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changlix-mp4 · 3 years

Text

let’s play a game

pairing : bangchan x f.reader

genre : smut , fluff ig

warnings : teasing, teasing, use of pet names, making out, dry humping, marking, riding , unprotected sex, cum inside, cockwarming (yes again, cockwarming is kind of cute for me sorry sksldjk)

(+) ft. Changlix ♡ appearance uwu ,, ahah

words count : 2,6k

A/N : don't mind my mistakes please my eng still sucks ,, i still hope you guys will like this one ,even if I feel like every of my long fics are invisible help TT skkdjl , anyways thx for reading,, FEEDBACKS ARE VERY WELCOMED ♡

M RATED

After a long day of procrastination, you and your boyfriend!Chan, were sat onto the couch, a movie playing in the background, since both of you were on your phones. After awhile, Chan broke the silence “babe” , you hummed turning your head toward him. He looked down at you “we didn’t do anything today”, you sighed “I know... It was such a boring day. We had to do the laundry, clean the house but the only thing we did was sitting there and eating” — “ugh...we’ll do it tomorrow” Chan lazily replied. “We’re saying that since last week” you said looking at him both of you bursting in laughing “we’re so lazy” you exclaimed still laughing. “nah, you’re the lazy one here” he retracted. “What?! you’re always the one saying We wiLL dO iT tOmOrrOw” you imitated him. “Hey I don’t talk like that!” he said laughing. “no no really. You sound exactly like that” you smiled at him teasingly.

Chan suddenly smirked as you gave him a questioning look. He bent down a bit, his lips brushing against your ear, breath fanning over your neck, goosebumps raising on the delicate skin. “you want me to show you how you sound when you moan my name?” he whispered biting your earlobe softly. You gasped slapping his arm “shut up idiot”. He whined holding his arm playfully.

“So?” he asked throwing an arm over your shoulders “what’d you like to do babygirl? . You laid your head on his shoulder. “I don’t know”. Chan thought for a moment “hmm, what about we play a game?”. You raised your head “getting interesting” — “I was thinking about something...freaky” — ”Chan! You-” — he hushed you before continuing “listen baby. Let’s do an arm wrestling”. You gave him a confused look, it was nothing freaky . What did he have in mind? “The winner gets to do whatever he wants to the loser.” — “What? no!” — “Why not love?” — “are you kidding me? You’re one hundred percent stronger than me. I’m gonna lose for sure!” you whined. “ I’ll hold myself, I’ll be gently” he smirked. “That’s not funny” you pouted crossing your arms over your chest. “C’mon babygirl” he said putting his hand on your thigh stroking the soft skin.

Looking at his veiny hand going up and down, you got an idea. “ I have an idea” you said hesitantly. “But it’s kinda embarrassing” you admitted looking at your lap playing with your fingers. “Tell me babygirl, don’t be shy” he approached you lifting your face slowly. “ ‘k hm.. let’s make out-” before you could finish your sentence, Chan interrupted you “Wait ,that’s not a game.. But y’know I’m down for it” you stopped him from hovering you “Chan, I’m not finished” you tsked “I don’t want to play anymore” he whined “shut up Chris” -- “ok M’am” he sighted pouting. “arg don’t make that face. well , yea let’s do that but the first one making a noise loses , the winner then will do whatever he wants to the loser”. Chan smirked to himself “your game is interresting , very interresting” you looked up at him shyly. Not lying to yourself, a part of you regretted this game, the other one was excited. “Let’s go!” you lowered your head not wanting him to see your timid face “BABYGIRL IT’S TOO LATE TO BE SHY! NOW GET YOUR CUTE AND SEXY ASS HERE!!” Chan practically yelled. You chuckled still embarrassed but you took a deep breath and looked in his eyes “I can’t lose this” you announced determined “I can’t either” he muttered.

You sat comfortably on his lap.You watched him attentively waiting for whatever move he was gonna do. His hands found their places on your thighs and caressed them up and down. Wanting to tease a little bit, you ghosted your lips over his beautilul plump ones . When he went to kiss you, you backed a little away as he chased after you “You’re so fucking sexy, y’know that babygirl?” you bent down kissing all along his jaw until you reached to his ear licking it slowly “Is that so?”. Chan wanted to groan but bite his lips instead. You kissed his neck , finding his sweet spot. He threw his head back as you sucked on the sensitive spot, his hands gripping tighter on your hips. You were driving him crazy. But he couldn’t show it. Getting impatient Chan decided to make a move. He took your face in his hands, looking at you with nothing but love and lust. He finally kissed you, one hand cupping your cheek, the other one on your hip. The make-out session was getting heated as you detached yourself from the kiss breathless.

“ I will admit that you’re really good at this game y/n” he admitted rubbing the small of your back “you’re giving me a hard time”. You smiled at him satisfied by his comment “But baby, that doesn’t mean I’ll give up. I can’t wait for you to lose” he whispered against your lips. “n-not gonna happen” you objected. He knew the effect he has on you. You suddenly started grinding on him knowing well he always gets hard when you do it. And damn you were right. Chan’s lips parted slightly, you were sure he was gonna groan or something but before he did , he let his head fall down on your shoulder and bite on the tender flesh. Your eyes squeezed shut as you pulled on his hair. You were weak, Chan knew you’re slowly losing at your own game. Chan couldn’t hold back anymore as he finally decided to break you, he thrusted his hips into yours making you moan at the delicious friction of his jean on your slightly covered clit. Chan smirked wildly at you , poking the inside of his cheek with his tongue “ I won” -- “That’s unfair..” you trailed out. ”y’know , I really liked your little game, It was somehow ...entertaining”. You lowered your head on his broad shoulder sighting. He stroked your hair with one hand, the other one playing with the hem of your -his- black oversized hoodie. “so?” you asked defeated, “well , since you have to do what I want” he trailed , you waited for him to continue. “I want you to-”, Chan was interrupted by your phone ringing, the song “what is love” echoing in the room.

It meant only one thing. It was Felix calling. ( it was the ringtone for him ). You answered the facetime “ hello, how you doing?” Felix asked happily “hi Felix , doing well how about you?” you replied. “Hey Changbin!” , this one was driving as he waved at you quickly. “I’m fine. hm Changbin and I were hanging out, and since we’re not too far, we wanted to know if you guys want to come with us at the mall. Y’know eating ice cream and hang out together”. Chan looked at you gesturing you to say no , since he couldn’t be seen on the screen. You eyed Chan as he made signs.. like he was sleeping? no no . tired! “Oh Lix’..hm..maybe next time.Chan and I are a bit tired”. Still sitting on Chan’s lap, you could feel his hard-on, you were extremely turned on just by feeling his covered erection. You gulped while Felix was whinning and telling you he missed you and Chan. “Well , oki then , next time” he sighed. “See you ”Changbin said.

Ending the call , you glared at him “ What?” he asked confused “It’s been ages since I saw them and went to the mall” you pouted sadly. “ y/n don’t exagerrate we saw them..LAST WEEK and we went the the mall there are like two weeks ago” you continued pouting trying to ignore how turned on you were. After a while, Chan cupped your cheeks softly “baby, i promise , tomorrow we’ll call them to hang out” you missed your best friends and he could understand that, you smiled at him happily and hugged him tightly. “you’re welcome baby” he said laughing.

“But where were we?” he resumed smirking. You sighed before answering “you were on your way to torture me” he slapped your thigh laughing “don’t say non-sense”. “Well , I want you to” he thought for a moment again “I want you to ride me” he smirked. “It’s not a punishment” -- “ who talked about punishment. You said the winner does what he wants. And that’s what I want” You rolled your eyes and smiled slightly .You liked loved riding him and damn he loved it too. You both loved the intimacy of this position. Skin against skin , bodies so close , looking into each others eyes. He loved how easily he can mark you , kiss you , hold you. He pushed your hair behind you as you caressed his cheek lovingly. You approached him , kissing him.

Getting hornier and impatient Chan talked again “what are you doing?! C’mon! Ride me babygirl!” — “you’re so earger, let’s enjoy this-” — “shh! I won! My command! My rule! You should obey!” he took your hands placing them on his belt . You got the hint as you unbuckled it “that’s my good girl” he chuckled “shut up idiot” he slapped your ass lightly making you whine. You took his shirt off slowly , you stared at his well-built body practically drooling over it. “ you staring” he smirked. “ how not to?” you kissed his neck as he groaned when you sucked little marks on his sensitive skin . You were too much for him , he grabbed your hips guilding you to grind on him harder. He backed away from you, locking eyes with you as he lifted your hoodie up just enough to see what’s under it. “fuck, so pretty!” he said breathless.

He attacked your neck, leaving love bites. “Baby I want to make love to you” — “but what about the-” — “Don’t talk about this stupid game” he said laughing. “But babe” , you came back into your sitting position looking at him curiously waiting for him to finish his sentence “ I still want you to ride me” — “are you serious Chan?” you said laughing , he raised an eyesbrow “ Well , I guess I want to continue the game” you looked at him with a poker face. “BUT after that I want to make love to you” he winked at you. You turned your head away trying not to laugh. Chan smiled at your reaction. “ ok then” you said “ yea let’s get the D“ he said laughing “OHMYGODYOURESOSTUPID”. He laughed again before reconnecting his lips with yours. “AND YOU’RE SO SEXY AND ADORABLE , you’re my babygirl.. only mine” he whispered.

He lowered his boxer down a bit more and take your hand putting them on his erection “Do you feel that? You’re the reason of it” you bite your lips closing your eyes when you felt his cock twitched against your fingers. You took his hard-on out of his confinement, freeing him. He groaned as the cold air hit his manhood. Touching the red tip of his lenght you could feel the pre-cum already leaking. He put his fingers on the wet patch on your panties , making you whine at the contact. “Baby please” he pushed the material to the side “do you want me to prep-” — “Chan , let’s skip the foreplay” — “ everything for my princess”.

You aligned yourself on top of him. He held you by your hips helping you sink on him. Entering you, Chan let out a breathy moan. He felt so good inside of you. You rested your forehead on his , trying to catch your breath. “Babe, are you ok?” he asked caressing your burning cheek. “ yea yea , I’m fine don’t worry Channie” you smiled at him reassuringly. You started moving slowly, grinding on him sensually. He threw his head back , enjoying the pleasuring pace. You took the opportunity to kiss his neck ”Do you feel good baby?” you whispered onto his throat . “If i feel good? It’s like I’m in h-heaven” he said practically laughing “oh my god stop” you stopped slapping his torso. He kissed your cheek “ it feels so good babygirl, you always make me feel that way. You’re so good for me” he answered. You smiled at him cheeks heating up. He put his hands on each side of your hips and suddenly thrusted into you. “ ah fuck!” you fell foward on his chest. “baby don’t stop riding me” you could feel him smirking. You started moving again , still holding them, Chan controlled the rythym and made you move a bit faster. He started matching his hips with yours. Your fingernails were buried deep into his bicep as red little marks appeared. You pulled at his hair as you felt the oh-so familiar knot in your lower stomach. You tighter around him “fuck are you close babygirl?” You could only nod. Chan’s hand travelled lower, caressing your stomach feeling the bulge on your lower abdoment, cursing he started rubbing your bud of nerves, drawing little circles. You felt like you were about to explode. “Baby, I-” — “Babygirl cum for me” , just the sound of his voice made you cum the second after, making you moan his name over and over loudly. Chan thrusted in you one last time, his cock twitching inside you as he cummed just after you , filling you to the brim. You let your head fell on his shoulder, both of you breathing heavily.

“You did so well for me” he purred caressing your back. Still inside you Chan moved and you winced in pain. “Y/n, you good?” he asked concerned “yea yea I am. Can we just stay like that please?” — “of course” he said trying his best to make you more confortable on top of him. He closed his eyes enjoying the feeling of your warmth around him, your skin against his, feeling your heartbeat. “how about we take a shower and go eat something?” he asked softly while caressing your back up and down slowly. “Not gonna lie, you ended me” he laughed out loud. “But I’m down to eat. I’m hungry” you smiled ”well, fine, hmm I was thinking about calling Felix and Changbin to join us, I mean if you agr-” — ” yes!! Call them!” Chan laughed again.

“Let’s take our shower now” he started helping you to stand up”— “ wait..no.wait!” — “ what is it? did I hurted you?” he asked almost panicked. “hey I’m ok don’t worry” you chuckled , “you agreed to stay like that for a moment” you pouted. “Oh. I thought you’d get ready now” — “ I just want you to stay inside me for a moment. You know, I want to stay in your arms” he smiled at your words. “so , you’re into cockwarming huh?” he said teasingly. “oh shut up idiot” . “c’mere” he gestured you to come closer. You hugged him right away. “I love you” — “ I love you even more princess” — “ nope , I don’t think so , I love you the most” - “nah I love you more” — “shh I love you more than Felix loves Changbin” — “YO what the f-” — “shh” you kissed his cheek chuckling.

—

a/n (2) : it was in my drafts for so long omg

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whatcouldgowrong-ohthat · 4 years

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We Do This to Live Ch. 2

Chapter Two

Summary: On Earth-198742, there are no heroes. There’s humans. There’s mutants. There are even some that fall somewhere between. But when Boliver Trask manages to get the Sentinel program signed, it’s up to a thief and her brilliant sister to find those that still believe in something more - something good. And maybe, along the way, they’ll get the chance to save mutant kind.

Pairings: Rogue x Remy, Marie x Shuri (eventually), Geneva x Bucky (eventually)

Word Count: 2344 words

Warnings: Cussing

Masterlist to OCs - Masterlist to Other Works

Previous Chapter

March 12th, 2000

Rain had a way of falling hard and heavy on days the world could really do without. Today was not an exception. The family, both blood and Guild, listened to the priest’s kind words about Henri Lebeau. It was all appreciated.

And yet…

Geneva looked to her parents. Her mother held Marie in her arm, her other hand carefully wrapped around her father’s bicep. She watched the subtle circles Rogue traced against Remy’s coat. It was her way of letting him know he was there. But her father’s eyes never looked away from the closed casket.

Closed only because there was no body to return home.

Tucking loose strands behind her ear, Geneva shivered as icy raindrops hit her skin. As much as she loved the rain, now didn’t seem to be a good time for it. A small sniffle caught her attention. She looked to the small child in Rogue’s arms. Only three and Marie had lost both of her parents.

She watched as Marie’s smaller hand reached for her. Her eyes were puffy, nose red, and lips quivering. Geneva couldn’t imagine how much of this her cousin actually understood. Letting Marie take one of her fingers, she watched her fat little digits curl around it and squeeze.

Things were going to be different now. They had to be. She offered a weak smile as Marie’s chubby cheek pressed into Rogue’s shoulder. Neither of them was paying attention to the speaker’s words. Nor did they notice the way Rogue had started watching them.

