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Bonus Day: Alternate Universe
A bird. No, two birds. Oh wait—a whole bunch of them!
What was that called again?
Natsu rolled his head back even farther until the edge of the bench dug into his neck. The sky stretched above him upside down, the bunch lazily circling overhead.
A group. A team...
He frowned.
Erza's voice drifted over from the carriage, still deep in conversation with the driver, but it barely registered.
A group...
Four—
Way...
Four—
Some...
"No, that ain't it."
He squinted toward Erza, blood rushing to his head until a dull pressure settled behind his eyes. With an irritated scoff, he jerked upright.
Big mistake.
Pain shot through his neck, making the pounding in his skull throb even harder.
He winced, then casually tipped his chin toward the sky again like none of that had happened.
Group of birds...
He shut his eyes, letting the warm breeze wash over his face. Anything to keep his mind off why they were even here.
God, he really—
"—hate it!"
A pebble skipped across the road, stopping just short of his feet.
"Really."
Another bounced off the bench.
"Fuckin'."
A third clipped his knee.
"Hate it."
The last one smacked him square in the shin.
Natsu's eyes snapped open. He was off the bench before the sting even registered, already grabbing the idiot responsible by the front of his jacket.
"You stupid jerk!" He gave Gray a rough shake. "Throw your toddler tantrums somewhere else."
They glared at each other hard enough to start a fire. Hell, forget a fire. Burn the whole damn forest down.
"Tch."
Gray slapped his hand away, shoved both fists into his pockets, and stalked toward Erza without another word.
"What's your problem?" Natsu barked after him.
No answer.
He rolled his eyes and dropped back onto the bench with a grunt, nudging the scattered pebbles aside with the heel of his sandal. One skidded toward Happy, who quickly flicked his tail out of the way.
"Don't worry, Natsu." Happy flashed him an encouraging grin. "I'm sure this is just a one-time thing. After this, we can go back to takin' cool jobs."
Natsu looked down at him, the irritation already bleeding away.
"'Course we will, buddy." He slouched lower, both arms stretching across the backrest. "No way in hell I'm teamin' up with anybody but you." He snorted. "Least of all that ice-perv and the red-headed witch."
Despite himself, the corner of his mouth twitched.
Right.
That was why he'd agreed to this in the first place.
Well...besides Erza's terrifying persuasion tactics.
Sweet revenge.
The rematch would come, and this time, he'd win. He wasn't the same guy he'd been three months ago. Since then, he'd eaten at least two hundred bowls of rice.
No way Erza was stronger than him anymore.
He'd prove it.
"Hey, Natsu." Erza's voice rang out behind him.
His shoulders tensed on instinct.
"I got us a carriage. Go on in. Gray and the merchant are already waiting." She pointed toward it before turning away, as if there wasn't a universe where he'd refuse.
Natsu's stomach dropped before the words fully sank in.
Honestly, he couldn't decide which was worse: Erza...
...or the rolling death trap waiting for him.
He pressed a hand against his stomach and swallowed.
Natsu tugged at his collar again. The suit was scratchy, stiff, and way too damn tight.
"Quit messin' with it. You already look ridiculous, clown."
Gray's voice came from his right.
Natsu shot him a look, his frown deepening. Same stupid suit. Only Gray actually had his tie done up right.
"Not like you've got anyone to impress, ice-perv." A grin crept onto his face. "You'll lose the clothes in an hour anyway."
Gray smirked and leaned forward until their foreheads bumped.
"Say that again, flame for brains."
"You heard me." Natsu shoved back without hesitation. "Or's the ice blockin' your ears?"
"The hell's that even supposed to mean, dimwit?"
"Freeze-brain."
"Flamethrower."
"Ice pickle."
"Pea brain."
"No brain."
"ENOUGH!"
Erza's voice cracked through the air like a whip.
Both of them jumped apart so fast they may as well have been caught stealing.
"We are here to protect the bride and groom during this wedding. Not to embarrass Fairy Tail."
She calmly smoothed the sleeves of her deep green dress, the lack of armor doing absolutely nothing to make her less terrifying.
"If either of you starts something in front of the guests..." Her eyes settled on them. "...I will end it. Permanently."
