ꜰɪɢʜᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ꜰᴀʀɪᴇs!

She was….heated. He could hear her heartbeat from how close she was standing to him. His nose picked up she was sweating too, but it must be from nervousness. Why was she nervous? She never was nervous around him before, besides a few times in the winter when he slept next to her to keep her warm when the power was out.

Lucy was being weird lately.

“Oh yeah, I love sweets! I am pretty starving! We only had one breakfast today!” He was always eager to eat food, regardless of how much it made his wallet lack their of at least. Reaching over, he grabbed her hand and began to take her towards the cafe across the street to go and sit at a table. Just the two of them. Across from the other, like a ….date.

“I wonder if they have good sandwiches. and streaks. And food. I want a lot!” He said, just being completely honest as he looked up to look at her, tilting his head as he could still listen to her heart beating faster then normal. “You okay, luce? You look like you are mad at me.”

“ Only one ?? ” she tips her head and her brows pinch together a bit, a bit of laughter bubbling out of her and a genuine grin spreading across her features. he’s always got a way of making things brighter ─ even when they already seem to be at their brightest, somehow! no matter how many times it’s happened before, though, her face heats up as natsu’s hand finds her own. but she’s still smiling softly, feeling comforted and grateful for the touch. 

“ E - eh !? Natsu, the sale is for their pastries! But . . . ” ah, she knew this would happen. he wouldn’t be natsu if he wasn’t constantly filling himself with food, though! she chuckles lightly. “ Okay, don’t overdo it, though! We can always come back, too. ” she points out. as natsu looks her over and asks if she’s mad, lucy feels herself nervous again. of course he’s noticed!

“ What? No way. Natsu, I’m not mad at you! Not at all! ” she insists, a bit... quickly, waving her hands in front of her face. “ I just, uhh... ” ugh, he really is perceptive at the wrong times! not that it’s a bad thing... lucy feels a fluttering just knowing he’s able to notice and care enough to ask. no use in lying.

It has been a simple request. Help this girl grab some stuff at the top shelf while he and lucy had been around shopping for food and what not. It was easy, and he had done it. Though now it seems like this girl wasn’t letting it go so quickly as she continued to talk to him. Bringing stuff to a frail girls car wasn’t bad either, so he did that so he could move on. Though now he was lost in conversation with her. Lucy was looking a bit away from them, as he continued to speak.

“ I ain’t lyin’. I have this friend who is a talking blue cat who can fly—”

Then he felt the familiar gesture around his right arm, looking down and seeing lucy was now hugging his arm and speaking to him like s he normally would. Though this….felt different, It wasn’t as sincere, and she normally didn’t hug his arm as much as this unless she was scared. Was she scared? Though his arm was now right in between her—-which he knows she usually slaps him for on accident.

“Y-Yeah, right. Sorry, i’m gonna go. Lucy’s waited long enough~ See ya!” He says directly, the girl looked disappointed and a bit hurt by this realization. “Man, the good ones are always taken by some other girl…..”  She said loud enough for both natsu and lucy to hear this. Though….the meaning was a bit lost on him. Taken? He ain’t gonna go and be kidnapped by his friend. He wanted to be around lucy, cause she was his best friend! “That girls’ weird. You’ve never kidnapped me before.”

alright, she definitely shouldn’t feel this satisfied as the girl’s expression transforms from a seductive smile to utter disappointment. at the same time, she feel aggravated that someone would act so . . . coy, taking advantage of natsu’s natural kindness and willingness to help people. ugh ─ !! so irritating! she’d be frowning if she wasn’t feigning her own smile ─ not to fool natsu, like the stranger was, but rather to hopefully put the girl off even further. 

she turns with a final comment that has lucy’s cheeks ablaze with red tint. 

“ kidnapping? er ─ ” despite the implication soaring right over natsu’s head, lucy’s a bit more than embarrassed. her thoughts spiral even more; just because she wanted to protect her friend from the manipulation of a flirty girl doesn’t mean they’re together !! just because she may have gotten a  BIT  worked up seeing someone attempt their way with him doesn’t mean she . . . UGH !! 

as soon as the girl disappears into the crowd, lucy releases natsu’s arm, practically begging her heart to stop racing so much! 

