The Star on Fire
Summary: College AU. Lucy is an English major who has big dreams of becoming an aspiring author but faces obstacles in discovering herself as a woman and navigating potential romantic emotions. Natsu is a fire science major whose main goal in life is to uncover the disappearance of his firefighter father by following in his footsteps, meanwhile learning to understand the difference between loving friends and loving someone on a deeper level. Best Friends to Lovers NaLu story.
A/N: Hi, I'm Star and welcome to my fanfiction. I've been in the Fairy Tail fandom for eight years now, which has been a journey of writing and reading a lot of fanfics. This is an attempt at an idea I've been working on since January. My biggest issue has been finding a real-life AU to read where the characters aren't OOC to the original series. I understand Natsu is very difficult to write, especially when attempting a romance genre. However, I want to challenge myself to write a real-life college AU with the perfect amount of slow-burning NaLu and characters who don't stretch far from their manga personalities. Because as a reader, this is all I've ever wanted.
I will provide a minor disclaimer that I did choose to make Happy human in this story. I know this isn't a common theme, but in my recent revisit to the series, I feel that Happy's personality is monumental in allowing Natsu and Lucy's relationship to develop. Therefore, I decided to make him human in this AU to provide a personality and emphasis on his role in the friend group and budding romance.
I hope you enjoy this story. Feedback, opinions, and reviews are always welcome!
It was a beautiful evening in Magnolia. The sun was just starting to set and all the season's flowers portrayed a warm and colorful tint to the environment. The summer breeze danced with the petals and pollen along the river that ran through the middle of the city. The citizens were wrapping up their dinner plans for the evening and the night crowds were getting ready to hit the town on the beautiful Saturday night.
The painting of the sky peered in through the opaque white curtains of a quant apartment. The colors were on full display upon the pink and white comforter that faced a large window. The decor of the room was themed soft and feminine to fit the personality of the young woman who resided there.
The renter of the apartment was stowed away behind the bathroom door as she stared at herself in the mirror: Lucy Heartfilia. She was a sight to behold to anyone, a gorgeous twenty-year-old college student who held the potential to turn heads everywhere she went.
She carried long silky, golden hair that reached her hips and a healthy body that was paired with a curvaceous hourglass shape. The young woman supported the softest brown eyes that could attract tides, accompanied by a bright smile. Her eminent beauty earned her the title of the princess of the Heartfilia company in her youth.
In the past, her parents had guaranteed that their only child would never have to work a day in her life. Little Lucky Lucy Heartfilia had a financially secure future and a path towards a strong education to uphold the family's title. That was until Mrs. Layla Heartfilia's health took an unexpected turn for the worst and her widowed husband, Jude Heartfilia, had discovered Lucy's path wasn't what they'd planned for it to be.
Unfortunately, Jude Heartfilia contracted a fatal illness as his late wife had and decided to sell the rest of the company to fund Lucy's future, instead of passing it down to her.
Becoming an unexpected orphan at seventeen was difficult for Lucy, but instead of being thrown into the foster system late in life, she was recommended to a social work group that assisted orphaned children and teenagers with educational opportunities: Fairy Tail. The company was founded decades ago by the same family that grew financially successful through one of the most popular bars in Fiore.
The Dreyar family worked hard for their wealth with the Fairy Tail bar until Makarov Dreyar decided to branch into philanthropy with the youth assistance system. The very system that sheltered and funded Lucy's growth until she was old enough to obtain the amount her parents had left for her.
Despite the amount being adequate enough for the young woman to fund a four-year education at any university of her choosing, she still decided to work towards her own success.
Therefore, Lucy Heartfilia had devoted her weekends off of school to serving at the Fairy Tail bar, owned by Makarov, the same man who included her in his family of lonesome teenagers in Magnolia.
This way, Lucy could use her family funds to pay for school but her own hard work to afford her own apartment beyond the school dorms.
Despite the struggles she endured growing up, Lucy Heartfilia was proud to be working towards establishing her own purpose in the world.
In preparation for her approaching shift at said bar, the young woman pulled the top half of her hair into a ponytail to hold back a majority of her bangs. After her hairstyle and makeup application were both completed, she lowered her short black mini-dress over her stockings.
