A/N: Dude. I officially suck at deadlines. Super late, but I hope you guys dig this chapter. I don't know why it took me so damned long to write, but at least it's finished. Just want to thank all of my amazing reviewers! We've hit over 200 reviews! This story also has over 225 favorites and almost 400 followers! A couple of you guys also anonymously suggested my story to what happen to be some of my favorite fanfic authors on tumblr. I seriously almost died when I saw a suggestion of my own fic on my dash. Thank you guys for all of the support. :) Even if I'm a little behind, you guys are what keeps me writing.
Compucles asked about the possibility of Igneel showing up. My only response? *Insert Devious Look Here*
asked about the specifics of demon royalty and what it means to be Madame Lilith. I'm gonna delve deeper into Lucy's succubus heritage soon, but I can tell you that Madame Lilith is a lot like being Alpha female.
I was digging through the reviews, and I think someone asked about who Natsu's foster family was. I couldn't for the life of me find who it was. I can say that several characters' families are gonna be revealed in the next couple chapters. (Natsu, Gray, Juvia, etc...)
BEWARE: FLUFF AHEAD.
This was pretty much the last place on Earth that Gray wanted to be. In all fairness, who would want to be boarding a school bus filled with awkward virgins? (Completely disregard the fact that he was one of said awkward virgins.) Herding unicorns might've sounded fun to Gray when he was five, but now it all seemed so unbearably lame. If he didn't need money to buy Halo 5, he definitely wouldn't be doing this.
Gray slid his glasses on, sinking down in the seat and trying to be inconspicuous. Gods help him if anyone he knew saw him through the windows. Loke would never let him hear the end of it if he heard. Ugh. Someone please shoot him. A bullet to the brain was probably the only thing that could've made the situation worse.
"Yo! Popsicle tits!"
Scratch that. Natsu and that cute new girlfriend of his could make the situation worse. Gray slumped down even lower, pretending he didn't hear. Maybe if he wished hard enough, they'd just disappear. Hell, maybe if he wished hard enough, he'd open his eyes and be in a nice, refreshing igloo somewhere. If only. Gray's eyes flashed open when he felt a rough shake on his shoulder.
"Dude, I'm talking to you," Natsu said, his annoying face too close and his annoying voice too loud.
"What are you even doing here," Gray groaned, slapping Natsu's hand away.
"Lucy and I volunteered for the job," Natsu said, the word 'duh' implied.
"What," Gray grumbled, eyebrow raised. "You're a virgin?"
"I'm here aren't I," Natsu muttered, face red. Gray noticed Lucy snort at Natsu's expression, her eyes glued to the half-dragon's face as per usual. Well. Might as well use this opportunity to make his roommate squirm.
"I thought you dated Lisanna for a year," Gray drawled, trying not to laugh at the instant discomfort on Natsu's face and the flash of jealousy on Lucy's. "There's no way you're still a virgin."
"We never did anything," Natsu burst out, flustered by the concentrated stare his blonde companion was fixing him with. "Do you think Mira would've let me live if I laid a finger on her?"
"Touché," Gray shivered, not even wanting to think about the carnage that would've ensued if anyone dared sully her precious baby sister.
"Who's Lisanna," Lucy asked, voice a bit too curious and eyes a bit too intent. Gray gave an evil grin at the nervous grimace on Natsu's face.
"Elfman and Mira's little sister. She was Natsu's girlfriend until sophomore year," Gray said, ignoring the blatant 'Cut It Out' glare Natsu was shooting him. "He was so devastated when they broke up."
"Was not," Natsu bit out, face flushed. "It was mutual."
"Sure. Mutual."
"She was chosen to do an exchange program in Edolas! We decided not to do long distance, that's all."
"Whatever you say," Gray smirked. "I think the lady doth protest too much." Natsu glowered.
"I ain't no lady, Ice Tits."
"My name's not Ice Tits, you-"
"So, where's Edolas," Lucy cut in, voice slightly strained. "I haven't even heard of it before."
"Oh, it's some sorta alternate dimension," Natsu said, tone blaisé.
"Well of course it is," Lucy muttered, rolling her eyes. "That was my second guess, right next to a level of hell."
"Already wishing Natsu's exes were in hell," Gray teased. "You guys must be serious."
"We're not dating," Natsu and Lucy yelled in unison, flinching when they realized that they were way too in sync for anyone to believe them.
"You're already finishing each other's sentences. Cute."
