*Disclaimer I do not own the characters or this story. All right reserved to Hiro Mashima*
Old Friends and Accidental Bar Fights
OMG! OMG! OMG! I can't believe we just kissed! Wait we are still kissing! Lucy thought to herself eyes wide at the realization of what was happening before quickly pulling away, face blushing furiously.
Natsu just stuttered nonsense as his own face began to flush reaching down to his collar as if to grab something before grasping on to thin air a disgruntled look forming on his face.
I wonder what that's all about? Lucy tried to avert her eyes as if that would make the whole situation go away. Just then she heard him start to chuckle each laugh getting louder and louder than the last until she finally whipped her head around to see him grasping his side bent over laughing one hand on the bar for support. Without her permission she felt her own mouth beginning to lift and a giggle escape her lips and soon she was in a near identical position has Natsu laughing so hard her sides hurt and tears started to form in her eyes.
"Wow, did that really just happen?" Natsu asked her when he finally caught his breath.
"Yup, I think it did." She giggled back at him laughter shining in her eyes as she stared at the radiant smile on his face.
"Your such a weirdo you know that?" He stated simply as if he was stating an obvious fact.
"Who are you calling a weirdo you jerk!" she yelled back at him heat rising on her face. What the hell kind of guy calls a girl a weirdo?
"OW! Lucy quit yelling her making my ears hurt!" he wailed in mock pain.
"I'm not yelling! And I'm not a Weirdo!" she stated in an equally indignant voice her hands falling to her hips.
"Fine you're not a weirdo, but you kinda are yelling Lucy. I mean I think half the bar heard you."
She simply puffed out her cheeks and let out a little, "Hrumph." as the crossed her arms over her ample chest.
Natsu just chuckled again and acted like nothing happened taking the final swig out of his drink. Lucy finished off her drink as well before getting up from her seat and saying, "I'm going to run to the bathroom. I'll be back in a bit." Natsu nodded his head to show he heard her before she slipped away from the bar to find the girls room.
Lucy bounced between bar patrons like a ping pong ball until she finally made it to where the restrooms were hiding. Flinging open the door she was immediately assaulted by the smell of too many fragrant perfumes mixed with puke and bathroom cleaner. It was so strong it made her nose sting. She went from stall to stall hoping to find the cleanest one until she finally found one and relieved herself of those 3 margaritas she had downed so far tonight.
After washing her hands she checked her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was still right where it was supposed to be but her curls had fallen a little making them look sad and a little droopy. Next, she checked to be sure her makeup wasn't smudged and reapplied her lip color and a bit of powder to conceal the red flush she now had from the alcohol. Satisfied that everything was in place she left the bathroom to try and make her way back to the bar.
She had made it halfway there when two guys came up to her blocking her path. They were both visibly drunk, both having half drank beer bottles in their hands. The taller of the two leaned in close to her slinging his arm around her shoulder his empty hand resting across her chest.
"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes!" The man slurred face inches from Lucy's the stench of beer penetrating her nose. "I was just telling Ricky here that there wasn't a single good looking girl in this bar and that we should split when you walked right into my arms."
Lucy plastered a coy grin on her face knowing that the only way to get out of this situation was to flirt and confused before making a break for it and getting lost in the crowd. "Oh, I walking right into your arms huh? Of course, it couldn't have been that you simply fell into mine?" She stated slowly trying to slip out of his grasp.
"Ohh, She's a feisty one." The man named Ricky slurred stepping right into her escape route blocking her in. "I'll bet she would be a lot of fun to hang out with don't you think Hayden?"
"Yup, and I call dibs, she obviously likes me. Look she's already curled into my side." Hayden said to Ricky a glint in his eyes.
Lucy looked around the bar hoping she was close enough to get the attention of one of her friends and they could distract them long enough for her to escape this situation.
"I wonder if she has any friends. It's not a party with just the three of us don't you agree babe?" Hayden drawled out using his beer to caress her face.