“ whatever she meant, ” oh, but she knows exactly what was implied! “ it definitely was weird! she just doesn’t understand! as if i’d ever need to kidnap you, anyway. ” lucy huffs, crossing her arms over her chest. no, no ─ she’d never have to make natsu spend time with her. he chose to, and vice versa. this brings back an actual, genuine and soft smile back to her face.

but she definitely doesn’t need to flaunt like that now that the job is done.

don’t let it bug you, don’t let it bug you, don’t let it . . . lucy mentally lectures herself, arguing that she has no reason to be so put - off by someone acting in such a manner. she’s being ridiculous! her and natsu aren’t even ─

she finally breaks as the stranger takes another step forward, much too close, arms laced strategically behind her back as her shoulders move backwards, frame bobbing lightly as she laughs at something natsu’s said. the celestial mage clears her throat, crossing the distance between them in a few bounds. immediately, she wraps her arms around one of natsu’s in a familiar gesture that hopefully won’t stand out to him too much and offers a brilliant smile, much to the stranger’s clear dismay.

☆ ☆ lucy heartfilia ─

✦ a mage! specifically, she summons spirits based on the zodiac. they’re all pretty weird, though, but she loves them! 

✦ part of a magical guild called ‘ fairy tail ’ ─ a strong group of mages that take requests and jobs to help people. would absolutely die for any of them. they’ve been through a lot together. kidnapping? near death experiences? war? dragon slaying? been there, done that! she has a mark on her hand that is her guild’s emblem and still wears it proudly.

✦ could probably kick your ass, but would rather help instead. has a huge heart for people and will help anyone in need, no matter what. also a HUGE nerd AND author!

✦ a self defense instructor at street crusaders, she believes it’s very important, and being proficient in hand - to - hand herself, is glad to help teach anyone else who might be in need of a lesson! 

his appearance isn’t a surprise ─ naturally, they’d been spending a lot of time together ever since natsu’s arrival to the city. of course he’d show up on christmas day! what is surprising, though, is the gift he extends to her. blinking, lucy accepts the gift. she stares at the box and wrapping and it’s done in such a natsu - like way that he could have presented her with the box alone, and she’d feel elated. nonetheless, with a smile, lucy carefully peels back the wrapping, treating that in itself as a prized possession. it’s obvious he’s put work into it, after all. 

slowly, the mage unveils the gift inside. a scarf. moreover ─ handmade. it’s not hard to put together the amount of effort that was used to make it. lucy pictures natsu, normally so erratic and hyper, sitting down and focusing long enough to knit her such a gift. the love and care that went into it is as apparent as his dedication to his friends and the guild ─ so, massive. her heart swells with bliss as she wraps herself with the article ( one that closely resembles natsu’s scarf … and given how important it is, she feels honored ). she takes a few moments of silence to take in the feeling of it and how much the gift means ─ at least this way, she can blame the warmth quickly coming to her face on the added layer of clothing. 

❝ natsu, i … ❞ she stalls, unsure of how to begin to properly thank him. actions speak louder than words, though ─ almost instinctively, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world, lucy takes a few steps forward and stands on her toes, placing a gentle, quick kiss on the fire mage’s cheek. she steps back, her face immediately flushing a deep pink. despite this, she’s smiling like a total fool. 

❝ h - huh? you saw that !? ❞ they were in a pretty busy place, after all, so it’s no surprise they’d be spotted by other people ─ but that’s not what’s got her so worked up. the peculiar choice of words has her particularly flustered, as accented by the color blossoming across her face. ❝ i’ve explained it already! of course i love all my guildmates! so what’s the big deal if we hold hands ─ ❞ she stops herself, actually vocalizing it somehow making her feel even more caught up about the whole thing. 

she really shouldn’t complain ─ rent is non - existent, giving lucy more financial freedom than she’s had in a while( though, she’s gotta admit, there’s something she misses about frantically running about missions to make the monthly payment. something … nostalgic ). but she has to admit, the temporary lack of electricity and, by extension, heat has been very irritating! if they’re going to kidnap her and force her to live in the city, the least they could do is provide the basics! but it’s only temporary, so she tries to avoid thinking on it too much. 

that doesn’t change the fact that it’s freezing in her room! 

she’s bundled herself under all her blankets but they can’t fully protect her from the chilly winter air. it’s pretty difficult to relax but eventually and miraculously, exhaustion consumes her and she drifts off into an uncomfortable, light slumber. she finds herself waking up a few times, having to readjust her blankets to gather warmth. thankfully, she’s able to get comfortable and sleep undisturbed.