Natsu gave a yell of frustration, looking ready to pull his own hair out. Meanwhile, Lucy looked as if she were trying to disappear into the bus seat. Ah, sweet bliss. Getting to embarrass the hell out of Natsu and his crush? Absolutely priceless. Maybe the universe was finally looking out for Gray, sending good karma his way. This day just might be salvageable after all.
"Gray-sama?"
Nevermind. Fuck karma. Fuck the universe. If this was retribution, Gray would gladly repent. Because that voice sounded a hell of a lot like Juvia Lockser's, and she was the one person he couldn't handle right now. Gray risked a glance up and confirmed that, yes, it was Juvia that had called him. Fuck.
Juvia Lockser was many different things to many different people. To some, her very name meant trainwreck, overemotional, or obsessive. Sometimes it meant these things to Gray, too. But for the most part, Juvia was synonymous with distracting, hypnotic, and sexy as fuck. (The last one was something Gray would never admit to anyone for as long as he lived.)
So when she waltzed down the aisle with her perfect legs and megawatt grin and those eyes that were as dark and mysterious as Gray liked to pretend he was, Gray Fullbuster felt a sense of dread pool in his stomach. Because every little thing she did seemed to rip him to shreds, which is something Gray refused to even admit to himself. Because if Gray fell in love with anyone, the last person it should've been was Juvia Lockser.
Gray should've fallen for a girl like himself. Someone who could tone down her pesky feelings. Someone who knew not to get so close. Someone who didn't look at him with eyes that made him want to move in even closer. But the way Juvia smiles at him makes the self-acclaimed "Man of Ice" suddenly aware of the awkward thing pumping blood in his veins, and this was an incredibly uncomfortable sensation. Gray was far more at ease when his voice of reason wasn't tuned out by the frantic beating of his heart as it did somersaults in his chest. But Juvia Lockser's laugh had electrified the once-dead organ like a defibrillator, and it was now coming back to life with a vengeance. Years worth of not feeling had built up, and the plymouth of emotions she sparked were beginning to overwhelm him.
"Oh," Natsu murmured, an evil grin spreading across his face. "Here comes your girlfr-"
Natsu cut off with a grunt of pain after Gray punched him in the gut, effectively cutting the idiot off. If Juvia heard, she'd get ideas. And ideas like that were crack for her overactive imagination. It would no doubt take an hour to calm her down again. (The fact that the very thought of being with Juvia wreaked havoc on his own mind was something Gray would also never admit.)
"Juvia didn't know that Gray-sama would be volunteering today as well," the siren breathed as she took her seat, eyes too obnoxiously warm and pretty.
"Uh, yeah," Gray coughed. "I need the money for a game."
"Juvia is saving for something as well," she said, nodding attentively. "There's this new guitar she's been wanting for a while."
"You play guitar," Lucy piped up, voice full of admiration. "That's awesome!"
"Oh, it's nothing," Juvia insisted, humble as always. "Juvia plays in a band with friends. Meredy drums and Ultear-san plays bass. Juvia figured you would've heard from Mirajane- she sings after all."
"That does sound vaguely familiar. Isn't your band called Grim Hearts?"
"Grimoire Heart," Juvia corrected, smile bright. "Lucy is welcome to watch us practice after school sometime. Gray-sama, too, if he'd like."
Her offer to Gray was much more withdrawn, and she was apparently aware of what his answer would be. She'd invited him several times before, and his response was always the same. Gray sighed, feeling a little guilty.
"Sorry. I've usually got other stuff to do," he lied, trying not to take notice of the disappointment on her face.
"Juvia understands," she murmured, giving him a sad smile. "It's not important."
Gray bit his tongue, shifting his gaze out the window to avoid the melancholy in her eyes. Soon enough the bus rumbled to life, and Gray heard Natsu's telltale gag. He looked over to see the moron burrowing into the crook of Lucy's neck, making pathetic whimpering noises as she consoled him by running her fingers through his hair. And they weren't dating. Right.
Suddenly, Lucy's eyes met his. And she seemed to be looking right through him. Her eyes mocked him, as if saying "I know how you feel about Juvia, and I know that you're just a scared little boy deep down inside." Gray broke her gaze, turning back to the window and trying to lose himself in the landscape. Leave it to an imbecile like Natsu to get cozy with a hyper-intuitive girl that was too damn perceptive for anyone's own good.