Natsu and Gray both swallowed.
"He started it," Gray muttered, straightening his tie.
"Did not," Natsu grumbled, giving his collar another futile tug.
"I heard that." She didn't even look back.
Natsu immediately shut his mouth.
The carriage had dropped them at the edge of an estate big enough to fit half of Magnolia.
White stone walls; Hedges trimmed into shapes that were probably supposed to be animals; Fountains that had to cost more than every Jewel he'd ever earned; Servants hurried along the winding paths, fussing over flower arrangements nearly as tall as Happy.
Happy let out a low whistle beside him. "This is fancier than the guild."
"Don't remind me."
Natsu eyed the place like it'd personally insulted him.
A man in an even stiffer suit than his marched over, a clipboard tucked beneath one arm. His mouth was pinched so tightly he looked like he'd smelled something rotten.
"You're the mercenaries?"
"Mages," Erza corrected flatly.
The man blinked, cleared his throat, and gestured toward the mansion.
"This way. Master Junelle wishes to brief you before the ceremony begins."
Natsu fell in behind Erza, slipping two fingers beneath his collar for what had to be the hundredth time.
The whole place made his skin itch, worse than the suit did.
He couldn't put his finger on why yet, though.
What a bore.
Natsu smothered another yawn.
Erza's elbow immediately buried itself in his ribs.
He sucked in a sharp breath, rubbing the sore spot as he shot her a glare. She didn't even acknowledge him. Neither did Gray. Both of them were actually paying attention.
...How?
Natsu looked back toward the speaker.
Clipboard Guy stood beside a man almost as wide as he was tall, his expensive suit straining around the middle. His slicked-back hair looked like it'd been shellacked into place.
Slimy.
That was the only word Natsu could come up with.
The man beside him was another problem entirely.
Tall; Broad shoulders; Blond hair combed neatly back; A trimmed mustache; And eyes colder than Gray's ice.
The guy had been staring holes through Natsu ever since they'd walked in, like he'd personally wronged him. Every now and then he'd let out a quiet scoff, barely bothering to hide it.
Natsu was pretty sure they'd never met.
If Erza hadn't been standing there, he'd have asked what the hell the guy's problem was. Instead, he settled for indifference, catching only that the man was the bride's father.
Well. If she was anything like him...
Good luck to that marriage.
The meeting finally wrapped up.
Natsu was already halfway out the door when somebody barreled straight into him.
"Whoa—!"
The man bounced backward and landed flat on his ass while Natsu barely stumbled a step. He instinctively reached down to help.
Clipboard Guy got there first, batting Natsu's hand away before hauling the man back to his feet.
A second later, Erza shoved both of Natsu's shoulders down, forcing him into a bow beside her while she apologized for his carelessness.
He scoffed. Before he could get a word out, the man beat him to it.
"Uneducated peasants."
The man's voice practically dripped contempt.
Natsu looked up.
Yep. Just as ugly on the outside.
The resemblance to his father uncanny—if anything, even more out of shape. His hair was slicked back so tightly it looked like it was fighting his face for the title of ugliest thing in the room. He fussed with his bow tie, wheezing softly from the collision.
...Or maybe just from standing.
Honestly, Natsu couldn't tell.
Sweat beaded along the man's temple, and it only seemed to get worse the longer he stood there—until Natsu followed the guy's beady, delighted little squint down to where Erza was still bent mid-bow.
He nearly gagged.
Before the bastard could enjoy the view another second, Natsu grabbed Erza’s shoulder and pulled both of them upright.
"We should get goin'," he muttered.
Clipboard Guy frowned. "Please address Lord Junelle with more humility. This is his wedding you were hired for, after all."
Natsu felt his jaw clench.
Gray caught the look on his face and immediately planted a hand between his shoulder blades, steering him farther down the hallway.
"Of course," Gray replied, flashing the fakest smile Natsu had ever seen.
They didn't stop until the room disappeared behind them and Gray smacked the back of Natsu's head.
"Try to behave, flamebrain. I'd actually like to get paid."
Natsu spun around before Gray had even finished talking, knocking their foreheads together.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah."