Instead, Geneva raised the finger Marie held and nudged her nose. “I got ya, Marie. Promise.”

Children always try their hardest. Whether it’s fulfilling promises or performing their best, they try. And Geneva, with the stubbornness of both her parents, was consistent. For a year, she helped care for Marie as much as her parents would allow. She stopped hanging out with friends, only wanting to make her little cousin smile as much as possible. Her parents noticed the difference in the way she treated the baby she once called a “punk” and “brat” had become more of a sister to her than they could have ever anticipated.

But the world has a funny way of reminding a child that they are only mortal. They always have strength, but with it comes weakness.

For them, it came as a reminder that she was young. Fragile. Geneva’s fevers came back inconsistently. Sometimes it would last a couple hours but vanish as quickly as it appeared. Other times, she would be bedridden for days at a time.

And neither Rogue nor Remy knew what to do.

Remy nursed a glass filled with bourbon. He sat on their apartment balcony, silently wondering what he could do. Was there anything he could do?

Four days had passed with Geneva’s temperature lingering at 104. Tante Mattie spent most days here, conjuring up whatever old medicine she could in what felt like a poor attempt to bring it down. Still, it wasn’t enough and now…

It wasn’t that they didn’t want to go to the hospitals – they did. However, the Accords had made it difficult for any mutant to step foot in one. If they came up unregistered, they were arrested on sight. He had seen too many families torn apart on the news and no human cared enough to speak up for them.

So where did that leave them with their little girl?

Remy wasn’t a fool. He knew how lucky they were to have Geneva in their life. The idea of losing her… He squeezed his eyes shut, pushing the thought to the back of his mind.

The balcony door clicked; the sound so faint that anyone else would have missed it. He didn’t bother looking up, recognizing the perfume that lingered in the air. Rogue wrapped her arms around his shoulder, carefully resting her chin on his head. “Finally got Marie down,” she whispered. “Any word from Mattie?”

He lifted the phone from his lap. Nothing. She had taken Geneva to the hospital, insisting that nothing was working. This was their last option. Since she was human and Geneva showed no signs of being mutant, that meant the two could go. While Rogue and Remy silently waited here.

“Baiser les Accords,” he muttered, taking a sip of the alcohol. It did nothing to him thanks to his powers, but the bitter taste burning his throat at least helped him feel something.

“Ya know Mattie is gonna keep our girl safe, Sugah,” Rogue whispered, tucking his hair behind his ear. She was trying to stay hopeful. They both knew that. The truth that hung so plainly in the air was that, if she could, Rogue would fly there now. She’d bust down every door until she was by her daughter’s side.

They were those kinds of parents.

“Roguey,” he whispered, voice thick with more than just that Cajun tongue. “What if she can’t?”

Rogue’s heart cracked when he asked that one question. The one she couldn’t let cross her own mind. It hurt too much. Squeezing him tight, she whispered, “Then we figure it out.”

Taking Geneva to the hospital had been the hardest decision they had made. She stayed for three weeks, losing weight and delirious half the time. When Tante Mattie could and their baby girl felt up for it, the family facetimed. It was always careful – always making sure nurses and doctors weren’t waiting around the corner.

However, there had been more than one occasion where Remy almost broke into the hospital. He just wanted to see her in person. He wanted to make sure Geneva knew they wanted to be there. They didn’t want her to be alone.

But Tante Mattie made it clear. This wasn’t about him or Rogue. Everything they did here needed to be the best thing for her.

When Tante Mattie finally brought her home, they celebrated. Remy cooked all her favorites and Rogue had even made a cake. Meanwhile, Marie refused to let Geneva leave her side. The four-year-old had noticed her disappearance and it became clear to everyone. She wasn’t a fan.

“I’m fine! Really,” Geneva assured them, laughing when Rogue gave her another hug. “Don’t even feel like I was sick.” Bouncing Marie on her leg and playing with the girl’s small hands, Geneva glanced at her dad. “Y’both worry too much.”

“Maybe,” Rogue agreed, interrupting Remy before he got a chance to say something different. She gave him a look as he bit his tongue, knowing that crazy Cajun wanted to argue. “Still. We’re gonna be takin’ some precautions from now on. Just to be safe, alright?” She smoothed Geneva’s hair back, taking a look at her eyes. Her heart warmed when she saw that sparkle she adored so much.

Geneva huffed, her shoulders slumping. “I guess that’s fair.”

Remy snorted as he filled a bowl up with some jambalaya. “Bon. ‘Cause y’didn’t have a say eit’er way, petite luciole.”

“I’m not a firefly!”

Laughing, he slid the bowl in front of her just as an obnoxious growl tore through her stomach. “Just eat y’food.”

It’s rare for anyone to like change, but for the Lebeau family, it became especially hard. Deciding it better for them to stay close to more “human” family, they left Mississippi and moved back to New Orleans.

Jean Luc, wanting to help however he could, turned one of the guest bedrooms into a hospital room. He hired a private physician to join full time and, only when the fevers lasted longer than a week, did he or Tante Mattie take her to the hospital.

Because of Jean Luc’s…connections…it wasn’t too hard for the staff to look the other way. There was simply one silent rule – Jean Luc had to accompany them.

All things considered, they appreciated it.

And Remy thought it was the least his father could do for his granddaughter.

For three years, it became such a basic part of their routine that they didn’t question it. All that mattered was that Geneva always came home.

When she turned fourteen, no one noticed the change. No one…except Marie. Even at six and seven, she noticed the differences. She had started making notes for her own sake, knowing no one would listen to her. She was still a kid – the youngest of them all.

But there was no denying her notes were right.

Geneva’s fevers were lasting for shorter periods of time. Her skin remained hot, sure, but the thermometer didn’t register the temperatures quite the same. Another thing that was different – Geneva had more energy. If she didn’t know better, Marie would have thought Geneva was hyped on caffeine 24/7. She just had that much energy.

The one time she had even tried to say anything, Remy chocked it up to Geneva making up for time stuck in a bed.

But it was more than that. Marie knew it had to be.

“Oof!” Marie grunted as Geneva tackled her from behind. The notebook in her hand fell to the ground as her pen rolled under the couch. “Gen,” she groaned as Geneva flopped back.

She propped her back against the arm of the couch, rolling her eyes. “I swear y’not a kid. Y’sound as old as Pépé half the time.”

Marie didn’t say anything, shutting her notebook and tucking it against her chest. On her knees, she shoved her arm under the couch and tried to find that blasted pen. “That was my favorite,” she whined.

“It’s a pen, Marie,” Geneva reminded her.

Marie knew she was right. It was just a pen. Marie had ten exactly like it in her room because she knew her family well enough. Things like pens rolling just out of reach were common. Sitting on her haunches, she looked at Geneva. Sometimes it was hard to believe that there were so many years between the two.

Geneva always made a point to be fun, trying to get Marie to loosen up.

And Marie always acted older than her actual age.

Somehow, the two managed to find a way to meet in the middle.

“C’mon. Mere ‘n’ Pere are finally lettin’ moi get out o’this house.” Geneva jumped to her feet. “I need ya help pickin’ out what I’m wearin’.”

Marie yelped as she was yanked to her feet, stumbling and bounding up the stairs. As much as she could find Geneva’s energy a trifle annoying, she appreciated how much Geneva tried including her in her world.

It made things like “being in a thieves guild” feel a little more…normal.

Rogue found herself unable to sleep that night, eyes fixated on the moonlight outside. Geneva had left a few hours ago, checking in when she had arrived just as they had made her promise to do. She was a good kid. They both knew that. And yet…

“Do ya think it was a good idea,” she asked, knowing Remy had to be as awake as she.

“Non.” She couldn’t stop her smile. Her husband was such a grouch. “Y’convinced moi, remember?”

She rolled over, not at all surprised to see Remy had been staring at the ceiling. “Sugah,” she drawled. Rogue propped her head up, hating that Remy looked so absolutely distraught.

“I know we told her a couple months o’non fevers and she could go,” he grumbled. One hand was tucked behind his head, the other having found her knee. He squeezed gently, needing to know that she was there. “I know that, mas…What if somethin’ happens?”

The smallest sympathetic smile tugged at Rogue’s lips. “We’re both worryin’ over somethin’ that might not happen.”

Remy chuckled. Closing his eyes, the softest sigh forced his chest to rise and fall. “Been doin’ that. Hell, I thought the fevers might be a sign that…” He hesitated, afraid to voice it out loud.

But he didn’t need to. They had thought the same thing, believing Geneva’s crazy fevers and medical visits had to be connected to a brewing mutation.

“I know.” She curled against his side. “I thought the same thing.”

Silence fell between the two. Sure, it was a surprise and perhaps a bit disappointing that Geneva wasn’t a mutant. But maybe it needed to be this way. The Accords made being one of them so difficult. If she lived her life as a human, it’d be far easier for her.

A thud from their bedroom door broke the silence. They jerked as it swung open. Tante Mattie, Jean Luc, and Marie all stood there. Panic in their eyes.

“What,” Rogue asked, sitting up as Marie ran in. “What’s going on?”

“Y’need t’see the news,” Jean Luc told them, a waver in his voice that unsettled Remy.

The TV across from their bed flickered on, Marie standing just next to it with the remote in hand. The New Orleans news anchor wasn’t at his usual desk. He was…

He was on the outskirts of the bayou.

Remy stood up, eyes flickering to the ambulances, firetrucks, and police officers. Just behind all of the lights, taunting the world with its existence, was a fire.

“Police believe it was a mutant attack that started the fire.”

“Rem,” Rogue whispered. That agonizing fear tinged her voice, making Remy feel sick to his stomach. He didn’t notice her turn. She had to find her phone.

“Officials have already found four teenagers from the party. There have been minor injuries for the most part, but the kids have said there are still several that have yet to be found.”

“She’s not answerin’ her phone, Remy.”

A teenager’s face appeared on screen – pimply and awkward as ever. “It was so weird! The fille – There was lightnin’ comin’ outa her skin!”

Remy stood. His movements were quick, scrambling to find any clothes and settling on sweatpants and a sweatshirt. He stalked past them as Rogue rushed to find some clothes.

“Son, where y’goin’?”

Remy didn’t stop walking. He didn’t have the time. He only had one thing in mind --

“T’find her.”

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detectiveconnor · 4 years

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Cyberlife the Game: VR Verse

The Lead-up

The release of the new VR game, “Cyberlife”, was highly anticipated. It was the first game which could lay claim to a real, completely immersive experience - several top gaming athletes pledged to be there for the release on November 5th, 2038, being some of the lucky few who received personal copies of the game for its beta testing, a week before the commercial launch of the game. The remaining players, totaling 10,000 across the United States of America (for the beta program, a local release), were selected at random from a raffle for spaces which many fans claimed to have been rigged when one player was selected twice in a row, and it probably was - but Elijah Kamski (eccentric, Elon-Musk-type figure, and the founder and owner of the Cyberlife Co.) didn’t mind if you entered one time or a thousand. Getting into the game was a matter of ‘wanting it enough’, and boy, did people want it. With all 10,000 initial players selected, the Cyberlife company delivered immersive virtual reality sets to each lucky raffle winner, in what many people called the most ambitious publicity stunt for a new gaming company ever seen within the US. Elijah Kamski called it a ‘commitment to accessibility’.

The Reckoning

November 5th, 4:00pm. The day of the release, Cyberlife’s network finally comes online - everybody’s copies of the game now can connect to the golden gates that shimmer in the empty space of the Virtual World hosted by Cyberlife Co, waiting to be populated with various other immersive reality games once developers could work out how to make their work compatible with Cyberlife VR gear. Players spill into this Virtual World by the thousands, and many are there to witness the unchaining of these heavenly gates as they open onto the starter town within the First Level. This area is called Alther City; it’s a bustling little cyber town modeled after Detroit, fashioned of smooth concrete and metal. Paths and homely but low-level shops lining the streets, including two competing breweries called Hog’s East and Hog’s West (where many of the first low-level ‘mission’s from NPCs are delivered). Alther City makes up the vast majority of the First Level - it’s just this town, crawling with low-level creatures for leveling purposes, and sprawling suburbia: empty houses waiting to be filled. Some people venture out into the empty houses and wonder why there are so many vacant places. A ghost event, maybe? Sites that will be filled with NPCs the further you progress in the story? Mr Kamski promised a formal announcement at 5:00pm, so people stick around until then, some trickling in closer to the time and others eager to find as much as they can in the time that they have. Some of the elite gamers have logged in using their gaming handles. Others have used pseudonyms, so they can enjoy the game as they please for the beta test period, without the excitement of the crowds. 5:00pm arrives. They’re all gathered in the central square of Alther. Ten thousand people, in a crowd, watch as the sky splits into a shining white screen, and Kamski steps into view.

Thank you all for joining Cyberlife this evening. We are delighted to have you. My name is Elijah Kamski, founder of the Cyberlife Co. I know you’ve all been as excited as I have to make this immersive experience a reality. You are currently on the First Level - this is a safe space for all players. PvP is not enabled here, and you may store your items safely with any of the friendly NPCs without fear that they may be stolen. Now, I’m sure your aware that Cyberlife Co is always striving for the best, most immersive gaming experience. I would like to announce a revolutionary new experiment which you have all helpfully volunteered to be a part of: I call it ‘Cyberlife’. I have always wondered, what would people do, when forced to live one? A cyber life, that is. Well, we’re all going to find out, today. Many of you will have found there is no ‘logout’ button within your user menus.This is not a glitch, and it will not be remedied. The only way to leave this cyber life you’re living is through death - which will happen, also, in the real world; I don’t suggest you experiment - or by someone in the ten thousand of you defeating Cyberlife’s final boss; no spoilers as to who or what that might be. The final boss is located on the Fifth Level. Happy gaming.

Ten thousand people in the square erupt, at once, first into panicked murmurings - and then something closer to a riot.

Game Mechanics

Take and leave these as you please, they’re suggestions! Adjust as necessary for plot/etc.

If you die in the game you die in real life. No exceptions. If you lose internet connection in real life, you have a 72 hour grace period where you may be comatose. Any longer than that, automatic game over.

Those empty houses are meant to be for purchase or rent. Having a house has a lot of benefits - including the fact you won’t freeze to death, and access to a synthesis room, which you can use to make higher-level medpacks, weapons, armour, etc out of foraged or won items. You’d have to purchase these, otherwise.

There are five Levels. You may travel between levels freely once you have gained access to them - to gain access, you will need to defeat each Level’s local boss. Exploration and preparation is vital, as well as information sharing: a Level might have some clues scattered around with NPCs, but you very well could accidentally walk into a boss fight while exploring. Be prepared, be cautious, but if you don’t explore you’ll never find the boss.

