#it's not like you value natsu's feelings above all else or anything

[mari-lair]

Let's talk about Natsukane, my favorite rarepair. They barely have anything in canon, so this will be less of an analysis and more of me going disproportionately insane about a ship between two characters with no screen time together. Buckle up.

To start: They are opposite sides of the same coin.

During an official quiz to see what character best matches your personality (full quiz here) Akane and Natsuhiko's results are side by side, following the same path, so they have a lot in common.

Both are the extroverted and passionate kind of people who confess first, both like to exercise, and both have secrets, only differing on the question "Are you stubborn?" which makes sense, since Natsuhiko is usually pretty laidback while Akane is stubbornness incarnated.

Despite all these similarities, the results and 'advice' for each result are very different.

Akane is "Do your best to help your loved ones. Life can be unfair, but keep working hard." vs Natsuhiko's "People trust you. Make connections, they will help you in the future."

Give and take.

Akane is selfless to the point of concern for his loved ones, putting other needs above his own. Take Aoi for exemple: He wants a lot from Aoi, her attention, her love, her hand in marriage, but above it all, he wants her to be happy, always doing what he believes she will appreciate even when he personally doesn't enjoy it, cause if she is happy, so is he.

Aoi drives this impulsive and passionate boy crazy, but when Akane learns that she likes him back, and their kiss gets interupted, the only thing he demands of her is for Aoi to be in his life. His priority is for her to feel loved and safe, not to be her boyfriend.

Natsuhiko is also extremely down bad, but he is more selfish: Most of what he does has the goal to steal Sakura's heart, and he approaches her doing things that he likes (love songs, dramatic film-like dates, etc) not things that Sakura has personally ever shown any interest in. I don't think he even realizes he does that because Natsuhiko genuinely values Sakura and is in awe of her, we see him doing whatever she asks, we see him make tea for her, ask Mei to fix her elephant cup, be willing to 'become a woman' when Sakura gets a male body, and shows his devotion to her many times.

He genuinely pays attention to her. He is trying his best.

We don't have much to work with Natsu and Sakura, so this is more speculation, but it feels like he expects to be loved back, becoming more selfish when he is particularly desperate: Like trying to touch her whenever he can even after being consistently reprimanded for it, and going as far as to try to give Sakura a love potion that would force her to love him back for a day, prioritizing being loved.

Akane is old-fashioned when it comes to love, he'll date expecting it to end in marriage and push away all else, being open about his affection and lack of interest alike. A relationship is a lifelong commitment to Akane, no fooling around!

Natsuhiko also takes romance seriously, but he is no loverboy, he is a playboy.

We don't know if he ever dated or kissed a girl before Sakura, but we do know his love for Sakura doesn't stop him from flirting around. He was even down to kiss Nene for no real reason besides 'cute girl', claiming that being hit is a normal reaction, so he tried to kiss more people before (I'm assuming Sakura is the one rejecting his kisses, but there could be other cute girls he tried to kiss before, who knows?)

Akane doesn't like that.

One of the few times they are in the same panel shows Natsuhiko basking in the attention of many girls while Akane looks done with him.

I am pretty sure Akane has not seen Natsuhiko before this point, so Akane took one look at him and went 'the vibes are off, fuck this guy'. Meanwhile, I doubt Natsuhiko spared Akane any thought, he doesn't care about Akane as a person.

Natsuhiko is a friendly guy but he is detached from his peers, he can find charm in people easily and discards them just as easily: Wanting to kiss Nene, going 'oh well' about her lifespan. Doting on Mitsuba, hurting him when Mitsuba still had no Yorishiro. Not hanging out with anyone from his class, or mentioning a family. He is so detached from people, and supernaturals alike, that he is fine with destroying the world for Sakura.

Meanwhile, Akane judges people easily and grows attached to them just as easily. Reprimanding Nene for being too soft on Hanako, but consistently helping her out, and showing care for her. Forgiving Teru's consistent bullying after he is helped and even growing a reluctant fondness for the clock keepers that ruined his life.

Akane is described as a good person by his peers, and Natsuhiko is a self-proclaimed bad guy. Akane has a belief human lives are fragile and precious ever since he was 12 and nearly lost Aoi during his orientation day. Natsuhiko can't die, and he doesn't care when people die.

They are on opposite sides in every sense of the word but they have a lot in common.

Both are seem as easy to take advantage of: predictable fools who love their crush, but they are smart people who can read others well, and know how to weaponize what they have available.

They haven't interacted with each other all that much so they seem to have this 'predictable fool' view of each other too. Or at least, Natsuhiko does.

Both have brown/red hair.

Both have no self-preservation, and easily forgive or brush off when others physically hurt them. They don't fear death.

They are shields, the guards.

Both are pawns of someone else, Akane's boss is the clock keepers and Natsuhiko's is Sakura, their goals come second to their boss's orders most of the time. They have no interest in each other personally but they work for supernaturals whose main obstacle are each other.

I doubt they'll have more interactions, but what we have is enough to have fun.

The broadcasting club clearly considers Akane the weak link of the clock keepers, so imagine Natsuhiko was tasked to get Akane's trust, coach him into destroying the yorishiro, playing the long game, similar to how he and Sakura were chill waiting for Mitsuba to find a Yorishiro.

Akane is the most stubborn of the two, and he sees Natsuhiko as untrustworthy, so I can't see him falling for his 'reliable and kind senpai✨' charade, but I can see him being arrogant enough to fall for the 'this guy is a dumbass' vibe Natsuhiko emanates in waves. Akane has the disadvantage of caring too much too fast, people show him kindness and he is unconsciously inclined to reply in kind, people are insensitive to others and he gets angry, so he isn't that hard to approach or drag around if you learn to ignore his complaints. They can have a lot of 'bonding time' regardless if Akane actually vibes with him.

I think Natsuhiko would have a detached respect for Akane. Cause while Natsuhiko isn't a kind person, I do believe he appreciates kindness.

Take Mitsuba's surprise party for example: The party was clearly Sakura's idea. Natsuhiko is more interested in pleasing Sakura throught it than in cheering up Mitsuba, using the party planning as a way to bond and celebrate with Sakura.

But despite having no blush, no comment, no spark in his eyes when he looks at Mitsuba being happy, he does seem to feel a hint of something that makes him ask Tsukasa to chill.

So kindness is possible it simply doesn't come easy for him, is not something that has a big sway on his decision. He likes being a bastard way more, look at how happy he is to do Sakura's evil schemes!

So Akane would be a pain in the ass for him. Maybe even pluzzling but mostly an annoyance that's prone to getting violent when Natsuhiko says 'the wrong thing', be it verbal violence or a punch in the face.

And Natsuhiko would absolutely say the wrong thing.

He is a decent liar, very disarming, and hard to read. But he is also careless, he may be able to make someone like Kou lower his guard even when the young exorcist's instincts go "You are sooo suspicious" but Akane isn't dismissive of these things. (compare how Kou was able to dismiss Hanako's murder after seeing the ghost do a good deed in chapter 9 while Akane still eyes Hanako harshly to this day)

Will Natsuhiko put effort into looking like he is Akane's buddy? Will he take him on friendly hang-outs at the broadcasting club? Yes. Will he stop being dismissive about other people? Will he stop flirting with many girls? No. Even if Natsuhiko gets swept by Akane's passion and genuinely tries to help, like offering Akane a love potion so he can 'get' Aoi or taking him to have a 'glow up' in the mall, it wouldn't work, cause their approach is too different. Who he is and the 'kind and reliable senpai' image he wants to sell clash.

So we have a lack of trust that doesn't go away, for every nice thing Natsu shows, he has an equally bad trait. Either Akane doesn't drop the 'yo you suck' attitude or he finds himself relaxing, only to be slapped in the face the next day at the reminder Natsuhiko may be able to disarm him with idol songs, bad love advice, asking Akane for his assistance, but he is still not a good person.

Speaking of disarming, here is a tiny tangent: Natsuhiko is the only character who gets a comment on how he smells, not even Ao-chan and Teru, who are complemented in every way possible get comments on their smell. This means Natsuhiko must either wear supernatural perfume or have a natural smell that attracts supernaturals.

And I do think it's only supernaturals that he attracts since cats, who are heavily associated with yokai in Japan, love Natsuhiko, and Tsukasa says he smells 'yummy'.

Plus when he is walking with Nene, a delicious Kannagi, every monster has its eyes on Natsuhiko. They want to bite him, not Nene.

Assuming any supernatural finds his smell appealing, it would confuse Akane to think Natsuhiko smells real nice when no one else does, cause he hates the guy? What do you mean he is not wearing a strong fancy perfume and only Akane thinks he smells nice? What is going on? If he directly asks wtf is Natsuhiko's problem, he would not be helpful "Another victim, fallen for my irresistible wise senpai charm-"

They are a walking headache to each other.

The plan to get Akane's trust won't work in the end, no matter how much information on supernaturals Natsuhiko shares, or how many tea parties they attend to, so the inevitable betrayal would end in violence. Threaten Aoi, create a trap, make Akane be in serious danger so the other keepers are forced to show up and save him.

Perhaps, when Akane is dying and Natsuhiko looks down as he bleeds and resists and fights he realizes he does feel something more than apathy and frustration for Akane. But alas, it is not worth figuring out if is respect, admiration, care, or whatever, it's a bother regardless but still worthless since it would always end like this.

Now, let's slap a crush into this mess.

Natsuhiko's type is calm and quiet, harsh on the outside and kind on the inside. A beauty that feels unapproachable.

Which is both the complete opposite of Akane (Akane is loud and stressed 24/7) and spot on (Akane is harsh in his bluntness but kind at heart + he is a popular boy that others naturally orbit towards)

Natsuhiko getting a little crush on Akane would be a nightmare because he would not notice he has a crush. He has a strong belief boys can't like other boys, needing to 'become a girl' to excuse still having feelings for Sakura after she gets a male body.

So he wouldn't notice whatever positive feeling he got is a crush, but he would still be unbearable. Probably call him Akane-chan cause that's a feminine name. Cute.

Akane wants him dead and it has nothing to do with his bad guy vibes, it's mostly cause Natsuhiko flirts a lot. He insists it's nothing but he got that flirty vibe that is very punchable, like calling him 'kitten' and adding 'no homo' if Akane bluntly rejects him. Respecting his space when Akane is on edge but trying to test his luck and be touchy the second Akane shows any signs of lowering his guard, casual bro stuff like noggies. He will need a character arc cause Akane is sure he is either unbearable by nature or his ulterior motive is to go on a few dates with him and discard him after ike the playboy Natsuhiko is. He doesn't take his 'fondness' seriously at all but being harsh is pretty attractive to Natsuhiko, makes the rare signs that Akane cares appear all the more soft.

Imagine Akane saving Natsuhiko in a panic when he 'sacrifices' himself to a big beast (akane doesn't accept others pulling the 'I will die for you' card on him, not even other supernaturals), only to kick Natsuhiko back into danger the second this immortal and sturdy guy starts to swoon about how "Akane-chan is so kind, worried about me <3 " . That's the vibe.

Natsuhiko pays more attention and is more influenced by the people he like, so he would actually make an effort to figure out why Akane is so hardworking, and tries to be kind, to do little things to help him, which serves to confuse Akane but make him a bit more willing to accept his company. They are still a headache to each other but there is care, and way more confusion involved, since Natsuhiko may have to experience a lot of trial and error but his attempts to get closer to Akane and make him happy are genuine. Akane is way more indulgent than Sakura, so while he won't drink any suspicious love potion and things of sorts, he can be dragged to Karaoke and easily manipulated with a pathetic 'Akane-chan, I need your help pls :(' cause he has a helping complex. (Unless is after he catches Natsuhiko doing something morally reprehensible, in that case, Akane will not tolerate even breathing the same air as him and go full judgement more.)

Akane doesn't know how his life has been spiraling but he blames Natsuhiko.

Their difference in morals will always be cause for complications, but if it's in a canon universe it's worse, cause Natsuhiko will have to betray Akane, and hurt this strange new love that keeps him at arm's length but has shown signs of believing he can be 'less of an asshole' becomes an actual dilemma. Something he isn't used to.

