Guys, guys, I had a blast with this one. I really hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

As always, happy reading.


Two weeks after they made their agreement, Lucy learned that Natsu wasn't just interested in exploring her world. He was also interested in trying new things.

"Natsu… are you sure you want to do this?" she asked from where she sat on her bed.

"Of course! I've never done it before, and I think it'll be fun!"

"What gave you that idea?"

There was a pause. "The internet…"

"You know you can't believe everything you read on the internet, right?"

"No… Does that mean you won't?"

"It doesn't seem like the kind of thing I should do with a demon. Are you sure you'll enjoy yourself? Are you sure you want to do it with just me? I could get Cana or Levy- "

"What? I don't want to do it with them. You're the one who's technically my master, in a sense, so I want to do it with you!" He frowned at her. "Wait, why do you think I wouldn't enjoy myself?"

Lucy sighed. "You know this kind of thing can ruin friendships, right?"

"Are we friends?"

She shrugged. "We could be, but it might be difficult after this."

"I don't understand." He groaned impatiently. "Will you do it or not?"

"Fine!" Lucy said, standing up. "I'll play the damn game! I'm warning you now, though. When I win, you can't accuse me of cheating."

Natsu's grin widened. "Awesome! I'll go get the box." He practically ran out of the room with a whoop as Lucy grumpily watched him go.

She looked at Plue where he was curled up on her bed. Sighing, she said, "This is going to go poorly, isn't it?" When she didn't get an answer, she rubbed Plue's head before following the demon to her living room. "Playing monopoly, a game about making deals, with a demon. I must be crazy."

Several minutes later, the box was open and Lucy was setting up the board as Natsu read through the rules. After she handed him his pile of money, she studied him for a while. He was barefoot, wearing a pair of sweatpants and a red t-shirt with his scarf wrapped around his neck, like it always was. His pink hair was in its usual disorder, and she couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like.

Speaking of… Her eyes slid down to where his scarf rested. She'd gotten distracted the first time she'd asked to touch it, but he hadn't said she couldn't. She reached out, intending to just run a finger over the material, but before her hand could touch it, she was suddenly swatted away.

She scowled as she shook out her stinging hand. "Ow! You didn't have to hit me, you could have just said you didn't want me to touch it."

When she looked up from her reddening hand, he looked surprised. When he saw the color of her hand, he dropped the paper he was holding and grabbed it. As he took hold of her wrist, his eyebrows clapped together over his eyes in response to her hiss of pain. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you." He loosely wrapped his hands around hers and a dull green light surrounded her hand. When he let go, she realized the pain was completely gone. "I'm really sorry, Lucy," he said, sad eyes trained on her hand.

"It's alright. I won't try again, I was just curious."

He shook his head. "I don't mind that you want to touch it, that's fine." He fiddled with the end of it before unwinding it once and holding it towards her. "Here."

She reached forward slowly, surprised to find that the scarf was smooth and very warm, despite not having been resting against his body. "If you don't mind, then what was that about?" she asked, gesturing vaguely at him.

He seemed to think about his words before answering. "This isn't a normal scarf. It was a gift from my dad, and it's also an important aspect of my magic. In my realm, there are many who would love to have it for themselves and have tried to take it before." His eyes darkened as he watched her carefully touch his scarf. She studied his eyes briefly as she ran her fingers over the material. They looked pained, rather than upset, and she wondered why.

"You look upset," she said, cursing silently for not being able to hold her tongue.

His expression darkened even more as he looked up at her with regret. "You are lucky I remembered who you were when I did."

Her fingers stilled against the smooth material. "What do you mean?"

Natsu's eyes dropped to the scarf again as he raised his hand to touch it as well. "I have enough strength in one finger to kill even the strongest human. If I had remembered any later…" He grimaced as he looked up again. "I reacted before thinking, I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

Lucy swallowed, ignoring the fear tingling along her spine. "It's okay, I just won't try to do it again." Carefully, she lifted the scarf and wrapped it back around his neck, tucking in the end. "Do you have any other weird triggers like that that I should be careful of?"

