it up.

Summary: Lucy Heartfilia is excited about the Halloween party tonight thrown at everyone's favorite restaurant, Fairy Tail. That is, until something strange happens, causing her and her friends to fight for their lives for fear of being hunted down and attacked. Somewhat based on a part of the movie, "Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge". Modern AU. I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does. Two-shot!

Pairing: Natsu/Lucy

Rated: T for cussing, slightly suggestive themes and violence.

Genre: Humor, Suspense

Word Count: 8,014

Nightmare Before Halloween Part 1 of 2

"I'll be ready by the time you get here," Lucy said, her phone pressed against her ear as she applied her eyeliner. She wanted to look her best, so she used a steady hand even though her heart beat faster the longer she talked to him.

"I hope so," the voice of her best friend came from the other end of the line. "We're on our way now, and you know how fast Erza drives."

"Yeah, yeah," the blonde teen laughed, almost messing up her makeup. "I promise I'll be good."

"Okay, see you soon, Luce."

She smiled, loving the silly nickname he gave her. "You too, Natsu."

Lucy hung up her phone, relieved that now she could apply her makeup without trying to hold a conversation, but worried because she really did know how fast Erza drove. She almost wished the vehicle would suck up some of her energy in the process, since it might slow her down.

When she was satisfied with her face, she stood up and walked over to her full-length mirror. She gave herself a little twirl, smiling that all the hard work she did paid off. Lucy decided this year for Halloween she was going to go as her favorite zodiac sign, Aquarius.

She spent countless hours sewing her costume together, getting stabbed multiple times by her needles as she worked with her raw material to create -in her opinion- a masterpiece. Most of her golden hair was down, while some of it was pulled into two high pigtails. Green bows tied off her hair, matching the rest of her costume. She had sleeves that started halfway down her upper arm, coming down to her wrists. They were the same green as her bows, with yellow ruffles underneath.

A halter top swimsuit adorned her torso. She used a thick material to make the top, so it was warm despite the cold air that came with this time of the year. She drew Aquarius's symbol right under her collarbone, making sure to get it nice and dark so everyone could see it. She used a special body paint that wasn't supposed to smudge, so she hoped it would last for the night.

Lucy's skirt was uneven, part of it coming up high on her upper thigh while the other part came down to her mid-thigh. The skirt was green, with yellow ruffles sewn on the waistband and on the hem. A matching yellow ribbon was tied around her thigh on the part where her skirt came up higher.

Her outfit was complete with a pair of brown strapped sandals. With her lack of pockets, she'd have to rely on Natsu to carry her phone and wallet, but he doubted he'd mind. He was always willing to help.

A light pink blush dusted her cheeks when she thought about her best friend. They met two years ago at a Halloween party. Coincidentally it was also thrown at Fairy Tail, just like the one they were attending tonight would be.

Lucy had decided a few weeks ago that tonight she was going to confess to Natsu Dragneel. She was going to tell him how she felt about him. She was just unsure how much she should say. The truth was the girl was hopelessly in love with the boy, and had been for the better part of the last year. However, she didn't want to come on too strong. He'd never given her any reasons to suspect that maybe he liked her back, so professing her love for him was risky.

The blonde teen knew the best course of action would be to tell him that she liked him first. It wouldn't be a lie. Despite loving him, she still liked him a lot. He was a great friend, funny, kind, and so full of happiness. Plus he was hot as fuck! She enjoyed spending time with Natsu, and tonight would be no different.

Lucy glanced at her reflection once more before nodding her head. "I can do this," she said, feeling the strength behind her words. She was going to tell him how she felt... She just didn't know when the best time would be.

'Should I tell him before we go to the party? Or maybe after we arrive?' She had no idea, but there was one thing she hoped for. 'I hope when the right time comes, I'll know it.'

Lucy grabbed her phone before walking over to her bed, taking a seat on the edge. She looked over to her nightstand, smiling as she gazed at a picture of her mother. It had been over nine years since the world took Layla away from her husband and daughter, but they both still missed her dearly.

"I wish you were here, mom," the teenager said, laying down on her bed with her eyes still locked on the elegant picture frame. "I think you'd like my costume. The picture on the internet I saw reminded me of you. That's why I tried to make it look just like that."

She was met with silence, but after all these years, she was used to it. "I love you," Lucy rolled, laying on her back to stare at her ceiling. Her smile remained on her face, seeing the ceiling covered in glow-in-the-dark stars. Natsu had helped her put them up after she complained that she couldn't see the stars at night due to the city lights. He even arranged some of them in the forms of constellations.

'He's so caring,' she thought, eyes fluttering closed as her heart warmed. 'I need to tell him tonight. I just hope he feels the same way about me.'

She felt like she had a decent shot with him. Natsu was very attractive. His dark green eyes paired with his exotic pink hair made him stand out amongst the crowd. It also helped that his sharp teeth sent chills through girl's spines when he gave his signature toothy grin. He wasn't exactly Mr. Popular, but he did attract attention from the ladies from time to time.

