The pale moon cats a gentle glow down on Magnolia, its faint light falling between tree leaves. The gentle rustle of foliage and calls of nocturnal insects create a serene ambiance, accompanied by a calm breeze that ruffles pink locks. Soft, even footsteps echo through the silent night as Natsu strolls through the dark streets, a face-splitting grin still plastered to his face.
Few people pass by him on his journey to Fairy Tail, most having gone home aside from patrons of the rowdy bar.
A tan hand reaches out, pulling the door open with a squeak. Glinting metal along his wrist catches his attention, and with an unbothered shrug, Natsu rolls his eyes at the watch. So what if he's twenty minutes late? He'd rather be at home talking to Lisanna than hanging out with a coworker.
The strong smell of cheap beer and food permeates the air, enticing him to step further inside the pub. Walking into Fairy Tail, Natsu scans the building for Gray, quickly spotting his hunched figure with another man at the bar.
"Yo!" He calls, sliding on the stool by his colleague. The men peer over, sending back friendly grins.
Glancing over, Natsu's smiling face falls into a scowl as recognition strikes him. "You're that lousy cop that gave me a ticket!" he shouts, glaring at the unruly stranger.
Piercing red eyes slide over, studying the demolition expert with a bored expression. A slow smirk forms along his studded lips, "You were going over the speed limit, bud." He retorts, gravelly voice sounding like he eats nails for breakfast.
"I was 5 over," Natsu huffs, crossing defined arms.
Gray's mouth tugs back into a teasing grin as he glances between the two, deciding to join their argument. "Only a ticket? Damn, you got lucky. Gajeel threatened to arrest his wife for going 10 over."
"Oi, leave the shrimp out of this!" The man in question sneers, slapping a palm onto the countertop as harsh crimson orbs glare at his companion.
Pink brows furrow as Natsu gives Gajeel a bewildered stare. "You married a shrimp?!" He exclaims, the police officer's already fragile reputation quickly falling further.
"No idiot, she's a human!" The pierced man shouts, an eye twitching in annoyance.
Visions of a small, pink shrimp with human arms and legs pop into Natsu's imagination, soon bursting back into reality with Gajeel's annoying voice. "At least I got someone, unlike you Stripper. And I bet Pinky over there never held a girl's hand before!" He huffs, crossing inked arms.
"You know it's complicated," Gray remarks with a roll of his dull eyes. His face remains expressionless, giving off an uninterested attitude.
"I have a girlfriend, matter of fact we've been together for over a year!" Natsu retorts, speaking over Gray. He points a thumb at his chest as a proud smile takes over his face.
The bartender steps toward them, temporarily breaking up the fight as she places food and drinks on the counter, a sweet smile gracing her features. The boys' focus diverts to the rich smells wafting through the air as three pairs of eyes track the employee's movements.
"Thanks, Mira," Gray calls, grabbing at his frothy beer. Taking a sip, he reaches for a plate, intent on shoving it in Natsu's direction.
Natsu's brows furrow as he sends the two men a questioning glance, green orbs eyeing the burger Gray slides in front of him. The distinct smell of peppers wafts up Natsu's nose as dark eyes drink in the delicious mess. Glistening, vibrant orange sauce contrasts nicely against the brown patty, filling his mouth with drool.
"You took too long getting here so we ordered for you. It's on me." Gray replies, hiding a smirk behind his mug.
With a shrug, the oblivious pinkette grabs the burger and takes a large bite, sauce dripping between his fingers. Free food is free food, he surmises.
Gray and Gajeel share knowing smirks, a mischievous gleam filling their eyes.
Natsu's forest green eyes light up as the sharp, spicy taste hits his tongue, pointed canines rip into the burger with fervor. "Damn, this is the best burger I've had!" He exclaims around a mouthful.
Smirks fall off Gray and Gajeel's face as they watch the pinkette devour the meal, their eyes wide and jaw hanging loose. "How are you not coughing and begging for water?!" Gray shouts with a baffled expression, unable to believe someone can willingly eat The Burger from Hell.
Natsu glances at the man with a shrug, the orange condiment dripping down his chin. "Dunno, it's not that spicy."
Gray grumbles, eyeing the burger with disdain. His brows pinch together as he thinks, trying to assess the situation. "Maybe Mira gave you the wrong order," he muses, attempting to figure out how someone can enjoy that unholy sandwich. He lifts a pale finger, reaching towards Natsu's meal and swiping a small dollop of sauce. Ignoring the waft of spice that hits his nose, and Natsu's sounds of protest, Gray warily tastes the droplet.