Only five year olds get excited about unicorns. That's what Lucy told herself, but the jubilation that bubbled in her stomach suggested otherwise. She was practically shaking with excitement by the time they arrived, eager to pet the creature that she'd never believed existed. It was childish, she knew. But she hadn't been allowed to act like a kid in her childhood, and getting away from her father had helped her get in touch with her repressed inner child. Well, being friends with Natsu had probably played a part in that as well. Natsu, the only person as excited to get off the bus as she was (albeit for different reasons).
"I'm never riding one of those death traps ever again!"
"You have to ride one in order to get back," Lucy reminded him, attention focused elsewhere.
"I'd rather walk the thirty miles," Natsu glowered, following Lucy to the main lodge. Lucy snorted, feeling her lips twitch as he jogged ahead of her to open the door.
All of the students gathered in the lodge, filling the room with anxious chatter as they waited for instruction. Lucy fidgeted, eager to get to the part of the day that would involve unicorns. Natsu noticed her eagerness, snorting at how uncharacteristically childish she was acting. Lucy pouted at him, huffing in indignation when he laughed at her.
"Someone's excited for the unicorns," Natsu teased, grinning wide.
"Like you're not dying to see a salamander," Lucy growled, crossing her arms.
"They spit fire! And I'm not jumping up and down for 'em."
"I'm not jumping up and down," Lucy mumbled, embarrassed. Natsu laughed.
"Sure," he drawled.
"I'm not-"
"Ladies and gentleman," a familiar voice called out, getting everyone's attention. Lucy looked over to see a flash of red hair. Erza…?
"The fuck is she doing here," Natsu groaned, mimicking Lucy's thoughts. Lucy shushed him, trying to listen to the announcement.
"Many of you know me. I am Erza Scarlet, and I work here part-time as head of the Junior Cadets. Initially, your jobs as volunteers were meant to be fairly easy- just feeding the unicorns and herding them from a nearby pen to the stables. However, some minor complications have arisen."
Oh, Gods. Lucy sighed, clapping her hand to her forehead. She may not have been privy to this supernatural world for very long, but she'd witnessed enough to know that complications were never minor. Her fears were confirmed when Natsu gave a mischievous smile, his excitement growing as hers died down. He nudged her side as she groaned, covering her face and leaning into his shoulder.
"There was apparently a weak spot in one of the gates, and the unicorns escaped early this morning. As volunteers, your job is now to round them up. Pair up into teams of two and search for a unicorn. Some of the creatures here get dangerous after sunset, so please try to get back before dark," Erza said, voice calm and authoritative.
"What if we can't find any unicorns," someone called out, sounding bored. Ezra's face hardened into an expression that bordered on terrifying.
"I don't tolerate failure. If you have any doubts of your ability to complete the job, I can make it my personal mission to accompany you for the day."
"Aaaaand we're going," Natsu hastily murmured, locking his fingers around her wrist and dragging her along. Lucy didn't complain- it's not like staying would've been a very appealing option. Besides, the warmth of his hand was nice (in a purely platonic way, of course). By now Natsu must've written off how quickly her heart beated in his presence as a common occurrence, only grinning when he felt the pulse in her wrist thrum beneath his fingers.
They set out into the forest that surrounds the ranch, heading north. Lucy marveled at the way the light that filtered through the trees settled on Natsu's face. She could see the freckles that dotted the bridge of his nose and the flecks of gold in his irises. When he glanced over at her, his grin widened and his eyes seemed to glow. Lucy almost forgot how to breathe. Why did she feel so overwhelmingly warm?
"You excited to find that unicorn?"
"Y-yeah," Lucy stuttered, almost tripping over a tree root due to her paying more attention to his eyes than the path ahead of her.
"Walk much," Natsu teased, only laughing when Lucy elbowed his side.
"Shut up and help me find this damned unicorn." Natsu snorted in response.
"Yes, ma'am."
They kept walking, the surrounding air chilly and shrouded by fog. The atmosphere might've been spooky if Lucy were alone and the sun wasn't shining. But there was only a sense of mystery, making Lucy curious about what might be in store. The cool air was something she could've gone without, however. She'd always preferred heat to cold, and the November chill sent shivers through her body. She rubbed at her arms, trying ease her goosebumps.
"You okay, Lucy?"
"Yeah," she assured, teeth chattering. "Just should've worn a thicker jacket."
Natsu's expression grew thoughtful. Almost out of nowhere, he reached his hand out and slowly ran it down her arm. Warmth spread across her skin, and heat blossomed inside of her. The two seemed to meet somewhere in the middle, and suddenly Lucy was on fire. She gasped at the feeling, stumbling a little.