Parties of up to ten players.

Guilds of up to 1,000 players. Guilds can have their own chat rooms. They have names to refer to themselves. The most well-known and biggest guild is Jericho. If someone dies in your guild it is announced to the entire guild. Very Hunger Games cannon-esque. It’s got its own chime. Ringadingding, xyz is dead.

Probably one of the guilds is a self-declared policing body. Let’s hope they’re good at it.

You still gotta eat. If your hunger stat is too low, NPCs at bars will offer to let you work for a meal; nobody will starve, unless they refuse to work.

Weaponries and armorists do exist. Cost is in-game currency (earned through drops or trades with other players). They sell daggers/knucklebusters for low-level melee, guns (sniper rifles! Pistols, shotguns - different stats), ammo, low-level medpacks (anything higher you will need to synthesise yourself), one grenade at a time (these are usually consumable pick-up from decently-leveled monsters), and the more common synthesis materials if you just need a quick top-up of the last 5 leathers, etc. Armorists sell different levels of armor - bullet proof vests, chain mail, damage-returning xyzs... all at the cost of stealth and mobility. Some people choose not to wear any armor at all. Others, panicked, wear everything they can get their hands on.

Killing is not the only option. Besides bosses, you can stun creatures and make them drop whatever they’re carrying, and they will still scurry off. You gotta kill the bosses. Sneaking past would-be combats because your stealth is high enough? Strategic AND useful.

You can kill NPCs. Everybody suffers the loss of that NPC for a week. ‘WEAPONRY CLOSED DUE TO MURDER’ until a ‘new’ NPC comes to replace them. People get upset. And annoyed. You don’t kill the NPCs.

Classes: there are no formal classes. People aren’t divided into types of people irl and they aren’t in the game, either. You can cross and mix and create your own playstyle - yes people will tend to have things they lean towards and roles within their parties, but hey. You don’t get any stat boost for pre-determining what you want to play as.

You can share information or choose not to. If you have mapped something it’s usually better to share this information with everyone - there is a communal open-source live map for access, but not everyone contributes everything they know, because people are like that.

There is friendly fire, be careful out there

Certain (expensive) tech artefacts with particular powers. You can make these up as needed for plot devices, but some useful things to think about:

Teleportation watch - allows you to insta-teleport yourself and your party with you to your house. Should a boss ever escape/rampage into the main city of a Level you’re on (or you just come face to face with one by mistake), this will be extremely advantageous.

Healing nanobots - restores a small amount of health at a time, but continuously. Good for cases of chronic damage. If you lose 3HP a minute to a chronic issue but gain 10HP every 3 minutes, you should still be able to sleep soundly.

Contact Cards. There are three Contact Cards in the entire game. They are awarded to players of significance - e.g. the first to locate the First Level’s boss, the first to uncover important game lore, the first to reach the Third Level, etc. Contact Cards are non-transferable (though you can use them on someone else’s behalf) items which allow the user a fifteen-minute phonecall home (to the real world). Fifteen minutes only. This includes ringtime. No more no less, but you can call any phone number in the world, for any reason, and you can use 5 minutes on one phonecall and 10 on another, if you like. If your character would never earn a CC - consider whether they might be able to win a raffle for one. I’m sure they’d be good to raffle off the use of, at a profit.

First party to beat a boss gets good items. Everyone thereafter gets recipes to synthesise those items. You will need a copy of the recipe and all items on it to synthesize - if you want to make two, you will need two copies.

You can PVP and stake items on the outcome. Be careful to define what a ‘defeat’ is, but this is a good way for people to identify those elite players/prove themselves to each other AS elite players/just to be able to get some sparring practice in, and gambling.

Once the game is over/someone has beaten the final boss, everyone is put back to their normal lives. I don’t believe in muscle wastage because being true to life at expense of plot convenience doesn’t appeal to me, but hey, each their own. Consider the reunion threads!!! the finding each other threads!!!

#feel free to use this! i am not even sure what i want to do with it but i wrote it out #so if y'all want to write your own things in this verse don't let me stop you. you don't need to credit me #v; living the cyber life (virtual reality)#verse information

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elanska · 4 years

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Miss Not So Sidekick - chapter 87

our chapter opened with the head librarian (his name kinda long, so we'll call him important reminder) said he's waiting for someone from the magic tower to do maintenance for the recently bought CCTV orb today. Arwin, smiling briliantly, speaks out that it will be him. Latte reconfirms, and important reminder - upon seeing that brilliant sparkles of beauty and grace, quickly prostrate himself while having nosebleed.

Latte, already used to her hubby's forbidden charms capturing the hearts of everyone (and their grandma, and probably their little dog too) just smile and comment the obvious "I think he's your fan' (no duh! detective!Latte). Arwin just, "ah, the usual" (we want to say he's arrogant, but damn he's pretty!)

(also, uh, I can't picture the jealousy!are you cheating on me-drama once they get married. Pretty girls will be like, take one glance at her hubby, prostrating themselves upon this unearthly beauty and Latte goes, 'yeah, familiar sight'; and Arwin goes 'indeed') ***ABSOLUTELY NOBODY DARES TO APPROACH LATTE TO FLIRT IF THEY STILL VALUE THEIR LIVES***)

important reminder dashed to get the CCTV orb but Arwin is not the Lord of magician's tower just for the pretty face, he directly summoned the orb and grin like, veereee sadistically about what awaits the true culprit. Apawn and inside jobs like 'oh god! we're screwed!!' (serve you right! you bitches! how dare you to try to entrap our cute latte! and you inside jobs! how dare you besmirch our image of librarian being the keeper of multiple dimension within books and being secretly master assassin, you know, like crossover between doctor strange and john wick....but this girl dared to sully that reputation just because threatened/bribed by some silly noble girl??? GRAAAAAA!!!). Latte, the good girl she is feeling bad for those two (wut? butbutbut Latte, girl...), so she try to appeal to her hubby....

hmm? it's not? eh, Latte pointing out that since Arwin is came to the library to CCTV's maintenance, shouldn't he, like, can skip the hassle and just pointed out the culprit? (eh, like, in original novel? so tower's finance going down isn't because Latte getting bishot for free?) (I would also pointed out that in original novel, Arwin is, like, flinging the culprit all over the library, while in Latte's route, he's pretty calm. Well, he's playing around with Latte....maybe he's like big dog who have much playing/exercising to be not aggressive? or maybe he'll just playing with Latte first and then proceed to wreck the culprit afterwards? I meant, Ibelin with her goody-goody girl act should goes 'oh noes, please spare the culprit live, my good sir' or something like that right?)

oops, getting distracted. anyway, Latte pointed out that Arwin can instantly known the culprit (thanks to the CCTV. Or probably in original Ibelin's route, Arwin probably just stalking her around from the start so he can tell immediately about the culprit. am still doesn't give up about relation about Latte and tower's finance, guys....though, if this fantasy setting, the magicians should just do a guild quest or something, seriously, are you magicians or shopkeeper?). Where was I? oh yeah, Arwin should know immediately how to recognize the culprit, yet he goes 'are you the culprit, dear customer?' and goofing around with the investigation. Arwin just laughed and admitted that he's just standby and enjoying the whole show because he thought it was 1. funny and 2. he's curious about Latte's reaction, and kinda surprised that Latte is like, very calm, and not getting flustered.

Latte is like, getting flustered? over a stupid, shoddy plot? (ooof burnt ya there Peridot). If there's recording, Latte's alibi will be quickly proven, and she can also have her household provide testimony for her. Apawn quickly crumbled and start to confess that she's threatened to do so (really? you seem having no conscience at all when framing Latte, what's with the finger pointing and smug face?! GRAAAA!!) and that she would be killed if she didn't complied.

People asked who ordering her, and Apawn said she didn't know, they're wearing cloak and the carriage is covered in black fabric........but! she can see Garnet emblem between the fabric gap! People are shocketh! and Kenneth (oh he's still here, hey don't be rude to mah friend Kenneth, okay, but he's so quiet that we tended to forget he's still here, also quite strange he didn't fussed over Ibelin and keep standing in front of Latte. that's because mah friend is still accused just like, 15 second ago, you know? Fine, fine). okay, so Kenneth said, are you trying to lie again? Apawn crying and swearing it's the truth. People are fussing over about this shocking revelation (meanwhile, I'm questioning myself why the hell you are hellbent on following instruction from someone you didn't even know . If it's the powerful Garnett family that threatened you, then sure, you might get afraid of crossing them and then just do the task. But someone you didn't know just strolled at you and then ordered you to do something and you just do it? I meant, if my boss asking me to lent him money to buy lunch because he forgot his wallet, sure, I'll do that. but if a stranger come to me in restaurant and say 'hey you, your boss and I just eating together and we forgot our wallet. foot our bill.' - I'll at least called my boss first to ensure this is not a scam. Or is the Garnet family reputation so tarnished that people just go 'oh yeah, totally a Garnet style' and just done it anyway? (but the mob on the library fussing on how 'are you sure?' 'need to investigate blahblah'). Wait, they don’t outrightly said IMPOSSIBRU! what's wrong with the Garnet? do they frequently do this kind of thing often?)

On the other side, Latte start monologuing how Peridot's true objective isn't framing Latte nor offing Ibelin-by-falling-bookshelves, but by open investigation for her involvement so Peridot can play victim and aggressively try to prove her innocence. AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY SHE WOULD DO THAT???? I meant, why? why do you need to entrap yourself so you can be crying 'I've been framed! I've been framed!' (perhaps so if she trying to hurt Ibelin again in the future, she will use this case as reference? Like? 'ehhh, somebody trying to frame me /again/?' this is the scary girl that like, trying to get 3 birds with one stone (Latte getting framed and became her follower out of fear, Ibelin getting hurt, and Peridot getting suspicion immunity on the future). Her plot for ensnare Latte quickly unravels tho since it's so messy and Latte has quite an alibi (though it was because of CCTV orbs. Hmmmmm, the Ectrie household might be not much of alibi since they could accused of defending her impartially, but the /rumor/ will drag Latte down regardless (ooooh, so this is rumor attack from noble lady fights)

Arwin (again, asserting his closeness to Latte by whispering close to her. Ha! take take that ma friend Kenneth!) asking how does Latte feels to suddenly got revelation that her case is actually part of bigger conspiracy with ominous shadow looming *DUNDUNDUN* Latte plays it cool, bro. Arwin asks aren't you scared? she shrugged that she doesn't have reason to be scared because she's not the actual target anyway. HUH WHAT

oh yeah, forgot that in Peridot's eyes, Ibelin is still the female lead *snicker snicker* ****Wait, don't laugh, us, it's better for Peridot thinking that way**** so her trying to frame Latte maybe just as an afterthought. The most important thing is to make Ibelin having accident and then Peridot will play victim? (no, sorry, Latte, we're still confused, but we'll trust your word on this). Excited Arwin is cute tho.

Arwin listening to Latte's explanation about how Peridot will likely denying her involvement by making the trap (her crest) very obvious in the first place (she can making various excuse how somebody borrowing her carriage or some criminal plagiarized the crest to implicate her, Important thing is that she's being framed! framed! I tell you! - eh does she meant that she wanted the 'some criminal plagiarize my family crest so whatever vile doing done in the future by some criminal plagiarize my family crest is unrelated to me?' Ohhhh???? OHHHHHHHHH!!!! ss...so that's why she want to get 'caught' on this first offense! de....detective Latte! *worship*).

Arwin makes a comment how he's surprised that Latte is sharper than he thought. Latte is haha, how stupid have you been seeing me till now then?

and Arwin, responded. *we facepalmed*

#miss not so sidekick #arwin x latte #arwin hebrim #latte ectrie #kenneth von esbande #peridot garnet

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superfreakerz · 7 years

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SWF 8

"Sailing with Fire"

Rated M for eventual smut.

Summary: Lucy is in desperate need of a break from the mage life and embarks on a two week long cruise alongside her partner, Natsu. What they don't know is that it's a cruise designed specifically for couples. With no other choice than to pretend they are married, the two try to enjoy the cruise the best they can all the while dealing with uncharted feelings.

Read earlier chapters on FF.net

A bright smile was plastered to the girl's face as she walked beside her partners. She had been away from the guild for a whole week on a job, which meant that she was also away from a certain iron-eating dragon slayer she was completely head over heels for. And though their relationship wasn't official in the slightest, she still missed the boy and longed to be near him again.

Opening the grand doors of the guild, Levy McGarden stepped inside the guild and immediately searched for Gajeel Redfox. Her breath hitched in her throat from excitement when she found him sitting at his usual table in the corner along with Pantherlily. She briskly walked towards them, eager to finally talk to Gajeel after a whole week.

Gajeel's eyes landed on her as she approached. "You're back."

"Yep!" Levy replied, giving him a smile. Her cheeks dusted pink as she sat across from him. "How's the guild been since I was gone?"

The dragon slayer gave a disinterested shrug and answered, "The usual, I guess. Nothing interesting happened."

"Don't lie to her like that, Gajeel," someone else chimed in. Levy turned to find Erza approaching them, her arms crossed over her armor-covered chest. "What about what is happening with Lucy and Natsu?"

"Tsk. Who cares about what Salamander and Bunny Girl are doing?" Gajeel asked.

"Considering you put money in the bet too, I would assume you do."

Levy glanced around the guild in search of the said two. With a quirked brow, she questioned, "Where is Lu-chan anyways? She's usually here by now."

"She's with Natsu," Erza answered with a smug smirk.

Other members of the guild circled around them to get in on the conversation. Everyone was grinning, informing Levy that something interesting had happened between her fellow bookworm and respective dragon slayer. Everyone had known that something was bound to happen between the two eventually and their feelings were obvious.

Hopeful that her best friend had made strides in her love life, Levy asked with a wide smile, "What's going on with Lu-chan and Natsu?"

"I'll explain!" Happy said, flying onto the table by Pantherlily. "They're on a couple's cruise!"

"What!? How did that happen?"

"Lucy signed them up for it without even reading the whole pamphlet!"

"And now we're betting on them," Cana added, taking a swig from her flask. "Most of us think that they're probably getting it on right now or at least will at some point during their cruise." Pointing at Gray she continued, "And some people think that Natsu doesn't have the balls to make a move."

Mira covered Wendy's ears. "Language, Cana.

The brunette shrugged and gave an unapologetic grin. "Gajeel here placed his money with Gray. Wanna join in, Levy?"

Levy glanced at Gajeel and gave a smug grin. "Yes I would! I have full confidence that something is going to happen between them!" Sure, money was tight at the moment and gambling wasn't the wisest thing to do. But hey, the odds were in her favor. "It's a couple's cruise! That's got to be romantic! Good for Lu-chan!"

