Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Lucy - True Romance by Pink Pantheress 

      As the sun began to set on the small town of Magnolia, an unthinkable duo sat beneath the sky on a park bench, chatting like the canaries in the trees above them, blissfully unaware of the world around them. Her head rested against his shoulders, disturbing small pieces of her hair in the process as the rest of her hair laid along her back and stuck to her sweaty neck. The heat from the sun was truly no joke, especially on cloudless August evenings. However, for once, the girl did not mind. Wrapped around her was the arm of a certain pink-haired boy, resting his head atop hers. It didn’t matter that they were both sweating through their clothes, they somehow remained comfortable, even as the sweat continued to build up between their intertwined fingers. To her, it was the perfect moment as the summer began to come to a close. He ran his hands through her hair, and she wondered if they were thinking the same thing. 

      Lucy wanted to say something, anything to alleviate the romantic tension between them. Maybe even reach up to his lips, touching them softly with her own. However, her tendency to overthink always got in the way, and this time was no exception. Sitting there, she was completely complacent and couldn’t bring herself to move or speak. To ruin the moment between them would kill her, especially after they hadn’t had many of these throughout the summer. The most affectionate moment they had was simply standing next to each other at one of Cana’s infamous parties. Other than that, it was simply awkward conversations to try and get to know each other more. They tried with complete and full effort to find something, one thing they had in common. Their efforts were fruitless, and sometimes they weren’t sure what to even talk about. This was one of those moments, but neither of them minded. They had each other, and that was what mattered. Natsu and Lucy, against the world. But were they? When the school year started up again and they’d separated by classes and clubs, would they still stick by each other’s side?

     She liked to think they would, considering they shared a class and a club. Well, the club was more of a maybe so far. She and Gray had approached a teacher in an attempt to create a new club that they felt would pay off, but they only received a “we’ll see”. Regardless, the two would be determined this year to make it come true, despite Gray graduating this year. That thought made her heart heavy. They’d been friends since her freshman year, and she relied on him for fashion tips and thrift store trips. Now, he and his childhood friends would be graduating, much to Lucy’s dismay. She couldn’t feel too disheartened; they did have one last year together, and then it’d be her turn. That had to mean something, right? 

     It did make her sad, though. Her and Natsu had only truly started talking at the end of the school year, and she really did enjoy being around him. She enjoyed the company they gave each other, even if it was filled with awkward conversations and the two of them stumbling over their words. They’d spent a lot of time together over the summer- both with and without Gray and Erza. However, their one-on-one hangouts were never specifically classified as “dates”, just the casual “hanging out”. It left her anxious, hoping he didn’t really see her as just a friend. Now she was just zoning out in thought, worrying about all of this while being right next to him. His arm was around her, and their hands were wrapped around each other. What more could she want?

     What broke her train of thought was Natsu dropping his arm and her hand, standing up and stretching. “Well, we’d better start heading outta here- want to grab some grub, Lucy?” He was looking at her with such a sweet smile, and his wild eyes strangely seemed to calm her. In the golden  hour of the evening, the sun reflected off of him. He looked tan, and his hair looked more bright and pink in the sunlight. It also enhanced the muscles of his arms, which were exposed in the white, tight tank top he was in. His hands were rough and calloused, but she didn’t mind. Her soft hands complimented his rough hands, she thought.

     “Yeah, let’s go get some food.” She happily stood up, clutching her skirt pocket to check for her keys. Reassured that she had them, they walked along the sidewalk, hand-in-hand to her car. It was a slick, pearl-colored convertible Toyota Solara. She loved this car, driving it around with their friend group. It was either her or Gray; and, no offense to Gray, but she liked her car better. They hopped in her car, decorated with pink accents and a small, blue winged cat on her rearview mirror. Natsu liked to play with the cat, giving it a high-pitched voice and mocking Lucy. 

     “Lucy, make sure you don’t hit any curbs this time! And let’s go to Taco Bell-” 

     “Hey, I haven’t hit a curb in weeks! And even then, that was one time! Also, the last time you had Taco Bell, you complained about how hurt your poor little tummy was, and then proceeded to blow up my bathroom. Are you sure there isn’t anything else you want?” 

     He dramatically made the small cat look back and forth between the two. “Nope! Taco Bell, please!” 

     Thus, with a long sigh, Lucy traveled out of the suburban neighborhood and onto the main road, surrounded by multiple fast-food places on each side. Lucy was so used to nice, home-cooked meals by her chef that the idea of fast-food tended to gross her out. She’d even invited Natsu over to dinner multiple times, but her father often scared Natsu, so he would politely decline. However, Lucy understood that Natsu had grown up on a lot of struggle-meals and fast-food, so it was what he was used to. Plus, Taco Bell was one of their cheaper options- and after tons of research, she found it was one of the cleanest restaurants, so she didn’t mind too much. 

     Turning on the music, they played what Natsu wanted- which was a mix of Sublime and Dispatch. He didn’t like much music, but you could count on him to listen to stupid stoner music, despite not even being one. Lucy was more into 2000’s music, like Britney Spears or Gwen Stefani. She was a big No Doubt fan, but also she found she enjoyed modern rap like Frank Ocean and Tyler, The Creator. Gray had mainly put her onto those artists, and she enjoyed listening to them. If she was being honest, she enjoyed listening to lots of different music, but those seemed to be the main ones on her repeat at the moment. That was another thing her and Natsu didn’t have in common- she loved all music, and he was picky. That’s why Natsu usually got control over aux, he complains too much about other genres of music. Though, when Gray was in the car, that didn’t matter. She trusted Gray’s music taste a bit more. 

     Erza’s music taste wasn’t as bad as Natsu’s, but it was certainly interesting. She had a mix of musical theatre songs and goth music-like The Cure. Lucy definitely had to be in the mood to listen to either of those. It was strange, because no one would really take Erza to enjoy that type of music. She dressed in what Lucy could only call a “dark academia” fashion, lots of mini skirts, sweaters, tights, boots with browns and reds. Erza looked good in them, of course, but her fashion sense did not correlate to her music taste whatsoever. Lucy believed hers did, with her y2k fashion. She wore a lot of tight shirts and low-rise jeans, complimented by many accessories. She liked clothes adorned with rhinestones, and overall textured shirts. She’d cover herself with necklaces, though sometimes they became a bit much. She was also partial to boots and mini-skirts, but in a different way from Erza. Instead of plaid skirts and sleek ankle boots, Lucy enjoyed tight, silk skirts or denim skirts with boots that went up to her knees. Though, they did both have one thing in common: a love for leopard print. Looking at her leopard print bag in Natsu’s lap brought her back to reality, and he was currently singing along to Waiting for my Ruca. He enjoyed yelling the words more than actually singing… 

     As they pulled into the drive-thru of the Taco Bell, Natsu was giddy with excitement over the prospect of eating. She had to give it to him, he had a never-ending appetite. She had assumed most teenage boys do, but none could match Natsu. In the small eating contests they’d watched Natsu participate in over the summer, he dominated everyone else. No strategy; just relentlessly stuffing food down his throat. 

     “I wannntttttt…. A crunchwrap supreme- the meal one- with a taco. I want that taco also supreme, with a baja blast. Oh, oh! And I want an order of large nacho fries. I also want loads of hot sauce- bring on the spi-!” Lucy clamped her hand over his mouth, speaking sweetly into the microphone.

     “Hi, yes, I would like to get a #4 supreme with a baja blast, please?” 

     “Alright, what else?” 

     “May I also have… hmm…” She thought for a moment, before deciding to just get what Natsu got. “May I have another #4, also supreme, but with a sprite for a drink?” 

     “Okay, anything else?” 

     “Yes, a large order of nacho fries and some spicy sauce packets annnd… and that should be all.” Previously, Natsu would yell out to Lucy to not forget his nacho fries- which she never did. She’d have to get onto him, telling him to just be patient and she’ll get him his fries. The only time this worked was when she didn’t get him any fries because of his incessant begging. Plus, she was paying anyway. After that time, he didn’t dare interrupt Lucy while she ordered. She could be full of wrath. They pulled up to the window and grabbed the food, Natsu happily ripping open the bag and scarfing down his food. She admired his tenacity that he seemed to only have when he ate. Actually, that was a lie. The only other time he showed that kind of determination was during wrestling matches.

     He thanked her for the food, and they continued driving. The sky had become a darker blue, the sun barely peeking over the horizon. This would be their last Friday night before school started, and that was a scary thought. As they arrived at Natsu's house, she pulled the roof up and over her convertible. She’d be here for a while, she already knew. When she was at his house, they’d watch movies or play video games together. She wasn’t that good at video games, and occasionally she felt like he purposefully let her win. Though, she’d never bring that up. It was sweet, and she didn’t want to ruin it by bringing it up. His house was a bit on the smaller side, a 2-bed and 2-bath house. On the inside, you could tell it was occupied by two boys- his dad tried to keep it clean, but there was always some clothes scattered around. The furniture was basic, too; definitely a man’s pick. Despite all this, his house was one of her favorite places to be. She actually felt welcomed, and not neglected by him and his dad. Mr. Igneel was a very kind and fun soul. Lucy could tell he enjoyed having her around, as she was very respectful. She’d help clean up around the house and, of course, kept Natsu fed when they spent time together. 

     As they walked in the front door, they were greeted by Natsu’s cat, Happy. Immediately, she picked him up and started snuggling him, much to his dismay. He tried to fight away from Lucy, but ended up giving in as she scratched his ears and his purrs began to set in. Lucy and Natsu made their way to the couch, preparing for another movie night with Igneel. Right on cue, he walked out from the hallway door and sat next to Natsu, setting down a cold beer on the coffee table in front of him. Lucy set down her bag of Taco Bell, and Natsu set down their drinks. Tonight’s movie was an old Hollywood classic, Casablanca. Natsu had never seen it, and she doubted he’d even understand half the movie. But she and Igneel remained aware that he would look at least slightly interested before pouring out questions about the plot and “who’s this” or “what just happened?”. He was not exactly the brightest bulb in the box, and that was okay.

     As the movie came on, Natsu wrapped his arm around Lucy once more- only this time, they weren’t sweating. She leaned into his chest and Igneel silently glared at them, but didn’t say anything. Despite Natsu’s constant questions throughout the movie, Lucy enjoyed the time she spent with him and his dad. She wasn’t fond of her own home, despite its countless servants. It never really felt like her home. Her father was rarely home, and when he was, he was lecturing her on the importance of their legacy and how it cannot be wasted on stupidity. There wasn’t a day that went by where she didn’t wish for her mother. 

     Eventually, the movie came to an end. It was past 11 o’clock by now, and it was time for Lucy to head home. Natsu walked her out the door and to her car, but their goodbyes were never quick. 

    “Hey, get home safe, okay? No curbs, no speeding.” Natsu was oftentimes randomly soft and sweet, his idiotic demeanor would randomly just vanish and what would be left was a genuinely compassionate soul. The more they got to know each other over the summer, the more this side of him came on. 

     She giggled a little. “You don’t have to worry about me, Natsu. I can drive perfectly fine!”

     “You’ll text me when you make it home?” 

     “Sure, if that would make you feel better.” 

     “Awesome.” 

     The two of them stood there, just in front of her car. A pestering silence lasted between them, full of things they wanted to say but couldn’t. To ruin things at this point? Right before school started? No way. She looked into Natsu’s eyes, soft and a little tired, yet still somehow a fiery passion was held within them. Lucy loved looking into his eyes, a spot of comfort and warmth. He looked into her eyes with the same longing, craving more and more of her time. Natsu shifted his position, rubbing the back of his head and looking down. 

     “So… I guess you should be going now, huh?”

     Her smile faded as she shifted her gaze to the same spot as his and scratched at her arm. “Yeah, I guess so.” 

     He opened the car door for her and allowed her to get situated before leaning on the top of the car, poking his head into it. She wondered for a moment if this was it, if he was finally going to kiss her. Leave some sort of confession into the night air, tell her he’ll miss her, something. 

     “Thanks for the grub! It was delicious.” 

     Her dreams, crushed. Lucy sat there, a bit dumbfounded at how idiotic he could be. They just spent a very romantic day together, and all he had to say was a small thanks for the food? She stared at the dashboard of her car, a slightly solemn look on her face. 

     “It’s no biggie, Natsu. But- I uh… I need to go. Thanks for hanging out with me.” 

     “Yeah, sure! Drive home safe!”

