Hello again! I hope you enjoyed the first part of this story. It's weird getting into a fandom where almost nobody knows me, but I refuse to give up! So hope the ones who stuck around enjoy this chapter. =)
Disclaimer: Things I don't own…a corvette, a corgi, a hot boyfriend, and Fairy Tail….-sighs-
Warning: Later chapters will be filled with some lemony goodness. You have been warned!
Chapter Two: A Stripper Has Its Benefits
"You really posed naked for Lisanna?" Levy's loud question caught the attention of anyone in a ten foot radius, not that she seemed to mind. The psychology class was let out early, so the four girls decided to grab lunch together to talk about Lucy's dilemma. After explaining what Mira and Loke had said, Levy latched onto what she considered the most interesting part of the story. Juvia, who was now tugging at her hair in embarrassment, nodded while she stared out the window.
"Juvia wanted to help her friend, in return for what she has done for Juvia." Lucy smiled at the response, wondering how long it would take for Juvia to stop talking in third person. It was a habit that had been going on since they met sophomore year.
"It's a very noble thing to do, Juvia. Even with my love for my friends, I'm not sure I could make the sacrifice you did," Erza said, trying to calm the embarrassed girl.
"Well count me out. I've only let three people in my life see me naked, and I don't plan on adding a fourth!" Levy's obvious modesty made Lucy raise an eyebrow to the semi-blushing girl.
"Wait, what about your future husband? You're just going to have sex with clothes on?"
"Juvia thinks that sex with clothes would be most impossible, Levy." Levy looked between the two before muttering something under her breath. Erza, not reading the atmosphere, quickly spoke.
"I don't think he's a good candidate for marriage. And how did he see you naked?" Lucy blinked as Levy's face rose in color; quickly throwing her hands over Erza's confused mouth.
"We're not here to talk about me! We're talking about Lucy having to draw someone naked by Monday!" Returning back to the dreadful topic, Lucy groaned and dropped her head on the table.
"She said it had to be someone I know, so I can't exactly just go look up a picture on the internet. I mean, I could, but I feel like she'd somehow know. Professor Mira is kind of creepy like that."
"And lying isn't the answer, Lucy." Righteous Erza struck again, slamming her fist down on the table. Lucy yelped as her head bounced off the surface while the other two jumped. "You'll just have to find someone comfortable enough around you to strip."
"Who the heck is going to be okay with stripping in front of me?!" Lucy asked, yanking her head up to stare at the redhead. She got no verbal response, though Erza's eyes shifted over to Juvia. Lucy looked to the girl, who instantly blushed and shook her head.
"Juvia was so embarrassed the first time; Juvia could not do it again. Juvia is sorry, Lucy."
"No, it's okay. I don't know if I could get the right emotion to draw you either. You're a great friend, but I'd need someone that I've known a little longer than you."
"Well what about Loke? He said he's done it before, and you've known him since we were all in high school. You two hung out at Fairy Tail too, right? Plus, he's in your class. I'm sure that he'd pose for you if you needed him to," Levy offered, which resulted in a quick shake of the head from Lucy.
"No way. Now that I know he's someone's boyfriend, it would be too weird for me to draw him. And I don't really have any uh…well, passion with him. Professor Mira said it had to be someone that invokes feelings within me. So someone I'm pretty close to." The other three girls looked around the table, each seeming to understand each other without saying a word. Lucy's eyebrows furrowed together, not liking the hesitant looks on their faces. The clock chimed eleven times, signaling that they were running out of time to come up with ideas. But Lucy wasn't ready to leave yet. "What? What did I say?"
"Juvia has to go to her class now!" Before Lucy could stop her, the girl slipped away from the table and out of the cafeteria. Lucy wasted no time grabbing the two left, yanking them back down in their seats.
"Will one of you just tell me what you were all thinking? This is my grade we're talking about here!" She gave both the best puppy dog eyes she could muster, trying to get either one of them to cave. Levy hesitated before slowly opening her mouth.
"Well…you do have someone really close to you," Levy said, though not giving away the answer.
"Are you offering me spot number four on your naked list?"
"No!"
"What she means is," Erza started, pushing Levy back into her seat. Erza took a slight breath, looking over to her younger friend and squaring her shoulders like a battle stance. Erza was a little eccentric, but Lucy refrained from saying anything to hear what the girls were babbling about. "You could always ask Natsu to pose for you."
