It's Eid in my country, so Eid Mubarak to all.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorite and followed this story.

A loud cheer for my beta CyanMew, who did an amazing job with this huge chapter with a deadline.

Dedication: This chapter is for all the people who were the victims of the terrorist attack in Dhaka this Friday (July 1st). I mourn for the innocent 20 people who had to lose their lives and the 2 officers who had to die, doing their duty.

We are mourning but we are not weak and we are not going to surrender to terrorism. We will fight back.

Reality Vs Fiction

Chapter – 2

Small world

June 30th2009

"C'mon on, damn it!" Natsu muttered into the phone, listening to it ring. Knowing very well that his best friend…well his ex-best friend was purposely ignoring him.

He rubbed his face with his hand when the call went to voile mail again. Natsu wanted to scream then. And find that traitor of a friend and tear his head apart. Then do it again, just for the fun of it.

"This is Gray. I am busy with my girlfriend and friends. You know, living my life. So call me later! But if you are Natsu, then dude I just wanna say, 'why didn't ya' tell me?' And I will not pick up until I finish it. So stop calling. Toots!"

Natsu cursed at the phone. Then said the line he had said already 20 time. "Gray! For the last time, give it back! Please!" then his angered flared. "How dare you come in to my room and steal my thing? I don't go into your room. Stealing things from your drawer. And take it! Holding it over your head! You're my best friend; you're not supposed to do that! Just give it back, already!"

He threw the phone back on the bed. Stomped in the ground before throwing also himself on the mattress, face red with anger. Grabbing one of his pillows he let out a scream.

Once that was out of his system, Natsu again picked up the phone dialing Gray Fullbuster's number for the 27th time that morning.

The rings went ignored again. Like before Natsu reached once again to the raven-haired's voice mail.

"Look, Gray. If you don't come home with that copy, right now. I swear I'll burn you alive!" Natsu sighed, calming down a little. Threatening him won't work. He has to be nice, coax him to come out of that hiding hole of his. So reluctantly he says the next few words. "Dude, just give it back. Please" he added for effect. Shutting his phone down Natsu looked at the pale ceiling.

Pain and fear gripped his heart. His hands trembled as he grabbed his hair and pulled it. He wrote that book, that story for himself. Natsu was the only one, who was supposed to read it. No one else. No one.

Especially not Gray – off all people.

Natsu sighed. This was turning into a nightmare.

Just like anyone else who was supposed to move on after his first crush. Natsu tried too. But it wasn't just a crush. It was more. It was always more with her. No matter how much he tried to fight it. He just couldn't.

That was the reason why he wrote that book. That one copy of 1050 pages, holds everything. Their every single conversation, their every single moment. Their past. His past, his wants. His wishes.

Except for that one thing, the ending. It didn't end like that.

The reality was different. It was harsher. He didn't ran after her and told her about his unconditional love for her. He didn't fight, he didn't even try. He didn't even tried to contact with her.

So in that book Natsu gave himself a happy ending.

He gave himself what he thought he needed. He did everything he couldn't do it in real life. He couldn't bring himself to it.

It wasn't because he was delusional. But because he couldn't stop himself and be a realistic. He just couldn't bring himself to move on.

He tried. More than once. And failed, every time. And what was even scarier then being in love with a person, that you will get, was knowing that he would never be able to move on from her.

He can't.

And so he wrote, pouring his heart out into those blank pages day after day. Everything, every emotions he had was drowned into the words. It took him 8 months. Remembering everything, every moment, reliving all of it.

Natsu assured himself that – again and again – that he wrote it so that he could forget her. So that it could bring him a closure.

Even then he knew he was lying.

That was one of the reasons why he didn't wanted Gray or anyone else to ever see it. It wasn't because of what Gray will think of him. No, it was because everything, every feeling he had for her would come back to surface.

Just like they were coming back now.

Natsu grabbed the pillow again and screamed into it. He wanted to die.

