*** Author's Note: WOWOWOWOWOW I AM SO SORRY IT HAS BEEN FIVE YEARS. And BOY have I felt every one of those years. So I finished my Master's and had planned on continuing with my PhD... But the universe had other plans and now I'm working in a completely different field with a job that actually gives me free time for hobbies like this. Anyways, thank you if you've stuck around, I hope you enjoy the new chapter, and HOPEFULLY it doesn't take me another five years to update again!
As always, I do NOT own any of the characters in Fairy Tail.
Four
I ended up going into work late on Friday morning, although a lot of people (after their 'celebrating') arrived even later than I did so I figured I was in the clear. Still, Friday night and my night out with Levy couldn't come soon enough. I was ready to sleep all weekend after Thursday's trials and the debacle with Natsu earlier that morning. But I was also beyond excited to go out and start making more friends here. The more people I met, the more Magnolia started to really feel like home.
All too slowly, the workday wrapped up and Levy approached my desk, "Ya' ready Lucy?"
Was I ever. We laughed and talked on the way to Fairy Tail, and Levy started to tell me about some of her other friends.
"Gray and Juvia are totally in love with each other, even if Gray doesn't admit it yet. Mirajane is literally the sweetest girl you'll ever meet, and also the best wing woman a girl could ask for. She's already dating this guy Laxus, so all the attention she gets from guys she redirects to you as long as you're interested. Canna's a total lush but she could still kick the asses of any of the guys in the gang, even when she's wasted. You'll get a feel for them all soon enough though!"
When Levy and I finally got to the bar, there was already a boisterous and slightly tipsy crowd hanging out.
"So this is it! Fairy Tail!" Levy said with arms stretched out as if displaying the prize stage for a challenge on "The Price is Right". I looked around at the happy, ragtag group near the bar counter. They all seemed to be very comfortable and chummy with each other, despite very obvious differences in appearance and personality, which made me smile. Finally, I felt like I could be in a group that would give me the sense of family I had been missing for so long. Levy lead me over to the bar and chatted with me for a bit while I waited for my drink, but soon left to go make the rounds with the other people at Fairy Tail. I kept fairly quiet and to myself, content to just observe the group dynamic for a while. Levy seemed to be very, very friendly with a tall, muscular man with long dark hair. He seemed a little intense compared to the lively and petite woman, but she couldn't seem to stop smiling and flirting with him anyways.
I would have been content to people watch the rest of the night but soon I heard a voice speaking to me from the next seat over.
"So, you're new to Magnolia huh? It's Lucy right? That's what Levy was saying…"
I turned to the source of the question and found a tall guy with messy black hair sitting next to me at the bar.
"Yup, that's right!" I said smiling, "I don't' think we've met yet though… Who are you?"
"Gray Fullbuster. It's nice to meet you."
"Careful around this one Lucy, Gray has a tendency to lose his clothes easily," Levy walked up behind our chairs and ruffled dark Gray's hair a bit, then leaned over towards me and whispered conspiratorially, "He has a bit of a reputation for the group perv."
"HEY, THAT'S NOT FAIR IT'S NOT LIKE I STRIP OR SOMETHING AND YOU KNOW I GET HOT REALLY EASILY."
"Whatever you say Gray, but we all know you're more likely to be found without a shirt or pants than with them."
Gray looked like he was about to respond angrily again but then someone yelled out from the doorway.
"Oi! Lucy! What are you doing here? And what are you doing talking to ice princess over there?"
I spun around in my seat, shocked to find a familiar, pink haired boy standing over by the entrance to the bar. Levy looked at me with a mix of amusement and slight confusion.
"You know Natsu already Lucy?"
"Um… Yeah, his cat keeps crashing at my place and now we hang out sometimes."
"Ahhh…" She said with a knowing look. I didn't like where her thoughts were obviously going (I had really only just met the boy) but I didn't have a chance to say anything before Natsu was over at the bar and quarreling with Gray.
"WHADDYA THINK YOU'RE DOIN' YOU PERV, WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE THE MOVES ON LUCY?"
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? I WAS JUST TALKING TO HER, I WASN'T TRYING TO 'MAKE A MOVE'!"
"OH YEAH? THEN WHERE'S YOUR DAMN SHIRT, HUH?"
Natsu had flames in his eyes, and Gray looked like he was just about ready to spit ice but looking back at Gray, he had, in fact, somehow removed his shirt in the midst of everything. He looked down in confusion, finding his shirt in his hand instead of on his torso. He glared back up at Natsu.
"WHATEVER NATSU AT LEAST I'M NOT GOING TO TRY AND SET EVERYTHING ON FIRE."
"YOU WANNA GO, ICE PRINCESS?"
At this point both boys were practically at each other's throats, and I was beginning to feel concerned that someone was going to get hurt. But looking around at Levy and all the other faces in the bar, all I saw were knowing smiles, so I figured this type of fight happened often with no real results. At least I hoped that was the case.
"ALRIGHT, YOU AND ME, OUTSIDE. RIGHT NOW." Gray insisted. The boys, both hunched over in anger and fists clenched made their way out the door and into the snowy cold evening. I turned to Levy.
