Lucy sits outside the resort's main entrance, watching Oracion Seis clamber out of their bus to an enthusiastic Kinana and nervous Erza. She slumps against the bench she's sitting on as Kinana and Erik share a long hug. Erza and Jellal exchange what Lucy assumes to be pleasantries, both of their faces bright red, Meredy and Sawyer teasing them the entire time. Sorano even 'accidentally' bumps into Jellal so he falls into Erza, who blushes even harder. Lucy didn't think that was possible.
With a sigh, she leans back and closes her eyes.
"You seem to be in a good mood today."
She opens one eye, only to see Levy's amused expression. Juvia stands behind her, looking more curious than anything, blue hair falling in front of her face. Lucy slides towards the far end of the bench so the two girls can sit down. They do, and it's then that she realises Levy doesn't have Lily with her. She's become so accustomed to seeing the black cat in her friend's arms that she can't help but point it out.
"Did Lily finally find someone else to curl up to?" she asks with a light laugh.
Levy smiles, shrugging one shoulder. "I told him he should probably hang out with Gajeel today. He's been getting jealous of how much Lily loves me."
Juvia hides her giggles behind her hand. "I don't think Gajeel is used to Lily finding comfort in people other than himself. It took him a couple of months to get used to Juvia, and other than the two of us, he didn't really talk to anyone else. Juvia was surprised that he took to Levy so quickly."
Lucy briefly wonders whether Juvia is talking about Lily or Gajeel himself, but before she can even think to ask, Levy changes the subject (and is it just Lucy, or is she blushing a little?) "So, what's got you so down." She nudges Lucy's shoulder.
The reminder of her earlier inner turmoil forces the smile off Lucy's face. She doesn't answer, at least not verbally. Instead, she turns back to the parking lot, where the Oracion Seis team are heading towards the beach so they can see the view of the ocean. Erik has his arm around Kinana, and whether they're willing to admit it or not, Erza and Jellal are walking so close together that their shoulders are touching. It isn't the first time Lucy wishes she had someone to put their arm around her, but it's the first time she's had someone in mind. She's decided she doesn't like it.
From the corner of her eye, she sees Levy and Juvia follow her gaze. Understanding dawns on Levy's face, and Juvia seems wistful, wearing a small smile. Lucy would feel embarrassed if she didn't see the way her friends' faces change. It's as if they're feeling the same way she does, and the thought comforts her a little. She isn't the only one.
"They're so adorable," Juvia says, gesturing to Kinana and Erik, who are whispering to each other as they watch the bustling activity on the beach. "Juvia assumes that's Erik? And that the man besides Erza is Jellal?"
Lucy nods. "Yep, that's them. Must be nice to have someone waiting for you at a nice place like this."
All three girls sigh, almost in unison.
It's Levy who quickly breaks the sullen mood. "Come on, there's no use sighing about this now. Let's go down to the beach. I'm pretty sure Cana said she was going to verse some of the guys at drunk volleyball."
"Any time Cana plays volleyball is drunk volleyball," Lucy says, rolling her eyes, but she stands anyway. Anything to distract her from her love problems.
Nighttime sees all of them decked out in their costumes once again, but not because they're filming. The arrival of Oracion Seis means they now have the equipment necessary for a high quality photoshoot. Lucy doesn't know how they managed to acquire it, considering how expensive it is, but she has a feeling Kinana had something to do with it. Perhaps even Erza, if Mira managed to prod her enough. Fairy Tail seems to have quite a few connections, which is useful, but also a little intimidating when Lucy really thinks about it.
Lights and tripods have been set up around the forest. Some of the characters have sets and props, like Cana with her tent and crystal ball, but others like Lucy herself need nothing but themselves and their costume. They'll be taking solo shots first, then those who are in groups or duos will get together and have their time to shine. Lucy wonders how her photoshoot with Natsu is going to go. With the nature of their characters' relationship, it's bound to make her nervous, embarrassed, or both. Probably both.
Her solo shots come out fantastic, if she does say so herself. Years of attending high-profile functions with her father meant she had to learn how to be photogenic, and it's something she never unlearned, which she's thankful for. Some of the photos are of her by a tree, peering around with curiosity that could only belong to the celestial princess. Others are of her gazing at the full moon with a wistful expression. He favourites are the ones where it looks as though she's cupping the stars in her hands, and with a few adjustments, she thinks it will look even more realistic.