Erza cleared her throat.
Both of them straightened so fast it was almost impressive.
"Let's begin sweeping the floors." She pointed down the corridor. "I'll take this level. Gray, the floor below. Natsu, you're upstairs. Happy's already waiting." A brief pause. "And don't cause any problems. We wouldn't want to inconvenience the bride, either."
She walked away before either of them could complain.
Gray bumped Natsu's shoulder as he headed for the stairs.
"Heard the bride's just as ugly as the groom." He snorted. "Inside and out. Guess they're perfect for each other."
Natsu snorted despite himself, quietly hoping he wouldn't have to cross paths with her either.
Natsu wandered down the hallway at a lazy pace, hands laced behind his head, wondering just how long this stupid estate went on for.
Seriously...
There had to be a limit.
He'd passed six identical doors, four suits of armor that definitely weren't as cool as Erza's, and still no sign of Happy.
Probably got himself lost.
Then he caught it.
A whiff of something warm and roasted drifted down the hall, and his stomach growled loud enough to embarrass him.
He followed his nose to a door standing half open, glanced around once—more out of habit than actual caution—and slipped inside.
Jackpot.
A serving cart stood by the window, piled high with roasted meat, fresh bread, fruit tarts, grapes...
Natsu didn't hesitate.
A drumstick disappeared into one hand, a fistful of grapes into the other. He was already chewing before he'd even decided what to eat first.
He froze mid-bite.
Someone was behind him.
Fast.
Natsu spun on instinct.
A wrist landed in his grip a split second before a hand mirror would've cracked against the side of his skull.
He blinked.
She blinked.
The girl stared back at him, her wrist trapped in his hand, the mirror still raised over her shoulder like she'd forgotten what she'd planned to do with it.
Natsu swallowed.
She was still staring at him.
...So he stared right back.
She looked about his age.
Maybe a little younger.
Even in heels she barely reached his nose.
Golden hair.
Brown eyes.
Really angry brown eyes.
…
Huh.
She was...
Pretty.
Like really—
His grip loosened before he realized it.
"...That wouldn't have done anything anyway."
He nodded toward the mirror.
Her face scrunched up in a way he couldn't quite figure out. Offended, maybe. Or disappointed. Like she'd genuinely expected that little thing to knock him out.
A laugh escaped before he could stop it.
He let go of her wrist.
She immediately swung again.
"Nu-uh."
He threw an arm up between them like a stop sign, already back to chewing.
"WILL YOU STOP EATING?!"
She was comically offended, mirror still raised like she hadn't decided whether to try again.
Natsu laughed outright.
"You're weird."
Her arm dropped.
"I'm the weird one?"
"Mm."
He bit into the apple he'd somehow acquired along the way. "'M here on a jo—"
"I cannot understand a single word you're saying with your mouth full."
He kept chewing anyway.
She let out a long, exhausted sigh, set the mirror on the side table with a soft clink, and rubbed at her temple.
"...You at least seem harmless."
A beat later, she straightened.
"I'm Lucy." She gave him a small, practiced bow. "And you are?"
He answered through another mouthful.
"...Swallow first."
So he did.
"'M Natsu—"
Before he could say anything else, something caught her eye.
Her gaze drifted to his shoulder.
Then she stepped closer.
Closer.
Until she was practically in his space, eyes locked onto the Fairy Tail mark.
They widened.
Actually...
They sparkled.
"Is that real?"
"Huh?"
She pointed at his shoulder.
"...Oh."
He glanced down.
"Yeah."
Her entire face lit up.
It happened so suddenly it almost made him lean back. She'd stepped so close he caught her scent.
Natsu blinked.
It wasn't perfume.
Wasn't shampoo, either.
It was...something else.
Warm.
Like standing outside on a sunny afternoon after a long winter. Comfortable. The kind of warmth that settled deep in his chest before he even noticed it was there.
Huh.
Weird.
"You're really from Fairy Tail?" She leaned even closer, practically bouncing where she stood. "How long have you been there? Are you a mage? What kind of magic do you use? Are you here on a job? Do you have a team? Do you travel a lot? I've always wanted to join Fairy Tail! I'm a mage too. I've always wanted to travel and—"
"You talk a lot," he finally cut in, dazed, having managed maybe half a yes, a couple of eh's, and one very confused no somewhere in the middle. "You're weird."