Another 5 minutes passed before his phone rang. Natsu jumped up, grabbing the phone before it dies. He frowns when he saw it Julvia's name in the screen.

"Natsu" she said.

"I don't know where Gray is." Natsu said flatly. If he knew, Natsu would have already killed that ice freak.

"Oh, it's ok. His with me."

Natsu's immediately sat up. He gulped, "Wh-what?"

"Yeah," she said, totally ignoring the tremble in Natsu's voice. "he brought the copy to me. So that we can read it together. Natsu, this is amazing. I love it! We can't put it down. Even Gray couldn't stop reading. We are in page 420, so it won't be long till we finish. Speaking of which, why haven't you given the story a name yet? It deserves an ass-kicking name! Okay, I just called to tell you to stop calling us. Let us finish. " She huffs. "We can't do that with you calling Gray every second. We can't stop reading, you're book Natsu! It's so good! I mean it, I do. Bye!" with that she killed the line.

Leaving Natsu standing, his phone pressed against his ear, frozen to the ground.

He blinked. Twice.

Someone else was reading that book. Gray will figure it out who Rushi and Ustan really was. And he will tell Julvia everything.

He buried himself in his hand, somewhat ashamed of being found out. Gray will never let him live it down.

But something else was going on his mind too.

The talk with Juvia left Natsu with many questions.

Question no 1: What the hell was Gray thinking?

Natsu knew answer to that immediately. Apparently Gray wasn't thinking. To think one needs to have a mind. Which Gray was lacking off. If he did had a mind – a brain – then he wouldn't had stolen the printed copy. It was hidden for a reason.

It's only for Natsu, only he can read it. He was too proud and embarrassed of it.

Question no 2: What will Julvia think of him now?

Answer to this question wasn't that hard either.

The first time that Natsu and Gray met Julvia was when they were trying to steal Caramel Frank from her restaurant. So she probably never had any higher expectation from either of them, to begin with.

Natsu did try to rectify himself in front of her, though. Trying to be more responsible and mature, although Gray's immatureness always shadowed his hard work.

Question no 3: Did she actually mean it, when she said that she loved the book?

This was a tricky one.

Julvia was always kind and sweet. Except for the first time they met her. But it was explainable. What would you do, if you found someone was stealing from you? And that was more or more 5 months ago.

And there was no reason for her to lie, too. Julvia was always very straightforward. She calls Gray 'dope' in front of him, all the time. So if it was bad she would have told him, right in the face.

Or maybe she lied? Trying to spare his feeling?

Natsu groan. "This is ridiculous" he screamed as he kicked the air.

He sat on his bed again, eyes roaming around the room. It was in a disheveled state. It had been like this since morning, when he discovered that his secretly written story was gone.

Natsu had just came out of the shower. Today was his day off. He was going to spend it by reading his own work, being proud of it and then cry; wondering why his own story didn't turned out that way.

Picking the clothes he left earlier in the bed Natsu started to get ready.

It was when he was supposed to get out of the room for breakfast, when he noticed that the drawer of his night stand was open.

He let out a silent scream. Rushing toward it, he dropped on to his knees. The drawer was indeed empty except one piece of yellow paper lying flat on it.

Natsu picked it out with shaky hands. It had something writing on it. And just like that the salmon haired knew who was the culprit.

He picked out his phone and dialed Gray's number. He had been doing this for past one and half hours.

Natsu shook his head, shoving the bubble gum pink hair out of his eyes.

Sighing, he got up and left the room, purposely leaving his phone behind.

He couldn't stop them, there were all ready reading it. And Natsu knew if he kept that phone with him, he won't be able to stop himself from calling them every minute, begging.

He needed to get out of here or the headache that was threatening would definitely come to visit.

So he picked up his jacket and left the house.

Natsu didn't knew where he wanted to go when he walked out of the apartment building. As he stared at the roads leading everywhere, he found himself getting even more flustered.