The uniform for the cocktail waitresses was moderately revealing to encourage tips and to promote a mature atmosphere in the restaurant. Therefore, the dress Lucy adorned had a plunging neckline that revealed the results of her bombshell double D cup bra. Much to her internal conflict on the manner of being slightly objectified for tips, it gave her a sense of power knowing her femininity could provide such positive results.
The bottom of the dress ended an inch below her round bottom. Underneath, Lucy wore stockings that were slightly darker than her light complexion, heels, and soft silver jewelry that completed the look.
She smiled at herself in the mirror as her confidence expanded at the finished look. Her sexuality in terms of how she expressed her womanly shape and relationship with men, was being newly explored as part of her college experience, so seeing how hot she looked in her uniform made her heart swell with pride.
"Alright, all set," Lucy announced to herself with a grin. She took a sharp turn in her heel and threw open the bathroom door to reveal her room in order to grab her belongings.
As she swung the door open wide, her face immediately morphed into pure shock.
"Hey Lucy," two familiar voices greeted her with a smile and waved from her couch inside the studio apartment.
"What the hell are you two doing here!"
The two figures that were lounging on the couch were two people Lucy had known since she joined the system: Natsu Dragneel and his non-biological little brother, Happy.
Natsu was a year older than Lucy and the person who introduced her to Fairy Tail as a whole, during a fateful encounter in the streets of a nearby port town. He was a student at the same college as Lucy, working towards a major in fire science to prepare to become a firefighter, as opposed to her writing major to become an author.
He had lost his family young and unexpectedly as well, but the man wasn't fortunate enough to know if the father who'd raised him was actually deceased. Instead, he was posed with an unsolved case of the disappearance of his dad at a young age. That scenario had thrown him into the orphan program of Fairy Tail at the age of seven but he never gave up on the search for his father.
Natsu was a subjectively attractive man. He was extremely athletic and built strong and proportionately to his height of 5'9. He had pink hair that was always tousled in an organized mess that almost made the tresses appear spiky. He had tan skin and hazel eyes that always bordered on a perfect blend of light brown and olive. During this encounter, he was sporting a black hoodie with gold trim that unzipped to reveal a white tee, black joggers that matched, and dark sandals. Casual wear was his go-to.
Happy was ten years younger than Natsu, landing him at eleven years old. His complexion appeared closer to Lucy's in tone. He had soft blue hair that he cut short so it never waved at the ends, and his hairstyle was always clean compared to Natsu. Happy wore jeans, t-shirts, and a green backpack, and a pair of converses wherever he went.
The young boy was dealt a bad hand early on. His birth parents had dropped him off at a baby deposit slot at a fire station, the same one Natsu frequented at ten years old to see if his father would return to his previous job site.
Natsu had laid eyes on the newborn as soon as the alarm sounded for the box and was immediately adamant about having the young one join the Fairy Tail system just as he had. After formalities were concluded, Natsu's wish was granted and the baby joined the foster-like home of Fairy Tail.
The young boy had nicknamed the baby "Happy" due to his consistent smiles and giggles. The name stuck for everyone until it became decided the blue-haired boy would be named Happy. The two were inseparable, with Natsu taking on a leading role of raising Happy beside the older staff of Fairy Tail.
Once Natsu turned eighteen, got a job, and established his own residence, he applied to take custody of the child. After a year of hard work, the process was complete and the two were living together like an older brother who took primary custody of the younger. Now, they had their own two-bedroom house that Natsu worked to afford but for some odd reason, the two would sneak their way through Lucy's window by means of the fire escape.
"We got hungry and wanted a snack," Happy nonchalantly announced with a smirk.
The blonde's eyes were wide as she looked between the two boys who were strewn over her small white couch. Natsu had a grin so huge it shut his eyes.
"Well, I'm heading to work so you guys need to get out." Lucy proclaimed as she stomped over to her dresser to grab her pink purse.
"Sheesh Lucy, you're no fun," Happy sighed as pocketed a bag of chocolate candy for the road.