"You're the weird one!" she shot back, planting her hands on her hips. "And rude, for interrupting."
"'Cause ya don't stop."
"I was curious!"
Natsu grinned and flopped onto the foot of the bed like it belonged to him.
"You're funny, though."
She huffed, arms crossing—then, for just a second, her eyes dropped. "...Not that it matters. I've got other duties anyway."
Natsu leaned back on his hands, watching her.
"Sounds lame."
A short, humorless laugh escaped her. "Yeah. It kind of is."
"Hmm." He tilted his head. "That fake smile doesn't suit you."
She blinked; a faint flush crept across her cheeks. She looked like she wanted to say something—but a groan drifted in from the windowsill.
Both of them turned.
Lucy hesitated. "...Did you come here with a blue cat?"
"Happy!" Natsu was on his feet instantly. "You met him?"
She winced. "...Sort of."
She walked over to the window and carefully scooped Happy into her arms. He was completely limp, mumbling something about fish in his sleep.
"He broke in and started eating my food too." She scratched the back of her head. "...I might've hit him with the mirror."
Natsu gathered Happy against his chest, staring at her in quiet betrayal. "You're kinda cruel."
"It was his own fault!" Her hands flew up in protest. "He broke into my room!"
Natsu settled back onto the bed, Happy tucked against his side, while Lucy let out a small sigh and smoothed her dress.
"Soooo," he said, nodding toward her dress. "You got some fancy party to go to or somethin'?"
Lucy went very still.
"...I'm the one getting married," she said flatly. "Today. To Lord Junelle."
Natsu's face scrunched up. "Wait. That sweaty perv from downstairs?"
"That's the one."
"Him?"
"Yes, him."
"You're marryin' him?"
"For the third time, yes."
Natsu stared at her, waiting for the joke.
It never came.
She just stood there with her arms crossed, her face completely blank. Like she'd said those words so many times they'd stopped meaning anything.
"Huh," he said finally, unimpressed on her behalf. "That's rough."
"Tell me about it," she said dryly, dropping onto the vanity stool across from him, crossing one leg over the other.
Natsu watched her for a second. Something about how flat she'd said it rubbed him the wrong way.
"So why don't ya just...not?"
Lucy blinked at him like he'd suggested she sprout wings. "It's not that simple."
"Sounds pretty simple to me."
"It's a business arrangement." She sighed, sounding like she was reading from memory. "My father's company needs the merger. Everything's already been decided."
Natsu opened his mouth.
Then shut it again.
He didn't really get it.
Arguing with her about her own life felt kinda dumb, though.
So he let it go.
For now.
A second later, she was leaning forward again, eyes bright.
"Tell me more," she said. "About Fairy Tail. What's it like? Is it true you fight your own guildmates for fun? Do you really destroy buildings on missions? I read that in the paper once. Was that true?"
And just like that...
She was off again.
Natsu answered when he could get a word in—short answers, half-finished stories, because she barely paused for air. But somewhere in the middle of explaining the guild's brawls, or Cana's terrifying tab at the bar, or the last job that ended with a mountain literally missing a chunk out of it, he noticed himself watching her more than talking.
How her whole face lit up whenever he mentioned Fairy Tail—like actual sunlight breaking through, nothing fake about it, nothing like the flat voice she'd used about the wedding.
How the light through the window caught her hair, turned it gold at the edges.
Her lashes were stupid long. He'd never really noticed anyone's lashes before. Why was he noticing hers?
His gaze drifted lower.
Her cheeks went pink when she laughed—which was often, it turned out.
And when she pouted, unimpressed by something he said, her lips—
He blinked, dragging his eyes away.
Weird. She was so weird.
His eyes kept dragging back anyway—down to her bare shoulders, pale against the white of the dress, looking almost breakable. Didn't match with "I'm a mage too," which she'd said earlier like it was obvious. Didn't match at all, actually. She looked like she'd snap if he so much as flicked her.
