Thank you all so much for the reviews and support~ :D *hearts*
I'm so sorry for not updating this earlier. I went somewhere for vacation for a week, and there was no wifi or anything there. Well, anyway, here's the next chapter. I'm completely unsatisfied with it, yeah, but I'll rewrite it when it comes around. Thank you all!
Contains some swearing! You have been warned! OnO
This chapter will be using Ash Lite- former EST 's suggestion for a dare, partly mixed with kuku88 's suggestion for a dare!
And yeah, I've decided that this'll be NaLu. Rogue gets paired up with no one. ^^
Chapter 3: Their First (Or Not) Impression of Natsu
Previously:
"NATSU!" Gray bellowed suddenly, effectively shutting everyone up. Natsu gulped audibly. "TRUTH OR DARE?"
"Uh oh. Natsu's in for it..."
Murmurs spread throughout the room as everybody heated discussed over what outrageous dare Gray might come up with.
Natsu blinked, before quickly regaining his posture and jumping up with a determined grin. "Bring it on, Stripper Face! You'll never beat me at this!"
"Oh yeah? Says who?"
"Are you boys fighting again?" Erza growled darkly at the two, who were already bumping foreheads and swinging insults back and forth at each other. They both turned to look at the sword wielder with a wilting look on their faces. "N-No, Erza... We.. We're best friends!" the two whimpered, limply hanging their arms around each others shoulders and attempting to do a happy dance. Everybody else burst out laughing as the redhead nodded in brisk satisfaction and leaned back in her seat, crossing her legs.
"Alright, Natsu, you ready?" Gray jumped back.
The pink-haired pyromaniac grinned his signature grin. "Whaddaya think, Stripper? Ready as ever!"
"Okay, truth or dare!" Gray challenged, also grinning.
"Aw, what the heck? What do you think?"
"Truth, 'cause you're such a wimpy sissy?"
"No, Dare! Screw you!"
"Augh, gross, Natsu, don't ever do that. I don't wanna be molested by some pink-headed freak, ever."
"Hahahaha, you think wrong, Pervert! Ahaha, Perverted Ice Princess!"
"Oh shut up. Okay, I dare you to-" Gray started, but was cut off.
"What? Say it!"
"I was going to, moron!"
"Okay! Be patient, Mr. Icy Buttface."
"What did you just call me?"
"Gray," Cana interrupted suddenly, "start the freaking dare already!"
"Fine-"
"And Gray?" She downed another glass of wine carelessly.
"Huh?"
She waved her hand in the direction of his midsection. "Your clothes."
"Ah!"
"G-Gray's hot body!" Juvia exclaimed dreamily, her hands clasping her blushing cheeks, as she fainted, her head hitting Gray's lap. Natsu burst out laughing as the Ice Make mage carefully nudged Juvia upright before comically bounding off across the guild hall in search of his precious garments.
"Yo, pyro!" he yelled from across the hall as he slipped on his black pants, causing everyone- with the exception of a certain rain woman, who was still passed out in her seat- to glance in his direction. "I dare you to go outside, do that monkey dance of yours half-naked- unless you're really just a wimpy chicken- in the middle of the town square!"
"Dance? Nooo, dance is my thing!" Vijeeter bellowed.
"What?" Natsu eyed him wearily. "What kinda lame dare is that? Hahaha!"
"Just go... Oh, and, Lucy, can you go with him?"
The Celestial spirit user gaped. "Why me? Why not somebody else?"
"So you can make sure he does it."
"Okay, bye!" Natsu jumped up and started dragging Lucy out of the guild, much to the blonde's chagrin. "Let's go, Luce!"
"Wait, what? Hey! Natsu, let go! No way am I going with you!" she complained as the guild doors slammed shut behind them. "Nooo!"
Gray smirked.
"Hey Gray?" Mira asked, shaking him out of his mischievous thoughts. He turned to look at her. "Yeah, Mira?"
"There's another something to it, isn't there?"
"Wow, you're good. Of course there is. Anyone have a communication lacrima?" Gray remarked, before turning around from his newly found seat to look at the majority of the crowd.