     She backed out of his driveway, watching him as he waved at her with a huge, goofy grin on his face. When Gray warned her that Natsu was an idiot, she should have listened a bit more and heeded that warning. Not that he was so bad; again, she really did enjoy spending time with him. But his constant obliviousness matched with his weird genuineness was very confusing. She turned and headed home, blaring her music as she went and enjoying the summer breeze flowing through her car as her convertible top slowly came down. At that moment, she didn’t care anymore. She understood her feelings for Natsu, and it would only be a matter of time. Or at least, that’s what she hoped. 

Natsu - Scarlet Begonias by Sublime

     After Lucy left, Natsu told Igneel goodnight and retreated to his room. He flopped on his bed, a full sized bed with a simple black comforter, adorned in fun throw blankets from throughout his childhood. His favorite was one that reminded him of fire, a swirl of red, orange, and yellow. His walls were decorated with band posters such as Sublime, Weezer, Radiohead, Bowling for Soup, and more. Also hung upon his walls were photos of him and his friends (mainly Gray and Erza), wrestling tournaments, and now currently a spot for photos of just him and Lucy. He also included concert and movie tickets that they’d gone to together, and looking at them reminded him of the fun summer they’d had. He was sad the summer was coming to an end, but to him it was only the beginning. Sure, he had feelings for Lucy, he was quite well aware of them. Natsu might be an idiot, but he knew when he was in love with someone. The only reason why he hadn’t said anything to her yet was because he felt like it was too soon. Two months? That’s all? It didn’t seem like nearly long enough. Also, he couldn’t be sure if she even liked him back. He hoped she did, but when it came down to it, did she? 

     Happy joined him on the bed, purring and making biscuits in the blanket next to Natsu. Lucy was a strange girl; at first, he was sure she had feelings for Gray- only to quickly realize they had a more sibling dynamic. She acted way differently with him than she did with Gray. Lucy would talk to Gray with ease, without skipping a beat. They could talk for hours without a single pause in the conversation. However, when it came to Natsu, the two of them could barely figure out anything to say. Sometimes he took that as a sign that she was nervous, and her determination to try to continue the conversation was endearing. He was hoping that eventually, they’d be able to have more fluid conversations, but until then they just had to wait out the awkwardness. He felt like it was worth it, but did she?

     Suddenly, a small ding pierced through Natsu’s thoughts. He pulled out his phone to see that Gray had texted him. 

(8/8/25, 11:24 pm) Gray: Hey

(8/8/25, 11:24 pm) Gray: How was the date?

     Natsu stared blankly at the texts. Date? Is that what he thought it was? Should he have thought of it as a date as well?

(8/8/25, 11:25 pm) Natsu: it was fun, we went out and then got dinner and came home and watched a movie 😝 

(8/8/25, 11:25 pm) Gray: Have you kissed her yet?
(8/8/25, 11:26 pm) Natsu: wtf no, why would i kiss her?? idek if she likes me back

(8/8/25, 11:26 pm) Gray: Yeah, right.

(8/8/25, 11:27 pm) Gray: School year is starting, do you have any sort of plan?
(8/8/25, 11:28 pm) Natsu: hell ya. I’m gonna follow her around and wait for the prefect opurtoonity 

(8/8/25, 11:28 pm) Natsu: oporttunitee?

(8/8/25, 11:29 pm) Natsu: opportunity !!

(8/8/25, 11:30 pm) Gray: That’s a terrible plan. 

(8/8/25, 11:30 pm) Natsu: you tryna fight 🤬

(8/8/25, 11:31 pm) Gray: Just stating a fact. 

(8/8/25, 11:33 pm) Gray: Anyway, I just wanted to check in. I know you two were hanging out today and figure I’d ask how that went. But carry on with whatever idiotic shit you have planned for the rest of the evening. 

(8/8/25, 11:34 pm) Natsu: psh okay lol 

      Sometimes Natsu worried Gray was a little too single. Single by choice, yes, but at what cost? He was constantly meddling in his and Lucy’s relationship, trying to play cupid and push them together. But weirdly enough, it wasn’t in a very obvious way. It was weirdly nonchalant. 

     Ding. “Another ding? Yeesh Gray, go watch a movie or some shit-” This time, the text was from Lucy. A smile spread across his face as he read it, imagining her being right next to him. She’d be laying on her stomach, playing on her phone and swinging her legs back and forth. With a small sigh, he opened the message. 

(8/8/25, 11:39 pm) Lucy: Hey! Just wanted to let you know I made it home :) 

(8/8/25, 11:40 pm) Natsu: niice, how was the drive bakc? 

(8/8/25, 11:41 pm) Lucy: Short, not too long. A little lonely without you 😉

(8/8/25, 11:42 pm) Natsu: makes sense, evreyone likes having me around 😎

     This was usually when their conversations would usually dull out, and Lucy would ask him questions about his work schedule or what gym day he planned on having soon. He’d ask her what she planned on doing for the rest of the night. However, after a second of him figuring out his next move, she changed it up. 

(8/8/25, 11:47 pm) Lucy: Y’know, I had a really fun time tonight! Definitely one of the best nights I’ve had in a while. I love coming over to your house, it feels so comforting and homely !!

(8/8/25, 11:48 pm) Lucy: Sorry if I was a bit too awkward around your dad, I’m still not entirely used to that sort of dynamic…

(8/8/25, 11:48 pm) Lucy: Also, you looked really good today. I liked your outfit :>

     He sat there for a moment in complete shock. She thought his outfit looked good? She thought he looked good? It felt like a miracle, like the Gods themselves were blessing him with such a wonderful sight to behold. Lucy’s messages, claiming he looked good. It wasn’t the first time she had complimented him, but over text made it a whole lot different. He wasn’t quite sure why, though. After a few minutes of being giddy and talking to Happy about it, he decided to finally respond. 

(8/8/25, 11:52 pm) Natsu: heheh thx, you didn’t look half bad ur self 

(8/8/25, 11:55 pm) Natsu: it means a lot you feel welcome in my house, im glad i can be a safe space for you to go. also, old igneel loves having you around. maybe a little too much… 

     Now, he was trying to play it cool as best as possible. He couldn’t trip over his words while over text- despite his many typos and grammatical errors. Then, after what seemed like forever, he got another text. 

(8/8/25, 11:59 pm) Lucy: I miss you. 

     She misses him? How could that be? It’d only been 20 minutes since they’d seen each other. However, he had to admit, he missed her too. Natsu got a weird, lonesome pit in his stomach without her around. It always felt like something was missing or wasn’t right when she wasn’t at his house, which made him sad. He needed his Lucy. However, saying that in a text might be a bit too much… so instead, he opted for a different route. 

(8/9/25, 12:01 am) Natsu: 😎👍

(8/9/25, 12:01 am) Natsu: who wouldn’t?? 

(8/9/25, 12:03 am) Lucy: I’m serious Natsu. Do you even miss me? 

     He sucked in a deep breath and paused. Playing it cool was not working very well. It seemed he had struck a nerve. Panicking, he tried to come up with a better response. He really just wanted to tell her that he did miss her, that he wanted her right next to him for the rest of his life. That he wished she would sneak out of her house and maybe even spend the night with him… No, that might be a bit too much… Still, a guy can dream. His mind was whipping with all the different responses he could give her. Some were too much, practically love confessions. Some were simply not enough, and he worried he’d strike a nerve again. Lucy was not one to be tempted. Finally, he landed on a response. 

(8/9/25, 12:09 am) Natsu: come back :( 

(8/9/25, 12:10 am) Natsu: of course I miss you 

(8/9/25, 12:13 am) Natsu: happy does too 

     Though it was the truth and that he knew she also missed him, his heart still picked up its pace. She made him so nervous, and he hoped his response was enough to make her feel better. Maybe it would assure her he did, in fact, miss her. He wasn’t all too good with words and expressing his emotions, but it wouldn’t hurt to let her know a vulnerable side to him. Perhaps that is what was missing the whole time. Natsu just needed to let down some walls and let Lucy in, completely. However, he didn’t want to be one of those guys to “love bomb” the girl they like, and then completely destroy everything when they’re emotionally drained. Lucy deserved someone better than that. So maybe opening up completely wasn’t the best idea, at least not all at once. Would bit by bit work? Babysteps? 

     Ding . She texted back. With a nervous expression and shaky hands, he picked up the phone to see her text. Only, it wasn’t from Lucy. It was his job schedule being posted. “Stupid idiot job freaking ruining everything…” He tossed his phone across his bed and crossed his arms, pouting while he waited for Lucy to text back. Ding . Finally! He checked his lock screen and… yes! It was Lucy this time. Now more excited than anything, he quickly opened up her message. 

(8/9/25, 12:21 am) Lucy: Awh, give Happy kisses for me, okay? 

     This wasn’t exactly the response he had expected- but then again, he wasn’t exactly sure what he had been expecting. Regardless, he took this as an opportunity to send her a selfie of him and his son, and propped his phone up while he gave Happy a little smooch on his forehead. Natsu had to admit, even he found it a little cringe, but he couldn’t worry about that. He had to get over thinking “cringe” this and “cringe” that. Maybe Lucy wouldn’t find it cringe, and instead might find it endearing. He attached a message and hit send, hoping maybe it would give her a smile. 

(8/9/25, 12:30 am) Natsu: [Image]

(8/9/25, 12:31 am) Natsu: yes ma’am 👍

     In an attempt to distract himself from stressing about what Lucy would think, he got up to get ready for bed. A fresh pair of pjs and freshly brushed teeth was all he needed, and maybe he wouldn’t be stressing out too much. As he changed and brushed his teeth, the mindless tasks seemed to worsen his stress, and all he could think about was if she had texted back yet or not. Once he was done, he rushed to his room and shut off the light, flopping on his bed and picking up his phone to see if she had responded. To his surprise, she hadn’t yet. 

     He groaned dramatically and flopped over on his back, staring blankly at his ceiling. Natsu wasn’t very used to romance, he’d only ever had one crush in his life, and that was when he was a little kid. It had been on a girl with short, white hair. Her name was Lisanna, and they were childhood best friends. They’d play house together all the time, and would hang out all summer. However, after elementary school, when Natsu was in middle school and she was still two grades behind him, his crush quickly faded. Now, they were in high school, and while they would hang out to catch up every once in a while, there was really nothing there. It wasn’t like she wasn’t nice or anything, she really was. He just couldn’t see himself dating her. Now, his mind was preoccupied with Lucy. 

     Natsu had been aware of Lucy’s friendship with Gray, but never paid it any mind because he knew Gray had a small crush on her. Eventually, he understood that Lucy saw their relationship as more of a sibling one than anything, and he stopped crushing on her. It wasn’t until the end of their junior year that Natsu began to hang out with Lucy and Gray more frequently, and the two had developed an interest in each other. He liked her sense of fashion and how she allowed people to view herself; her soft and caring demeanor that combined with her ability to speak her mind. Sometimes she was short-tempered, and it was fun to watch her get riled up. Natsu was also fond of her brown eyes, deep like the soil of the ground they walked on with flicks of gold. It was as though he could mine the gold from her eyes, just by gazing into them. Her long, beautiful lashes created a comforting shelter for her eyes, and when she wore any kind of makeup, she knew exactly what to do to make her eyes pop. Her eyes and the creased lids that sat around them, along with her sharp nose and soft lips was more than enough.

     He really did love looking at her face, taking in all of the details. Sometimes he’d just stare at her in the middle of their conversations, but he’d get lost in thought and go silent. Lucy would wave her hand in front of his face. “Uhm, Natsu? You good?” She’d tilt her head and ask him this, a concerned expression on her face. He’d nod and bashfully look away, twiddling with his thumbs. Sometimes he questioned if she knew all he wanted was for them to stare at each other in silence, listening to their soft heartbeats racing and the shallow breaths that would fill the air between them. 

     Sometimes Natsu questioned if he was even good enough for Lucy. He didn’t have much going for him; he was a good wrestler, the best on the team, but he wasn’t the smartest. He had one of the lowest GPA’s in his class, sitting at a 2.2. It was his senior year, and he’d be taking intermediate algebra. All he did was work at a dairy queen and occasionally skate around the neighborhood, or hangout with his friends. He really didn’t do much, and he even questioned why Lucy liked him. Sure, he had a decent fashion sense and was good looking… he’d consider himself a funny guy, maybe a little romantic. But his qualities, truthfully, ended there. Natsu truly wouldn’t be shocked if she didn’t like him back, but it was only a matter of time before he knew. 