All in all, she's feeling fairly confident by the time her and Natsu's joint photoshoot rolls around. Natsu is joking around as usual, and she knows Laxus won't take any nonsense, so this will be done sooner rather than later. At least, that's what she assumes. Then she spots Mirajane making her way towards the director-only zone behind the tripod and internally freaks out.
She's doomed.
Natsu doesn't seem bothered by the change of plans, if he's even noticed at all. He bounds over to her with his usual grin on his face. "Let's get this over with quickly so we can hit the hay, yeah?" He yawns, as if to punctuate his statement. "Natsu needs his rest."
"Natsu is gonna have to wait," Laxus calls out as the two of them centre themselves in front of the camera. Lucy is relieved to see him there, but Mira is right there next to him, and she doesn't trust the smile on her face. "We need to take pictures first. Mira, go wild."
Doesn't Laxus realise he's giving the soul of matchmaking satan power over them?
"Okay, you two, hold hands," she tells them, and before Lucy can react, Natsu has intertwined their fingers without a second thought. It must be nice to be that oblivious. "And sort of turn on an angle so you're facing away from each other. And channel your inner-actor. You are your character in this exact moment, and you're thinking of the character next to you. The expression your character has when they think of the other should be on your face!"
It could be worse, Lucy supposes. She turns as Mira instructed her to and takes a deep breath as she taps into the celestial princess' mind. A soft smile makes its way onto her face, and she bows her head, as if she's embarrassed or shy. The celestial princess is always happy when she thinks of the dragon king, but also nervous, as she isn't entirely sure what he thinks of her. That must be what she's portraying, because Mira doesn't seem to have a problem with it. In fact, she is incredibly happy as she tells a grumbling Laxus to take the picture.
A few flashes go off before they're allowed to switch poses. Natsu lets go of her hand, and she can't help but feel the cold air drift across her empty palm.
"Next! Embrace just like the celestial princess and the dragon king would. You know what I mean - all close and cozy," Mira says, and Lucy has to fight her oncoming blush. She and Natsu have hugged, sure, but not for so long.
Natsu just turns to her with his arms as wide as his smile, and she can't help but roll her eyes as she settles herself into them. What else is she supposed to do? She can't just leave him hanging like that. It has nothing to do with how inviting he seems, how warm she knows he is (and she's proven right the moment her arms touch his bare torso - why does his costume have to be this way?), of course not.
She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes, ignoring the satisfied sound Mira makes. It might just be a photoshoot, but she's going to indulge, just this once. Or so she says. She knows if she's given the opportunity to hug him like this in the future, she would without hesitation, and the thought surprises her more than it should. Since when was she this far gone? It's as if acknowledging her crush opened up an entire can of worms, and those worms are her feelings and desires.
Unaware of her inner turmoil, Natsu's arms slide around her back and hold her securely in place. They make her feel safe, and she wonders if this is how the celestial princess feels whenever the dragon king vows his protection. She doesn't have to wonder, though, because the celestial princess is a character that belongs mostly to her at this point, and if anyone were to know what she would think, it would be Lucy. Yes, this must be exactly how she feels.
She buries her face in his chest as the camera flashes, not moving until Mira tells them to. Once again, she feels goosebumps on her skin as they let go, but she doesn't rub her arms. She doesn't want to give away that she misses hugging him.
"Alright, last one!" Mira says cheerfully, and Lucy almost breathes a sigh of relief. She only just manages to hold it in. "Intertwine your fingers! On both hands this time. And look into each others' eyes. Try not to go cross-eyed!"
Lucy doesn't know how she's going to do this. Staring into Natsu's eyes isn't something she wants to do because they're forced to do it, but as usual, he doesn't seem that concerned. He just gives Mira a quick salute before turning to her and threading his fingers through hers. She stares at their hands for a split second before looking up at him, not surprised at all that he's giving her an encouraging smile. He always seems to be doing that these days. She sends him a brief one in return before closing her eyes and once again channelling the celestial princess' emotions.
When she opens her eyes again, Natsu's expression is far more serious, but it's not the type she would be scared of. It's almost thoughtful, not to mention a little unsure, and she wonders if that's what he's seeing as he looks at her. She doesn't have enough time to consider it, though, as the camera flashes to her right. She doesn't even flinch. She's so enamoured at this point that it takes longer than necessary to break eye contact. It's only when Laxus tells them they're done that she steps away, an uneasy smile on her face.
Natsu stretches, looking at the night sky. "That's a wrap for me!"
"Not so fast, Dragneel," Laxus says. "We still need a few combat photos with the dragon king and the nature spirits, so get over here."