His tongue immediately spits out in protest as sweat lines his forehead. Frantic navy orbs search the countertop, quickly snatching up a forgotten milkshake and chugging it. A relieved sigh passes his parched lips, sharp eyes glaring daggers at the vial monstrosity.
Natsu and Gajeel watch the scene unfold, clutching at their stomachs as they keel over with laughter.
Studded face flushed from laughing, Gajeel reaches over to slap Natsu on the back, fingers grabbing on and giving him a rough shake. "I respect anyone that can hold their own against Mira's hellish burger, and ya made fun of Frosty in the process," he compliments, lips pulled in a smirk and pride seeping through his words.
Natsu flashes a wide grin, forming a weird friendship between the trio.
"Anyway," Gray coughs out between pants of air, "you have a girlfriend?" He questions, eyeing the shorter man. Glistening sauce covers his hands and chin, slowly dribbling down. A small, sticky puddle forms on the countertop, mixing with bits of crumbs that fly from Natsu's mouth. "I don't know how she can stand to watch you eat."
"I haven't met her yet, we've been dating long distance," Natsu replies as he takes his last bite, licking the flavor off his fingers. "Y'know, the bartender kinda looks like her, but Lis has shorter hair."
This catches the men's attention, "What do you mean you haven't met 'er? Haven't ya tried to meet up before?" Gajeel asks, raising a pierced brow. They refract light from the lamps above, creating a faint twinkle as he moves.
Natsu wipes at his face and hands with a napkin, trying to remove the smudges. "Nah, we only call and text. I've tried to visit or video chat but she's pretty shy. Said somethin' 'bout my feelings changing if I saw her, which ain't true but she won't see it that way. But her comfort is what matters the most, when she's ready then we can meet up." His smile turns genuine as a twinkle forms behind his gaze. "She insists on being called dorky pet names, what a weirdo."
Gajeel and Gray share another knowing look from the corner of their eyes. The larger man hums, rubbing his chin. "You sure she's a chick?" His gravelly voice asks, scratching against every word as if they were glass.
A spray of beer flies out of Natsu's mouth, creating puddles on the bar. "W-What?!" He sputters, mouth dropping open and green eyes wide, staring at the men in shock.
"Gross man," Gray mumbles, rubbing the spit off his arm.
Ignoring him, "Where did that come from?!" Natsu retorts with a scowl, the muscles in his jaw jumping at the accusation. His burning gaze pivots between the two, fists clenched in anticipation of a brawl.
"Don't get mad at us, you're the idiot dating a catfish!" Gajeel remarks, glaring back at the pink-haired man.
Natsu's expression morphs into angry confusion as his brows pinch tighter. "What's up with you and dating fish?"
The police officer growls, slapping his hands on the table with a loud bang. Crimson eyes shoot daggers back at Natsu, daring him to say something else absurd.
"That's not what he meant, idiot. Have you heard of people getting catfished?" Gray asks, cutting into the conversation before it escalates further.
"Uhh, is that when a catfish hunts people instead?" The oblivious man asks, clearly misunderstanding the situation.
Gajeel's eye twitches in annoyance as he bends over, pulling out his laptop from beside him. Breathing a deep sigh, "Getting catfished is when you either befriend or date someone who is pretending to be another person online, for whatever reason. Some major red flags are not wanting to call, meet up, and constantly asking for money."
"You brought your work laptop in?" Gray questions, giving Gajeel a skeptical look.
The unruly man smirks back, "'Course I did, don't want criminals breaking into the cruiser an' stealing it." He replies, flipping the device open.
"Says the guy who looks like a criminal," Gray mutters with a roll of his eyes.
"Call me that one more time and I'll arrest ya." Gajeel threatens, his swift fingers move across the keyboard
Natsu's lip juts out in a pout as he crosses his arms. "Now you're making shit up. Lisanna and I call all the time and she's never asked for money so she's clearly not a fish." He reasons, defending his girlfriend. He'd know if she was some slimy fish!
"Look man, we're not trying to attack your girlfriend but from an outsider's perspective, Lisanna seems pretty suspicious. You earned major respect by downing that burger, and friends call each other out when they smell bullshit." Gray reasons, a small smile curving across his lips as he places a cool hand on Natsu's shoulder.
