prompt seventy two: everything for you
rate: T for Teens and Up
Seventy two out of one hundred.
Fake bf-bestie is baaaack.
"Believe in yourself, listen to your gut, and do what you love." —Dylan Lauren
x
.
Okay, so maybe Lucy was being a bad girlfriend at the time. Maybe Natsu was right to call her a bad girlfriend and she sucked because she was being a bitch. But can anyone blame her? Her stress and anxiety was at an all time high and having someone like Natsu around was obviously not going to help. Especially since he spent the whole time complaining about having to wear a suit and nag her ear off while she was in the middle of not trying to have a panic attack.
Sure, she was being a bad girlfriend then but that didn't mean Natsu wasn't being an annoying bad boyfriend at the time! And for him to just run out of there after kissing her… what kind of boyfriend did that?!
Of course this made her turmoil even higher and she spent a good twenty minutes freaking out and screaming into her pillow after Natsu had left her place.
And then she spent another twenty minutes cursing into the air and cursing a certain pink-haired fireman before she was once again, screaming into a pillow.
Overall, she would say she did a great job because one, she was fucked, two, she was going to die, and three, she was apparently a really bad fucking girlfriend.
And this whole time she thought it was going to be Natsu fucking shit up.
Lucy hated herself for being so flustered and weak. She hated that she had to go this far to show off to some rich snotty trust fund girls but she was already too deep in and too prideful. She almost came up with one hundred reasons why last night she wouldn't be able to attend the reunion and fundraising but her pride was one stupid son of a bitch. And the fact that Natsu was taking this a bit too seriously that he kissed her.
And goddamn was he a good actor because when did Natsu know how to kiss? They kissed that one time when they were younger during a stupid game of spin the bottle and all she remembered was there was too much tongue and not enough lip.
But why did this one kiss take her breath away as if he really was her boyfriend?
Feeling more overwhelmed than before, Lucy was pacing back and forth in her bedroom. She had gone through one too many dresses and she only had an hour left before she had to be at said fundraiser but she had not heard from Natsu all day nor could she find the pair of shoes she wanted to wear tonight. It was probably underneath all this mess she had made and while she was one second away from bursting into tears, she heard her front door open.
Hoping it was Natsu, Lucy tripped over the many shoes and clothes she had scattered on her bedroom floor, yelping out as she nearly crashed into her open closet.
Yanking open her door at the same time Natsu was reaching for it, the two of them jumped as Natsu jerked his body back against the wall.
Her eyes widened as she took in his appearance and she was too busy seeing that he had actually come dressed in a suit for her to notice him staring her down.
"You came!" She felt her eyes well with tears and that was when Natsu's eyes finally found hers.
His brows furrowed as he gave her an odd look, "Why wouldn't I come?"
She didn't know why she was so happy to see him and as she flung her arms around him, he stumbled back, taking her with him. He barely caught the two and she could hear him exhale in relief when he caught his footing but she was too focused on the fact that he actually came with a suit on.
She was too scared to reach out to him after he kissed and shouted at her last night and usually he would have reached out to her if she didn't by a certain time but he never did. She felt like he would have bailed on her or worse, been mad at her, so she was genuinely freaking out just a tad bit.
Maybe a lot but he didn't have to know that.
"I just have to find my shoes and we can go. I'm looking for those silver strappy ones with the clear bottom? I can't find it anywhere." Lucy turned back to rummage through the mess and Natsu just stood there with his face scrunched up. "Thank you so so much for dressing up and coming. I didn't think you would. It scared me."
"Why didn't you think I was going to show?" He asked while she continued to ramble and dart back and forth in her room.
"I don't know, I thought you were mad at me or something or I don't know," she grabbed at a bunch of clothes on the ground, lifting them to see if she could see the shoes she wanted but frowning when she didn't. "I'm sorry I was being such a bad girlfriend last night. I was super overwhelmed and super stressed and it didn't help that we were going back and forth so I'm sorry."
Natsu just watched her run back and forth in her small room, seeing how she was just tossing everything in every direction.