     Continuing to wait on a response from her, he plugged in his headphones and played music, hoping that would calm his nerves. Why was he so worked up over it? After all, she was only just a girl. But to him, she was much more than that. She was his peace in his life, the flame that kept him warm. He had Erza and Gray, but at the end of the day, Lucy is what mattered the most to him now. He wanted every second to be with her, he wanted to make her happy. Would he be able to do that in a relationship with her? He had a job, surely he could buy her gifts and take her out to dinner. Buy her flowers on special occasions. But that wasn’t enough, was it? There was more to it, right? Emotional investment and time and energy. If she had a problem with something he did, she’d have to communicate it or else he’d never know. Did she know to do that? Would he even fix the issue? He’d want to, for sure. Natsu was confident that he knew he would do anything for her to be happy, whether that was in a romantic relationship or not. 

     All he wanted was for her to be happy. 

     Ding. Natsu jumped at the sudden sound of his phone going off, interrupting his thoughts. Maybe that was a good thing. When he checked who it was, finally it was the girl he’d been waiting on. She had simply liked the image. His brows furrowed in confusion. Maybe the picture was stupid, maybe she thought it looked goofy, or he looked bad, or-

     Ding.

(8/9/25, 1:03 am) Lucy: You guys are adorable ^^
(8/9/25, 1:04 am) Lucy: Sorry for the late response, I was taking a shower. 

     The sigh of relief that came out of Natsu could shake mountains. He pumped a celebratory fist in the air, glad she didn’t find him stupid or annoying. 

(8/9/25, 1:05 am) Natsu: lol its all good, dw bout it 😼

(8/9/25, 1:06 am) Lucy: Alright, well I’m going to bed, okay? I’ll text you in the morning. 

(8/9/25, 1:07 am) Natsu: oki, goodnight !! dream awesome dreams of me 😝

(8/9/25, 1:07 am) Lucy: Lmao, will do. Sleep well, Natsu. 

     And with that, he decided it was time for him to also head to bed. It was a little past one am now, and his eyelids were starting to droop down and over his eyes. He fell into a deep slumber, dreaming of his beautiful girl with her long blonde hair and brown eyes. One day… 

Gray - I Want Someone Badly by Jeff Buckley & Shudder to Think 

     At a quarter ‘til ten on the last summer Friday night before school started, Gray found himself stuck in the drive-thru window of the local Dairy Queen where he worked. Working there wasn’t too bad, but it was upsetting to him that he was spending his last Friday night of the summer without friends, and instead at his stupid part-time job. He didn’t even have Natsu there with him to joke with since he was currently on a date with Lucy. Meanwhile, Erza was preoccupied at a D&D game with Jellal. He’d never understand those two… between Erza’s constant busy-ness throughout the summer- whether she was helping out at her grandma’s bakery, volunteering at the library, or involved in theatre mentorships- and Lucy and Natsu’s constant dates, Gray had felt rather left out this summer. Usually, he didn’t mind it- the others could be a bit too much and oftentimes ruined his lonesome time. And he was happy for them, of course. He wanted his friends to be enjoying their summer, just maybe not quite without him. Regardless, he had enjoyed his summer as much as he could. He’d just wished he was able to spend his last summer with his friends more, or even find someone to fall in love with. 

     Wow, that was a new thought. 

     Gray was typically not interested in actually dating anyone. Sure, he’d had his crushes, but nothing ever really came out of them. He usually pushed his feelings down, not wanting for any sort of rejection. But for once, he romanticized the idea of having someone love him. To have someone to go to when times were tough, to be kissed on the forehead and told that everything will be okay. He didn’t have that. Hell, even Natsu had found that. Erza had something starting between her and Jellal from what he could tell. Where did that leave Gray? Was he not a catch? He thought of himself as attractive, and his fashion taste wasn’t half bad. 

     Another customer pulled up into the drive thru window. Didn’t they know they were closing in 10 minutes? But when the girl pulled up, Gray was taken aback by how beautiful and unfamiliar she was. Sitting in a black Subaru Outback (likely her mother’s) was a girl with pale skin and short, blue hair. She had a plain look on her face, almost cold even. Gray liked the cold. He thought for a moment- their town was relatively small, and he’d recognize most of the people that came through. Especially the teenagers, considering they all went to school with each other. So who was this chick? He would know if he had seen her before- he could still see she had a pretty good taste in fashion, and he definitely wouldn’t forget someone like that. She was wearing a dark blue tube top that went down to her waist, and paired with it was a pair of dark wash jeans. Adorning her neck and wrists was a plethora of silver jewelry that jingled as she moved. That was all he could see in the window, but that was enough. He stammered over his words, trying to stick with his usual drive-thru script. 

     “You had the uh… uhm… the candy cotton blizzard..? And the chicken strip basket?” He couldn’t believe this. Never had he messed up his words this badly, especially over some girl. She gave him a small, almost pitiful smile, and in the light from inside, it almost seemed like her pale skin shimmered. 

     “Yes, love, the ‘candy cotton’ blizzard,” She giggled a bit after she said it, her smile growing. 

     “Sorry, it’s a bit late for me. I’ll get those out to you shortly…” Now he had grown quiet, avoiding eye contact with her. He turned to grab her food and blizzard, and quickly went to hand it to her. Except, when he went to hand her the blizzard, she tilted her head. 

     “Aren’t you gonna flip it over? To show me it won’t fall out?” Now she was teasing him, but there was no glint of humour in her eyes. She seemed serious about it. With an annoyed look, Gray turned the blizzard upside down, and to his surprise, it slid clean out.

    “Oh shit- I’m sorry ma’am, this almost never happens.” He gave her an apologetic look and whipped his head around, barking at some poor soul at the blizzard machine to remake it. When he looked back, the girl was attempting to stifle her laugh. A faint red of embarrassment coated Gray’s cheeks. “Hey, it’s not funny!” 

     She clasped her hands over her mouth with a shocked look and looked down at her steering wheel, a small smile remaining on her face. “My apologies, dear.” For a moment, it was almost as if her expression showed a hint of loneliness- though, Gray couldn’t really tell.

     Finally, her blizzard was remade and it hit 10 pm, closing time. He practically shoved the drink in her hand and she gently took it from him, giving him a small smile as she turned the volume up in her car. As she did, Gray noticed the song- Fade into You by Mazzy Star. Good fashion and good music taste? The girl definitely intrigued Gray, but he tried not to think much of it. She drove off, and he was thinking how the girl was probably passing through from a vacation, headed somewhere more foreign than his stupid small town of Magnolia. 

     When he turned back into the store to help clean up, his coworkers questioned him about the strange girl that had appeared, and he would give them quick, mumbled answers. All he wanted was to quickly clean up and get the hell out of that damn restaurant. While wiping down the counters, his mind couldn’t help but flash to her dark blue eyes. They reminded him of the ocean; deep, and full of mystery. Part of him wished he’d see her again, there was just something about her. However, part of him also knew that the chances of ever seeing her again were slim to none. That’s okay, he could live without her. What was he getting so worked up about, anyway? It was just some girl. Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something important to note there… whatever. 

     After mopping the floors and cleaning the machines, he was finally able to go home. He hopped in his beat up Corolla, turning his key in the ignition. After a few turns, it finally started up. He plugged his phone into the aux and turned on his spotify playlist, a mix of  Steve Lacy and others. As he drove, he kept his windows rolled down, feeling the warm summer air flow through his hair. One hand rested on the top of the window, while his other hand remained on the center of his steering wheel. As he drove, his mind stayed fixated on the girl from earlier, and it was starting to just piss him off. He tried to take his mind off of it, focusing on the cool air from his ac on his right arm, and the warm air on his left.  

     He pulled into his driveaway, pulling his car beside his father’s. Gray didn’t want to risk making him upset in the morning. Quietly, he closed the car door and locked it, then crept up the stairs that led to the front porch. He put his house-key in the doorknob and twisted it until he heard the click, then went inside. Sliding off his shoes and placing them by the door, he looked around. It was dark in the house, and the living room had a bunch of empty beer cans on the coffee table. It was silent and cold in the house, just like how he preferred. His dad wasn’t too bad, just was never home and was drunk or angry when he was. Gray didn’t though; he knew his dad was short-tempered and tried his best not to provoke him. Though sometimes, they’d have their scuffles. Looking at the clock in the living room, it was a little past 11, so as Gray made way to his room, he checked in on Natsu about him and Lucy’s date. 

     He walked into his room and flipped on his light switch, almost blinded by the warm light from the center of his room. Movie and band posters adorned his walls, along with pictures and medals from ice skating competitions and hockey games. Gray had found a love for ice and the cold from a young age, and begged his dad to put him in ice skating. He enjoyed watching figure skating, finding the art of it beautiful and graceful. Also, he was a fan of hockey, mainly because it was a good source for letting anger out (even if fighting technically wasn’t allowed, everyone knows that’s what happens in hockey matches). When Natsu had taken a liking to wrestling for the same reason in middle school, the two boys would practice fighting each other, seeing who could beat the other. That’s how they ended up with plenty of scrapes, scars, and bruises from such a young age. 

     Similarly, Erza was put into mixed martial arts at a young age, but found a love for sword-fighting. Still, the three of them would rustle and tussle, practicing whatever new moves or techniques they had learned. Gray tried to teach them how to ice skate, but to no avail. Natsu wasn’t a fan of the cold, and though Erza learned quickly, a broken arm soon ended her enjoyment. He sighed, a sense of overwhelming nostalgia filling the room. With that nostalgia came an empty feeling- a lonely feeling. It crept into his gut, like a scared animal finding its burrow on a cold, winter night. The feeling snuck in and settled there, and it made Gray feel heavily nauseous. He tried to ignore it, telling himself there was no reason to feel that way. That he and his friends were still close, just preoccupied with other things. 

     Speaking of friends, he picked up his phone to text Lucy, maybe see how she was holding up. Instead, he opted to call her, allowing the phone to ring before he heard an all-too familiar voicemail. With a sigh, he tossed his phone to the side and turned to lay on his stomach, shoving his face into his pillow. Maybe he should try and take his mind off of them instead, to shake his lonesome feelings off of him. He stood up and walked over to his desk that had a tall bookshelf next to it. The bookshelf was covered with different books- from classics like The Picture of Dorian Gray and A Tale of Two Cities to book series from his childhood, like Harry Potter and Keeper of the Lost Cities. 

     Gray looked to his top shelf, where he kept his fresh, new books. Books he had yet to read, and had been eagerly looking forward to. His eyes scanned until they landed on one: Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumble. The book was heavily anti-war and was about a World War I soldier who lost all of his limbs and components of his face (eyes, mouth, and nose). He can’t see, hear, or even move. He’s completely paralyzed, and the book follows his stream of consciousness as he deals with his new life. Despite its severely depressing nature, Gray pulls the book out and turns off his main bedroom light, only to turn on his bedside lamp. He props up against his pillows and wraps himself in a blanket so as to make sure his arms are able to move. He pops open the book and reads, engulfing himself in the treacherous reality of the man. However, it was so well-written, the book compelled him, and he read it until, eventually, he dozed off. 

     About an hour later, the uncomfortable position of his neck leaned over on his shoulder, put a crick in his neck, and he woke up to try and get himself comfortable. The bright lamp light was a shock to wake up to. He looked at his book to see it had fallen out of his hands, turned to a completely random page. Gray had lost his spot in the book. Dammit . After a second of scouring the pages, he found his spot and ran his hand over his bedside table in an attempt to find a bookmark. When he couldn’t find one, he sighed and reluctantly dog-eared the book, placing it on his bedside table. The next thing he scrambled to find was his phone, turning over his blankets and pillows until he found it hidden under the covers he was on top of. 

     He plugged his phone in and opened it, checking his messages. A few from Lucy, apologizing for missing his call and letting him know she was going to bed. Well, alright then. Gray sucked in a deep breath, and then resorted to Tik Tok. He scrolled for a while before his eyelids began to shut, but even when he tried to fall asleep, his mind would drift back to that damn girl. Why couldn’t he catch a break? She wasn’t going to appear out of nowhere, he’d never see her again! So why wouldn’t his brain get the memo? However, he succumbed to the new fantasies his mind was conjuring up. Finding her at school and simply eyeing her, seeing her appear at parties held by Cana, noticing her gaze catch his in the middle of class. Maybe she’d even join the club he and Lucy were starting, if she would even go to their school. 

     Then, that’s when he heard it. A quick ding once more. He opened his phone to see a notification that Cana had posted on her Instagram story. Saturday night she’d host one last summer hoorah before the school year began. When her dad wasn’t home- which, he very rarely was- Cana liked to host fun parties. It was possibly a part of her gifted kid burnout, a harsh turn to alcohol and other substances as a result of her lack of motivation for school. It was perfect; he and his friends would go and they’d see everyone, maybe drink a little, and then maybe he wouldn’t feel so lonely anymore. Though, he didn’t drink that often. He’d rather not turn into his dad. Regardless, he decided he’d talk to the group in the morning about it, hoping they’d attend the party with him.

