Chapter Text
This was ridiculous.
Natsu sat at the bar, leg jumping, teeth grinding. His scowl frightened the bartender from asking for his order and his snarling emptied all the seats beside him.
The place was a nice one, upper class, a party in an old mansion that only hosted such events of celebration. Fairy Tail’s strongest team had done it again and the town was happy to throw such a lavish event as a thank you. They partied the only way they knew how: Natsu gorging on the buffet that was now nothing but the scraps Happy munched on, Erza was talking about their previous gallant adventures, Gray politely turning down other young ladies and trying to find a place to relax, and Lucy…Lucy was on the dance floor.
Natsu rolled his eyes when the song ended and another loser asked for the next one, almost breaking the counter when she agreed. What was even the point of it? Dancing? Why did Lucy want to do it so much and why did she need some guy to do it? The dragon slayer tried his best for a song or two. Lucy had been kind enough to wait for him to finish eating only to send him packing with bruised feet when he kept messing up. He really did try his best but it was just too pointlessly complicated. Specific, little movements that changed with every song that you had to memorize. Dragons could dance but it was always a more grand affair, meant to attract a mate if anything else. Why did Lucy feel the need to do it with practically every guy here for the whole night?
The man she was dancing with seemed to be kind, one of the few that did not let his eyes wander nor make Lucy seem uncomfortable. They chatted as they spun, the steps of this song making them stay way too close together.
If anything, she seemed to like she was enjoying whatever stupid thing the guy had to say. He didn’t even know anything about Lucy! Not about her past or her mighty feats in battle, nor about the kind of food she liked and bugs she didn’t. Nothing about being a wizard or beating people up! What did they even have to talk about? And so much? She gave him the time of day just ‘cause of some fancy moves?
Why was dancing such a big deal?
And why did she have to look so happy doing it with someone else?
Natsu finally broke a piece of the counter when the song ended and Lucy allowed the same guy to have a second dance, the first guy that night to have more than one besides Natsu. The dragon-slayer silenced the yelp of the bartender with one glare and forced his fire to simmer down. Natsu turned back around and took deep breaths, as he held himself back from rushing in and picking a fight with the guy.
Or burning him alive.
Or burning this entire place down.
Slits of onyx watched a hand slide low on the blonde's back. He stood. Then stopped when Lucy’s laugh reached his ears. She didn’t knock the guy's hand off, push him away, or shout at him for suddenly overstepping. The celestial mage didn’t even call for the dragon-slayer to frighten the guy off. Instead she just let the pink gild mark on her hand, nestle into his and the two continued swaying.
Something about that caused his fire to sizzle out.
Sliding wordlessly off the barstool, Natsu made his way to the door. He only knew that he wanted out.
“Where are you going?” Gray’s question came from somewhere off to the right. When Natsu only scowled at him, Gray scoffed.
“Are you serious? Look, it’s just dancing, it doesn’t mean anything. She’s just having a good time mingling.” Gray explained as he swirled his drink.
“I don’t care, dancing is stupid anyway.” Natsu spat back in a way that made it clear he cared very much.
“Yeah, I saw you fumbling around earlier, no wonder she went and found someone else.” Gray snickered. Natsu had some choice words, the two bickering back and forth for a moment.
“If I say it’s stupid, then it’s stupid. I’m better at lots of other stuff! More important stuff! Like fighting and eating!” Natsu huffed.
“It’s not stupid its fun.” Gray put emphasis on the word, “it’s something she enjoys so you shouldn’t be so stuck-up about it.”
Natsu’s scowl lessened to a frown, feeling a little guilty at taking out his frustration on something his friend liked so much. At least, out loud. Clearly entertained by his misery, Gray set his drink on a nearby tray and fixed his borrowed suit.
“If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll go dance with her-”
Gray’s smile was wiped off his face. All Natsu had to do was pivot, squaring his shoulders as his hackles raised ever so slightly. A blaze of emotions flickered through wide eyes, a cornered cat mixed with a dragon on the prowl. There was fury and there was fear, confusion most of all. As if Natsu couldn’t understand why Gray would even suggest that, yet coming to the sinking realization that was, indeed, a threat in some way Natsu also didn’t understand. Gray’s mouth clicked shut and he kept his movements slow.
“Geez, lighten up…” the ice-mage scratched the back of his head, “I can’t believe now of all times you’re starting to get touchy.” He tried to hide his growing smile, almost feeling sorry for his teammate.