… the morning makes it very clear that there had been more than blankets at work overnight to create a peaceful sleeping setting. 

somehow, she doesn’t panic. there’s another person in her bed and, any other time, her reaction would be a furious panic as she would have no second thoughts about attacking the intruder. but there’s no emotion akin to that ─ instead, lucy feels content and safe. she knows these arms well. the feeling that arises is familiar and warm; literally and figuratively. she feels as if she vaguely recalls being aware of him coming into her room in the middle of the night but since it’s natsu, there was no warrant for panic, and so she was immediately able to rest and drift back into a much - needed sleep. but that’s all a sleepy haze, perhaps, since he’s a presence of comfort … 

but now that she’s woken up and becoming increasingly aware of what’s going on and how close they are, lucy feels her heart racing ─ strange, considering this isn’t the first time he’s broken in and it’s not the first time they’ve been this close. yet she finds herself completely flustered, red spreading to her cheeks. suddenly, she’s grateful that he seems to be sleeping as deeply and contently as she had been not too long ago, safe and secure and warm …

ah.

she wiggles a bit, testing to see if he’ll wake up from the slight jostling. once she’s confident he won’t be bothered, lucy slowly maneuvers herself out of his arms and out of the bed. oh, how she wants to stay. finally, she looks down upon his sleeping figure. the color in her cheeks has yet to leave and her heart still doesn’t seem to slow, yet a smile makes it’s way onto her expression as she begins to connect the dots. he really is always looking out for her.

❝ thank you, natsu. ❞ words spoken hardly above a whisper as she pulls the blankets back over him. tentatively, she’s still. things seem frozen as her mind whirls. slowly, she leans forward, closer … and quickly pulls back, gnawing her lips. instead, she brushes some bangs out of his face before quickly retreating out of the room and into the kitchen. 

@gateguide​  🧭

“Did I… make a wrong turn? Where’d the castle go?” Linkle was looking a little perplexed- the young woman had surely made it to Hyrule castle, and yet this place certainly was not it. However, it did not stop her. She’d seen similarly confusing things on her journey, and believed this to merely be yet another… “Huh, this is definitely odd.”

❝ the castle . . ? ❞ lucy echoes the words, feeling as confused as the stranger looks. she doesn’t want to assume, of course, but judging by her expression and inquiry, lucy gets the feeling that they may be in similar, confusing situations. she can’t quite ask about that out of the blue, though ─ she’d seem crazy!

          ❝ natsu! over here! ❞ she waves as he enters the area sectioned off from the snowball fight ─ she’d be viewing the whole time, valiantly cheering regardless of whether he could hear her or not. she even sports a small flag with fairy tail’s logo on it, stitched by none other than herself! she’s smiling as natsu approaches and offers a cup of fresh hot cocoa, the largest size, of course, and topped with a mound of whipped cream. 

Helping it onto her was easy enough. Her face was much redder then he remembered it being when he was back there by her side earlier. Maybe it was just the fact that she was now warming up from the extra layer of clothes. At least she wasn’t stuck in something that would get her sick now. His partner couldn’t go about and be sick if they were to figure out a way out of here.

“Laser tag? A giant screen that plays stuff? The hell kind of magic world is this!” Was this place safe?! They fired lasers out in the form of tag?! Did they not wish to live?! Or was it a sort of light laser! He still needed to figure out the modes of transportation lucy had mentioned to him earlier that he didn’t know that much about yet. Perhaps they were the same…?

“Let’s check shops then. I got some of those money stuff they handed you when you arrived here—” Then he heard magic words, as he looked to her as she said she would handle dinner tonight and it was on her. Walking to the street now in the midst of people as he then got on his knees, crying in joy as he went and bowed down to the blonde goddess of food provision before him.

“Mighty goddess lucy thank you! I am starving!!”

And that, yup that was causing stares to happen to the public around him as people were muttering and chuckling at the scene before them.

          she’s grateful there’s no comment made regarding the sudden coloring that appeared on her cheeks as natsu’s within close proximity while adjusting her coat. well, it’s not like he’s ever commented before ─ maybe offhanded, but nothing that stood out in her mind. so, why does it suddenly stand out now ?? lucy pushes the thoughts to the back of her mind, instead focusing on how natsu lights up at the mention of all the new places to discover here in the city. it’s captivating, really. 

