Love Test
Chapter 5: "Modeling Mayhem"
"You know, I still don't get it," the fire dragon slayer sighed exasperatedly.
"Don't go sighing like that like you're the one that's tired!" Makarov scolded angrily as the Strauss sisters simultaneously released sighs of their own, weary smiles donning their faces.
0o0-_-_-_-0o0
"Natsu!" A young blonde beauty called out frantically looking for her partner. "Isn't master done with him yet?" She groaned. "Even Mira-san's missing!" She complained noting the white haired bar maid's absence.
"It's okay, Lucy, I'm sure he'll show up soon," the purple head currently manning the bar smiled sympathetically.
Groaning the Zodiac mistress unceremoniously plopped herself down onto a barstool. "Kinana," she asked, tone calm.
"Yes Lucy?" Kinana asked nervously.
"Can you make me a strawberry milkshake please?"
"Sure thing."
Placing an elbow on the smooth surface of the bar the busty teen sighed. There was only one train heading towards the town their client wanted them in. But that wasn't the problem. The problem was that it took off at six AM. At six AM! How the hell was she supposed to get Natsu to wake up early enough for them to catch the train?! Lucy groaned yet again. She had to let Natsu know. Actually she'd have to have him sleep over this time, or get Erza to come along, that'd make him rise, get dressed, and be at the station three hours early. But if she brings Erza along then it's more likely the clients will completely ignore her and use the armored mage instead.
Kinana set down the desired drink before the distressed blonde. Thanking her purple haired fiend, Lucy then preceded to capture the straw between her lips and suck in some of her milkshake. It had a pink color, much like Natsu's soft, fluffy, hair. Lucy sighed as her thoughts drifted over to her partner. She'd barely joined the guild and Natsu had wanted to form a team with her. Although it was originally to use her (or her sexy looks as she thought), but they soon became really good friends. The celestial mage smiled, it would be so funny if they fell in love too (not like they ever would) because then they'd have the most amazing story to tell their potential children. Wait a second. What the hell was she thinking about?! This is insane! Soon Lucy was bashing the sides of her head while yelling, "It's not like that!"
"Oho, thinking about me are we?"
The young Heartfilia's hands came to a stiff stop her body tensed and her teeth grit. Ignoring the male behind her she went back to drinking her milkshake. Who the hell did he think he was? Pffft. She sure as hell was not thinking about him, she was thinking about Natsu! He and his ridiculous abs-revealing outfit could take a hike! That aside Natsu's abs were way nicer than his. Wait a second. WHAT THE HELL WAS SHE THINKING? Damn that stupid blondie behind her!
"Hey why are you ignoring me?"
Because you're an annoying jerk who's making me think about Natsu in that way, hands clenched into a tight fist, Lucy ground on her teeth to stop herself from exploding. Then again that little girl popped in her head. WHY AM I IMAGINING SUCH THINGS! The blonde groaned.
The annoying Saber mage behind her soon took a seat next to her in an attempt to get her attention. She looked away from him, not in the mood to deal with this flirt. Actually, she could see a lot of Natsu in him. It was almost as though he was a flirty Natsu… "Lu-cy, be mine," Natsu would put a hand on the small of her back and pull her body closer to his, leaning in simultaneously.
At that thought, Lucy choked on her drink and began to cough violently, as her face's temperature rose in temperature rapidly. I almost imagined myself kissing Natsu! The world before her spun violently. Their lips met! "IT'S NOT LIKE THA-" and so the celestial mage erupted in a coughing fit while falling off her bar stool.
0o0-_-_-_-0o0
Meanwhile in some other corner of the guild house...
Ignoring something bearing such intensity was difficult. Yet, she ignored it so easily? How could she ignore that annoying stare that Saber mage was giving her? Only he was allowed to watch over her as she read. No exceptions. "Tch," the sound came from him. Shoo him away dammit! The raven haired teen ground on his teeth as he continued to watch over his ex-victim. Why wasn't she getting rid of the guy in front of her? Or was it that she enjoyed having his gaze fall upon her? But still. HE WAS WAY TOO CLOSE!
Wait a second…Why was he even angry? If there was anyone who should be uncomfortable, aggravated, or irritated it should be that petite little bluette who has an unfamiliar male staring at her so intently. But, he couldn't help but be angry when someone other than him was staring at her with such intensity. Grinding his teeth against one another, the raven haired teen continued to glare at the scene before him.
"Gajeel! You're too loud! It's distracting me!" She finally erupted, but not for the reason that the man she was scolding wanted her to. "And grinding on your teeth is bad. Enough said."
"Why are you yelling at me?" The man asked taken aback. "You should be yelling at the brat who's got his face shoved in the back of your book!"
"Rogue-san isn't doing anything particularly wrong though," the petite girl's comment stimulated responses from both males, "though he is too close."
Gajeel smirked happily. "The shift in your facial features as you read intrigues me," the shadow dragon slayer responded calmly, earning a grunt from his rival.
"I still don't see why you have to have your face so close though," the bluette complained a blush dusting her cheeks.
"It's to better observe your face as its features shift."
"You can do it from a distance, dragon slayers have a heightened sense of sight, right?" Levy scowled while raising eyebrow a delicate eyebrow. "See look at Gajeel, he doesn't need to be up in my face in order to watch my features shift."
"H-hey! What's that about?!" The pierced man exclaimed. "I do not watch you as you read." He denied, rubbing the back of his head while looking away. It was almost as though he was attempting to hide the tint of pink that had appeared on his cheeks.