'Damn you Gray' he thought, kicking the small stone in front of him. It rolled on its own eventually stopped in front of a door of a shop.

Brows narrowed, Natsu looked up.

Giddiness filled him as an evil toothy smile creped on. A red haired girl passed by him, watching him with a risen eyebrow. But Natsu didn't noticed.

The pinkett jumped and hoped in to the store. The smile never leaving his face.

He hated ice skating but Gray hates it even more when he doesn't gets to go.

2 hours later, Natsu was tired out and done for the day. He had numerous pictures of him, proving proof of his tale about going to the ice-skate store. Perfect for revenge, after all, Gray, for some reason loves cold. The colder the better – the ice princess – a nick name Natsu had given him in high school, when Gray came to prom as an ice princess – always says. Natsu on the other hand hates it. For him the warmer the better. But in recent years, Gray has somehow managed or in better words forced Natsu to go ice-skating with him.

Blackmailing him emotionally was Gray's only and most powerful weapon.

So, the pictures of Natsu going there alone, would of course piss him off.

Natsu's smile brightened. He skipped rest of the way home.

It was 1 am in the morning, when Natsu heard the front door opened. He didn't got up from his bed though, he knew who came. And it was Natsu's turn to completely and happily ignore them.

The light in his room went on. Natsu groaned, looking up from the blanket, he had cover himself with.

Julvia and Gray both stood in front of his door, a packet in hand. He would've recognize that teal color folder anywhere in the world. He jumped, grabbing the folder in his hand. Gray let's him have it.

A silence followed. But none minded.

"So" Julvia started. "Lucy, huh?"

Natsu gave a humorless chuckle.

Leave it to Julvia to break the ice.

Natsu sigh, rubbing the back of his neck, he sat on his bed. "I take it, you guys finished the whole thing."

"Yeah, all 1050 of it." Juvia sat beside him. "Gray said, she is The Lucy Heartfilia."

Natsu chuckled, "Yeah. That's- that's her." now looking at them, he took in their expressions. Julvia was looking pretty guilty and a little sorry for him, for reading it, while Gray was turning red.

Natsu sigh. Better get this over with.

The pinkett motioned his hand toward Gray. "Come on. Bring it on."

"Natsu!" he screamed or maybe squeal. It was hard to tell when Gray's voice goes all high. "I should beat you for not telling me about it! I knew you got feeling for her. Hell! I even told you to go for her! But this book," he pointed at the teal folder in Natsu's hand. "it's something else man. I knew it was gonna be good. But shit! We couldn't stop reading it. I couldn't stop reading it. And I am not just saying that because I'm your best friend or you're only friend." Natsu muttered an irritated 'thank you' as Julvia chuckled. Gray didn't seem to care and continue anyway. "But shit, Natsu its good. And you should totally publish it."

Natsu jumped off the bed, head shaking violently. "NO!"

"No?" Julvia asked.

Natsu turned at her, "Yes" he said.

"Yes!" Gray exclaimed.

"No!" Natsu groaned.

"No?" now Gray was at lost.

"No. Why?" Julvia chipped in.

"No" Natsu chocked out. Taking a deep breath, Natsu looked back at his friends. "I am glad that you guys liked it and all. But this book wasn't meant for people to read. No one was supposed to even know about it."

"That was obvious." Gray relented. "You hid it in your nightstand. But why? It's good. If you think that it isn't good enough..."

"No, it's not that" he stopped him. With a shaky breath he sat back on the bed. Immediately Julvia wrapped her arm around him, her head on his shoulder. Natsu smiled at her.

"It's part of it. But it's about her." He looked at them, pleading for them to understand.

"So?" Gray asked. Julvia glared at him, but he seemed oblivious. "Dude, she gone. Gone. You got your chance to tell her. Not once but – " Gray threw his hand in the air. "Julvia you have no idea. How many times, how many times I told him that 'hey you look like a love sick puppy. Go and tell her' and every time, and every single freaking time flame head here," He pointed at Natsu. "laughed at my face and said I was being stupid. And now it looks like I wasn't, was I?" Gray took a breath from his nose, his anger calming.