"Gihi, you're 'bout to lose some money, Shrimp," Gajeel jibed.

"No way! Natsu and Lu-chan are probably doing something romantic as we speak!"

Natsu sneezed as he was dragged alongside Lucy. His cheeks were green and puffy, his stomach churning with each step. Waking up with motion sickness everyday was horrible and part of him couldn't wait to get home. On the other hand, however, he was able to kiss Lucy on the boat, so perhaps it wasn't too bad.

Lucy groaned as Natsu grew heavier. Luckily, they were reaching the front desk, where the attendant was expecting them.

Lucy was a tad annoyed. It wasn't Natsu's fault that he had motion sickness and she didn't blame him for it. But it definitely killed the mood that they had just a few moments ago.

Lucy had just woken up after a good night's rest, her head resting over Natsu's arm and her arms wrapped around Natsu's side. Her legs straddled one of his, taking in all of the heat she could get. Not as embarrassed as yesterday morning, the girl calmly sat up, though her cheeks still warmed at the thought of cuddling with Natsu.

Thanks to her movements, Natsu woke up a moment later, a loud yawn escaping his mouth as he stretched. Sitting up, he gave the blonde a fanged grin as they sat side by side.

After their kissing session last night, the two felt incredible. Their hearts were light and they didn't have any cares in the world. Even if neither knew that the other reciprocated their feelings, they were happy to be getting what they were.

"Good morning," Lucy said, smiling shyly at him.

"Morning," Natsu replied, scratching his head. "What's the plan for today?"

"I was thinking we could eat breakfast and then take a walk around ship, see what else it has to offer."

"How much stuff can one boat have?"

"It's a pretty big boat."

Natsu shrugged and leaned back against the headboard, crossing his arms behind his head. His eyes darted to Lucy's lips, itching to taste them once again. And with their alias, he now had the ability to make that happen.

"There are going to be a lot of attendants out," Natsu said uninterestedly. "Sounds kinda risky."

"Really?" Lucy asked, arching a brow. "We're just going to be walking around though."

"Can't be too careful on a couple's cruise, you know? Maybe we should practice some more like we did last night," Natsu suggested, his cheeks turning pink.

Lucy began to blush as well and she averted her gaze. Either Natsu matured overnight and was overly cautious or he actually just wanted to kiss her. The blonde hoped for the latter but she wasn't sure. And even if he did want to kiss her, she figured it was because it was a new experience for him, just as it was for her.

But hey, she wasn't going to question him. Not when it allowed her to kiss him again.

"You're right," Lucy said, scooting closer to Natsu. "A little more practice wouldn't hurt."

Natsu nodded and swallowed thickly, glad that his plan had worked. He leaned closer to Lucy, his heart speeding up after noticing she was leaning in as well. Their breaths fanned their faces and their lips were just about to graze each other's when Natsu gave a pathetic whimper and covered his mouth with his hands. His cheeks puffed out and sweat dotted his now pale face.

"Damn…" he choked out, rushing to the bathroom and hurling what felt like all of his insides into the toilet.

A vein ticked in Lucy's forehead as she sat on the bed in a catatonic state. Leave it to Natsu to get motion sick just when he was about to kiss her.

So yes, Natsu had ruined the mood for her and left her longing for kisses. Who could blame her for being annoyed over that?

After the mage casted the spell on Natsu, the two walked hand in hand onto the deck. Everyone was swimming or lounging in the sun per usual. Having already explored all of the shops, there truly wasn't much left for them to see.

Reaching the opposite end of the ship, they found a door with a neon sign hanging over it. Glancing inside the place, they found that it was a club, where only a handful of people were inside at the moment considering it was still morning time.

"I didn't know there were clubs on cruises," Lucy said. She had never been to a club before.

"Wanna go in?" Natsu asked, smirking at her.

"No way! What makes you think I would want to go to a club?"

"C'mon, let's do it for Cana! She'll kill us if she finds out that we didn't drink at all during this trip!"

"Then don't tell her!"

"Don't be a stick in the mud, Luce!"

"Whatever," Lucy huffed, crossing her arms. "How about we just have a relaxing day then?"

"What do you mean?" Natsu asked. "I thought every day here was a relaxing day?"

"Well I meant we could just relax in our room. We could go get some games and play!"

Natsu shrugged, not really caring either way. As long as he was with Lucy, he was down for anything. Not to mention that they could try kissing again if they were in their room. They stopped by one of the shops and bought a deck of cards and a couple of board games.

Before returning back to their room, the two went to the dining hall to eat breakfast. Loly and Jun weren't there again, much to their relief. They hoped they could go the rest of the trip without seeing them.

After a quick breakfast, the two headed back to their room. There was a paper attached to their door. Lucy grabbed it and began to read it.

"What is it?" Natsu asked.

"I guess there's a special desert planned for tonight at eight," Lucy answered.

"What for?"

"This is our last night before we get to our destination."

"Destination? What do you mean?"

"The point of a cruise is to stop somewhere fun. Did you think that we were going to be on a boat for two whole weeks?"

Natsu grinned and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, giving the answer Lucy was looking for. She giggled and led the way into the room.

The two sat cross legged on the floor. Lucy got their new deck of cards and began to shuffle them. She couldn't shuffle as perfectly as Cana could, but she could at least do the bridge.

Once the deck was properly shuffled, she handed seven cards to both of them.

"What are we playing?" Natsu asked with an eager grin.

"Go Fish!" Lucy answered.

Natsu pouted. "What? That game is for kids. Let's make it more fun!"

"How?"

A mischievous grin graced the boy's face as he answered, "Let's make it like strip poker!"

"No way!" Lucy replied, her face burning crimson at the thought of stripping in front of Natsu. A familiar, tingling sensation erupted between her thighs, however, at the thought of Natsu stripping in front of her. That only caused her blush to increase tenfold.

"You scared of losing?"

"Of course not!"

"Then give me a reason!"

Lucy opened her mouth to retort but came up short. She didn't want to seem scared and she couldn't deny that she wanted to see more of Natsu, though she would never say it aloud. Swallowing thickly, the blonde mustered whatever courage she could resolve and held out a hand.

"You're on," she said, grinning defiantly at the boy.

Natsu returned the grin with one of his own and replied, "Yosh! I'm all fired up!" They shook hands in agreement before Lucy reshuffled the cards. Once finished, she handed out a new set of seven cards each.

"So how are we doing this?" Lucy asked nervously.

Natsu shrugged. "Loser has to take off something. Go Fish is fast paced so each game will go by fast."

Lucy swallowed thickly and nodded. With that, the two picked up their cards and studied them. Lucy gave a happy squeal noticing that she had two pairs, leaving her with only three cards. Glancing over to Natsu, she found that he didn't have any pairs.

"Looks like I'm going to win the first round," Lucy teased with a heavy smirk.

Natsu grinned, liking the girl's feisty side. "We'll see. I'll go first! You got a two?"

The blonde pouted and handed over the two. Still, even if he had a pair now, she was still in the lead.

"Do you have a seven?" Lucy asked with hope.

"Nope! Go fish!"

The game went on like that for a couple more minutes until Lucy got the seven she needed. In the end, she had three pairs while Natsu had two.

"Ha! You have to strip!" Lucy exclaimed, her cheeks rosy.

Natsu grinned and took off his vest with a shrug. Lucy frowned slightly. That wasn't as exciting as she expected. After all, she saw his abs just about every day. Of course they still made her swoon, but the action itself wasn't as riveting as books portrayed stripping games to be.

So, they played again.

"Do you have a three?"

"Go fish. Do you have a nine?"

"Go fish. Got a five?"

Eventually, their second round ended, this time Natsu being the winner.

"Your turn, Luce," he said, smirking at the girl. His voice was husky and alluring.

Lucy had never been more relieved in her life to be wearing more clothes than usual. With a sly grin, the blonde removed one sock.

"There you go!" Lucy said.

"Cheater," Natsu replied, but the smile on his face betrayed his words. "Oh well, you'll be losing the next few games too."

"Will not!"

But she did end up losing the next game. Oh well, she just had to take off her other sock. There was no harm in that.

Except she ended up losing the game after that as well.

Lucy removed her red leather jacket, revealing a black tank top underneath. She counted how many articles of clothing she had left and paled realizing she didn't have much. She only had her tank top and her jeans left before she was left in her underwear. At least she was wearing cute underwear if it came down to it. Lacy, pink underwear to be exact, along with a matching bra.

"So what are you going to take off next when you lose?" Natsu asked with a smug grin plastered to his face.

Lucy stuck her tongue out at him. "I'm not going to lose."

"But if you did?"

"Well… I guess it would be my shirt."

Natsu's grin grew mischievously. "Well let's go then!"

Lucy bit her lower lip nervously as she dealt the cards. Much to her relief, she had been blessed with luck and had three pairs, leaving her just one card.

"Oi! You must've cheated!" Natsu shouted, narrowing his eyes at her.

"I didn't!" she replied. "Don't be a sore loser!"

"Hey, I haven't lost yet!" But then he promptly lost once she asked for his Queen, which was her last card. "Damn. Alright then." Natsu shrugged as he stood up.

Lucy arched a brow at him. Why was he standing up? Wasn't he just going to take off his scarf?

Nope.

Instead, Natsu removed his pants, leaving him in a pair of boxers along with his scaly scarf. Lucy's face was immediately set ablaze. To make matters worse, she couldn't tear her gaze away from his groin, able to see a soft bulge from underneath the soft material. The tingling sensation between her thighs grew to a slight ache.

Lucy's throat became dry and constricted. Struggling to find words, she eventually choked out, "W-Why didn't you just take off your scarf?"

"Because I never take off my scarf," Natsu answered with a shrug. "Well, I guess if I lose the next one I will."

Lucy reshuffled the deck and passed out cards once again. Things were getting intense quickly. Since Natsu didn't wear much clothes to begin with, all he had left was his scarf and boxers. She wasn't sure how she would react seeing his whole package, but she knew that her heart would probably beat out of her chest. On the other hand, if she lost, she was screwed as well. Not as much as Natsu, but still screwed.

Anxiously picking up her cards, Lucy studied them and she paled. She had no pairs at all. Glancing towards her opponent, she found that he had two pairs and a smug grin on his face.

"Do you have an Ace?" Lucy asked. To her chagrin, the boy shook his head.

"Go fish! Do you have a six?"

"Go fish. Do you have a Queen?"

"Damn," Natsu muttered, handing the blonde the card.

Lucy sighed in relief and moved the two cards aside. "Do you have a three?"

"Go fish." He smirked as he asked, "Do you have an Ace?"

Lucy narrowed her eyes at the boy and handed him the card.

Natsu accepted it and asked, "Do you have a four?"

"Go fish. Do you have a-"

"Wait I picked up a four!" Natsu interrupted. With a wide grin, he put down his last pair.

Lucy's breath hitched in her throat. He won.

"Get stripping!" Natsu teased, loving every second of this.

Lucy muttered under her breath and brought her fingers to the hem of her tank top. Throwing all of her cares away, she quickly took it off and threw it behind her.

Natsu's cheeks warmed as he intently watched her take off her shirt. His eyes glazed over her chest and his groin twitched uncomfortably in his boxers. Maybe strip Go Fish was a bad idea. But then again, how else would he have been able to see Lucy's barely clad chest in a lacy pink bra? Her large breasts were barely covered by the lace and threatened to spill out. Her cleavage was plain as day and his fingers itched to graze her soft skin.

Lucy kept her eyes trained on the wall to their left, her cheeks burning from embarrassment. She knew she was an attractive girl and she loved her body. Still, being so exposed in front of the boy she loved was a bit embarrassing and made her insecure.

"W-Well, let's keep going," Lucy said meekly.

Natsu gulped loudly and nodded. "Sure."

So, they played another round, this one not as exciting as the last. Lucy won by only one pair. With a shrug, Natsu removed his scarf.

This was nearing the danger zone. If Lucy lost, she would have to remove her shorts and be solely in her undergarments. If Natsu lost, he would be completely naked.

Lucy quickly shuffled and dealt the cards. Natsu fidgeted in his spot. It wasn't that he was embarrassed about being naked in front of Lucy. Hell, she had seen him naked before. The problem was that thanks to her tank top being removed, he was aroused. His boxers hid it well, but even they couldn't hide it perfectly. He had to sit with his knees to his chest in order to hide it from her.

But if he lost and had to take off his underwear, there was no way Lucy wouldn't see his hard dick. There just wouldn't be a way to hide it.

Lucy picked up her cards, her lower lip clamped between her teeth in anxiety. To her upmost dread, she didn't have a single pair. The only thing that kept her mildly calm was the fact that Natsu didn't seem to have any pairs either. So, with a frantically beating heart, she began the game by going first.

"Do you have a Jack?" Lucy asked. Natsu shook his head, prompting her to grab a card from the messy pile on the floor. She hoped she would pick up a card she needed, but alas, she picked up a four. Which she didn't need at all.

"You got a two?" Natsu asked. He felt abnormally warm. Usually being a fire dragon slayer and all, he never really noticed the feeling of warmth before. Not until he met Lucy. After meeting her, he always felt warm. But this was a burning sensation.

"Nope," Lucy answered, glad to see that he didn't pick up a useful card as well. "Do you have a nine?"

"Damn."

"Yay! Do you have a ten?"

"Nah."

The game continued for a while, longer than their previous games had lasted. Every time one of them had gotten close to finishing their deck, they would have a bad streak afterwards and gain cards. There weren't many cards left in the fishing pile. But finally, both were down to having one card and surprisingly they both had the same amount of pairs as well. It was as if the universe wanted to build suspension within them and break them slowly but surely. Whoever got the next pair would be the winner.

And the other person would have to strip.

Lucy's voice trembled as she asked, "Do you have a Queen?" Now he knew what card she had but it wasn't like it mattered. Both only had one card anyways.

"Nope," Natsu answered.

Lucy could hear the strain in his voice. He was nervous as well, he was just hiding it better. Truthfully, that made her feel a bit better. At least she wasn't the only scared one. Picking up a card, she sighed noting that it was a three and not the Queen she needed.

"Do you have a four?" Natsu asked.

"No."

Natsu reached for a card. Studying it, his eyes went wide and his jaw slacked. Immediately his groin tingled with excitement with what was to come. His eyes flashed towards Lucy, letting her know exactly what card he had picked up.

"Oh no," the blonde breathed out. "No, no, no."

"Sorry, Luce," Natsu replied after swallowing thickly. He put his two cards down, revealing two fours. He didn't sound apologetic in the slightest. "Looks like the pants are coming off. Unless you want to take off your bra instead."

"Don't say it aloud!" she shrieked in embarrassment. She covered her burning face with her hands. She was mortified.