"And it doesn't help that the dress I was going to wear tonight, the zipper broke, so I had to improvise and wear this one instead," she motioned towards the blue dress she was wearing. "And now I can't find the shoes I want to wear with it and I'm freaking out because I should have been done by now and getting in the taxi but I can't seem to find anything! Even the earrings I wanted to wear, you know the moon and star combo? I can't find it! It's like the universe is just trying to shit on me right now and I just—"
"Lucy, chill out for a minute," Natsu's voice cut her off and she calmed herself down to look over at him. "You're fine. Everything is fine. Why don't you get out of here so I can find those shoes for you?"
"I swear I saw it right—" She did a full circle, trying to find those pesky heels but Natsu was quicker where he held up the pair of shoes she was looking for.
"Here," he deadpanned, holding them up by the straps. "Now, come on."
Feeling overwhelmed and panicked, Lucy tried to will herself to climb out of her room but tripped once again. Natsu let out a sigh when she yelped out and laid flat on her face for a minute before he was yanking her up and scowling at her.
"You need to relax."
"I can't!" She grabbed at his blazer, fisting her hands into the material to stare at him with wide eyes. "I need a shot or five!"
"Jesus," he grabbed at her hand that was still fisted into his blazer. "I haven't seen you like this since you had to host our high school graduation."
"I am practically hosting this, Natsu!" She squealed, bringing her hands to her own face to cup it. Horror was painting across her face, her cheeks growing pale while her eyes grew in size. "I have to speak in front of everyone and everyone is going to see me and see what type of pathetic, stupid life I live and realize how stupid I am and how I am still doing nothing with my life and—"
"Lucy," Her name came out as a hiss and she felt his hands grab at her shoulders, yanking her closer. "Stop."
She was staring at him like a deer in headlights and she couldn't stop rambling as Natsu shook her back and forth. She was for sure going to have a panic attack and everyone was going to see right through her or she might actually combust like a little firework. And then everything would go to waste because she certainly could not pretend everything was fine and she was fine because she was not fine—
"Lucy, put your shoes on and stop flipping out. If you're going to flip out, flip out on the way there."
But Lucy could not even hear anything Natsu was saying to her because she was pacing and trying her best to not tug on her hair that she spent an hour and a half curling. So many thoughts, so many things were happening at once and she felt like she was drowning. Natsu was just a blur of black and white and pink and her entire apartment looked like a bomb was set off but she couldn't care any less.
And even as she continued to ramble nonsense to the point her words were all jumbled together, Natsu could only sigh out loud and take matters into his own hands because clearly his best friend had short-circuited and she wasn't going to be returning back to earthland anytime soon.
He grabbed at her hand and dragged her down her hall and to her living room, gently pushing her down by the shoulders while words at the speed of light came spilling from her lips.
He tried to validate her and hum along but at one point, he got so annoyed, he just completely ignored her while he put on her shoes. The annoying strappy heels took him a little too long to figure out but he finally got them on her feet. By the time he was done and looking up at her, Lucy had not taken a single breath and her face was growing redder by the second.
"Do I need to kiss you again to shut you up?"
Lucy turned to glare at him, her cheeks rosy red while she clenched her teeth. "I swear to god, Natsu, now is not the time for jokes."
"Shut you up last night." He smirked and her scowl just deepened. Natsu just sighed, placing his hands on her knees while he knelt down in front of her. He caught her eyes and offered a small smile, seeing the confusion running across her face. "Lucy, you're going to do fine. We're going to kill it tonight. You just need to believe in yourself."
"What if they see right through me?"
"Then so what?" He shrugged one shoulder. "In my eyes, you're a lot more successful than any of those bitches are."
"Those bitches are married to millionaires and are living a life of comfort with their little perfect rich babies and their fourteen karat diamond rings riding in hundred thousand dollar cars!"
"Damn," Natsu couldn't help but let it slip out which only flustered Lucy even further. "At least you have a loving boyfriend, eh?"
Lucy for sure was going to blow her brains out tonight.
—X—
The car ride there was more rattling than getting dressed. Lucy was practically having a meltdown in the car ride there while Natsu was too busy scrolling through his phone. He was either choosing to ignore his fake-girlfriend or he was trying to keep it together for the both of them.
Nothing truly rattled Natsu as much as it did for Lucy. He was always confident, always head-strong, and always willing to do anything for the sake of a challenge. But Natsu was also a horrible liar and for Lucy to believe that Natsu would have been the best option to bring as a fake-date, she was starting to wonder if she had gone and done something stupid. Maybe she should have asked Gray to be her sub-in or even someone like Loke.