❝ this world seems to have it’s own kind of magic and technology. it’s actually pretty fun to learn about it all! ❞ she admits, but it’s no surprise that she’s spent a lot of time geeking out over everything there is to learn about koi. in many ways, it’s been similar. but in more, it’s different. and it’s fascinating. it would be perfect if it weren’t for the fact that they were stuck here. but that’s become a distant worry now that natsu’s here! ❝ we’ll see one of the shows, then! it’s called a movie. ❞ she makes a mental note to show him laser tag, too, because he’d think it’s fun. her gut tells her that with natsu, it’ll only end badly, but they can sure try!

lucy flinches when he suddenly changes course and bows and it’s expected from someone like natsu, but that doesn’t prevent the stares from other passerby's. she leans down and grabs his arm, tugging upwards. there’s no way she can actually move him back into a stand, but it’s more of a mental thing than anything else!

“…..The hell is a bus and a car?” They must be some sort of new contraption like the train and wheel carrier that is powered by magic. Also know as, transportation. The thing that he hates and makes him feel nausea just thinking about it for too long, bringing a hand to his mouth as he could fell himself almost just get sick at the thought. He was strong, and he had power. However, motion sickness on transportation was his biggest weakness.

Aside from lucy.

“So then we need to go out and explore around then?! That sounds like fun! Maybe we can get some fire out there as well!” Food, just eat regular food you dragon idiot! You don’t have to go and eat literal fire for every single meal you desire you know! However, he walked over to her, grabbing her hand and literally ran out the door dragging her along and into the cold air before hand. Though, he stopped before fully leaving as he looked to himself, and then looked to her as he sniffed the air for a second. “Wait here a second.”

He rambled back inside, sniffing around for her room as he grabbed a coat inside of her closet, walking back and handing it to her. That was, actually quite thoughtful. “It’s gonna be freezing in like thirty minutes I feel like, so i’d rather you not have to be a ice-pop. I can only heat you up so much while we are out without burning your clothes off again.” Yeah, he was remembering when he roasted those guys for flirting with her and he accidentally burnt all her clothes off.

          stifled laughter escapes through slightly parted lips as natsu reacts in confusion after the mention of this world’s vehicles. silly lucy !! there’s no way he’d know about them quite yet! as strange as it is being in a whole new world, lucy admittedly finds herself a bit excited about the thought of showing natsu all the ways in which this city differentiates from what they already know. it might be a little mundane, but she looks forward to it. or, maybe just the idea of spending time with him again in general. 

she opens her mouth to remind him that he should most definitely  NOT  consume fire in public, especially off the city streets, but she’s nearly picked off her feet as natsu takes off, towing her behind before she can say anything. her breath catches in her throat ─ it’s just like old times. well, not that old, but being isolated in an unknown city really messes with one’s sense of time. and then, as soon as they’d taken off, they stop. lucy nearly stumbles into natsu, head tipping to the side as her brows furrow.

❝ natsu, what’s ─ ❞ in typical natsu fashion, he’s off before giving any sort of explanation. but she trusts him and waits, and it’s not long before he returns. with a coat. lucy’s silent, blinking down at her coat for a moment before a wide smile dons her expression once more ─ she’ll blame the cold for her red cheeks. sliding her arms through, lucy brings the coat close, feeling a familiar flutter in her chest. leave it to natsu to always look out for her!

❝ thank you, natsu . . . ❞ it’s her own coat, sure, but there’s something that makes it feel even more comfortable after him being the one to run back in and get it for her. realizing she’s maybe lingered on that thought a bit too long, the mage quickly composes herself. ❝ i’d definitely appreciate you not burning my clothes! ❞ she quickly adds ─ smooth recovery! 

( the memory of him doing that though, for her sake, against those creeps . . . has her flustered all over again! )

“…..?! A while?! How long have you been away here?!” He wouldn’t have noticed her gone for that long, since she was the one who he practically hung out with and went on missions with. If this place was like the celestial spirit world, then time must move much faster here then back home! So then she was taken here ahead of him? Without him around to be with her?!

To protect her?

Levy was here too. Okay, that kicked off some of the worry. He trusted lucy to handle herself, but he couldn’t imagine being here alone for a long time without any of his friends and comrades. It would be a place he would not want to be if it didn’t mean they were not with them…..though, thinking about the situation back home, that was much similar to how they were now. It was a mixed feeling to know levy was here now, as long as it wasn’t a messed up levy that is.