Natsu stood up with a big stretch. He lowered his arms and gazed at Lucy with a blank expression.
"We are headed that way anyways, Gray owes me money from a bet we had."
His expression stretched back into a grin as he envisioned the smug look he was going to give his best friend, boasting about how much money he deserved.
"Okay, but I have no idea what that has to do with you both coming into my apartment," Lucy huffed. She slung her crossbody over her right shoulder and picked up her phone to stuff in the front pocket.
"You don't have to be such a meanie, Lucy. Natsu just said that he wanted to see you today," Happy giggled.
Her brown eyes shifted to Natsu's hazel ones as they locked. His face had morphed back into one without an expression. What did Happy mean?
"Yeah, I thought you'd want a ride to Fairy Tail since we were already heading there."
Natsu cocked his head to the side and awkwardly switched his sight to the wall.
"Oh, well thank you then," Lucy said, regaining her composure once her curiosity was satisfied. Leave it to Happy to try and make a simple action allude to more.
The three of them headed out the door, and Lucy locked it behind them. The young woman would typically follow the river to the bar but would never decline a quicker ride there. Natsu owned an old Chevy truck that used to belong to his father, Igneel. It was a three-seat fixer-upper that the boy was happy to inherit.
Whilst, Natsu had the worst case of motion sickness known to mankind, somehow being in control of the moving vehicle made it bearable for his stomach. However, if you asked him he would be taken aback and claim that the truck was a dragon of a vehicle, so it was impossible for him to be nauseous in it.
The three piled in with the youngest in the backseat as they set out for the short drive to the location. Once arriving after a loud car ride conversation, Lucy hopped out and gave a curt wave to the boys as she briskly entered the employee entrance.
"Lucy! Good to see you here today," a sweet voice sang from the break room behind the service bar of the establishment.
"Thanks, Mira. Natsu dropped me off today so I'm a bit early," she sighed, slightly bothered that she'd have to get started on work sooner.
"Oh, that's sweet of him. I love it when he decides to do that for you," Mirajane smiled as she sauntered back behind the bar.
Lucy stowed her purse in her locker and began tying her apron around her waist. She grabbed her black beverage tray and quietly shut the locker door before latching the lock closed and heading into the back of the bar.
Laxus Dreyar, the youngest son of the owner's family, was the main bartender that Friday night. He was a manager of the Fairy Tail bar whilst his grandfather controlled the side of the company related to the foster children system. Usually, he would sit on the sidelines observing the functions of the establishment, but on busy nights, he did find enjoyment in being in the center of the nightlife.
He was a tall man, older than Lucy's personal friend group who hung around Fairy Tail, seeing as he had already graduated college and was currently twenty-six years old. He had a large physique that expressed his body-builder hobbies, leading with a set of strong broad shoulders. He adorned short messy blonde hair and a large scar that ran across his right brown eye.
On the opposite side of the semicircle bar, Mirajane, one of the staple team members and friends of the Fairy Tail crew, was helping to bartend, on the busy Saturday evening. Mira was a beloved face that customers and the team loved to interact with. She was a model on the side for the region's most popular magazine company, Sorcery Weekly.
The young woman was Laxus's age but wore the number with such grace and beauty. She had a fit physique that paired nicely with her feminine hips and strong curves. A set of long platinum blonde curls flowed down her back as her most notable feature.
The two of them worked in a coordinated pattern; taking orders, mixing them, maintaining banter with customers, serving and accepting payments. Whilst having polar opposite personalities: one having a rough exterior, and the other as sweet as syrup, they functioned smoothly together as teammates.
Lucy exchanged a silent smile to Laxus in greeting who returned the gesture before she walked to the outside of the bar and onto the main floor. The bar sat alongside the center of one of the perimeter walls and was surrounded by small standalone tables and chairs in the center of the floor. The walls parallel and adjacent to the bar were filled with small booths and circled ones in the corners.
Fairy Tail was most commonly known for its alcoholic beverages, but they were visited as a lounge space for friends and family to gather.
Lucy cautiously eyed her section of the bar that night and caught the eye of Natsu and Happy sitting in a circle booth beside their closest friends Gray and Erza. The pink-haired man had a boisterous laugh as he appeared to be mocking a man with black hair sitting across from him.