The pinkette looks hesitant as he stares at the open laptop, its bright, clear screen illuminating the dimly lit space. It calls to Natsu, urging him to pluck at the plastic keys and scour the web, to search for and discover its hidden secrets. "Fine, but I'm trusting Lis no matter what you find, and when you're wrong Tin Can is picking up the tab." He gives in, hopeful to prove his friends wrong.
"Gihi," Gajeel chuckles, "an' when she's fake you're singing me a song!" The pierced officer snickers as he opens Magnolia Police Department's database, grumbling about not wanting to pay for their food. "Give me 'er number, I'll prove this ain't Lisanna."
"You can't use that shit just to win a bet!" Gray shouts, gaining the attention of other patrons.
Another sharp smirk pulls at Gajeel's lips, revealing pointed canines. "This is an investigation, Princess, now hand over the number."
Natsu's eyes glow as he stares at the laptop in amazement. "Woah! You can find anyone on this thing, let me try!" Shoving Gray aside, his tan arms reach out for the device, a mischievous smile in tow.
"Not a chance Pinky." Gajeel dismisses, flicking his grabbing hands away. After inputting Lisanna's information, seconds pass by in which the trio hold their breath, anticipation eating away at them. Finally, the software loads.
Nothing.
"Well, that was anticlimactic," Gray drawls, crossing defined arms across his chest. "Way to get our hopes up."
Wide, green eyes peek at the laptop curiously. "What do you mean 'nothing'? It says she's in Magnolia, so it has to be her!" Natsu exclaims, harshly shoving Gray's shoulder out of the way.
"That doesn't mean it's her, moron. Just proves she wasn't lying about where she lives." Gray grits out, elbowing the man away.
Studded brows pinch together as annoyance flashes behind ruby eyes. "Don't go jumping to conclusions Stripper, this investigation ain't over yet, I'm just gettin' started!" Navigating to Google, "Send me some of her pictures so we can look 'em up," Gajeel demands.
Officer Redfox drags the first image into the search engine and within seconds links to similar images pop up. Clicking on the first one, the trio is sent to Lisanna's Instagram. The same images Natsu provided cover the page in almost the exact order, with a few new photos peppered between.
"See, toldja she was real!" Natsu shouts, bright eyes gazing over the results with a proud smirk.
"Not so fast Hot Head," Gray chides. "Look, all the images you have are from this account. What if this is where she's getting them?"
Natsu's grin deflates slightly, but he still holds out hope. "Stupid know-it-all," he mumbles into his scarf, crossing his arms with a pout.
"Let's try FaceBook, maybe we'll get a lead there." The 'know-it-all' proposes, pulling the laptop towards him.
Piercing red eyes follow his movements, glaring at the demolitions expert. "You smudge one key on her and I'll arrest ya for vandalizing police property, ya hear?" Gajeel threatens, not trusting his friend in the slightest.
"Yeah, yeah," Gray mumbles, pulling up the website and searching for their target. A few women with similar names appear, but only one matches their objective. Clicking on the profile, the men are met with similar posts to her Instagram.
"I'm not seeing anything too different. She doesn't have a lot of posts either," he observes, scanning over her page. "Most of them are probably private."
"Well one thing's for sure, this silver-haired girl is Lisanna," Gajeel states, studying her friend count and tagged photos. "Still doesn't prove it's her, Pinky." He remarks, shooting down Natsu's hopeful grin.
The officer's sharp eyes catch on the top of the website, noticing something that shatters Natsu's dreams. "Look," he says, pointing at the screen. "Her status says she's single," He adds, tone filled with disdain.
Emerald eyes dart to the screen as waves of worry crash through him, hoping Gajeel's pulling a sick joke. His eyes don't deceive him; at the top, just under her profile picture, two words stare back at him. Relationship: Single.
"W-Well, Lis doesn't use FaceBook that often. She hasn't updated it in a while is all!" The frazzled man tries to reason, determined to trust his girlfriend.
"Yeah, not like it takes a year to log in and change it. " Gajeel scoffs, a smug smirk tugging at his lips. "She posted last week, ain't no way this is your girl, Salamander. Better get started on my song!"
Gray, taking pity, jabs Gajeel with his elbow. "Don't listen to him, you're not friends on FaceBook so she can't say you're in a relationship anyway." He replies with a roll of his eyes, "Not that I believe her though, I still think she's lying."