"Natsu?" Lucy repeated, instantly coming up with a picture of the pink-haired roommate in her head. "Natsu…" after she repeated his name, the image morphed into him starting to undo his pants. Fiercely blushing once she realized what she was doing, Lucy quickly smacked her own palm onto her forehead and look back at the two girls in front of her. "NATSU?!"
"It was just a thought!" Levy said quickly, gathering her stuff while she rambled. "I mean if you don't want to ask him, I'm sure there are other people that you are close to that don't have a problem with getting naked for you and I'm really sorry that I can't sit here and talk because I have to go see a teacher about a paper soIwillseeyoutomorrowgoodluc k BYE!"
"Wait!" but once again, her friends left her alone with her problem still unanswered. Lucy, huffing from the 'help' that her friends gave her, packed up her things and headed toward her sculpting class. As she walked, she couldn't stop thinking about what Erza had just said. Her draw Natsu…naked? Even thinking about it brought an unwanted flush to Lucy's face. Just what the hell were they thinking? Not only would Natsu say no to her asking, but it would probably mess up their friendship! Natsu wasn't the kind of guy to just whip out what the good lord gave him in front of other people. Lucy had been his roommate for three years and had never seen him without pants on. He hated Gray's stripping habit, and had admitted to her that he never felt comfortable changing in the locker rooms at high school. Natsu, contrary to his explosive personality, was extremely modest with nudity. To ask him to pose for her would probably make him think she had no respect for him. And that was the last thing she ever wanted to do.
"Hello Lucy." Despite never being a pro at clay molding, there was one benefit to the frustrating class. Lucy smiled at her handsome friend, who was already working on his piece from the previous class. Gray Fullbuster was also an art student, who specialized in sculpting with any type of material. In the winter, the campus was flooded with ice sculptures done by her very talented friend. Dropping her bag next to her pottery stand, Lucy rolled up the sleeves to her green button up before sitting next to Gray.
"Hi Gray, how are you?" At her cheerful greeting he shrugged, pedaling the sculpture around. His eyes narrowed on a single spot before his hands quickly moved to perfect it. Lucy couldn't help but watch the talent his fingers created. Though he was what Natsu called a 'Frenemy', Lucy had always gotten along with Gray's cool composure. What would irritate most people, Gray let go with a shrug of his shoulders. He was one of the few friends that Lucy would call normal, except for his unexplainable need to strip. Back in high school, he got called into the principal's office more times without a shirt on than with. Luckily for him, the principal was single and she was willing to let him off the hook more than once.
"I can't say I have as many problems as you." Lucy went to ask what he was talking about, but the composed guy beat her to it. "Juvia called me about ten minutes ago in a panic. Said something about abandoning you in a time of crisis. I told her you'd be fine. But, it doesn't sit well with me that you're so troubled by something you'd go to Juvia for help."
"Well why wouldn't I? She's my friend, and a really good listener. Anyone would be lucky to have her in their life… if they gave her a chance," Lucy said, giggling as Gray's skilled hands fumbled for a minute. He cursed quietly before looking over to her, slight irritation in his normally stoic gaze.
"Me and Juvia have a platonic relationship."
"Oh, I get it." She waited until he started to mold again before she spoke. "So then she can date Lyon?"
"No!" He snapped quickly, which only enhanced the grin on Lucy's face. It was very rare that Gray showed his anger, but adding Lyon Vastia and Juvia into the same sentence was a sure fire way to get on Gray's bad side. Despite his constant denial of anything going on between him and Juvia, he never seemed to enjoy the idea of another guy talking to her. No, he didn't go to the extremes that Juvia did when seeing him with another girl (Lucy had been on Juvia's bad side for quite some time). Still, he always seemed to be there if another man, especially Lyon, tried to get Juvia's attention.
"Gray, you took your shirt off." At this he looked down, cursing again at the bareness of his chest.
"How did that happen again?" The people that Lucy hung out with…
Gray could strip in front of a whole crowd, but wouldn't allow himself to feel anything for Juvia. Levy was one of the smartest people she knew, and couldn't realize Gajeel was crazy for her. And Erza with her childhood romance Jellal…Well that was just a whole bag of insanity. As she watched Gray re-button his shirt, Lucy could only wonder why it was so difficult for anyone in her group to admit liking someone of the opposite sex. Really, how hard could it be?
"I'm sorry Gray, I couldn't help myself," She apologized. He let out a slow sigh, as if expelling any anger he felt toward her.