"Juvia has one!" Juvia cheered, slamming a large, misty purple communication lacrima on the table in front of him. "Gray-sama, use Juvia's!"
"Um, okay... Anyway, here goes. Watch!" Gray held his hands over the purple orb, his hands glowing, as he tapped into his powers and fueled the ball. Moments later, a face appeared. Everybody gaped.
"Isn't that the Rufus dude Gray fought at the Grand Magic Games?" Wakaba commented, smoking from his pipe.
The said Memory Make mage smiled mysteriously and tipped his hat downwards slightly. "Well, who's this? It seems that I have... forgotten you."
Gray blanched. "Knock it off, Rufus."
"Alright," the blonde sighed tiredly. "What do you want, Gray?"
"Bring your guild members over to Fairy Tail, now. And remember to pass through the Magnolia Town Square! I hear that there's some sort of event going on there."
"Why...?"
"Dude, just do it."
"Alright, fine, but remember, I'm not owing you any more favors or anything of the sort." Suddenly, another familiar, obnoxious face emerged on the screen, looking through it as if it was some unknown specimen, squashing Rufus' now somewhat irritated face aside a bit.
"Oh hey, aren't you Natsu-san's best friend?" the new blonde remarked, eyes wide. "Great to see ya! Where's Natsu-san and the hot blondie?"
Gray bristled slightly at the words 'best friend', but shrugged it off. "Yeah, Sting, just get your guild members' asses over here now!"
"Woah, okay, okay, why?"
"Just do it! Quickly! And, by the way... Remember to pass through the Magnolia Town Square. Now come on!"
"Fine, but if this is some sort of lame trick, I'll get you for it!"
"... Dude, you know, if you can't even beat Natsu, there's no way you can beat me."
"Oh, shut up! Okay, we're coming. Jeez. Calm your panties, bro."
"Whose panties are you talking about there?" Gray growled, face pressing against the lacrima.
Sting grinned toothily. "Yours. You're like, 3/4 naked! Exhibitionist! Okay, catch ya later, bro!"
The lacrima blinked, and switched off.
"Yeah, um, Gray? Your clothes," Mira pointed at Gray's now boxer-clad legs and his bare abdomen.
"... Crap."
"Hey, Natsu?" Lucy started, somewhat uncertainly.
"Yeah, Luigi?"
"You can let go of my hand now, you know?" She pointed at their linked hands. Natsu stared blankly at her.
"Why?"
"... Never mind, let's just go."
"Oh. Luce, you're so weird!" Natsu remarked, grinning cheerfully.
"Who're you calling weird?"
At the Magnolia Town Square...
"Okay, Natsu, apparently Gray wants you to do that weird butt-wiggling, hip-moving 'monkey dance' of yours right-" Lucy scanned the area, her eyes lighting up as she noticed the beautiful stone fountain in the exact center of the square. She pointed at it. "There!"
"Oh, okay!" Natsu nimbly clambered up the intricate stone carvings until he was sitting on top of the head of the large mermaid spewing water out from a large ceramic urn.
"I wonder why Fairy Tail called us," a certain White Dragon Slayer thought aloud, eyes looking towards the sky as his face contorted into that of a confused expression. "They wouldn't normally do that."
"Sting-kun, maybe you should be happy that they even invited us. It's a privilege," a white-haired Lisanna look-alike scolded, albeit lightly. "It would be great to see Lucy-san again! I wonder how well she's doing."
"Fro thinks so too!" an adorable green Exceed clad in a pink frog costume piped.
"You're right, Yukino. Sorry."
"That's okay."
"Of course it's okay! Everything that Sting-kun does is even better than okay!" a small, maroon red Exceed huffed proudly, boosting his already-egotistical partner's ego up a notch once more. Sting grinned in return. "Ha, thanks Lector."
"I bet my singing can beat Laxus'!" Sabertooth's Black Lightning God Slayer mused, eyes dancing as he thought about singing in front of everybody and getting himself bathed in roses and the like. "And Mr. Wizard Saint!"
"Fat chance," Sting muttered, looking away, while Yukino frowned at him.
"I have no memory of Orga beating Laxus," Rufus commented lightly, "or the 5th Wizard Saint, Jura, at that fact."