She felt Natsu's hand come down on her knee, seeing how he was starting to get annoyed with how much it was bouncing. He gave her a look and she could only give him one back, annoyed that he was so calm and annoyed that he looked so good that he could only joke about kissing her.
And what was wrong with her that she wanted him to kiss her? She must really be losing her goddamn marbles.
"So, this fundraiser… what is it?"
"Exactly that. A fundraiser," she was very aware of his hand still resting on her knee, her arms across her chest. "Think of it more as an auction. They're trying to raise money for our school and as alumni, they rely on our expenses a lot. Since I'm part host, you don't have to worry about anything but looking pretty."
"Will there be food?"
"Yes," she rolled her eyes. "There will be food and drinks. Just be mindful and don't be such a slob."
"Have some faith in your boyfriend, eh?" He gave her knee a squeeze and she could feel her cheeks flushing, turning her head away to hide it from him. "I'll be on my best behavior!"
Glancing at him through the corner of her eyes, Lucy could only let out a huff as Natsu began to hum to himself. She couldn't blame him for being so ignorant about everything. Natsu did not know what it was like to attend an all-girls private school with the rich and snobby. He grew up going to public school and having all sorts of fun and didn't have to worry about anyone making fun of him for his lack of funds or his looks.
While Natsu didn't look like he did now when they were kids, he still had a big enough personality and a handsome face to reel in girls and have many friends. It wasn't until the end of their sophomore year when Natsu began to become serious in the gym and became the physique he is today. Of course he's grown bigger throughout the years and going into adulthood and becoming a fireman but he still had his obnoxious personality and his loud persona.
When they had pulled up to the lavish hotel where this fundraiser would be held, Natsu was in awe of the place while Lucy was busy chewing her nails down to the nub.
Balloons, red carpet, bright shiny lights, and a line of expensive cars was all anyone could see. Valet was up front dressed in their suits to provide parking while ushers stood around, guiding those into the building and towards their event.
When the came to a halt, someone opened the door on Natsu's side for him to immediately jump out and Lucy was too frozen in fear to even move. She watched how Natsu's head popped into the car, his head tilting to the side.
"You comin'?"
"Uhhh…" She was half-tempted to ask the driver to just take her back but when Natsu's arm shot out to wrap around her arm, she could only look at him with wide eyes.
"We're already here. Get out the car."
"B—but! But!" Her eyes were wide, trying to see if she recognized anyone but Natsu was too strong as he began to drag her across the seat. "Wait! Wait! Okay, I'll get out!"
"No, you won't," he had a smirk on his face while she started to fight him. "Get out the car, babe."
"I'm not ready! Wait!"
She was sure to file away the thought of cursing Natsu out once they were alone and she was scowling as Natsu yanked her out of the car. She swatted at his hand, her face beet red while Natsu was busy smirking down at her in triumph. She smoothed down the front of her dress, trying to make sure she was presentable but it was so hard when there was so much going on.
Just like how Natsu's hand had fallen to the small of her back and made her stand up straight, her skin feeling hotter than usual and her heart pounding behind her chest.
She kept her head dipped down, whispering to her fake-boyfriend, "is my hair and makeup alright?"
"You look great, Lucy," he rolled his eyes, giving her gentle push away from the car. "Come on, I haven't eaten dinner today and I'm starving."
"Remember your manners and where you are," she hissed at him as they began to walk and Natsu could only mock-salute her which had her scowling once again.
Natsu kept to her side and she was hyper focused on his warmth than anything else. She felt dizzy and she didn't know why she had forced herself to come here with Natsu on her arm without talking to him about what had happened last night. She was still internally freaking out about the kiss and she was too focused on him now instead of anything else which made her worry something may slip.
Lucy nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt Natsu's hot breath against the shell of her ear and she felt the blush rush down her chest when he leaned in closer, "These are the girls you went to high school with? Talk about snobby. I can feel their judgment from here."
The corner of her lip twitched at his words and she turned to look at him, seeing how he flashed her a grin.
"I don't know, Luce, I think you're far prettier than anyone here," his eyes roamed the nice banquet hall of the hotel where they started for the open door of the ball room. "Everyone kind of just looks… fake."
"Money can buy you anything," she was whispering back to him.