"Let's just get this over with," Natsu huffs, glaring at the laptop. Doubt ebbs its way into him, slowly coating over his feelings for Lisanna. There's no way she's lying to him, right? Even so, Lisanna should trust him by now; they've been dating for so long, there's no shame in being yourself.
Natsu bores holes into the countertop, face set in stone as he thinks. He can't deny the facts in front of him. No matter how much he trusts his girlfriend, there's still a possibility she is lying.
Further scrolling snaps Natsu out of his inner turmoil, emerald eyes quickly latching on to an image of Lisanna with a group of her friends. "Wait," Pulling out his phone, Natsu scrolls through messages to find the item in question. "Look, Lis sent me a picture the other day, and it's not on her social media so she's gotta be real!" All doubts quickly vanish, filling him with confidence again.
Curious friends peer over Natsu's shoulder to judge the image for themselves. In front of them lies the woman in question and a blonde friend leaning against each other, both girls holding up drinks. A large smile plasters across Lisanna's face while a small, nervous grin decorates the blonde's.
"Have you ever heard of a screen protector?" Gray quips, eyeing the many cracks and fissures along the phone. One small dent turns into many as they spiderweb across the display, a few tiny chunks of glass missing along the lines.
"Hold on a minute," the inked man responds, reaching across and grabbing the phone. "I know this girl, she's Lev's best friend," Gajeel replies, tapping on the busted screen.
Natsu lights back up at the mention of Lisanna's friend. "You know Loony too? I just met her at the bookstore." He exclaims, glad to share another mutual friend.
"Why don't we call her? She seems close to Lisanna, maybe she can help us." Gray suggests, bringing the conversation back toward their mission.
"Finally coming up with some good ideas," Gajeel compliments, pulling out his phone. "I'll ask Shrimp for Blondie's number."
Sudden excitement flutters through Natsu at the prospect of talking to Lucy again.
Silence passes between the group as they await a response, anticipation gripping them. "Hey Natsu, what if she's not Lisanna? Would you continue dating her?" Gray asks, his monotone voice cutting deep.
A brief pause lasts an eternity until he answers.
A long, heavy sigh escapes Natsu as he scrubs a hand through his pink locks. Staring off to the side, he replies, voice sounding in the distance. "I dunno man, I guess it depends. Relationships are built off trust, y'know? Despite everything I still believe in her until I get undeniable proof, but if she is lying, as long as it's only about her appearance and not her personality, I'd consider staying with her."
"What if you're not attracted to her?" Gajeel questions, getting right to the point.
Natsu, his eyes locked on the arrangement of liquor bottles in front of him, ponders on what to say next. "I wanna say it wouldn't matter, and that our relationship is based on more than physical attraction, which it is. She's someone I have a genuine connection with; I can be myself around her and we have so much in common,"
"But I don't know how I'd react. Honestly, it wouldn't be fair to her if we stayed together and I wasn't attracted to her. Everyone wants to feel loved in every aspect, including physically. It wouldn't be right to continue our relationship if I can't give her that basic desire."
Gray places his hand on Natsu's back to show support, proud of his honesty. "That's some wise stuff man, didn't know you had it in ya. Not everyone is as forgiving and kind-hearted as you."
Glancing at his friend, Natsu's face softens as he shoots a grateful smile, their bond growing throughout the investigation.
"Sorry to burst your little bromance, but Lev responded and it ain't lookin' good. Blondie's getting swamped at work and doesn't have time to chit-chat."
Gray casts Gajeel a skeptical side-eye, catching onto the gruff man's evasion. "At almost 10 pm?" he questions, voice full of doubt.
"Doubt me again I'll arrest ya for insulting an officer of the law, punk." The deputy deflects, shooting daggers at Gray. They hold each other's stare for a few moments, having a silent conversation.
At his words, Natsu's small bit of elation crumbles away, quickly being replaced with disappointment. "Wait, she works just down the street. Why don't we go visit her?"
"And bring drama into her workplace? Not a good idea pal. Plus, we'd just be distracting her from doing her job."
Tossing a smug smirk, "Are you calling it quits then? If you're footing the bill I might as well grab another drink." Gray quips.
A crimson eye twitches as the officer grumbles, admitting defeat with a huff. "Fine, but just for the record, I still think somethin' fishy is going on."
Natsu whoops for joy, quickly calling the bartender for another hellish burger. He can already taste the delicious, tangy sauce.
.
.
"So… stripper?"
"I needed the extra cash!"