     And with that final thought, he put his phone down and drifted off into sleep. 

Erza - Foxy Lady by The Cure

     As the afternoon light poured into her bedroom, Erza rested her head on a blue-haired boy’s bare chest. The sunlight was enough to make the room bright, illuminating hers and the boy’s faces. Summer was coming to a close, and today they would go to their last Dungeons and Dragons campaign before the school year started. She softly caressed his sides as his hand wrapped around her waist, keeping a tight grip, as though he never wanted her to leave him. They wouldn’t be able to keep this secret fling up during the school year, would they?  

     During their junior year, they had plenty of stolen glances from afar and many close calls to just finding a closed off room at a party and getting real friendly with each other. The only reason why they hadn’t is so they wouldn’t distract each other from their schoolwork. Erza and Jellal had known each other since middle school, and even though he used to be cold and rude to her, he now showed a side to her that was soft and sweet. During the summer, they had succumbed to their previous temptations and kept it a secret from their friends. They couldn’t risk ruining their own summer fun, and telling friends was one way to ruin things. After all, that’s how it typically went in these situations. So, they kept it a secret between the two of them.

     They’d used their dungeons and dragons campaigns as excuses to see each other, and that was when most people figured they would hang out. Outside of that, they’d workout together at the gym or spend quality time at Erza’s house. Erza knew better than to call it young love, and so did he. Even if she thought they would be able to manage in a real relationship, she couldn't be so sure he felt the same way. Erza wanted to keep quiet, to avoid asking questions about their relationship, but it was rather difficult given her usual bluntness. 

     Though, she had to admit, she didn’t like lying to her friends. But she knew if she told them about what was really going on, they wouldn’t approve or they’d get too attached to the idea of Jellal and Erza. It’s not like they weren’t aware of her feelings for him, she’d had many conversations with them about that in the past. It was only now that it was pointless to bring up any sort of relationship between the two. They had to play it smart, which made sense considering they were both the top 5 of the class. They knew better than to ruin their chances.

     She sat up and lifted her comforter over them, allowing them a little nap time. They had to be at the campaign by 5, and it was currently 1:30. She figured they could take a 2 hour nap and then get up to get ready, which sounded simple enough. So, she dug her face into his chest and closed her eyes, continuing to caress his side. In return, he ran his hands through her hair, letting the tips of his fingers gently scratch her scalp until they soon dozed off. 

     When Erza’s alarm went off, they got up and while Erza headed to the kitchen, Jellal was changing into his proper clothes- low-slung jeans and a Radiohead t-shirt-  as opposed to his bare chest and blue plaid pajama pants he’d been wearing. Erza came back with a small piece of strawberry cake and a glass of milk, setting it down on her desk. 

     “So, the summer is ending. We’ve been at this for quite some time. What will we do when school starts?” This was Erza’s clear bluntness, now taking over the room. Jellal turned to her, his expression a bit concerned.

     “Well, I’d assume we’d go back to the way things were. Casual interactions.” 

     “Is that what you want? To just throw a whole summer away? Do you only think of this as a summer fling?” She was more concerned now, and doubt crept in. Erza hadn’t exactly considered how much he liked her, all she knew was that they mutually liked each other. So why would he only now bring up going back to the way they were? Did he prefer sneaking glances at each other? Calling only to question schoolwork? Finding each other at parties and resisting the urge to visit each other?

     “Of course that isn’t what I want, but it might be what’s best. You’re battling with Gray for valedictorian, do you really want to lose that? You shouldn’t be focusing on me, Erza. With as much as you have going for yourself? Forget about our relationship and focus on your future.” 

     She liked that he was trying to be supportive of her, pushing her to focus on her studies. However, maybe she had fallen for him, much harder than she had thought. Anxiously biting her lip, she took a look across her room in an attempt to ground herself.

     Her room was small and had a full-sized bed with brown and beige sheets, covered in comfortable pillows. Next to her bed was a nightstand with a simple white lamp, along with a few framed photos. Across the room was her desk, a quaint, white Ikea desk with her computer monitor and black keyboard on it. She had a comfortable rolling chair with a soft back and smooth arm rests, and it was a nice beige to match the rest of her room. Erza’s room had a sort of vintage, coffee vibe. She had vintage posters along her walls, along with some dungeons and dragons ones. Also, contrasting with the overall theme of her room were a few musical theatre posters- Little Shop of Horrors, Legally Blonde, Heathers, and more. In the middle of her room was a brown and beige rug, something her grandma would like. 

     Jellal was sitting on the edge of her bed, and he was still waiting for a response. When he still hadn’t gotten one, he attempted to crack a joke. 

     “You brought some cake for you but none for me? My, how I’m wounded.”

     She stared at him for a second. This was something she knew Jellal liked; how she’d take her time and calculate her words before letting them out. She’d ponder, wondering what it was she could say. However, she knew he also just liked that she’d stare at him. Sometimes that’s the only reason she’d do it. She smiled, a bit sadly at the thought of them no longer within each other’s company. “Well, if I had known you wanted some, I would’ve brought you some. Would you like me to go get you some more?”

     His expression changed, as though he was questioning what he had just said. 

     “No, that’s alright, Erza. You know, it’s okay. We don’t have to figure everything else out right now. Let’s just enjoy the rest of the day, act like nothing is changing, okay?”

     “Very well then.” Erza slowly took another bite of her cake. Her demeanor had changed; it was definitely different compared to about 5 minutes ago. She was sad and disheartened, while also simultaneously concerned at the fact she felt so deeply for this boy. It was strange, because she typically opted to stay away from romance. Of course he was right, he could very well distract her from her studies. But weren’t they smart enough to not let their relationship get in the way?

     Now, Erza was thinking back to how they even got here in the first place. Back in middle school, Jellal was rude and cruel. He’d push her around, call her names, classic stuff like that. When she started taking martial arts was when it stopped, especially after a particularly pissed pre-teen Erza almost took him out in a tussle. After that, he left her alone. Once they hit high school, he got quiet and dropped his weird, rowdy friends. They were your typical average teenage boys; rude, egotistical, and practically womanizers. Jellal stopped liking that about them, and his absence from the friend group wasn’t hard to notice. Erza had noticed his reluctance to talk to them, how he began to grow quiet and just involve himself in his studies. He had always been smart, and his old friends were, too- they just weren’t mature enough to prioritize what they needed- school. They preoccupied themselves with bodies, getting a girlfriend and hopping from girl to girl. They’d cheat and drink; Jellal was not about that life. 

     Erza had definitely appreciated that about him, and how he was so devoted to his schoolwork. Then, during their sophomore year, they started getting the same AP classes together. Naturally, being kind and devoted students, they drifted towards each other and became friends. Now, despite Jellal being quiet and secluded, Erza was not. After all, she was involved in the theatre and was one of the best actors. They had a decently sized theater department, and their school was definitely one of the best. Magnolia High was constantly winning competitions. Due to Erza’s involvement with the theatre, she had plenty of friends within the department. Not to mention her friendship with Gray and Natsu- and, more recently, Lucy. 

     Lucy hadn’t joined their friend group until the end of Erza’s junior year- basically since before the summer. Gray and Lucy had been friends for a while, and he figured it was about time to introduce her to everyone. Erza was happy to get to know Lucy. She’d seen her from afar and had considered an interesting and cool person. Lucy hadn’t known them until they met her as a freshman, the girl had transferred from a preppy academy in middle school to their janky- yet fun- public school. To this day, Erza couldn’t be so sure why she had changed schools- her dad was very uptight about reputation and legacy, so it was a wonder he didn’t keep her surrounded by smart students with similar high expectations. It’s not like Lucy was stupid or misbehaved at all, she did good in school and was overall a good kid. 

     Nevertheless, Erza adored having another girl join the hangouts with her, Gray, and Natsu. The boys were fun and all, sure. They had grown up together, so naturally she loved them both like brothers. But having Lucy in the picture the past few months was a relief, she felt like a breath of fresh air- unlike her current predicament. They liked to have sleepovers with each other, sharing a love for 2000s movies and sweets. Lucy was also incredibly gifted, harboring a wonderful talent for writing. What Erza liked the most was her poetry, full of descriptive imagery and beautiful metaphors. Lucy really did have a talent. Boy, did she wish she could talk to Lucy about her situation right now. 

     “You good?” The sudden voice from Jellal shocked her out of her thoughts, and that was when she realized they had both been silent after what she had said. So, he didn’t believe in them. 

     “Yes, sorry. I was just thinking. Are you about ready to go?” He gave her a small nod, and they called an Uber. They had never really felt a need to drive, and considering neither of them had a car or the time to get one, it was nice that Uber existed. They both had licenses of course, Erza would occasionally drive around in her grandma’s car, and Jellal had one just for the hell of it, really. 

     Once the Uber arrived, they hopped in and drove off to their campaign, hoping to make the most of it.  

Chapter Text

Juvia - Only Happy When It Rains by Garbage 

     It had only been a few days since she’d moved into the town of Magnolia, and she found the idea of starting at a new school her junior year displeasing. Not that she was particularly happy at Phantom Lord High. She was mercilessly mocked by her previous classmates, and it wasn’t exactly a fun environment to be in. Still, having to start over was a worrying thought. What if she didn’t make any friends at this new school? What if she went through her junior and senior year without anyone, all alone? 

     Initially, she had moved to Magnolia to get away from the bullying. Her parents noticed how her energy dropped, and they held her while she sobbed into their arms. The bullying had gotten to an extreme point, launching her into a massive depressive episode. She wasn’t even sure why she endured so much hatred; maybe it was because she was a bit of an odd ball, she was an easy target to the other students. Phantom Lord High was known as the meanest school, after all. She just wasn’t sure how it had gotten so bad. It impacted her so much she stopped dressing in her usual fashion, opting for sweatpants and hoodies. She stopped putting on makeup or even wearing contacts. Juvia had even spontaneously cut her hair short, but it only seemed to make things worse. Loneliness consumed her, and the only presence she was ever truly comfortable within was that of the rain. The sound of rain tapping on her roof, almost a peaceful lullaby. She didn’t feel so alone with the rain. 

     Her parents had high hopes for her at the new school. Hopes that she’d make friends, that she’d become happier in a new environment. Of course, they understood the risk of placing their daughter in a new school, but there was no other option. They felt awful for how upset everything seemed to make her daughter, and they needed to find a way out. So, her mom found a decent-paying remote job while her father moved to pursue real estate in Magnolia, hoping he too would find better luck in the new city. 

     The family had settled on a decent-sized house, 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. It was two stories, the top floor housing her mother’s office in one bedroom and her parent’s room in another, both rooms connected by a large bathroom with a double sink. On the first floor was the usual layout; a kitchen, living room, and hallway with a bathroom on the left and her bedroom on the right. When they moved, Juvia hadn’t felt the need for many of her old bedroom decor. She kept mainly her clothes and her bed, but she wanted to start fresh for her room decorations. Juvia was pretty much done packing, and only needed to go out and buy more stuff. When at breakfast, she approached her parents about the idea of her going out and shopping, maybe becoming familiar with the city. 

     “Oh, how lovely to hear! Do you hear that, darling? Our wonderful Juvia wants to get out of the house! And go shopping!” Her mother was excited at the fact Juvia showed a desire and a motivation to finally get up  and go somewhere.

     “Why yes, dear, I did hear that! Juvia, sweetheart, how much money do you need? Would you like one of us to go with you?” She was happy that her parents showed care, that they worried about her and were willing to do whatever it took for Juvia to finally get out of her depressive episode. 

     “While I appreciate the offer, I would prefer to go alone. As for money, I think maybe $200 should do it for now.” Juvia knew she was asking for a lot, but these days, everything was insanely expensive. Plus, she figured she could get lunch and dinner while she was out, so realistically she’d only spend about $150 on decorations. 

     Her parents nodded and continued to inquire as they ate, but Juvia tuned them out and zoned out in her thoughts, thinking of the vibes she wanted her room to be. She pulled out her phone and looked to her Pinterest board for inspiration. She knew she wanted a room full of the color blue, and maybe some adorable marine animals and band posters to throw around the room. Her mom offered her Subaru- in all the chaos of moving, her parents didn’t have the money to get Juvia a car, and with her mom working from home Juvia simply borrowed hers.