Over the years Lucy had seen girls ask him out, but every time he said no. He'd be easy about it, but firm. He always said there was someone else he liked. For the longest time Lucy had been jealous over the mystery girl, but after a while, she started to feel better about it. He was still single after all, never having a girlfriend in his life.

The same could be said about her. She'd gone her whole life without a boyfriend. She'd been asked out plenty of times by guys, but she was also holding out for someone special. She just hoped that she wasn't reading into anything with how Natsu acted around her. He always wanted to hang out with her, but that wasn't enough to make her believe he liked her as more than a friend.

Sure he held her hand sometimes, and maybe he hugged her a little more than he did with his other friends, but that could always be chalked up to them being best friends. Natsu felt comfortable with her, just like she felt safe with him. He hadn't given any clear-cut signs that he was crushing on her in return.

Tonight that would change though.

Either he would tell her he felt the same way, or he would tell her he didn't like her like that. One way or another, their friendship was changing tonight. She just hoped it was for the better. The risk of losing her best friend due to rejection was the main reason she'd waited so long to confess to him. She felt like tonight being the anniversary of when they met would help her feel confident enough to tell him the truth.

Lucy's eyes shot open when she heard the sound of something pounding on her door. She looked at her phone, seeing that fifteen minutes had passed since she got off the phone with him. 'How long was I daydreaming about Natsu... again?' She straightened up, glancing over just in time to see the door swing open, revealing a pink haired boy.

Natsu marched in, stopping right in front of her bed. "Why didn't you answer your phone?" He asked, hands on his hips. Well, they really couldn't be considered hands. They looked like claws!

"What are you dressed as?" Lucy asked, eyes flitting from his hands to his face. She jolted back, terrified for a second from what she saw. "What happened to your eyes!"

"Do you like it?" He asked, demeanor completely switching into one of happiness. "Colored contacts. I think the red goes great with my costume!"

"Costume?" Lucy cocked her head, finally taking in what he wore. His pink hair looked wild, untamed and messy. A pair of black horns came out from either side of his head. She stood up, hands coming out to touch them.

Natsu allowed her to mess with his costume, proud of himself for pulling it all together by himself. The horns were glued to a pink headband, virtually invisible when mixed in with his unruly locks of pink hair. His green eyes were hidden behind red contacts, giving him an evil appearance.

His teeth were naturally sharp, so there was no reason to wear fake fangs. He smiled when Lucy's eyes raked over his body, seeing his open black vest that revealed his toned body. He wore white shorts with black sandals, but that wasn't what Lucy was looking at.

"Is that paint?" She asked, picking up one of his hands to inspect it.

"Yeah, body paint," he nodded, remembering how long it took to paint his forearms and hands. He wore black gloves with claws at the end of the fingertips. They looked sharp, but it was just an illusion. They were dull to the touch, completely safe if he were to accidentally touch someone. "Cool, huh?"

"Really cool," she said in awe, looking back up to his face. "So this is why you wouldn't let me see what you were making."

"Well, I know you peaked at my rough draft, so I changed a few things," he turned around for her to see. "Like this!"

She gasped, wondering how she didn't notice them before. Coming out of his vest were two black wings. The inside webbing was made of a red material that felt soft when Lucy reached for it. They were tattered at the ends, looking like he had just been in a gruesome fight.

Resting right above his -in Lucy's opinion- nicely shaped butt was a red tail that came down to his ankles. Black paint raced up the tail, looking like it was caught on fire. Her eyes lingered on his body for a few extra seconds, pretending that she was looking at his costume. "It looks really good," she admitted, only half talking about his costume.

"Thanks," he grinned, turning around to face her. Her eyes snapped up to meet his face. "What are you dressed as?" Natsu finally looked down at her outfit, loudly gulping when he took it all in.

"Oh... wow..." He said, eyes flitting from her collarbone down to her toes, then back up again.

"What?" Lucy asked, feeling self-conscious under his gaze. She started to think maybe she should have gone with something else, but then Natsu spoke again.

"You're beautiful."

Heat raced to her cheeks, filling the fair skin with a deep red blush. Her eyes averted to the side, not daring to look the pink haired boy in the eyes. "Th-thanks," she mumbled, her heart hammering in her chest. At the rate it was going, she was surprised it didn't show through her skin.

"Let's go," Natsu said, grabbing her wrist to pull her to her door.

"Wait, I need my wallet," Lucy tried to pull away, but he held on tight.

"For what?" He asked, dragging her out of her room and towards the halls. The house was empty, her father in another business meeting while the maids had already gone home for the day.

"I need to buy my ticket," the blonde teen explained, wondering why he wasn't letting up. Truthfully she felt excited having his hand on her, even if it was just to get her moving.