His response made Levy blush and go back to staring blankly at her book, thoughts that Gajeel had possibly been blushing running through her overly optimistic head. Of course the reason she bore as a fan of romance would take over and remind her that reality was nothing like fiction, and that he lacked the interest in her that she had in him. Levy sighed, reality was so cruel.
0o0-_-_-_-0o0
"Natsu!" Lucy chirped, rising from the wooden floor.
Finally! Finally he was out and she could tell him what she wanted and be done with her newly acquired annoying younger brother. Or so she felt about this annoying blondie behind her. "Natsu-san!" That pest sounded equally as excited. "Let's continue where we left o-"
"Uh, uh, uh, it's my turn to talk to Natsu," the celestial mage shoved his face away, cutting him off consecutively, "wait until I'm done."
Sting looked bewildered. What was she? His long lost older sister? Actually, that sounded fun, "Sure thing onee-chan," the white dragon slayer smirked. (big sis)
"O-onee-chan?" Lucy blushed. "The hell!"
"So Lucy, what do you want?" Natsu grit as he walked up to his partner, his momentary happiness upon being called over by Lucy soiled by his admirer's flirting with her.
"Well you see-"
"Oho-ho, it seems like onee-chan has a boyfriend she never told me about," Sting snickered, a smug smirk shaping his features.
The zodiac mistress blushed before continuing, "There's only one train heading towards-"
"You sure can pick 'em onee-chan, why didn't you tell me that Salamander was your boyfriend? You know I look up to him"
Lucy's eye twitched as she tried to continue, "There's only one train heading towards our client's location! But it leaves at-"
"Onee-chan and Natsu-san sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G, first comes love, then comes-"
"WOULD YOU SHUT UP!" The young Heartfilia and fire dragon slayer fumed, their cheeks glowing with a bright red tint.
That shut Sting up, along with most of the guild. "Thank you," Lucy turned around to face her pink haired partner again, "look, there's only one train heading towards our client's location, it leaves at six in the morning, if you don't think you can wake up in time, then come sleep over and I will force your lazy ass awake. Clear?"
Natsu nodded, completely dazed. Why was everyone trying to feed him so much information in under twenty-four hours? He was already tired enough from those excruciating tests that master was making him go through. "Natsu! Did you really get everything I'm telling you?" Lucy's hands rested on her curvy hips.
"Aah," Natsu nodded seriously, "I heard ya."
"They lliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiike each other," a traitorous voice was heard.
"Don't go rolling your tongue!" Lucy scolded the cat before stomping out of the guild.
0o0-_-_-_-0o0
A tired sighed escape the writer's lips as her legs lowered her into the warm translucent liquid filling her ceramic bath tub. "I so needed this," she breathed happily.
Thinking back on the day's events, she rolled her eyes at that annoying Saber pest's antics. Thank goodness she had cut him off before he went any further; her brain wouldn't have been able to take it! As if it wasn't enough that her imagination insisted on going surpassing the boundaries of the term "wild" and venturing to the far outskirts of the universe and come up with blasphemous ideas of her and her pyromaniac partner having a child. Natsu didn't even know how to conceive a child! Where was that child supposed to come from? Lucy blushed as she thoughts of her and her co-worker engaging in some very inappropriate activities flashed through her mind.
"I SAID IT NOT LIKE THAT!" She yelled her aggravated voice echoing throughout the tiled bathroom.
"Lucy, are you okay?" His voice came from the other side of the door.
This was all too much. Steam escaped Lucy's ears as her head rested limply against the side of the china tub. "Y-yeah, I-I'm fine she mumbled inaudibly, her eyes flickering open and shut, before she submitted.
"Lucy? Lucy!" He was panicking! Why was he panicking? Her eyes fluttered open what felt like seconds later.
"Yes?" The poor blonde was still unable to produce an audible answer.
Nanoseconds after her answer, whose sound vibrations failed to reach the dragon slayer on the opposite side of the door's sensitive ears, the bathroom door collapsed before her and in came that very dragon slayer worry written all over his face. Lucy was too shocked to react. Normally she'd scream, but she just…
"Lucy? What the hell weirdo! I thought you'd fallen asleep in the bath and drowned!" Natsu yelled.
"I-is that so?" The woman being scolded asked, completely in a daze, her brain dancing along the lines of consciousness.
There was something wrong here, Lucy should be yelling and throwing anything she should find at him. "Lucy are you okay?" He asked again. "That look on your face makes you look even more like a weirdo," he attempted to provoke her.
Why? Why was all this happening? Why was her brain doing this to her? First the child, then the kiss, now… that idea. It didn't help that she was fully naked in her bath tub filled with nothing more than transparent water. Why wasn't she yelling at him? Why didn't she have any energy? What the heck was wrong with her? How funny, she could feel the world spinning. It was spinning really fast. Like really fast. When did Natsu get so far away? Hmm? Now it was all black… It seemed she'd danced her way right passed the border of awareness.
0o0-_-_-_-0o0
The zodiac mistress felt warmth envelop her. The feeling of soft fabric covered the entirety of her body. She appeared to be laying on an even surface with only her head being slightly elevated by some fluffy plush surface. The blonde rolled on to her side, and was met with warm moist air being breathed into her face. The girl's eyes snapped open, and before her was the tired face of her partner. She smiled about to re-enter her land of ink dreams when she realized one critical detail. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM!" She exclaimed, abruptly sitting up.