Akane being the one to fall in love would be a completely different vibe, easier to imagine in a messier part of his life, when the clock keepers contract is still new and everything is more confusing, maybe he hasn't figured out that the accident with Aoi was staged to recruit him, so he isn't as wary and hateful of the supernatural world yet, relieved to see another fellow human familiar with supernaturals, since Teru is someone worthy of respect but still very violent and closed off.

Akane would also have a crisis and push aside the idea of being intrigued by this strange upperclassman, who smells nice and hides many secrets, cause the idea of falling for someone who isn't Aoi will destroy him. He is extremely stubborn and loyal. He will snuff the crush out by force, avoid him at all costs, be more susceptible to manipulation, althought not noticibly at first..

What if Aoi doesn't exist, what if is just Natsu?

Then he can be openly devoted, and the appeal is to ask the question "What would happen if Akane fell in love with a bad person?" How much is he willing to forgive, and change himself. What made him fall in love? What is a line he can't cross (ex murder) and how does he deal with Natsuhiko crossing it?

Akane is selfless and prioritizes making him happy, so Natsuhiko would feel kind of bad. He is so used to being ignored, that he says whatever, and being treated with respect or awe is so out of the norm?? He does have a conscience.

Natsuhiko admires love, and it is convenient that Akane will sacrifice his happiness for him and ask for nothing in return, but it leaves a heavy vibe you know? Like, it's cute that he'll blush if he casually puts his arm around Akane's shoulders and drags him close, as he does with his kouhais, but Natsuhiko is not a fan of the soft longing stares. He will make him do tasks though, if Akane is so happy to help, he can buy him sodas and sing his praises.

Let's light up a bit with simple mutual pining, no other crushes, no supernaturals.

They are both too bold and hopeless for pining, a confession happens one week during this scenario and any issue is solved with the power of love. Natsuhiko is having a crisis about liking a boy? No worries, Akane is more than comfortable with cross-dressing, I will never get over how he got offended they didn't let him crossdress if it would let him stay by Aoi's side in a volume cover, and Natsuhiko is easily swayed, this much devotion would make him accept Akane with or without a skirt. Is hopeless romantic to hopeless romantic communication.

As an established couple they are unbearable. They call each other "my boyfriend <3" and giggle about it like losers, and every daydream Natsuhiko has become true. Does Natsu want to be missed? Akane will mention how he wishes they lived together and how he longs for him in class and if asked he will write a song about how much he loves him. Does he like romantic dates? After taking Akane to three of those, Akane is already the one surprising him by preparing a candlelight dinner. Any gifts they give each other are well taken care of. There are hearts permanently floating by their head. Outsiders are horrified.

Natsuhiko wanted so bad to be the knight in shining armor, the reliable senpai, but Akane was built to be a worrier who doesn't vibe with asking for help, he is the one taking care of Natsu 90% of the time.

Imagine Natsuhiko daydreaming of having Akane run into his arms scared of an approaching storm, only to be startled by thunder and instinctively jump into Akane's already extended arms. That's the vibe.

Akane would find it cute too.

Marriage may scare Natsuhiko, or at the very least make him uncomfortable, a forever is a bit reckless right? Let's just enjoy the moment, haha. So Akane drops the proposals, but he still daydreams about it. His fear of marriage can make Akane possessive when Natsuhiko winks at any cute girl, but he knows Natsuhiko has fun with it, and that he loves Akane the most, so he is very forgiving.

Bonus: Their height difference is pretty nice. Natsu is a full stair step taller than Akane.

[nalu-gifs]

“What happened?! I thought you had a date tonight!”

“Yeah, well...why don’t you tell me about this job that’s perfect for me?”

[lonelyveres]

I Love Fairy Tail Couples!

Fairy Tail never makes me forget the couples I love so much and love to see their relationship. Love is what matters, regardless of obstacles. My favorite couples will be well kept and cared for very carefully.

Gruvia: As long as these two continue together, the love they both feel is more than true. Affection and protection are the most beautiful parts of Gray and Juvia.

Gajevy/Gale: In addition to being my favorite couple, Gajeel's wish came true after his second chance ... Forming a family with the person he loves so much. May this infinite love never end between Gajeel and Levy.

Elfgreen/Elfver: Since I saw them together, I had enjoyed their relationship. Evergreen is always worried about Elfman, although sometimes she doesn't like to show it. Elfman wants to protect Evergreen above all. You don't always have to be a main couple to be loved, just like other couples. These two deserve the relationship they both already have.

Jerza: And these two? Even if they don't come together in the end, they deserve love above all. When they were little, they liked each other and, even in different ways, always had faith and trust in each other. Jellal is Erza's strength, and Erza is Jellal's light, and it will be so until their journey is over. May we have more moments Jerza!

Zervis: Mavis and Zeref? Love it too much. Zeref is the representation of darkness and death, while Mavis is the Light and the life. Besides being very cute, Mavis really loved Zeref, no matter what. Even after all that Zeref did to the world, his guild, his friends, Mavis never ceased to love him and wanted more than anything to live by his side, which he achieved through his reincarnations. Mavis and Zeref show that, even differently, love speaks louder.

Chendy?: We can represent Chelia and Wendy's relationship as just a huge friendship, a sister relationship or even something deeper. Even as "kids", your friendship is something that has been valued more than anything else. Chelia gave up magic to protect her friend, although she managed to do magic after the end. They trust their decisions and do not lack concern. Interpret how you like Chelia and Wendy's relationship, love exists and I love these girls, regardless of the future.

Fraxus: There are a lot of people who don't see this couple, but I'm sure these two would be very happy together. Freed and Laxus, I love it with passion, even though some make Fraxus a homophobic joke, anime and manga have already proven their feelings for each other. Freed would go to hell to be with Laxus, even if he had to hurt his friends and mates. He cares a lot about the lightning man, if he's fine, where he is, and wants him to do nothing stupid, that even he can't stop. It even offers massage, what a good man, doesn't it? People say this only comes from Freed, but it's not true. Laxus cares a lot about Freed, relying on him to save everyone and sometimes quoting: "Freed and the others," highlighting Freed's name. If Freed were female, no one would go against the love they feel, as Freed is male, many people still have the doubt of this couple. I love these two from the bottom of my heart. I love seeing them worried, and I love seeing Freed's jealous face when Laxus is around other women. Laxus and Freed deserve each other, even if it is against the opinion of many, no one can go against that love. Long live Fraxus!

Nalu: And finally, Nalu. It practically gave rise to the whole anime, because if these two had never met, or had not formed such a strong bond, we would not have Fairy Tail. I don't even know what I can say about this couple, it's so much that there is ... Natsu and Lucy are more than perfect, we can all agree. They are practically side by side all the time, Lucy follows Natsu and Happy wherever she goes, is sad when not near them. Natsu gets annoyed if the enemy touches Lucy, who remembers the Alvarez bow scene? He goes crazy after Dimaria hurts Lucy. He has already been disappointed that he cannot protect her and goes deep to save her. We have many scenes in which these two acted together, fought together, exchanged concerns and, of course, many funny scenes around Nalu. It's another couple that deserves all the love in the world. There are still those who like Nali most because of Natsu's past. Learn one thing: "Lisanna is the past and Lucy is the future." I have nothing more to say, these two are beautiful! May Nalu always continue to live in our hearts, even when Fairy Tail comes to an end.

There are many other couples in Fairy Tail, but these are my favorites and deserve my thanks. If you're confused, I'm writing this message through Translator, because I don't speak English and like to see the site anyway. See you later!

[mdelpin]

In Search of a Dream - Chapter 2

Slayers Week 2020 Prompt: Magic / Adventure Pairing: Gray x Natsu AO3 | Prev: Ch 1

Like many others, I’m not a huge fan of the Daphne arc, so I figured while I was messing with canon (yes, I know it’s anime only), I might as well change this up a bit.

Summary: Gray goes off in search of Igneel. After several months of chasing leads that get him nowhere, he happens upon a girl who claims she’s seen a dragon.

0-0

Gray figured the best way to start his search was to go to the place where Natsu had been found by Gramps all those years ago. Taking advantage of the fact that the dragon slayer had left on a job with Lucy and Happy, Gray had cornered the guild master and plied him with drinks.

He hadn’t missed the curious way Gramps had stared at him once he’d understood what Gray wanted, his brow furrowing as he tried to figure out what Gray was up to and how it tied into his never-ending rivalry with Natsu. Eventually, he recounted everything he remembered and even marked the spot on a map.

Having acquired all the information he needed, Gray decided to leave the next morning. It had been a while since he’d gone off on his own, and he was looking forward to it — the promise of a new adventure exciting him as it always did.

It took him three days of walking to find the forest Gramps had marked on the map. He examined his surroundings, but nothing really caught his attention, it looked like any number of forests he’d visited over the years. Gray explored as much of it as he could, trying to find anything that could be considered a clue to how Natsu had ended up there by himself so many years earlier.

He decided to camp for the night, carefully lighting a fire to cook his food. He found himself staring into the flames, his thoughts straying to Natsu. What must it have felt like for him to find himself here all alone? Had he been scared?

Gramps had mentioned that Natsu had refused to leave this spot, determined that Igneel would return at any moment, even though by his own admission, the dragon slayer had already been waiting for weeks.

He couldn’t help but be glad that the old man had worked his usual magic, convincing the stubborn boy to give guild life a chance. Gray didn’t even want to imagine how different his life would have been if Natsu hadn’t been a part of Fairy Tail, how different he would be if the annoying fire-breather hadn’t been there to challenge him at every opportunity.

Gray thought that was part of what his need to find Igneel was, Natsu had done so much for him over the years, and he’d never been able to repay him in any way that mattered.

He put out the fire, encasing himself in a dome of ice for protection while he slept. In the morning, he got ready to leave. On a whim, he used his ice to lift himself up in the air and look around, hoping to find something that maybe Gramps had missed, but there was nothing but trees everywhere he looked.

Disappointed that the forest had been a bust, he decided to walk to the next town to see if anyone remembered anything from when Natsu had been found or had heard about any dragons in the area.

He traveled to town after town, visiting libraries, searching official records, and talking to anyone he could find, following any lead that came his way regardless of how insignificant it seemed. But no matter how much he searched or how hard he tried, everything turned out to be a dead-end, or easily explained away.

Gray was beginning to understand Natsu’s frustration. Everywhere he went, he was ridiculed for his questions. It had only been a few months since he’d started his journey, but the constant disappointment was already getting to him.

Maybe the real question wasn’t whether Natsu should give up or not, but rather how he’d been able to continue his search for so long. More than ever, Gray wanted to find Igneel for his friend, but he was running out of ideas, and there hadn’t been a lead to follow in days.

He was currently in the city of Malba, eating lunch at a local cafe and considering his options. He wanted to keep going, but the truth was that he was almost out of jewels. He’d have to go home soon.

He also hadn’t exactly told anyone what he was doing or where he was going. Knowing Fairy Tail, they’d be sending out a search party soon, and he could just imagine who would be on it. As much as he wanted to see Natsu again, he was determined to have something to tell him first. Anything that would return that fire back into Natsu’s eyes.

Frustrated by his lack of progress, he decided to walk around and explore the city for a while. The idea of giving up didn’t sit well with him, but Gray didn’t know what else to do. He was surprised to find a magic shop tucked away in an area of the city that had clearly seen better days.

Gray had never really been to a magic shop before. He was a caster mage, and from what he’d understood, these places mostly sold magical items. With nothing better to do and welcoming a distraction, he decided to enter. If nothing else, maybe he could find Natsu a present for his birthday, which was coming up in about two weeks.

As he’d suspected, there were a lot of charms and magic potions, devices that could change your clothes or hair color, but outside of some prime prank material for Natsu, there wasn’t really much there to hold his interest.