Something danced in his eyes as he watched her, some inner turmoil that made her want to help him, to fix whatever that pain was that she could see. The feeling surprised her. "You should be careful when waking me."

She nodded. "Same for me, too. I've been known to punch people out when they tried to wake me up. Not that I remember it," she mused, trying to lighten the mood. "I once gave Cana a black eye and I still don't remember it happening."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "You punched Cana?"

"I passed out once at the bar and she tried to wake me up so she could walk me home. I was exhausted, but I let her drag me out anyway. I fell asleep and when she decided she wanted to leave, she tried to wake me up and I decked her before going right back to sleep. She had to call Loke to come get me so he could carry me to the car and into my apartment." She shrugged her shoulders. "It's not the first time I've done something like that, either. I'm a heavy sleeper, and I can be woken up, but it has to be from a distance to avoid injury."

His eyes scanned her body for a moment, doubt written on his face, but she didn't mind. It was honestly surprising to her as well. "Should we get started? I think I wanna be the dog," she said, grabbing her piece.

"I think I wanna be the car," he responded with a smile as he placed his piece next to hers. For several rounds they just played the game, Lucy clarifying some of the rules and answering Natsu's questions as they played.

"Ha! You have to go to jail," she said smugly.

He scowled, but moved his piece to the opposite side of the board. "So, I think I know where I'd like to go first."

"What do you mean?" she asked as she rolled the dice.

"Where I'd like to travel to first."

"Oh, and where is that?"

"Japan. Damn, no doubles."

"Why Japan?"

"They have a lot of weird fish dishes Happy wants to try."

Lucy's hand froze over the board, her piece pinched between her fingers. "… Uh, where is Happy, by the way?"

"Sleeping. You gonna finish moving? I can't roll until you move."

"Sorry." She set down her piece and exchanged some bills for the appropriate property. "When are you going to leave?"

"I was thinking about tomorrow. I noticed plane ticket prices are cheaper during the week. Ugh, no doubles again. Can I just buy my way out?"

"Yes, but-"

"No, nevermind. I don't want to waste my money. Your turn."

"Alright." Lucy rolled again. "I think I have to sit this one out. I'm not that big on fish, and honestly, I don't think I'd like Japan. While I think it would be interesting, the country is heavily populated and I don't really like big crowds. Plus, I can't bail on work. I need to request time off in advance."

Natsu frowned as he failed his last chance to roll a double, then moved his piece out of jail. "What do you mean, in advance?"

They played a few more turns as Lucy explained about requesting time off, both buying two more properties as Lucy made it around the board again. Natsu's eyes narrowed at the pile of properties in front of her, but he didn't comment. "I didn't realize I would need to plan so far in advance for you to come along. I'm sorry."

She waved her hand. "No need to apologize. Like I said, I don't think I'd actually enjoy most of the trip there. I can go to the next one, wherever that ends up being."

"Alright, if you're sure. You didn't specify that I need to take you with on all of my trips, so it shouldn't be an issue there."

Lucy rolled again before grinning widely as she landed on the Free Parking square. "I'm glad."

Natsu squinted at her as she collected the pile from the middle and added it to her own money. "Hmm."

"Hmm, what?"

"Nothing."

"I told you you were going to lose."

He smiled at her, a wide, slightly intimidating smile. "We'll just see, won't we?"

"How about this," she said, holding up a card. "I will trade you the Boardwalk for Tennessee Avenue and St. James Place."

"You want a two for one?"

"It's the most expensive property on the whole board. If you build there, I'd go broke in one shot."

Natsu shook his head. "I don't think so. That's still a two for one, plus, you'd get to build on three properties, and I only get to build on two."

Lucy looked at the piles of properties in front of them both. "Alright, what about if I add in Vermont Avenue?"

"I only have one of the light blue ones. What's the point if you still have one I'd have to trade for later?"

Lucy studied the set up again. If she could just get those orange properties, she had him for sure. "Alright, I'll give you immunity on the railroads."

Natsu raised an eyebrow at her. "What? You have all four of them. I'm paying a pretty penny to ride those, and they're on every side of the board."