"You told me to come and sleep here," the dragon slayer's face showed irritation, "and shouldn't you be thanking me, you fainted while you were in the bath."
"Huh?" Lucy's brain malfunctioned. It appeared her CPU's fan was not functioning properly as steam evaporated from her head yet again. It would seem that she was suffering from mental malfunctions way too often.
The blonde looked down and realized she was fully clothed, and she knew she had her underwear on. He couldn't have possibly… "WHAT THANKS YOU PERVERT!" She yelled karate chopping the rosette on the head and sending him falling backwards onto the wooden floor he was sitting on.
The great Salamander got up and glared at his blonde partner irritably. "I am not a pervert!" He huffed.
"Says the guy who looked at my naked body as he clothed me!" Lucy yelled. "I'm not suitable for marriage anymore! And it's all your fault!" She wailed.
"I-I didn't clothe you," Natsu gulped pink spreading across his tanned cheeks.
"Th-then who-" the key user's eyes widened, fear evident.
"Virgo did," Natsu answered, "I panicked and picked you up out of the bath tub the moment you fainted, but I swear I didn't see anything!"
The look the blonde was giving him showed her disbelief. "I covered your body with that towel over there," he pointed over to a towel on her desk chair, "and then I called Virgo out."
The celestial mage was still not convinced. Summon Virgo and ask her!" Natsu exclaimed exasperated.
"I think I will," Lucy huffed, but before she could so much as grab the key that unlocked the gate leading the land of the spirits, her top notch battle spirit popped out of nowhere.
"NATSU! Why'd you call Virgo out to dress Lucy?! Why didn't you call me out instead?" The suit wearing spirit whined.
"Because Loke," Natsu's eye twitched, "Virgo is a girl. You're a guy."
"But I'm still Lucy's loyal spirit, and lover!" Loke cried.
Upon hearing the lion's claim of being superior to him, his entire body tensed. The claim made his gut boil with an immense amount of fury. He grit his teeth, and allowed heat to seethe from his body. There was no way Lucy would ever have an interest in a flirt like Loke. Before the pyromaniac could respond his partner had smacked her spirit upside the head, "I don't ever recall being your lover! That aside, you have Aries don't you?!"
Blood rushed into the flirt's cheeks and as he was about to recoil before he got yet another hit on the head, "the lover business aside, WHAT? DID YOU WANNA STARE AT MY BODY YOU PERVERT!?"
The poor spirit shrunk as his master continued to scold him. She was soon calmed down by her partner placing a hand on her shoulder. Looking up to his face, she saw his bright, beautiful, beaming smile which could lighten up her world any day. "So do you believe me now?" He asked gleefully.
"No! I need Virgo to verify that when you somehow called her out I was covered in a towel!" Lucy huffed. "Otherwise I won't be suitable for marriage!"
The dragon slayer groaned. "I don't really think you need to Lucy," the lion spirit smiled, "I'm willing to have you in whatever state or form you are."
This earned the guy a flame covered fist and a Lucy kick.
0o0-_-_-_-0o0
A dejected figure walked down the glittery blue road miserably placing foot before foot in repetitive motion. The figure's miserable state attracted to the attention of a little fluffy ram. "L-Leo, I'm sorry, but are you okay? I'm sorry," she asked the figure.
Loke looked at the rosette, his face swollen and charred. Well, stared is more like it. Noting how she always apologised. Even when she did nothing wrong.
Feeling embarrassed the humanized ram pulled on the hem of her wool dress, biting on her lip. "Ah! I-I'm sorry for asking."
The leader of the twelve zodiacs smiled, "It's alright Aries."
0o0-_-_-_-0o0
"Uh-uh! You are sleeping on the couch! I am sleeping on the bed!" His blonde haired teammate scolded using her right pointer finger to explain the situation.
It would seem that the Child of Igneel had taken advantage of the fact that Lucy had gotten out of bed and quickly jumped in. "Who said? In this house it's first come, first served," the pinkette retaliated.
"And just whose house do you think this is?" Lucy rolled her eyes.
"It's our house," Natsu argued, emphasizing on his rightful ownership to this lovely apartment.
O-our house, Lucy steamed her mind venturing into her evil dreamland of wonderful torture.
"Welcome home Natsu! How was your mission?"
"It was great. I got to beat up a whole lot of bandits."
"I'm glad to hear that," a smile.
"I missed you Luce," two muscular arms snaked around her waist.
"I missed you too, it was lonely without you."
"Lucy, I lo-"
"W-w-w-w-w-w-what do you m-mean o-o-our place?" The zodiac mistress stammered trying to alter the direction her wild thoughts were headed.
"I mean our place, our place," the fire mage sat up, "and if you want to sleep on the bed so badly you're gonna have to push me off." He finished before lying on his back with his hands folded behind his head.
"But you're so heavy!"
"Giving up?" A smug smirk. "I win then. Bed's mine."
Lucy groaned, it was getting late and they had to wake up at a friggin' four in the morning so that they could catch that train! Climbing into her rightful bed, the blonde climbed over her obnoxious pink haired partner to the other side of the mattress and began to apply force to his bicep, trying to push him off the bed. As expected, the muscular male didn't budge, and instead tensed his muscles, further resisting movement, and further increasing the task's difficulty level. Lucy applied a greater amount of force, still with no results. Extremely agitated the key use moved her hands from his shoulder, to his legs and began to push them off. To her disliking, the pyromaniac would teasingly let his feet fall to the wooden floor before quickly pulling them back up onto the bed. "Dammit Natsu!" The rosette smirked as he heard his partner whine. "I've had eno-woah!" She exclaimed as her hand slipped mid-push, causing her to topple on top of the obnoxious man beneath her.