Until he came across an area of the shop that seemed to thrum with magical energy. Figuring he had nothing to lose, he pushed the curtains aside and walked through. This room was much more interesting. Even though it was dimly lit, Gray could feel the power emanating from some of the objects encased in the display cases. The man who stood behind the counter nodded at him as he entered, but he was already deep in conversation with a woman.

Gray continued to explore the small room, fascinated by the displays. The case he was currently examining contained many trinkets - rings and lockets, masks that seemed to pulsate with dark energy - as well as different items that purported to be from mythical creatures. A feather from a phoenix, a horn from a unicorn, a stinger from the tail of a manticore, and many others that Gray had never even heard of.

“Daphne, we’ve been through this before, I can’t buy that from you,” the shopkeeper’s voice was laced with irritation, but he seemed to be trying to keep it in check.

“But it’s a dragon scale!” Daphne protested, “It must have some value. They were one of the strongest magical creatures, weren’t they?”

“There hasn’t been a confirmed dragon sighting in hundreds of years, I’m sorry for what happened to your city, but I can’t just buy an item I know is fake.”

“But I’ve seen it with my own eyes!”

“You saw a dragon?” Gray interrupted, excited by the prospect of another lead, “When was this?”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Daphne turned to him, her eyes alive with excitement, “It was-”

“No, she didn’t,” the shopkeeper interrupted, “If you’re looking for magical items, I’m sure I can help you find something here that will suit your needs.”

Gray ignored him in favor of examining the woman. She looked to be about his age, with medium length black hair and big brown eyes that hid behind glasses. He couldn’t sense any magic power coming from her, but more importantly, he didn’t get the sense that she was lying.

“Can I see the scale?”

Daphne handed it to him, and Gray could barely contain his excitement. It was a large white scale that looked and felt incredibly similar to those that made up Natsu’s scarf.

“It was red at first,” she informed him, “but it lost all it’s coloring soon after.”

Gray could hear the shopkeeper muttering behind them and made a quick decision. “Can you take me to where you found this?”

” Yeah, sure.”

0-0

They left the magic store behind, then the city, walking towards the field where Daphne claimed to have seen a dragon in the sky some years earlier. Along the way she told Gray a story that he had trouble believing, but made more sense than anything else he’d heard during the last few months.

Daphne claimed she had been playing by herself in the field when she’d heard a loud noise coming from above. Surprised, she’d looked up only to see a large creature flying overhead. It had seemed ghostly, but she’d had no trouble identifying it as a dragon nonetheless.

The extraordinary thing was that she claimed that the dragon seemed to be trying to ram into something. Its terrifying roars rang louder with every failed attempt until suddenly it just disappeared from sight. She’d found several scales in the grass and had grabbed them to show her family, but when she’d arrived home, everyone in the city had disappeared. Well, everyone with magic anyway, Daphne had none.

She’d run to the next town to ask for help, but they hadn’t believed her. Everyone she’d told had made fun of her, calling her crazy and suggesting that maybe everyone in the city had left to get away from her.

Regardless, no one could explain what had happened to the people in her city, and soon it was nicknamed the City Without Sound. People would come to explore it, fascinated by the idea of a ghost town in modern times. Daphne had been left with nothing but the dragon scales, surviving on the jewels she got from selling items she found in the empty houses.

“Are you sure this is where you saw it?” Gray asked, not sensing anything out of the ordinary about the field.

“Of course, I’m sure!” Daphne snapped, “Do you really think I’d forget after what happened?”

“Right, sorry,” Gray excused himself, then he had a thought. “Do you remember what date it was?”

“July 7th of 778,” Daphne replied, peering at him curiously, “Why does it matter?”

Gray startled at the date, it couldn’t possibly be a coincidence, could it? Natsu had been abandoned on that same day a year earlier. He held the dragon scale in his hand and stared at it. It had to mean something, it just had to.

“I have a friend who was raised by a dragon. He was abandoned on that same day in 777, he’s been looking for his dragon ever since,” Gray admitted, handing the scale back. “I’m trying to help him find it.”

“I’ve seen it more than once,” Daphne suddenly admitted.

“What?! Why didn’t you say so before?”

“People already think I’m crazy,” Daphne shrugged, lying down on the grass and staring up at the clouds. “The first year after it happened, I came back here every day, but I never saw anything. When July 7th came around again, I was determined the dragon would show up. I managed to convince a few people to come so I could prove I wasn’t crazy, but when it didn’t show, things got worse for me. But I knew I would see it again, and I was right. The following year I heard the same sound and looked up to see the dragon once again. Everything was the same as before.”

“I raced home, hoping that everyone had returned, but - uhm, they were still gone,” Daphne’s pained chuckle tore at Gray’s heart.

He felt a strange kinship with this girl, he’d lost everyone in the blink of an eye too, and it had been horrible, but at least he’d known what had happened. Whatever took place here on that day had caused her to lose everyone without any explanation, which had to be worse. Still, there was something about what she had said that nagged at him.

And that’s when it hit him, she’d said everyone in the village had had magic, except for her. That was unusual. In general, only about ten percent of people on Earthland had magic.

“Take me to your village,” Gray demanded, determined that there had to be something there that would have caused this to happen.

Daphne considered him for a moment and then got up, shaking off the dirt from her clothes, “What is it you expect to find?”

“I don’t know yet,” Gray admitted, “but I get the feeling I’ll recognize it when I see it.”

“Do you think you can help me get them back?” The hope in her eyes made him pause, he didn’t want to make things worse for her if there was nothing he could do, but he could feel it in his bones. He was on to something.

0-0

He was right.

Even before reaching the city entrance, he could feel it. There was an enormous concentration of ethernano in the air surrounding them, more than what could be considered normal. His magic was buzzing inside him, begging to be let out.

“Daphne, do you think I could have one of those scales to show my friend?”

“I have no idea what’s going on, but you believed me when no one else did, and for that, you may have one with my thanks,” she handed him one of the scales. She looked down at the floor, her voice quivering as she asked, “Do you think they’ll ever come back?”

He didn’t want to give her any false hope, but he knew that if there was one person who knew a lot about dragons, it was Natsu Dragneel, and when they both set their minds to something, nothing ever stood in their way.

The dragon had first been sighted in 778, and Daphne had said that it returned every other year, which meant that if she was telling the truth - and Gray was convinced that she was - it was scheduled to return in a little over a week’s time.

And when it did, he and Natsu would be waiting.

@ao3feed-gratsu​

[splendidlyimperfect]

Written for Nonbinary Month 2019 and also for @thedarkgodmogar​

-----

This is a companion piece to how to become a wildfire and it also deals with the topic of abuse. However, this work is focused more on the aftermath of being abused as a child, and features a lot of bad coping skills, including alcoholism. Trigger warnings will be posted on each chapter.

-----

Sting’s life has been a mess ever since he was eleven years old and Rogue told when he’d promised to keep a secret. Now Sting is an adult, and the only way he knows how to cope is by getting drunk and forgetting the world. When drinking nearly kills him, he gets a chance to turn his life around, and maybe fix his past mistakes. 

Chapter Summary: Sting hits rock bottom.

Chapters (1/20): 1 Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Rogue Cheney/Sting Eucliffe, Natsu Dragneel/Gray Fullbuster, Sting Eucliffe & Natsu Dragneel, Sting Eucliffe & Weisslogia Characters: Sting Eucliffe, Natsu Dragneel, Rogue Cheney, Gray Fullbuster, Weisslogia Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Past Child Abuse, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Trans Character, Trans Sting, Friendship, Childhood Friends, Sting-focused story, Sting is a disaster, Natsu’s a great friend, Rogue tries to do what’s right, Tumblr: FTLGBTales Series: Part 2 of i’m still standing

** TW for drinking/alcohol poisoning, mentions of past abuse & suicidal thoughts 

-----

worth· less | \ ˈwərth-ləs adjective : lacking; having no real value or use

.

xi december

.

Sting hits rock bottom three weeks before Christmas.  

“Holy shit, are you okay?”  

The voice coming from above him is familiar, but when Sting squints up at the person it belongs to, he doesn’t recognize them. To be fair, they’re nothing but a vague blur of blue and pink.  

“’m fine,” he mumbles, tipping his head back against the wall and sighing at the cool brick against his skin. He expects the person to leave – they usually do – but instead, there’s a warm hand on his forearm.  

“Hey, c’mon, look at me.”  

Sting frowns, looking down at the hand and then back up to the person. Now that they’re closer, Sting can see that the pink is their hair. He’s pretty sure he knows someone with pink hair, but everything is fuzzy and kind of numb right now, so it’s not important.  

“Go… ‘way,” Sting says, batting feebly at the hand on his arm. His arms are heavy, and moving makes the whole world spin until it’s nothing but a blur of colors and shapes that tug at whatever’s left in Sting’s stomach.  

He leans forward and throws up.  

“Fucking hell!” the person shouts, scrambling backward as Sting tips to the side, gagging on the taste of liquor that’s stuck in the back of his throat. He tries to push himself back up, but his arms aren’t really working, and Sting’s pretty sure that’s not a good thing.  

“S’rry,” he slurs, then throws up again, tears forming in the corners of his eyes as he tries to gasp in air.  

“Sting, what the hell?” The voice is still there, and the pink blob moves back into Sting’s space, warm hand now on the back of his neck instead of his arm. Sting flinches and tries to shove the hand off, but they’re stronger than him. Everyone always is.  

“Don’ touch me.” He tries to sound assertive, but it comes out more like begging –  please stop, please don’t hurt me, please just leave me alone because I can’t feel anything and that’s fine.  

“Call 911,” the voice says to someone else, and Sting’s fear starts to turn to panic.  

“N-no,” he mumbles, forcing himself to keep his eyes open and actually look at the person in front of him. It takes him a second, but he eventually realizes it’s Natsu. They had worked together at the café until Sting had fucked up and gotten fired a few weeks ago.  

“’m sorry,” Sting manages, trying to shrug off the hand that’s still on his shoulder. Where is he? Everything’s just vague shapes that move in ways they shouldn’t, but Sting’s pretty sure that’s an Exit sign above Natsu’s head. The wall behind him isn’t really a wall, it’s metal bars, and… “Stairs.”  

“Yeah, you’re on the stairs,” Natsu says, keeping his hand on the back of Sting’s neck. “Are you hurt?” Another hand starts to move across Sting’s body and Sting finds enough strength and coordination to shove Natsu away.  

“… said don’ touch me.”  

Please. Don’t hurt me. I won’t do it again. I’ll be good, I’ll be better, I’ll—  

“Sting, I’m not gonna hurt you.”  

Continue reading on AO3

Someone else is nearby, another blurry shape that’s saying things like drunk and maybe high and  agitated into a phone.  

“It’s gonna be okay,” Natsu says, and a wounded, angry noise breaks from Sting’s throat as he tries to shuffle further back. He misjudges and everything tips beneath him again. The ground reaches for him, dragging him down until his cheek meets concrete.  

He can’t feel it. It doesn’t matter.  

“Not,” Sting mumbles as he tries to push himself up. He can taste blood now, but that’s nothing new. “Jus’… don’t.”  

“I’m sorry, I won’t touch you.” Natsu’s voice sounds distant, like the words are fighting their way to Sting, and that’s fine because he needs to get as far away as possible. “There’s an ambulance on its way, you’re gonna be okay.”  

“’m fine.”  

“You are the farthest fucking thing from fine,” Natsu says, and there’s that sharp edge that Sting’s been waiting for. He can’t bring his arms up, they won’t listen to him, but it doesn’t matter because everything is numb anyways.  

“Just keep breathing, okay?”  

Sting’s pretty sure he’s not in control of that anymore, and now his body really isn’t listening to him because everything’s going tight and it hurts like hell and he can’t stop shaking, and suddenly, he’s certain he’s going to die.

-----

Waking up is so unpleasant that the first few time Sting does it, he refuses to stay conscious and fades back into something numb. Eventually he can’t keep himself asleep, so he cracks one eye open and immediately wishes he hadn’t.  

“If you weren’t already half-dead, I’d murder you.”  