"You're right!" Lucy said jumping on the chance to possibly get him to let her go. "I have a few friends you might like over at the bar. Let me go get them and I'll bring them back to meet you both." She said fluttering her eyes at the two guys and trying to make her voice as sweet and innocent as possible as to not let on her true intentions.
"Don't be silly we'll go with you." Hayden said arm tightening across her chest squeezing her closer to him. "We wouldn't want you to get lost or something, now would we?"
"No, plus some other guys might see you and snatch you up before we get a chance to play with you." Ricky added moving in closer to her other side a hand trailing up her arm.
"Really guys, it's fine I'll go get them and be right back. I swear." Lucy pleaded her eyes getting wider at the realization that they weren't going to let her go easily and she had no real way to escape since both been were much bigger than her and basically had her pinned to that spot.
Lucy was so preoccupied by the two men holding her captive that she didn't see her date come up behind them until she saw a hand tap Ricky on the shoulder. He turned and looked just in time to get sucker punched right in the jaw sending his drunk self straight to the ground hand clenching his face while swearing profusely.
Lucy's eyes found Natsu's and saw that his were filled with a raging fire, a scowl clear across his face as he cracked his knuckles and approached Hayden.
"You're gonna want to let the lady go." Natsu simply stated as he approached.
"No way man!" Hayden spit back grip tightening to a point that made Lucy flinch with pain, "We found her first so back off! Find some other hoe! She's with us!"
Natsu's face slowly morphed into one of pure fury to moment he saw Lucy flinch from pain in that guy's arms and the longer he talked the more Natsu wanted to beat this guy to a pulp. He tried one more time to get him to release Lucy saying, "Look dude I don't know who you think you are but she clearly doesn't want to be with you so let her go."
All around them people had stopped dancing in order to see the fight and had made a pretty decent sized circle around the four of them. On the edges of the circle Lucy could see Gajeel and Gray begin to back up Natsu.
Hayden looked between the three men seeing that he was clearly outnumbered and that his buddy was just now getting up from the hit he took a moment ago. He began to release Lucy his hand moving to her arm where he gripped her forearm tightly bruising the flesh there and tossing her at the three men.
Lucy stumbled and nearly fell at Natsu's feet but he quickly caught and steadied her. Once he was sure she was ok he pushed her behind him hate and fury clearly showing in his eyes as well as Gajeel and Gray's. "Wrong move." was all Natsu said before he lunged at Hayden fist going straight to his jaw.
Hayden stumbled back but kept his footing before charging back at Natsu fist raised. Natsu blocked it expertly and jabbed him three times in the stomach before throwing a left hook at his face.
Gray leapt at Ricky who had tried to jump Natsu from behind and kicked him straight back to the ground where he fell on him punching him in the face a few times before Ricky got in a good hit to Gray's face knocking him back and off him.
Gajeel stayed behind to protect Lucy in case either fight started to get too close to her, or in case either guy needed help knocking the lights out of these scumbags.
Lucy stared in amazement as Natsu pummeled the creep who just seconds ago was holding her against her will. While Gray squared off with his equally drunk friend
Just as he went to throw another punch at his face, Hayden dodged and used Natsu's shift in balance to push him off and roll away towards the edge of the circle.
About this time Gray had also gone in for a hit when Ricky swiped his legs out from under him causing Gray to hit the ground hard.
Hayden seeing Ricky get loose from his fight sneered down at the two men before yelling, "She ain't even worth it you keep the bitch!" Before they ran away into the crowed and were caught by bar security and escorted out the front doors hollering obscenities.
Lucy went over to help Natsu of the ground checking for any blatant injuries finding a single blood streak from a small cut on his forehead and some scrapes on his knuckles. She noticed Gajeel go over and pick Gray up from the floor who just dusted off his pants like it was no big deal.
Both men acted like that had just gone for a walk in the park and fallen down a hill or something with the way the acted. The only thing that gave away what had just happened was the sour looks still clear on their faces.
"Looks like those two assholes aren't the only ones getting kicked out of the bar tonight." Gajeel muttered as the crowd began to disperse and the security team rounded back for the other half of the brawlers.
