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he is not so secretly enjoying this

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I absolutely tried my best

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It's NaLu gift exchange ✨🔥

Thanks to @allaboutnalu for hosting the event! This gift is for a long-time mutual of mine (I somehow got them by chance) @hollie-artz! Hope you like it! Thanks for being my mutual ever since I was sorta awful at art, you were a true trooper 😔

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I'm completely normal about girldad Natsu

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Hot take: Mira is to Nalu what Charles Boyle is to Jake and Amy.

Mira: So how was the restaurant?

Lucy: SUCH A NORMAL TIME!

Mira: Why are you being so weird?

Natsu: Lucy and I kissed.

Mira: WHAT?!

Lucy: To keep our cover from being blown, we didn't have a choice.

Mira: Tell me everything!

Natsu: Mira, it was just a kiss, okay? It was just for the mission, it was nothing.

Cana: Yeah, who cares about a kiss? Call me if you grab each other's asses.

...

Natsu: Okay, you and Cana follow that dark guild guy.

Mira: Right. And you and Lucy: follow your hearts.

Natsu: No! We're gonna stay with the package.

Mira: And each other, forever.

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Fairy Tail Headcanon #3

Natsu and Happy and Lucy's Place

I can’t figure out the time frame between Lucy seeing Natsu in Crocus for the first time in a year, and Fiore going to war with the Alvarez Empire, so for now I will say that it is about four or five weeks.

After getting back to Magnolia, Natsu and Happy let Lucy stay with them as their place is still around and it's the least they could do after the year she spent trying to find everybody alone.

When they're awake they spend their time playing games, relaying stories, catching up and strategising on how to get everyone back together. When it comes to sleep however, Lucy doesn't hesitate on that first night to walk straight into the bedroom and shut the door behind her with a cheery goodnight. She considers it payback.

It doesn't matter in the slightest to Natsu, because of going out on jobs, the year he was gone, and breaking into Lucy's apartment most days, it has been years since he actually slept in that bed. It mostly just acted as his wardrobe if anything.

So, Natsu and Happy take the sofa, where, every night, Happy usually curls up on Natsu's chest or on top of his hair and stays there for the rest of the night.

Natsu freaks out the next morning when he wakes up and Happy is nowhere to be seen. He throws furniture, slams through cupboards and kicks open the bedroom door where Lucy slept the night before. ‘HEY, LITTLE BUDDY WHERE ARE YA?! LUCY WAKE UP HAPPY’S MISS…’

Natsu sees Lucy fast asleep with Happy tucked into her neck, her hand gently between his ears as he purrs in the dark room. Immediately Natu’s heart rate slows, his panic beginning to fade.

While she's there Happy will spend every night sleeping next to her, which Lucy would eventually feel guilty about as she only ever really wanted to steal Natsu's bed in payback for years of him doing it to her, not his best friend.

One night she tries to stay up and place a sleeping Happy with Natsu in the middle of the night. Happy wakes up confused and upset that she doesn't want him near her, and he sulks for the rest of the day, stubborn enough not to join her again that night.

But even still, there's a knock at the bedroom door, and in comes Natsu holding a sleeping Happy, who Natsu claims was asking for Lucy. Lucy wants to apologise to him, but he just says that Happy was probably sick of only spending time with Natsu anyway.

She knows that he was telling her that just to ease her guilt, but the implications are too strong. She brings the little blue cat to her chest as tears well up in her eyes. Here she was moping and feeling sorry for herself when she didn't even consider that Happy might have missed her just as much as she missed him - maybe even Natsu too.

A little too sensitive and suddenly remembering how long apart she was from her best friends, Lucy doesn't protest against Natsu joining her that night, just so he can hold her and make sure his friend is ok. She will be now because they're back and they're going to help bring back Fairy Tail.

Natsu doesn't realise that it was the first night he'd spent in his own bed for years.

The next day Happy and Lucy are in much better moods, which makes Natsu happy. There's a light energy to the day and the three of them enjoy playing, talking and getting food for the evening.

Natsu feels so at ease that he begins thinking of the near future. Some of their friends have already started to come back to the guild, and their next task will be finding Gramps. It seems as though all three of them have gotten the hang of the idea that they won't be separated anytime soon, so Natsu spends the day thinking of how to make their arrangement more sustainable.

Lucy hasn't made her intentions for living with them clear, but Natsu can't see how she would need to leave anyway. He thinks they'll need a larger bed, or maybe two if Lucy wants her own space, and he supposes she would want to decorate a little bit. He thinks of the sign outside, and about the spare paint he has somewhere in the house to add a name to it.