Pink hair again. Natsu’s sitting next to Sting, hair mussed and eyes red with lack of sleep. Sting blinks a few times. When he finally realizes he’s in a hospital room, he isn’t really surprised. It’s not the first time.

“You almost died,” Natsu says, leaning forward and rubbing his face. “What the hell were you thinking?”  

“I…” Sting’s not sure what to say to that. “’m sorry,” he manages, closing his eyes against the headache that’s starting to pound in his temples. His cheek hurts, and he vaguely remembers falling face-first onto the concrete.

For a few minutes, the only sound in the room is the soft beeping of whatever machinery is hooked up to Sting. Then Natsu sighs, sitting up and running his hands through his hair.  

“You’re an idiot,” he says, glaring at Sting. “You know how long you’ve been out?”  

Sting squints at him. There’s still a foggy haze around everything, and his tongue feels too big for his mouth.  

“Two days,” Natsu says before Sting can answer. “You had a seizure before the ambulance could get there. I thought you were gonna die.”  

Sting tries to focus his gaze, then gives up and squeezes his eyes shut. “Sorry,” he mumbles, bringing a hand up to rub his face. The other is attached to an IV that aches beneath his skin.  

After a minute he opens his eyes again and frowns at Natsu. “Why’re you here?” he asks, realizing as soon as the words leave his mouth how ungrateful he sounds. He’s about to apologize again when Natsu interrupts him.

“Because you don’t have anybody else.”  

Sting’s cheeks burn and he tips his head back onto the pillow, trying hard to blink away the tears that are quickly filling his eyes. “Fuck,” he whispers. His throat hurts and his stomach aches and part of him wishes he  had  died.  

“I’ve...” Sting tries to talk but the words come out as more of a sob. When Natsu’s hand covers his own he flinches, but Natsu doesn’t let go.  

“Do you wanna quit drinking?” Natsu asks gently.

Sting can’t stop the tears, so he just lets them fall, streaking down his cheeks and dampening the pillow. Natsu already knows. When they’d worked together, he’d caught Sting sleeping off a hangover in the back room. Sting had managed to stay sober for six days before that, but it hadn’t stuck. It never does.  

Sting nods, rubbing the tears from his cheeks. “Yes, fuck, I...” He’s hit by a wave of nausea and he tenses, squeezing Natsu’s hand out of reflex. When the feeling passes, Sting lets out a quiet, gasping breath. He feels so small and stupid.  

“You can stay with me,” Natsu says.  

The words don’t register at first. Sting’s too busy focusing on not throwing up that it takes him a minute to process what Natsu’s said.  

“What?”  

“Stay with me,” Natsu repeats. He’s still holding Sting’s hand. “At my apartment. You don’t have anywhere to live, right?” Sting shakes his head, still dazed. “If you’re really gonna quit, you can stay at my place, but you’ve gotta be serious about it.”

Sting can’t look at Natsu because if he does, he’ll fall apart completely. He doesn’t deserve help. Part of him wants to refuse, wants to push Natsu away before Sting hurts him, too. All he does is fuck up and hurt people.  

But he’s scared and exhausted and so goddamn lonely, and he desperately wants to be more than this.  

“Okay,” he says, and the words scrape the inside of his throat, but they feel right.  

[superfreakerz]

TDDUP 19

"Til Death Do Us Part"

Rated M for smut and heavy themes.

Immortal/Reincarnation AU.

Summary: There are immortals and there are those who reincarnate, but it's best to keep these things hidden. Lucy is attending college and meets Natsu, a boy with pink hair, a devilish grin, and a body that never ages.

Read earlier chapters on FF.net

Chapter 19

Halloween

The day was finally here. The day to dress up, party, and have a good time. It was finally Halloween.

Lucy never really cared for the holiday. Not since she was a kid in her first lifetime. But now that she had friends to celebrate with, she couldn't help but feel the excitement bubbling within her.

"Alright, give me your clothes," she said.

Natsu smirked. "Pretty bold of you to demand for my clothes, Luce."

Lucy's face went up in flames. Smacking the boy upside the head, she replied, "You know what I mean!"

"Yeah, yeah." Natsu went to take off his white joggers when Lucy smacked him again. "Oi! What's your problem!?"

"I could ask you the same thing!" Lucy shouted. She cursed the area between her legs for tingling in arousal. "Don't strip in front of me, pervert! I meant go take it off in the bathroom! What are you, Gray?"

Natsu clutched his heart in mock pain- or perhaps real pain, Lucy wasn't sure. "How could you compare me to that guy? That's just cruel, Lucy!"

The girl rubbed her temples, trying to smooth away her oncoming headache. "Yeah, yeah. I'm sorry. Now just go change, will you?"

Natsu grinned, finally heading to the bathroom to do as he was told. Returning, he was clad only in his boxers and scarf, his clothes balled up in his hand. Lucy's face turned red in an instant.

"Why are you only in your boxers!?" she screeched. "That was the whole point of you going to the bathroom to change!"

"It's not my fault!" Natsu replied, catching her fist before she could punch him. "You didn't give me your clothes to change into!"

"You could've told me from the bathroom to grab them for you, idiot!"

"You should've just remembered!"

"Oh, so now it's my fault! You're the pervert!"

"Quit callin' me a pervert!" Natsu shouted, pinching the girl's cheeks.

"I wouldn't have to call you one if you didn't act like one!" Lucy retorted. She tugged on his hair.

"Ow! Let go of me!"

"You let go of me!"

The two continued to push and tug on each other, falling to the floor with a thud. That didn't stop them from going at each other. Lucy let out an annoyed huff as she was restrained beneath Natsu, her arms pinned over her head as he hovered over her. A cocky grin was glued to his face, one she wanted to rid him of.

"Ha! I win, Luce!" Natsu jabbed. His legs were on both sides of hers, caging her in.

Lucy wriggled beneath him, trying to free her arms from his grip. "Let go!"

"Nope! Winner gets to choose when the other is freed!"

Puffing out her cheeks, Lucy glared at him. Mustering up all her strength, Lucy pushed against him, catching him off guard and surprising him enough to weaken his hold on her wrists. With a speed she herself didn't even know she possessed, she flipped Natsu onto the floor, reversing their positions. Now, Natsu laid beneath her while she caged him in, holding his arms at his sides.

"Whoa, Luce!" Natsu exclaimed, his eyes lit with excitement. "That was pretty good! When'd you get so strong?"

"When I saw that annoying look on your face," Lucy answered, a proud smirk ghosting her lips. "I knew I wanted to wipe it off your face."

Natsu mirrored her expression. "Oh yeah? You mean this face? Well, hate to break it to ya, Luce, but…" He overwhelmed her with his strength, flipping them over once more and eliciting a yelp from the girl. His face was mere centimeters from hers. "You can't hold me down for long."

Lucy swallowed thickly. Natsu's breath fanned her face. Her body squirmed, a dull ache building within the pit of her stomach as the area between her legs screamed to be dealt with.

Natsu pulled away slightly, relishing in the blush that coated Lucy's face. His gaze moved on its own, lowering until it landed on Lucy's chest. She was wearing a simple shirt that clung to her body, accentuating her shapely chest. His eyes moved downward again. His cock, confined only in his thin boxers, hovered slightly over her.

A familiar, tingling sensation erupted within his boxers. Knowing he was about to lose the tiny bit of control he had left, Natsu let go of Lucy's wrists and sat down, freeing her. He had to calm himself down, lest he grow right in front of her. He thought of anything that revolted him. Spoiled food, vehicles, Gray. Anything he could think of to keep from getting hard.

Lucy sat up, her gaze immediately landing on Natsu's boxers. A vein ticked in her forehead in annoyance. How the hell was he not aroused from that? Here she was, wet as a river, and he hadn't even grown an inch! Was she not sexually attractive enough?

With a huff, Lucy grabbed Natsu's clothes and headed to the bathroom. She knew it was an irrational thing to be annoyed over, but she couldn't help it. She wanted Natsu to be just as into her as she was with him.

Lucy closed the door to the bathroom behind her, leaning against it with a soft sigh. Even in her annoyance, she was still turned on. After all, Natsu was right above her, only in his boxers for god's sake. And that look in his eyes. She knew she wasn't imagining him gazing at her body. Her body was begging for release, but she didn't have the time.

Pulling on Natsu's white joggers, she tightened the drawstring so that they wouldn't fall. Then, she picked up Natsu's coat. He usually wore nothing underneath it, but she couldn't do the same. As confident as she was with her body and showing it off, wearing his weird vest with nothing underneath was bound to provide countless of wardrobe mishaps throughout the night. Hence the black, strapless bra she was going to pair with it.

Then an idea hit her.

Still annoyed that Natsu hadn't gotten aroused from their little wrestling match earlier, Lucy tore off her bra and threw the vest over it. It just barely hid her nipples, but one tiny gust of wind or one wrong movement would expose her. Using some hairspray, she slicked some of her bangs up into a cowlick to match Natsu's look.

With that, she was out the door.

Natsu had only just managed to calm himself down once he heard the bathroom door open. All of his efforts went out the window at the sight of Lucy. She was wearing his clothes, just as they had planned. And though she never said she would put anything under his vest, that was what he expected.

Instead, Lucy walked out with nothing underneath, leaving much of her breasts exposed. He gulped, his gaze trained to her chest, waiting for a slight breeze to hit so that he could see it all. Feeling the tingling sensation return, he shook his head and forced himself to meet her gaze.

"Well?" Lucy asked, gesturing to her outfit. "What do you think?"

Natsu bit the inside of his cheek, trying to calm himself down. Her movements caused his vest to move slightly, nearly giving him the sight he craved. "G-Good! Looks good!"

Lucy fought off a smirk. "I'm glad you think so! I do too. Shows off just enough, don't you think?"

"Are you going to the party in that?"

"Yeah! This is how you dress, and we agreed to go as each other, after all."

"Yeah, but…"

"But what?"

Natsu dragged a hand down his face in agony. "Isn't it… you know."

"I don't know what you're trying to say," Lucy replied. It took all she had not to laugh.

Natsu groaned, throwing his head back. "It's too showy, Lucy!"

"You think so?" Lucy asked, cocking her head to the side. She brought her hands to the hem of the vest at her breasts, running her fingers over the material. She could see Natsu gulp. "It's not like it shows anything."

"But it will the moment you move!" Natsu replied. The tingling sensation in his pants grew stronger and he could feel himself hardening. Clamping on the inside of his cheek again, he tried to calm himself down. He assumed getting hard in front of Lucy would only scare her off.

He had no idea that's what she was going for.

Lucy eyed his boxers, waiting for something to spring forward. He was obviously into her. Why wasn't it working? Then she noticed his hands at his sides, balled into tight fists. Looking closely at him, she could see that his jaw was clenched.

"He's calming himself down!" Lucy thought, a wide grin stretching over her face. So her efforts were working, he was into her like that! Feeling satisfied, Lucy nodded. "You know what, you're right. I better throw something underneath it. Thanks, Natsu!" With that, she headed back to the bathroom.

Natsu heaved a sigh of relief once the busty blonde was out of sight. Glancing down at himself, he frowned.

"Sorry, buddy," he said quiet enough so that Lucy couldn't hear him. "Big day, huh?"

Once Lucy was done getting ready, she came back in much more appropriate clothing. She was still wearing his joggers and his vest, only this time she had a black bandeau underneath it. The strap of clothing still revealed a hefty amount of cleavage, which was of course Lucy's style. Since she was going dressed up as Natsu, she couldn't dress as promiscuously as she would've liked. She had to spice it up somehow. To top off the look, she wore a pair of black sandals.

Natsu bent over in laughter. "Oh man, I can't believe you actually put some of your hair up too! You're really goin' all out!"

"Don't be too surprised," Lucy replied, a smile on her face. "You're going to be wearing ribbons. Now hurry up! Go get dressed!"

"Wait, one more thing." Natsu stood in front of Lucy, unwrapping his scarf and draping it over her. "There. Now you're really dressed like me."

Lucy's eyes widened, her mouth parting and going dry. "I-I can't take this. This is too important to you." While the cloth may have just been a scarf to everyone else, she knew the sentimental value it held to the boy. It was a memento of his father, there was no way she could wear it.