"What-"
"You were cold, right? I do use fire magic, after all. Might as well be good for something. Come here," he said, opening his jacket for her to step in. "Can't have you freezing to death."
Lucy blushed, embarrassed at his offer. But damn if it wasn't enticing. She bit her lip, wondering if she'd be able to restrain herself. The pangs of hunger and lust came back in waves, and it seemed to get worse each passing day. She could ease it a little with small acts of physical affection- hand holding and hugs and pecks on the cheek. Everyone probably thought that Lucy was extremely touchy-feely, but that was still a better alternative than what they'd surely think if they knew she was a succubus.
"Thanks," she murmured, stepping into his open arms and letting the warmth of his jacket consume her.
"There," he grinned, crushing her to his chest. "I'll get you all fired up."
I bet you will. Lucy's face flushed in a mixture of shame and arousal. Thou shalt not think dirty thoughts about thy best friend. It was a mantra she'd been repeating to herself for weeks. Lucy had quickly promoted it to her number one commandment, the rule outranking Thou shalt not combine green and orange in any ensemble ever. Which, all considering, was a pretty big deal. Natsu definitely noticed the sudden spike in her heart rate, but wisely chose to say nothing. He probably blamed it on her being a weirdo, as per usual.
The two of them kept walking like that, both of them burrowed in Natsu's jacket. It slowed their search down considerably, but the warmth made it undoubtedly worth it. Lucy and Natsu had grown so close over the past few weeks, and it felt like they were in constant contact. Playful shoves and teasing pokes and times when they sat so close together their thighs touched. But it felt even more intimate to have all of the lines of his body pressed against the lines of hers. Lucy's goosebumps still hadn't gone away, making her shudder for completely different reasons than before.
"So," Lucy began, disrupting the comfortable silence. "This has got to to be the weirdest field trip I've ever been on. Should've known, what with the prerequisites and all."
"Yeah, this is probably the only school function that demands a bus full of virgin sacrifices."
"Virgin sacrifices?"
"Your face," Natsu snickered, poking fun of her horrified expression. "I was just kidding. If anything, not being a virgin in this place would be a death wish."
"How come," Lucy asked, confused.
"Unicorns will attack if you're not a virgin. Like, viciously. That part of the deal got left out over the years. Doesn't exactly help their majestic image, I guess."
"Whoa," she gaped. "That's brutal."
"Yeah. I think there was a girl in the back of the bus that was lying about being a virgin. For her sake, I hope they don't end up finding anything."
"How would you know if she was lying," Lucy asked, voice full of suspicion.
"I- uh," he stammered, actually blushing. "Icankindasmellit."
"Wait, what?"
"It's a dragon thing! I can smell virgin blood. It's perfectly normal," he insisted. His face was a dead giveaway, though. He was doing that thing he always does when he's nervous. The thing where he bites his lower lip and scrunches his nose the tiniest bit. Lucy secretly thought it was adorable/insanely hot.
"What do you mean, 'a dragon thing'?"
"It's… supposed to help dragons choose a mate. One of the weird dragon mating things that come with the powers. Yay me."
"Um," Lucy paused, not quite knowing what to say. "That's-"
"Super awkward? Weird? Too much info?"
"Kinda cool, actually."
"What," Natsu gaped at her. "Are you serious?"
"Not the part where your virgin senses tingle," Lucy said, flustered. "Just- I'm sorta glad that I'm not the only SH with weird mating stuff."
And then Natsu choked on his own spit, apparently. He coughed, pounding his fist on his chest. Alarmed, Lucy started patting his back. When his throat was finally cleared, he gasped for breath and hunched over, hands on his knees. Lucy kept rubbing his back, unable to fight the urge she always had to comfort him. He looked back up at her, face the same cherry red that hers probably was. They stayed like that, Natsu hunched over and Lucy resting her hand between his shoulder blades.
"Weird mating stuff? Are you-"
They froze when they heard the snap of a branch in the distance. Suddenly, Natsu was upright and standing protectively in front of Lucy. She peeked over his shoulder, trying to see where the sound was coming from. The fog hadn't let up over the course of the past couple hours, and it was still impossible to see anything more than a few feet away. Like magic, the light filtering through the trees seemed to intensify, creating a glow that seemed to settle on everything in its path. It was enough to make Natsu's eyes widen in surprise and Lucy gasp in amazement.