"Nah," Natsu shook her head, aiming for the front door. "I'll pay for ya."

Lucy didn't think her blush could get any worse, but here it was, burning hot against her skin. "You don't have to do that..."

"I know I don't have to... I wanna."

"Okay," Lucy gave in, secretly thrilled that he was willing to spend his hard-earned money on her. He had a part-time job at a retail store, so she knew the money he made was important to him. Knowing he wanted to pay for her meant a lot more than just her saving a few bucks.

She smiled, moving her legs a little faster so he wasn't pulling her along anymore. "Thanks."

He looked back, flashing her a toothy grin. She was glad his eyes closed, that way he looked like the Natsu she fell in love with. "No problem, Luce."

The two teens climbed into the car. It was a tight fit. Gray and Juvia sat in the backseat with Natsu and Lucy. Jellal sat in the passenger seat with Erza driving. The girls had to sit on the guys laps to make enough room.

Lucy would've felt a lot more awkward if this was the first time she had to sit in Natsu's lap due to lack of space, but it wasn't. She felt comfortable, even with her pulse racing and her blood burning hot in her veins. She knew Natsu wasn't thinking anything perverted with her sitting on him, so she felt safe.

Juvia on the other hand had different ideas. Lucy caught the girl wiggling on Gray's lap, causing her to turn her head to avoid seeing the way Gray's face went red. The blonde looked out the window, seeing kids walking around dressed in costumes. It was technically the night before Halloween, but the town had announced that they were celebrating a day early since Halloween fell on a school day this year. It was Sunday, but no one seemed to care as the car sped on towards Fairy Tail.

Natsu groaned, feeling his stomach do flips despite how much he tried to remain still. He laid his head against the window, feeling the cool surface on his heated flesh. He felt sick, but that was usual for the boy who suffered from motion sickness. He was glad Erza drove fast. It meant the ride wouldn't last as long.

The pink haired teen cheered when the vehicle stopped, parked at one of the spots outside of Fairy Tail. The place looked busier than usual, but that was because of the party. People would purchase tickets to enter. Drinks and finger food was provided by the staff, along with music and a place to dance. Most of the tables and chairs were moved to the side or completely taken away to give room to the many guests who came to the party. It was like that every year.

The line was a little long, but they passed the time talking. Gajeel and Levy were already waiting for them when they arrived, adding more to their group. It seemed fun on paper, but in reality it was awful getting all the boys together.

"What the hell are you supposed to be?" Gajeel asked, glaring at Gray.

"I'm an ice demon slayer," the raven haired male said as if it were obvious. Half of his body was painted black. Even his face was half-covered. His right arm had a weird design on it, the only part not painted. Lucy didn't exactly understand his costume, but she had to give him props for originality.

"It's dumb, isn't it," Natsu laughed, crossing his arms over his chest.

Lucy had to look away when she saw the way his tan skin pulled over his muscles from the action. She really wished he wasn't exposing his torso like that. It was very distracting.

"It's not dumb!" Gray defended, flailing his arms at Natsu. "What exactly are you supposed to be?"

"What?" Natsu lost his smile. "You're messing with me, right? I'm obviously a demon! Look! I got the horns and everything."

Lucy didn't want to admit that she'd been wondering what he was supposed to be dressed as too. She slightly nodded her head, now understanding what he was going for. He made a pretty good demon in her opinion.

"You guys are both lame," Gajeel laughed, placing his hands on his hips.

The blonde teen looked at his costume, confused over what he was going for. He had silver paint over his body with his black hair spiked back. On his arms he had what looked like scales carved into the paint, but that didn't make sense. It looked almost like-

"What are you supposed to be?" Erza asked, joining the conversation.

Gajeel responded with a smirk. "A metal dragon slayer."

"You're such a freakin' copycat!" Natsu growled, fake red eyes narrowing at Gajeel's real ones.

"How so?"

Natsu shook his head. "I went as a 'fire dragon slayer' last year! You totally ripped off my idea!"

"I didn't even see you last year. How was I supposed to know you went as one?" The 'metal dragon slayer' held firm that he didn't copy Natsu.

"I posted pictures online! You had to have seen them!"

"I don't go on your profile."

"We're friends!"

"No," Gajeel denied. "We're on each other's 'friend's lists'. There's a difference. We're not actually friends."

"Why you!" Natsu launched himself from his spot, ready to attack Gajeel right outside of Fairy Tail. The only thing that stopped him was Lucy's arms wrapped around him, trying to hold him back. He was much stronger than her, but she held on with all her strength, even when his wings got in her face. "Let me go! I gotta kick his ass!"

The boy in silver paint laughed. "Gihi, you really can't take a joke, Salamander."

Natsu's eyes widened at that nickname. "You bastard! Now I know you saw my costume! I wrote in the captions that people should call me 'The Salamander' from now on!"