The wrinkles in Natsu’s nose did not smooth out and his frown deepened when Lucy’s laugh tinkled like bells amidst the music and chatter. It grated on Natsu’s ears and made his heart yank backwards like it was on a leash.
He refused to look back, “Whatever. I’m going outside.”
It took two laps around the building for Natsu to feel less like he wanted to wreck a town and more like Happy had eaten all their food. Honestly, what was the big deal? So what if she was dancing with other guys? It was only one night. Soon they would be back in the guild, getting a new mission and going somewhere just the three of them again. Even if some loser did try to follow her home, Natsu had no doubt he could wipe the floor with any of them and Lucy wouldn’t have to give them the time of day!
As Natsu passed by one of the tall windows, he peeked into the ballroom. She was in a borrowed dress from the town, Natsu opting out of wearing such restrictive clothing. His companion clearly fit among this sort of environment she loved so much…it looked great on her, a light pink that flowed around her ankles. She looked good in that color, Natsu decided. Eventually, Lucy and her new ‘friend’ wandered away to get a drink and Natsu sighed in relief when Erza joined them.
Crossing his arms, Natsu turned from the window and walked a few paces away. Honestly, how hard could it really be? Lucy was always doing the things he liked to do, it would definitely make her smile to see him doing something she liked. If dragons could do it, so could he…it's probably in his blood…he would just have to…try at it.
Keeping his eyes on the window, Natsu raised his arms in an awkward way and tried to follow along. He took one step, then two, then turned the wrong way, then lost the couple he was watching, then his arms started to stiffen, and finally, he stumbled.
It was much harder than he thought, Natsu noticed the patterns in their movements but it was hard to focus on the steps at the same time as the turns and dips. Just when he thought he was getting the hang of it, his ankles crossed and he hit the dirt. Once he stood up, the song was changed and the dance was completely different.
Scrubbing his hair, Natsu snarled at the night sky. He kicked at the dirt. What was he even doing? This sort of wandering around at night alone, all broody and depressing, was Gray’s thing, not his! If he knew he was better than all those idiots inside, why was he trying to change? Lucy liked him just the way he was! And the way he was: was going in there and shouting at the loser to beat it, grabbing Lucy, and bringing her somewhere actually cool! Like-!
“Thanks, it was actually getting pretty hot in there,” Lucy’s voice cut through Natsu’s fury like an arrow through the chest.
A few floors above Natsu’s makeshift dance floor was a rounded balcony, he saw pink fabric and blonde hair. Just as he was about to call out to her, excitement reigniting the fire in his gut, an unfamiliar male voice laughed along with her and snuffed the fire right out.
“I get it, don’t worry. We can get back to it in a little bit, if that’s okay?” He asked.
“Yeah! No problem!” Lucy replied, “Actually, I want to look for my partner. I haven’t seen him in a little while and that’s…usually a bad thing.”
The dragon-slayer’s glee that she noticed he was missing was quickly drowned by a sudden wave of guilt. Her attention was wanted - craved even - but it hurt to think he was spoiling her fun. He wasn’t a child, he didn’t want Lucy to see him as a sort of annoying, dead-weight in these types of situations.
“Right…” the man answered, “well, what are you doing later? I know you guys are leaving soon but, do you have to go with them? Or maybe we can just grab a bite?”
“Oh! Uh…” Lucy’s hesitation had Natsu biting the inside of his lip. Why wasn’t he calling out to her? If he interrupted and didn’t let her answer, all he would have to do is stay by her side and not leave them alone. Then he could just take her back with them and he wouldn’t have to hear whatever her response-
“I’m sorry but, I think I’ll stick with my team,” Lucy’s answer was absolutely sure of itself. Despite this, he felt like he just dodged a train or Erza’s blade. Since when did he start trembling and why was he so clammy all of the sudden?
“Thank you but, I have a hard time being without them and I don’t think I can see myself with anyone other than him.”
“I see…you’re already seeing someone?”
“Huh?” Lucy’s screech echoed in the night and Natsu felt a smile grow.
“But…you said he…?” From between the stone columns of the balcony, Natsu saw the nondescript man tilt his head, innocent like a lamb. Now Natsu’s grin stretched from ear to ear, giddy, like he just won a battle. A dragon and a lamb, what fun! Since when did he start feeling so threatened? Taking pity on the sputtering blonde, Natsu cupped a hand around his mouth.