"They can't buy your tits, that's for damn sure," Natsu shielded himself when Lucy swatted at him and he was snickering behind his hand. "What? That's as real as they get!"
"You are unbelievable!" Lucy cried out, planting her hands on her waist while getting in his face. "Not even five minutes in and you're saying stupid things! Behave! We are around adults who work for or own multi-million dollar companies!"
"Woo-hoo," Natsu whooped unenthusiastically and Lucy only groaned, throwing her hands in the air. "Who gives a shit about what I say? My only job is to be arm candy for you."
"No, your job is to be a presentable man who is highly respected and valued."
"And a loving boyfriend. Don't forget that," he winked at her and Lucy looked like she was about to stab him with a fork.
"You're already failing."
"Well, it's not my fault my girlfriend is being incredibly rude and standoffish towards me."
"I am not—!" She gawked at him and seeing how he was smirking at her made her want to scream her head off. "Stop joking around, Natsu!"
"But I'm not, how do you expect me to be a loving boyfriend when all you do is yell at me and stand five feet away."
"I am not—!" She was trying to shout at him again but when Natsu's head dipped down between them, she followed, seeing how she was standing away from him and her body language was showing she was not happy.
How could she survive tonight when she was too flustered about.. everything? She didn't even remember the last time she felt so uncomfortable around Natsu and she felt like if she touched him or if he touched her, she might perish.
She clamped her mouth shut and gritted her teeth, seeing how smug her best friend looked. He was lucky he was doing her a favor and he looked really good in his suit that she wasn't going to bite his head off. Yet.
"You seriously want to do this, Dragneel?"
"Do what? I'm just doing what my girlfriend asked me to do."
"Fine," she snapped, turning her head to the sides to take in her surroundings. Natsu quirked a brow at her, seeing how she looked like she was looking for someone but when she looked back at him and took a step forward, Natsu almost had to stop himself from taking a step back. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders and her massive breasts pressed against his chest, his own hands automatically coming around her tiny waist as she came closer. "If this will help you behave tonight, I will act as your loving girlfriend, too. This is what you wanted… right?"
She was surprised to see Natsu's cheeks dust pink and the scowl come onto his face. He looked almost… embarrassed and she had not seen Natsu look so flustered, especially when it came to her of all people.
The way his large hand spread out and pressed against the small of her back was comforting and her skin prickled with goosebumps, her long lashes fluttered in his direction.
Natsu's own eyes were dark and his eyelids drooped while he looked down at her. Her hand slid up his neck and she twirled some of his hair on his nape on her finger, brushing against the soft locks.
"You know," she whispered towards him, lost in his eyes. "I don't even think I know what type of girl you like…"
"Does that matter?"
"I guess not," her eyes fell down to his chest where the top buttons were open, exposing his chest. "Would have been nice to know, maybe I could have acted the part for you, too. Make it fun for both of us." She flashed him a grin and the way he snorted made her own body vibrate.
"It's alright," Natsu's hot breath tickled her face and she grew stiff when she felt his hand start sliding down the curve of her back. "You're already my dream girl."
Lucy felt her entire face bloom in color when his palm came down on her behind, barely grabbing but touching her in the way it made her body straighten up. She pulled away slightly to gawk at him and the way he was staring right at her made the air thicken between them.
"..too much?"
"Waaay too much," Lucy let out a soft laugh, trying to push him back by his shoulders but when she heard her name be called, she froze, instantly growing rigid in Natsu's arms.
"Lucy Heartfillia? Is that really you?"
Lucy let out a soft curse under her breath before she slowly turned on her spot. She was aware Natsu never let his hand leave her body at all, his hand brushing against her hips to land right there as she turned around to greet the newcomer. She was a bit grateful for it since it helped ground her and knowing Natsu was with her, she knew she could be safe.
"It is! My gosh, it's been so long I almost didn't recognize you!"
"Aha.. yeah, it has been a long time… Minerva."
The wicked grin that was plastered on the dark-haired one's face was creepy in a way Natsu made a face. He gave his date's hips a squeeze as a warning but Lucy didn't seem to notice.
"It was hard to believe that you've grown into… this! You always had those hideous braces that were too big for your mouth and acne so of course it's natural that I'm so surprised!"