Julvia placed her hand in the air and Gray took it before sitting down in the floor. "Dude, it's not like I don't understand. I do. I am in love." he looked at Julvia and she gave him a small tender smile. "And I know how you felt back then. Scared about losing your friendship with her. And I get it. But that's in the past. And this book, this story – where you get the girl, it's your way of trying to mild of the pain of not having her. Not getting the shit ounce of courage to tell her. But it doesn't matter anymore. Cause it's over. She's gone. And by your luck, you might never even see her again."

Natsu nod, this he agreed to.

"But this story is good. Really good. And trust me I'm not saying cause you're my lame ass best friend."

Natsu snorted and Julvia chuckle.

"But – " Gray continued. Natsu stopped him.

"No, Gray. I can't. What if she finds out?" His voice shaking.

"That's my point." Gray says as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Natsu looked at him incredulously. But this time Julvia took over.

"Natsu, of all the time I have known you, I never saw you with anyone. And you said no to so many girls. That…" she stopped, looking at Gray. The raven haired boy chuckled and motioned her to continue. She looked back at Natsu. "that I thought you were gay."

Natsu's jaw dropped.

She shrugged. "I kind off asked Gray to be sure. But if the things in this pages you wrote are true, even by a grain. Then she needs to know. She has the right to know."

"And if you won't say yes then…" the determination on Gray's eyes frightened Natsu as he gulped. "I'll would do it myself."

"You wouldn't" Natsu said, calling on Gray's bluff. Yet somehow he knew, that Gray wasn't bluffing. If Gray wants, he would travel all the way to Mount Altana and then tell Lucy.

"Oh, but I will, my dumb little bristle friend."

"How about" Julvia interrupted, "let's leave it to fate. Natsu you got what, 5 months before graduation?" Natsu nodded. "Ok. Then we will send this, to a few publish houses." Natsu opened his mouth but Julvia's pointed look shut him up. "If we don't get any letter about them wanting to publish it, then we will let it go. And you will never hear it from us, again. From any of us." She looked at Gray. Gray shrugged. Then turning back at Natsu she continued, "But if we get even one letter saying that they want to publish it…" she let the rest hang.

"But if she finds out?"

Julvia smiled. At least Natsu was now considering the idea of publishing the story. "Even if it did get publish, what are the chances that she'll ever read it. And even IF," she weighed on the word, "she does, than we will know what fate has store for you." Julvia laughs then, "Won't it be better to trust in fate then in Gray."

Natsu nodded as he rubbed his neck.

Julvia brightens, clapping her hands together as she gave him a side hug. "Yes! This is gonna be amazing!"

Natsu's shoulders slump. Gray rolls his eyes. 'Squinty eyes needs more reassurance, go figured' he though dryly.

"Look dude, if you're not sure about being this writer and shit. Then let me ask you, do you see yourself doing anything else except working on as a cashier in 'Book Land'? Because you're not good at anything else."

Natsu rolled his eyes but nods. Gray was again right.

"So!" Julvia clapped her hands once more, her blue eyes sparkling and a bright smile adoring her face. "the book is going to need a name."

"Jul you get on to that. And I'll see what else we are gonna need to publish a book. Minus the book itself. And Natsu don't run off." Gray ordered before running out of the room to his.

Julvia took a writing pad from the table and started to write down some possible names. Natsu…just sat there awkwardly.

Gray came back with his laptop and the manila envelope Natsu had left for him earlier.

Natsu smiled.

"You went there without me?" Gray's voice held accusation.

Julvia didn't even look up from her writing. 'It wasn't worth it' she mustered.

Natsu shrugged, "You were doing something fun without me. I thought I would do something fun without you. It only seemed fair."