The dress itself looked like it hated her, if he was honest—tight everywhere, definitely not built for someone who talked with her hands as much as she did, sleeves already slipping when she gestured too big. And—
His eyes caught somewhere they shouldn't have, just for a second, and heat crawled up the back of his neck.
Yeah. That sweaty perv downstairs was definitely gonna love that dress.
Natsu scowled at the thought, didn't examine it too hard, and looked away.
Weird.
"...and is it true the guild hall has its own infirmary because people get hurt so often, or is that an exaggeration, and—"
Natsu rested his cheek in his palm.
"Wanna join Fairy Tail?"
Lucy's mouth snapped shut.
Her eyes widened.
"I...what? No, I couldn't..." The words came tumbling out all at once. "I have duties. There's still so much I need to—the wedding, my father's company, I can't just—"
"Do you wanna," he interrupted again, already bored of the excuses, "follow those duties?"
She didn't answer right away. Her eyes dropped to her lap, and the smile she put on was thin, unconvincing.
"I have to," she said quietly.
Natsu looked at her for a long moment.
Then he sighed, pushed himself to his feet, and tucked Happy beneath one arm. "'Kay."
Lucy looked up, blinking.
"Wait...that's it? You don't want to—I don't know—tell me more stories?"
He'd already reached the door. His hand settled against the frame.
"Nah." His fingers curled against the wood. "Got boring."
He stepped into the hallway. Behind him—
"...Oh."
It was barely more than a breath. So quiet he almost convinced himself he hadn't heard it.
Almost.
He stopped.
...
Dammit.
With a quiet sigh, he looked back. She was still sitting exactly where he'd left her. That same polite smile had found its way back onto her face. Like nothing had happened. Like he hadn't heard what slipped out before she could catch it.
Something twisted in his chest, sharp and immediate. He hadn't meant that. Not really.
He just...
"That fake smile really doesn't suit you," he said, flat and quiet.
Then he turned and left, Happy dangling beneath one arm, not letting himself look back a second time.
Natsu kept walking, hands shoved deep in his pockets, giving his collar another irritated tug.
"You were kinda mean to her," Happy mumbled, still half-asleep against his side.
Natsu grunted.
"Why do ya even care?" he muttered. "She knocked you out with a mirror."
"...Yeah, that's true," Happy admitted, blinking one eye open. "She's almost as scary as Erza."
A pause.
"But I felt bad stealing her food. She was crying when I got there."
Natsu's frown deepened.
"...Great. Now you made me feel bad too."
He didn't have long to dwell on it—a crash of noise erupted somewhere behind him: clanking metal, running feet, and then Gray's voice cutting through it all.
"FLAMEBRAIN! RUN!"
Natsu turned just in time to see Gray sprinting toward him—and behind him, Erza. Eyes glowing an unholy shade of red.
Oh, hell.
She found out.
About Lucy.
About the room.
He braced himself, certain she was charging straight for him—
She blew right past.
"...Huh?"
Before he could process what was happening, Gray slammed a hand against the floor.
Ice exploded beneath Natsu's feet in a long slick trail. His shoes shot out from under him, and he skidded the length of the hallway, arms windmilling, before tumbling straight down a flight of stairs.
"OW—"
He hit the bottom in a heap.
A second later he sprang back to his feet, furious, and immediately started running with the others as guards and servants poured through the front doors behind them.
"What'd you guys DO?!" he shouted, matching Gray's pace.
Gray was laughing too hard to answer.
"The slimy groom tried to grope Erza!" He doubled over for a second. "She beat the hell outta him!"
Natsu barked out a laugh—until Erza shot a glare over her shoulder that could've stopped his heart, hurling swords behind them that all three of them barely ducked.
"Not another word," she said sweetly.
Natsu gulped.
"...Feel kinda bad for the bride, though," Gray sighed.
Natsu raised an eyebrow, glancing sideways. "You lost your shirt."
Gray, shirtless and jacketless without a single acknowledgment of either, plowed on. "Saw a picture of her earlier. Total babe. Hope at least the rumors about her personality are true."
Happy opened his mouth, delighted, clearly about to deny exactly that—
"Don't—" Natsu started.