"C'mon, Luce!"

"Why don't we just quit now?"

"Nope!"

"But Natsu!"

"Nope!"

"But-"

"Hurry up, Lucy!"

"Ugh, fine!"

Lucy stood up and grabbed the hem of her pants. Steam was practically blowing out of her ears with how embarrassed and hot she felt. Still, she had to honor their agreement.

"It's just like being in a bathing suit," she told herself, gulping loudly as she shimmied out of her tight jeans. She stood still, hugging herself in nothing but her pink, lacy undergarments. Her brown eyes shyly glanced towards Natsu. She was still embarrassed- which was understandable- but she wanted to see his reaction.

Natsu looked Lucy up and down, his mouth gaping open and drier than a desert. He started at her feet and worked his way up her creamy, slender legs which rounded at her curvy hips. Hips that he had placed his hands on as he kissed her before. His eyes glazed over her underwear, which was small and didn't cover as much as underwear probably should. Following the curves of her body, his eyes continued their journey up her body and landed on her ample breasts, which were made even more voluptuous thanks to Lucy hugging herself. His eyes traveled to her neck and he longed to suck the skin.

Finally, Natsu's eyes found Lucy's face as she stared back at him. Her lips were tugged into a slight frown. Her entire face burned crimson. Even in her most flustered state, she still looked gorgeous to him.

"W-Well?" Lucy asked, her voice shrill. "Say something!"

Natsu swallowed thickly, unable to tear his gaze away from her breasts. Not knowing what to say, he opted for the first thing that came to mind. "Is that a new bra?"

"What?"

"I've never seen it before. Happy and I go through your clothes every time we come over. That wasn't there last time."

"You two need to stop going through my stuff!"

"Why'd you get new underwear? You already have a lot," Natsu said, ignoring the girl's shouts.

Lucy looked away in embarrassment. In truth, she had bought it the day before. She was able to sneak away and go shopping for an hour on her own. That was when she saw the matching pair of undergarments. They were sexier than the other pairs she had and revealed a lot more of her skin. She didn't think that Natsu would be seeing her in them.

But she couldn't deny that part of her had hoped for it.

"So when'd you get them?" Natsu repeated, bringing Lucy out of her jumbled thoughts.

Lucy fiddled with her fingers and answered, "Yesterday when I went shopping."

"You bought underwear? Did you run out or something?" Natsu didn't know why he was asking all of these questions about her underwear. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he didn't know what else to say. Or maybe he was just getting words out to prolong the time that she would stay undressed.

"No, I didn't run out," Lucy answered, still unable to meet his gaze. "These ones are just… nicer."

"Nicer?"

"You know… sexier."

"Sexier? Was someone else supposed to see them?"

"No, of course not!"

A smirk ghosted Natsu's lips as he said, "Well I'm seeing them."

"Only because you wanted to play Strip Go Fish! You pervert!" Lucy shouted.

"Oi! I ain't a pervert! You agreed to it!"

"Whatever," Lucy muttered, crossing her arms. "So how long do we have to be like this? I'm not playing another game!"

Natsu grinned mischievously. "Until we go to dinner."

"What!?"

"Yep!"

"Now I know for sure you're a pervert."

The two glared at each other before erupting with giggles. Their faces were still flushed and they were still embarrassed but at the same time they were comfortable. Had Lucy been with anyone else- well, any other male- she wouldn't have been able to say the same. But with Natsu, she found herself still having a good time.

They played a few more games for fun until they settled beside each other on the bed to begin reading their book. Their skin was flushed against each other, reminding them of their lack of clothing. Neither commented on it, however, and they instead focused on reading. They were nearing the climax of the book, there was no time to be caught up in each other's bare flesh.

Hours later, it was time for the special dinner that night. Lucy decided to dress well, adorning a maroon dress that clung to her skin. It had a plunging neckline that revealed a majority of her breasts and was sure to turn a few heads. Natsu didn't bother changing into anything fancy- not that he had any fancy clothes to begin with- but he did take a moment to discreetly look the blonde over.

Reaching the dining hall, the two found that it was full with attendees, all dressed up and seated at their tables. There wasn't an unattended table in sight, which hadn't happened since they boarded the ship considering people chose to eat at different times.

Lucy and Natsu tensed as they approached their table, which was occupied by two familiar people. Loly Madoka's head turned to the two and frowned immediately. Jun Madoka gave an uneasy smile.

"Hey, guys," Jude greeted awkwardly.

"Uhh, hi," Lucy replied in order to be polite. She glanced back towards Loly and frowned. Though she didn't like the girl, she did feel a bit bad with how she treated her. She usually opted for being the bigger person, otherwise it would leave her with a guilty conscious. "Hi, Loly."

The said girl glanced towards her and gave a nervous smile. "Hi, Lucy. Natsu."

Lucy and Natsu took their seats. A thick blanket of silence hovered over the group until Loly spoke up.

"I'm sorry about what happened last time we saw you guys," she grumbled. Her gaze was turned as she continued, "I guess I was a bit pushy."

"A bit?" Lucy repeated.

Loly regarded her with narrowed eyes. "Fine. I was really pushy. I'm sorry, alright?"

Lucy sighed. "It's fine as long as you don't try to get with Natsu again."

Natsu glanced towards Lucy with a quirked brow. It hadn't occurred to him before, but now he couldn't help but think about it now.

Why did Lucy care if Loly tried to get with him?

The question swirled in his mind, confusing him. Why did it matter to her if they were only faking their relationship? It couldn't be to uphold their cover. After all, Loly and Jun were married, they simply had an open relationship. They could use that as an alibi as well. So why did it matter to her?

"I won't," Loly replied. "Jun and I actually found another couple in an open relationship so we've been getting it pretty good from them."

Natsu and Lucy blushed.

"Umm, that's nice," Lucy noted, glad that she didn't have to worry about Loly trying to take Natsu anymore.

With that, the conversation between the two couples was deemed over, allowing Natsu and Lucy to talk to each other as they ate. They had to raise their voices as the room was packed with other guests that were chatting idly.

Once Natsu and Lucy finished their meals, the Captain of the ship, whom they hadn't seen since the first day of the cruise, entered the room, a broad smile plastered to his face. He stood in the center of the room, exerting authority.

"Good evening, everyone," he greeted. "I hope you all are enjoying your stay on my ship. We will be arriving at Caelum Island tomorrow morning. Tonight, we have a special dessert for everyone!"

Four attendants pushed a large cart beside the Captain. Lucy and Natsu drooled at the sight of the dessert that was in a glass case on top of the cart. It had six layers of whipped cream, chocolate mousse, and maraschino cherries. It was the most beautiful thing they had ever laid eyes on.

"This is our Black Forest Mousse Desert!" the Captain said. "My crew will walk around and hand some out to anyone that wants some. I hope you all enjoy and I will see you tomorrow when we arrive at Caelum!"

With that, the Captain waved before exiting the dining hall.

Natsu and Lucy bounced excitedly in their seats as they grinned at each other, waiting to stuff their faces with the heavenly dessert. When an attendant asked them if they wanted any, their heads nearly flew off with how frantically they nodded their heads. The attendant scooped some of the mousse into fancy glass cups and handed it to the two.

Natsu and Lucy gave each other an eager grin before picking up a spoon and took a bite. They hummed in delight as they savored the sweet taste and went for another bite.

"I could live off of this stuff," Lucy said as she went in for another bite.

"Same," Natsu replied with a full mouth.

Usually Lucy would scold him for talking with his mouth full but at the moment she didn't care. She was just happy with her food.

However, the dining hall soon grew loud as everyone began to talk. Everyone tried to talk over each other so that their partners could hear. Lucy frowned, wishing for everyone to be quiet. The point of a cruise was to relax, and being in a room full of shouting adults was not relaxing in the slightest.

Natsu glanced towards Lucy, immediately seeing her discomfort. Able to read her like a book, he knew what to do. With a smile, he glanced around them to make sure nobody was watching before standing up. Lucy regarded him with arched brows.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

Natsu jerked his head towards the exit, his grin unwavering. "Let's get out of here."

"But what about our food?"

"Bring it with you!"

"But we aren't allowed to bring our plates out of here!"

"That's why you hide it, Luce! Now come on, let's go!"

Natsu grabbed Lucy's hand and helped her to her feet before leading the way towards the exit. Lucy grinned, her heart racing with adrenaline. Sneaking out of the dining room with a few dishes wasn't bad compared to the fact that they were lying about their marriage, but it still excited and scared her.

Luckily, nobody was paying them any mind and they were able to slip out of the dining hall, their desserts in hand. They laughed as they walked briskly through the ship. There was nobody else around save for a few attendants at the front desk.

"Let's go to the pool!" Natsu suggested. "It's probably empty!"

"Okay," Lucy replied with a bright smile.

And sure enough, the pool was completely empty, the water gently waving from the breeze. The pool sparkled under the moonlight and was alluring. The two sat on benches and ate their dessert in a peaceful and content silence.

Once they finished, Natsu moved their glasses to the side and stood up. Giving Lucy a toothy grin, he removed his vest and stepped closer to the pool.

"Let's swim!" he exclaimed.

"What? No way! We don't have our bathing suits!" Lucy replied.

"So what? We don't need them! Just swim in that!"

"I'm not swimming in this dress!"

"Then take it off! C'mon, Luce! We just spent hours in our underwear together, it's the same thing! Let's go!"

Lucy bit her lower lip in thought. He had a point. And the pool did look enticing, even more so since nobody else was there. Her lips twitched upwards into a grin as she threw her worries to the side and stood up. Reaching behind her, she grabbed her low zipper and unzipped her dress before removing it completely, revealing her pink underwear and matching bra once again.

Natsu grinned, his cheeks warming at the sight of her flesh once again. Turning towards the pool, he cackled and jumped in, creating a large splash. Bobbing back out of the water, he gave her a mischievous grin and splashed water at her. Lucy laughed before running in and splashing beside him.

They stood in the shallow part of the pool, grinning at each other and basking in the moonlight. They were only mere inches apart and their cheeks were dusted a light pink.

"Now you're glad you followed me, aren't you?" Natsu asked with a grin.

"I guess," Lucy replied, returning the smile. Her eyes darted to his lips before quickly returning to his onyx eyes.

Natsu noticed her eyes move, a small warmth erupting within him. His eyes glazed over her. Her brown eyes shined bright and her wet, pink lips were enticing him. A lock of golden hair stuck to her face and without even realizing it, he brought his hand up and brushed it behind her with the rest of her hair.

Fire coursed through Lucy's veins as Natsu's hand retracted from her hair and went back to her cheek. He rubbed his thumb over her, causing a shiver to run through her body. She glanced at his lips again, realizing just how close they were to her own. She wanted to be closer.

Her arms moved on their own, wrapping around his neck and pulling him closer. Natsu's eyes widened and his blush deepened as Lucy pulled his face closer to hers and planted her lips over his, molding them together and sucking on his upper lip. Relaxing, he fisted her hair with one hand and moved his other onto her lower back, bringing their submerged bodies together.

He tilted his head to the side, a low growl resonating in his throat as he licked her lips. Lucy opened her mouth wider and gave his tongue access to hers. Their tongues grazed each other before massaging each other.

A soft moan escaped Lucy. She felt like she was on fire even though she was in the pool. All of her worries and doubts were gone in that moment. Instead, all she could think about was how right everything felt. Their lips were sculpted for this purpose. Their bodies were created to touch. They were meant for this. In that moment, that was all Lucy believed.

But all good things must come to an end.

The two pulled away to catch their breaths, their foreheads resting against each other as they panted. Black bore into brown as they gazed into each other's eyes, their lids feeling heavy. Natsu glanced at Lucy's lips, pride surging within him noticing that they were a tad swollen thanks to him.

It was then that Lucy's mind fully wrapped around what she had just done. With flushed cheeks and wide eyes, she pushed Natsu away and averted her gaze. She didn't mean to do that at all, her body had just moved on its own. And now she regretted it, solely because there was no way Natsu wouldn't put the pieces together now. She wasn't ready for him to find out her feelings. She didn't think she ever would be ready.

Lucy wasn't ready to be rejected. That's all she believed was waiting for her now that Natsu surely knew how she felt. There was no way Natsu felt the same way about her. She wasn't strong like Erza. She wasn't as beautiful as Mira. She wasn't as smart as Levy. There was nothing she could offer him that he would want. She couldn't deal with being rejected by him.

Natsu's heart panged and his eyes flashed with pain after having been pushed away. He tried to get closer to Lucy again to ask her what was wrong, only for her to push him away again. What the hell was happening? Things were going perfectly just a second ago.

She had kissed him. And there was nobody around, meaning it wasn't for upholding their fake relationship. And he wasn't as dense as everyone thought. He knew exactly what mood they were in before she kissed him. It wasn't for practice. It was because she wanted to kiss him.

She must've felt the same way about him.

Natsu would've been happier about that fact, but Lucy's sudden change in behavior didn't leave him any time for celebration.

"Lucy? What's wrong?" Natsu asked, taking a hesitant step closer to the blonde.

Lucy squeezed her eyes shut and hugged herself. "Just go away, Natsu!"

Natsu's brows furrowed in irritation. "Why? You're the one that kissed me, remember?"

"Shut up!"

"No! Lucy, we-"

"Shut up! Just go away already!"

Natsu narrowed his eyes, having lost his patience. Turning around, he waded to the edge of the pool and hoisted himself out. It was like Lucy was playing a game with him. She was stringing him along, only to push him away.

Without sparing Lucy a glance, he harshly replied, "Fine." He then stalked back into the ship without even drying off. He didn't spare her another glance.

Lucy stood still in the pool, covering her face with her hands as she wept. This wasn't how she expected to spend her night. Things were going so well. She was happy.

And then she messed it all up because she was too scared of rejection.

At the sound of a laughing couple nearby, Lucy quickly exited the pool and dried herself off before throwing on her dress. Though she was comfortable with Natsu seeing her in her underwear, she wasn't comfortable with strangers seeing her in such a state. Especially since her face was wet with tears.

After getting dressed, Lucy walked back to their room, her feet dragging behind her. She stopped just outside of their room, inhaling deeply before opening the door. A heavy sigh of relief escaped her lips seeing that Natsu wasn't in the room.

Lucy took this to her advantage and went to the bathroom to shower and wash away all of the dried chlorine and salty tears.

The quick shower left Lucy feeling a bit better. Her body became less tense and her mind became less cluttered. She felt like a blank canvas with a fresh start. She had a minor headache from the crying but it wasn't too bad.

Lucy climbed into bed after having turned the lights off, her gaze glued to the door where light peeked underneath. She didn't know what was going to happen anymore. Everything was out in the open now, but it was done so in the wrong way. If she could go back in time and redo it, then perhaps she would simply confess and see where it would take her. But there was no going back. There were no redoes.