Her right breast felt elevated as in comparison to the one on the bed. That and there was the feeling of something bizarre beneath it. Something very much like a thin muscle. "I give up! That's it I'm going to stay just like this!" She whined tiredly.
That didn't at all sound good to Natsu. No, not to Natsu, who was experiencing a wild sensation beyond description. He was… hungry. Not hungry for food though. No, Lucy sure as hell was not his food. So why did he feel an insanely powerful craving for Lucy? This craving only became clear to him after her enormous chest fell onto the region between his legs. Maybe if he got her to remove that colossal amount weight (which came from one single breast) off of him, this ridiculous hunger would recede too. "Uh Lucy," Natsu's voice was choked, "can you get off of me? Please?"
"Make me, I'm too tired from pushing you to move," the celestial mage moaned.
The fire mage rolled his eyes. Slowly moving his right leg out from under Lucy's outstretched arms, he quickly bent his knee and sat up allowing Lucy to figure out just what that bizarre thing under her breast was. The blonde was off of him in an instant, her eyes large and wide, cheeks scarred with a scarlet that could rival Erza's hair, brain spinning wildly out of control.
Why was this all happening only after he asked her have a child with him? Why couldn't all this ridiculousness occur before he considered becoming a father? Then again, the only reason he wanted a child was to compete with Gray… so it doesn't really count does it? But… but…why does this all happen after such a request?! Why was her heart beating so fast? Why was she fantasizing about him so much? Why did he break into her bathroom? Why did she faint in the tub? Why was her face heating up so often? Was she sick? Why the hell was she finally noticing his toned abdomen now? Why the hell was she thinking about that? Why did his voice make her heart do flips? Why was everything about Natsu driving her insane?! What was wrong with her?
Mama, a lone tear slid down Lucy's cheek. She was so confused. She… she wanted her mother. She wanted her mother here, next to her, smiling at her, helping her. She wanted her mom to answer all of these questions. But most of all, she wanted to be cradled in her mother's warm, protective, compassionate embrace, fending off all of her fears and worries and just giving her the love she needed.
She wanted her mother really bad, and that scared her. Her mother was no longer there, her mother was somewhere else, somewhere better, and Lucy knew that. Lucy knew that very well yet… The young blonde bit her lip as she felt the familiar sensation of yet another warm salty liquid drop trailing down the side of her face and leaving a wet track for the following drop to follow. The female mage hung her head, allowing her bangs to cover her face, as she failed an attempt to inhale a sufficient amount of oxygen through her now clogged nose. Allowing a hot, dry swallow, she slowly opened her mouth, letting out shaky breaths as she tried her hardest not to sob. Her shoulders shook and her chest trembled, the pain in her heart wracking through her body. She was so confused… and… and scared. She wanted her mother to hug her. Just magically appear before her and hug her like she always would when she was younger. Hell, right now she just wanted anyone to hug her.
"L-Lucy," she heard the fire mage before her speak, "why are you crying? What's wrong?"
The said girl looked up and saw the face of her best friend and everything else just melted away as she thrust herself into his arms and let out a loud sob, entangling her slender fingers the back of his single sleeved shirt. "L-"
"Please hug me back, Natsu," Lucy cried quickly, "please, Natsu, h-h-hug me back!"
Her request took the poor man aback. He'd never seen her so broken. Sure she'd cried after Éclair passed, but it was never as bad as this. Seeing the strong, confident, smart, bombastic, beautiful, Lucy Heartfilia look so broken, so sad… made him want to cry too. His heart squirmed in his chest painfully constricting it. The fire mage couldn't take seeing his favorite nakama look so hurt, so scared. Sitting there, holding her in his arms and watching her bawl her eyes out equated the feeling of needles poking his heart ever so slowly and then being dragged through it, shredding it in a slow, vicious manner. After a while of comforting her, the rosette couldn't take it anymore. Forcing on a smile he tried to cheer her up, "O-oi, oi, if you keep crying like that, you'll uh," he was at a loss for words, "uh end up with poofy red eyelids that will make you look ugly, and that'll cost us the job. You don't want to lose that easy money do you?" He chuckled nervously.
To the girl he held in his arms his words were the awaited life ring thrown into the stormy seas to save her from drowning. He was her bright beacon of hope. Her saviour and here he was saving her from the waves that came crashing down upon her, trying to drown her and pull her down into their deepest depths. Sniffling, the holder type mage let out a small giggle, her grip on Natsu's clothes loosening, "You're right, and it's getting late… we should go to sleep." She reluctantly began to leave the protective embrace Natsu held her in, until…
"You can stay like this," the rosette sensed her hesitation and tightened his hold on her, "it's okay."
Lucy blushed, "thank you Natsu," she snuggled into his chest, peacefully closing her eyes, only to have them be forced open as Natsu shifted their positions so that she could fall asleep comfortably.
She looked at the male wide-eyed, adoration evident within, before pecking him on the cheek, "good night."
"G-g-g-good night," Natsu stammered, earning a smile from the blonde who was peacefully floating to sleep within the warmth he provided while listening to the rhythmical sound of his heartbeats.
It wasn't long before he started feeling sleepy. The pyromaniac smiled, happy to have been able to lighten her mood before she floated into unconsciousness. He fell asleep, his facial muscles still pulled into that same smile.