Lucy did notice Natsu's hand squeeze her hips this time because his soft growl made her turn her head and blink at him. His brows were furrowed and she could see him growing irritated at the way Minerva was speaking.
"And who's this? Your date?"
Lucy didn't like how she made it seem like it was so unbelievable for her to bring a date and she also gritted her teeth, turning to give Natsu a surgery sweet smile.
"Oh, this is Natsu, my boyfriend." She emphasized, leaning into him where she placed a hand against his chest. "He's just the absolute best. Where is your date?"
"Oh, he's getting us drinks," Minerva waved it off as she approached the two. Her floor length black gown swished back and forth with her movements and the strong scent of artificial cherries filled the air making Natsu scrunch his face up. "Natsu.. was it? What do you do for a living?"
Lucy had to hide the sneer that was coming up, seeing how Minerva had the audacity to purr at Natsu.
But seeing how Natsu was scrunching his face up in disgust at her perfume scent and her bratty attitude, she could tell he was already over it. He took a step back when she tried to reach for him and Lucy was pretty impressed with how fast he reacted, seeing how Minerva blinked in surprise.
"Please refrain from touching me," Natsu immediately said, leaning closer towards the blonde. "Lucy had already told you I'm her boyfriend and I have a thing about letting random women touch me, it disgusts me and it reeks of desperation."
Lucy almost choked on her spit at the way Natsu was so straightforward and she could tell Minerva was caught off guard too with the way her jaw dropped and her face grew red.
Choosing to ignore the gawking woman, he turned towards Lucy who was blinking at him. "Can we get something to eat, baby? I'm starving and this god awful cherry smell is making me nauseous."
Lucy wanted to burst out into laughter at the way Minerva looked so offended and she didn't even have a chance to respond when Natsu placed his hands on her hips and pushed her away. He followed close behind her but kept pushing her, wanting to get away from the situation faster than later.
"Wow," Natsu finally spoke after they had gained some distance. "What a fucking joke she was. Did you see how she was trying to touch me?"
"I give you props for that one, great job."
"Right?" He fell into rhythm with her, dodging those who were also walking around. "She's lucky she's hot." He plucked two flutes from a waiter who was walking past and Lucy glared at him as he handed her one. "What? She was."
"Words every girlfriend wants to hear from her boyfriend," Lucy rolled her eyes as she brought the flute to her lips but stopped when Natsu grabbed at her face. She sputtered, nearly spilling the drink that was in her hands but not able to do anything when he forced her to look at him. "What are you—"
"She's hot but I'd rather have you than her any day, Luce. You should know that. You're my girl. Always been."
Her face grew hot with his declaration and seeing how he was keeping her from turning away, she could only feel more embarrassed than ever.
Was this Natsu acting or was he actually being serious? And why did she want to kiss him so bad?
"Y—you're ridiculous," she swatted his hand away, scowling at the floor. "Since when have you gotten so smooth, Dragneel?"
"Ever since I started dating you," he sipped from his flute. "Isn't that what you're into?"
"What?" She spat, daring to look up at him as he drank his champagne.
"I'm referring to the books you read. Isn't that what you're into? The talking and all that?"
"W—what are you talking about?" She squeaked, feeling embarrassed and shocked that Natsu actually read a book for once. The way his mouth curled into a smirk confirmed her horrors and she pushed at his chest. "Don't go through my things, asshole!"
"It's not going through them when you just have them laid out around your house."
"Don't go in my house uninvited!"
"Is that why you gave me a key?" He grinned at her and she clenched her fist, able to clock him in the face when someone came squealing her name. Turning her head, she instantly beamed when Levy came rushing over.
"Lu, you look great! And Natsu! You clean up well!"
"Against my free will but thank you," Natsu flinched and guarded himself when Lucy bucked at him. "You look very nice, too, Levy." He eyed his best friend warily while she scoffed at him.
The petite woman giggled, twirling in her spot where her yellow dress flowed around her like a waterfall.
"The fundraiser is going great. A lot of people are actually looking at the auctioned items and we have already gained some donations!" Levy squealed excitedly and Lucy only offered a small smile in response. "Have you seen anyone yet?"
"Miss queen bee came over earlier," Lucy scoffed, taking a sip of her flute. "Tried to flirt with Natsu and touch him. He shut her down pretty fast."