Gajeel only laughed harder. "So what if I copied ya. My costume looks so much better than yours did."

The pink haired 'demon' finally stopped resisting, settling into Lucy's embrace. "Whatever. You're only saying that 'cause you couldn't think of something original."

Gajeel opened his mouth, but Erza stepped between them, a sword held up in a defensive stance. It was no surprise what Erza was for Halloween this year. She had already told everyone about her costume, going as a Samurai. Her sword was fake, but it would still hurt if she hit them with it. Her outfit consisted of tattered bandages wrapped around her strapless bra and red flowy pants.

The two boys calmed down, grumbling to themselves about how stupid the other one was. When Lucy was sure Natsu really wasn't going to go in for another attack, she let him go. She instantly missed his warm body, realizing that even with the thick material of her costume, she was still cold.

The group changed the subject, everyone taking turns to say what they were dressed as. Levy said she was a sexy librarian. Her blue hair was pulled back into a messy bun, her glasses hanging low on her nose. She wore what looked like a businesswoman's outfit, but the skirt was shorter than what would be considered appropriate in the workplace. To finish off her outfit she carried two books, which Lucy was sure the girl would try to sneak off to read a few pages of later. The girl loved to read after all.

Lucy described her costume, getting a few nods and compliments from her friends. Everyone already knew what Natsu, Gray, Gajeel, and Erza were dressed as, so they didn't say anything when it came to their turn.

Juvia stepped up, wearing a dark blue dress with long sleeves. An odd hat adorned her head, beautiful blue locks of wavy hair coming from the hat to cascade down to her shoulders. "Juvia is an ameonna." After a lot of strange looks, the girl went on to explain that she was basically a rain woman, cursed to have the rain follow her for the rest of her life. To go along with her costume, she had a bubble umbrella. The rim of the umbrella had clear fishing line attached to it in multiple places with blue stones tied at the ends, looking like rain was dripping from it.

Jellal was next, but no one quite understood his costume. He said he was a 'Mystogan', but that didn't really explain why he was dressed so weird. His arms and legs were bandaged up, while most of his body was covered in a dark cloak. He wore a green bandanna around his face, paired with a hat making it hard to see his eyes. After seeing that he wasn't going to explain any further, they dropped the subject and accepted that he was a 'Mystogan'.

They thought they were done with announcing what costumes they were wearing, until a familiar voice entered the area. "Hey guys. Anyone wanna guess what I'm dressed as?"

They all turned to see none other than their school's most popular flirt, Loke. His orange hair was more messy than usual, with orange cat ears mixed in with his locks. It was Levy who spoke, causing everyone but Loke to laugh. "Are you a kitty?"

"What!?" Loke flinched back, stunned by her answer. "I'm clearly a lion!"

"Huh..." Lucy started, glancing more at the ears. "I dunno, looks more like a cat to me."

The flirt grumbled under his breath until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked over to see his date for the night, Aries. "Hey babe."

The pink haired girl blushed, shrinking down under his gaze. Everyone knew Aries was shy, so it surprised them all when she said yes to going on a date with him, considering he had such a loud personality.

"Oh! I bet I know what you're dressed as!" Natsu shouted, startling the poor girl more. "You're a sheep!"

His guess wasn't too far off. "She's actually a ram," Loke corrected, looking down at the girl. Her white dress was made of wool, keeping her nice and warm in the cold weather. She had stockings on, with white furry boots. A wool choker adorned her slender neck, while two ram's horns sprouted out from either side of her head.

"Close enough," Natsu said, feeling like he was right anyway. "Cool costume."

"Th-thank you... I'm sorry," the girl said, leaning closer to Loke.

"Well, we better get in line. Hope to see you guys in there," Loke said before leading Aries to the back of the line. Lucy was just glad he didn't try to cut in front of them. There was a sign posted, warning that such activities would get someone banned if they were caught. She didn't want to take that chance.

The group started chatting again, passing the time until they got closer to the front. Lucy realized after a while that she forgot her phone in her room. She didn't really need it for anything, but it was still good to have. She asked Natsu if he would text her dad and let him know how to contact her, just in case there was an emergency.

He did as asked, sending a message to 'Lucy's Old Man', letting him know she forgot her phone. She also asked him to make sure he got a picture of her costume since she didn't get one earlier. He said he would, but only if she promised to take a picture with him in return.

She couldn't possibly turn down that offer.

It was past eleven at night when their group finally made it to the front of the line. The party was supposed to last until three in the morning, so they had plenty of time to hang out. Natsu paid for him and Lucy, then took her hand to lead her inside. The loud music instantly hit them, causing Lucy to jolt. Natsu kept his hand on hers, guiding her through the crowd of people. They stopped a few times, saying hi to the people they knew.