     After a filling breakfast of pancakes and bacon, Juvia dismissed herself and headed to her room to pick out clothes. It was hot outside, but she figured it would be more chilly once she walked into stores and restaurants. She picked out a dark blue tube top that went down to her waist, a pair of dark-wash jeans, and a cropped white cardigan with flare sleeves to go over her shirt when she got cold. It was plenty comfortable and she thought it made a good look. Next, she put on her usual silver jewelry, full of swirls and tear-drops. Finally, she threw on a pair of white Dr. Martins, and after a bit of some blue eyeshadow and eyeliner, she was ready to go. 

     Kissing her parents goodbye, she happily hopped in her mom’s Subaru and adjusted the seat before pushing and twisting the key into the ignition, her phone bluetooth connecting to the car speakers. She decided on a playlist that was a decent mix of “angry girl” rock- Veruca Salt, Garbage, Bratmobile, Mazzy Star, and Fiona Apple. As her music began to play, she pulled up her GPS and typed in the closest mall from her. It was about a 10 minute drive, and she began driving.

     As she drove, she passed by a simple and quaint park with children running around, playing tag, throwing frisbees, and swinging on the swings. For a moment she thought back to the happy days she had as a child, and she mourned the death of her younger self. She was older now, and not as happy. It was a sad thought, particularly for someone who was going to the mall at lunchtime on a Friday. 

     She pulled into the parking lot of the mall and marvelled at how randomly large it was to be in such a small town. As she walked in, she noticed it was busy with teenagers her age, parents with their crying children, and rich adults walking around with their chins up, arms full of expensive bags. Her anxiety spiked, and she felt as though all eyes were on her. She knew they weren’t, but the feeling wouldn’t go away. A pit of anxiety and subconsciousness formed in her stomach, feelings that she often found herself hating. She slowly walked around, her dark blue bag swinging by her side and hitting her hips. No one noticed her… not a single soul… 

     Except for one girl. She had long, wavy brown hair and a matching pair of brown eyes. Standing not too far from Juvia in low rise, dark orange capris and a cropped, tight fitting blue tank top. She was gorgeous and looked straight out of a movie, but what made Juvia nervous was the fact that this girl was just staring at her. It was unsettling, and Juvia was rushing to different stores in search of posters and plushies. However, it seemed every time she walked out, the girl was not too far away, leaning against a wall and scrolling away at her phone.

     It sent a wave of paranoia into Juvia, and she really wasn’t sure what this weird girl’s motive was. Assuming she’d escaped the crazed gaze of the brown-haired girl, she stopped at the food court and stood in line, staring at the menu to find a quick bite to eat. Unfortunately, she didn’t notice that the girl was now approaching her. 

     A tap on her shoulder sent Juvia to let out a shriek and slowly turn to the weird girl, who was staring at her plainly. 

     “Hey, what's your name?” The question threw Juvia completely off guard, and she looked at her with wide eyes. 

     “Uhm… why do you need to know?” The weird girl must have noticed her extremely on-edge demeanor, and flashed her a bright smile. 

     “No need to worry, I won’t harm ‘ya. Just wanted to get to know the very obviously new girl in town. At least, I’m assuming you’re new. I pretty much know everyone, and a girl as cute as you definitely would have caught my eye before. So, what’s your name?”

     Though she seemed nice, Juvia didn’t let her guard down. She’d been tricked before, and it wouldn’t be easy anymore. Nevertheless, her shoulders and eyes relaxed to their usual manner- a bit cold, but not completely closed off. “Juvia. My name is Juvia. I just moved into town.” 

     “Well, that sure is a pretty name. I’m Cana, and I can tell you one thing, my girl, you are hot stuff! What brings you to Magnolia?”

     As the line began to get shorter and shorter, the girls scooted up closer to the stand, and Juvia still hadn’t landed on her order yet. “I just needed to start somewhere new, that’s all.”

     “Aaah, classic reason. Well, I’m assuming you’re a high schooler. What grade are you in?” 

     Juvia couldn’t be so sure why this girl was so inquisitive- it was just her extraverted nature or if she had some other ulterior motive. Regardless, she was the nicest stranger Juvia had ever encountered, and it eased her anxieties. 

     “I’ll be going into my junior year at Magnolia High. Is that also where you go?” 

     “No shit, absolutely! Oh, it’s such a good school. You’ll love it there. Also, I would suggest the crepes from this place. Absolutely delicious and full of strawberries and cream- also relatively cheap.” When the girls got to the counter, Juvia ordered her food and Cana added onto her order, which came as a shock. What was even more shocking was when Cana swatted at Juvia’s hand and put her own card in the reader instead. 

     “Cana, what are you doing??” 

     “Don’t worry, it’s my treat. Plus, I want to talk to you more. You intrigue me.” Cana seemed to be a very interesting and spirited person, quite the opposite of Juvia. Instead of closed off and anxious, she was more open and didn’t seem to have much social anxiety. She had to admit, it was a refreshing take and it put a smile on Juvia’s face. 

     “That’s alright with me.” 

     The two girls grabbed their food and made their way to the colorful and cheap tables in the food court. They settled at a set of blue chairs, and they ate their crepes. Cana mainly led the conversation, asking about Juvia’s favorite color, her parent’s, her favorite subjects, what she liked to do in her free time, where she shopped at- stuff like that. It was a bit overwhelming, but Juvia knew that it was also her first actual social interaction in a very long time, and it didn’t hurt to have a friend at school. It’s what she needed, what she moved to Magnolia for. 

     “Oh, I’ll have to introduce you to some of my friends! I have a feeling they’ll love you. Oou, I could host another party! For the end of the summer. Hell ya, especially with my dad out of town. That’s perfect. And you could go and meet more people. If you’re good with that, of course.” 

     A party? Juvia had never been invited to a party. She’d only seen them in movies, and even then she knew they weren’t always like how they’re portrayed. Juvia imagined the smell of weed, throw up, and alcohol with bad music playing in the background. Teenagers throwing up in the front yard, and officers pulling up to break up the party and potentially arrest the underage drinkers. 

     “Don’t worry, while my parties are totally awesome, they’re low-key enough to where the cops don’t typically get involved. A lot of the upperclassmen go, so it would be a good opportunity for you to meet more people in your grade. Also, there’s no pressure to drink or smoke or anything like that. Most of the people at Magnolia High are relatively chill- plus, I have contact with a local rock band that plays covers of songs and a few original songs. They’re pretty cool. One of their drummers goes to Magnolia High, and the others graduated this past school year.”

     “My, how very fascinating. I suppose I’ll make an appearance.” Juvia spoke with such a calm voice, it was very soothing and was satisfying to listen to. She spoke with grace and elegance, which was not something a lot of teenagers did. The two girls spent the rest of the day together, shopping around and learning more about one another. Juvia came to find out that Cana had feelings for one of her classmates, and that she mainly wanted to throw the party as an excuse to see her. Juvia found this interesting, as she was not too familiar with romance. No one was particularly fond of her at Phantom Lord, and she had the same feelings towards everyone else. Naturally, she was a hopeless romantic, and had fawned over the idea of someone to love, but there was never any good prospects. 

     Eventually, it hit 9 o’clock, and the mall was closing. Cana and Juvia walked out of the mall together, and Cana walked with Juvia to her car, making sure she got there safe seeing as it was so late. After many discussions, Juvia had been instructed by Cana to go check out the local Dairy Queen, where she would find some more people from their school. On that note, Juvia placed all of her bags in the back of the Subaru, and Cana gave her a quick hug before heading to her own car. Juvia had gotten her phone number, and Cana had convinced her to make an Instagram account. That was a task for later, though. Juvia just wanted to get dinner. First, however, she stopped by her parent’s house to drop off her multitudes of bags, then hopped back in her car and made her way to the local Dairy Queen. She felt bad knowing it was almost closing time, but her stomach growling dismissed those feelings. 

     When she pulled up to the speaker, a rather tired sounding woman spoke over the mic. 

     “Good evening, what can we get for you?” 

     “Hello, I would like to order a chicken finger basket and a… hm… cotton candy blizzard, please?” 

     With a sigh, the lady put in her order and told her to pull up to the drive-thru window. Once she got to the window was when she noticed a boy similar in age to her with dark hair and equally dark blue eyes. She stared at him briefly as he looked at her in a dead silence. It was only for a few seconds, but to her it felt like an eternity. He finally broke the silence, stammering over his words while clarifying her order. She found it… endearing, though she wasn’t sure why he was acting like this. Could this be his usual self? 

     Since she was in a particularly good mood, his nervousness seemed to counter hers and weirdly boosted her confidence. “Yes, love, the ‘candy cotton’ blizzard.” She giggled a little, a mix of her wonderful afternoon at the mall and of her sleepy deliriums. He mumbled a quick apology and stated he was tired, which made sense. When he finally handed her the food, he neglected to flip over her blizzard. Now, though she had never really been to a Dairy Queen, she was well aware of the fact they were supposed to tip over the cup to show that the blizzard wouldn’t fall out. With a head tilt, she questioned why he hadn’t flipped over the blizzard. 

     He gave her a sort of blank stare, before rolling his eyes and flipping over the cup with a blank expression on his face. However, as he did, the blizzard slid clean out and landed on the concrete ground with a splat! Gray looked mortified and apologized, turning around to yell at whoever made the blizzard. This was a direct contrast to how he had been acting in front of her, which was interesting to note and made her laugh a bit. She tried to cover up her laughter, but when the boy turned back around, she could tell he was embarrassed. 

     “Hey, it’s not funny!” 

     Maybe she had crossed a line. She clamped her hands over her mouth in a dramatic and joking manner, but then turned to stare at her steering wheel, a small smile lingering on her face. 

     “My apologies, dear.” Her smile faded into a more saddened expression as she felt bad for teasing the boy, but she also couldn’t help the thought that he made a rather attractive guy for someone so bashful at the moment. The next thing she knew, Fade into You by Mazzy Star was playing, and he practically shoved her remade blizzard into her hand. She smiled at him, knowing she’d probably see him again, and turned the music up as she drove away. 

     She left her windows down, enjoying the night air as it flowed into her car and mixed with her music. Juvia loved driving around at night and listening to music, she realized. It was strangely calming and left a wonderful feeling. Allowing her thoughts to replay the day’s events, she took note of how much change had happened in such a short time. Juvia felt a new, different feeling in her chest. One of longing and curiosity. Who exactly was the boy at the Dairy Queen? He was handsome, with a bit of a rough voice that was satisfying to listen to. The boy seemed like a genuine person. Is that why Cana sent her to the Dairy Queen? To meet him? She didn’t even get his name. So stupid! She should have asked him– but how was she supposed to know? This all seemed so new to her.

     Maybe she’d find him at Cana’s party. Surely they had to be close enough for Cana to send her over to his place of work. That had to mean something, right? Regardless, all she could do was hope to meet him there. Perhaps she’d even text Cana about it tonight? 

     As she pulled into her driveway, she quickly turned off the car and ran inside her house, a new excitement running wild through her. She actually had stuff to look forward to! Maybe moving wasn’t such a bad idea after all. Juvia plopped her mother’s key on the kitchen counter and walked to her room, forgetting about the plethora of bags that scattered around everywhere. First, she scooted all of the bags together in one little corner of her room. Then, she flopped on her bed and opened her phone. She texted Cana about her Dairy Queen experience, then downloaded Instagram and created an account, also sending that to Cana. 

(8/8/25, 10:24 pm) Juvia: Hello, Cana. It’s Juvia! I went to the Dairy Queen like you suggested and found a boy there. He had dark hair and blue eyes? He goes to Magnolia High, correct?

(8/8/25, 10:27 pm) Juvia: Also I made an account! It’s juvia_lock

(8/8/25, 10:28 pm) Cana: Juvia, that’s great! And yes, he does. His name is Gray. He’s a rather cool guy, a little too cool. He can be a bit secluded. 

     Juvia was happily tapping away at her phone, intrigued by her new use of social media and her newfound friend. As Cana prepared a post on her Instagram for the party, Juvia rustled through her new room decorations and started hanging up posters. One Laufey poster, a Faye Webster, and a Mazzy Star. By the time she hung those three up, though, it was about 11 o’clock, and her eyelids were beginning to get a little droopy. She made the executive decision to go to bed, plugging her phone in and turning off her lights.

However, her mind was running wild, and new fantasies filled her mind before she finally drifted off into a sleep. 

Lucy - Volcano Girls by Veruca Salt

     As rain poured down outside of her window, the sound of low thunder awoke Lucy. As her eyes opened and attempted to adjust to the darkness of her room, she sat up and looked around, memories of her previous day floating through her head. Accompanying these memories were feelings of hope and love, feeling comforted at the thought of Natsu possibly having feelings for her. 