"Yeah, I was so badass. She had her mouth open like she was trying to catch flies," Natsu boasted, grinning to himself while Lucy sighed. "Ooh! Appetizer bar!" He was quick to zip through the crowd, making his way right to the buffet table where Levy and Lucy stood back to watch him sniff around like a hound dog.
"At least we haven't blown our cover just yet," Lucy gave her a weak smile, watching Natsu grab for a plate and try to get a lot of everything.
"I don't think you have to worry about your cover being blown," Levy nudged the blonde on the side, giving her a sly smile. "Natsu had not left your side nor kept his hands or eyes off you since you arrived. I think he's really committed to it."
"Or committed to the free food and drinks," Lucy scoffed, watching how Natsu was seemingly arguing with the server who was plating him too little at a time.
Levy giggled beside her but as she leaned in to whisper to her, Lucy felt the tips of her ears burning. "Or maybe… he's committed to you."
"Don't be ridiculous, Levy, Natsu does not have any romantic feelings for me. He's just doing me a favor."
"I saw him grab your ass earlier."
"A favor." Lucy repeated, louder this time, and Levy was forced to roll her eyes.
"Sure, yeah, a favor to grab your ass?"
"Sometimes a girl needs to have her ass grabbed," Lucy huffed, refusing to back down from this argument while Levy gave her a flat look. The blonde ignored Natsu trying to grab her attention by waving his hands in the air and she could only pinch the bridge of her nose, feeling the embarrassment swell inside of her chest. "Someone pour me a double shot of whiskey and shoot me already."
"I'm sure Natsu would if you ask him for a favor—"
The night cannot go any slower.
—X—
By the time it was an hour into the function, Lucy had run into not one or two but four of her classmates who used to bully her. And everytime one of them came and left a bitter taste in her mouth, Lucy would go right to the bar to wash it down with whatever she could get her hands on. Surprisingly, Natsu was behaving a lot better than she thought he would as he kept to himself by eating this or drinking that. He was stuck to her side the entire time and she would usually be aware of his whereabouts since he kept a hand on her the entire time.
Maybe he was afraid of losing her and being alone in a room full of rich snobs or maybe he was trying to keep her from running off like a chicken without their head but she appreciated it nonetheless.
Especially since the more people she spoke to and the more she drank, the fuzzier her vision was becoming and the less she cared.
Seriously, why did she care so much about these people in the first place? It had been nearly ten years since she had seen any of them and seeing how they all were the exact same was a shame. Just with more botox and plastic in them than ever.
But keeping to herself and having Natsu entertain her was the best decision she could have asked for and seeing how he refused to leave her side the entire time, she could only drink heavily while giggling to herself like the drunk she was. So much so that she would just simply ignore those around watching them and whispering.
Who gave a shit, right? She was drunk. She had a hot date. And she was hot herself, too.
"Maybe you should have eaten more before you started to chug all those drinks." Natsu held out a meatball towards her where Lucy came leaning in to chomp on, a red hue painted across her cheeks.
"I only had four."
"Five," Natsu corrected while he brushed off the bits and pieces of meatball that came spewing out of her open mouth.
"Four, five, six, seven," Lucy sang, giggling to herself as she grabbed for her drink to down the entire champagne glass. "Eight!"
Natsu chuckled out loud, bringing his thumb to his lips to lick the tip before bringing it over to her mouth. She whined while he was trying to rub off the barbecue sauce and he could only smile at her adorable face.
"Should have gotten you drunk from the start."
"Told you," she was picking at the plate between them, popping a cherry tomato into her mouth. "Let's ditch this dump."
"Finally," Natsu got out of his chair, screeching across the floor. "I've been waiting for you to say that since we got in the taxi."
"Should have gotten me drunk from the start, maybe I would have been more inclined to stay home." The blonde grinned at him, sticking her thumb into her mouth when the icing from the mini cupcake was on her hand.
Natsu had a hard time taking his eyes off of his best friend who was too drunk to realize what she was doing was not friendly at all. The way her tongue swirled around her fingers to take off the icing and how she sucked on it like it was a lollipop had his mind going haywire and one too many lewd images began to pop up into his mind.
Seeing how she looked up at him with her thumb still in her mouth, she held the cupcake up at him, looking like an innocent doe with her wide glossy eyes. "Want some?"