One of their friends, Beth, was dressed as a giant carrot. One of the cutest couples from their school, Bisca and Alzach, were dressed in matching cowboy and cowgirl costumes. The Strauss siblings were there, sticking close to each other. Mira was dressed as a she-devil, her red outfit was strangely appealing yet scary. Lisanna wore a cat costume, giving off a friendlier vibe. Elfman, their brother, was dressed as a beast, his whole body painted to give off the appearance of a monster.

As Natsu went to get them something to drink, Lucy had the unfortunate 'pleasure' of running into Dan Straight. The playboy grinned at her, eyes tracing the curves of her body. "Well, you're looking good Lulu!"

Lucy shook her head, staring at what she assumed as supposed to be a vampire. He wore normal clothes, so the only way she guessed he was in costume was from the fake fangs in his mouth. "Hello Dan. I told you not to call me that."

"Aww," he cooed, bringing his hands together to rest them against his cheek. "But I can't help it. You look so cute tonight! What are you dressed as?"

"I'm the zodiac sign, Aquarius."

"Hmmm," Dan cocked his head, looking over her body once more. Lucy felt chills from his gaze, hoping Natsu would be back soon with their drinks. She felt a lot better when he was around. Everything was always more fun when they were together.

"I should get going," Lucy said, taking a step back, only to bump into a body. The body bumped back, sending her into the arms of Dan.

"Oh, this is sudden," the brown haired 'vampire' grinned, taking advantage of Lucy's clumsiness by wrapping his arms around her.

"Hey," she wiggled, feeling a discomfort that made her blood run cold. "Let go of me!"

"But Lulu, I just wanted to-AAHH!" Dan let her go, hands holding his stomach where she elbowed him. "Why'd you do that!"

"Because," she huffed, straightening out her skirt. "I told you to let me go and you didn't listen. You should never touch someone without their permission."

"Damn..." A male's voice came from behind her.

Lucy turned to see Natsu standing there, two cups of soda in his hand. "Natsu!" She didn't think twice, grabbing his arm and pulling him closer to her. "I'm glad you're here."

"Me too... But it looks like you didn't need my help..." The pink haired 'demon' looked at Dan, seeing tears forming in his eyes. He guessed she hit him pretty hard to cause him to cry. "Remind me never to touch you without permission. I don't wanna get a 'Lucy Elbow'. I thought your kicks were bad enough."

Lucy mumbled, thinking he couldn't hear him over the loud music. "I don't mind if it's you touching me..."

Natsu's face burned from the fierce blush coating his cheeks. He was thankful for the low lights, not allowing her to see his embarrassment. Before Dan or Lucy could say anything else, he pointed with his chin over to their group of friends by the dance floor. "Let's go over there."

Lucy nodded, keeping her hands on his arm as he led her away from the brown haired 'vampire'. They joined their friends, overhearing the end of a conversation about whose costume was better. Erza pouted, saying a costume contest would have been a great addition to the party.

"Maybe next year," Mira said, joining their group. Her she-devil outfit was still intimidating, even if Lucy already saw it once. Lisanna and Elfman joined in, along with Loke and Aries.

"Who wants to dance?" Loke asked, eyes flitting over to the pink haired girl beside him.

"Dancing is manly!" Elfman chimed in, beating his fists against his bare chest.

"You wanna dance Lucy?" Natsu asked with a childish grin. He wasn't the best dancer, but he sure enjoyed swaying to the music.

"Sure," the blonde didn't think much of it. They'd danced at parties before. The first time it happened she thought maybe he was hinting that something more was going on between them, but that quickly faded when he danced with Erza and Levy right afterwards. Sure he danced with Lucy more often than other people, but it was still enough to negate any ideas that he saw her as more than a friend.

The two went out to the dance floor with everyone else behind them. Natsu awkwardly put his hands on Lucy's waist when he saw all the other guys do the same with their partners. To Lucy's surprise, Natsu actually danced with the song. Her feet thanked him, since usually by now they'd be stepped on at least a few times.

The music choice for the night consisted heavily of Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie songs. Lucy didn't mind, loving how it made the party that much more Halloween-like.

"Thriller" came on, and immediately everyone cheered. The people who knew the dance stayed on the floor while people who didn't walked off to the side to make room. Lucy stayed, loving the dance that went along with the song. She was a little shocked when Natsu stayed next to her, but that vanished when she saw him keeping up with her.

His fake wings and tail almost got in her way a few times, but she made it work. If it weren't for his red eyes, he'd make an adorable demon.

When the first chorus came up, everyone gasped when a 'zombie' jumped into the center of the dance floor. The boy's face was painted slightly green with black around his eyes to give off a shrunken look. As if he had planned that it would happen, he wore a red leather jumpsuit that was torn to shreds, looking just like the zombie from the music video.

Once he started dancing, everyone followed his lead. Lucy kept looking over at Natsu, seeing the wide smile on his face. She loved that smile. She caught sight of her other friends also dancing, though they were further away from them. The song went on for a bit longer until it eventually faded.