Natsu grabbed Lucy's hand grinning down at her yelling, "Come on Lucy! Let's get out of here!" before nearly ripping her arm out of socket as her lead her bobbing and weaving through the crowd with Gray and Gajeel avoiding security and out the door into the night.
After running about a block the group started to slow down to a walk which Lucy was grateful for. "God you're so slow Lucy!" Natsu whined as the slowed down."
"Well excuse me for not knowing I was going to have to run to escape security tonight! I didn't exactly wear the appropriate shoes for this!" She yelled back at him.
"Whatever, I think you're just really slow"He teased back. "Hey since our date kinda got ruined back there, you wanna go grab an ice cream?" He questioned a faint trace of hope in his eyes and a grin that she was starting to think was permanent on his face showed up.
Lucy stared back at him for a moment thinking back on all the stuff that had happened tonight, first was her roommates showing up uninvited. Then it was Loki showing up at the same bar at the same time as their date and meeting Natsu, Oh and her roommates getting caught tagging along for their date. Oh and finding out she went to high school with Natsu and his roommates that could bring up some interesting topics later on. But finally to top off the night she was harassed right outside the girls bathroom with Natsu starting a bar fight with those same creeps, for her sake she might add.
As she thought about her answer Natsu began to fidget and look uncomfortable under her scrutiny. He was starting to think that all the stuff that happened to night was too much for her. I mean what with Gray and Gajeel showing up and then helping him fight those ass hats. Wait where did they go?
Looking around he noticed that both Gray and Gajeel had slipped away at some point during their mad dash from the his head he thought, thanks guys I owe you one. He thought to himself realizing what they had done.
Lucy smiled at the pink haired maniac in front of her saying, "You know what, I think I'll take you up on that ice cream. I know a really cute parlor just around the corner that should still be open." ,pointing down the way the had been heading.
Grinning Natsu took her hand again and started walking in the direction she had suggested and figured he would strike up some conversation on their walk to the parlor. "So do you go to MU or just living around here?"
"I'm actually a double English and Astrology major at MU. I'm currently a Junior and I'll probably be here another few years with the way my course loads are going." she faux cringed a pout on her face.
"Oh that's cool I'm actually a Chemistry major but I'm getting a minor in engineering too. Didn't have the patience to go through with a second major, but it's cool that you're doing it!" He stumbled a bit towards the end blushing.
"No that's actually a really cool combination. I've had a few Chemistry majors in my classes before and it's a really hard major! If anything I'm impressed by you having time for a minor at all." Lucy said a smile turning up at the edges of her mouth.
"Really,you think so?" Natsu said looking a little bewildered by her comment, "Honestly I don't really see it as that hard of a subject I mean the higher level stuff still trips me up but I've always had a bit of a nact for this stuff."
"That's how I am with writing." Lucy said excitedly, she was always happy to talk about her passion with other passionate people. People who could understand how she felt towards writing, even if it was directed at something else. "So what year are you?" She asked as the turned the corner to the street that would lead them to the ice cream shop.
"Oh yeah I'm a junior too. I'm about maybe a year or so out from graduating I think, I'm not really sure I haven't checked in awhile." Natsu shrugged.
"Oh, well that's not too bad, have you started thinking about what you want to do with your major when you graduate?' Lucy asked nonchalantly hoping it wasn't a sore topic like it sometimes can be for people who still haven't figured out an end game plan yet.
"Hmmm I've thought about being a toxicologist, or maybe work with a fuel company as a chemical analyst. But for right now I'm keeping my options open and hoping that something will just come to me when I graduate." Natsu grinned down at her asking back, "What about you? What do you want to do with your major?"
They reached the ice cream parlor about then and Natsu reached over and opened the door for her. Lucy blushed and smile back at him as she walked through, the bell on top of the door chimed announcing their entrance to the store, making an older gentlemen appear behind the counter.
"What can I get for you kids tonight?' The old man asked.