"It's not your fault. I should let Juvia date who she pleases without interruption from me. Even if it is with that bastard." From his choice of words, Lucy had a feeling that wasn't going to happen any time soon. "So, you figure out your 'problem'?"
"Not really," she answered, starting to work on her own sculpture. It wasn't nearly as pretty as Gray's, but it was pleasing to her. "You know that weird art class I'm taking?"
"The controversial one, you mean?" She nodded, skimming her fingers through the wet clay.
"We have a new assignment, and I'm not really sure how I'm going to complete it."
"Can I help?" She went to laugh at his suggestion, only to stop when she saw three of his buttons undone yet again. The bare skin reminded her of the project at hand. She finally looked back to his face, which showed his confusion from her lack of response. Gray Fullbuster was extremely handsome, and she had known him almost as long as Natsu. He was one of her best friends, and she couldn't deny that she was passionate about their friendship. Maybe not as much as Natsu, but that was comparing apples to oranges. The one thing he did have over Natsu was the fact that she had seen more of his body on a regular basis. Since Gray had the tendency to strip without notice, his body was not foreign territory to her.
"You might be able to, actually. How would you feel about modeling for me so I could draw you?" Gray blinked, then smirked and leaned closer to her.
"Any particular reason you are asking me? Besides the fact I'm your hottest friend?"
"Well, it's kind of up your ally." Lucy tried to say it as pleasantly as possible, not wanting to upset her hopeful model. He didn't seem to buy her sweet explanation, and Lucy knew she was going to have to lay it all out on the line. "I need to do a nude sketch of someone who I consider attractive. It has to be someone I have a connection with, and since I've been friends with you for so long…"
"You want to draw me naked?" The way Gray said it made Lucy blush and shake her head.
"It's not like I chose this project! But yes, I want to use you as my model. If you're okay with it, that is."
"Did you ask Natsu?" What kind of question was that? Lucy asked Gray to be her naked model, and all the guy can think about was her best friend? Why would he care who she drew?
"I didn't think I had to. It's not like I'm sleeping with you or something; it's simply an art project." Not that she'd have to ask Natsu to sleep with him either. It wasn't like he asked her to sleep with that girl sophomore year. She scowled at the memory, the feeling of bitterness biting at the edge of her heart. She still wasn't completely over that? Why did it still hurt so much?
"I would be glad to help you Lucy. Just…do me a favor and ask the hot head about it. As much as I enjoy to piss off Natsu, this kind of feels like a sneak attack on my part."
"A sneak attack? Why are you so concerned about Natsu? Is there something you're not telling me? Like, you two are dating or something?" At the accusation, Gray scrunched his nose and shook his messy hair quickly.
"Trust me, I'd rather stay celibate for the rest of my life than have sex with that guy. Just…" Lucy knew Gray was taking time to correctly word his sentence. Gray was sensible, and never just blurted out what was on his mind. Still, this was a little much even for Gray. "It's his apartment too, and I think he'd want to know if another guy was getting naked in it. So ask him, and as long as he's okay with it, I'm all yours."
"Oh you're right! It would be weird for him to walk in on that without talking to him." Lucy nodded at Gray's explanation, realizing that it wasn't quite fair to Natsu. They shared the apartment together. Dragging some naked guy into his living room without permission would be kind of rude, even if it was Gray. How would she feel if Natsu brought a girl home to pose naked for him? Once again, a sharp pain nibbled on her heart, implying she didn't like the idea. At all. After Lucy agreed to Gray's simple request, the two carried on a normal conversation throughout the rest of the class. She occasionally would slip in a joke about Juvia, just to see him struggle to keep the blush off his face. He sure was something different. Any other guy would be thrilled to have a beautiful girl like Juvia devoted to only them. Something strong held Gray back from diving into the water with the love-struck girl.
But what was it?
"Lucy, are you home?" Lucy yanked a shirt over her bra, answering her roommate's call once her head was through the hole.
"In my room, Natsu!" She had just secured the top over her belly button when Natsu broke in, not bothering to knock or ask her state of dress.
"Yo, what are you doing tonight?" Natsu leaned against her doorway, watching her while she yanked her black boots up her legs. Once zipped, she moved over to her mirror and started to comb her hair.
"As if you don't know." She glanced at him through her mirror, rolling her eyes at the mischievous grin sent her way. "It is Tuesday, you know."