"Yep, and if you agree to the two for one, I'll also give you immunity on the railroads for the rest of the game."

Natsu studied the board, glancing up at her every so often. What she was offering didn't feel fair on her end. In his last go around alone he'd hit three of the four railroads, so why would she give up the money from those sources? Maybe he should have done more research about the game and how to win so he'd know what tactic she was trying to employ, but as it stood, he was at a loss. She was right, though, that the purple properties would be very detrimental to her if she landed on them after he built there.

"Alright, you've got yourself a deal," he said, lifting his hand to trade his cards for the one she offered.

"NATSU DRAGNEEL, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" A loud, commanding voice filled the room around them, surprising Lucy so bad she jumped in her chair, scattering some pieces from the board. Natsu clamped his hands over his ears, scowling until he saw who was standing next to the table. His eyes widened in terror as he stared at the female before him.

Erza Scarlet, the demon in charge of overseeing the contracts between demons and humans, was glaring down at him with venom in her eyes. He swallowed as he sank down in his chair slightly. "He- hey Erza, long time no see. How you been?"

As she glared at him, he could almost feel the blood in his body turn to fire. "What exactly do you think you're doing, Natsu? I heard you trying to make another deal, when you are already contracted to a human. What do you have to say for yourself?!"

Lucy stared, her jaw slack, as Natsu explained to Erza about the game they were playing. The demon, or at least Lucy assumed she was a demon, was ridiculously beautiful. She had pale skin and unnaturally shiny red hair. It wasn't red like Loke's, nor like any other redhead in her world. It was red like freshly spilled blood, red like the most vibrant lipstick, red like the deepest embers in a raging fire, a fire she could almost feel radiating off the female. Her eyes were also red, and seemed to glow with an inner fire as she stared Natsu down.

Even more impressive was the armor she wore. Lucy had never seen a suit of armor in person, and certainly never like the set in front of her. The armor she wore covered everything but her head, legs, and a small gap on her arms. She wore a skirt and knee high boots, but had no sword or weapon that Lucy could see. Even without a full set, Lucy was more than sure that the female demon was a force to be reckoned with, if Natsu's reaction was anything to go by.

Suddenly, those eyes snapped over to her, causing her mouth to dry instantly as fear set in. "Is this true?"

Unable to form words, Lucy gaped at her like a fish until the armored beauty slammed her fist down on the table. "It is true?"

Natsu glared at the other woman. "You mind, Erza? You're scaring her."

The fire in her eyes died down a little as she stood straight again. She studied Lucy for a moment, then gave her a small smile. "You have nothing to fear, human. My name is Erza Scarlet. I am in charge of overseeing the contracts made between demons and humans, as well as keeping an eye on troublemakers like this one." She glared momentarily at Natsu, causing him to huff. "I am merely trying to discern what is happening here. Can you please explain the deal you and he tried to make just now?"

"Uh, ye- yeah. We're just playing a game. Making deals to trade is a big part of the game, so we were just… doing that…" Lucy's voice grew smaller and smaller, despite the woman's reassurances. "Can he not do that here? Do I have to watch how we agree to-"

"No, it's quite alright. It's just because I have to keep a close eye on him that I was even aware of what you were doing. Now that I know it is happening, I won't interfere again."

"What do you mean, keeping a close eye on me?!" Natsu yelled. "Don't you have better things to do than babysit me?"

"Yes," she said, turning a deadly glare on him, causing him to cave in on himself. "However, you are a troublemaker, and as you've never been in an extended contract before, it has fallen to me to keep an eye on you so that you do not cause too much unnecessary damage."

"I don't always break stuff," he muttered, lowering his eyes.

Erza turned her gaze towards Lucy again, who had just noticed that there was a large tail sticking out the back of Erza's skirt. It was about as thick as her thigh near the base and several feet long, covered in red skin. How had she not noticed before?

"If at any point you feel that he is not fulfilling his end of the contract, or causing too much of a ruckus, just speak my name and I will come deal with him. That goes for Happy as well. It is my job to make sure that Natsu is behaving and performing his duties appropriately." Her eyes darkened. "However, that also goes for you. Should you do anything to endanger his or Happy's lives, wellbeing, or the secret of our existence, I will have no choice but to intervene." She leaned forward, her face inches from Lucy's. "You would regret giving me reason to do so."