The nearby bushes rustled, the sound making Lucy's gut clench in suspense. And then there it was. A unicorn. It was more magnificent than Lucy ever could've imagined. White as freshly fallen snow and almost sparkling in the glow that surrounded it. Lucy had an errant thought that the white light must've been its aura, visible to the eye without the use of a spell. It was breathtaking. She couldn't help but feel compelled to touch it. She wanted to run her fingers through its mane and fulfill all of her childhood dreams. She'd always been forced to grow up fast, and this unicorn brought to the surface all of those childhood fantasies her father had told her not to dare dream about.
She stepped around Natsu, entranced. He tried to protest, but the words died on his lips the second she stepped under the haze of white light. She approached the unicorn slowly, trying not to scare it. It didn't move away, simply looking at her with its cloudy blue eyes. She stretched her hand out, hesitant, hoping it didn't run away from her touch. It leaned toward her, letting Lucy run her hand over the velvet coat of fur that covered its body. Lucy hummed, marveling out how soft it was. A huge, childish grin spread across her face. She was touching a unicorn! She looked over at Natsu, wanting to communicate her unbelievable excitement.
His face gave her pause, however. He was slackjawed, his eyes slightly glazed and completely indecipherable. He looked positively stunned. No, stunned wasn't the word. Reverent. The destructive fire-wielder looked about ready to fall to his knees. Lucy was somewhat startled at the expression, feeling a flash of deja vu. She'd seen that look before, just never on Natsu. And certainly never in her direction. She cocked her head to the side in confusion, the grin on her face dropping ever so slightly as worry began to cloud her mind.
"Natsu? Are you okay?"
"Uh, yeah," he said, shaking his head back and forth as if to snap himself out of a trance. "I-I'm fine. Promise."
Lucy opened her mouth to insist that, no, he wasn't. But she was soon distracted with the fact that the unicorn was kneeling. Like, stooping down before her. As in, it wanted her to climb on its back and mount it. Oh my God, I get to ride a unicorn. Lucy suppressed the urge to jump up and down screaming like a little girl. She took a deep breath to calm herself before swinging a leg over her noble steed's back. When she was securely in place, it hopped up, making Lucy lose her balance. She flailed around a little, trying not to fall off before eventually righting herself. She heard Natsu laugh at her and sent a playful glare in his direction.
"Don't you dare laugh at me," she said curtly as the unicorn walked in his direction, stopping in front of him. He snorted.
"Then stop being so clumsy- If you fall on your face, I won't be able to stop myself."
"Ha ha. Now are you getting on, or what?"
"Getting on," he said, staring at her like she'd grown a second head. "On the unicorn?"
"No, on the Magnolia Public Bus. Of course on the unicorn, Natsu. Come on, the sun's gonna set in an hour. I don't know how long it'll take us to find our way back."
She extended a hand, ready to help him climb on. Natsu rolled his eyes, giving a huff before taking Lucy's hand. He clamored on, looking less than graceful throughout the whole ordeal. Lucy thought she heard him grumble something about the unicorn kneeling for her but not for him. Oh well. She didn't mind being a unicorn's favorite in the least. When he finally got himself upright, he was behind her, leaving Lucy to guide the unicorn back.
"Let's get this damned thing back to the stables," Natsu grunted.
The unicorn bucked up on its hind legs, almost knocking Natsu off. He yelped, wrapping his arms around Lucy's waist in an attempt to stay on. She threw her head back and laughed. It was rather amusing to see Natsu being a little helpless for a change.
"You'd better watch yourself," she teased.
"Whatever," he groaned, burrowing his face into her neck as he always did when they were on any form of transportation.
Lucy laughed again, trying not to pay attention to the butterflies that erupted in her stomach. Or lingering presence of his arms around her waist, him only holding her tighter despite being secure in his balance. As the unicorn trotted back to the lodge, Lucy couldn't help but smile at how incredibly happy she was. Riding a unicorn with her favorite person in the universe coiled around her (Even if it's because he's bad with transportation, she thought). The world was bright and vibrant and perfect in that moment.
It wouldn't be until the next day that Lucy would realize that Natsu never got motion sickness when riding animals. And it wouldn't be until the next month that Lucy could go a day without thinking of the way he'd pressed himself into her the entire ride back. And Lucy had absolutely no clue when the half-dragon would stop making her heart feel like it'd burst in her chest. A small part of her hoped the day would never come.
Thank you for reading! Did you enjoy the chapter? Let me know! Reviews are my lifeblood. Make sure to follow me on tumblr, if you have an account. My username is the same as it is on here. Be excited for the next chapter. Be very excited. Because Things are gonna get intense.
Later, gators!
~Mya