"Was just checking to make sure you didn't forget us." He made his way to her bed, wasting no time jumping onto the soft surface. Lucy scoffed, wondering how her roommate could think she'd ever forget about Tuesday Trivia at the bar. Natsu had come home completely beaten by a particularly tough Tuesday Junior year, and Lucy had offered to take Natsu out for some food to de-stress him. While there, the two were asked to participate in a trivia game that Natsu couldn't refuse. The two had so much fun, that they decided to go every week to relieve any stress in their lives. It wasn't long that the roommates were joined by Erza and Gray, despite Natsu complaining about the latter. 'Team Natsu' had made it mandatory to be in attendance every Tuesday ever since.
The only exception had been when Lucy had fallen ill. Natsu had convinced her to stay out in the snow with him, forgetting her immune system was practically non-existent. Still she stayed, knowing it made her best friend happy. Realizing he was the cause of her sickness, Natsu resolved the issue by bringing the trivia to her. The three healthy teammates had come over with a board version of trivia, and continued the tradition in their living room.
"You think we're going to win this time?" Lucy asked, fixing her hair into a side ponytail.
"So long as Gray doesn't suck." At the mention of their mutual friend, Lucy remembered the promise she had made to her fellow artist. Putting the brush to the side, Lucy turned around and leaned back against her dresser.
"Speaking of him, I have a question to ask you."
"About that idiot?" Natsu pushed himself up into a sitting position, instantly following Lucy with his eyes. Without warning Lucy felt herself shiver, a reaction she noticed she got whenever Natsu's attention was directed to her. Normally the ball of energy never focused on one person for long, but it was moments like these that confused Lucy's heart enough to skip a beat. "So what do you need to know?"
"Well, I meant to tell you about this yesterday before you almost caught our apartment on fire. I'm taking a class that's meant to push the boundaries of our skill and give us insight onto our own style of art. This week, I need to uh…" Lucy trailed off, not sure how she was going to explain it to Natsu. If he noticed her hesitation he didn't show it, simply continuing to watch her silently. She swallowed the lump in her throat and pressed on. "I need to use Gray for one of my drawings."
"Well that's a waste of paper. Who the heck would want a picture of Gray?" Lucy could name quite a few girls who wouldn't mind. Still, Natsu wouldn't believe her even if she said that. To him, Gray was nothing but a pain in the ass. "And why Gray, anyways? Why not Levy or Erza?"
"It's…well I…"Lucy fumbled over her words, wondering just why it was so hard to explain this to Natsu. He was just her roommate! She had told Levy, Juvia, and even Erza with no sweat. Even Gray was a breeze. So why couldn't she just tell Natsu what her assignment was?
"Spit it out, Luce. We're going to be late for trivia, and you know how Erza is with time mana-"
"Na-Naked!" Lucy shouted, stopping whatever it was Natsu was complaining about. The two stared at each other, one confused and one embarrassed beyond belief.
"You want to be naked?"
"No! I…I need to draw Gray…" When she realized Natsu wasn't putting two and two together, she smacked her forehead and groaned. Maybe he was as dense as he had been in high school. "I need to do a naked sketch of Gray for my class Monday."
"…What?" Lucy yelped when the hand on her forehead was quickly yanked forwards, bringing Lucy straight into Natsu. When had he stood up? She looked up for a moment, her eyes widening when she saw an unidentifiable look in his eye. "Why the hell would you want to draw the stripper naked? Don't you see all his junk enough?"
"I don't want to draw him! You're not listening to me at all," She said, trying to shove herself away from him. She didn't make it too far, Natsu still having a secure grip on her hand.
"Then explain it better!" Natsu said, not taking the situation at all like Lucy expected.
"Professor Mira said I needed to draw someone in the nude that I knew. And it couldn't just be anyone; she is looking for someone I feel strongly about. Passionately about. I just kind of figured that Gray was my best bet. He's okay with nudity, I've known him the longest and—"
"But you haven't." The sudden change in Natsu's voice was eerie to Lucy. She made eye contact again, almost wincing at the obvious anger that lay there. "I've known you longer than him. And we're closer too!"
"O-Of course, you're my best friend you idiot!" Lucy replied, getting angry at Natsu for even thinking she doubted their friendship. Didn't he get that he meant more to her than anyone else?
"So why the heck did you choose Gray? I mean, your perverted teacher wants to see you draw passion or whatever, not some guy with a stripper's complex. If its connection she wants, you should draw me!"
"You…you want me to draw you?"
"Yeah!"