"NATSU!"
The shout came from above and Natsu's head snapped upward.
Lucy!?
She was sprinting across the rooftop in her wedding dress, skirts gathered in both fists as she raced along the edge like this was the most normal thing in the world.
"Is that the BRIDE?!" Gray yelled.
"LUCY?!" Natsu shouted back, disbelief cracking his voice.
"Lucy?!" Erza and Gray echoed in perfect unison, both whipping around to stare at him.
Happy buried his face in his paws, giggling.
Natsu didn't take his eyes off her, matching her pace as best he could from the ground.
"You were right!" she yelled down, wind tearing through her hair, gold catching the light.
"I hate it here! I don't wanna marry that pervert! I wanna go on adventures—see the world, the way you do! I don't want duties, I don't want rooms, or corsets I can't breathe in—"
She suddenly looked ahead.
Natsu followed her gaze.
The roof ended.
Soon.
Her voice cracked.
"I'm sorry, Happy!" she shouted. "For hitting you! I swear I'll make it up! Tons of grilled fish!"
Happy's eyes instantly became stars. "REALLY?!"
Lucy's eyes found Natsu again.
"Is the offer still open? Can I really join Fairy Tail?"
Erza and Gray both stared at him. Mouths hanging open.
"COME DOWN FROM THERE, IT'S DANGEROUS, MISS HEARTFILIA!" Clipboard Guy shrieked somewhere behind them.
Natsu grinned. Wide. All teeth.
"'Course you can."
Lucy's entire face lit up.
She took one breath.
"NATSU!"
Then she jumped.
Behind him—
Gray.
Erza.
Happy.
Half the estate.
Every last one of them screamed.
Natsu was already moving.
He caught her cleanly against his chest, staggering only half a step before breaking right back into a sprint.
Her dress immediately ballooned over his face.
"I can't see!"
Lucy burst out laughing and shoved the fabric back down.
"There."
Happy zipped alongside them. "How'd you know he'd catch you?"
Lucy smiled. "Had a feeling."
Happy nodded solemnly. "She's really weird."
"Can't ya run yourself?" Natsu grumbled, readjusting his grip while wrestling another armful of dress out of his face.
"I'm barefoot! I'm not running through dirt like this!"
"You just ran across a roof!"
"That's different!"
"Why don't ya have shoes?"
"Did you see them? I never would've caught up if I stopped for shoes!"
"Would've saved me from carryin' you!"
"Hmpf, next time I won't let you catch me."
"Let?" Natsu snorted. “What do you think you are? A group of birds just flyin' off?"
"...Do you mean a flock?"
"Huh?"
"...A flock of birds?"
Natsu's eyes widened.
"Oooooh. So that's what it's called."
"THEY'RE KIDNAPPING THE BRIDE!" Clipboard Guy shrieked, much closer this time.
"Oh, fuck," Natsu muttered.
Lucy twisted in his arms, somehow producing a golden key from the endless folds of her dress and shoving it toward a fountain they were passing. "Open, Gate of the Water Bearer—Aquarius!"
Golden light exploded from the water, and a very unimpressed mermaid materialized with her arms crossed. "WHO INTERRUPTED MY DA—"
A tidal wave crashed backward before she even finished speaking, swallowing the entire mob of guards behind them in one furious sweep.
Natsu and Happy let out identical low whistles.
"I'm never gonna hear the end of that," Lucy groaned.
A carriage screeched to a stop right in front of them—Gray somehow already in the driver's seat, Erza throwing the door open.
"Get in! NOW!"
Natsu lifted Lucy straight into Erza's waiting arms before hauling himself inside, immediately turning green the second the wheels started moving.
"Go, Gray!" Erza barked.
"Already on it!"
The carriage bounced violently over the road.
Erza turned, gaze sharpening on Natsu, then Happy, then finally landing on Lucy.
Happy opened his mouth, a warning half-formed—
But Lucy just smiled, straightened, and offered a small, polite bow despite the carriage rocking beneath her. "Lucy Heartfilia. It's nice to meet you."
Erza blinked, taken aback, like she was just reminded of her own lack of manners, before bowing back. "...Erza Scarlet. Likewise."