The next song to pop up was "This is Halloween" by Marilyn Manson. There wasn't exactly a dance to go along with it, so everyone moved their bodies as best they could to match the music. Natsu went with a silly dance that involved a lot of stomping his feet and flailing his arms. It should have been off-putting, but it was surprisingly catchy. Soon everyone was following his lead, stomping their feet and clawing the air to the rhythm.

Lucy found herself laughing, enjoying the party far more than she thought she would. When the song ended, Lucy couldn't help but hug Natsu. She was glad she got their first, because a crowd of people came up to him to compliment him on his dancing abilities.

The pink haired 'demon' kept an arm wrapped around Lucy's shoulders as he went on and on about how he 'planned' the dance. It was obvious he was lying through his teeth, but Lucy didn't want to burst his bubble. She thought he was cute when he was that happy, so she let him gloat.

"Deep Six" came on and Lucy about lost it. She squealed, then grabbed both of Natsu's hands. He was a little stunned until she started dancing with him. He quickly found a good rhythm of them both pushing and pulling each other's arms to go along with the beat. Lucy laughed, loving the way Natsu looked at her. She knew she was surprising him since she never expressed any interest in this type of music, but she could see him realizing it as they moved with each other.

She leaned in, yelling over the music in his ear, "I'm having a great time!"

Natsu grinned, then yelled in her ear, "I'm glad! I'm having fun too!"

Lucy pulled away, her cheeks warming. If it weren't for the low lights then she was sure he'd see her blush. Part of her wanted him to see just how much he effected her. He would know later tonight just how she felt. For a second she considered telling him now, but it wasn't exactly the right moment. It didn't feel like the right time, so she stayed quiet on the matter.

The 'water-bearer' couldn't believe how happy she was when the next song sounded. It was Korn's version of 'Kidnap the sandy claws'. The song also didn't have a set dance, so Lucy grabbed Natsu around the waist and jumped with him. He didn't mind, loving the song as well. Her cheek brushed against his during one of the jumps, but she was too excited to get embarrassed over it. Everyone else seemed to have the same mood, cheering and singing along with the song.

"This is awesome!" Lucy shouted, her voice drowned out by the music. She saw Natsu yell something too, but she might as well have been deaf to his voice. They pulled away when the song started to fade out, not prepared for what happened next.

"Living dead girl" came on, and Lucy found herself separated from Natsu. A wave of people flooded the area, causing the blonde to lose sight of her best friend. She continued to dance, knowing it would be harder to fight the crowd. She didn't know this song would be so popular, but she guessed it made sense since it went along with the Halloween theme.

A girl with long black hair white white and green face paint on came up to her, dancing with Lucy to keep her company since she was alone. Lucy leaned in to ask her what she was dressed as, to which the girl replied that she was 'The Grudge'. The blonde felt a chill run down her spine since she was terrified of that movie, even though it'd been years since she last saw it.

She was still afraid to sleep with her closet doors open.

The girl eventually danced away, getting replaced by a pair of zombies with a single werewolf. Lucy had to hand it to the girl dressed up, the fur on her face looked authentic, matching a dark brown pair of wolf ears attached to her head. The zombies appeared to be a couple, both holding hands and giving each other longing gazes. Of course since they were zombies it looked more like they were stuck in a trance, waiting until they heard the sound of a person nearby so they could attack.

When that song ended, "Dragula" came on. As if fate had a grudge against her, Dan the 'Vampire' came up to her. He seemed to have forgotten about the elbowing she delivered to him, smiling as he danced up to the blonde. Lucy let it slide, knowing that deep down he wasn't that horrible of a guy. He was just a big flirt, similar to Loke. Only difference between the two was Loke usually ended up with the girls while Dan ended up with rejections.

Lucy head banged to the beat, finding it oddly liberating to cut loose. She noticed other people jumping along with the song, so she tried it too. As fun as it was, she had to stop. Her top wasn't the best clothing to wear for that activity, so she stuck with head banging and spinning in circles while making small jumps. When jumping with Natsu she didn't feel self-conscious like she did now.

Lucy really liked how fast-beat the song was, but she didn't like one line. 'Who the hell would feast on a cat?'

When the song ended, she saw Dan going in for a hug. She quickly ducked away from his arms to waddle through the crowd. The next song started playing, but she barely paid attention. She just wanted to get away from him. One 'hug' from him was bad enough.

She bumped into someone, then said an apology before letting out an 'eep'. Despite what was on the news lately, someone had decided to dress as a clown. She was sure as fuck not taking any candy from him!

The blonde finally stood up straight, recognizing the song as "Killing Strangers". It was a lot slower, causing everyone to follow suit and move languidly around. Lucy didn't think it really fit the Halloween theme, but it was dark and creepy enough to make the cut.

With everyone slowing down, it was easy to find her best friend. It looked like he was searching for her too because his lips pulled into a huge smile when he found her across the dance floor. He pointed towards the food tables. She nodded, understanding that he wanted to meet her there.