     Speaking of, she turned her phone to check the time, only to find out that by 10:43 am, she had a plethora of messages from her friends.

(8/9/25, 9:36 am) Natsu: goof morgnen, how did u sleep lucy? 

(8/9/25, 10:03 am) Gray: Yo, Cana is throwin another party tonight. You goin?

(8/9/25, 10:05 am) Erza: Lucy, I must talk to you today. We must debrief. Would you like to hang out while we get ready for the party?

(8/9/25, 10:14 am) Natsu: wtf is this party tonight? r we goin? cana has fun parties, we should go !!

     Lucy sighed and pulled up Instagram. Nonetheless, Cana had posted that she would be having a party on her story. Of course, her parties were fun and low-key, so it wouldn’t hurt to go. Plus, she hadn’t spent much time with Erza lately, and it would be fun to have her come over and get ready for the party. She had also made it clear that she had something urgent to discuss with Lucy, so she replied to Erza first. 

(8/9/25, 10:54 am) Lucy: Hey, yeah! What time do you want to come over? Honestly, I’m free at any point. You could come over and have breakfast with me, if you’d like. 

(8/9/25, 10:55 am) Erza: That sounds lovely. Will you have any strawberry cake or shall I bring some? 

     With a smile, Lucy responded that it would probably be best if she brought her own. Then she moved on to responding to the ever so silly Natsu. 

(8/9/25, 10:58 am) Lucy: Good morning, Natsu! Yess, I do plan on going to the party. Erza and I will be getting ready though, so I’d say try to hitch a ride with Gray. 

(8/9/25, 10:59 am) Natsu: ohhh, ok i’ll talk to him bout it 

     Now that Natsu was settled, she sent Gray a text letting him know she’d be there and then slid out of bed and into her bathroom. Seeing her matted and greasy hair in the mirror was definitely a sight to behold, so she turned on the shower and while waiting for it to heat up, she brushed out her hair. Sometimes when she looked in the morning, she questioned how other people perceived her. If the person staring back at her that she knew was the same girl that everyone else saw and knew. It was a strange thought, and even stranger when the thought crept its way into her mind frequently. She shrugged the thought off and hopped in the shower, blaring her usual y2k playlist. 

     When she stepped out of the shower, she wrapped herself in a towel and headed back to her room. Lucy opened her phone to find that Erza was already on the way. Since they’d be getting ready together anyway, she decided to simply slide on light pink pajamas. Erza could help her pick out an outfit later. Her maid walked into her room.

     “Good morning, Princess. Your breakfast is awaiting you downstairs. Is there anything else you need from me?”

     “No, thank you, Virgo. Erza will be coming over in a bit. I’m assuming you’ve made enough for the two of us?”

     “Of course, Princess. You know I always make plenty of extras. If I didn’t, would I need to be punished?”

     “Jeez Virgo, cut it out. Thank you for breakfast.” With an exasperated look at Virgo, the pink-haired maid took the hint and left with a small nod. 

     A few moments later, Erza arrived with a large, plain black bookbag while wearing a pair of dark blue pajamas. Lucy approached her with a hug and a big smile. 

     “Good morning, Erza! Wow, for someone who’s still in pajamas, you look amazing.” 

     “Awh, why thank you, Lucy! The same goes for you, you are absolutely glowing!” 

     Lucy often admired Erza and her beauty, along with her talents. Likewise, Erza admired Lucy’s looks and knack for writing. The girls, though a little awkward at times, had developed a strong bond with each other over the summer. They each understood their sisterly bond and how they’d always be there for each other, no matter how many years would go by. Lucy always thought that Erza was fascinating, watching how she sang and acted on the stage. Despite being a rather stoic girl, she was very talented. She had also watched some of Erza’s sword-fighting matches, and it was certainly no shock when they wiped the floor with her opponents. Erza was strong, fierce, quick-witted, incredibly smart and equally as talented. There was no doubt she wouldn’t get accepted into an ivy-league school.

     “Oh, yeah! Erza, when do you start applying for colleges? Which ones are you even going for?” The two teenagers had begun walking through Lucy’s large house and into the kitchen for breakfast. They first passed through the large main room, with a few beige couches and dark brown nightstands, and in the middle sat a dark brown coffee table, with the top being made of glass. 

     “I’m applying to a few of the big-league schools- Yale, Stanford, Princeton, Harvard, Duke… but I’ve also considered a few schools like Sarah Lawrence and NYU. Those are more… backup schools.” As they continued through the halls, Lucy looked at Erza in shock. Sarah Lawrence and NYU as backup schools? That’s insane. Lucy knew Erza was smart, but to pick such elite schools as backups is insane. 

     “Girl, you’ve got some elite schools on that list. There’s no doubt in my mind you won’t get in, though. Which school are you mainly going for?” Lucy grabbed the top of one of the dining room chairs and scooted it back to let Erza sit down. She tried to be a good host when guests showed up to her house. 

     “I think I would prefer Princeton or Yale, though Sarah Lawrence doesn’t sound so bad, either. I like that it used to be an all-girl’s school.” As they both sat down, a table full of many breakfast items were strewn about; Virgo stood to a corner, hands folded in front of her waist. She watched as the two girls sat and ate. 

     “Oohh, yeah, that does sound appealing! Looks like you’ve got it all planned out.” 

     “Yes, I have already begun working on applications. It’s a relief to start school after I’ve already finished my college essay. But, Lucy, have you thought about college yet?” Erza took a bite of a delicious scone coated in strawberry jam and powdered sugar, her eyes widening at the flavor. 

     “Not quite… I know I want to be an author, but I haven’t really landed on a college yet. I don’t think I could go to one of the big leagues like you, but I believe a good college is in my future.” 

     “I think so too. You’re very bright, Lucy. I don’t want you to think otherwise. I know you can be rather hard on yourself, but you’re very gifted when it comes to writing.” The sentiment from someone as smart as Erza was very appreciated, and Lucy hummed with amusement. The girls continued to eat, discussing their schedules for the year. When they were done, they thanked Virgo and headed up the stairs to Lucy’s room. 

     Lucy lived in a mansion, so naturally she had a relatively large room. In her room was a king sized bed with a light pink comforter and fun playboy bunny pillows. Along her light pink-painted walls were 2000s movie posters and idols, followed by musician posters for some modern day artists like Kali Uchis, Laufey, Pinkpantheress, Chappell Roan- artists like that. She had a large, leopard print rug in front of her bed, and a large mirror in the corner of her room. The nightstands beside her bed were white, and had a few candles and a lamp on each. She also had leopard print coasters to set her drinks on, so as to not ruin the wood on her nightstands. A few feet away from her bed was a large vanity-desk combination, with a small Lenovo laptop and lights around the edges of the mirror. Naturally, Lucy had a pink chair with a leopard print blanket that was folded on her seat, which she’d use to wrap herself in when doing schoolwork. Across the room by her closet door was a simple white loveseat. On her closet door hung a few party dresses, one of which she would likely wear at Cana’s party. 

     The few times Lucy’s friends had come over (while her father was away), they loved her room. Her and Natsu would find a spot on her bed, while Gray would prop himself up on the loveseat and Erza in the desk chair, wrapping the leopard print blanket around her. They would make themselves quite at home in her room. 

     Currently, Erza was propped up at Lucy’s desk, setting her large bookbag next to it. It was around 12 pm now, and the girls had about 5 hours to get ready. Lucy decided to use this as the perfect opportunity to do things they didn’t usually do to get ready. She walked into her closet, and on top of a pink dresser sat a Gel-X kit with a large box of nail polishes. For Erza, she grabbed a plain dark blue and a shimmery silver to put over it. For herself, she picked out a light pink and a shimmery yellow- this was her favorite combo, and they made a very pretty champagne-esq color. After she picked out the colors, she made sure to grab her UV lights and nails, plus the glue and some other necessary materials. 

     Erza tilted her head in curiosity. “What is all that for?” It occurred to Lucy she had never really had her nails done from home- or perhaps, or even at all. The red-haired woman was partial to fighting and baking. Lucy could imagine that Erza would assume having longer nails would become a burden, which wasn’t the case once you got used to them. 

     “I’m doing your nails, silly! Come here.” She set up the UV lights on her hardwood floor- which she figured her dad would hate, but she didn’t really mind much. In all fairness, what her dad did and didn’t care about was never consistent. She shivered at the thought of her dad, and once she was set up, she got to work measuring Erza’s nails. Once she’d figured out the sizes of her nails, she began applying the glue and setting each nail, reminding Erza to let her know when it began to burn. Unfortunately, Lucy was aware she had a strong tolerance for pain, so she silently prayed that she wouldn’t accidentally damage Erza’s nails. 

     Within 30 minutes, Erza’s nails were attached as they listened to music through one of Lucy’s speakers. She was quiet and focused, being careful so as to not get nail polish all over Erza’s nails or the floor. The process of painting, setting, painting, setting seemed to last about another 20 minutes, and the last part was for the top coat. After everything was done and set (about an hour later), Lucy watched as Erza admired her blue nails. 

     “Well, what do you think? You like ‘em?” This set of nails was possibly Lucy’s best set. Turns out, practicing really made a difference. She’d have to thank Levy for allowing her to put awful nails on her. 

     “Oh absolutely, these are beautiful. Thank you.” Lucy was practically floating with all the compliments from Erza. She’d always admired her incredibly, watching in earnest as she lifted her peers up and remained a talented, intelligent, and strong woman. To get praise from Erza was the equivalent of winning a million dollars in her eyes. 

     “Of course! They look a- mazing on you, girl. You should get them done by me more often! Plus, I could use the practice.” Lucy took out her phone and began taking photos of the nails. She didn’t really plan on becoming a nail tech, she just enjoyed the hobby. Lucy then repeated the entire process and did her own nails as the two girls listened to music. Erza ate her strawberry cake while Lucy wondered how the girl had no cavities. 

     Sometimes they could sit in silence and relish in each other’s presence, which was something Lucy appreciated. At the same time, they could sometimes talk each other’s heads off. As Lucy did her nails, Erza remained silent, admiring her nails and scrolling aimlessly on her phone. Lucy was quicker when it came to doing her own nails, so it only took her about 45 minutes. Next on her mental list was to do lash clusters. They weren’t something she did often, but she liked them when she did. Plus, she thought it would be a fun experience to try them on another person, and Erza made the perfect victim. She cleaned up her nail stuff and placed them back in the closet, only to walk out with a big lash kit, complete with bonding and sealing glue. 

     If Erza was even the slightest bit nervous to try something new, Lucy couldn’t tell. She sat there, cool as a cucumber. Erza could be so calm, so stoic, but still such a fun person to be around. Lucy placed a pillow on the floor and had the red-haired girl lay against it, and she took her bendable lamp off of her desk and put it right over her face, apologizing for the brightness of the lamp. Sitting on her knees behind her, Lucy lifted Erza’s eye lids and got to work applying the bonding glue, carefully placing the lashes, and sealing them. Erza was shockingly still, even when her eyes began to water. She kept going until both eyes were done, and it was already 3 o’clock. They had another two hours to do hair, makeup, and get dressed. After another 20 minutes, Lucy had her own lashes done, and the confidence boost was already significant- even with their pajamas still on.

     Of course, that didn’t mean they weren’t confident without modifications to their looks. They were both gorgeous girls on their own; it was the rush of seeing something new on your face or hands, it gave a rush of excitement and, thus, a boost of excitement. That was the fun part of being someone who enjoyed things like doing nails or putting on lashes or makeup- the point is to make you feel good about yourself. 

     Lucy walked over to her closet door and grabbed her leopard print dress. It was a tight halter dress with a slanted bottom; the left side touched her knees, but the right side went a little below her hips. It had a simple rounded shape at the top.  She let Erza dig through her closet to find something she liked, and Erza landed on a simple black dress that went below her hips, much looser around her than Lucy’s dress. To pair with Lucy’s dress, she picked out light pink pumps, along with some gold earrings that had pink hearts that hung loosely. Her necklace was a regular gold chain, combined with a gold necklace with a locket at the end. Gold bangles flowed down her wrists. For Erza, Lucy gave her scarlet red kitten heels. Along with the heels, she gave Erza a simple black choker, with a small silver pendant of a flower on it. She was also given a charm bracelet and a few silver rings. 

