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Sometimes our light goes out but is blown into flame by another human being. Each of us owes deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this light.

– Albert Schweitzer

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Ignite

Chapter #15: Combustion

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The guild was filled to the brim and laughter poured out of its open doors faster than the alcohol. The night was cool for summer, the stars were shining, and she was surrounded by the people she loved most in the world. Everyone had come to help celebrate her birthday – even Loke had taken it upon himself to use his own magic so he could join the festivities.

Everyone except a certain pink haired dragon slayer and his Exceed, that is.

She muffled a sigh, sipping at the tall glass of... something that Mira and Cana had concocted for her. Despite what she was sure to have been their best efforts, no amount of strawberry flavoring could disguise the burn of alcohol. She had been forcing her smiles, faking her laughter, all night. Judging by the way everyone had been so eager to lift her spirits, she knew she wasn't really fooling anyone. Still, their efforts did make her feel a little better at least. Their love helped soothe the burn of abandonment.

She took another, larger, drink.

Beside her Loke raised a brow, leaning onto the bar top. "So... Do you want me to beat the crap out of him?"

Despite her sour mood, her lips quirked into a small smile. "I think you'd have to get in line. Erza's already got dibs. Unless you want to challenge her for it."

He snorted, pushing his glasses up before bringing his mug to his lips. "Nah, I think I'll just let her have this one."

Cana slung an arm over her shoulders, and Lucy felt the brunette's hair tickle her cheek as the other woman leaned forward and placed her empty mug on the counter. "Don't get your panties in a bunch quite yet, Missy. Natsu will be here."

Lucy glanced up, unsure if she should feel hopeful or skeptical. "You think?"

The card mage huffed. "I know." When Mira replaced her empty mug with a full one, she grinned and tipped her glass. "Thanks, Mira!"

From behind the bar, Mira returned the smile as she wiped down the dirty glass. It didn't quite erase the worry from her eyes, though. "I just don't understand it. He was so excited for your birthday this year."

Cana rolled her eyes. "I just said he'll be here didn't I? Loser's just late for the party is all."

Mira looked about as convinced as Lucy felt. Beside her, Loke casually leaned on the counter. "Is that what your cards are telling you?" he asked, sounding almost hopeful.

Taking another swig from her beverage, Cana shrugged. "They mighta hinted. Doesn't take a future teller to know it."

Lucy frowned. "What do you mean?"

She raised her brows before shaking her head. "Sheesh, you're both hopeless." Cana chugged the rest of her beer and slapped the mug on the bar top. "Seriously," she said, "Don't you see the way he looks at you?"

Immediately understanding the implication, Lucy flushed. "It's not like that. We're just friends."

"Well no shit, but only because the both of you are so damn thick headed to see what's right in front of you," she grumbled.

Mira passed the card mage another drink, before giving Lucy a sly smile. "I've said from the start you'd be adorable together."

Lucy resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "What is with you two and trying to play matchmaker?"

"Hey, I'm just pointing out the obvious," Cana said defensively. "Besides, we aren't the only ones who see it. Ain't that right, Loke?"

Loke coughed, choking on his drink. After pounding his chest and finding that he had all three women's full attention, he gave a nervous smile. "Ah, well, I don't think – that is –" He sighed, visibly deflating. "I really can't say." He turned to Lucy, eyes genuine. "Though I will say that I agree with Cana on one thing – I don't think Natsu would ever intentionally miss today. I'm sure he has a good reason for not being here."

Cana scoffed. "Chicken. I know you see it too."

Loke scowled at her. "Like I said, I really can't say." His gaze shifted to something over Lucy's shoulder, prompting him to finish off his remaining beer before standing and adjusting his suit. "But if you really need someone else's opinion on the matter, why don't you ask Happy?"

Happy? Lucy turned just in time to see a blur of blue zooming towards her before it careened into her chest with enough force to tip her bar stool. "Lucy!" Happy exclaimed, grinning up at her. "Happy birthday!"

She coughed, trying to draw the air back into her lungs. "Thanks," she wheezed, patting his head and giving the Exceed a smile in return.

"Told ya so," Cana sing songed, before grabbing her mug and heading towards the card tables.

Lucy rolled her eyes, her mouth parting to comment to Loke only to find the lion spirit gone. A quick glance around the room showed that he had meandered over to where Gray and some of the other guys were at the opposite end of the bar. Her smile waned, however, when another (more thorough) scan of the guild revealed no Natsu.

"We were wondering where you were," Mira chastised. "I imagine you're hungry. Would you like some fish?"

The Exceed nodded. "Aye!"

Mira quickly went back into the kitchen to, presumably, get the feline his meal. "Happy, where's Natsu?" Lucy asked, feeling nervous for reasons she couldn't explain.