Lucy arrived to the table first. She guessed Natsu's costume limited his agility. She glanced up at a clock hanging on the wall, seeing they had about ten minutes until midnight. In other words, it was almost officially Halloween!

"This is just chaos!"

Lucy's attention went to the boy standing beside her. He was dressed in a black suit with a gray skull where his tie should be. She looked up, seeing his short black hair with three horizontal white lines on one side of his hair. Without thinking, Lucy blurted out, "what are you supposed to be?"

"What?" The boy flinched, then looked over to Lucy. His eyes went straight to her breasts, making her feel self-conscious. Before she could call him a pervert or slap him, he opened his mouth. "You're zigzagged lines aren't symmetrical."

"Wh-what?" She blinked, thrown off by how his voice sounded strangely familiar. She ignored it, looking down at her top. "They look fine to me."

He tsked, then looked back at the food. "Trust me, they're all wrong, just like this food!"

She was stunned again, thinking she heard his voice somewhere before. "I don't see anything wrong... What is it?" Lucy's brown eyes flitted to the different trays of food.

They were all Halloween themed. There was a plate of 'Eyeball Tacos', a plate of 'Mummy Dogs', and even a bowl of roasted pumpkin seeds. She thought it looked pretty delicious. Well, except for the 'Halloween Brain Dip', but that was only because she didn't like cauliflower.

"Of course you wouldn't see anything wrong," the black haired male shook his head. "These 'Vampire Bite Cupcakes' have the bite marks all wrong. This one is crooked, and this one is too spaced out. This one is too close! It's madness!"

Lucy stared at the guy, unsure what was going on. 'Is he just joking around?' She tried again, wondering if he even heard her the first time. "What are you supposed to be dressed as?"

He looked at her like she just told a bad joke. "What? I'm Death the Kid."

Lucy raised a brow. "Like a kid version of the grim reaper?"

"No no no," the boy shook his head, "I'm- you know what, just forget it. I'm leaving. Patty! Liz! Where the hell did you two run off to!"

Lucy almost laughed as the boy walked away with his arms flailing. He sounded almost like-

"Guess who!"

Lucy's eyes were instantly covered by warm hands. She could recognize them anywhere. "Natsu!"

"Aww," he uncovered her eyes, pouting that he always lost that game.

"You'll never believe it," Lucy pointed at the boy she had just talked to. "That guy kinda sounds like you."

"He does?" Natsu looked at where she pointed, seeing the black haired boy arguing with two blonde girls. "Huh... weird." He grabbed one of the 'Vampire Bite Cupcakes', unwrapping it to pop it into his mouth whole. He barely chewed before swallowing. "Man that tastes great!"

"You didn't think they looked wrong?" Lucy inspected the cupcakes again, seeing what that 'death kid' meant. Some of the bite marks weren't correct.

"Nope! Besides, doesn't matter what they look like," Natsu grinned, a bit of white frosting on his bottom lip. "The taste is all that matters!"

Lucy heard what he said, but she barely registered it. Her focus was now on the frosting, feeling a strong impulse to lick the treat straight from his lip. 'Calm your hormones down!' She mentally scolded herself, feeling her face heat up by at least ten degrees.

Lucky for her, Natsu took care of it, his tongue flickering out to swipe up the stray dessert. She felt a little remorse for not seizing the moment, but she knew that would be coming on too strong. She didn't want to scare away her best friend.

She just wanted to tell him how she felt.

'Why not now?' Lucy thought to herself, opening her mouth before she could stop. "Hey, Natsu..."

"Do you want a kiss?" Natsu asked after finishing up his dessert.

Lucy's face felt like it caught on fire. "Wh-what!" Her heart pounded, her palms growing sweaty in an instant. She couldn't believe he was being so forward!

"A kiss?" The 'demon' said again, looking down at his hand.

Her brown eyes followed, a sense of embarrassment washing over her when she saw a 'kiss' candy in his palm. She was about to pick it up and just accept her misunderstanding until he said, "I got it from this really cool clown!"

Her hand jerked, swatting the candy away from both of them as it traveled under the food tables. Natsu started protesting, but Lucy shook her head. "You shouldn't take candy from clowns! Don't you watch the news!"

Natsu sulked, eyes flitting back and forth from Lucy to the candy as if he debated whether or not to go grab it. He decided to leave it be in the end, knowing Lucy would scold him about picking food up from the floor, even if it was in a wrapper.

"Fine..." He muttered, a slight blush coming to his cheeks.

Lucy's heart fluttered, seeing the adorable pout on his face. He looked so cute in that moment, giving her just enough confidence to start. When she saw him reach for more food on the table, she said, "Natsu..."

"Yeah?" The pink haired boy asked before shoving another cupcake in his mouth. This time she wasn't sure if he took the wrapping off first or not. She waited until he swallowed before she continued.