The thought of his comrades being together was a nice thought. The idea of them being away from them was not though. Nope, not with his thinking. He had figured out a super special plan the moment he had arrived on this place. He didn’t have all his power, but he had enough to kick butt he figured! And all he had to do was find the people who took them and kick their butt to send them home!

“Find us? NAH! We are gonna go home! After I kick whoever took us asses! Then we will be back together with everyone after I do that and we figure out how to head back home!”

          his continued, surprised reaction to her revelation regarding how much longer she’s been within the city. guilt worms it’s way into her conscious once more, threatening to wear down her emotions even further for causing her cherished guidlmate so much worry. but the only alternative is  LYING  to him and lucy isn’t about to go down that road, no matter how much it hurts to give him more details. she’s the one who initiated the topic, anyway! 

❝ . . . two months, maybe? ❞  she answers in a softer voice with a shrug, only after allowing herself a few moments to recall just when she got here. beyond the difficulty that comes with admitting it lies CONFUSION. their powers are limited and, deducted from natsu’s statement, time passes faster here than back home ─ unlike the spirit world, where time spent there amounts to months in the real world. it brings upon yet another ache ; does no one at home realize they’ve been missing?

she composes herself and puts on a brave face.  ❝ it’s been okay, though, really! levy’s been here even longer than me . . . but we’ve dealt with it, and no one’s hurt. plus, i had my spirits. ❞  she loves her spirits, but they’d never be able to replace the guild. or natsu. but they were still a comfort, and hopefully the knowledge will ease natsu’s worries. 

his sudden, loud declaration takes lucy by surprise, she can’t help but jump a bit. but it’s so typical, so natsu, that she immediately finds comfort in his words. she finds herself smiling shortly after and nodding in agreement.  ❝ yeah! and levy, too! but, uh, maybe we don’t charge in right away and start attacking people. it is a city, after all! ❞  she chides but it’s affectionate and, despite her words, she’d like to give whoever’s put them here a piece of her mind as well. project or no project.

heat rises to her face as she realizes how close they are, now that the conversation has diverted a bit. it’s not like they’ve never been in close contract before, but the awareness has her heart racing a bit more. so, she stands suddenly, clenching her fists and giving a small pump.

An off switch on her magic? She must be limited too then! He can keep his fire going for a little while, but the attacks he is so used to doing are all just taken away from him. It was upsetting for all the power he had gained in the last two years just taken away from him like that. However, the most important part was still here for him. His friends. At least, one of them so far.

“Yeah yeah, cozy. Its still cramped no matter how you paint it, luce! Though it’s probably harder with another person here too.” He couldn’t imagine anyone else being near lucy. What if it was a guy?! That just made him mad!….but why did it make him mad? He can dispel that irritation for now, since he didn’t know the other person. The other question she asked, hit a bit closer to home as he looked to her, frowning a bit as he turned his head to the side.

“I didn’t see him or anyone of our other friends when I arrived. I’ve only been here for like a few hours I think though.”  Though surely she had only been here as long as he had right?“But you arrived the same time I did right? Or a day or so before me? I was at your place the night before I arrived here this morning!”

           ❝ Well, it isn’t too bad, really !! ❞  lucy shrugs, glancing around the mentioned apartment.  ❝ and maki, my roommate, is nice. keeps to herself, mostly. ❞  while she’s grateful for the free place to stay, she’s got to admit, she’d much prefer struggling to meet the monthly rent back home. oh, what she wouldn’t give to have her landlord looming over her for rent money.

concern flickers in her eyes as natsu’s gaze casts downwards. his answer is just as she’d thought ;; no good. she has to, admit feels a bit bad for asking and bringing up the sore subject, especially regarding happy. she can’t imagine the emotional turmoil he’s going through ─ she’s never seen him without happy, and he’s always been around the guild. far longer than she. her heart aches for him in a way she can’t describe ─ and yet, he still greeted her with a smile bright enough to outshine the sun. she feels a pang of sadness in her chest, wishing she had more answers and had a way to shield him from the sadness of being separated from those that meant so much to them. 

❝ i’ve . . . actually been here for a while now. i . . . woke up here, similar to you, but more than a few days. ❞  she says, slowly, carefully, suddenly not wanting to tell him anything that could further his worry,  ❝ whatever this place is, time must move differently. like the celestial spirit world.❞  she muses ─ always finding more questions than answers, it seems! but she doesn’t want to worry him further. she takes her hand, the one natsu’s occupies, and shifts so that her hand is now over his, and gives an assuring squeeze.