0o0-_-_-_-0o0
His greatest enemy proudly stood before him, boasting its greatness and superiority. He gulped staring at its evilness, shivers running up and down his spine as he anticipated the pain that was to follow its attack. However it just stood there tauntingly knowing that sooner or later he would be forced to come to it, so there really was no point in putting in any extra effort. Not like it could even if it wanted to. "Come on Natsu," coaxed the voice behind him, "you're making all the other people waiting grumpy."
Gulping, the salmon haired mage took a brave step into the great beast's depths. He then proceeded to walk towards an unoccupied compartment and took a seat next to one of the openings his arch enemy bore, quickly poking his head outside and taking quick shallow breaths. "Come on Natsu, the train hasn't even started moving yet, so don't get motion sick just anticipating it," his blonde partner sighed as she entered the compartment and slid its door shut.
And so began the long journey to the town on the sea-side, the well-known tourist hotspot, Junonia!
0o0-_-_-_-0o0
"Lucy, oi Lucy! Luuuuuuucy! The train stopped! We're here!" Natsu's voice seemed distant as Lucy struggled to regain consciousness. "Fine then!"
The sensation of the smooth velvet of the train seat's cushions beneath her bum was soon replaced with air. She then felt warm skin beneath and above her exposed midsection. "U-uh do you need help sir?" She could hear a worker asking.
"Nah I'm fine," the bright tone of her partner's voice followed.
It was a bumpy ride and soon her eyelids rose slowly to be met with the navy blue of the fire dragon slayer's usual clothing. Oh well that's no biggie, Lucy thought remaining limp. Slowly her senses returned to her. Slowly consciousness overcame her. Slowly she realized that she was on Natsu's shoulder. "Oh! Finally awake?" Her best friend smiled his usual goofy smile before letting her down on her feet. "We're really close to the restricted beach area that the client told us to go to you know."
Lucy blinked. Once. Twice. Three times. Then realization struck her like one of Laxus' lightning bolts. "Then let's go! Let's go! Time is money you know!" Lucy rushed on ahead.
0o0-_-_-_-0o0
That couldn't be her! No! Not her! There was no doubt though, that the woman before him was none-other than the unobtainable beauty men could only dream of. And she stood before him in a modest dress clothing her immodest body. She winked, a small giggle escaping her lips before she ran away, as though asking him to follow her. He followed her down a flight of stairs and midway through the next he slipped in an unnoticeable oil puddle, losing his footing and sending him tumbling down the next three flights of stairs.
In his now unconscious state he failed to hear the feminine giggles of success.
"We did it!"
"Yes we did!"
"Operation get Natsu to model: success!"
The sound of palms slapping together rang through the hall, it was soon followed by the shuffling of feet.
0o0-_-_-_-0o0
"Um…Hello! This is Lucy Heartfilia and Natsu Dragneel," The blonde yelled out through the barrier of body guards, "umm, we're the Fairy Tail wizards that accepted your request!"
"Move it you dolts! Ah Lu-" the man, who Lucy assumed was the photographer due to his specialized vest that all photographers seemed to wear, stopped midsentence as he looked the blonde up and down, before turning around and mumbling, "I'll be right back, please excuse me for a moment."
"W-What the hell was that?" A dragon slayer's eye twitched.
"WHAT'S WITH THAT NOSE BLEED YOU OLD GEEZER!" A loud woman's voice was heard. "HONESTLY HOW THE HELL DID SOME ROTTEN OLD MAN LIKE YOU LAND SUCH A HIGH PAYING JOB?"
A pause.
"OH THAT RIGHT! BECAUSE THERE ARE MORE STINKY USELESS PERVS JUST LIKE YOUR ROTTEN ASS IN THE WORLD!" The scolding continued.
A yelp of pain followed by the whimper, "I'm sorry" followed. By now, the two mages were remembering another powerful, scary female they knew, respected, and most importantly feared. They could only hope she hadn't followed them here.
A few seconds after the sad apology the guards shifted quickly, unveiling a young woman with medium length, messy, wavy hair, whose color appeared to be able to easily camouflage with the tan sand of the beach. She looked down upon them with strict brown eyes before allowing the sides of her painted lips to be pulled up into a smile. "Hello, my name is Sandra, and I will, sadly, be the assistant photographer here," she placed her hands on her curvy hips, "I'm really sorry for that perverted old geezer, girls with bodies like you are the primary reason he chose this profession," she continued a scowl donning her face as she talked about her co-worker, "well that's my theory, anyway please join me," she smiled again yanking them passed the barrier of annoying buff men.
"Wow," the traumatized blonde marvelled at the beautiful beach before her.
"By the way, the flier said 'female wizard'," the assistant glared at Natsu, "there's no reason for you to be here," she paused, "unless you're her boyfriend and you're worried about what that lecher will make her do!" She slapped her fist in her open palm in realization and before Lucy could deny her accusation said, "Rest assured! I will ensure she returns to you unharmed and untainted."
Natsu's facial expression expressed his utterly confused state of mind. Just what was this crazy lady talking about.
"U-u-u-uh… H-h-he-he's n-not my b-boy-boy-f-friend," the female whose safety was being discussed denied.
"Oh," Sandra turned to her, "fiancé?"
"No!"
Sandra's eyes widened, "husband?! At such a young age!"
"NO!" The celestial mage's face was exploding with red. "H-he's my colleague."