"She adapts fast," Happy whispered.
Erza's glare swung to him instantly.
Natsu groaned, exhausted and nauseous, and dropped sideways straight into Lucy's lap without a second thought.
She squeaked in surprise, arms flailing slightly before catching her balance.
"Forgive him," Erza said immediately, already reaching to haul him off her. "He has no manners—"
"No, it's fine!" Lucy waved her off, laughing a little. "Really. It's the least I can do—I owe you all, after this."
"Not interrupting," Gray called from the front, "but is the guild gonna get in trouble for kidnappin' you?"
"You don't need to worry." Lucy smiled. "I left my father a letter. This was my choice."
Happy piped up cheerfully. "Lucy's gonna join the guild now!"
Lucy smiled, letting her gaze sweep over all of them. "I hope we can all get along."
"...tsu."
"Natsu!"
His eyes snapped open.
Everything was blurry for a second, wet around the edges, and it took him a moment to make sense of the ceiling above him.
Not the estate. Not the roof. Not the upside-down sky over a wooden bench.
Lucy's ceiling.
Lucy hovered over him, brow knitted with equal parts concern and annoyance. She was leaning so close her hair spilled over his shoulder, her eyes fixed so intently on his face that, for a second, he forgot he was supposed to be waking up.
She blinked. Her lashes brushed together. "Dinner's ready."
Natsu rubbed at his eyes and pushed himself upright.
The apartment came back into focus—her apartment, same as always; Same lamp; Same bookshelf; Same everything.
He shuffled over to the table and dropped into his usual seat.
"Hurry up," Happy complained, already elbow-deep in his own plate. "I'm starving."
Lucy smiled faintly to herself and dug into her own dinner before glancing sideways at him. "You okay? You looked kinda out of it."
Natsu shook his head, like that alone might knock the last of the dream loose. "Yeah. Just tired."
"Hm." She accepted the answer without pushing, and for a moment the only sound was cutlery against plates.
Then—
"Natsu," Happy mumbled around another mouthful, grinning. "You should see how poetic Lucy's been writing lately."
Lucy reached over and pinched his cheek.
"I told you to shut up about that."
"What're ya writing?" There wasn't any teasing in Natsu's voice. Just curiosity, which seemed to catch her off guard more than the question itself.
She leaned back in her chair, her gaze drifting down to her plate. "...Do you believe in fate?"
Natsu blinked, chewing. That wasn't the answer he'd been expecting.
Lucy nudged her food around with her fork. "I'm writing this story. About two people who keep finding their way back to each other. No matter what happens around them. No matter the circumstances." She paused. "Like they're bound by fate."
Natsu chewed thoughtfully. When he looked back up...She was watching him. Waiting quietly.
He swallowed.
"...Isn't it kinda not fate, though," he said slowly, "if you're the one writing them back together?"
Her fork clattered onto the plate. "I should've known better than to expect a real answer from you."
Her voice came out perfectly flat. She went back to eating.
Happy snorted into his fish, mumbling something that sounded suspiciously like: "She's just mad 'cause she's a big sap."
"Chew and swallow before you talk," Lucy sighed without even looking at him.
Natsu poked at his food for a second. Then shrugged. "If two people actually wanna be together..." He looked down at his plate while he spoke. "...They'd find their way back themselves." He twirled his fork absentmindedly. "Wouldn't leave somethin' like that up to fate."
Happy went still, fish halfway to his mouth. Lucy's eyes lifted to him, startled.
Natsu glanced between them, frowning. "...What?"
The two of them exchanged a quick look. Then simultaneously shook their heads.
"Nothing."
He pouted at Happy first, then at Lucy, unconvinced.
But Lucy only smiled, satisfied and warm—aimed right at him. "...I guess so."
Something in Natsu's chest gave an odd little thump.
Pink dusted her cheeks, the grin still plastered wide across her face, and for a second he just—stared.
"...A real smile suits you better." The words left his mouth before he had a chance to think about them.
Lucy's eyes widened. "Huh...?" The blush deepened almost instantly.
Natsu's ears burned hot. He shoved another forkful into his mouth, like he hadn't said a damn thing.