"You'll be my model, even if you have to be naked?" Lucy asked, cursing herself for blushing again. This conversation was not going down the path she had expected. Natsu, finally seeming to understand what they were really fighting about, awkwardly looked away. The question hung in the air, unable to disperse until her pink-haired roommate answered it.
"Yeah... I mean, that's what a best friend is for. To help you out with school and stuff, right? And you want a good grade, which you won't if you draw someone ugly like Gray. If you want your perverted teacher to drool, I'm the best guy for the job!" The insecure Natsu that had momentarily appeared before Lucy vanished, Natsu's cheeky smile showing he accepted the challenge Lucy unknowingly laid out for him.
"This isn't a contest you know," Lucy mumbled, trying to rub out her blush with her free hand. The other one was still held captive in Natsu's grip, which didn't help her embarrassment much.
"But you want to be the best artist you can, right?" She stopped her movement, looking up at Natsu before slowly nodding. "Then you don't need Gray's help. I'm your best friend, so I should be the one you draw. I'll support you any way I can, because you're important to me too, Lucy."
"Natsu…" Lucy's smile brightened the room as she launched herself at Natsu, knocking him back onto the bed. He let out a strangled yelp, but Lucy only laughed as she held onto him tighter. She knew she wasn't hurting him, despite his groans of how heavy she was. It was only when Natsu reminded her about Erza's time obsession that Lucy finally let him get up, continuing to smile. Though she was confused as to why Natsu had been so angry at first, it felt nice to know he would do anything to encourage her to succeed. She didn't know a single other person (excluding Gray and his stripping obsession) who would be willing to get naked for the sake of her grade.
"Are you ready to go kick some ass, team Natsu style?" Lucy giggled at Natsu's thumbs up, letting him pull her toward the door. She glanced down at their hands, wondering just when it was she had threaded their fingers together. Too scared to ask in case the dense boy didn't notice, Lucy let her best friend yank her out of their apartment and toward the bar.
Three days had passed since Natsu had agreed to be Lucy's model for her art project. Despite her normal need to get her work done several days in advance, Lucy had tried to put the project in the back of her head. When explaining to Levy about Natsu's outburst, she didn't seem surprised.
"Natsu," she said casually "has always been protective of you with men. You really thought he was going to let another man be naked around you? He'd rather eat fire than see you and Gray together that intimately."
The statement had gotten Lucy thinking again. Was what Levy said really true? Lucy knew that Natsu was very critical of the guys she dated, though normally it was because he could sense their true colors before she did. Him and Loke had been friends in high school, but Natsu never liked the way the playboy talked to Lucy. And he had the right to be protective; he was her best friend. She sure as hell wouldn't let any girl play around with Natsu's heart if she could help it.
But it was the second part of Levy's statement that had her concerned. When she had asked Gray to pose for her, she hadn't thought about it as intimate. Yeah, she did have strong feelings for Gray that would have made it possible to do a good piece of art. But not one of those emotions bordered the idea of intimate. If it did, Juvia would have surely had her head (the girl almost pulled her hair out when finding out who Lucy asked first). Now, having Natsu as her model made her think of things more…personally. It was good for the project, and she was sure she could get exactly what Mira was looking for by drawing Natsu. But for her heart?
That was a completely different story.
"Are you sure you want to come with us tonight?" Lucy fixed her belt around her waist, spinning once in her tan skirt to make sure it didn't show too much. She smoothed out the sexy black shirt she wore before turning back to Erza and smiling.
"Of course! Why wouldn't I?" The older girl remained quiet, walking over to the apartment window to look out at the campus. Lucy's room had an amazing view of their university, which it made it worth every penny her and Natsu spent on it. Lucy looked over Erza, silently admiring the beauty of her friend. Erza Scarlet was gorgeous, and could have any man that she wanted. She was intelligent and strong, and thought coolly under any situation she was given. Like Natsu, Lucy knew that her friend was destined for a great future. The only true weakness that Erza had was her inability to let go of her guilty past. She never really spoken about her life before meeting Natsu and the others, but Lucy knew she was an orphan by the time she got to the Fairy Tail safe haven.