“Oi! Lucy!” He loudly cut off her excuses. Two leaps up the wall and Natsu reached the balcony, blocking out the moon as he jumped, a smirk on his face. He reveled in the gobsmacked expression of the gentleman as he landed, perched on the stone railing.
“Natsu!” Lucy gasped. He loved it when she did that, when he surprised her. It put all of her attention on him.
“Oh, I see…” The man awkwardly scratched his cheek, still wearing a good-natured sort of smile.
“Wha-? What do you mean ‘you see’? What do you see?” Lucy squawked. Already the guy started taking small steps back, hands up in surrender.
“I had a lot of fun dancing with you, Miss Lucy, really I did. Thanks again for everything you guys did for us.”
“I did too! And I had a lot of fun talking with you, thank you so much! I’m sorry about him!” Lucy bowed slightly.
Now Natsu could see it; that stupid grin all guys got when she gave them that dazzling smile. Maybe this guy wasn’t so different after all.
“She said beat it,” Natsu’s grin was dangerous, “so get lost.”
“R-Right.” The man bowed.
“Natsu! Don’t be rude!” Lucy’s chiding hid a small sliver of something like glee and Natsu’s smile only widened. For a moment he considered letting this guy off the hook - since he had been so polite and really seemed like a nice guy - but then Natsu decided he was tired of acting out of character. He took a deep breath.
“Don’t you dare!” Lucy’s voice held stronger disapproval and she quickly shoved Natsu’s face off to the side, his fire lighting once the large plants next to the doorway. Her little dance-partner stumbled into a run.
“I’m sorry!” He shouted, taking off down the hall. Natsu snickered, almost feeling sorry for the guy. It wasn’t his fault he couldn’t smell Natsu’s scent all over Lucy.
Not even Lucy’s glare was enough to dampen Natsu’s absolute delight. She crossed her arms with a huff.
“So, what are you doing out here?”
He looked away quickly, reminded at why he was outside and not by the dessert table.
“Nothin’.”
Whatever showed on his face was clocked by Lucy and he could hear her smile.
“Oh, really?” She tested.
“I’m just-!” Natsu looked around and shrugged, “I just went outside for a bit! It’s stuffy in there!”
“Uh huh…”
Natsu took one look at her smug face, a quick challenging glance, before he rolled off the balcony.
“Oh no you don’t!”
She grabbed hold of him. He didn’t miss the way her tone was sounding less and less angry and more and more delighted. Instead, in the millisecond he watched her as they fell through the air, he swore he saw a ghost of a smile paired with her own challenging gaze. She easily called his bluff and soon Natsu flipped them around and landed on his feet with a heavy thud; Lucy sitting like a princess in his arms.
“So you were just wandering around alone at night, outside a fun party, just because? Isn’t that more Gray’s thing?” Lucy asked as he set her down.
“That’s exactly what I thought!” Natsu exclaimed. He stalled and quickly crossed his arms.
“Whatever, let’s just go inside.” Natsu was tired of being away from all the fun now that Lucy was back at his side.
“Hold on…” Lucy scanned the dirt covered in his footprints. Natsu almost started to sweat when her brown irises clearly followed the pattern he attempted to recreate. She looked up to see the clear view of the window and he quickly turned around before her smile could grow.
“Were you…trying to dance?”
Caught.
“No.” Natsu responded like a bratty child. Even when he heard her approach, Natsu’s back remained stubbornly to her.
“Natsu, if you want to dance, I’d rather you dance with me.”
“You’re the one who told me to get lost!” Natsu huffed, “besides, you seemed to be having more than enough fun with your new guy friends in the fancy clothes.”
When silence filled the space between them, Natsu immediately felt bad. The chirps and buzzes of bugs were loud in his ears as the moon shined a spotlight on his shame. Just as he was about to turn around and apologize for…whatever had his scarf in a knot all night, Lucy spoke first.
“You’re jealous.” She stated.
Natsu froze, unable to even turn the word over in his mind. Something bubbled up his throat but he couldn’t even guarantee it was denial so he just kept his mouth shut and his shoulders tense. The boy only turned around when Lucy slipped a hand into his elbow and tugged him. Instead of her smile being coy or teasing, it was warm and full of something Natsu understood but couldn’t name.
“If you wanted to learn, you could have just asked me. I know we kinda got interrupted the last time, but I’d be more than happy to show you.” Lucy pulled him back to his steps in the dirt. Hand on her chin, she looked around thoughtfully, then stepped towards the grass.