"Yes ma'am," Lucy squeaked.

Erza leaned back with a smile, her eyes no longer pits of danger and terror. "Now that that's settled, I hope I won't have to see you soon." With that she disappeared.

Lucy hugged herself as she looked across the table. "Well, she's terrifying."

Natsu nodded. "You can say that again." He reached over and fixed the pieces that had been knocked over. "Would you like to continue, or do you need a break?"

After slowly getting to her feet, Lucy nodded. "I think I'd like a moment. I'm going to make some tea."

After filling her kettle and placing in on the stove, she jumped as something settled on her shoulders. Natsu smoothed the blanket he'd brought over her shoulders, resting his hands on her shoulders for a moment. "Don't worry about Erza. She's terrifying, sure, but she means well. And she's only dangerous when someone breaks the rules, so you should be okay."

Lucy nodded her understanding as she pulled the blanket closed in front of herself. "Are there any other demons I should be worrying about popping up into my kitchen? I think I might be at my limit with you three."

"Probably not. There aren't many who can show up on their own, and I can't imagine any of the others having a reason to do so."

Lucy nodded. "Alright. Well!" She whirled around, eyes bright. "I think we have a trade to finish."

Natsu grinned. "That we do. I can't wait for you to land on that Boardwalk. You're going to regret it."


An hour later, Natsu gaped at the board in front of them while Lucy cackled loudly. "HOW?!"

Lucy didn't answer, merely continued to laugh as she hugged her arms around herself, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I- told- you," she gasped between laughs.

"You didn't land on any of my properties the last five laps you've made on the board! But somehow I landed on those stupid orange ones every single lap since you started building! I even landed on two on the same trip! WHAT MAGIC IS THIS?"

Lucy grinned while she tried to catch her breath. "Not magic. I'm just that good."

He continued as though she hadn't even spoken. "Not to mention, I haven't landed on those damn railroads even once since you gave me immunity. What did you do?!"

"Nothing," she said as she wiped away her tears. "Now pay up!"

Natsu counted his money, flipping over his property cards to calculate mortgages and the funds he'd get back for selling back his buildings. Suddenly he stood up, essentially flipping the board as he knocked the table on to two legs, causing the game pieces to fall into Lucy's lap as she caught the table through her renewed laughter.

He grumbled as he stalked out of the room, ignoring her pleas to return. "Oh come on, don't be a baby. Get back in here and help me clean this up!" Natsu ignored her as he threw himself on the couch, choosing not to respond as she continued to make fun of him while she cleaned up the floor.

What was this world coming to when he, a demon, beings known for their ability to make impenetrable contracts, couldn't win at a game that hinged on making the right deals?

"You only won because you're lucky!" he hollered as he rolled over and ignored the blond, who couldn't help but smile broadly as she cleaned up the game. She pretended not to hear him as he growled something about never playing it again. She made him a quick cup of tea before returning the game to its shelf and going to take a nice relaxing bath.

Half an hour later, when he suddenly started shouting again, she merely grinned as she sank into the water, hoping he wouldn't melt the metal car she'd placed with care near his cup.


Okay, this ended up being kind of long, but it was a blast to write. And the strategy Lucy employed is from a real experience I had playing with my in-laws. I was playing with my husband, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, and father-in-law. My sister-in-law was knocked out first. My husband traded his orange property to his father in exchange for immunity on the second side of the board (the rest of which my FIN owed.) My brother-in-law lost his money to his father, (who then built up the red properties so that whole chunk of the board was a minefield,) and my husband lost his to me. I had one set of property with a couple houses each (don't remember which ones,) the railroads and utilities, with a few other random properties. I then made three laps around the board without landing on a single one of his properties (because I am sometimes ridiculously lucky in that game) before hitting two in a row and losing everything (I'd inherited a lot of mortgaged property.)

Moral of the story- owning the second side of the board, or the orange and red properties, is what wins you that game.


Edited 6/13/20