Gray Fullbuster was a relatively stoic man until you evoked stronger emotions from him. Quite the opposite from Natsu's rambunctious front. The two being quite literally fire and ice with their polar opposite personalities.
Gray had a lot of dark hair that he kept long and down unless he occasionally smoothed it back. He wore a white button-up that fit his chiseled body loosely, with the top three buttons opened up for his chest to peek out. A pair of black slacks and vans were matched with the top, overall an appropriate appearance for the bar.
"Shut it, flamebrain. I don't owe you money for shit if you didn't win the bet," Gray groaned with obvious annoyance etched into his facial features.
"I did too. Matter of fact, Happy can vouch for me," Natsu grinned with confidence.
"Aye sir," Happy cheered as he sipped his virgin Shirley temple.
Typically, it's unheard of for children to be allowed into a bar setting. However, Happy's history with the family and outreach side of Fairy Tail made his appearance more common and accepted. He was family just as everyone else was.
"Both of you, quiet," Erza commanded, seated in the middle of the booth surrounded by the three boys. Her fierce eyes glared at the two arguing until they grumbled and let go of the conversation until later. Once they settled, her amber eyes shifted to Lucy who had just walked up to the table to greet her closest friends first.
"Good to see you, Lucy," the red-headed woman smiled gently.
Erza Scarlet was a woman of a strong personality and physical aura. She was the ideal combination of femininity and strength. She had long dark red hair that flowed straight down her back and a pair of sharp brown eyes. Her skin was light and her whole body was tactically toned from her exercise regimen.
She was wearing a fitted black shirt that illustrated her voluptuous curves and toned figure equally, paired with a navy blue pleated mini skirt. Erza was passionate about fashion and never passed up an opportunity to skilfully put together an outfit. Therefore, she had paired the outfit with a stunning pair of thigh-high black boots which sat crossed as she leaned on the table of the booth.
"Hi, Erza," Lucy paused with a grin, "and Gray. Want me to grab another round for you guys?" She said as she examined the empty glasses and mugs in front of the adults.
Erza nodded as the men stayed quiet, stunned by the woman's lead in the conversation.
"Has Cana told you about her plan for tonight?" She asked with a hint of excitement in her tone.
"No I haven't seen her yet, What did she suggest?" Lucy asked.
Right when Erza opened her mouth to respond, a set of hands popped out from behind the blonde and scooped up her breasts, popping them up higher in the revealing cocktail dress.
Lucy let out a stunned yelp as an immediate shade of red accompanied her cheeks.
"Hey there Lucy," Cana swooned, groping her handfuls, and glancing at Lucy from over her shoulder. Her breath smelled like she'd been drinking kegs of beer all day long.
Gray looked away from the scene of the girls, awkwardly, whilst still respectfully glancing out of the corner of his eye. Erza was unfazed by the display of affection and was amused to continue the conversation. Meanwhile, Happy and Natsu were watching what was happening with attention.
Cana dropped her hands and grabbed Lucy's arms to swirl her around to meet her face.
"I thought we could go out clubbing after you get off," Cana slurred with an assured smile.
"Oh okay," Lucy responded hesitantly. "I didn't bring a change of clothes with me though."
"No worries, I always have a spare outfit," Erza replied confidently.
Lucy nervously glanced between the two as she processed the invitation. Not that she didn't mind going out, but it was still a relatively new concept to her. Especially because the blonde's twenty-first birthday wasn't for another year.
"Who's all going?" Lucy inquired, glancing between her friends.
"Juvia, Levy, Gajeel, and us," Erza answered.
"Are you going, Natsu?" Lucy shifted her eyes to softly gaze at the pinkette.
"Well, Happy and I have some things we need to take care of," Natsu responded looking away from her eye contact and instead staring across the bar.
"Nonsense," Erza threw an arm around his shoulder and slammed him into her body. Natsu's reaction revealing that the action hurt him more than her, despite being larger. "He'll be there too."
Natsu grumbled unhappily, "Yeah, fine."