But then Lucy comes to them both one night while Happy and Natsu are playing a card game, and tells them her landlady kept her old apartment open. The boys look at each other a little lost, a bit concerned, but Lucy seems too happy to be returning to her old home to let it show. She just wanted to go back to her life before Fairy Tail disbanded for a whole year, and they can't really stop her if this is what will make her happy.

Only, they never expected it to come about so soon. The next day Lucy is moving back into her old place, leaving Natsu and Happy's place feeling a lot smaller. Lucy promised they'd be allowed to visit her as soon as she unpacked, and Happy made her also promise to come by to their place sometimes.

On that first night that Lucy moved out, it was too quiet, and Natsu felt exhausted, of course having helped her move some of her things. He immediately gravitated to his room out of habit. He still didn't see the fuss over his bed, even though Lucy seemed to enjoy it much more than the sofa.

But as soon as his head hit the pillow, he was overwhelmed by the scent of the celestial wizard. Clutching one of the cushions to his nose, it was like she never left the room. From then on, Natsu slept in the bed every night, unless he and Happy visited her directly.

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Evergreen: I said if I didn't become a star by 35 I was just gonna become a serial killer.

Bickslow: Well girl, how old are you? I'm getting nervous.

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Natsu: Guys, I figured out a fool proof way to figure out if someone is evil!

Gajeel: And that is…?

Natsu: If they don’t like Wendy, then they’re pure evil!

Wendy: I don’t think—

Laxus: No, he’s right for once. That is a fool proof method.

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During the Dragon King Festival

Ichiya: I'm 23, I'm a celebrity, and today, I'm gonna die!

Erza: Not one word of that is true.

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Fairy Tail Headcanons #2

Sad Seven Year Gap Stuff

As much as I am one to seek out the funnier, more wholesome/domestic headcaons, some things have been weighing on me about the Tenrou incident.

Seven years is a really long time in the grand scheme of things.

Gildarts isn't old but he is a dangerous guy who puts himself in dangerous situations daily. It's a lonely life, but he isn't quite alone. Over the years he has met his people during many travels, like him who all throw themselves bodies first into the heat of danger and no promise of tomorrow. So after a seven-year nap, Gildarts hangs up his role as master and sets out to reacquaint himself with his old buddies. The time he has lost doesn't quite hit him until he's far away from Magnolia, a trail of doors answered by widows and orphans, in his wake. He has to stop when he the withering mother of an old friend tells him he died on a mission. Something about finding a group of wizards who vanished on their way to their sacred grounds years back.

Lucy was lucky to have a father who paid off her rent for seven years, and others like Natsu and Happy who built and owned their homes didn't need to worry about being kicked out. Gajeel lived in a dump to begin with (not many places in Magnolia were open to the mage who hung up three wizards in the town centre), but despite the rats, mould and cracks in the walls, it was a place to sleep. But after years of missed bills, no occupancy and rumours of his death, his slumlord threw out his belongings and filled the place with new tenants. Whatever though, Gajeel was no stranger to the streets.

It took a month for Makarov to realise he was homeless, and once he did he opened the guild up to his child, as he had to do with many of his children. The new building, however, was drafty and cramped compared to their old digs. And it wasn't exclusive to those who disappeared either, proving how bad the whole incident had been on all sides.

Basically everybody was ill when they came back from Tenrou. That long with no food or water, to being thrown back into normal life was a shock to everybody's systems. For those who didn't have dragon scales to reinforce their stomachs, a few spoonfuls of soup were all people could manage before they were running to bow down at the porcelain throne.

That wasn't the extent of the health issues either. The minute Porlyusica heard of their return, she burst through the doors of the guild and lined up her patients with a short, and stern 'Now'. Wendy and Makarov were her biggest concerns; Makarov being so old, and Wendy being so young, their bodies are the most susceptible to negative side-effects of magic. Especially for the young dragonslayer, there is no telling the effects Mavis' spell would have had, especially regarding puberty and growth in general. Wendy cried during the whole checkup, which was prolonged given the amount of breaks Porlyusica had to give her.

She's overjoyed for them, but for about a week after she heard about her father, Lucy can barely look at Alzack and Bisca with Asuka. She tries to apologise to them both once she has gathered herself together, but she can't get a word out before they're both pulling her into a tight hug. They know. It's fine.

Despite residing in the dragonslayers, Mavis' spell couldn't reach the dragons, so they had to endure seven years of silence and wondering if there was a chance of their children being ok.