Natsu chuckled softly, ruffling her hear. "It's not like I'm giving it to you forever, weirdo. Just for tonight. I trust you. I know you'll keep it safe. Now hurry up and give me your clothes so I can stop dressing like Gray."

Handing Natsu the outfit, Lucy waited for him to return. Soon enough, he came back dressed in her clothes, along with a blonde wig he bought just for this occasion. Laughter filled the air, both of them wheezing and clutching their stomachs as tears filled their eyes. Natsu was dressed in a tight, zipped-up vest that was much too small on him, looking more like a crop top than anything else. To match the blue cross-design on the top, he wore a blue mini-skirt, showing off his muscular legs. From the way he stood, he definitely looked out of place in the skirt.

"You look ridiculous!" Lucy exclaimed, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Stand with your legs together!"

"It's not my fault! I don't usually stand like that!" Natsu replied.

"Oh well. Let's do your hair! Come here!"

Natsu sat cross-legged in front of Lucy on the bed. He closed his eyes as Lucy's fingers sifted through his hair. Well, his wig.

Lucy grinned, grabbing his hair and tying the fake locks into pigtails. She used blue ribbons to match the rest of the ensemble.

"There! All done!" she said.

"Aww," Natsu whined. "I like when you massage my head like that."

"I was just doing your hair, weirdo. Now come on! It's time to pick out your shoes! Oh, and hate to break it to you, but you're going to be wearing heels."

Natsu shrugged. "Shoes are shoes."

"Have you ever worn heels before? It's not a walk in the park, you know?"

"I haven't, but how hard can it be? It's just walking."

Lucy grinned. "Yep! You're right! So let's give you these to wear!" She held up a pair of black boots with heels. She didn't want to make it too hard for him to walk, so she chose a pair with thick heels.

Glancing at the clock, she noted that they still had some time before Fairy Tail's Halloween party. Grabbing her camera, she stood by him.

"Let's get some pictures before we go," she said.

"Yosh!" Natsu replied. His hand rested on her hip, pulling her closer together so they can fit the camera's frame. With bright grins, they took the picture. They changed their poses each time. Some were silly while some were more formal. Well, as formal as they could be wearing each other's clothes.

"Let me get a picture of just you!" Lucy said.

"Let me pose like you then!" Natsu exclaimed. He twirled one of the pigtails around his finger, planting his other hand over his hip, which he exaggeratingly jutted out. In a high-pitched voice, he continued, "Hi, my name's Lucy! I like wearing skimpy clothes and complaining when I'm cold!"

Lucy glared at him, though it was all playful. Snapping the perfect picture, she laughed. "You're ridiculous."

"Your turn! Pose like me!" Natsu instructed, grabbing the camera.

Lucy's cheeks puffed out as she tried to hold in her laughter. She held her arms at her sides, flexing her muscles in a body-builder pose. "My name's Natsu! I barge into people's homes and eat their food!"

Natsu cackled, taking the picture. "I don't barge into people's homes. I only barge into yours."

"Same thing." Glancing at the time, she found it was time to go. "Ready to go to Fairy Tail?"

"Yosh! Let's go!"

"LUCY MY FEET ARE KILLING ME!" Natsu wailed as they reached the pub. "How do you wear these things almost every day!?"

"You get used to it," the girl answered with a shrug. "But I thought you said, 'it's just walking.' What happened to that attitude?"

"It died, along with my feet. Seriously, they're gonna be bleeding later."

"Probably."

Opening the doors to the guild, Lucy was surprised to see that it was decorated for the holiday. Fake cobwebs were placed in every corner of the building and on the lights, fake spiders attached to them. There were dangling decorations of witches, werewolves, and zombies hanging from the ceiling. Even the menu was revamped with drinks that exuded holiday spirit.

"This is amazing!" Lucy exclaimed over the loud music. People were even dancing, their movements sloppy from their intoxication.

"Too loud," Natsu complained, crossing his arms. "Let's just go meet up with everyone else already."

Heading towards the back, they found Erza and the others at their usual table. Lucy awed, her eyes moving over everyone, taking in all of their costumes. Erza was dressed as a knight, adorning shiny armor that actually looked real.

"There's no way she has real armor," Lucy thought. Glancing at the redhead's side, she saw a sheath, the handle of a sword sticking out of it. Sweat dropped down her face. "I hope that isn't a real sword."

She then glanced towards Jellal, who was dressed as… Well, she had no idea. He wore glasses and a white button-up shirt.

"Umm, are you dressed up as anything in particular, Jellal?" Lucy asked, hoping she didn't offend the boy.

He frowned, glancing down at himself. "Why does nobody get my costume? I am a librarian."

Erza chuckled. "He insisted that he make and come up with his own costume this year and this is the result."

Lucy awkwardly laughed. "Well, I know who isn't winning the contest." Her eyes moved to Gray next. He was fidgeting in his seat, his hand tugging at the collar of his costume. He was dressed up as a prince, a shiny crown resting on his head. It was obvious he was itching to take it off.

Juvia sat beside him, adorning a beautiful blue dress and a shiny tiara. A pleasant smile was plastered to her face as she held onto Gray's arm.

"Juvia is a princess!" she exclaimed. "And Gray-sama is her lovely prince!"

"You look amazing, Juvia!" Lucy replied. And it was true. The blue dress matched her hair perfectly, contrasting with her fair skin. Glancing at Gray, she continued, "I'm surprised you've kept your clothes on this long."

"It won't last," the boy replied.

Lucy laughed, her gaze landing on Gajeel. Her jaw dropped on its hinges. His costume as actually spectacular, it wouldn't have surprised her if he won the contest. Dressed in a white suit, his black hair was styled into a pompadour hairdo. A guitar was slung over his shoulder.

"Oh wow," Lucy breathed out. "I never would've imagined I would see Gajeel dressed up as Elvis."

The boy smirked. "Pretty snazzy, right?"

"You look stupid!" Natsu jabbed.

Lucy glanced at Levy next and promptly squealed at how cute she was. In a glittery, lavender dress made of tulle, she was dressed as a fairy. To go with the rest of her ensemble, she had a wand and elf-ear decorations.

"Levy-chan!" Lucy gushed, clasping her hands together. "You're so cute!"

"Thanks, Lu-chan," Levy replied, smiling at her. Even though they hadn't talked about Lucy knowing part of their secret, things luckily weren't awkward between them. "Your costume is…"

Everyone stared at the pair before erupting in a fit of laughter.

"You two went dressed as each other!?" Gray shouted, bending over in laughter.

"You said my costume was stupid!" Gajeel added, pointing at Natsu. "Take a look at yourself! You're wearing a skirt and heels!"

"I think it's pretty funny," Levy said, snickering behind her hands.

"Everyone looks amazing," Erza stated. "But now it's time to have fun. Let's go dance!"

The boys groaned, none of them being a fan of dancing, especially around the redheaded demon who insisted on spinning them until the point of throwing up. Knowing that they didn't have much of a choice, they joined the girls on the dance floor.

Lucy laughed, jumping up and down with Levy. They weren't skilled dancers- well, Lucy knew how to ballroom dance thanks to her father, but that wasn't really the type of dancing expected in a bar at a Halloween party. So, they simply hopped to the beat. They didn't care if they looked ridiculous, there were some people so drunk that they weren't even on beat.

"Hey, can we talk later?" Lucy said. She wanted to clear the air with Levy. Even though things weren't awkward between them, they still had to discuss it.

"Yeah," Levy answered with a nod. "I'll text you later tonight?"

"Sounds good. For now, let's party!"

As music continued to blare throughout the pub, so did the sound of laughter as the group danced the night away. Erza and Jellal had gotten the group a round of shots, which they all downed quickly. The drink left a burning feeling in her throat and instantly made her belly feel warm.

"Try not to get too drunk this time," Natsu said as he grabbed Lucy's wrist and gently pulled her away from Levy. It was a pain in the ass dealing with Drunk Lucy, he did not need a repeat of that.

"I won't," Lucy replied. "I learned my lesson. Besides, I wouldn't get drunk in public."

Natsu nodded. "Are you having fun?"

"Yeah! Are you?"

He nodded again. "It's always fun when we're together, remember?"

Lucy blushed, hoping that it wouldn't be noticeable in the dark room. She grabbed his hand, giving it a squeeze. "Yeah, it is. Now come dance with me!"

Natsu gave a wide grin, watching as Lucy jumped up and down. "Is that what you've been doin' this whole time?"

"Yeah!"

"You call that dancing? That's just jumping! This is dancing!"

Natsu moved wildly, waving his arms in the air, spinning around, all the works. He wasn't on beat, but that was really the least of his problems. Anyone who saw him must have been judging him, but he didn't care. He never cared what others thought of him and that was something Lucy admired about him.

Lucy laughed, allowing herself to let loose even more. Pumping her fists in the air, she kept jumping up and down, this time spinning. Perhaps it was the shot of vodka she downed earlier, or maybe it was being around Natsu, either way, she had a lot more courage now.

"That's more like it!" Natsu exclaimed, watching Lucy dance. She looked ridiculous, really. But it was endearing.

That is, until a hand landed on her shoulder.

Natsu moved his gaze to find a boy around their age, his hair black and messy. He wore shades over his eyes despite being in a dark room, a white button-up shirt and some black jeans. In his other hand, the one that wasn't latched onto Lucy's shoulder, was a cane.

"Your dance moves are sick!" the boy said, leaning closer to Lucy.

"Thanks," the blonde replied, shrugging his hand off of her.

"What are you supposed to be?"

"My friend."

"That's funny!" the boy exclaimed, his obnoxious laughter clashing against the music. "Wanna guess who I am?"

"Not really."

"I'm one of the three blind mice. I can't see, so I need to use you to keep my balance."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Isn't that what the cane is for, genius? Can you please leave me alone? I'm trying to have fun with my friends."

The boy glared at her. "I'm just trying to make conversation."

"And I'm ending it."

The boy reached out towards her again, prompting Lucy to stomp on his foot. It wasn't as effective as she would've liked since she wasn't wearing her heels, but it was enough to make the boy yelp. His glare harshened before he walked off, muttering incentives.

Natsu allowed himself to calm down as the other boy left. He was about to pummel the guy himself when he saw him reach towards Lucy again, but she was one step ahead of him.

"Anyways," Lucy began, turning her attention back to Natsu as if nothing ever happened, "back to what we were doing!"

Natsu chuckled. "You're awesome, Luce."

"Huh? Because of what just happened?"

"Because of everything you do!"

Lucy smiled. Glancing at the rest of the group, she found that everyone was split up with their respective partners. Knowing that they weren't going to be watched by their friends, Lucy grabbed Natsu's hands. They jumped up and down together, moving wildly and never letting go of each other.

Once everyone got tired of dancing, the group made their way back to their table. Erza had gotten them another round of shots. Lucy was limiting herself to only three shots, already starting to feel a slight buzz.

"What now?" Levy asked.

"I say we head towards our next destination," Erza answered, an excited gleam in her eyes. "Magnolia's famous haunted house."

Lucy and Levy clung onto each other, both hating haunted houses. They were all full of jump scares.

"Yosh! Sounds awesome!" Natsu exclaimed. "Let's go!"

Erza ordered them one more round of shots before they were on their way.

The haunted house was being held in a roller rink in town, decorated with props. The inside was filled with screens covered with black sheets, making a maze of some sorts for customers to follow. After paying the cashier, they were let in but only as pairs.

Lucy watched as Erza and Jellal went first, their forms disappearing into the maze. Not hearing any screams, she was starting to feel hopeful that the place wasn't too scary.

"Then again, I doubt Erza and Jellal scare easily."

Gray and Juvia went next, followed by Levy and Gajeel, until it was eventually her turn with Natsu.

Natsu grinned at her, nudging her side.

"Ready?" he asked with a grin.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she answered.

Natsu glanced down at her hand. No longer as nervous around the girl, he reached down and grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers together. He felt her gaze on him and he went to duck his face behind his scarf, only to remember that Lucy was wearing it so he couldn't hide his face.