In fact, Erza had only just recently re-connected with a boy from her dark past. Seeming to bear the same cruxes as Erza, Jellal Fernandez appeared in Erza's life just two years ago. Fate had crossed their paths in a military history class during Jellal's senior year, which had really shaken Erza more than she wanted to admit. It was one of the only times Lucy had to hold Erza while she cried out her pain that night. Seeing how badly he hurt her, Jellal tried to avoid the red head at any costs, even risking failing the class to make her life easier. Erza, however, would never let him fail because of her. In true warrior fashion, Erza broke into the men's dormitory, grabbed the self-loathing man, and forced him back into the classroom he had all but given up on. The two worked together to pass the grueling class, and Erza was sure she'd never see the boy again after graduation. It was a hard pill to swallow for the normally tough girl.
Erza's surprised blush when seeing Jellal on her doorstep the next day was something Natsu swore he'd never let her live down. Two years later, the two were still hashing out their shadowy pasts while trying to work on some sort of relationship.
Erza had showed up at Lucy's apartment a mess, quickly booting Natsu out in order to beg Lucy for help getting ready. Jellal had asked if he could spend the night at Erza's apartment. It was a big step anyone with a brain could recognize (Natsu, of course, couldn't understand the girl's panic). Lucy was happy to see her friend's romance making progress, so she agreed to help the hopeless girl choose what outfit and hairstyle to wear for the big night. Now, the stunner was wearing a beautiful white dress, her hair pulled up to not distract from the make-up Lucy had put on her.
"I feel like I dragged you into this. I'm such a horrible friend," Erza said, placing her hand on the wall as her eyes clenched in unseen pain. Lucy awkwardly laughed, not really sure why Erza was being so hard on herself. Then again, it was her personality to take every burden of her friends onto her own shoulders.
"It's okay, really! I haven't gotten 'dolled' up in a really long time, never mind for a party. Plus, we're friends, right? I know you'd do the same for me," Lucy said, smiling at her upset friend. Quickly she was engulfed in a hug that she was sure was going to break her ribs. Yup, Erza was a character.
"Thank you for everything, Lucy. If you ever need a favor, I'm here for you." Lucy wanted to cash in her favor to save her bones from snapping, but Erza thankfully released her from her grasp. Lucy blinked when Erza placed her hands on her shoulders, Lucy looking up at the serious face of her friend. "But since you say I'm not forcing you to go to this party, why are you going? Not to be nosy, but you normally spend your Friday nights at home with Natsu, don't you?"
"Oh! That…well, uh…" Lucy looked to the side in unease, knowing that what Erza said was true. She hadn't planned on breaking her normal Friday habits, honestly. She had already picked out a movie for the two of them to watch together. Her mind was quickly changed when Natsu suggested working on the project that night. In fact, this was the third time he had offered his free time to her that week. But like the two times before that, Lucy felt her entire body freeze up at the idea of doing the drawing yet. She just wasn't…ready. She knew her skill was there, and that Natsu's willingness to work with her was probably a plus in her situation. Lucy just couldn't stop the excuses from coming out of her mouth when he asked about it. This time, he actually seemed bothered by her excuse of promising Loke to go to Gray's party that night. It was a complete lie, and she hated seeing the hurt expression Natsu gave her. He quickly hid it, making her promise to hang out with him at the party before he went off to get ready. Lucy wanted to tell him the truth, but Erza came in soon after. She hadn't seen Natsu for hours.
"Are you having Natsu problems?" Lucy's mouth dropped open at Erza's question, which gave the red head all she needed to continue. "If this art project is going to be too intimate for you two, you could still ask Gray."
"No way! Me and Natsu can handle a silly picture, no problem. And why do people keep saying we're 'intimate'? Natsu wouldn't know what that word meant if I imprinted it onto his forehead," Lucy said, laughing at her own joke. Once her laughter died down, Lucy felt her eyes close partly while she placed the hand Natsu had held over her heart. "And Natsu would be really hurt if I didn't draw him. He seemed bothered when I told him I had asked Gray instead."
"You are a good person, Lucy Heartfillia." The two girls exchanged smiles, enjoying the moment of peace. It was short lived when the two heard arguing in the hallway, each giving the other confused looks before Lucy realized something important.
"I told Levy and Gajeel to meet us here! I totally forgot about them!" Grabbing her purse, Lucy ran out of the room. She opened her front door just in time to see an upset Levy smacking Gajeel across the face. She gasped in shock, mirroring the look that Gajeel had as he stared at the tiny girl in front of him.
"Gajeel you are such a jerk; I never want to see your face again!" Without warning the girl ran down the hallway and out of site, ignoring Lucy's calling of her name. Worried over her best friend, Lucy turned her glare to the tall man who was still scowling in the direction their mutual friend had gone.