Along with their food and money, Natsu and Happy were robbed of a lot of memorabilia from past missions. They were able to track down some of the more valuable pieces or ones that held stronger scents that never made it that far, but Natsu will never see some of the smaller, more sentimental pieces again. Maybe it's his sensitive side, or maybe it's part of being a dragonslayer who essentially owns a hoard, but this cuts especially deep for him.

While time in the spirit world moves way faster than on Earth, most of the spirits still understand the weight and gravity of Lucy's absence. It still pains them. One spirit in particular struggles with her being gone; Plue, whose nature is very much like a dog's, was very timid when Lucy first called on him after Tenrou. He was glad she was back but horrified that the next time she closed his gate, it would be even longer still that she would open it. If ever.

Knowing how much her spirits, especially Plue, struggled with her being gone, caused a lot of anxiety for Lucy. It led to some pretty destructive behaviours, like exhausting and by extension harming herself by trying to keep multiple gates open constantly, just to show them all she was still there. Still cared. It only stopped when Loke opened his own gate to find her passed out on her living room floor. She had dreams of all her spirits meeting her that night, begging her to forgive herself. She woke up with tears streaming down her face.

Levy has a lot of guilt surrounding Tenrou. If only she'd realised she wasn't strong enough to make S class, she could have stayed behind and worked on a way to free the rest of her friends. If only she had never chosen Gajeel to be her partner, he could have been spared the fate, but then she feels guilty for suggesting she would choose maybe Jet or Droy to take his place instead. What a mess.

I think a lot about Jellal, Jet and Droy, who all spent seven years searching, researching, theorising and dreaming about the girls they were once (still are) in love with, who disappeared without a trace.

I think about Jet and Droy who were never happier than when they saw Levy again for the first time, only to become saddened and ashamed with how their lives have been run into the dirt without her. How could they ever hope to get back her love and respect, seeing how poorly things turned out without her? Suddenly their insecurities from the Shadow Gear days, about always relying on her, and never being able to truly support her the way she deserves, come rushing back to the surface. Not to mention she's still so young.

And Jellal. Oh, Jellal. To think that they missed eight years between the tower of heaven and their last meeting, and add on top of that another seven years. I can't help but think about Jellal who is trying, Jellal who is better, and devoting his life to being the kind of man Erza wished he could have been from the very start. But seven years is a long time, and Jellal can't help but feel so far away from this person, in age, and in life experiences. The worst part though, is that Jellal has tried, and he is a better man now, but Erza comes back with bad memories fresh in her mind, not even a year old from her point of view. She lost those seven years to watch him grow, so for her, he must still be the same Jellal; recently revived, with foggy memories, but not so far removed from the sins she watched him commit. The Jellal that she knows, and the man that he is are so different, but she could never know. It's a shame.

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Fairy Tail Headcanons #1

Drinking

These headcanons are possibly not well-aligned with the canon of the story but I tried. Also, I'm basing this around the UK drinking laws/attitudes because that's what the guild reminds me of, and it's what I'm best versed in.

(Side note, this is an irresponsible glorification of drinking culture that I wouldn't recommend, but it's all fun).

The legal drinking age in Fiore is 18, but much like local pubs in the UK, it's not uncommon for guilds to turn a blind to their underage members/children of the members having a pint or glass of wine here or there.

As they're not ones for moderation, this is especially true in Fairy Tail. Anyways, Makarov would feel much better knowing his children are getting pleasantly buzzed under his own roof than tearing up the streets alone in an act of rebellion against him. They're safer under his watchful eye than out there where he can't reach them.

As mentioned this is a pretty common practice across all wizard guilds, but the level of freedom differs from master to master. And to be absolutely clear, this is blatantly breaking the law. The likes of Makarov and Master Bob are considered pretty reckless by Lamia Scale's and Mermaid Heel's respective masters.

In the whole of Fiore it seems, however, personal attitudes towards underage drinking are much more lax compared to those who come from Western countries. Alzack and Bisca were both in for a shock once they moved over to Fiore. That being said, when it comes to Asuka, both parents agreed she was having her first drink at the legal age. (Macao, Wakaba and Makarov are the kind of older men who scoff at this but it's ultimately the parents' choice).

Makarov has a strict tears = no beers policy. Rough house and wreck the guild as much as you want (within reason Natsu) but as soon as one of his children sheds a tear, anyone involved is cut off for a week. Luckily this doesn't happen too often.

If someone does happen to cross the line under the influence, there's a glitchy lacrima with a PSA on responsible drinking that you must sit through. Plus a little quiz at the end to make sure you were paying attention. This doesn't just apply to the kids, however. The video is cheesy and tedious, and the quiz is mind-numbing but hey it's gotta be done.