Lucy looked over the vast array of flavorings before settling on her favorite, "I'll have a small strawberry vanilla mix please. Oh and can you add chocolate sprinkles on top!?" She questioned hope in her voice.
"Sure I can." the old man chuckled turning to Natsu and asking," And for you young man?"
Natsu looked deep in thought as he looked over all the flavors thinking through the different ways he could combine them before finally looking up at the old man with a huge grin on his face saying, "Alright old man! I'll have a large Cinnamon and mint chocolate chip mix with red hots."
Both Lucy and the gentleman behind the country stared at Natsu with their jaws dropped at his choice of flavor combinations but he simply got to work putting their orders together. He finished Lucy's and she took it from him taking a quick taste test of her ice cream while she waited with Natsu to get his monstrosity of a cup.
Soon Natsu had gained his ice cream and paid for both their ice creams plus two bottles of water. Leading Lucy over to a cute barista table by the window to sit and continue talking.
"So you were telling me what you plan to do after college." Natsu prompted after a few peaceful bites of ice cream.
"Oh yea, you're right." She said taking a quick swig of water to wash down the sugary sweetness of the ice cream. "I plan on working for a publishing firm or a big Magazine company when I graduate. But I have had my eyes on a career as an author as well." She finished blushing into her ice cream.
"Well that sounds like it would be a lot of fun. What kinds of books would you want to write?" Natsu questioned steadily shoving ice cream into his mouth but also giving her his undivided attention. It was quite something to watch and made her laugh before replying with, "I've always loved creative writing. You know making up your own fictional story and world and characters to fit in the world you created. So I think I would end up more as a fantasy novelist. But if I get a job at a magazine I would probably want a fashion or romance column." she ended simply.
"Well I mean I guess I can see how those two relate to what you would want to right in stories but it's also completely different." Natsu frowned at her taking in her reaction to his comment to see if he stepped over another invisible line.
"True but one is more reliable than the other and would guarantee a paycheck while the other, while fun, also has no guarantees and is really had to get started in." Lucy explained seemingly unfazed by his statement.
They ate in silence again for a few moments until Natsu asked, "So I told you where I worked earlier what about you? Do you have a job right now or..?" He trailed off.
"I work in the writing center in the Library right now part -time. They let me work on my own writing assignments and I get to help other people get better with their own writing. It's a pretty decent job all and all. Plus they work around my class schedule every semester." Lucy said.
"Oh that sounds...fun?" Natsu questioned
Lucy just laughed at his perplexed face saying, "Yes I think it's a great job. I mean its pretty close to what I plan on doing when I graduate after all."
"Yea that's more than I can say for my job." Natsu laughed, "I mean working as a trainer is great and all since I get to work out before or after my shift but I don't plan on doing it for the rest of my life ya know?"
"Yeah I know what you mean." Lucy giggled. She looked down at her ice cream which was almost gone and then looking over at Natsu's to see he was almost finished as well. Biting her lip she looked up at Natsu and asked, "Can I try some of that?"
Natsu nearly choked for the 2nd time that night when he saw her face replying simply with a, "sure," before getting a scoop with a bit of everything on in and passing over to her to taste.
As soon as the spoon touched her tongue she felt the crisp burn of the mint and the flavors of the cinnamon mixed in. She licked off the main scoop of ice cream and handed it back to Natsu watching her with rapt attention.
She felt her mouth cool and heat up at the same time with the mix of flavors and pops of heat exploded on her tongue when she bit down on a red hot. The cold of the ice cream and the chill of the mint gave just enough relief to her burning mouth and the chocolate chips melted onto her taste buds leaving her with an oddly refreshed and satisfied palette.
"So?" Natsu questioned eyes still trained to her mouth, "What's the verdict, do I have decent taste in ice cream or what?"
Lucy faked deliberating until she finally sighed and a bright smile showed on her face, "Natsu I have to hand it to you, that was actually some of the best ice cream I have tried in awhile!" Lucy exclaimed.
Natsu threw back his head laughing saying, "I knew it! You looked at me like I was crazy or something but I knew it would be good!"