"Oh, he's getting washed up," the feline chirped, jumping from her lap and onto the bar. "He stunk." His nose wrinkled, his whiskers twitching as if he could still smell something foul.

"Oh," she said, suddenly feeling silly. Maybe she wasn't giving the dragon slayer enough credit after all. "So he is still coming?"

Happy gave her a strange look. "Of course. Natsu would never miss your birthday!"

Lucy raised a groomed brow, but resisted the urge to remind the Exceed that the year before the dragon slayer had forgotten entirely. It was only by chance that he came into the guild that day. "Well, what about you? You didn't need any cleaning up?"

Happy blinked at her. "I'm a cat."

Right... Come to think of it the Exceed never did let himself get too filthy. Instinct must override his general sloppiness and laziness. "What took you both so long? I thought it was only suppose to be a week?"

Mira set his plate in front of him with a wink before rushing off to refill the other customer's drinks down at the opposite end of the bar. Shrugging his shoulders, Happy answered her between bites. "The train we were suppose to take home shut down. Something about the bridge outta town being damaged. So we walked instead."

So, her best friend had a reasonable excuse after all. She felt any lingering irritation drain away. Wherever they had gone, it was obviously a long ways if it was originally suppose to take a week by train. Natsu must have pushed them hard to have made it in the time they did. No wonder even Happy was put off by his hygiene.

"And then we had to keep stopping for ice."

Lucy's attention perked at the cat's offhandedly addition. "Ice?"

Immediately the Exceed froze, seeming to realize his blunder. With wide eyes he answered casually (too casually), "We just needed ice."

"Uh huh," she responded, not at all convinced but not really knowing what to make of the tidbit of information either. What in the world would they need ice for?

He ate the last remaining morsel of fish before jumping off the bar top and hovering in the air. "Thanks for the fish, Mira!"

Farther down the bar, where she was serving Gray another glass of whiskey, the take over mage smiled. "You're welcome!"

Lucy grabbed his tail, effectively stopping him from leaving. "Hey! Where are you flying off to in such a hurry?"

Happy shrugged. "I need to go give Charle the gift I got her!"

Lucy rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but smile. "Let me guess, another fish?"

Happy looked over his shoulder, seeming to check to make sure Charle wasn't looking, before pulling out a small can from his knapsack and holding it up for her to see. "Do you think she'll like it?" he whispered, sounding more nervous than his usual self.

Lucy read the label, trying to hide her surprise. "Caviar?" Well, at least it wasn't another fish. Happy looked up at her hopefully, and she gave him a reassuring smile. "That's pretty fancy of you, Happy. I'm sure she'll appreciate it." The smile he gave her was bright, and Lucy had the sudden urge to help her friend out. "You know, you should try to give it to her when you two are alone."

He tilted his head. "Why?"

She shrugged. "Sometimes people get embarrassed about stuff like that." She was almost positive Charle did. Lucy was pretty sure if it wasn't for all of his gifts being so public, the feline would have accepted one by now.

"But Charle is an Exceed," Happy deadpanned.

Lucy sighed, not having the patience to fully explain it to the feline. "Just do it, Happy." She gave him a wink. "You can thank me later."

Happy still looked skeptical, but he nodded. "If you say so," he quipped, before zooming off to where Wendy and Charle were talking to Levy.

Lucy laughed under her breath and took a long sip from her drink – wincing as the alcohol burned its way down her throat. She really needed to keep Cana away from her beverages. Still... She took another deep drink. It was her birthday, she thought with a giggle. With the alcohol warming her blood, she stood from her seat, suddenly feeling flushed. Maybe she would just go get some air.

She made it halfway across the guild before Erza stopped her. "Lucy, you can't leave!" she said, sounding almost panicked. "We still have to eat cake and sing the birthday song! Not to mention opening gifts and –"

Lucy set a hand on the redhead's shoulder. "Erza – I'm not leaving. I'm just going to get some fresh air. I'll be right back."

"Oh." Erza straightens, giving Lucy a firm nod. "Very well then. I am sure the schedule will allow you to step out for a moment."

The celestial mage gave a breathy laugh and wondered who had the great idea of putting Erza in charge of the party planning (then again, now that she thought about it, the mage probably put herself in charge). She loved the woman, but Erza could be a little too detail and schedule oriented. Poor Gajeel had already been put through the ringer for not joining in on yelling 'happy birthday' as Lucy walked through the guilds doors. "I won't be long," Lucy promised. She really did only need a quick moment to cool down. Besides, somehow she got the feeling that being the birthday girl wouldn't save her from the rigid schedule the red head had set.

Erza gave another nod before turning sharply and beginning to bark orders to some poor soul. Something about a piñata? Lucy shook her head, smiling as she exited the guild. Erza could be a bit crazy, but she knew it was only because she wanted things to be perfect. She was a good friend like that.