"Oh is that all? You'd make a fine couple though," the photographer paused, her facial features shifting into adoration as she cupped her cheeks, "and you'd make adorable children!"
The poor blonde's knees buckled as she suffered from the same embarrassment she'd been experiencing for the past three days, worrying her partner. "L-"
"You know, you'd make a fine model yourself," the meddlesome client rubbed her chin eyeing the dragon slayer before her objectively, "you have the face, and the way you style your hair and the largeness of your eyes gives you a rather boyish charm, all that's left is the torso," her eyes trailed down from the man's face to his midsection, "if you could kindly remove your shirt-"
"You said you only needed a female wizard," Lucy did not sound amused as she rose to her feet, "this is a modelling job, why do you even need a wizard?"
"Ohoho, jealous are we?" Sandra smirked smugly. "If you must know why it must be a wizard, it's simply because this is for the Weekly Sorcerer, and they wanted a photo spread, but since that pathetic magazine company couldn't find a proper wizard, we ended up having to request one, happy?"
A crew worker ran towards Sandra, devastation and worry written all over his face. He quickly bowed before speaking, "we're sorry to report, but we will also be requiring a male model, ours has fallen down the stairs and broken his neck."
Lucy groaned, wasn't there ever a request they went on that could go smoothly for once?
"The reward sum will increase accordingly."
Now that sounded nice.
The brightness of the curve of that devil-woman-assistant-photographer's mouth spelled out trouble. She turned to Natsu the smile on her painted lips growing ever wider, "Now dear, if you could kindly remove your shirt."
The pyromaniac looked to his blonde companion ever puzzled by the situation at hand. "It's okay Natsu, we'll make more money like this," she reassured him quietly.
Shrugging the slayer didn't hesitate before grabbing the zipper from under his scaly scarf and dragging it all the way down to his belt, shrugging off the fabric that covered his tan, muscular abdomen.
Lucy watched as that evil, evil, pervert woman stared at Natsu up and down. She also noticed how she focussed on Natsu's abdomen. He had six-pack abs, so what? Sure they were perfect, so what? A-and what if Natsu had a natural tan? Th-that wasn't overly a-attractive! She didn't have to stare at them so much. What now? She was looking at his hands? What could she hope to learn from tha-? Now that Lucy looked at them, Natsu had fairly large hands. Bad Lucy! Bad! Looking up to her partner's face with a slight blush, she noticed him looking at her. He seemed extremely uncomfortable with the way demon-lady molested his body with her eyes.
"He's perfect! Absolutely perfect!" The brunette squealed, hearts in her eyes. "How'd a girl like you manage to snag such hot stuff?" She asked the blonde.
Lucy didn't have the time to generate a response as the man beside sneered at shorter lady, "If you've got a problem with Lucy then Lucy and I will just be takin' our stuff and leavin' you sorry people."
The evident blush on her cheeks darkening, the celestial mage watched with smug satisfaction as the assistant photographer's eyes grew as wide as saucers and she took back all that she had said, "I-I'm sorry Lucy-san! We are looking forward to working with you!"
0o0-_-_-_-0o0
"Why the hell do you need me to get into swimming trunks?" Natsu growled. "This is supposed to be about Lucy, why was there even a male model to begin with?"
"Because, girls love eye candy!" Sandra chirped. "So you have to put in some eye candy!"
"Eye candy?"
"Yes! Eye candy! Don't tell me you don't know what eye candy is."
"O-of course I know what eye candy is!" Natsu denied.
"Eye candy is… look at Lucy-san over there," the female photographer pointed to the blonde being forced into a variety of poses in a two-piece swimsuit, Natsu's eyes following her finger.
As she readjusted herself into another pose the dragon slayer felt that same hunger he'd felt the night before. However there was no contact, so why was he feeling this way? He pressed the palm of his hand to his forehead, trying to distract himself. He didn't get this at all. It was weird. He must be sick or something.
"Like what you see?" The devil lady's tone was taunting. "That's what we call eye candy."
"Girls like to look at other girls?" Natsu's eye twitched.
"No you dolt!" The dragon slayer grimaced as her hand connected with the back of his head. "Girls like to look at guys with well-toned bodies. Like yourself."
"Oi! Natsu! It's your turn!" Lucy yelled as she ran up to the infamous Salamander.
"M-my turn?" He gulped.
"Sandra take over for me," the photographer followed the blonde.
"Don't go ordering me around!" The photographer's assistant huffed, turning to the disturbed male beside her she scolded. "Get your butt moving! I don't have all day!"
"She's right you know Natsu," the celestial mage looked up at him, seeing the distressed look on his face she giggled, "is the great Salamander afraid?"
"What?" Natsu asked aggravated.
"You look absolutely terrified, what are you so afraid of?" Lucy taunted.
"Nothin'. Oi lady, grab your camera and let's go!" Natsu walked away.
"Where the hell do you think you're going dolt! We're shooting over there!" She pointed in the direction opposite Natsu, where another screen was set up.
Lucy ran a hand through her hair, before turning and walking towards the changing rooms. This was so funny. "Alright! Lean more on your left leg! Run your hand through your bangs! Look up a little! Smirk seductively!" Sandra barked quickly leaving the child of Igneel to stare at her with a 'what the hell?' face.
One of the maintenance crew members looked at the guy sympathetically. He knew just what the devil lady wanted. "She means something like this Natsu-san," he struck the described pose.
"Yes! Yes! Just like that!" The camera holder clapped happily.