"You're in luck flame brain, I'm in a good mood today." With that he huffed and sat on the floor trying to find different type of queries and letters that they were supposed to need for the agencies, name off different publishing houses, in his laptop.

Natsu still sat on his bed, hand gripping the tale color folder. It was all so surreal. Too fast. He was sure that he was gonna faint.

Natsu shook his head.

It was then he caught the sight of the black and white checkered scarf hanging of his closet rack. A smile creeps on to his face.

"Angel & Dragon" he announced.

A sudden silent felt upon the room. Julvia stopped writing and Gray stopped typing whatever he was typing.

"What?" Julvia didn't understand. She didn't know the story behind the name.

"The name of the book, 'Angel & Dragon'." Natsu looked at Gray, hopefully. Gray understood. He knew the name, the reason and everything that came with it. He nods.

Natsu scribbled down the name, top of the folder. His smile brightening. He still felt sick, though. But now he felt more…giddy with it.

"You know what would be weird?" Gray suddenly pondered out loud.

"What?" Julvia asked.

"What if the book became so huge that they wanna turn it into a movie? And cast Lucy as the lead? It will be so damn funny!" he said laughing.

Julvia chuckled. But Natsu sat there frozen. It didn't sounded that funny to him.

"Relax Natsu." Julvia tried to assure him.

"Yeah. It will be one hell of a small world if that ever happens." Gray injected.

Natsu nodded, smiling too. "Yeah, one hell of a small world."

They forgot that it is one hell of small world.

Jan 3rd 2016

"Hey Lucy!"

The blonde smiled at her agent from the mirror. "Hi Aquarius, what's up?"

"Got something for you. You got time?" she poked her blue head over the doors of the trailer, looking inside.

Lucy nodded, causing Cancer to stop his work. "Babe can you just stay still, for a sec." he asked, rolling his eyes, working back on the messy bun he was creating so perfectly.

Lucy sighed, motioning Aquarius to sit on the couch. She gave her an apologetic smile. Lucy shrugged. She was used to this.

"Well" Aquarius started. "I told Nikora that, I wanted to speak to you first before he gave them his word." Lucy raised an eyebrow. Aquarius smirked, "We got a call from Fairy Tail. They wanna make a movie starring you."

Lucy shrugged. "So? What's the big deal?"

"It's based on a book. I don't know if you heard about or not. It's called, 'Angel & Dragon', it's still in the Fiore top 5 list, for over 4 years now. Meaning, it's pretty big. It got a huge fan base for a book. And the author, himself is quite well know too. It's gonna be big."

Lucy again shrugged at the mirror, fixing the torn red jacket she was wearing. "I trust you guys. You won't let me in something stupid. So if you think it's good. Then I'm good with it."

"Good" Aquarius stood. "Because Nikora wanted to say yes to them right on the phone." she rolled her eyes. Nikora was trying to set Lucy up with Fairy Tail for quite some time now. It is the biggest production house in Fiore.

Lucy giggled, shaking slightly.

Cancer grumbled from behind her. Lucy straightened immediately. Aquarius rolled her eyes once more.

"We want you to do it. It's the lead. The character is a little different from the one you're doing now. But it's good. Its pushes you in the right direction. You have been doing too many action movies. Your fans are gonna love seeing you doing some romance in screen. For the lack of it in reality." she bumped her shoulder with blonde's.

This time Lucy rolled her eyes.

"You are gonna love the script." Aquarius continued, dusting some of the dirt perfectly put on Lucy's cheeks. Cancer scram her hand away. She gave him a stink eye.

The red-headed hair stylist mumbled and grumbled but said nothing.

Lucy bit back her laughter.

Just then a white haired girl pokes her head inside the door, "Lucy the shot is ready. We start in five."

The blonde nodded. Then turned to Aquarius. "Ok. I'll do it."

Aquarius smiled.

One hell of a small world it was.

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