"Gah, you be quiet, Rufus."
"Alright, whatever you say."
"Hey, Rogue!"
"Hn?" Everybody's favorite Shadow Dragon Slayer looked up at his partner.
"Let's go challenge Natsu-san and Gajeel-san for another battle once weget to Fairy Tail!"
"Not interested."
"Aw, damn, dude, you're getting to be such a party pooper!" Sting whined, nudging his partner in the gut with his elbow.
"Sting..."
"Okay, okay, sorry."
"Look, you guys!" Yukino pointed ahead. "We've almost arrived at Magnolia!"
"Let's party!" Natsu cried, his vest already off, garnering googly-eyed stares from many fangirls, and started jumping up and down on top of the fountain. "Woot!"
Lucy sighed and sat herself down on the edge of the fountain, drifting her fingers lightly across the surface of the rippling water, feeling slightly miffed, "I don't think Gray really gave Natsu a proper dare, did he... He seems to be enjoying it." She glanced upwards, only to see a cackling Natsu wiggling his hips and shaking his rear as if it was the only thing he could really do. His actions had now gathered an innumerable amount of unbelieving stares, gaping mouths and bulging eyes.
She breathed out a defeated puff of air. "Yeah, he really is enjoying it..."
"Didn't that Gray person... didn't he say that we should pass through the Magnolia Town Square?" Yukino recalled, creasing her brows.
"Yeah, I think so."
"Maybe we should listen to him. He doesn't seem like a liar to me."
"You never know, but okay."
"Hey, guys..." Gray interrupted everybody from their separate conversations. They all looked at him expectantly.
He smirked. "You guys. Let's go see what exactly is gonna happen now."
Yukino gave a contented little sigh as the five (if you count the Exceeds, then seven) sauntered down through Magnolia Square, and smiled. "I like Magnolia! It's such a cozy town!"
"Fro thinks so too! People here are nice."
"I agree. Fairy Tail really chose the right place to- oh, look! That fountain's so pretty!" Yukino pointed at a large, intricately-carved stone fountain with a large mermaid on it. "That looks like Lucy-san's spirit, Aquarius!"
"Ya think?" Sting murmured, his hands carelessly stuck in his pockets as he squinted at the fountain, before he stopped suddenly. Everyone turned to look at him expectantly. "Holy crap, is that-"
"Fro sees Fairy-san!" Frosch cried excitedly as he spotted a certain someone sitting on the edge of the fountain, and quickly tottered over.
Lucy had been sitting there for what seemed like a century already, with her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. She couldn't believe Gray! Why did she, of all people, have to be the one to accompany her idiot of a partner to the town square, in front of everyone, and just sit there like a moron, waiting for who-knows-what, while Natsu was dancing his crazy little 'monkey dance', and had already gathered the attention of quite a large crowd, which consisted of both passersby and... well, fangirls.
"Hey, isn't that the Salamander?"
"What the heck is he doing up there?"
"Kya! He has abs! Look!"
"Shut up, I can see them! Let me get a better view!"
"Go away, wench, cute mages won't look at anyone as ugly as you are!"
"What kind of dance is he doing?"
"Let's do it with him! He looks like he's having fun!"
"Ew, no! Everyone's gonna see your ugly bra, sister!"
"Natsu-kun's a cutie!"
"His pink hair is like, totally awesome!"
"This guy's a real nut job."
"Do you think he's mental?"
"Who knows?"
"I wonder if that guy is Lucy's boyfriend."
Despite the fact that there was a large clamor right in front of her, Lucy's eyes were about to flutter closed when she heard a vaguely familiar voice, "Fairy-san!"
Her lidded eyes snapped open, and she lifted her head slightly, only to catch sight of a small pink thing running towards her. "... Eh?"
"Faaaairy-san!"
As Lucy was about to reply, the little pink thing- which she realized was actually that Sabertooth Exceed she had seen at the Grand Magic Games- stopped short, and stared up at the top of the fountain, before squealing, "Natsu-kun!"
Lucy suddenly felt even more miffed as the Exceed ran off once more, and leaned her head in her hands once more. How. Very. Boring.