"That's what all the mumbo jumbo coming from your mouth was? Next time say it clearly!" Natsu scowled before shifting his weight to his left leg, running his hand through his bangs tilting his head up a bit and putting on the same smirk he gave Lucy back on Tenroujima.
It was as though the world stopped spinning for the brunette. She completely forgot her job and instead chose to stare at the marvelous sight before her. How could any one male be so…so…so handsome? Why was this lovely man younger than her? Why were all the good looking men younger than her? "U-uh, Sandra-san, shouldn't you be taking a picture?" The maintenance member smiled nervously.
"H-huh? O-Oh yeah! That's right!" Sandra started snapping images wildly, only allowing Natsu to breathe after she had about 50 pictures or so. "We're all good!"
At that, the dragon slayer breathed out and placing a hand on his hip, he leaned his head back slightly, scratching the back of his neck. Snap. Snap. Snap. Snappity-snap-snap-snap. That devil-woman sure loved eye candy.
"On to the beach-chair setting!" The photographer yelled enthusiastically pointing to the spot the dragon slayer had headed to originally.
0o0-_-_-_-0o0
"I want a shot with the both of them in it," the photographer spoke to his assistant sternly.
"Oh I like that!" She smiled excitedly. "The Great Dragon Tamer: Lucy Heartfilia!"
The two photographers began discussing the matter heatedly, completely ignoring the horrified face of none other than the 'Dragon Tamer' herself.
"Lucy-san you have a whip right?" Sandra asked stars in her eyes.
"Y-yeah-"
"Great!" The brunette jumped up and down like some rabid fangirl. "Give it to me! Give it to me!"
"W-why?" The blonde asked nervously.
"It's gonna be a prop! A prop!" There was a crazy look in her eyes.
"I don't wanna."
"I'll reduce the amount of your reward for being uncooperative," Sandra threatened, tone flat.
"Right away ma'am!" Lucy quickly handed her precious Fleuve d'étoiles to the insane assistant photographer before her.
"Oh Natsu-kun!" The female demon purred, irritating the blonde beside her. "Lay back on that beach chair over there."
Lucy watched as he complied, a bright and evident blush on her face. "Now Lucy-san!" The evil assistant photographer pushed her temporary employee towards her fire-eating colleague. "Sit on his lap please!"
"Eh? N-no way!"
"Your reward."
"Yes ma'am!" Lucy compliantly plopped herself on her partner's lap.
Sandra spent the next five minutes-or-so torturing Natsu. How? Well she had Lucy shift, while on Natsu's lap, so that her right shoulder faced Natsu and handing Fleuve d'étoiles to its rightful owner she instructed Lucy to wrap the whip around Natsu's neck and hold both ends in either of her hands pull him closer to her, while smirking smugly at the camera. The devil-lady then began snapping an insane amount of photos of the two. How could getting the celestial mage to shift in his lap, decreasing the space between their faces, and having her show off her confident side be anything but torture for a man who hadn't the slightest clue what effects were stimulated by such provocative actions?
The dragon slayer resisted scowling as that immense craving reappeared. Lucy had something he wanted. He evidently wanted it bad. Whatever it was, he had to get it so this ridiculous feeling of hunger would leave him alone.
Instead of feeling relieved when his partner was finally allowed to get off him, he felt rather unpleasant. It was official. He was sick. Very, very sick. Where was Wendy when you needed her?
0o0-_-_-_-0o0
After being forced into millions of different poses whether it was alone or with one another, the two were more emotionally exhausted than anything else. "Alright this next pose it the last one!" The supposedly assistant photographer declared. "Lucy-san, Natsu-kun please come over here."
The two walked on over to their client, the sounds of their shoes clicking on the wooden floor of the balcony they had been relocated to. "First off I'd like Natsu-kun to unbutton all of the buttons of his dress shirt with the exception of the last three, oh yes and undo your tie and leave it hanging around your neck," Sandra ordered relentlessly, "and Lucy-san, please unbutton the top four buttons of your dress shirt and mess up your hair please."
With a horrid feeling swimming in her gut the key user hesitantly complied. "Natsu-kun please mess up your hair too, or," the two looked at her in nervous anticipation, "nah never mind."
The partners breathed out sighs of relief simultaneously, well until the meddlesome lady shoved her nose into Lucy's face. Looking to Natsu she ordered, "Natsu-kun, come suck on Lucy-san's bottom lip until it looks puffed up and swollen!"
"EH?!" The couple to-be asked.
"Such prudes! Fine then," Sandra huffed, Evergreen style, "just… ugh! Natsu-kun lie on the beach chair there, and lift one knee up!"
"A beach chair again?" Natsu sighed.
"Your reward."
"Natsu!"
"Yes ma'am!" The fire eater lied down on the chair lifting a knee as he was asked to, before Sandra came and adjusted his shirt a little.
0o0-_-_-_-0o0
For any of those who are curious, for the final few shots Natsu and Lucy have been forced into standard work attire. This would include clothing garments such as a crisp, white, long-sleeve, collared shirt, a red tie, and black dress pants, or in Lucy's case a professional black short skirt.
0o0-_-_-_-0o0
"Lucy-san please climb atop Natsu-kun, one knee in-between his legs and the other to the side, and lean in as though you are about to kiss him," upon the looks she received from the two one-day models she added her standard threat, "your reward."