Curiously, Natsu watched her find a long stick then come back to shoo him a few paces away. In the dirt she drew shapes and arrows, all swirling around each other. Finally, when she seemed pleased with herself, Lucy scampered to his side. She asked him to stay still, dug the stick in the mud, then drew a circle on his left foot and a triangle on his right. Arms crossed, Natsu lifted each foot to inspect them as Lucy made her way to the center of her doodling.
“Dancing isn’t really that hard, you mostly just do whatever you’re feeling. You remember that tribe we helped? And we danced around that huge bonfire you made?”
“Oh yeah!” Natsu remembered that party on the beach. They had danced all night long then, the villagers having a funny sort of crab-like dance as they hopped around the fire. It had been easy to copy and fun to do, especially while wearing nothing but pants and beaded necklaces.
“However, in places like this, there are set dances that match with certain songs,” Lucy explained, “so I figured we’d start with the basics. This is how I learned, except with numbers instead of shapes.”
She waved off her talking when all she got was a confused face from him, “I’ll be your guide.”
Slightly frowning, Natsu shuffled to her side. Lucy was patient and all smiles, happily standing before him and placing his hands in familiar places.
“I could take them. They’re not nearly as strong as me.” Natsu told her. It had been sitting in the back of his mind and even though he knew she knew, he wanted to say it outloud.
Lucy only giggled, “yes, I know. But that’s not the issue here, is it?” Her smirk was back and Natsu scoffed. It looked similar to Gray’s and Natsu didn’t like that.
The celestial mage let Natsu figure it out, knowing he learned more by doing than by talking. At first, Natsu was embarrassed, he made one big stomp at a time then frantically had to look around for the next pair of shapes. But once he reached the end and Lucy gave him a bright ‘good job!’ Natsu felt more confident. They went through the dance two more times, each faster than the last, before Lucy decided to include the music.
“Now try to match the tempo,” she said, “this next one is perfect for this dance.”
Natsu did as such, only clumsy in the first half. Afterall, Natsu was a Fairy Tail wizard. A fighter. He recognized patterns in movement and his reaction time was as quick as could be. Besides, Lucy was there to guide him. As she always was. Their hands were molded together as they swayed, some steps bringing them closer and farther apart. Occasionally, one would step too close and their chests would brush or their hips would knock. Natsu worried he was doing something wrong, being too pushy or running ahead of her, but Lucy didn’t seem to mind any of it. If anything, the awkward and rigid space they used to hold while dancing had practically vanished and made the experience all the more comfortable. It helped that he could hear the music clear as day, as if the walls weren’t separating them from the ballroom floor.
But they were.
When the two came to a stop on their fifth dance, Lucy gave his frown a questioning look.
“Don’t you want to be in there?” Natsu jolted their hands towards the warm glow of the window. Blinking, Lucy glanced inside, then back at him.
“I take it you’re bored now?” Lucy asked with a small sigh.
“No, not really,” Natsu answered honestly. When her hand threatened to slip from his grasp he tightened his hold. Lucy sucked in a short gasp and looked up at him with eyes so big they reflected the moon above. The color that dusted her cheeks matched her dress, his hair, her guild mark, and her lips. Swallowing, Natsu looked up.
“I just meant, you were having fun in there and now you’re out here, getting your shoes dirty.” His dusty toes and dirty sandal nudged the shiny front of her heel. At his remark, Lucy picked up one foot to inspect it just as Natsu did before. Normally, that sort of thing would have bothered her, but Natsu was surprised when she planted her foot firmly in the dirt beside his and looked up at him with a smile.
“I’m having more fun out here,” She told him.
Natsu felt his grin reach his ears.
“Still though, this is gettin’ kind of boring,” Natsu decided, “have you been doin’ this all night? Over and over?”
The two started to sway in place, the next song rather catchy.
Lucy scoffed, “no way, I’ve known almost every song and dance they’ve played! It’s mostly the classics. I did at least nine different dances!”
“Thirteen.” Natsu corrected without much thought. Once again caught, Lucy whipped her face to his just in time for his body to lock up and stumble. Lucy’s hands held strong and quickly steadied Natsu, so he had to fully face her rapture.
“Hmmmm?” Lucy cooed. He leaned back when she leaned in, eyes stubbornly off to the side.
“Have you been watching me, Natsu?” She all but sang.
Two could play it that game and Natsu knew exactly how to turn the tables.