"Woah, holy crap, is that Natsu-san?!" a new, obnoxiously loud voice rang out from nearby. Hey, isn't that...?
"I wonder where Lucy-san is!" another sweeter, more feminine voice piped. Oh! It's really them!
Lucy lifted her head once more, got up, and started gingerly making her way towards the sound of the group of voices she recognized.
"O-Oh my goodness! Is that really Natsu-san?!"
"Haha, my singing's better than his dancing!"
"Orga, I don't think that has anything to do with your singing. After all, from what I remember... Your singing skills aren't really top-notch."
"Agh, shut up, Rufus."
"Anyways, this sight is an eyesore. What on Earth Land happened? I have no memory of something this degrading happening."
"Haha, oh wow, Rogue, look at Natsu-san! What the hell is he doing up there? Hahaha! He looks like a perverted idiot!"
"... What a humiliating sight. To think you looked up to him, Sting."
"You looked up to him too!"
"No, Gajeel is more of my interest."
"Psh, whatever."
"Hey, you guys!" Lucy called, finally pushing her way out of the gaping crowd. There, in front of her, stood 5 horrified Sabertooth mages, along with 2 indifferent Exceeds.
"Lucy-san!" Yukino hugged her upon arrival, while Rufus tipped his hat to her politely. "How are you?"
"Yo, Blondie," Sting swung an arm around her shoulder in friendly greeting. "Is that really Natsu-san up there?"
"... Yeah."
"Hahaha! Are you serious?" He burst out laughing.
"What do you think?!"
"Maybe I should call him!"
"No, don't-"
"HEY NATSU-SAN!" Sting yelled, cupping his hands over his mouth to increase the volume of the sound of his voice. The Salamander blanched at his voice, and turned his head, his butt still sticking up in the air.
"WHAT?"
"I NEVER KNEW YOU HAD THE GUTS TO SHOW YOUR AB-LESS BODY!" A bunch of people laughed at Sting's comment, causing Natsu's face to turn red.
"AW, SHUT UP! DON'T TELL ME YOU CALL THOSE THINGS YOU'RE SHOWING TO THE WHOLE WORLD RIGHT NOW 'ABS'? THOSE ARE LIKE, TINY CHICKEN TITTIES!" he screeched back, jumping to and fro, only to slip and fall down, cracking the head of the mermaid. A wave of laughter spread through the crowd.
"YEAH RIGHT!"
"Oh yeah? Then come up and let's see if you're better than I am! Ha!"
"PREPARE TO GO DOWN!" Sting rushed through the crowd and clambered up on top of the statue so he was nose-to-nose with Natsu.
"Shirt off! Unless you're too chicken!"
"Hell no!" Sting carelessly ripped off his top, causing a dozen of the girls to squeal- after all, two good-looking guys both had their shirts off- and threw his shirt straight at Lucy, who shrieked and ducked as it landed on an ecstatic Lector instead. Within seconds, both were shaking their butts and wiggling their hips with as much ecstasy as Natsu had when he got into one of the guild's common brawls, and had started drawing in an even larger crowd.
"Oh my goodness," Yukino blushed slightly as she took in the sight of a certain someone's shirtless torso, "this is getting really out of hand!"
Lucy only shook her head in mock despair.
Gray dashed over to the Magnolia Town Square, a lacrima in hand, grinning his head off- he couldn't wait to see what Natsu's dare would turn out to be like.
Serves him right for humiliating me.
He turned the corner, and started powering up the communication lacrima. This was sure to be gold.
Erza, who had somehow decided to tag along, since all three of her teammates were already going to be over at the Magnolia Town Square, remarked solemnly, "I honestly don't know what those two are doing out there. I'm sure the mayor isn't going to be happy about this."
Gray smirked. "Yeah. Okay, we're almost there."
The two rounded the last corner, and, to say the least, were shocked beyond compare at the sight that stood in front of them.