Natsu groans and heads towards their director. Lucy knows she can stand beside Mira and view the photos they just took, but she doesn't want to, especially when Mira smiles at her as though she knows something Lucy doesn't. It's unnerving. No, she'll settle for heading away from the set, thanks.
She takes a seat on the grass, making sure she isn't creasing her costume. With a sigh, she lies back and lets the night air cool down her face, which she knows has a pink tinge to it at this point. She can feel it. She just hopes she can spend the rest of her night in (relative) peace.
"So, what was that I just saw?"
Apparently, all her hopes are in vain.
When Lucy opens her eyes, she sees Levy standing over her, a rare feat for such a small girl. She's clad in her pixie costume, hair curled and clothes nice and sparkly. The only thing that doesn't fit with the innocent, well-meaning fairy vibe is the cheeky grin on her face. A grin that never means good things when it's directed at Lucy. It's like Mira all over again, and she sighs as she sits down.
"We were just doing our job," she says as Levy finds a spot of her own on the grass. "What's wrong with that?"
"Nothing," Levy says, sincere. "But I saw the way you two didn't look away immediately after the last picture. You know there were other people around, right?"
Lucy would nudge Levy if the other girl was finished with her photos, but alas, she will be needed on set soon. She settles for a frown. "I just wanted to be sure the picture had been taken, that they were actually finished with us, that's all." Then all of Levy's sentence catches up with her and she pauses. "What do you mean by 'the two of you'?"
Levy looks at her, head tilted to the side. Her face is almost unreadable. "Well, neither of you looked away at first."
"Doesn't that just prove what I said?" Lucy says, not skipping a beat. "We were just doing our job, acting in-character. You need a couple of seconds to get in and out of character, you know?"
Levy doesn't seem convinced, and Lucy knows why. She knows what Levy is trying to get at, how that might seem to other people, but she knows the truth. She and Natsu are both dedicated to their jobs. Sure, on her side, things aren't purely professional, let alone platonic, but that isn't a reason for her to make decisions with clouded judgement. She isn't about to believe that Natsu, one of the friendliest and outgoing people she's ever met, thinks about her in the same way she does about him just because of a single stare. Especially when they were supposed to be in-character in the first place.
"I've known Natsu for a long time," Levy eventually says. The smile she wears is a patient one. "Since the orphanage. He cares about everyone, but there are ways you can tell who he cares for just that little bit more. That's all I'm saying."
Lucy would reply, but Laxus calls for Levy before she can. She hops up and heads off with a quick word of parting and a brief pat on the shoulder, and Lucy doesn't know if she wants to know more, or whether she wants to block the entire conversation from her memory.
They all agreed that each member of the channel who had an acting role in the film would post one of their solo shots on their Instagram account all at the same time, just to get people excited. One image will be on the official channel account a little while later, but of course, none of their fans will be receiving an answer yet. They are going to ride this hype train a little bit longer.
Lucy is alone in her and Natsu's room when the time comes to post their pictures. She has the magical-esque photo of her pretending to hold the stars in her hands ready to go the moment her phone signals that it's noon, and she presses 'post' immediately, both excited and nervous. She gives it a few minutes before she checks her comments, and she almost squeals when she sees all the support.
'LUCY LOOKS LIKE A GODDESS OH MY GOD'
'um fairy tail wyd these people are trying to give me a heart attack'
'wHAT IS GOING ON'
'A TRUE QUEEN'
'I ONLY STAN TALENT. GORGEOUS, GORGEOUS TALENT.'
Giddy from all the compliments, Lucy spends the next half hour scrolling through her feed, appreciating the comments on both her own photo and everyone else's. Posting their pictures all at the same time has the intended effect; people are going insane. Everyone is trying to figure out what's going on, why they all look like fantasy characters, when they'll be releasing their next project. She loves being in the know.
Then she refreshes her feed and her stomach drops.
The channel's official account has posted its photo of choice, and of course it would be this one, of course it would be. She and Natsu are the main characters, after all. It's the story of the celestial princess and the dragon king. The story of their homes, and how love creates an entirely new home for the both of them, one that doesn't require bricks or tiles. She should have expected this.
Yet here she is, astounded that her and Natsu's foreheads were almost touching during that photoshoot, the one where they're looking into each other's eyes. Their expressions are more intense than she thought they were. She knows that they're just acting, that this is a work of fiction, but she knows that her own pining is so real. She looks into her own eyes and doesn't see the celestial princess' feelings, but her own.
She shrieks into her own hands.
didn't expect to see me back so soon? yeah, me neither. but when you get inspiration, you get inspiration!