The moment she walked through the doors, she sighed in relief. Shutting the door behind her, she closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the thick wood. The air was cool and clean, and the quiet (well, almost quiet – she could still hear the muffled noise from inside and the cicadas chirping from the tall grass) was a nice break.

"Luce?"

Her eyes snapped open, her heart jumping in her chest. Natsu was only a few yards away from her, a medium sized package under his arm and staring at her. He was wearing his old outfit – the one with the open vest and the gold trim. Why on Earthland was he wearing that?

"What are you doing?" he asked bluntly, eyeing her curiously.

She pushed herself from the door, suddenly feeling embarrassed. "Nothing! I just..." Her words faltered, and the booze must have loosened her tongue because suddenly she was blurting, "You came."

Natsu blinked, back straightening. "Of course I came." He sniffed the air, his eyes narrowing inquisitively. "Are you drunk?"

Her denial was immediate. "No!" When he raised a skeptical eyebrow, she huffed. "I've only had one drink, thank you very much!"

He grinned, shaking his head and walking towards her. "Sure, and I be you let Cana mix it for you."

"Maybe," she muttered, her feet moving until she met him half way. "I'm glad you made it," she confessed softly, "I was worried you wouldn't."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, sorry I'm late. It was the damn train."

She nodded. "I know, Happy told me." She gestured towards his vest, making a point to keep her eyes on his face (even though the alcohol buzzing through her veins insisted she take a peek). "What's with the old outfit? Did your newer ones get ruined on the trip?"

"Nah, just dirty," he said with a shrug.

Her hands reached out before she could stop them, straightening the collar of his vest. "You aren't one to usually worry about showing up to a party with a little road dust."

He swallowed, stiffening beneath her fingers. "Yeah, well, special occasion. Right?" he answered stiffly. Jerkily, he placed the package he was holding between them – forcing her hands away in the process. "Happy birthday, Luce."

Gingerly, she accepted the gift – surprised by how heavy it felt in her hands and strangely pleased by the haphazard wrapping. In the plain brown paper there were plenty of extra wrinkles and creases to prove exactly how many times the dragon slayer had tried (and failed) to wrap her gift. She suspected that the simple twine ribbon probably gave him equal amount of trouble. That he would go through so much effort over a gift – a gift for her – warmed her heart.

"Well, aren't you going to open it?" he asked, fidgeting uncomfortably in front of her. There was a red tinge to his cheeks as he crossed his arms over his chest, but his eyes remained fixed on her.

She shook her head, a shy smile tilting her lips and warming her cheeks. "Oh, yes, of course." She opened the clumsily wrapped package with careful hands. When she peeled the paper back it took her a moment to recognize what she was seeing, but she'd recognize that logo anywhere. It was the chocolate that her and Mom used to share all those years ago. The same salted dark chocolate with slivered almonds in the form of a thin bar that Ms. Spetto and the others would give to her on her birthday as a gift so many years ago. The same chocolate that she had mentioned – only mentioned – to him weeks ago.

She heard him curse before his calloused thumb stroked her cheek and made her jump. Her eyes snapped to his. He was cringing, as if he was pained, and more than a little panicky. When his other hand reached up to brush across the underside of her other eye Lucy realized she was crying. "I'm sorry," he muttered. "I just thought – you sounded like you were craving it and – if you don't like it –"

She lunged at him, wrapping her arms his neck and holding him close. "Thank you," she said softly, burying her face into his shoulder. "Thank you so much." She felt him relax against her, and his hands came up to return her embrace.

"Geez, Luce. Don't scare me like that. I thought I screwed up," he muttered, his chin resting against the top of her head. "Why would you cry if you like it? You're so weird."

She gave a watery laugh, her arms loosening so she could pull back enough to look up at him. His cheeks were flushed with a light dusting of pink, but he met her gaze unflinchingly. "You didn't screw up," she said, holding him tighter. She understood now why Happy said they had to stop for ice. It was to keep her gift from melting. Natsu had not only braved a train for her, he had made the effort to make sure that her present wouldn't be ruined by the summer heat. Suddenly she realized that there was no mission – the 'job' he took without her was in her hand. She pulled away, holding her present close to her heart. "This is the best present anyone has ever given me."

The grin he gave her was blinding and equally contagious. Lucy laughed, wiping away any lingering tears with the back of her hand. She couldn't remember the last time her heart felt so full. She wanted him to feel the same way.

Setting the box down beside her, she removed one of the many bars of chocolate before proceeding to tear the silver foil and exposing the candy underneath. She broke off a sizable piece and held it up to him in offering. "Here, do you want to try?"

He tilted his head and, instead of taking it from her, gave her a confused stare. "It's your present. You should have it."

She blinked. Since when, in the history of ever, did Natsu turn down food. "I want to share it with you." When he still looked unsure, she took a bite out of the chunk she'd already broken off, savoring the way the chocolate melted against her tongue with a combination of sweetness and salt. Mavis, she really had been craving this. "See, now I took the first bite," she mumbled, words muddled around her chocolate coated mouth. "So now you can't feel bad about trying it."