A large crowd had gathered around the mermaid water fountain that had just been installed the week before, and, lo and behold, atop the now cracked head of the fountain, stood Sabertooth's Holy Dragon Slayer and Natsu, both clad in only their boxers, dancing Natsu's famous monkey dance, while a slack-faced, gaping group of Sabertooth members, along with a sighing Lucy, stood below. Gray snorted so hard that he almost fell over, while Erza started blinking rapidly, utterly horrified at the sight. There came a flurry of laughter and gasps from those onlooking at the sight through the communications lacrima, and comments about the two dragon slayers' bold attitudes flew about.
Once Gray had finally gotten back on his feet after his crazy laughing fit, he yelled, "Hey, Ash Brains!"
The crowd fell silent as the sound of his voice overpowered everybody else's, causing Natsu and Sting to both swivel their heads around in the middle of sticking their backsides up. Natsu's face drained of color immediately, but he kept his posture. "What, Ice Princess?"
"I got your dancing on video!"
Both the blonde and pink-head atop the fountain blanched. "What?"
Gray snorted. "Seriously, don't you believe me? Everybody in Magnolia's seen you two dancing like naked chickens now."
Both Natsu and Sting fell, albeit melodramatically, right off the poor mermaid's cracked head.
"I completely have a new impression of him," Rogue remarked, his voice empty of emotion, as the group neared the guild hall. Lucy smiled.
"Who? Natsu, or Sting?"
Rogue remained silent, before amending, "Both of them, actually. Although, for Sting... Not as much."
"Right. That loudmouth of a partner of yours must be a pain in the butt," Lucy teased lightly, giggling as Sting turned to her, aggravated.
"Lucy-chan," he simpered pitifully, in a sugary sweet voice, "please don't talk about my humiliation anymore. Think of this as your cute little Sting-kun begging you..."
"Aw," Lucy giggled, "okay. I'll be nice to you, just for this once. Say, Yukino..."
Yukino looked up. "Y-Yes, Lucy-san?"
"Why is your face still red?"
"A-Ah! Um, I... I don't know!" the white-haired girl exclaimed in horror, slapping both of her hands onto her cheeks, before trailing off almost inaudibly, "H-His shirt..."
Lucy only grinned.
"We're back!" Gray announced triumphantly, tromping into the guild with the others right behind him. A large number of catcalls and whistles flew their way, specifically directed at two certain Dragon Slayers.
"Hey, Natsu, great show there!"
"Yo, Sting, I didn't know you could do that!"
"Sting-kun and Natsu-kun are hot!"
"Hahaha, did you guys see the people around you? Hahahaha!"
Before any other comments could be spewed out, Mira stood up, smiling ever-so-cheerfully, and clapped her hands together in delight. "Great to see you, Sabertooth. We're playing Truth or Dare; how about you guys join in?"
"Not interested," Rogue muttered immediately, looking away, but Orga grinned.
"Sure! I'm gonna beat both Laxus and Jura in this!"
Mira cheered. "Okay, since you guys are new, how about one of you guys goes first? And don't choose Natsu or Gray, because they've already gone."
"Rogue, how about you go first?" Lucy nudged the stoic Dragon Slayer, who had now seated himself down at the nearest table. He shook his head.
"I never agreed to this."
"Please?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Pleeeeease?"
"... Fine."
Instantaneously, everybody cheered wildly. Rogue sighed. "Is your guild always like this?"
Lucy smiled awkwardly. "Heh, yeah..."
"Alright, let's just get this over and done with. You," he said, nodding at Alzack, "Truth or Dare?"
Here are some more pairings. Thank agarfinkel for suggesting these!
1. Sherry and Ren- decided
2. Hibiki and Jenny- decided
3. Sting and Yukino- decided (sorry, StiCy fans! D:)
4. Lyon and Kagura- I guess it's decided unless anyone has any objections. :D
5. Eve and Milliana- well, I've never heard of this pairing either, but let's go for it! Unless there are any objections.
Ah, sorry if I got the Orga-not-beating-Laxus part wrong (though I doubt Orga ever could, anyway) because I didn't watch that part in the anime, and I didn't read that part in the manga either. :(
Anyways, I think I might need a beta reader. I have a new story idea in mind, and... I need someone to see if it's okay. Anybody...?
Anyway, if you have any truth/dare or pairing suggestions, please feel free to tell me, thank you~