He leaned in to snag a bite from the mini pastry but as soon as he got close enough, Lucy had dropped the cupcake which ended up splattering around the table. He stared at it in horror, upset he had gotten so close for it to just drop out of thin air.
He looked up at her to ask what her problem was but when he looked to see her staring someone down behind him, he turned over his shoulder to see that evil bitch Minerva once again standing there with a coy smile to her face. She even brought backup with her this time and Natsu gave every one of the girls a glare.
"Save some for the rest of us, Lucy, why don't you? It won't run away." She giggled and Natsu hated how quick the smile on his best friend's face dropped. "Hi again, Natsu. Are you having a good time?"
"Uh, sure," his eyes darted back over to look at Lucy. He reached forward and rubbed off the last remaining of the sauce and icing on her mouth, looking into the wide eyes of the blonde. "You ready?"
Lucy was quick to nod, standing from her seat while she dragged her wrist over her mouth trying to get rid of her obvious gluttony. Natsu pressed his hand against the small of her back, trying to steady her and push her out of the uncomfortable situation.
"Leaving so soon?" A white-haired one spoke up, taking a step towards them. "But the night is so young."
"Maybe she had a cat to feed," the other one whispered but she made it very obvious. "Did you ever get to adopt those cats, Lucy?"
"You really think she could afford to adopt all those cats? She's dating a firefighter."
At this, Natsu spun around on his heel to give them all a harsh look. He must have done a good job mustering up his nastiest one because the girls reeled back, looking at him with terror painting their faces.
"And what's wrong dating a firefighter? It's an honorable, hard-working job that pays well."
"Well, sure," Minerva scoffed, waving her hand in the air. "But it doesn't bring home millions, now, does it?"
Natsu was so shell-shocked at what she said he could only stand there and stare at her. Did these girls really think this way? No wonder Lucy hated them so much and wanted to pretend that she was actually doing far better than she was actually doing.
He felt like he was suffocating.
"It's fitting that Lucy found a man of that caliber. Didn't you hear, her father went bankrupt a couple years ago?"
A soft gasp came from the group of girls while they continued to talk back and forth, their voices only growing louder.
"Wait, so, she's broke?"
"No wonder! It's a matter of time before that firefighter sees her for how she truly is!"
"I can't imagine ever growing broke and having to work for a living!" One of them cried out. "Poor Lucy!"
"Come on, Natsu," the soft voice of his best friend came filtering in between the nasally chatter. He felt her tug at his sleeve and he turned to see her keeping her chin dipped down, embarrassment and tears shining in her eyes. "Let's just go."
The obnoxious laughter that came from the group further irritated him and he hated to see that his best friend was feeling so bad that she just wanted to let these girls win. They weren't even in his radar and he hated that nobody could see Lucy for who she truly was.
Someone that was most important in his eyes with the sweetest personality, adorable laugh, and witty humor, Natsu believed Lucy to be the one and only person he could ever love to that degree.
And for people that didn't matter in any way at all to make his girl feel so terrible…
Whirling back around, Natsu took two large steps towards the group of girls who were instantly quiet in his presence. Some of them even cowered behind one another, staring up at him with wide fearful eyes while he flared his nostrils and sneered at them. He ignored Lucy's pleas to let it go as he wiggled out of her grip and as he leaned in towards Minerva who looked uneasy but trying her best to keep her facade up, he could only flash her a menacing grin.
"You think you have it so much better because daddy's money bought you everything you have but you know what daddy's money won't buy you?"
Her small frame trembled but she gritted her teeth and gave him a glare instead.
"He won't buy you a nice personality or someone to love that ice-cold heart of yours, you nasty fake bitch." He spat in her face, leaning closer and closer where his forehead would surely bump with hers if she didn't keep leaning back. "You can talk all this shit about me and everyone else to make yourself feel better about being such a bitter, lonely bitch but don't you ever speak poorly about Lucy." His smile dropped, his dark eyes piercing right through her wide ones. "I don't give a shit who you or your daddy is but you keep my girl's name out of your mouth and I won't have to give you a nose job on the house, got it?"
He made sure to stand there staring at her for a second longer to make sure his words got across and as his eyes found every one of their wide ones, he scoffed before he took a step back to be beside Lucy again.