Gulping Lucy took slow steps towards her partner, her heart beating wildly. This was such an intimate pose. She shouldn't be getting in such a pose with Natsu. No not with Natsu, he was her best friend, who she happened to have wrong fantasies about. Still he was her best friend, and she shouldn't be having these fantasies. So as she continued her nervous catwalk, she breathed deeply in an attempt to calm herself down. He looked so hot. She couldn't deny it! She just couldn't! It looked so sexy with him laying the way he was staring at her as she approached him nervously. His abs were exposed, but hidden all at once, making her both satisfied yet irritated all at once. If anything it made her want to personally open up the last three buttons and reveal the glorious body she knew he had. She could hear Sandra yelling at her in the background, as she climbed over Natsu, following the instructions that devil woman had given her previously. She looked into those magical onyx orbs, melting in their depths. She was completely mesmerized by the beauty of his eyes, and she didn't give a crap that her body was moving on its own. She wanted to kiss Natsu. Badly. And as he smirked that Tenroujima smirk and brought his hand behind the small of her back leaning up, she leaned down and their lips almost met when the flash of a camera brought the two back into reality.
"That was perfect!" The evil moment destroyer squealed with delight, jumping up and down.
The way her eyes opened wide, and her cheeks flushed a crimson deeper than Erza's hair was all it took for Natsu to grab Lucy's head and bring her in for another attempt at their suspended kiss. However, the camera's flash brought him back to reality, forcing him to halt himself. He released the Zodiac mistress and looked away. What was I doing? The thought ran through his mind, distracting him from the camera's flash. He felt ashamed for almost forcing his partner into something she might not want to do. Sure he'd done it before, but it was different this time, he didn't know why, but it was very different this time. That aside what was he thinking? He really must be sick if he wanted to kiss Lucy, his partner, his best friend, but nothing more…or so he thought. "Natsu? Are you okay?" He could hear her ask.
Nodding he responded with a slow, "Yeah. Are you okay?" How could he be so selfish?
"You're not okay at all! Look at me!" The young Heartfilia huffed, placing her hands on her hips.
The pinkette turned his head ever so slowly to look at the money-grubbing blonde. "What's wrong with you?"
"I almost hurt you," the solemnity in his eyes scared her. Had he, perhaps, wanted to kiss her back? N-no such chance! "I'm sorry."
"Y-you didn't do anything wrong, d-don't worry a-about it," Lucy stuttered as her mind came up with thoughts she never thought herself capable of producing.
"Oho-ho! Save the children until after the marriage will ya?" Sandra taunted from the side.
"Sh-sh-sh-sh-SHUT UP!" The female mage yelled, hopping off her partner instantaneously.
0o0-_-_-_-0o0
Meanwhile back in Magnolia…
"It turned 6:40 ten minutes ago! WHY THE HELL ISN'T SHE HERE?!" A distressed voice yelled.
"Quiet, or you'll give us away," a calmer one responded.
"But-" the person stopped upon spotting the dwarf before him, "Master Makarov."
"It seems Mira forgot to tell you boys, but the third test has been rescheduled for tomorrow," the elderly Dreyer spoke, "also, how are you progressing with your tasks?"
"I received a positive response from Gajeel yesterday," the man wrapped in shadows spoke dejectedly, unhappy that his primary interest had a soft spot for a bookworm, just like the rumors said.
"Well, I used onee-chan as a way to rile Natsu-san up yesterday, he likes her… a lot," the blonde mage spoke, "I guess… he… doesn't really… know… though?"
"Good, good, please continue to produce favorable results an-"
"You know what else I noticed?" Sting interrupted. "That guy with the headphones likes watching Mira-san as she works!"
"W-What?! Laxus does?" The old man sputtered.
"I have similar observations," Rogue agreed.
"Master Makarov!" Sting yelled as the old man fell backwards.
FINALLY DOOOOONE! Oh the joy of finally being able to pass this on to you guys! It's wonderful!
I'm so sorry for making you wait so long!
This is a long chapter to make up for it though. This is most definitely the longest chapter in the story so far.
And as for that lovely Lucy fell on Natsu's *bleep* section. I fully intended Lucy to topple on top of Natsu, but not in the manner I described. But when I thought about it, she would fall horizontally. When I thought about it some more, I realized where she would land when she falls. And thus that scene was born!
If you have any questions or complaints please throw them at me! It's important that the characters remain in character! And as for the request for StiMi… I don't think I can do that. I know I said I'd make adjustments, but I can't really picture them together… Sorry.
Oh yes, and for any of you wondering why I made Sting and Lucy's relationship a lot like that of an older sister and annoying younger brother, it's because they're both blonde, both loud, and since they argue and pester one another a fair amount in the story, they'd make excellent siblings.
Now as always, please leave me a review telling me what you liked, didn't like, and would like to see in the future. If it is possible and not plot side-tracking, I will try to throw it in.
Also my deepest apologies for failing to meet with the request for StiMi, I honestly feel guilty, but, it, I personally favor MiraXus over StiMi. I'm very sorry for being unable to make accommodations for your request.
And I wonder what Sting and Rogue's "goal" is. Ufufufufu.
Thanks again!
-Pinky!
PREVIEW:
Chapter 6: "Lust"
There it was again…that cruel hunger, that insane craving. It was stronger than ever before. Natsu groaned agitatedly, why was this hunger returning? Why was it here again? Or could it be…Were they using (censored) this time. They were using (censored), no doubt about it. Only she could make him feel such strong desire. Damn it! What the hell was this craving?
Suddenly…