"Fine I was wrong and you were right happy now?" Lucy conceded.
"Nope!" Natsu said leaning forward in his chair towards Lucy eyes showing a mischievous glint.
"No?" Lucy questioned back wary of the look in his eyes.
"That's right. I won't be happy till you let me get a taste of your ice cream too." he snickered.
"Is that all?" Lucy questioned, "Then fine here try some." she said scooping up some of her leftover ice cream onto her spoon.
"No I want you to feed it to me, with your mouth." Natsu said devilish grin firmly in place
"W-wh-WHAT!' Lucy screeched her face turning a very pale pink with a light dusting of red over she cheeks.
"You heard me." He simply stated back. "Feed me with your mouth and I will call it even for you not believing I have good taste."
"I'm not going to do that." Lucy stated putting her spoon down and crossing her arms at him.
"Oh come on Lucy it won't be that bad. I mean you did already kiss me earlier tonight." Natsu said still grinning at the rise he was getting out of Lucy.
Lucy blushed harder averting her eyes to her ice cream hand fiddling with the spoon as she contemplated his words.He's not wrong, she thought to herself. We did kiss earlier tonight, so what would be the difference now? Besides us actually doing it on purpose this time that is. Unless he did mean to kiss me earlier in that case wouldn't that mean he just wants to see if I really like him back? Yeah maybe that's it...well...do I? She questioned herself, I mean he is really cute, and sweet, and funny, and confident if tonight says anything about his character.
"Come on Lucy.." Natsu said again before a sad look came across his face, "I mean, unless you really don't want to kiss me that is."
"NO!" She exclaimed her hands coming up in front of her like two stop signs. "I'll do it." She said surprising both of them with her exclamation.
"Really?!" He questioned surprised but nowhere near upset anymore.
"Really." She stated simply reaching down to get her spoon of ice cream and popping it into her mouth. The moment she picked her spoon up Natsu got up from his seat and walked over to Lucy's side of the table leaning in close to her face when she put it in her mouth.
Lucy looked up at Natsu and leaned herself in eyes drifting shut while Natsu closed the gap between them doing the same. Once their mouths hit he took a second to just enjoy the feeling of her lips on his before slipping his tongue out to gently ask permission to go further. Lucy replied by simply parting her lips and letting his tongue slide through.
It's really cold! Was the first thought he had when he got to the ice cream waiting in her mouth. The second thought was how good it tasted on her lips, the sweet creaminess of the vanilla mixed with the flavors of strawberry and chocolate sprinkles. It tasted just the way he thought she would the first time he saw her in the coffee house. He deepened the kiss pulling her close to him and he felt her relax into his touch as he swirled his tongue against hers both enjoying the heat against the cold of the dessert they shared.
Too soon the frozen treat was gone and Natsu pulled back taking one final sweep of her lips before backing away and opening his eyes to see her flushed face and soft brown eyes gazing back at him in wonder.
He saw her lick her own lips as he went back over to his seat and sat back down waiting for her reaction. As he sat for almost a full minute he began to get worried it had only been in his head that she enjoyed it as much as him. Just as he was about to ask if she was ok she spoke quietly, "Well that's a kiss I will probably never forget." a smile beginning to spread across her face a light blush still dusting her cheeks.
"Yea same here." He replied already missing the taste of her lips on his, a smile firmly planted on his face. "We should do this again sometime." He teased her.
"Yes," She grinned back at him, "Yes we really should."
Hey there lovelies! Long time no see! I know I promised to keep up a schedule for the updates of this story but I have been going through a really bad patch of trying to decide where my life is headed and if that place is where I want to be headed. SO fun stuff...I actually had this finished awhile ago it just took me longer to get around to editing and finally publishing. I'm so sorry for they wait and I left yall on a bit of a cliff hanger last time so sorry about that ~(0_0)~ As Always thanks to my amazing boyfriend and unwavering support system for editing this chapter for me and for keeping me writing when I really just didn't want to. I really hope yall like this chapter please let me know what you think and I Promise to try to update sooner next time :)