     Before changing into the clothes, they decided to do their makeup and hair. With the clusters, they really didn’t need much makeup, but Lucy smudged some pink eyeshadow on top of her eyes and a sharp eyeliner wing, with a dash of blush and highlighter. To top it off, she applied a soft pink lip gloss. Erza, on the other hand, was forced to do practically a full glam look. Lucy gave her shimmery dark gray and white eyeshadow that went from dark to light, the corners closer to her nose being white and then fading into a darker color. She did some smudged eyeliner, and completed the look with some blush and a red lip liner that blends into a gloss with a slight red tint. 

     Next, they did their hair.  Lucy curled hers and put it into a “messy” bun, and Erza simply straightened her hair. This wasn’t usually how much they’d dress up for a party, but the girls were enjoying the time spent getting ready together, talking to each other about random thoughts and recent shows. They were singing songs and laughing, having an overall good time. This was definitely a new pre-party ritual they would do. 

     Finally, the girls grabbed small purses and hopped in Lucy’s car, rolling down the top and listening to music. “Oh yeah, Lucy, I’ve meant to ask how things are with Natsu?” The sudden mention of Natsu was a shock to Lucy. She’d liked taking the day not to worry about how he felt about her, especially after the weirdness from the previous night, especially with their texts. 

     “You know, the usual. Hangouts and cuddling, but no confession or hint that we’re anything more than friends. That whole thing.” 

     Erza let out a sigh. “I’ve known him for years, he’s never been the smartest. However, I know he is quite familiar with her feelings, even if it doesn’t seem like it. I’m sure he’s aware of how he feels for you and is nervous to say something.”

     “But I don’t understand why he would be so nervous? I feel like I’ve made it obvious that I reciprocate my feelings for him, so I don’t get why he even questions it.” 

     “I think he knows you do, but he might not think he’s smart enough. Which, we know, is not really true. Just because he doesn’t make the best grades doesn’t mean he’s a complete idiot. Sure, he acts like one, but he can use his brain. Sometimes…” Erza giggled at the last part, and Lucy joined. 

     “I get that, but I wish he would just say something. We’re about to go back to school, I’d rather he confess now than have to stress about it during the school year. Once the school year starts, I’ll become more and more stressed that I won’t want to even think about confusing feelings or mixed signals with him. It’ll only get worse, and I just-” 

     Erza put her hand up. “Lucy, I understand your stress a lot more than you think. But for now, we’re about to go to a party and have a good time. He’s going, yes, but he should not be your main focus. Don’t stress too much about him, he’ll figure things out and eventually confess. You just need to give him time.” 

     “Yeah, I guess you’re right Erza. Thanks… I guess I do overthink a bit much, eh? But yeah, it’s whatever, honestly…” There was a pause in the conversation to allow the words to settle, but once they did, Lucy picked up a different set of words. “So, how about you and Jellal?”

     “We aren’t anything. Nothing really came out of our D&D campaigns this year. He’s more distant, and doesn’t really initiate anything.” As far as Lucy was concerned, this was the truth. 

     “Ohh, I see! Well, I’m sorry to hear that. I’m sure there’s plenty more people that would want to date the amazing Titania. ”

     “While I agree, I believe I would like to focus on my own studies instead of romance.”

     “Okay, yeah, for sure. I totally get that.” And with that, the conversation about boys came to an end, and they kept driving until they got to Cana’s house, pulling up by the sidewalk and walking into the house. 

Natsu - What’s My Age Again? By blink-182

     As the girls were getting ready, Natsu and Gray worked a 10-4 shift at Dairy Queen. There was the usual hustle and bustle of many people coming in and out. While Natsu took over the drive-thru window, Gray worked on frying food and yelling at the staff to get off their phones. 

     They’d worked here for a little over a year now, and as long as they were doing separate jobs, there was less bickering. Their manager wasn’t very fond of their brotherly arguments, and they had been threatened to get fired multiple times before because of it. Of course, they still bickered, just not as often as they would. 

     Customers pulled up and Natsu would always engage in conversation with them. He might mess up their order, but he was so friendly to everyone, they always accepted his apology. Gray was very straightforward with the customers, barely smiling most of the time. That was why he was usually put in the back. He enjoyed cooking the food and cleaning the dishes; they were mindless tasks. Natsu enjoyed talking to the guests and getting to know everyone. Both of what they did was a big help to making the time go by faster while at work, and clocking out always felt like such a relief. 

     However, on this particular day, they were slammed. Natsu could barely keep his conversations going with customers at the drive-thru, and everyone was rushing to make orders that mistakes kept getting made, and it would ruin the flow of everything. For example, a new guy at the blizzard machine pressed the off button moments before having to make another shake, and that meant Gray had to turn it back on and wait for the machine to get brewing again. That meant that every customer waiting on a shake had to wait longer, but it also meant that the fries Gray had put in began to burn. Natsu recognized the smell immediately, and rushed away in the middle of taking someone’s order on headset. The shift had erupted into utter-chaos, and customers were growing more and more restless. 

     With DoorDash orders through the roof and a long drive-thru line in an already understaffed establishment, the last thing everyone needed was another fight between Gray and Natsu. Naturally, the insults started flying out after the fries were burnt. 

     “Aren’t you top two in our class, and you can’t even remember the fries you’re cooking??” 

     “Not my fault this idiot doesn’t know how to work a machine!”

     “Hey, lay off! He’s new, and if I recall, you trained him!”

     “No, I trained her!” Gray pointed to a girl wrapping food up at a steady pace. 

     “And yet, she didn’t get the burnt fries, did she?” 

     “Pay attention to your customers, dumbass! Don’t you have a line to tend to?” 

     “Oh, ya!” 

     And that was basically how the rest of their shift went. Natsu charming the customers with his smile and jokes, Gray sternly working towards being done. At around 3, they began to clean up, and they were able to finish right before 4 o’clock. Now, they just had to get home and change for the party. The two boys clocked out and walked out the building, letting out huge sighs and popping their knuckles, necks, and backs. 

     “That was one hell of a shift, eh?” Somehow, Natsu was still cheerful with a smile on his face. He was unphased by the rude customers, mainly because he just returned their attitude while fixing their order. 

     Gray rolled his eyes. “Yeah, no thanks to your idiocy.”

     Natsu didn’t really take much offense to this, but he feigned a dramatic and offended reaction. “My idiocy? Yeesh, Gray, I’m wounded. Hurt. Crushed. How could you?” 

     He shoved Natsu’s shoulder with a small laugh and unlocked his car. Natsu walked to the other side and opened the door, sliding in next to Gray. 

     “We’ve got about 45 minutes to get ready. Your house or mine?” Natsu knew that Gray wasn’t particularly fond of his house, not to mention his father. It was a kind gesture from Gray to ask if they could get ready at his place, but Natsu already knew his answer.

     “Definitely mine.” He had to admit, Silver scared him anyway. 

     “Okay, then I need to stop by mine for a change of clothes.”

     So, the two boys drove to Gray’s house to pick up another pair of clothes for the party. Natsu thought about how Lucy was doing, if she was getting ready. He pictured her doing her hair, picking out her clothes, and listening to music. With her soft hands mussing her hair, dabbing on eyeshadow and mascara, giggling with Erza over music playing in the background. He wondered what music she was listening to, what her and Erza were talking about. He wondered what she’d had for breakfast, and if she was excited to go to the party. Anything she was doing, he wanted to know. Well, it was much better than working a shift at Dairy Queen, that’s for sure. With the thought of Lucy popping into his mind, he pulled out his phone to send a quick text. 

(8/9/25, 4:13 pm) Natsu: hey lu, u getting reday? supes excited 4 the party. see u there!! 

     With her lack of response, he hoped she was just getting ready and not ignoring him. Though, it didn’t matter much. Natsu was gonna see her there at the party anyway. They were bound to spend more time with each other there. At least, that’s what he had hoped. 

     “You text Lucy? I heard her and Erza are getting ready together. Odd combination, huh? Erza getting all dolled up, talking about crushes and boys with Lucy.” It was an odd thought to picture a woman so stoic being more feminine than usual, but it wasn’t too strange. Erza knew how to dress well, and she had plenty of times where she was more elegant. However, in a party dress? That was the weird part. Party dresses and formal dresses were two very different things. 

     “Yeah, I texted her. No response yet. That’s probably ‘cause her and Erza are together, though.” 

      When they got to Gray’s house, Natsu stayed in the car as he went inside to pick out an outfit. Picking up his phone, he frowned when he saw that there was still no text from Lucy. He’d been getting real hung up on her recently. After last night, he thought he was reassured. Turns out, it wasn’t that easy. He grimaced. Without much experience with crushes, he constantly felt lost and confused about Lucy. Sure, he wanted to think she liked him, and sometimes he’d forget they weren’t even together. They’re not even together and he’s stressing out over her!

     Or maybe, that’s it. That they’re not dating, and so he shouldn’t feel obligated to stress out over a text. Plus, again, she’s with Erza. It’s not like she’s with another man, right?

     Oh god, but she’s bi- wait a minute-! 

     After about 5 minutes of Natsu stressing, Gray came out with a duffel bag and interrupted his thoughts. Natsu took a deep breath in an attempt to calm his nerves. He figured it was safe to assume Gray would be staying the night, so he texted Igneel to let him know as Gray hopped back in and started the car. The goofy dad simply responded with one of those weird GIFs- Michelle Tanner giving a thumbs up..? Millennials… 

     “Texting Lucy?” Gray’s rugged voice startled him a bit, having forgotten his best friend’s presence.

     “Oh, nah. Just letting Igneel know you’re coming over. She, uhm, hasn’t responded yet.” 

     Gray gave a small shrug, eyes focused on the road as their neighboring houses flew past them. 

     “She’s probably just busy, don’t worry about it. You know she usually texts you quickly. 

     “I know. That’s kinda part of the issue…” Gray peered at Natsu for a second before averting his gaze back to the road. 

     “I’m sure she just hasn’t seen it yet. Calm yourself, flamebrain.” And with that, Natsu’s anxieties were a little more subdued. 

     Their houses weren’t too far apart, and in a few minutes they were at Natsu’s. The two didn’t have time to shower, so they bolted to Natsu’s bathroom. While Gray threw water on his face and hair, Natsu grabbed a bottle of lotion and a few different colognes for Gray to try. Gray looked at the lotion, eyeing it, and looked up at Natsu with a small smirk. 

     “You use that often?” 

     “Yeah, why?” 

     Gray stared at him with a raised eyebrow before giving a low chuckle and looking down at the sink, then glancing at himself in the mirror. Not too shabby looking for a day after work. He messed with his hair a bit, moving it up this-way and that-way. 

     “You know, you could use a shave. I see the stubble there.” 

     “Hey, watch it. I haven’t had time the past few days from working so damn much. Something a guy like you wouldn’t know anything about.” Though some people would take this as a cruel dig, Natsu just laughed. 

     “Yeah, yeah. Whatever.” Then, he left to rustle through his closet in an attempt to find something to wear. 

     Natsu opted for brown cargo pants and a pink Hawaiian shirt with a white tank top underneath. He added some gold chains and a watch, as well as a brown crossbody bag. To top off his look, he wore a white backwards Nike baseball cap, and a regular pair of pink Nikes. Gray, on the other hand, wore a white button down shirt with the first and last button undone. He paired it with a pair of baggy jeans, a belt with a skull buckle, and a chain necklace with a thick cross on it. Then, he threw on some rings and bracelets. 

     Natsu tossed him a bottle of cologne, and after Gray sprays it once, Natsu’s is immediately fogging up the bathroom from spraying too much. 

     “Jeez, dude! A little goes a long way, y’know!” He grabs his stuff and exits the bathroom, taking in a deep breath. Smelling the cologne on him, he admits to himself that Natsu wasn’t too shabby on this selection. 

     With a cough (or two), Natsu exits the bathroom and turns the fan on. “Alright, let’s head out of here!” With an excited look, Natsu and Gray leave the house and hop back in the car. Cana’s house was about a ten minute drive, and on the way, Natsu peers out the window at the passing trees until he feels a bit carsick. Luckily, Gray keeps dramamine for this purpose and opens the glovebox for Natsu to fetch it out. 

     “I don’t have a water bottle though?” 

     “Just dry swallow it.” 

     “Dirty.” 

     “Shuddup! You should be grateful that I care enough for your idiotic carsickness.”

     Natsu sticks his tongue out at Gray before dry swallowing the pill with a small sigh. He checks his phone once more to find that Lucy still hadn’t responded. Jeez, what is up with her? Nevertheless, they pull up to Cana’s house a few minutes later. As they stepped out of the car, they noticed a very familiar and hard-to-miss convertible pulling up right next to them, with a red-head in the passenger seat and a blonde in the other. 