"And your caterer is trash! All this money for a trash caterer like this? Ridiculous!" He shouted before he grabbed onto Lucy's hand to start storming out of there. "What kind of fucking place serves cauliflower wings?" He kept muttering under his breath while Lucy stumbled behind him.
"Natsu, wait!"
But he did not wait because he was heated and all they had was stupid finger food that was not that great.
"Natsu!"
Having her hand ripped out of his grasp, Natsu spun on his heel to look at the blonde who was huffing and puffing. They had made it out of the banquet hall and to the lobby of the hotel but there were still so many people around. Yet, the only one he could focus on was the red face of his best friend.
"Luce, I'm sorry if I was out of line back there but—"
"No," she held her hand up, one hand planted on her hip. "Let me talk."
Natsu clamped his mouth shut, ready for the reprimanding he knew he deserved.
"First off, I'm the one who hired the caterer so do you really think so?"
Natsu's face popped into a blank one as he stared at the frowning blonde. He kind of just said that to be in her face but he did have a bone to pick with her about goddamn cauliflower wings.
"Wait, that's not important," she waved her hands around in a frantic manner. "I mean, I just… did you mean that?"
"I mean, I was kind of expecting more than an appetizer bar and the wings were made out of fuckin' cauliflower so it—"
"No! Not the food!" She groaned out, throwing her hands in the air. "I meant what you said to Minerva!"
"Oh," he blinked stupidly, reeling back. "Uh, yeah, of course I did. Why wouldn't I?"
"You…" she sighed, shaking her head back and forth. He watched how her bottom lip got sucked in between her teeth and how she squirmed in her spot, pink hues slowly brightening up her pale skin. "I just didn't think you would be so…"
"Lucy, I don't know why it's such a surprise to you that I would say those things to her. You're my girl," he answered casually, his hands in his pants pocket while one shoulder went up. "You know I don't like bullies and those girls were bullying you. I don't like that cattiness and I sure as hell won't just sit around and let them talk about you like that. Not if I could do something about it."
He didn't know if he did something wrong since Lucy's bottom lip began to wobble and her eyes turned all glossy. He wondered if it was because of what he said or did or even if it was the many glasses of alcohol she had but when she came flinging herself at him, he barely had time to register what was going on before he was stumbling back once again.
"Goddamn it, Lucy," he held her upright while getting his footing back. "You can't keep just—"
"Just shut up, already." She grabbed him by the head before smashing her lips against his. He made a sound of surprise from the back of his throat and nearly stumbled back again but he caught himself. His eyes were wide as all he could see was the bright hair of his best friend and her soft lips against his.
Right before he was going to kiss her back, she pulled away from him, her cheeks all rosy and her lips slightly swollen. The glassy eyed look never left but he was also beet red, huffing and puffing in embarrassment.
"You really are the best loving boyfriend there is," she gave him a cute grin. "Thank you."
Scowling at her, Natsu could only stare at her beaming grinning expression. His heart was pounding behind his chest and his lips tingled but the only thing that kept racing inside of his head was the urge to kiss her.
Kiss her! Kiss her! Kiss her!
"I owe ya."
"Consider it paid." He reached for her once more before his lips were on hers.
How come he had never kissed her like this before? How come the last time they have ever kissed when they were kids, it didn't feel like this? Why was he now finding the urge to want to kiss her and hold her and protect her as if she was his?
Lucy has always been his.. when she isn't someone else's, any other time, she was his. They always have been together and he would be damned if someone would come and swoop this beauty away from him because none of these assholes deserved her. Did he? Maybe not. But he'll make sure he became someone that she deserved.
It was the least she was owed for dealing with him their entire adolescence and adult life.
"Come on, girlfriend," Natsu wiped at the corner of her mouth, getting rid of the gloss he had smeared during their kiss. "Let's go get something to eat. I'm starving."
Seeing how a smile curled up on her freshly kissed lips, the way she beamed at him made him feel all warm. Curling his hand around her small ones, Natsu could only smile as his not-so-fake girlfriend skipped alongside him.
If the fundraiser was like this… just how the hell was the reunion going to be like?
Natsu could already feel his name being dragged through the mud.
But at least Lucy was happy.
"Hey… did you really think the caterer sucked?"
"Lucy, did you even try the wings? What kind of sane person makes wings out of fucking vegetables?"
X
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tbc