"What did you say to her now?!" When the man didn't acknowledge her, Lucy shoved his chest hard to get his attention. He stumbled back a bit, finally turning his angry expression to Lucy. "Answer me!"
"Don't put your hands on me, bunny girl." Lucy ignored his threat, knowing full well the guy wouldn't lay a hand on her. If he did, Natsu would have no problem going after him.
"What did you do to Levy, Gajeel?" This time it was Erza who spoke, coming to stand next to the pissed off blonde. Gajeel turned his attention to Erza, seeming to lose some of the edge he had before. Though he was bigger, Erza was not a woman that any person wanted to mess with willingly.
"I didn't do anything to her. She made some stupid comment about being excited to dance tonight, and I just asked the shrimp who would ever want to dance with her. Then she got all huffy and started to yell at me. Then I got slapped. Like I said, I did nothing wrong."
"Except be the biggest idiot in the entire world," Lucy said, rubbing her temple and ignoring the shouting from the guy in front of her.
"You live with Natsu and you're going to say I'm the idiot?! The kid has more holes in his brain than Swiss cheese!"
"Yeah but he takes care of me and makes sure that I'm happy no matter what happens. And sure he can be an idiot, but he never calls me names or tried to embarrass me in front of all of my peers! At least he doesn't make me cry!" She shouted, shutting Gajeel up instantly. Her angry tirade was halted when she noticed the downcast stare Gajeel was giving the floor. Normally, he would just tell her to shut up or walk away from her when she started to lecture him. This time, he was completely stationary and quiet.
"Did I…really make the shrimp cry?" This was a side of Gajeel Lucy was sure most people didn't see. It caught her off guard, and suddenly a slight pinch of guilt hit her side.
"All she ever wants to do is impress you. Levy is a hard worker who gets praised by everyone around her, but all she seeks out is your approval. You may mean well, but you never compliment her or tell her how you feel. It can be damaging for someone like Levy, especially since she'd never ask you for the truth," Erza explained, seeming to understand Gajeel's emotional turmoil better than Lucy.
"Why does she care so much what I think? My opinion shouldn't matter after all the trouble I caused for her. Stupid girl, forgiving people too easily..." Lucy realized that the unreadable emotion Gajeel was showing was remorse. He still felt bad for the trouble he caused her best friend all those years ago. She knew Levy was over it, Levy had told her many times she had already forgiven Gajeel for the embarrassing situation. But, from the way he was talking right now, it was obvious that Gajeel hadn't forgiven himself.
"You really like Levy, don't you?" Lucy's soft question had the big man on quick defense, taking a few steps back from the two women.
"Don't be putting your words in my mouth, bunny girl!" Still, the faint blush on his face made the two girls look at each other knowingly. Guys like Gajeel were hard to break, but once you cracked the code, it was an easy read.
"How about the three of us head to the party? Levy will be sure to end up there, and then you two can make up." Erza took a step closer to Gajeel, a menacing aura quickly surrounding her. "And you will make up with her by the end of the night, right?"
"Y-Yeah, whatever." Though he tried to play off Erza's threat, it was easy to see how unnerved he became. Lucy nervously laughed and put her arm around Erza's shoulder, attempting to calm down the fiery girl.
"If you hurt him, you'll smudge your make-up before Jellal even gets to see you!" Erza instantly froze, Lucy inadvertently reminding the girl of her nerves. Trying to calm both parties down, Lucy put her hands up in defeat with a smile. "Let's just focus on getting to the party, okay?"
"Sure, yeah. The party, how could I forget…" Erza's voice was zombified as Lucy led her down the hallway and toward the apartment two floors down. Gray was lucky enough to get one of the bigger apartments with Lyon, which seemed to cause more problems than good. Lucy couldn't remember how many times she had heard the two of them fighting in the middle of the night. More often than not it was over a certain blue-haired girl. Tonight, Lucy could only pray that the two could play nice. Adding Natsu and Gajeel into the mix almost promised her otherwise.
Oh, how right she was.
And the plot thickens! A little fluff for the NaLu fans, with a couple other pairings in the mix. I promise that things will really start to heat up in the next chapter. So! What will happen at the party? How will Lucy drag everyone into her mess? Will feelings be uncovered? And who else thinks adding those four boys into ANY situation just screams disaster? Find out in the next chapter!
Chapter Three: The Beer Pong-Breakdown-Breakthrough