"Are they going to be alright? Shouldn't someone follow them? Or… Stop them? Or something?"
Levy chuckled, "Nah, they pull these kinds of stunts all of the time. They'll quit it once they get too cold out there. They put on a good show, and they'd probably never admit it but they're both pretty good friends."
I was skeptical but figuring Levy knew better than I did, I turned back to my drink.
"So… You've already met Natsu eh?" Levy said while taking a sip of her drink, "You seem rather chummy, how long have you guys been acquainted?"
She wasn't looking directly at me, but I could still see a smirk on her face and I knew what she was assuming, which caused be to blush and get a bit defensive.
"Ah... haha. I mean… It's not like that, I mean… I've only known him like, two weeks. It's just like I told you earlier, his dumb cat kept crashing at my place, he kept breaking in to get him back and eventually we just started hanging out and watching movies since he was over all the time anyways."
"… Mmmhmm," Levy turned to me with the smirk still on her face and a gleam in her eyes, "And obviously movie nights can't ever turn into something else. Natsu seemed rather protective of you considering you're only supposed to be movie buddies. Or whatever it is you're calling it."
Oh god, I thought to myself, I mean I know that nothing's happening, but is she implying there might be something more on Natsu's end? Ughhhh, I don't need this right now. I gulped down the rest of the drink in front of me, not wanting to deal with the implications of what Levy was saying.
"Mhmm… That's what I thought," She said smugly before turning back to her own drink.
I slanted my eyes at my new friend, "Well what about you and that big muscly guy earlier? You two seemed rather chummy." I chuckled with pleasure as Levy appeared to almost choke on her drink before recomposing herself.
"Oh. Gajeel? I just like to mess with him sometimes, he can be such a boor."
"Fine. If you can admit that there's something going on, or at least the potential for something, between you and Natsu… I can admit to my… feelings… for Gajeel." Levy said with a smirk.
The ball was in my court, but I didn't feel much like playing this game any longer.
"Gray and Natsu have been out there a while… I'm just going to go make sure they haven't frozen to death yet…"
"Whatever you say Lucy!"
Attempting to hide the evident blush on my face, I made a beeline for the door. What I didn't expect to see when I opened it was two half naked men shouting at each other in the snow.
"ARE YA GONNA APOLOGIZE YOU PERV?"
"I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO APOLOGIZE FOR YOU ASSHOLE, WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?"
Seeing the boys about to lunge at each other again, I shouted at them,
"ENOUGH. You'll both catch your death out here, especially dressed like that!"
More like undressed, I thought to herself. But my exclamation seemed to pull them back to reality none the less as they sheepishly walked back over to the entrance where she stood.
"Sorry Luce," Natsu said, rubbing his neck sheepishly.
Gray had the decency to look equally ashamed, "Flame brain here just gets under my skin is all."
Natsu looked about to pummel Gray again at the nickname he called him, but one withering glance had both boys putting their shirts back on and mumbling further apologies. The remainder of the evening passed without much incident. The gang was incredibly welcoming and surprisingly good at holding their liquor. Mostly.
Having gotten into a drinking competition with Gray, by the end of the night Natsu had drunk enough he wobbled a bit on his feet as we began to walk home.
"Luce?... *hic* C-can I stay *hic* at yer place *hic* t'night?" Natsu managed to ask while putting his arm around my shoulders, "S'closer and I'm *hic* a weeeeee bit drunk! *hic*"
I had drunken a fair bit myself that evening, so his behavior seemed more endearing than it might have otherwise, and god help me, I giggled. However, I almost immediately remembered Levy's teasing words earlier, as well as the last time Natsu had "stayed over".
"Mmmmm'kay but couch only this time!"
"*hic* Youuuuuuu got it Luce! *hic*"
When we finally reached my apartment, I pulled out some extra blankets and a pillow and put them on the couch.
"There you go! Night!"
I went to go to bed in my room but Natsu cut me off at the pass.
"Nuh-uh, *hic* couch's lumpy! I'm the guest I should *hic* get the bed!"
"You're such an ass, I told you you'd be sleeping on the couch here!"
Natsu wagged his finger at me, "S'not very *hic* hospitable of you!"
"UGH, FINE. But you stay on your side of the bed you weirdo."
I woke up around 5AM urgently needing to go to the bathroom but unable to move. What the hell? I thought, noticing something warm wrapped around my midsection and behind my back. I chanced a glance over my shoulder, only to see pink hair peaking over the edge. FUCK.
Some time during the night, Natsu had slipped an arm around my midriff and curled up against me!
I tried to slip out from under his arm but even unconscious, his grip just tightened.
"Natsu!" I hissed, "Hey! Dingus!"
Natsu just continued lightly snoring.
Eventually I managed to worm my way out from under his arm and make it to the bathroom. To my dismay when I got back, the jerk had spread further out onto the bed! Grumbling, I made my way to the couch instead, curled up under the blankets, and tried not to think about pink haired idiots and their blue colored cats while I fell back asleep.