Okay, maybe he was still a little nervous.

Lucy smiled, her hold on his hand tightening. Feeling less scared than before, she braved into the maze, her hand never leaving Natsu's.

And then she screamed her head off as someone reached out, waving their bloody hand in front of her face. This continued throughout the rest of the tour, Lucy screaming at the top of her lungs while Natsu laughed at her.

By the time they reached the exit, Lucy's hair was a mess, her skin was pale, and her eyes were wide and bloodshot. Natsu had a huge grin on his face.

"I knew that was Bunny Girl," Gajeel said with a snicker. "We could hear your screamin' all the way from here."

"It was pretty scary, huh Lu-chan?" Levy said, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"I'm never going to a haunted house again," the blonde replied, her voice scratchy from all of her screaming. Glancing towards Erza, she found the redhead talking to some of the crew. "What's Erza doing?"

Gray chuckled, going to shove his hands in his pockets before remembering that he took off his costume during the tour. "She's lecturing the employees, tellin' them about how it's bad business to have a haunted house that isn't scary. She's giving them tips on how to really scare their customers."

"That sounds like Erza."

Once the group exited the building, the moon was already high in the sky. The night air was chilly, especially when most of them were underdressed.

"It is time for our final event," Erza said. "It is time to announce who is the winner of our costume contest." Glancing at her husband, she gave an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Jellal, but surely you know that you are in last place."

The boy sighed. "Yeah, I know."

"Everyone else did wonderful, much to my surprise. The next loser, who although is dressed beautifully, did not manage to wow me as much as the other contestants. I'm sorry, Juvia, but you are out of the contest."

"Juvia is okay with that," the blue-headed girl replied, clutching Gray's abandoned costume to her chest. "Juvia is just glad to have been able to see Gray dressed up as her prince!"

"Speaking of Gray, he is our next loser," Erza announced. "Although your costume was nice and neat, and it is a surprise that you managed to keep it on as long as you did, you are the next loser because you did not have a sword with you. Princes carry swords. It's simple."

"Ehh, whatever," Gray replied with a shrug.

"Our next loser is Lucy. Although your idea was amusing, Natsu does not wear anything under his vest."

"I thought it would be inappropriate to not have something underneath," Lucy said.

"Nonsense. You must be completely in-character. Next up is Levy. The elfish ears and wand were perfect additions to your costume. And your height goes perfectly with what you were going for, but unfortunately the last two contenders were even better. That just leaves Gajeel and Natsu."

"Just hurry up and tell us who wins," Gray said, rolling his eyes. "Enough with all the explanations."

Before anyone could even process what happened, Erza had punched him upside the head. Clearing her throat, she continued, "Our last two contenders dressed amazingly. Gajeel, your Elvis costume is splendid. You even have a guitar to go with it. Natsu, your costume of Lucy is also impressive, especially since you managed to keep the heels on all night."

"Can't wait to win and rub it in your face!" Natsu taunted Gajeel.

The other boy barked back, "I'm gonna be the winner!"

Erza cleared her throat, gaining everyone's attention. "And the winner of this year's costume contest is none other than…" She paused for dramatic effect. "Natsu! Sorry, Gajeel. But the guitar you have is a different kind than Elvis used, which is why you lost."

"HA!" Natsu shouted. "In your face!"

"Shut up," Gajeel grumbled, glaring at him.

"What do I win!?" Natsu asked, turning back towards Erza.

The redhead smiled, fishing in her pockets for two tickets to one of the best pasta restaurants in town.

"These tickets will pay for your drinks, entrees, and a dessert," Erza explained. "I gave two tickets, so you may take someone with you. Your reservation is scheduled in half an hour, so I suggest you start heading there now."

Natsu grabbed the tickets. "Sweet!" Turning towards Lucy, he cocked his head to the side slightly. A faint blush coated his cheeks. "Wanna go, Luce?"

"Of course," she replied. "Bye, everyone! I'll see you guys tomorrow!"

"Have fun, Lu-chan!" Levy called out to the girl, watching as the two went on their way. Once they were out of earshot, she turned towards Erza. "You gave the win to them on purpose, didn't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," the other girl replied, feigning innocence.

"Really? You got two tickets to Lucy's favorite restaurant as the prize. Plus, Gajeel's guitar is the same kind that Elvis used. Meaning your critique was wrong."

"Alright, alright," Erza said, a grin dancing on her lips. "I might have given them the win. I can't help but want to nudge them a little."

"Even if she's a mortal?"

Erza sighed. "It's true, a relationship between them won't work out in the end. But this is the first time Natsu's ever liked someone. I want him to be as happy as he can. While he still has the chance to be with her."

The group grew quiet, imagining the possible outcomes of the two's relationship. No matter how it ended, it wouldn't be good. Still, they wished Natsu and Lucy luck.

Reaching the restaurant, Natsu handed the server the two tickets and told him about their reservation. They were led to a table which was luckily reserved for them considering the place was packed. Most people were dressed in normal clothes, but there were a few like them who exuded the holiday spirit.

Natsu ignored the judgmental looks from everyone else. He wasn't sure if it was because of the crop-top, the skirt, the heels, or even the wig that was catching everyone's attention, but he didn't care. He was just glad to be with Lucy at her favorite restaurant.

"How awesome is it that the prize was a free meal at this place?" Lucy exclaimed, a pleasant smile plastered to her face.

"We sure got lucky," Natsu replied. He propped his elbow on the table, resting his chin on his palm. Pink dusted his cheeks as he continued, "So I know I didn't plan this, but how about we consider this our first date?"

"First?" Lucy repeated, a smile ghosting her lips. "You must be pretty confident in yourself if you think there's going to be another."

Natsu smirked. "Well, yeah. You did give me the key to your apartment. How can I not be confident after that?"

"Fine. This can be our first date. But you still owe me one that you plan yourself."

"Alright, you've got yourself a deal!"

Once the waiter came and took their orders, the two played a game to pass time. Grabbing a sugar packet, they slid it across the table towards each other. The goal was to slide the packet with just the right amount of force that it slightly hung off the edge of the table so that the other person could try to flip it over. If they were able to flip it over, that person had to down the packet of sugar.

They went back and forth, their efforts futile. They would either slide it with not enough force to reach the end of the table, or with too much force that it slid right off into the other person's lap.

Finally, one slide had potential.

Lucy squeaked, seeing the packet hanging dangerously over the edge of the table. If she was able to flip it, she'd have to eat the entire packet of sugar. Hoping the packet would just bounce back, she flicked it, causing it to flip much to her chagrin.

"Ha! I am on a roll today! First I beat you at wrestling, then I beat everyone at the costume contest, and now I beat you at this!" Natsu shouted. "You gotta eat it now, Luce!"

"I know, I know!" the blonde replied. She tore open the packet, making a face of disgust before pouring it all into her mouth and swallowing it. "Okay, no more! This game is too unhealthy!"

"Only if you lose," Natsu replied, a heavy smirk on his face.

Once their food arrived, they shared an eager glance before diving in.

Making their way back to Lucy's apartment, Lucy collapsed onto the bed with a content sigh. The day was full of excitement. It was a day she'd never forget. But now she was glad to be home again.

Natsu kicked off his hellish shoes before he collapsed by her, though he was laying the opposite way so that his head was by her feet.

"That was some good food," he said, rubbing his belly.

"It was. I'm glad you won," she replied. "I think I need some water to wash it all down though. Want some?"

"Nah," he answered, but he still followed her into the kitchen.

Lucy opened the fridge and grabbed a water bottle, chugging some of it down to help with her full stomach. Feeling better, she put it back to save it for later and turned on her heels to head back to the bed. Instead, she found herself face-to-face with Natsu, who had apparently joined her.

Lucy looked up at him, a smile curving over her lips. "I had fun today."

"Me too," Natsu replied. Though, his mind reeled back to the random boy at the pub who had tried hitting on Lucy. Just the thought of a boy hitting on her annoyed him. He hated when boys tried to flirt with her, especially when he was right there. And he hated the fact that he couldn't blame them even more.

After all, Lucy was technically a single woman.

"Hey," Natsu began, rubbing the back of his head. His gaze was drawn to the wall, unable to meet hers. "There's something I've been meanin' to talk about."

"What is it?" Lucy asked, tilting her head to the side and arching a brow at him. She could tell that whatever it was that was on his mind was serious.

"Well… I don't know," Natsu said, feeling around for his scarf which was still sadly wrapped around Lucy's neck. His cheeks matched his hair as he struggled to say what he wanted. His fists tightened as he forced himself to meet her confused gaze. He was just going to come right out and say it.

"I like you, Luce," he said, his voice serious. Black bore into brown as he continued, "I like you as more than a friend. And even though you never full-on said it before, I think you like me too."

"I-I do!" Lucy replied, her face set ablaze. Her heart was crashing around inside of her chest, feeling like it was going to burst through. She didn't care how eager she sounded, she didn't care if she was blushing, she just wanted to make sure he understood just how she felt about him. "I do like you. M-More than as a friend."

Natsu smiled, letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding. His hands relaxed at his sides. A weight felt like it was lifted from his shoulders. Even though they knew each other's feelings towards each other, it was different to have it officially announced.

"Official, huh?" Natsu thought. Swallowing thickly, he said, "I wanna go out."

"On another date?" Lucy asked.

He shook his head. "No. Well, yeah. I do wanna go on more dates with you but that's not what I meant. I meant that I wanna be more than friends. Like Gray and Juvia."

Lucy's eyes widened. "Are you asking me out?"

"Luuucy," Natsu whined, dragging a hand over his face. "Don't make this any harder than it needs to be!"

"I'm not!"

"You are! I don't know what I'm supposed to say, so just say yes!"

"Yes," Lucy said, smiling up at him with rosy cheeks. "There, I said it."

Natsu grinned at her. "So… It's official."

"Yep."

His eyes darted towards her lips, pink and plump as always. He swallowed thickly. "You know, I think most people celebrate in these kinda moments."

Lucy licked her lips, seeing as how Natsu's gaze was drawn to them. She didn't think it was possible that her heart could beat any faster, but here it was, beating so fast she had to put a hand over her chest in hopes of calming down.

Natsu's eyes followed the movement. Grabbing her hand that was resting over her chest, he pulled her closer to him, their faces mere inches apart. His eyes began to droop closed as he pushed forward. Their lips were close. So close to finally closing the space between them. They just barely grazed against each other before Lucy burst into a fit of laughter.

Natsu's eyes opened as he glared at Lucy, who was still laughing.

"Sorry, sorry!" she said. She looked up at his head. "It's just really weird to be kissing someone dressed up as me!"

Natsu couldn't help but laugh at that. Removing his wig, he asked, "What about now?"

"Better."

Lucy wrapped her arms around his neck and planted her lips over his. Every cliché in the movies happened between them. The fireworks, the feeling of walking on air, all of it. Their kiss was innocent, only a chaste peck in which neither of them parted their mouths, but it was filled with enough passion to leave them both breathless.

Lucy pulled away, peeking up at him through her lashes. She could see a deep blush coating his cheeks.

"W-Well?" she asked shyly. "What now?"

Natsu snapped back to his senses, grinning at her. "Now we get into the holiday spirit and binge watch a bunch of scary movies."

Lucy nodded, a happy smile glued to her face. "Sounds like a plan."

Just like always, they sat on the couch, watching as characters were killed on screen. Only this time, their minds were preoccupied with thoughts of the other's lips.

[soprana-snap]

Popcorn Ceilings

Happy really, really, really, REEEEEALLY late Birthday Alisha! @rivendell101

This was inspired by you and B’s Natsu and Gray brotpcop! AU with private investigatorLucy! ...as well as that one fic of yours where drunk Lucy crashed in Natsu’s bathtub! 