Slowly, a large grin began to overtake his face. His hand reached out to hers, but instead of taking the piece of candy, his fingers fastened around her wrist and brought her fingers to his mouth. Before her mind could register what he was doing, his teeth were gently biting into the chocolate – one sharp fang grazing against her finger – and eating directly from her hand. She blushed approximately ten shades of red, her entire body tensing as the feel of his hot breath fanning across her skin set her nerves aflame. The intimacy of the action was not lost on her, but looking at Natsu's pleased expression as he chewed, she realized that he probably had no idea that what he just did implied romance.

"Wow! That is good! I don't usually like sweets, but the salt makes it taste totally different!"

"W–why couldn't you use your hand like a normal person?!" she stuttered, trying to calm the fire in her cheeks.

He gave her an innocent look, his head tilting as he evaluated her. "I didn't want it to melt...?" When she merely stared back at him, he shrugged. "The stuff always gets all over when I eat it."

Right... his body temperature was higher than most. No doubt the soft chocolate would melt within seconds of touching him, and Natsu had never been the cleanest eater to begin with. He'd probably end up covered in it...

She wondered how it would taste off his skin.

The stray, unbidden thought made her freeze. Suddenly she felt ten times warmer than she did back in the guild, and she fought the urge to fan her face.

Oh.

Oh no.

She can't. She can't be having these kinds of thoughts – particularly not in front of him! She swallowed thickly, mouth suddenly feeling dryer than desert sand as she pried her eyes away from the corded muscle of his neck. This was all Cana's fault. The card mage had obviously planted this idea in her head with their earlier conversation.

"I, uh, guess that makes sense," she stuttered, forcing the words out and willing with every fiber of her being to think of something – anything – that would keep her from bursting into flames right in front of him. In her hand she could feel the chocolate softening and coating her fingers. She cleared her throat. She needed to get ahold of herself. Really, what the hell was she doing thinking about that? They were friends, damn it. Just friends.

Except, when she finally gathered the courage to look at him, he seemed to be as dazed and flushed as she felt. Her breath hitched and her pulse fluttered. She couldn't be imagining the way his eyes darkened when she licked her lips – could she? Or the way his hands twitched at his sides, as if he wished to touch her?

"Um, excuse me?"

They leapt apart from each other (when did they even get so close?) and Lucy fought to keep the heat from her cheeks as she turned towards the guild's tiniest dragon slayer.

Wendy fidgeted, looking uncomfortable. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. It's just that, Erza wanted me to come get you so we can do the cake."

The cake? Oh, yes, the cake. Her birthday cake. Right. Because it's her birthday. "Thank you, Wendy," she said, trying to keep her voice steady – casual. "I'll be there in just a moment."

The young woman hesitated – probably weighing the odds of survival if she were to come back without the birthday girl in tow. Eventually she gave a small nod, eyes darting to Natsu before giving a small wave and heading back through the guild doors.

A moment of silence (interrupted only by the cicadas) passed before Natsu cleared his throat. "Should probably go in – you know how Erza gets."

Lucy tucked a stray hair behind her ear, glancing up at him. She tried to ignore the way her heart jumped when she found him already staring down at her with an intensity that made her knees weak. "Yeah," she replied, feeling breathless. The alcohol. It must be the alcohol. She couldn't let herself believe anything else.

He held out his hand, grinning so widely his cheeks dimpled in the corners. Still, there was something else hiding in his eyes – something she was afraid to place. "Ready, Birthday Girl?"

She nodded, taking his hand and entering the guild with him beside her.

The rest of her night was spent blowing out candles and eating cake. Under her hands presents were opened and friends were thanked. She watched, distractedly, as the guild about tore itself apart trying to be the first to hit (demolish) the piñata. She smiled as bright as she ever had, and laughed maybe more, but it didn't quite reach her anxious heart.

It wasn't until she was back home, with the lights out, sitting cross legged on her bed that she could confront the obvious. She had been such a fool. Cana was right. She can't forget the look in his eyes, or the way her whole body warmed at the sight of it. Natsu wanted her, she saw it now.

Lucy held her pillow to her chest, trying to still the erratic beating of her heart. She thought of the dream she experienced at the dream mages hands – of how Natsu's arms had wrapped around her and the way her Mother greeted him like family – and buried her face into her pillow.

She wanted him too.

AN: I apologies for any errors – I wanted to post it for you guys before the end of NaLu week so it hasn't been sent to my (absolutely wonderful) beta yet. Once she is done with it I will replace the chapter, but in the mean time I hope you still enjoy!

As always, thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter! I live for your thoughts and feedback!

Also, feel free to check out my new Neverland AU. :)