So, she stared at the door, waiting for Natsu return, though she didn't know what she would do when he did. Her heavy eyes began to droop closed until eventually she fell asleep before Natsu came back.

It was an hour after Lucy had fallen asleep when Natsu finally returned. He frowned seeing the blonde dozing in bed, facing the door and most likely waiting for him to come back. He had been taking a walk through the ship to calm down and collect his thoughts and he lost track of time.

Now, he stared at Lucy's sleeping form, longing to wrap his arms around her. Instead, he laid on the floor, deeming it a bad idea to sleep beside her after their quarrel. Things were changing between them, and not in a good way. This was why he kept his feelings a secret in the first place. He didn't want to jeopardize their friendship.

Things were changing. He only hoped things would start to look up soon.

#fairy tail #nalu #natsu dragneel #lucy heartfilia #ftfanfiction #sailing with fire #SWF

73 notes · View notes

summylise · 7 years

Text

Just Another Sleepless Night

A/N: Second part of my nalu angst series. It’s a bit more angsty than yesterday’s but I only plan on picking it up from here on out. Enjoy!!

title: Nightmares, Scars, and the END

prompt: Nightmare

chapter 1, chapter 2

summary: He had given in, and she was too late. There was nothing she could do besides beg and plead for him to come back to her. She knew it was in vain, that the words would never reach him. But there was still a sliver of her that hoped he was still in there. In the end, her kindness gave her scars that would never let her forget when her happiness had slipped through her fingers.

rating: T

words: 2782

No sooner had her eyes closed had her mind drifted into an almost seamless state of fogginess. The interior of her room vanished, the presence of the other blue furred body dissolving before she could even react.

She sat there for a while, staring into a black void. There was no faint smell of sandalwood, no fan slowly whirring in the semi-darkness, nothing but the black nothingness. Thoughts stopped forming, and time itself seemed to cease. She just floated there like a ghost surely felt as they waited in purgatory.

The edges of her consciousness seemed to shift and a slight weight pressed on her from all angles. Colors began to flare up at the forefront of her vision, blurry but still ever present. She started to smell the subtle warmness that wafted into her dream, one that reminded her vaguely of the guild hall. There was still something lacking in it, something off. It was as if someone had tried to recreate that scent of beer and other humans but couldn’t quite figure out that last ingredient.

Her vision shifted again and more colors coming into view. Colors became blobs. Blobs became somewhat recognizable people. They didn’t really look like their real-life counterparts, rather electing for a more blurry, ghost-like entity but something inside her could easily identify them. A blurry blue ball had plopped down next to her elbows resting on the table and dug into what looked like, and smelled like, his newest catch of fish. She didn’t need her brain reminding her of his name to know that the figure was Happy. Erza, or the blurred figure with distinct red hair that belonged to no other, sat on her right, her legs more than likely crossed and staring at the two at the other end of the table. The aforementioned other two took the forms of two blurred out figures, one with a black top and the other with…pink. Gray and Natsu, likely going at it again, she mused. The sight of his unruly pink hair and the sound of his name on her tongue twisted her stomach. Her heart tugged.

She swallowed and returned her focus to the bickering pair despite not being able to quite comprehend their words. The five of them sat around a table together, laughing about something stupid one of them had said or yelling at the other for trying to pick a fight with the other. Normally, Erza would have intervened by this point, but Lucy guessed that she was either too preoccupied with eating cake or frankly found the two’s actions trivial at best, preferring instead to stay in the comfortable chaos that surrounded them from all angles. She felt her laughter bubble into her chest and couldn’t help but release it as well. This automatic sense of belonging, of home, kept her at peace, kept her whole.

She begged her mind to let her live in this moment, to relish in it, if only for a moment.

Her consciousness had other plans, as it normally did, and she felt the solidity begin to slip around her.

She watched these seemingly inconsequential moments unfold from an omniscient standpoint. She was in her body yet…not. Like someone was conducting her like a puppet and left her consciousness to fend for itself. She saw her mouth move, felt her body lean forward and watch the two boys at the end as they went at it. She giggled yet again but didn’t feel the happiness from it, not really.

Something about this dream felt…off. A sense of dark foreboding washed over her and the dream seemed dripped and melted from her vision.

“No!” she cried out, finally in control of her voice again. Her hand reached out, desperately trying to grab at the memory. She knew what was coming next and tried in vain to hold onto something, anything, to keep from seeing it again. But it was too late, and her mind was morphing again.

She could feel her brain working as it reformed her dream. In the darkness, she could feel the heat of the fire, smell the blood from her comrades. Her view faded into focus again. A scream erupted from behind her and instinctively turned in its direction.

Her world flashed into vivid focus, each tiny detail sharpening with life-like accuracy. Her breath caught, and the hair on her arms stood on end.

The surrounding buildings were burning and crumbling and falling to ruin. There was just so much chaos everywhere, so much confusion. Chunks of heavy debris peppered the small clearing around her and fires blazed even in areas where there was nothing to burn. Smoke clouds billowed into the sky like dark cotton candy. Its stench wafted around her, coating her in a layer of soot and burrowing its way into her nose.

She spared a glance down at herself to see that she was not without injury. There was a pretty sizable gash on her leg, and if. Lucy thought that she would have felt a break, at the very least, but her arm was the least of her worries.

Screams surrounded her, seeming to echo along the buildings and bounce around her head. She slammed her hands to her ears, but the screams kept coming. Grunts and war cries sounded around her as they attacked a shadowy villain. She watched as they threw everything they had at it while it only laughed and slashed their attacks away like flies.

“Lucy!” a woman screamed behind her. Lucy whipped around, but the figure sped past her in a blur of red, making her hair fly back at the wind she had kicked up with her speed. “Stay back!”

“Don’t worry, Lucy! We got this!” cried a man from her other side. She turned again, but he too raced past her.

They both charged at the cackling monster whose voice had taken on a more demonic form. Lucy opened her mouth to make a sound, but nothing came out. She gripped at her throat in confusion and tried to take a step back. Her feet remained rooted to their position, refusing to budge even an inch.

A bright flash blinded her for a moment. She tried to shield her eyes but inevitably closed them against the blinding light.

When she opened them, the scene had changed. The once rugged Magnolia looked hellish, more so than it had been before. She turned to look at her surroundings again only to stop when her eyes landed on the three bodies surrounding her. The first had fiery red locks but also a bright red pool surrounding her and reflecting the fires that burned her home around her. Broken pieces of silver lay scattered about her broken form like fallen leaves. The woman didn’t move, didn’t breathe, didn’t even twitch. Just lay there a stiff as a board. Lucy’s uninjured hand shot to her mouth. She stumbled back, accidentally nudging the other figure with her foot. She whipped around and lost her footing. A sharp pain shot through her hips and wrists but she couldn’t take her eyes off the person in front of her…or what remained of the person. She tried to clench her eyes shut, tried to shift them away, but her body stayed fixated on his charred flesh and crumpled form.

Her heart threatened to beat out of her chest. Her breathing so labored that her head lightened and black dots peppered her vision. Finally, her body listened and shook away the dark specks, allowing her to avert her gaze only for it to land a few feet away from her on the final form. Her heart dropped and blood drained from her body. Warm tears pricked the back of her eyes as she slowly crawled forward.

Shaky hands reached forward to his bruised and battered form. Tentatively, she touched his blackened, blue fur and crumpled when she felt how cold it was. She reached her trembling fingers around his small blue form and pulled him to her chest. She cradled him to her chest as sob after sob racked her body. Happy, the annoying yet loving cat that had wormed his way into her heart, lay in a battered heap in front of the very person he was trying to protect. She had stopped asking why the world refused its endless onslaught on her and how it could be so cruel.

A deep, gut-wrenching chuckle sounded from a few feet away from her. It never said anything, never asked for anything...yet took everything she wanted and held dear as if it were nothing. She carefully placed the small bundle next to her and out of the demon’s sight. She clenched her fists and stood. She lifted her eyes to face him, that blackened monster that had taken everything from her.

Its entire body was made of shadow and seemed to drip corruption and darkness from its outstretched limbs. She stared into its sharp, golden eyes without backing down. Refusing to obey her bodies trembling fear and need to surrender. His curled horns jutted out of his forehead and looped around so that their dripping tips pointed behind him and protected his neck from a possible attack. Inky, black wings stretched to their fullest span behind him, their sheer size enough to wrap around them both and still have room for him to finish her off. But today was not the day she died. Today was not the day she left this earth.

“I know you’re still in there! I know you can hear me!” she cried at the creature, trying to make her voice stronger than she knew she was.

The beast snarled and dropped into a crouch. Lucy pressed her nails further into her palm, feeling the breaking of skin. She had to keep this up. She couldn’t lose hope yet.

“You’re stronger than this, and you know it! You can’t give up like this!” she cried.

A roar, gruesome and petrifying, erupted from the demon’s maw as he pounced. He landed on Lucy in an instant and raised his razor sharp claw. Her heart stopped. She clenched her eyes shut, pleading for it to be quick. She felt the warm liquid before she felt it. She felt it seep into her hair and roll past her ear. It trickled down her neck and coated the whole right side of her face.

The weight disappeared as fast as it had appeared and when she wrenched her eyes open again, she realized that the scene had changed yet again. That and half of her vision was completely black. The area from her shoulder to the right side of her face that two seconds earlier had been exposed to the extraordinary blaze of Magnolia now lay covered under thick and uncomfortable gauzy material.

The demon still stood before her, but this time, he seemed a lot more drained. As if the attacks were finally getting to him. She could see the way his chest heaved, and his once cocky demeanor sagged. He was bent over slightly. He held one arm close to his chest and closed his wings behind him.

Her friends were nowhere to be found. The entire area was clear of rubble. No fires. No buildings. No screaming. Just a smoky mist that circled them like a pack of lions stalking its prey.

Lucy glared at the monster and summoned her stardress. Despite her narrowed eyes and bared teeth, she couldn’t help the tears that began to flow from her eyes. That small sliver of hope she had started her dream with struggled to stay afloat amidst a sea of doubt and despair.

“Please.” Her voice quivered and barely made it above a whisper. “Don’t make me do this.”

A final strand that barely held her heart in place snapped when the creature bared its teeth and snarled.

“I don’t understand your hesitation, human. I made sure to leave nothing alive when I came into being. You know this,” it growled, uttering the only words she’d ever heard him say.

Those words, no matter how much time had passed since that day, would never leave her head. Would never stop their unending reverberating orbit around her mind.

Her throat tightened. The dam shattered like glass releasing furious, hot tears streaming down her cheeks, soaking her already bloodied bandages. One blade slipped from her grasp and gripped the other with both hands, knuckles white. She shrieked an inhuman scream that almost mimicked that of the demon’s. Her body raced forward, and she plunged the sword deep into the shadowy demon’s withering form. The demon’s golden eyes bulge wide, and he lifts an arm to throw one final attack her way. Before she could think, she rips the blade from his thick body and stabs it straight into its heart.

Its dark body freezes, claws outstretched and inches from her head. its mouth drops. It struggles to make a noise but can’t get enough air in. Time itself seems to stop as the demon’s blood pours from its wound, coating her blade. Warm liquid drips onto her face and mixing with her salty tears to cascade from her chin in full, pink drops. She doesn’t need to look up to know that the blood is from the demon’s opened maw above her.

She hears its breathing struggle and energy drain from its form. With a grunt, she rips her blade from its body. It crumples to the ground almost unceremoniously.

A few moments later, Lucy is releasing a barrage of wails as golden particles filter through her reaching fingers.