Makarov has been forced to sit through the video the most out of everyone.

Makarov: This is ridiculous, aren't I supposed to be the one teaching you kids a lesson? Mira through a giant Makarov-shaped hole in the wall: Yup! You taught us that you and gin sure don't mix well! :D

Levy, Lisanna, Lucy and Bickslow have never had to watch the PSA.

After Tenrou there's some debate on how old everyone really is, but their IDs are all still valid and basically no one is underage in the year X791. So for the Lucy, Lisanna, Levy, Juvia and even little Wendy, Cana figures they've got seven years of catching up to do (just one for Wendy so she promises to go easy on her).

It's Cana's bright idea to organise a joint 18th birthday bar crawl for her girls but everyone else tags along. The night ends with the involvement of both the Fiore knights and the magic council chucking the whole guild in cells and a new law by the morning stating that everyone back from the Tenrou incident will be treated at the age that they were on the date of their disappearance.

A unique blue stamp on their IDs that reads TENROU requires vendors to deduct seven years from their technical ages.

In Fiore, you can drink one glass of wine, cider or beer with your meal so long as you are accompanied by a consenting adult to grant permission. This leads to some funny situations.

Cana who was 18 before Tenrou: soooo *hic* you waaana have a bi-big girl drink with ol' Cana hu-huh? Lucy and Juvia who both just want a glass of wine with their food: oh god... Carla; welllll loo-looks like you're gonna haff to do me a favour ;p Lucy: I think we'll just get the bill. Carla: NO, wait please, I'll be nice-

The guys who went to Tenrou were all 18 and above by that time so life pretty much went on as normal, which they teased some of the girls relentlessly for.

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Wendy and Natsu: We're the best dressed mfs at this playground.

Gray: Why are you at a playground.

Wendy: To play.

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Knowing this is how Natsu, Gray, Jellal, and Gajeel see them does unspeakable things to my heart 🥺

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Natsu: I cut my finger

Lucy: I can kiss it so it'll get better

Natsu: That works?

Lucy: Yeah my mum used to do it when I was little

*later*

Natsu: I need you to punch me in the mouth

Gray: Fucking finally

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Happy: Ruh-roh!

Natsu: Zoinks!

Erza: Jinkies!

Lucy: Jeepers!

Gray: Fuck!

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✨just dragon slayer things✨

they're all hoarders. we've seen natsu's house, which is just a giant scrapbook. but i can see gajeel picking up loose screws off the pavement, wendy's pockets being full of shiny rocks and seaglass, or sting's house being filled with sun/light catchers.

they're always putting things in their mouths. wendy was a thumbsucker, laxus is a gum chewer, cobra is a biter, rouge chews the end of pencils when he's thinking and if natsu doesn’t have enough hands to carry something, he’ll just hold it in his mouth.

lizards are cold blooded, and while the dragon slayers DO generate internal heat (since they have human bodies) they're still drawn to the sun. lying in patches of sunlight like cats and sunbathing in the summer.

this carries over into winter, they get cold SO easily. they eat more in winter too, and laxus the diva won't ever take jobs in cold climates (that fur coat is fashion/function).

subtle or extreme emotions are almost always communicated through animalistic sounds. natsu and gajeel growl and roar, erik hisses, and while carla has mostly trained it out of wendy, if she's really surprised or scared the sound she makes is less like a human shout and more like a bark/yelp, or a whimper when she's sad or fearful.

they are very sensory seeking. hands in running water, standing in the breeze, stepping on the pavement a certain way, fidgeting, weighted blankets, jumping and hanging off stuff, listening to music way too loud.

this also means that have strong sensory avoidances. gajeel HATES getting his hair cut, natsu hates the feeling of heavy clothes, erik hates loud noises, rouge doesn't like bright lights (apart from sting's, since he's so accustomed to it), wendy is sensitive to sudden temperature changes

They're very protective of each other. they're like a pack. this also means that they're protective of each other's partners. rouge might not know levy, but he walks her home after late night trips to the library, completely silently. it unnerved her the first time, but now she enjoys the company and he lets her talk in any language she wants. laxus will watch dozens of people struggle to reach things only his giant self can without helping, but will pass things down for Lucy without her asking. wendy and freed's underrated friendship! he thinks he's taking care of wendy because she's his boyfriend's little sister, and she thinks she's protecting her brother's boyfriend - which results in them being drawn to each other in anxious situations, sitting next to each other in unfamiliar or loud places.

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Manifesting we get a really strong Nalu moment in the 100 year quest manga sometime this year 🙏