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His wet boot soles screeched on the polished tile, his shoulders tensing at the cacophonous noise. In his grip, the gun shifted, aim dropping lower by inches. “Oops-”

“Quiet, flamebrain.”  His partner, Gray Fullbuster hissed at his side, his own pistol still held up and ready. He had his jet black hair greased back, looking more like a misplaced business man than a cop but at least he had a sharp eye and a quick draw. Especially helpful when the power to the building was off, save for a few flickering emergency lights on a generator.

They were both going blind into the hornet's nest so to speak.

“I was quiet!” Natsu hissed back, readjusting his pistol as if his lack of attention never happened.

Gray's lips quirked, but Natsu knew it wasn't from amusement. “I was talking about your yapper. Every time you open your mouth, you're loud...and stinky.” he added as an afterthought, “Do you ever brush?”

What a dick.

“Do you ever hear the stupidity that comes out of your pea brain?” Natsu retorted in a whisper, pausing at a corner to cock his gun up. Gray followed suit on the other corner, the two of them mirroring the other in image and breathing. The first time they were truly silent and one unit.

3...

     2...

1...

They moved as one, twisting to point their weapons down the hall in opposite directions. Their eyes scanned and pinpointed all possible threats, index fingers poised to fire.

“Clear.” they both muttered, relaxing.

'Back up just entered the opposite side. If our guys are still dumb enough to be here after we pulled the power, we'll catch 'em.' A voice buzzed from their earpieces, stern and hardened from working the beat.

“10-4 Captain.” Gray murmured into the little radio on his shoulder, unable to hear any reply since it was muted. “We got the first floor almost clear. Proceed to the second.”

“Ass-kisser.” Natsu teased with an emotionless face, although the humor in his tone was hardly hidden.

“Shut it. We got this already bagged. They can take the rest.” Gray snapped, already moving down the right hall, careful not to let his boots squelch on the floor. Down the left hall, a single window offered a glance outside. Rain was still pouring down, keeping the outside light away.

Every so often, thunder rolled, shaking the very walls of the building. It shook Natsu down to the bones too, stirring up the thrill with every quiver.

“Steady. Two more rooms and we can stake at the stairwell.”

Gray huffed, adjusting his grip on the weapon. “Shouldn't I tell you that? You are practically bouncing.”

Of course, he was also thriving with energy, his heel twitching. Not even his partner missed it. They were both ready for action, wherever it may happen.

They sneaked closer, Natsu gesturing to the room on the left with a silent point of his index and middle finger, casting a glance of understanding when Gray tilted his head toward the right. Get in, get out, and don't get shot if there wasn't something nice on the other side.  

Natsu shivered when his back hit the wall, his uniform dry by now but everything under it not so much.

If he got sick because of this, his girlfriend would kill him.

Lucy hated getting sick, and if he brought the plague to her, he'd never hear the end of it. Much like his job, Lucy's job as a freelance journalist revolved around actually being well enough to snoop for facts and being where the action was.

Plus, she absolutely hated cough syrup and remained painfully stubborn about suffering rather than just taking it.

Shaking his head clear of thoughts about his girlfriend, he took slow, steady breaths to bring his attention back to the door...and what may lay beyond.

Across the hall, Gray held up his hand, all five fingers splayed out.

One by one, each ticked down until the second they would act.

Natsu felt the coil of his muscles before Gray got to the number one, already twisting and bringing his leg up, swinging it hard enough to strike right by the lock. Silently, he prayed the door was built to open away from him, because he'd have a hell of a time explaining to Erza why he broke his leg kicking a door that was impossible to kick down.

He felt the impact all the way to his chest, hearing the door crack as it shattered just around the lock, flying open to slam into the wall hard enough to break the drywall. Oops, he thought with a cringe. That wasn't quiet.

The room was dark, the only light from a foggy window to the left. Still, he could make out the computer chairs and lecture hall style layout, the desks hollow and easy to see under.

The room was void of anyone he wanted to arrest, sans anyone, actually. Despite that, he felt the coil if his gut trying to tell him something.

He chanced a look over his shoulder, catching sight of Gray squinting into a janitors closet before turning to scowl back at him.

“Really? You couldn't open the door like a normal person? Now the district is gonna have to pay damages. Idiot.”

“Shaddup! It was cool as hell!” Natsu snipped back, feeling the hairs on his neck prickle.

“Cool as hell, but stupid as shit.” Gray agreed with a cocky smirk, making a show of shutting the closet door before patting the functional doorknob.

Before Natsu could retort, it happened again: the hair bristle.

His face must have shown some form of awareness, for Gray's amused grin faded to a serious glower, his eyes darkening to polished coal.

Wordlessly, they crept into the room, holstering their guns for a more close combat setup. Should there be violence, Natsu preferred to grasp it with his hands. Gray followed suit, his breathing quieting, just like a hunter would before making a shot at the prey.

All was quiet.

Crrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeaak

Both cops stiffened, casting each other wary glances.

“That...wasn't you farting, was it?” Gray whispered.

Natsu, for once not laughing at the word 'fart', shook his head.

They listened so intently that their ears might have well as grown three sizes, eyes narrow as they simultaneously fished for flashlights.

With two clicks, both flashlights lit up the room, leaving no shadow safe for long.

“There's nobody-” Gray breathed, resisting the urge to flash Natsu's eyes with his light.

Grrrrrrruuuughhhhh

It was a spine tingling sound, like nails on a chalkboard or a fork on a ceramic plate. It nearly paralyzed them both with how real and how close it came.

From above. That was when they heard a muffled, but very real voice hiss, “Oh crap.”

Natsu took a cautious sidle back, Gray mimicking as they both gazed up as if in a sci-fi film about aliens. The drop ceiling looked simple, the mineral popcorn tiles as plain as they would be in a first grade classroom.

What was odd was the festering bulge right in the center of four ceiling lights, the tiles and the bars that supported them buckling.

It took the pair about two second to realize what that meant in regards to the investigation.

“Incoming.” Natsu said, stepping even farther away just as the ceiling lost the battle with gravity, tiles and bars crashing down to the floor, knocking over computer monitors.

A body never hit the floor.

The flashlights were great, but even they could not stand up to the cloud of dust that plumes through the air, bits of mangles tile still raining down every second or so. Natsu assumed it was dust, although asbestos wasn't too far out of the ballpark. He covered his nose and mouth with his collar flap just to be safe.

The smoggy cloud dissipated slowly, revealing a picture that both cops never expected to witness with their own eyes.

A woman hanging upside down, tangled in wires, and flashing them her panties.

A woman, frantically trying to push down her skirt despite having one leg strung up like a snared animal's, her blonde hair clotted with black soot and other miscellaneous debris.

A woman, much to Gray's sudden amusement and Natsu's shock, that was Lucy Heartfilia in all her glory.

Her pupils shriveled as Gray's light shone true, her nose wrinkling as the hand that wasn't currently trying to spare her dignity shielded her brow. “Lucy?” Gray chuckled, more out of disbelief than anything else.

Her eyes flashed, her petrified expression changing like the wind. “Gray! Nice to see you!” she chirped, as if getting caught dangling out of a ceiling at a crime scene was as casual as Sunday brunch, “How's Juvia?”

The cable that tangled her twisted, in turn twisting her body to circulate and lose sight of Gray, now turning to face Natsu: who had more than enough time to gather his senses at the sudden arrival.

Her cheery face dropped like a stone, a wary smile now in place. “Hey babe~” she breathed, nervously fiddling with the hem of her shirt, the skirt now dropping and revealing pink Hello Kitty panties. Natsu tried not to focus on them too much.

He licked his lips. “No 'Hey Natsu! Nice to see you!' for me?” His tone was borderline bitter.

Lucy flinched, her cheek pinking. “Well...you're going to yell at me.”

He frowned deeper, crossing his arms and raising a brow. “Pray tell, why do you think I'd yell at you?”

Her answer was lost as her body continued to slowly spiral, her eyes now bringing Gray into sight.

“Juvia's good. She loved the cookie recipe you sent to her on Pinterest.”

Lucy sighed. “Good, I was afraid she missed it. She has to make it for Erza's party. I think it will be a great-”

“Oi, pay attention to me!” Natsu's voice squawked.

The woman's face shuttered with dread. “Hold that thought Gray, I have someone on hold.” she said as her body still rotated, bringing her to face her boyfriend again.

“You're gonna be mad that I hid in a ceiling-”

“A ceiling of a building probably filled with criminals? Maybe.” he said with a frown.

Lucy shot him a scathing glare, the force losing value due to the fact that she still was upside down, her hair that was loose hanging like branches of a willow tree.

“Okay, maybe after some perspective this wasn't a good idea, but I needed this story Natsu! The news site is thinking about making me a permanent journalist, so there has to be a good hook!” She didn't get to add on as her orbit brought her twisting back around.

“He's got a point, you know. This is by far the dumbest thing you've done.” Gray quipped when they made eye contact.

“Shut up, Gray.” she hissed, folding her arms and waiting to face the other irate cop.

When Natsu came back into view, Lucy put a pout upon her face. “You know I can't resist writing the perfect article.” she whined.

Natsu scowled deeper. “No. Don't use that face on me. It won't work.”

Lucy flinched, but then pouted harder, her lip quivering. “Natsu~”

Her boyfriend shook his head. “Nope.”

She was turning again, the cable starting to hurt as it tightened, her toes going numb. As a small mercy, Natsu reached out and stopped her orbit, keeping her facing him as he said, “You know how I feel about you investigating crime scenes...when a crime is happening. We've talked about this. Remember the bank robbery?”

Lucy blinked, shrugging. “You mean the robber that somehow knocked out the guards but then proceeded to try and rob the bank with a banana? Sorry, I happened to be at the bank to make a deposit. That one doesn't count.”

“How about the time that lady beat up the other parents of her son's little league team?”

“I did everyone a service by arriving on the scene and taking evidence!”

Natsu sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You're so much trouble.”

Lucy grinned at that. “Oh, am I?” she purred, giving him a sultry look. “You going to punish me?”

Gray gagged. “Okay, maybe we should get back on topic. Why are you in the ceiling?”

The blonde shrugged as best she could, white spots dancing across her vision. “Climbed in from the air duct and found some guys in here. So I hung around and snooped once they left, making sure they didn't see me...and then climbed back into the air ducts and waited for the coast to be clear. But, then you guys showed up and-” she trailed off.

“So we just missed these guys.” Natsu muttered.

Lucy fidgeted with a whimper, drawing all attention back to her as she whined, “Can you guys...get me down please?”

“Oh! Right.” Gray lurched, his hands hovering over her hips, waist, and then bare legs. “Uh-” he groaned, flashing Natsu a hesitant glance.

Natsu frowned, slapping Gray's hands away and set to untangling his girlfriend from the cables. He worked silently, even if there was a hint of a smirk on his lips when her skin formed goosebumps under his touch. Every so often, he'd brush his knuckles along her skin, just to flash her a smug glance when she gasped.

“Guys, I'm still right here.” Gray said, kneeling down and holding out his arms to catch Lucy before she fell headfirst onto the floor.

And she did about a half second later, her head cradled in his hands as the rest of her body began to fall...only to have Natsu catch her by the ankles and gently bring her down.

“Okay, now hand it over.” Natsu ordered once she had blinked away all the spots in her vision, her eyes dazed by the flashlights.

Lucy blinked again, brows furrowing. “What?”

The man held out his palm, curling his index finger every few seconds. “The evidence. I know you found some.”

Gray's jaw slackened, his eyes darting to stare at the stubborn blonde as she turned up her nose. “And what makes you think I found anything?” Her tone was haughty, her lips in a tight little frown. If Gray didn't already have Juvia and didn't know Lucy as personally as he did, he might have thought it a cute display.

But, he knew better-knew her better-and knew she was definitely hiding something.

Natsu, however, voiced it better than he ever could. “Because I know you, Lucy Heartfilia, and I know that you will indeed put yourself in dangerous situations for proof and sources. So, hand it over.”

The pair had a staring match for five seconds, static energy practically sparking to life between their eyes before Lucy sighed and reached into her cleavage. Both men nearly flushed scarlet as she dug in, having enough sense to avert their eyes while she pulled out a small, silver flash drive.