"I umm... I wanted to tell you something." She tapped her toes on her right foot against the ground, trying to find her confidence. For all she knew it flew out of the building once she opened her mouth.

"Alright," he grinned, about to grab another dessert.

"It's kinda serious," Lucy said, feeling her palms start to sweat. She was nervous. She'd never confessed to someone before. She'd had boys do it to her in the past, but that wasn't enough to prepare her for this moment.

"Okay," Natsu's hand dropped down to his side. She nearly gasped at the action. He was choosing listening to her over eating another sweet treat.

Her heartbeat skyrocketed when she realized she had all of his attention.

"Umm, it's about y-you... and m-me... and, well," Lucy stammered, not able to find the right words. 'Maybe now isn't the right time after all?'

Natsu gave her a warm smile, clawed hand coming up to gently grab her upper arm. "Hey, it's just me. There's no reason to be nervous."

She took a deep breath, knowing in her -erratically beating- heart he was right. If there was anyone who would be understanding, it was him. Even if he didn't feel the same way about her, she trusted that he wouldn't abandon their friendship due to awkwardness. He'd probably just call her a weirdo and move on.

Feeling the slightest bit better, she smiled. Lucy looked into his red eyes, wishing he wasn't wearing those colored contacts during this moment. "I just wanted to tell you that... I like-"

The music cut out, followed by a booming voice over a microphone. "ATTENTION EVERYBODY! Is everyone having a great Halloween?"

Everyone's eyes went to the bar counter, seeing the owner of Fairy Tail standing on top. He was a short man with white hair. Some wondered how he was able to run a restaurant while being so old, but he never let his age stop him. His name was Makarov Dryer, one of the friendliest -and most perverted- men in Magnolia.

Lucy glanced over at Natsu, seeing his attention was still on her. She blushed under his intense gaze, unsure if she should try again. "I'll tell you after he's done," she promised, hoping a little time would help steel her resolve.

The pink haired boy nodded, turning his focus to Makarov. He was dressed as a wizard, with a pointy purple hat and matching cloak. Lucy knew there was a pretty good chance the short man got his costume in a kid's size, but she remained silent with her observation.

"I said, is everyone having a great Halloween?!"

The crowd cheered, some fist bumping the air in celebration. Makarov merely chuckled, shaking his head. "I don't know how you could be. Halloween isn't until..." He lifted his hand, revealing a watch on his wrist. "TEN! NINE!"

Lucy caught on quick, realizing he was counting down until midnight. The corners of her lips hurt from the wide smile on her face. This was it, the moment she was waiting for! Halloween! The two year anniversary of when she met Natsu!

Everyone joined in, counting along.

"SIX!"

She glanced around, seeing everyone dressed up and excited for midnight.

"FIVE!"

Makarov raised his other hand, presenting a wooden staff for everyone to see. On the top was a crystal ball. The staff had an intricate design carved into the wood, resembling what looked like a cross between a bird and a woman.

"FOUR!"

'A fairy?' Lucy wondered to herself. The restaurant was called Fairy Tail after all. 'Hmm... Do fairies even have tails?'

"THREE!"

Lucy's eyes widened when the crystal ball began to glow green. A few people gasped, but most cheered at the cool effect. Lucy took a step closer to Natsu when a sense of trepidation washed over her.

Something was wrong.

"TWO!"

A beam of light shot out from the staff, hitting the ceiling and lighting the place up. Most people closed their eyes, the light too bright for them. Lucy was among those shielding their vision. She felt like she might go blind from the intensity.

Only one voice was heard in the restaurant, and that was Makarov's. "ONE!"

Suddenly the light went out. Lucy blinked, then looked back at the bar. Makarov was gone, his purple costume and staff nowhere to be seen. She glanced around, seeing everyone faintly glowing green.

"What the?" She looked down, seeing she was also glowing, but it faded a few seconds later. "What's happening?"

"That was weird," Natsu said, finally opening his eyes.

Lucy jolted back. "WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR FACE!" She yelled, causing him to cup his ears.

"God damn! Don't scream so loud!" His ears rang from her voice. Normally it wouldn't have bothered him that much, but right now it felt like his ears might bleed.

"Your face!" She pointed, panicking as she stared at her best friend.

"What's wrong with it?"

Lucy couldn't form the words. She could only stare in horror as she looked at Natsu, wondering what the hell was going on.

What'd you think of part one? Did you guys like the Easter egg? :P I love Soul Eater. Death the Kid is my favorite character! And that was before I found out he has the same English voice actor as Natsu! :D

Anyway, hope you liked this part of the two-shot. Anyone excited for Halloween this year? I hope everyone has a fun and safe Halloween! Gets lots of candy and stay away from killer clowns! (Seriously, clowns scared me before any of this stuff started on the news.) *Shivers when I think of clowns*