     The two girls opened the doors, both exuding confidence. Natsu stood there, awestruck at how beautiful Lucy looked and gave her an extremely hopeful smile. “Hey, you! Watcha been up to all day?” 

     She pressed her index finger to her chin and looked up at him with a smile. “Gettin’ readyyy. How do I look?” Lucy does a quick spinaround while Natsu’s heart elevates to a much faster pace. The dress she was wearing was certainly very flattering around her, and the curled, messy bun that sat atop her head was adorable. He found himself short of any response, something that usually didn’t happen. When she was done spinning around, all he could do was stare at him. However, Lucy must not have taken this as a good sign. 

     “Wh-what..? Is it too much? Are the bangles too loud? Am I-” Before she could finish, Natsu grabbed her by the shoulders and looked her in her eyes. With a big warm smile, he patted her shoulders. 

     “Lucy, you look great! Now c’mon.” 

     As they headed inside, Gray and Erza were busy talking about her outfit. Gray was praising her on trying something new, letting her know he thought it was a look that suited her. Natsu let his arm carelessly drape around Lucy’s shoulders, holding her a little closer to him and giving her arm a squeeze. “I’m excited, are you excited?” 

     “Oh yes, so excited to watch the people I go to school with get drunk and dance.”

     “C’mon Lu, there’s more to it than that! There’s- ooou, there’s food!” He drags them along to a table littered with pizza, chips, fruit, a punch bowl, and… a charcuterie board? As Lucy went for the cheese and crackers, he went for a few slices of pizza. That was when he noticed, in the corner of his eye, someone unfamiliar. 

     She was wearing a dark blue sweater, glittering from silver jewelry, with a ruffled black skirt and a cross necklace, similar to the ones Gray tended to wear. The girl had short, blue hair and looked a little lost. 

     “Yo, who is that over there? I’ve never seen her.” He pointed to her with his finger, and Lucy looked over with intrigue. 

     “Mmm, I dunno. She’s pretty, though. Wonder if she’s from a different school..? Cana does know a lot of people.” At this point, her speech was muffled by the amounts of cheese and crackers shoved into her mouth. Natsu found this endearing and chuckled at her. With that, they pursued the night and wandered around, greeting peers and people they knew as they disappeared into the crowd of people that was starting to form.

Gray - Seventeen (age) by Mike Krol

     As Gray and Natsu exited the car, Natsu ran over to fawn over Lucy, who looked gorgeous in her leopard-print dress and her makeup done. It was not the greatest shock to him; after all, she was known to have some of the best fashion in the school. In fact, her and Gray had discussed starting a fashion club at their school. He felt it was a good idea- they’d host events to raise money for the club, create clothes, and donate what they make (clothes and whatever money they have leftover) to places that need clothes; homeless shelters, foster homes, orphanages, hospitals- genuinely just whoever needs it. They’d thought of bake sales and fashion shows, hosting talent shows and game nights. Erza had suggested a small one-act play written by Lucy, who was the head of the writing club at her school. They all agreed it sounded like a good plan, and they were hoping to get Ms. Carla hooked onto the idea so she could sponsor the club for them. 

     Nonetheless, it was a good idea, and he was aware of that. The possibilities excited him- a club full of his friends and people who have good taste in clothes. On that thought, an image of a certain stylistic blue-haired girl popped into his mind. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking of her all day, wondering who she was and where she came from. Gray wasn’t sure why she was ever-so consuming his mind. It’s not like he had ever been like this over a stranger, nevertheless a girl at his drive-thru. Maybe he should have given her his number, or at the very least, his Instagram. They would’ve at least gotten to talk about music or clothes at that point. Continuing to think about her was a pointless endeavor, and the more her pretty face came to his mind, the more pissed off he got. Mainly at himself, for being so stupid and embarrassing himself in front of her. Making her laugh without trying to. Her relentless teasing towards him. It was really getting to him. 

     He shut his brain off and turned his attention towards Erza, who was looking magnificent in an outfit only Lucy would pick out. Gray noticed her very prominent eyelashes and new nails on her fingers. With a slick pick-up of her hand, he awed at her nails. 

     “Erza, these look pretty cool. Lucy did one hell of a job on ‘em.” He slid his arm through the crook of hers’, escorting her into the party. Anything to take his mind off of that girl. 

     “Yes, well, Lucy is indeed very naturally talented. I’m not quite used to long nails, though. These may prove to be a struggle in my fencing classes. And perhaps the bakery. Nevermind all of that though, Lucy put a lot of effort into my nails and I’d feel terrible ruining them.” Her hand was resting gently against his arm. Though some might find this to be a romantic gesture between the two, most knew it was never like that. Two childhood best friends being friendly. 

     “Eh, you’ll get used to them. She pick out the outfit, too? It’s odd seeing you so dressed up. You look pretty, though.” He flashed her a genuine grin, hoping she knew he was being honest. 

     “Why, thank you, Gray! You don’t look too shabby yourself. Oh! I see cake! I’ll see ya later.” With that, she unhooked her arm and made her way to the food table where Lucy and Natsu had already found. Typical. 

     Gray kept walking around the party, hoping for someone to spot him and strike up a conversation. When no one did, he found a corner to stand and people-watch. That was, until Cana came barreling through in a drunken frenzy. 

     “Yeesh, Cana, you’d think Dionysus himself just entered. You okay?” 

     She gave a long, shrill laugh. “Aaaaah, Grayyy! Hi, Grayy! Don’t you look handsommmee. Yeahh, everything is fiiine, just the Thunder Legion taking forever to set up. I’m ready for some damn music! Ya hear?” 

     “I’m working on it, damnit!” The booming voice came from the strong blonde, Laxus. Gray looked back behind Cana and into her currently emptied out dining room, and sure enough the whole Thunder Legion was there. Laxus on electric and vocals, Freed on keyboard, Bickslow on drums, and Evergeen on bass and vocals. The band was very fond of covering songs, even adding in some of their own music. Currently, they were setting up speakers and microphones. 

     With a hearty laugh, Gray laughed as Cana handed him a cup of a mysterious pink liquid. No doubt, some sort of strawberry-lemonade-vodka mix. He took a sip and. wow, Cana definitely needs a taste-tester. Regardless, he drank it and enjoyed himself as Cana continued to diffuse the Thunder Legion argument. Gray continued looking around the room, finding Lucy and Natsu talking with Lisanna as Mirajane stood with Erza, no-doubt discussing this year’s AP classes. Or cake. Or fighting. When it came to those two, it was hard to tell. 

     With a glance a little more to the left, Gray’s stomach fell as his eyes landed on a pair of dark blue eyes staring right at him. She had the same, short, blue hair. Standing there in a flattering, off-the-shoulder blue sweater, paired with a ruffled black skirt and her usual tons of silver jewelry. Or so, he assumed her usual. That was when he noticed their very similar cross necklace, and his heartbeat quickened. They couldn’t be that similar, could they? She had tall, dark blue boots that matched her sweater, which he only began to notice because her legs were now walking. 

     Oh, shit. She’s walking over to me. 

     Gray panicked, looking to both of his sides for an exit. Why was he trying to find a way out? He wasn’t sure; all he knew was that if he tried to speak to her in his current state- a little tipsy- it would be awful. He’d stutter over his words again. Or worse, he’d say something he shouldn’t. Finally, he spotted Elfman and decided to go talk to him instead, chugging whatever left of his liquid he had and making his way through the all too familiar crowd. His head was starting to spin, and he could feel the heartburn gathering from the vodka and lemonade combination. And yet, he felt as though he needed more. 

     “Wassup, Elfman? How’s it goin’? How’s life?” 

     Elfman just looked him up and down, noticing his very blatant nervousness. Gray being nervous was a tell-tale sign that something was wrong. “What’s gotten into you, man? You seem like you’re buggin’. Go drink some more and calm down. You’re starting to bum me out.”
This was not good to hear for Gray. Certainly not now. It made the nausea kick up, and he scrambled to find some sort of room to sit in. Though, first he made his way over to the table with the drinks, locating the strawberry-lemonade and vodka mix next to beer. Usually, beer was his go-to, but he felt the need for something on the fruity side, so he refilled his cup more than how he got it and found one of the guest rooms in Cana’s house to chill in.

     He felt bad, drinking and freaking out in ol’ Gildarts’ house. Gildarts was very much a father figure to everyone at the school. He had been involved in countless field days and school trips whenever he could. He’d man the concession stand at sports events, and he tried to go to as many events as he could. However, he still had a busy schedule, and his overinvolvement in Cana’s school seemed to take more time away from her than anything else. 

     That was something Gray and Cana had in common; deadbeat dads that somehow still cared about them, just had weird ways of showing it. On the topic of daddy issues, Gray chugged the drink down to the bottom and sat on the floor of the room for a moment. His vision was slowed- it had the water-like movement to it when he turned his head. His stomach hurt, but it wasn’t too noticeable. He felt brave, daring. Impulsive. 

     “Yeah, this ain’t gonna end well.” 

      With that final remark, he stood up and made his way out of the room, and back into the party with a smug smile on his face. As he left the room, how loud the party had gotten finally registered in his head. The band had started playing, and the various conversations amongst the people seemed to overlap the music. Nausea crept up into his throat, but he pushed it down. He couldn’t feel like that, not when he currently felt so good. He decided now would probably be a good time to talk to Lucy about what was going on, so he began pushing past crowds of people. He checked his phone. It had only been 30 minutes…? A little stunned at how little time had passed, he looked around for Lucy- or at least his pink-haired friend- until happening upon the girl again. Who, ironically, was standing and talking to Lucy and Natsu with her back to Gray. 

     He stood there, not quite knowing what to do. Or where to go. He had to talk to them about this, but the topic of his conversation was right in front of him. In fact, he couldn’t even hear what they were talking about because of the music. Instead, he stared at her back and zoned out, placed into a fight-or-flight mode. Gray’s rude staring was suddenly interrupted by Lucy’s attempt to yell over the music. 

     “Hey, Gray! Come here!” Shit. He was getting beckoned by Lucy. Juvia turned her head around, meeting his gaze with a smile. On the other hand, his face fell, and he looked almost ready to punch someone. 

     “I’m here. You need somethin’?” 

     “Yeah! Meet Juvia! She’s a new transfer to Magnolia. And get this! She’s in the same grade as I am! And just look at how awesome she’s dressed. I wanna rope her into the fashion club. That sound good to you?” 

     The nausea was now eating at Gray, but knew if he tried to throw up, nothing would happen. Water. He needed to get water. But for now, he was stuck in this conversation. 

     “Yeah, sure. I don’t care.” Now, Gray was attempting to look anywhere but at the strange trio in front of him. Finally, Juvia spoke up. 

     “Ah, I know you! You were the boy from the Dairy Queen. ‘Candy Cotton blizzard’, I believe it was?” She pressed her finger to her lip and smiled, and a pit of anger began to form in his stomach. 

     “I- tch, I was exhausted. I’m not usually that big of an idiot.” 

     However, Natsu was almost doubled over from laughter. 

     “You fuckin’ dumbass, ‘candy cotton’? Lemme guess, ‘fried french?’ ‘tendered chicken’- actually, that makes sense. Wait, are chicken tenders called that because they’re-” 

     “Anyway” Lucy dug her elbow into Natsu’s side, earning a pouty face from him before he dug his face into her shoulder. It didn’t take a scientist to know that Natsu was drunk. “Juvia, just think about it, okay? I’ll let you know when we get the club going.” 

     “Sounds wonderful- ah, Lucy, was it? You’re very kind. Everyone here is so kind. It’s very refreshing.” Juvia looked very sheepish, almost like she wasn’t used to people being nice to her in general. That thought tugged at Gray’s heart, and he ran his hand through his hair out of frustration. God, why did he feel this way? He couldn’t possibly like her, he barely knew her. 

     So then, what?

     Juvia was staring at him, hoping for some kind of answer. She looked at his necklace, and then quickly glanced at hers’ before looking at Gray. He stared at her, not particularly happy-looking. He looked bothered. Perturbed. She sighed and looked away. 

     “I suppose I should go meet more people. Thank you for the wonderful introduction. It was very nice to meet you, Lucy and Natsu.” On that note, she had finally left. Now, Gray felt like he couldn’t talk about what had happened the other day. His friends were now in kudos with her – and Lucy had invited her to the club. Gray wouldn’t be able to escape her at all now. He  would have to eventually face her, whether tonight or later on in the school year. For now, with him a little intoxicated, he figured the best thing to do is try his best to ignore her tonight, and figure things out later. Maybe it would even out later on.