Lucy sat down, crossing her legs in a comfortable position and started eating her lunch. Natsu was slightly jealous because she had bought the biscuits and gravy and now he too was craving it.

"So, there's something I've been dying to ask you since the first time I saw you," Lucy said.

Natsu slightly stiffened. Since the first time she'd seen him? Had he somehow stuck out to her too?

"Shoot"

"Your hair." She said, covering her mouth until she swallowed, "Did you dye it?"

Natsu mentally slapped himself. Of course she would notice his hair, that was all.

He shook his head in response, the spikey fluff bouncing back and forth.

"Can't explain it, but this is my natural hair. Never dyed it, never will." He said with pride.

"It is?!" She almost squealed. "I've never seen anything like it. I thought it was dumb asking if you'd dyed it."

"No such thing as a dumb question!" Natsu answered.

She smiled at him.

"What music were you listening to?"

"Ah—" Natsu said, sticking his index finger near her face and wagging it side to side. "My turn to ask a question."

She rolled her eyes but smiled anyways. "Go for it."

"How long have you been going here?"

She leaned back in her chair, "It's my freshman year. But my dad works for the state so I've been here before this was even finished being built."

"Works for the state, huh?" Natsu repeated, throwing a chip in his mouth.

"Okay, now answer my question. What music were you listening to?"

Natsu tapped his phone screen to check, even though he already knew the answer. He turned the phone around, the song Invincible by Skillet on display.

"No way, you listen to Skillet? I love them!"

Natsu wasn't sure it was possible for him to dislike Lucy. Every time she spoke he liked a different part of her.

"Skillet's my favorite artist! I listen to a lot of everything but they're in all of my playlists!"

Lucy laughed, pushing her empty plate to the side.

"Back to me now," Natsu said, "What are you majoring in?"

Lucy was quiet for a minute, pondering the question.

"I think... I don't really know yet. Ever since I was little, my parents always wanted me to follow in their footsteps. But I don't like it. Everything's business casual, fancy, formal, and I never get to be me. I love writing, and with any luck I'm gonna pursue being an author."

Her story reminded him a bit of his own. Natsu's parents weren't at all demanding of him pursuing a specific job, but they were just slightly controlling, and any imperfection he had they pointed out.

They always expected perfect grades from him, and Wendy too. It wasn't fair for either of them, and it definitely didn't help Natsu when Wendy's report card would show all A's.

He couldn't explain why it was so difficult for him to stay focused on what he knew he should be listening to. An hour wasn't even that long to be paying attention, but every couple minutes he would realize he was thinking of something else, and missed out on the lessons completely.

Like now, he was caught up in thinking about his own situation, he hadn't realized Lucy had been calling his name.

"Oh, heh, sorry about that. Sometimes I get distracted. I'm sorry about your parents. I can understand a little bit, and from what I know it definitely sucks."

"Yeah, but at the end of the day we're the ones who get to choose who and what we'll be. I know it doesn't make it easier, but knowing that has always helped me." Lucy said.

Natsu agreed.

"I mean, I love my parents..."

"Parents are supposed to love their kids..."

"I know they're supposed to want what's best for me..."

"It's not that I don't want to make them proud it's just..."

"It's so draining!" They said in unison.

Both Natsu and Lucy froze, staring at each other. A smile spread slowly on both of their faces, before they busted out laughing.

And that was how they spent the next fifteen minutes. Asking each other questions, laughing together, and telling stories.

Everything was going perfectly. Natsu barely knew her but he felt like he could tell Lucy his deepest secrets.

Not that he even had any, but if he did, he'd trust her to keep them secret.

But all good things must come to an end, right? Natsu always hated that saying.

Yet it was true now, because once again coming from behind Lucy, was her boyfriend, Sting.

He covered her eyes, saying a cheesy "guess who?" that made Natsu want to gag.

"Uh, Sting?" She questioned, though it was obvious she knew it was him.

"You got me," He said, swinging a chair over and sitting on it backwards and leaning against the back rest.

"Who's your friend?" Sting asked, eyeing Natsu.

"This is Natsu, we cross paths a lot."

"What's your name?" Natsu asked a question he already knew, extending his hand out for Sting to shake.

"It's Sting Eucliffe. I'm Lucy's boyfriend," He answered, shaking Natsu's hand.

Natsu mentally rolled his eyes. Like that wasn't obvious. Sting had slung his left arm over Lucy's shoulder, and she looked somewhat uncomfortable. To be fair, it was an awkward angle, and Natsu chose to believe was causing her rather pained look.

"Right."

Natsu could feel the tension, but why it was there he wasn't sure. Was it between him and Sting? Lucy and Sting? Lucy and him?

Either way, it was probably for the best when Natsu mentioned how he was going to get to his next class early, picked up both his and Lucy's trash, and made his way to chemistry.

As he was walking away, he couldn't help but hear Sting asking Lucy a million questions about why she and Natsu had been talking, what they had talked about, and Natsu's eyebrows raised when he heard a very quiet "should I be worried about him?"

Had he not known the pair of eyes were on him, Natsu would have turned around to see Lucy's reaction. But he remembered not getting involved with the boyfriend, so he dumped the trash into the bin, put his earbuds back in his ears, and walked to his next class.