Happy contributed no protest and instead giggled at Natsu's discomfort.
The scene made Lucy smile and created a warmth within her chest.
"Alright, let's go clubbing tonight!"
Natsu stuffed his hands inside his pockets as he slouched against the outside brick wall of Fairy Tail. He stood aside at the employee entrance door that faced the back of the establishment, parallel to the parking lot where his reliable pickup truck Igneel had owned, resided.
He had just finished dropping off Happy at their house on the rural side of town before returning to pick up the girls.
As much as Natsu loved spending time with his friends, clubbing wasn't high on his list of favorite activities to do in Magnolia. However, he couldn't defy Erza easily nor turn down Lucy's request for him to be their designated driver.
Their friend Gajeel had offered to drive Gray and Erza to pick up Juvia and Levy for the excursion. Whereas, the pinkette was going to bring Lucy and Cana as soon as they completed changing their outfits in the employee locker room.
Natsu glanced down at his outfit and pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket before eyeing them cautiously. They were a brand labeled Flamed and were supposed to contain no nicotine or THC. Not that he particularly knew or cared about the details of what any of those terms meant, but he was informed they were a healthy option for people with an oral fixation and a love for fire.
He contemplated smoking a stick before hesitating about making his outfit smell ashy. Normally that wouldn't be a concept that would deter him, but Erza had strictly informed him to change into casual formal wear in order to be allowed to their entire preferred location.
Therefore, the college student had thrown on a pair of mildly dusty black slacks that were fitted to his figure. The bottom hems flared to meet his all-black vans and the top half of the pants teased his tone figure. To match, he wore a dark red, short-sleeve button-up with thin white lines on the pattern. The sleeves ended halfway through his biceps, tight on his arms, making his muscles pop. The bottom of the shirt was loosely popped into his belt, unbeknownst to Natsu, but teasing his abdominal muscles to any bystanders.
Just as he gave in to the thought and began bringing the lit flame of his red lighter towards his mouth, the employees-only door flew open to reveal the two young women stumbling out in laughter.
"Natsu, look," Lucy cooed as she revealed her outfit to her close friend. "What do you think?"
The blonde did a twirl with a small stumble at the end before correcting her stance. Natsu watched her slowly, getting a strong whiff of alcohol that smelled vaguely like tequila to his sensitive nose. Her change of demeanor towards him revealed that the two girls clearly pregrammed courtesy of Mira, before leaving the building.
"You look goofy," Natsu muttered, shoving his cigarette and lighter into his pocket for later and replacing the objects with a set of keys.
Lucy gave a small playful pout as she walked over towards the truck.
Truth be told, she looked stunning. The young woman had changed out of her black cocktail dress uniform into a dress that displayed a lot of her plush skin and left just the right amount for a traditional man's mind to wonder.
Her dress was white and strapless. It began right at the top of her cleavage and ended right at the bottom curve of her butt. The fabric itself stretched into a pattern that resembled stripes as it wrapped itself over her curvy figure. She paired the dress with black stiletto heels that she would undoubtedly regret later on, and her long blonde hair flew down her back slightly wavy from her previous hairstyle.
However, them being best friends, "goofy" was the best compliment she'd receive from him.
Lucy's brunette friend sported a dark purple corset paired with a black mini-skirt and dark wedges. Natsu passed a quick glance at her to verify the girls were following him to the car. Cana flashed a mischievous grin at him, clearly unsatisfied with his response to Lucy and wanting more.
As the three of them settled into his truck, Lucy in the passenger, and Cana in the back, the brunette leaned over between the two eager to continue the conversation.
"C'mon now Natsu, don't we look sexy?" Cana grinned, with an emphasis on the last word.
"Errgh," Natsu replied with a groan, uninterested in providing a proper answer. Instead, he turned the key in the ignition. The truck roared to life with a satisfying growl that he loved.
Lucy had a small tinge of pink take over her cheeks while glancing outside the window. This time, she didn't continue her previous boldness from earlier.
Cana was then satisfied with the awkward interaction and tension in the air, settling into her seat with a smile.
The group then began driving over to where the real party would begin: the Sabertooth nightclub.