Natsu snatched it, pocketing it over his left bicep. “Alright. Now that's over, Lucy Heartfilia, you're under arrest.” He said, fishing out his pair of handcuffs and quickly making sure he had both of her wrists contained behind her back before she could react.

“What?! Natsu!” She screeched loud enough to make them all cringe. “Are you really arresting me?!”

Gray even rose a brow at him, not expecting his partner's cunning gleam as he helped his girlfriend up.

“Aye. You are trespassing on a known crime scene. It won't stick, so you'll be home by dinner.” Natsu said, a little smile curling his lips.

Lucy had none of it. She scowled and stuck out her tongue. “You're an ass and you sleep on the couch tonight.”

Gray stepped back as Natsu whined, taking in the couple with a huff. Of course, Lucy's warning fell on deaf ears.

“Aw, Lucy, don't be like that. It's all in the name of justice-”

“Justice isn't gonna save you from me, you jerk. Who arrests their girlfriend?!” Oh, she was huffing and puffing, her eyes stony as she glared at the back of her boyfriend's head. If looks could kill, Natsu would be feeling the grip of death on his shoulders.

Gray sighed, watching as Lucy and Natsu bickered back and forth like an old married couple, both too stubborn and probably sexually frustrated. After all, most of the guys did wonder about getting their girls...or guys into cuffs.

Unfortunately for Natsu, Gray thought as his partner escorted a still raging Lucy out of the office, he got it all wrong and would indeed be sleeping on the couch: not next to a dynamite blonde and a pair of well used handcuffs.

[mdelpin]

Things Aren’t Always As They Seem - Chapter 3

Gratsu Bingo 2019 Prompt: Blood (as in Family) AO3 | FF.Net | Tumblr: Ch1, Ch 2

Chapter 3

“Fine, fine, talk,” Gray settled on the sofa, arms crossed over his chest as he waited not so patiently for Natsu to continue.

Natsu bit his cheek softly, he’d imagined this many times over, and so far it was actually going better than his worst-case scenario, but that really wasn’t saying much, seeing as that one included things being set on fire.

“Look, I’m sorry for leaving the way I did, I know that was wrong,” Natsu faltered, not knowing how to explain the desperation he’d felt at the time.

There had been something about receiving that letter when he did that had felt so final. So many things in his life were coming to an end, while others were so tantalizingly close. He knew after that summer he couldn’t afford to take off anymore. One way or the other that would be his last attempt, there had been no other choice for him to make.

“I don’t expect you to understand, but it’s something I had to do, and it wasn’t a wild goose chase this time. Maybe I didn’t find my father, but I found a brother. Can’t you please be happy for me?” Natsu pleaded with him, his eyes burning with an intensity that bore straight through what remained of Gray’s anger and right into his very soul.

Gray rankled a bit at the unfairness of that statement. Of course he understood, he’d lived this drama out with Natsu since it’s very beginning.

It was their house Natsu had gone to when Igneel had left on some random errand and never returned. Gray’s shoulder had been the one he’d cried on, Lyon the one to remind Natsu he wasn’t alone. He still had them.

Their mother had been the one to take care of him until an arrangement could be reached with Social Services that allowed Natsu to remain in Magnolia under her guardianship. He’d managed to get himself back into some semblance of normalcy, but in some ways, Natsu had never fully recovered.

Gray could never fault him for taking yet another chance in the hopes it would bring back what he craved most. Although at this point, Gray could only imagine Natsu was just looking for closure.

Igneel hadn’t been a dead beat dad, he’d been the exact opposite. He’d doted on Natsu. If he’d been killed in an accident or a robbery, Gray was sure they would have found out by now. No, the only reason he could think of for him to disappear like that was if his presence somehow put Natsu in danger.

The real reason Gray was so upset was that Natsu had purposefully chosen to keep the letter from him. Sure, he would have fought with him over the wisdom of following instructions from an unknown source, but if Natsu had been determined, Gray would have gone with him.

Even though Natsu was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, Gray never wanted him to lose his cheerful countenance or his neverending optimism. He would have done anything to protect him from a world determined to beat him down.

The truth was, it was only when Natsu had disappeared that Gray had finally understood what his friend had been feeling all these years. Natsu may not be a blood relative, but he was just as much a part of Gray’s family as Lyon and his mother.

He hoped someday he could convince him to be much more than that, but even if things didn’t work out, the bond that united them was something Gray couldn’t stand to see broken.

Not knowing where Natsu was, or even whether he was alive or dead, had done things to Gray. The anger had been a cover for the paralyzing fear that had taken hold of him when Natsu had disappeared. And now that he was here in front of him, Gray was just happy to have him back safely.

He could tell a lot had happened, and he knew it would probably take months for them to get through it all. He had a feeling there was something suspicious about this Zeref character, but he wasn’t about to mess with it yet. Not when Zeref’s existence made Natsu so happy. Gray would gladly accept whatever Natsu wanted to share with him and keep his eyes open for any sign of danger.

So he decided to take the high road. “I missed you,” Gray admitted, his voice sounding husky from the overabundance of emotions he held.

Natsu felt as if all the tension had been let out of the room, and he was relieved. He could tell that Gray had forgiven him and everything was going to be okay.

“I missed you too,” Natsu confessed, his eyes going everywhere, except where he wanted to look the most, stirred by the sight of Gray’s bare chest. He could feel the flush rising to his cheeks and hear the amused chuckles coming from the kitchen, but he ignored them.

Gray, confused by Natsu’s odd behavior, peered over at Lyon for help. Lyon rolled his eyes and pointed at his chest. Oh! He’d stripped again, if he did that tomorrow Juvia would skin him alive.

With a colossal smirk, Gray got up and stretched, his movements slow and deliberate. He held his hand out to an increasingly more flustered Natsu. “Come on you, let’s get to bed, we have a wedding to go to tomorrow.”

“Who said I’m going anywhere with you?” Natsu yelled, protesting as Gray half dragged him to his bedroom. “And put some damn clothes on, you pervert!”

“I say so. You’ve got another thing coming if you think I’m letting you out of my sight anytime soon. You can tell me all about your adventure tomorrow.”

The sound of their voices became somewhat muffled as both men entered Gray’s bedroom, but Lyon and Zeref could still hear their conversation without too much effort.

“Let go of me, you bastard! I’m not some stuffed animal.”

“Natsu, you scared the shit out of me for two years. Shut up and let me have this.”

“Fiiiiiine.”

“Gray?”

“Hmm?”

“At the party, I —.”

“Tomorrow.”

Their voices became silent, and Lyon and Zeref moved to the open doorway of Gray’s room, not sure if that was a good sign. They were surprised to find the two already asleep in a tangled heap of limbs and soft snores.

“They’re both insane,” Zeref said quietly, but Lyon saw the small smile he was trying to hide. He couldn’t say he disagreed with that statement, but he was reassured to see them trying to get back into their old patterns.

He should be going to bed too, it was his wedding after all, but there was still something that bothered him about all this.

Lyon couldn’t help but feel that something was off about Zeref. He couldn’t quite put his finger on what exactly was giving him that impression, but the more sober he became, the more things didn’t add up.

Why would Igneel, a man who valued family above all else, hide Zeref’s existence from Natsu? He was starting to think that Zeref wasn’t Natsu’s brother at all. But who was he then? It was obvious he cared about Natsu a great deal, and his interest didn’t seem to be romantic.

He started to wonder more and more who this man was, and what exactly his real connection was to his friend. His earlier concern about Natsu’s gullible nature returned full force.

While they had been in the kitchen, Zeref had mentioned Natsu had helped break him out of prison. He could have made Natsu believe they were related to gain his help. But then why stick around afterward? Why not just leave him behind as soon as he escaped? Did he feel indebted to him?

Lyon studied the man once more as he stood in Gray’s doorway, watching Natsu and Gray sleep. His expression was hard for Lyon to read, but after seeming satisfied with what he saw, he opened the sliding door to their small balcony and walked out.

Lyon decided to follow him. He knew Gray would insist on Natsu and Zeref staying with him, especially with Sting now having a live-in boyfriend, and he didn’t feel right leaving his brother in the company of this man, not until he knew whether he could trust him. He opened the sliding door and stared out with dismay to see the sun already beginning its ascent.

Shit! His wedding was in a few hours. Juvia was going to kill him! He shook that thought away knowing he’d get through the long day somehow, at the moment Gray and Natsu’s safety was more important.

To his surprise, Zeref didn’t acknowledge his presence, too absorbed in the contents of a locket Lyon hadn’t noticed before. He finally put it down and turned to face Lyon.

“You have questions, I take it?”

“You’re not Natsu’s brother, are you,” Lyon stated it as a fact, convinced of its truth.

Zeref’s smile was cold, but it wasn’t threatening, and Lyon found himself relaxing a bit.

“No,” Zeref agreed readily, “I’m not.”

“Why?” Lyon puzzled, “Why would you tell him you are then?”

“Because who I truly am would be too difficult for him to understand, and it would possibly affect the way he lived his life, and I don’t want that.”

“That makes no sense,” Lyon crossed his arms over his chest, determined to wait for an answer for as long as it took.

“A lot of things in life don’t make sense, yet they are possible.”

“Are you at least related to him?” Lyon asked, knowing how desperately Natsu wanted to find any shred of his family.

“Yes, that I can promise you,” Zeref met Lyon’s gaze and held it, his dark eyes looking impossibly sad. “Natsu is all I have left in this world.”

They remained silent, looking out at the city, with Lyon not sure what to say when Zeref spoke again. “Tell me something. Your brother, is he a good man?”

“Yes,” Lyon answered instantly, “He might not seem like it at first because of his personality, but Gray is incredibly loyal, and if he cares about someone, there is nothing he wouldn’t do for them.”

“And is Natsu one of those people?” Zeref shoved his hair back away from his face as he scrutinized Lyon.

Lyon snorted, thinking that much should be unmistakable by now, “Natsu has always been one of those people, even before Gray developed feelings for him.”

Zeref nodded as if satisfied with those words, “Then he will be safe here.”

He turned to open the sliding door, and Lyon found himself grabbing the man by the wrist before he could move away, gulping a bit at the way Zeref looked down at his hand. He could sense that Zeref meant to leave Natsu here and disappear.

“Surely you don’t mean to go? Whatever the hell he is to you, you can’t leave him now. He just found you! This is the happiest I’ve seen him in years. If you leave him now, it will destroy him. It will destroy them,” Lyon pointed at Gray’s bedroom where the two men slept peacefully, blissfully unaware of the battle Lyon was about to wage for them. “He will never stop looking for you, and Gray will have no choice but to follow him.”

Zeref sighed, he’d wondered about that, but he’d hoped that Natsu would come to forget him now that he was back with his Gray. He should never have written that damn letter in the first place. It had been a moment of weakness, one he still couldn’t find it in himself to regret.

“Let me show you something,” Zeref grabbed the locket that always hung near his heart, the one comfort he’d been allowed in his time in prison. He pried it open with one finger, the clasp loosened from being worked so much over the years and showed it to Lyon.

Lyon’s eyes widened in disbelief at what he was seeing, and he gasped. There was Zeref, the resemblance too uncanny to be anyone else, a beaming grin on his face as he draped his arm around a beautiful woman that for all intents and purposes looked like a female Natsu. The woman was holding a toddler in her arms, a cheerful-looking boy with untamed pink locks and an infectious grin. A boy who could only be Natsu Dragneel.

Lyon kept looking from the picture to Zeref, to Gray’s bedroom, and back to the image. Zeref took the locket back and closed it, hiding it within his shirt.

“Let’s go for a walk. If there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that Natsu has excellent hearing. It saved us more times than I can count.”

Lyon could only nod his agreement, following the older man back inside his apartment. Making sure he had his keys, he led them out of the building and into the rapidly approaching dawn.

Once they were outside, he immediately asked the question that was driving him mad. “Who are you?”

“I’m Natsu’s father.”

“But how? You don’t look much older than us.”

“Do you believe in curses, Lyon?”

“Huh?”

A/N: I think the next chapter should be the last one...