“H-hey! What?” Lucy’s sputtering was funny up close and her scent was strongest when his nose just barely brushed hers. In moments like these, it was like nature collided, with colors of honey and hickory, and pine and obsidian. Then, it was cut off by the yelp of a celestial-mage and the snickering of a dragon-slayer as Natsu tipped Lucy back. He dipped her low, curling over her, his hand pressed against the exposed skin of her lower back to support her easily. Despite her glare, his grin was boyish and soon she was giggling. When Lucy stood back up, almost falling into his chest as she led them into their next turn, her grin was just as bright.
“When am I not watching you?” Natsu finally answered, “The second I turn my back you get into trouble!”
“That’s rich coming from you.” Lucy lightly kneed him in the thigh, a sly attempt to get him to stumble again. Natsu fought back, taking a big step in between her feet as a challenge, guiding her into his position as he tried to take the lead. Lucy won her spot back quickly, the two almost falling into a game of footsies with their hands clasped together. Heels were a treacherous thing and when Lucy lost her balance and fell forward, Natsu’s arms wrapped around her waist and caught her, spinning her as the song commanded. Above him, by the glow of the moon, Lucy laughed and wrapped her arms around his shoulders for balance, heels kicked off somewhere along the way. He could only pull his eyes away from her for a moment, trying to find the spot he was supposed to put her down, only to find their steps had erased the lines she drew.
“It’s fine,” Lucy’s soft voice came from above. When did her face get so close?
“Let’s just do our own thing.”
Natsu’s cheeks felt warm as he set her down. Her arms didn’t leave his shoulders so he kept his on her waist.
“Yeah, this type of thing doesn’t really suit us, does it?” He said.
“No, it really doesn’t.”
The next song was more their speed, an upbeat rowdy type of piece that could be heard in every type of tavern and wizarding guild across the continent. It flowed easily through their bodies and reminded them of all the adventures they had, big and small, and all the fun times they had at the guild hall. It sounded so familiar, as if they heard it their whole life, and Lucy had to wonder if someone requested it.
“Let’s just do our own thing!” Natsu repeated.
“Yeah!”
And so they did. Natsu’s movements tried hard to emulate the dancing of a dragon. Traditional patterns of the mighty beasts, Igneel’s vain attempt at impressing the ladies, Natsu showcased it with gusto. The dragon-slayer’s moves were large and fluid, slow turns with steady steps, arms outstretched. Like a dragon in flight, Natsu followed the strong beats of the song and flow of the music.
His partner tried her best to mimic the stars above. Lucy’s dancing could be seen in her footwork and the swaying of her body. She took small steps, as if to try dancing on every star that was directly above, and her body swayed in a way that surely traced the lines of every constellation. Tight turns kept Natsu’s focus on her as she focused on the technical, each individual beat and the feeling the song tried to convey. Natsu was always in her orbit, bending to where she commanded as Lucy kept up with his energy, never outside of arm's length. When she reached, he was always there, easily pulled in only to sweep her off her feet again.
“Spin me! Spin me!” Lucy would squeal. And he did.
“Think you can lift me over your head?” Natsu once snickered.
“Not a chance!”
Eventually, the two fell into a lull, swaying as the band inside prepared the next song. They had gone rather far afield, their trampled marks in the dirt now several paces away. Natsu paid it no mind, shifting his arms on her back, resting his cheek on the crown of her head.
“Hey,” Lucy spoke from against his chest. He rose to look at her.
“Wanna get out of here?”
Natsu’s grin was big and Lucy’s laugh was better than any music. Leaving the party behind them, the two were free to foxtrot through the trees, tribe-dance across the beach, and two-step down the cobblestone streets of town. Music was played all across the city, through small bars, street performers, and apartment complexes celebrating their new-found safety. Shimming under the street lights strung above and doing the tango across bridge walls, Natsu and Lucy followed the sound of music like the scent of fish with an exceed. They matched every type of music that could be played, finding local line-dances, clubs, and classic wizard taverns. By the time they made their way back to the local inn, the rest of their team was already bathed and in their pajamas. Erza and Wendy eyed their sweaty states with raised brows, while Gray and Happy just gave small quirks of the lips and said nothing.
After that, when the guild’s music made its way to Natsu’s house, or the sound of local bands flowed through Lucy’s apartment window, the two could be seen trying to match the beat as they danced; just like a dragon and his partner, the starry sky.