That night, she’s lucky if she gets anymore sleep if any.

~~~

Happy squirms in his comfortable ball with his head buried underneath the thick, comforting material of his scarf. A quick glance at the digital clock on her nightstand shows that it was late into the night, despite their falling asleep roughly around late afternoon. He feels the girl against his back twisting and turning in her sleep and tries his best to ignore her. He had yet to get used to her frequent nightmares that had plagued her for almost a year now. They both had trouble getting over what had happened and were soon nearing the precipice that marked their inability to overcome such an obstacle as this.

Happy wasn’t dumb. He knew what was going on. He knew that his home would never be the same so long as fifty percent of them was gone. He had decided long ago that being around someone who was going through the same thing he was, if not a bit worse, was better than sleeping alone in a house that did nothing but remind him.

Lucy shifted wildly against him. Happy frowned and stood to turn and face her writhing form. It always was the same: She'd start off smiling then slowly shift into a darker, more terrified Lucy. She would kick and thrash and cry out as she got deeper and deeper into her dream. Sometimes she’d wake, other times she’d just cry herself to sleep.

Happy had his fair share of nightmares but those he usually experienced during the day when he would sleep the longest. But even then, they were never as severe as these. He couldn’t blame her. He hadn’t been the one to commit the most. He wasn’t the one that delivered the killing blow. He had just heard about everything from a third party and saw as Lucy stepped into the guild hall, her eyes bloodshot and wide, her bloody sword hanging limply by her side and the lack of color in her entire figure leaving her looking like an empty shell. An unpainted doll.

He glanced down at her when he heard her sniff. His heart ached for her, more than he would admit. The line of silent tears trailed perpendicular across her nose, reflecting the bits of moonlight filtering through her window still slightly ajar. Her fingers instinctively lifted the edges of the scarf over her nose and burrowed into it as much as she could.

He waited to see if she had truly settled down for the night. Her ragged breathing steadied. Her kicks morphed into the occasional twitch and her eyes, which had been clenched with a death-like vice, relaxed. She looked almost fake, peaceful and calm.

Happy padded over, circled a few times, and settled in a curved crevice at the base of her ribs but still in contact with his scarf. Just as Happy’s eyes closed and his breathing evened, he heard her whisper the word that almost had him crying as well.

“Natsu.”

#nalu #nalu angst week #nalu-angst-week #angst #summer writes #ft fanfics

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arkus-rhapsode · 7 years

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Fairy Tail Chapter 528 Review

So if people have been keeping up I’ve been spoiling this chapter today and boy was I not happy because this chapter my god.

I really like this cover image. I love the new art style of Erza’s first ever armor and I like the touch that Gray and Erza are front and center because in volume 3 it’s the same thing with them on the cover.

So we open on Acnologia stepping on Irene’s corpse which is still kinda amusing because yeah that Irene stuff still is a pain in the ass.

I guess Wendy would know it’s Acnologia because smell more than power but hey this is leading to the where the shit hits the fan.

Yup Jellal is back. Look a lot of people were happy to see hi back but here’s the problem I have. How? No seriously this will be a running theme about bad moments in this chapter and it’s how? We don’t know how Jellal got here, now people will say that scene against august where he said he’d protect Erza but there’s not a scene of him getting up or anything like that it’s just lazy. He comes out of nowhere without any foreshadowing.

So that was my frustration, how are you here? August left you in a ditch. we never saw you get up or anything like that. You just thought of Erza and that was it. But here’s the thing I’ve always said is Jellal’s greatest problem, he is always forced into an arc haphazardly but this arc lacks that because it’s war, it affects everyone. Also, it’s war against Zeref the character you wanted to fight since the timeskip. Also here’s my biggest problem, where are the oracion Seis? Because it seems you left them behind, that is very wrong, you are basically the guild master crime sorciere but you abadoned your guild to save Erza, which I understand is the wwoman you love but shouldn’t your priorities be focused on your team. Or hell just bring them along, it actually would help make sense because Cobra could hear where erza is.

anyway back to the story...

So Jellal attacks for several pages and...

Acnologia shows why you don’t fuck with Acologia. But again just wait it gets better...

Oh no. Yup people Acnologia eats all magic.Which is kinda cool until we’ve seen this all ready. Irene with Deus Zero and August with his negation, all these final bosses have something to do with “your magic is ineffective against me” it just seems lazy.

And best scene of the chapter. No I’m serious. Wendy is deciding that she is the one who must fight Acnologia because it’s her job as a Dragon Slayer. This is amazing to see that little girl who hid from fighting is now facing the big bad herself. This is what a final arc is, the joy of watching that development come through.

Little problem I have is Erza is concerned but Jellal is and why does Jellal care about Wendy? That was Mystogan who cared. I know Wendy brought him back but they’ve barely established a connection and yet there are times he’s worried about her which makes no sense giving they haven’t made a reason for it other than “you revived me”. I guess he’s concerned in a base sense but still, it feel like it comes from nowhere.

Oh god. This was a moment where I was like “THAT SO COOL” but then I remember it was shot down by Wahl Icht, how it it back, how is Ichiya there? I guess universe one moved him but did he fix this ship? It just doesn’t make sense. Where did it come from.

Okay first off I wasn’t mad that Christina could hold off Acnologia, we saw Makarov in Titan form tank it but why Isn’t shooting it? Why? Even if it’s a fast ship, it’s big, Acnologia could shoot it down.

Second, we need to “lead it to a certain place” we can beat Acnologia. Well, now you are straight up ripping off Rave Master because to defeat Endless he had to be lured into star memory. Also this place where Acnologia may be defeated, never brought up before.

And finally this new character appears, Oh boy with the text putting emphesis on “KEY” you know it’s a celestial wizard and one that could know about Acnologia, it might be Anna Heartfilia. OH WHAT BULLSHIT IF THAT IS TRUE! We don’t know anything about Anna, who is she, no actual alluding to the possibility she came to the future. Did she cross the eclipse gate? That is again bullshit if true. This means nothing, you just pulled this out of your ass. Yes we’ve talked about Anna and what she did but again WHO IS SHE?

But some people have pointed out that because of the hairy and how Anna didn’t have bangs that framed her face it could be Layla... WHAT THE FUCK, THEN? If there one character who had been established to be dead this whole series just to come back as a deus ex machina, what a load of crap. Plus with the next chapter called teacher and we know Layla had students, it could be her. And like Anna, no build up prior.

But hey maybe it’s a brand new character. WOW MASHIMA DID YOU FORGET HOW MANY OTHER CHARACTER‘S WHO YOU’VE INTRODUCED ALREADY AND NOT WORK WITH THEM!? NO LETS ADD THIS NEVER BUILT UP CHARACTER! GOD DAMNIT

Post Chapter Follow up: Ugh this chapter was not good. I know a lot of people thought I’d hate this chapter because Jellal showed up but that wasn’t my problem. My problem with all of those scenes I bitched about had no foreshadowing, at all. Jellal maybe thinking about Erza but even then, not enough at all. The Christina is back, HOW? New character that may be Layla or Anna, HOW? There’s a place where Acnologia can be defeated, HOW? None was built up, scenes like these lose weight because they weren’t built uo, they rely on the amount of shock value and rise it gets out of you. For this chapter to be liked, you have to be sitting there and just keep saying “FINE” FINE” “FINE” to everything thrown at you and that’s not good story telling.

Okay so Acnologia is this all slayer which again builds up there’s no way to beat him other than dragon slayers. But, you add in this place we’ve never been introduced or alluded to. 5 dragon slayer that can beat Acnologia that was the plan you had to mess with it didn’t you hiro?

Also, I know a lot were happy to see Jellal but her’s my question, why is he fighting Acnologia? It’s been built sense the timeskip he’d fight Zeref but this wasn’t built up at all, other than Erza was there.

So any positives? Well... Yes. Wendy’s moment is amazing, she has come far. It’s always good to see development acknowledged. She’s probably the most developed character in this chapter.

Also Acnologia is still on point. He’s taking everything Jellal has and just laughing it off. It’s nice to see him not treated as less. Also I was Glad to see Erza not do something. She shouldn’t be able to given her condition fro just recovering.

Ugh this is the part where I pass final verdict but before I do, I want to say we don’t have much time left for FT. I think we may have only 15-20 chapters left maybe less. And I want all of them to be great but no more like these, Hiro, please this is what you leave people with, it’s time to buckle down and really try. Because this climax could be awful if you stay the course.

Final Verdict: 3/10

Foreshadowing “what’s that”

Below average pacing

Just all around not fulfilling

#fairy tail #fairy tail 528 #ft 528 #erza scarlet #crime sorciere #wendy marvell #acnologia #Jellal Fernandes #oracion seis #cobra #ichiya vandalay kotobuki #anna heartfilia #layla heartfilia #jerza #irene belserion #august #anti fairy tail 528 #anti jellal #rhapsode reviews

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olehistorian · 7 years

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Almost unrecognisable from her role as the dowdy housekeeper in Downton Abbey, Phyllis Logan is starring in an exotic new medical drama. She talks to Judith Woods about seizing the day and those Downton movie rumours… 'Obviously I never had a career to speak of before Downton Abbey,’ says Phyllis Logan drily, raising an eyebrow for further effect. ‘I sometimes wonder how on earth did I fill my time?’ It’s not true, of course, but we all know what she means: sometimes a jobbing actress is swept away by a juggernaut of a role that takes her a very long way from where she used to be. The Downton effect has had an impact on the career of every member of its award-winning ensemble cast. Lily James has starred in the BBC’s War & Peace and the movie Cinderella, Michelle Dockery landed a role as a criminal in the gritty US show Good Behavior, Joanne Froggatt played a serial killer in the ITV series Dark Angel – and now Phyllis is set to star in a new ITV drama series, The Good Karma Hospital. But it’s her years in service to the Crawley family that have made her a poster girl for ladies of a certain age who refuse to accept that life holds no more adventure. When her doughty but warm-hearted character Mrs Hughes finally found love with the pompous but kindly butler Mr Carson, it struck a blow for midlife love. In those days ‘Mrs’ was an honorific title bestowed on senior female staff, regardless of whether they had ever wed, so Mrs Hughes’s comical angst about whether he would be expecting ‘a full marriage’ struck a chord with any woman over 40 who has ever fretted about going to bed with a new partner. ‘Mrs Hughes was aerated about the sex thing because she probably hadn’t had much experience, but that turned out to be the least of her bloomin’ worries,’ acknowledges Phyllis. ‘God preserve us all from nitpicking middle-aged men who can’t abide change.’ In the phenomenally successful series, which ran for six seasons, Mr Carson (played by Jim Carter) turned out to be irrevocably stuck in his ways – the routines of the big house where he had been serving for many years. Ironically, it was his new wife’s performance in the couple’s kitchen (as opposed to the bedroom) that proved his greatest source of disappointment. Eventually, with affectionate pragmatism, the pair decided he should eat his meals at the Downton kitchen, cooked by Mrs Patmore, as before. ‘It’s a very identifiable scenario,’ says Phyllis, 61. ‘When a more mature couple makes a life together, each brings certain expectations and baggage and of course there’s always need for compromise, which some men in particular find difficult. Phyllis, once best known for playing posh totty Lady Jane Felsham in the 1980s and 90s series Lovejoy, was a late starter herself when it came to settling down. She met her husband, Pirates of the Caribbean actor Kevin McNally, in the 1993 miniseries Love and Reason when she was in her late 30s, but they didn’t get round to tying the knot until she was 55. ‘I had always sworn I would never have an actor in the house because they are so much trouble and so vain, but you can’t legislate for Cupid’s bow,’ she says. When she got together with Kevin, theirs was not a series of careful compromises but a classic coup de foudre. ‘I never thought real love – the sort where your blood tingles and your world explodes with joy – would happen to me at my time of life. I believed I had missed out. But I’m ever so glad it happened.’ A couple of years later, aged 40, she had their son David. He is now 20 and studying music and music production at university in Leeds. Once upon a time, reaching six decades was a milestone to be dreaded rather than celebrated, but, in well-cut jeans and a flattering floaty top, her burnished hair hanging loose, Phyllis provides incontrovertible proof that though life may not begin at 60, it sure as heck continues at a rip-roaring pace – as long as you have the right attitude towards the rollercoaster. ‘We packed David off to university not so long ago and as we drove back to our house in West London we were listening to the Elaine Paige show on Radio 2,’ recalls Phyllis. ‘She played Peggy Lee singing “The Folks Who Live on the Hill” and as soon as I heard the line “and when the kids grow up and leave us” I burst into absolute floods of tears and spent the rest of the journey splashing about in the passenger seat. But since then I’ve thought a lot about empty nest syndrome and how once your chick flies the coop it gives women the freedom to stretch their own wings once more, too.’ And as fate would have it, Phyllis’s new role in The Good Karma Hospital has allowed her to do just that and will doubtless prove a source of inspiration to a great many female viewers in a similar position. Set in India, the series features another estimable actress, Amanda Redman, 59, who plays an eccentric expat running a ramshackle cottage hospital, which is short on resources and long on compassion. ‘It’s a cross between Holby City and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel but with dark secrets, so it should be right up everybody’s street,’ says Phyllis. ‘I play Maggie Smart, who has come to India for her daughter’s wedding and becomes unwell, so ends up in hospital and falls deeply in love. Not with a man – she already has a husband – but rather with the community, the culture and the way of life. She’s a fascinating character who has such humour and joie de vivre and it was great to play a woman finding herself and connecting with a wider spirituality.’ Phyllis spent months filming the six-part series on location in Sri Lanka. She, too, found herself smitten with the place and the people and at one point Kevin flew over from the US where he is in the cast of the US television series Turn: Washington’s Spies and they managed a 12-day break together. ‘We stayed in a hotel on the beach and it was bliss. The majority of the population are Buddhists and seemed so calm, open and thankful for whatever life gave them; I think we could all learn from them.’ All the same, Phyllis isn’t entirely convinced she believes in karma as a concept. ‘It would be nice to think that if you are a decent human being then eventually things will turn out right,’ she says. ‘But fate can intervene and pull the rug out from under you without warning and there might be nothing you can do.’ It is something she and Kevin can speak of from personal experience. Phyllis’s mother died from a dementia-related illness aged 90, but it was the agonisingly slow decline of Kevin’s mother over many years that proved more devastating. ‘Kev’s mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in her early 60s and from then on his father became her carer and it was so hard for him. She reached the point where she didn’t recognise her own son and was agitated and upset because she had no idea where she was or who she was; that was heartbreaking to witness.’ Phyllis is an ambassador for Dementia UK and does what she can to support the charity’s work. ‘It’s such a cruel disease. I am aware there’s a genetic component so I do brain-training on my phone every day. Will that help stave it off? I have no idea; I think of Iris Murdoch – such a clever woman who dealt with words and complex memories all her life, and yet all those things that made her so creative and unique were taken while she was still alive. Ultimately, all you can do is cross your fingers and make the most of every day.’ Phyllis is certainly doing that. Last year was a veritable Air Miles bonanza; as well as her sojourn in Sri Lanka she went to Sydney for a Downton DVD launch, Los Angeles where the ensemble cast of Downton won yet another Screen Actors Guild Award, and then to New York to receive the prestigious Great Scot Award from the US branch of the National Trust for Scotland (previous recipients include comedian Billy Connolly and actor Alan Cumming). She wore a dress bought in John Lewis embellished for the occasion with a tartan sash and matching ribbon. ‘I’m not interested in fashion,’ Phyllis confides. ‘It’s just not on my radar. Whenever I’m doing a contemporary role, the wardrobe mistress will usually say, “Let’s go to Selfridges and get a personal shopper.” Most women would probably love it, but my face falls because I absolutely hate trying on clothes. One of the things I loved about Downton was the fact I had two outfits and maybe a coat if I got to go into the village; the girls in the Crawley family kept having to go for fittings every time there was a big dinner, which would have driven me mad.’ Logan loves… Reading Alan Bennett’s Keeping On Keeping On. I love him; my husband Kev played him in the stage version of The Lady in the Van. Listening to The Today programme on Radio 4 and Classic FM. Watching I do enjoy a good nature documentary. Planet Earth II was spectacularly good. Guilty pleasure A whole bag of Kettle Chips with a crisp glass of Picpoul de Pinet. Beauty product Boots No7 moisturiser; it’s not fancy but it does the job. Desert island luxury A karaoke machine, stage, lights and all the songs from the 70s. I’ll make a row of coconuts for an audience and there’ll be no stopping me. The ongoing international popularity of Downton means Phyllis and various other cast members are still asked to appear at events to meet the fans and launch DVDs. She’s often asked about her wigs and whether she kept one; she had three identical hairpieces all of which she affectionately dubbed Elsie. ‘People ask me if I was tempted to take a wig or that big bunch of keys I carried, but that would be theft, because these things aren’t my property,’ says Phyllis emphatically. ‘Besides, if there’s a Downton movie, which I hope will happen, all the props and costumes will be needed.’ Ah yes, the Downton film; rumours still swirl but so far there’s been no confirmation. According to Phyllis it may yet happen if – and it’s a huge if – the cast members can ever be gathered in one place long enough. ‘It’s like herding cats!’ she laughs. ‘We’re all so busy and in different countries, but it would be such fun to get together again. The camaraderie on set was extraordinary.’ Phyllis was in every episode of the family saga. Her husband even appeared in a handful of episodes as Horace Bryant, the stern father of an army major who fraternised with housemaid Ethel (Amy Nuttall), getting her pregnant before he died in action. Horace persuaded her to hand over his grandchild to him, which was brutal but necessary as she had been sacked from Downton in disgrace and had taken to prostitution in order to survive. ‘I was quite miffed that the producer had offered Kev a job without even consulting me,’ laughs Phyllis. ‘I wouldn’t dream of queering his pitch – although I do think I’d be great as Johnny Depp’s mother in a Pirates of the Caribbean film [in which Kevin plays Joshamee Gibbs]. And every lad needs a cuddle from his mother now, doesn’t he?’ Her eyes glitter with the sort of mischief Mrs Hughes would most certainly not approve of, but now Phyllis has emerged from the shadow of her fictional alter ego, she is keen to push boundaries. Last summer she resolved to challenge herself by taking on a theatre role in a dazzling touring production of Noël Coward’s Present Laughter, alongside Samuel West. ‘The prospect of going back on stage was a bit frightening, but that is exactly why I embraced it,’ she says. ‘I can be a bit of a scaredy-cat so I have to push myself and I was so very glad I did. It took me right back to my early days as an actress: booking my own digs, sitting on the seafront on my day off eating fish and chips. I also got to see fascinating places such as Canterbury, Cambridge and Brighton.’ Seeing the world – be it near or far – is something she gently urges all women to do once the kids have left. ‘Travel does broaden the mind and fill the senses,’ she says. ‘It gives you a new perspective and there are so many beautiful regions in Britain that I can think of no better way to spend time than exploring them because you’re a long time dead – so carpe diem, ladies!’ The Good Karma Hospital will be on ITV next month. Phyllis is an ambassador for Dementia UK and is supporting its campaign timeforacuppa.org Styling: Natalie Read. Hair: Alex Price at Frank Agency. Make-up: Lucy Gibson at Frank Agency using Clinique. Table and vase, both Habitat Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-4128572/Interview-Downton-star-Phyllis-Logan.html#ixzz4WSbvI2CF Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

#phyllis logan #downton abbey #good karma hospital

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nalu-love-4-life · 7 years

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Making Waves (Completed) NaLu drabble request

The heat of the day was oppressive and sweltering, and the guild hall, usually bursting with the rambunctious noise of the Fairy Tail mages, was filled with all manners of groans and moans. Most members, I could tell, seemed to have stayed home, and the dreary atmosphere that surrounded the ones who had made the trek permeated the air.

I had just come from my apartment and was now standing by the large wooden doors, gazing about the hall.

Mira was standing behind the bar as usual, fanning herself with the day’s menu, her silvery hair swishing behind her with every wave. Erza, I saw, was sitting on a barstool wearing a crop top with a hot pink sarong tied together at the side of her hip. It bore a luau print with many beautiful white flowers. A few feet away, Master Makarov was slumped in his chair, sweating through his fur-lined coat. Why he didn’t bother taking it off crossed my mind, but I figured he would think to do so on his own sooner or later. Gray was lounging at one of the many tables, eating an icicle he must have made for himself. He was utterly naked aside for his boxer-briefs, again. Begrudgingly, I couldn’t blame him for it on such a smoldering day, even though the heat probably didn’t bother him at all.

At hip distance to him sat Juvia who was fawning as usual. Although Gray didn’t look all that enthused about the attention, he wasn’t eagerly pushing her away either. Seeing the two as they were, my closed hand lifted to my lips, smothering a soft chuckle. ‘One day he’ll tell her,’ I knowingly thought.

I decided to walk to the bar and let the two love-birds have some time to themselves. But before my foot could touch the ground, an orotund voice called out confidently behind me.

I slowly turned my head to the side to see who it was, and there in between the large open doors of the guild hall with his fisted hands at his hips, stood Natsu.

Seeing him, my eyes twinkled and my lips perked upwards. ‘Of course, he would be out and about on a day like this. The heat obviously wouldn’t bother him,’ I thought. ‘This is Natsu, after all.’

“Hey there, Luce!” He grinned and waved.

“Hiya, Lucy!” Happy called as he trailed, flying in the air behind him.

“Hi guys! Are you two here to grab a mission request?” I wondered aloud and shifted my weight to my right leg. Natsu shook his head ‘no’ and started walking to the bar. I followed suit, considering I was planning to make my way there earlier, anyhow. Happy flew about a foot in front of us before twisting around so he could look at our faces as we talked.

“Nope. Natsu and I are just here to get some yummy food before going to the Magnolia public pool to cool off later!” Happy said with a wide smile. He looked so thrilled about their planned trip that it was hard not to join in on the excitement.

“That’s right! We’re going to have a lazy day since we haven’t had one in a while. Yep,” Natsu sighed contentedly as he plopped down on a barstool. “Just a bit of RnR.”

I lifted a skeptic eyebrow and smiled wryly at him. “You’re going to relax at a public pool without somehow getting kicked out or breaking something? This I have to see,” I teased with clear amusement. At this Natsu’s mouth turned up in a huge smile, showing me his sharp white canines.

“Sounds great, Luce! Happy –” he called to the little blue cat, who was munching on a dead fish, beside him. Happy peered up from his meal with raised eyebrows and full cheeks.

“Gyah, Ngatzu?” He mumbled with his mouth full, and chunks of uncooked fish flying out. I stared at them while they talked for a moment before hearing an uncomfortable sound. Grumble. Grumble. It had slipped my mind to grab something to eat before leaving my apartment that morning, and now I was experiencing the consequences of my forgetfulness. ‘I’ll just order something small to nibble on.’ I mulled over the light breakfast options on the menu before calling Mira over.

“Hey, Mira. Could I get a bowl of fresh fruit please? I forgot to eat this morning before coming to the guild.” She smiled kindly and nodded her head before leaving to the kitchen to fix it up for me. “Thanks!” I said as she handed me the plastic yellow bowl filled with strawberries, purple grapes, banana slices, and pineapple cubes.

“No problem, Lucy,” Mira chirped happily, and with a nonchalance about her, she began wiping the counter down beside us. “So, you and Natsu are going to the pool together today, huh? That will be fun…” she trailed off.

“Hm?” My head sprang up too quickly and had to rub the tension out of the back of my neck. After the pain had subsided, I tilted my head in question and peered over at the two still vigorously discussing amongst themselves; Natsu as animated as ever. “I know Natsu and Happy are going together today, but I wasn’t planning on the pool, myself.” I pondered for a moment before asking: “What did you mean earlier, by the wa-” I stopped, looking up to see that Mira had already walked to the other side of the bar where Erza was savoring a slice of strawberry shortcake, and where Laxus had recently sat down on a stool nearby. “-y…” I finished softly, lagging the syllable.

Still somewhat confused by her cryptic tone of voice, I thought to myself as I brought a pineapple cube to my lips. As I closed my mouth around the piece of sweetly sour fruit, I almost choked when I was startled by a booming voice.

“Alright, it’s settled then! Luce, you’re coming to the pool to relax with us!” Natsu bellowed in my ear. Following his words, I could hear a woman’s soft chuckling from the other end of the bar. After coughing my lungs out for a good two minutes, I collected myself, sucked in a deep breath, and cleared my throat.

“I was only kidding before, you know, when I teased you about breaking something or getting kicked out.”

It wasn’t that I was opposed to going to the pool with them. I just didn’t want a moment like the last time the guild went to a pool resort to happen again. Lord knows the guild wouldn’t be able to cover such extreme damages like that again.

“Yeah, but why not come anyways? It’s wicked hot out, and you don’t have any actual plans today, right?” He beamed at me.

“I don’t know, Natsu.” Reluctance was written all over my face. The ever-pressing uncertainty of whether going with them would be a good idea or not weighed like an anvil on my mind.

“Come on, Lucy!” Happy cried after swallowing his last bite of fish. “It won’t be as fun without you there, too!” He stood up on the counter and walked over to stand a little closer to us. Natsu’s onyx eyes never left my face while Happy pleaded.

“He’s right, you know,” Natsu said in a much softer tone. The sudden shift grasped my attention and drew me in. My eyes flicked to gaze into his and it was difficult not to get lost in their swirling dark hue. “It’s always more fun when we’re together. Remember?” His deep voice came out as a raspy whisper and it sent cool chills down my spine. The words that he used had been my own from one of the very first serious battles we had fought together as a team. It was like sharing a secret only the two of us knew. One that even Happy was naïve to.

Hearing him say that and watching his beseeching eyes, there was nothing I could do to stop the corners of my lips from turning up.

“I remember,” I whispered bashfully, letting my eyes drift lazily to the floor and then slowly rise back up. Natsu grinned widely, his expression patient. In the moment, I couldn’t put my finger on it, but there was something about that quirky, innocent smile that I couldn’t argue with. “Okay. I’ll go with you guys to the pool, today. It sounds like fun,” I said while turning indifferently to face my bowl of fruit. As I brought another piece to my lips, I peeked over at Natsu from the corner of my eye. He was still watching me with a goofy excitement on his face. I couldn’t suppress the heat that welled in my cheeks, so to attempt to hide it I averted my eyes and peered around the bar.

“Lu, you okay?” Natsu asked, lightly flicking my forehead.

“Ow! Natsu?!” I yelped, spinning on the stool to glare at him. My hand flew to block my forehead from any further abuse. A slight stinging sensation was left behind on my skin. But his teasing chuckle and his gentle stare made it impossible to hold a grudge. I tried to fight the smile that was tugging at my lips but I soon gave in and we laughed together. Silence fell and our eyes naturally fell, and we sat there studying each other. A silly smirk crossed Natsu’s face and I smiled back shyly. Mere seconds passed before I broke our stare, but I could tell, even without looking at him, that his cheeks had turned beet red. The heat that emanated on my right side gave him away. I muffled a giggle. ‘What a weirdo,’ I thought, as I ate the rest of my breakfast with an easy smile.

**************************

“Hurry up, Lucy! I want to get to the pool before it gets too crowded!” Happy whined incessantly. I had just finished my bowl of fruit and was helping Mira clean up the counter topic before we left.

“Yeah, Luce! If we don’t go now we might not get a good spot in the shade for our towels and stuff!” Natsu huffed in agreement. I glanced at them and frowned while picking up a stray plate that had been left with a half-eaten croissant.

“I can’t leave Mira with this mess, you guys. It’ll only take a second.” Saying this, I dumped the hardened pastry into the trash and placed the plate into the sudsy sink. All that was left to do was to wipe down the counter with a wet rag and dry it, and then wash the few dishes that needed to be cleaned from the morning customers.

“That’s alright, Lucy,” Mira said in an overly chipper tone. “I can finish up here on my own. It’ll only take me a few minutes to do what’s left anyhow. I appreciate your help. Now, you all go have fun, okay?” She smiled brightly and ushered us along with a wave of her hands. With slight hesitation, I gave a glance over at Natsu, who looked more eager than ever to get going, and Happy was already flying over to the double doors. I turned to look back at Mira who still wore that same sweet smile.

“Are you sure, Mira? I don’t mind helping out for a little while longer, honest, it’s no trouble,” I insisted.

“Nonsense,” Mira chided lightly. “Stop stalling and go have a good time with him.”

‘Stalling?’ I wondered. ‘Am I stalling? Well, I suppose if she insists she’s fine I can’t exactly argue.’ I reasoned with myself before returning her easy smile. “Alright, then,” I sighed, “If you’re sure?” Mira nodded happily and went back to wiping down the marble countertop. I watched her for a moment. Taking a deep breath in, I started walking towards the doors where the boys were impatiently waiting.

“Finally! Let’s hit the road!” Natsu bellowed, pumping his fist in the air and pushing the entrances open.

“Aye, sir!” Yelled Happy, who flew ahead, leading the way. As we began to make our way through the town, a heavy realization hit me like a sack of potatoes to the gut. ‘Crap! I don’t have a bathing suit with me!’ Sweat was already beginning to perspire on my forehead at the mere thought of this new bump in their plans for the day.

“So, um, funny thing,” my voiced wavered nervously. Natsu turned his head to look at me as we continued down the street.

“What’s up, Lucy?” My heart thumped in a panic hearing his gruff voice. ‘What the?’ I thought placing a loose fist over my chest. Natsu was starting to look worried. “Is everything okay?” He reached out to touch my shoulder.

“Oh! N-No, no! I’m fine,” I said, casually stepping away from his hand. “It’s just, well, I wasn’t really planning on going swimming today, so I don’t have a bathing suit with me.” I let my eyes drift from his face because I was feeling more than a little embarrassed at having to derail their plans further. After a moment, I peeked at him again, but he didn’t look angry. He seemed relieved.

“Well, why didn’t you just say so? I thought you were getting sick or somethin’ and I’d have to take care of you.” He chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest. I watched his shoulders bounce lightly up and down as he did. “We’ll just swing by your place so you can grab one, ‘kay?”

I nodded and smiled, glad that he wasn’t upset; but inside, a strange feeling was beginning to brew.

‘… Take care… of me….’ I mulled over his words in my mind, not sure what it was that was bubbling in my chest.

Natsu raised his hand to the side of his mouth and called out to Happy, who by this time was a good yard or two in front of us. “We’re gonna stop at Lucy’s apartment real quick so she can grab a bathing suit. You go on ahead and get us a nice shady spot by the pool.”

“Rodger!” Happy called back with a military salute before whizzing down the street and turning a corner, disappearing out of sight. I was soon surprised when I felt a familiar comforting warmth grasp my hand. Natsu had taken it in his and was guiding me towards my apartment.

“U-uhm, you really don’t have to do this, Natsu. I could get it myself so you can go to the pool with Happy. It’s no big deal. I could just meet you guys there.” The words spilled past my lips and I was tripping over the wording.

“Nah.” He said, still galumphing onward, over the bridge and past the fishermen casting their lines in the river. “Everything is more fun together. Even the boring stuff. Like when we were at the guild hall earlier.”

Taking a moment to mentally press the pause button on his fast pace, I looked over at him with a quizzical expression as we walked briskly along. “What do you mean?” I questioned. For the briefest of moments his eyes widened, but they soon relaxed again. The pace we had been going slowed just a tad but remained above a leisure stroll. His eyes moved to the side away from me, and I got a peculiar feeling that he was being coy. “What?” I asked again. This time a smirk played at my lips as I wondered cheekily what he could be feeling shy about. “What is it?” Natsu raised his free hand to cover his mouth and hide his cheeks. He was acting more and more suspicious with every passing second. “Well?” I giggled. His cute reaction was all too amusing. I knew the saying about how curiosity killed the cat, but my curiosity was literally killing me. ‘Now I must know what he meant,’ I thought.

Lowering his arm, I could tell that his eyes had become serious and that he was trying to keep his cool, though I could still see a faint flush on his cheeks. “When we were sitting on the barstools and you were eating,” he began a bit cryptically.

“What about me eating?” I raised an eyebrow, not because of my pressing interest, but more because I was worried that I had done something gross that I wasn’t aware of that he had seen.

Noticing my furrowed expression, he was quick to dispel any unwanted insinuations that I was making.

“No, I didn’t mean anything bad.” Hearing that, a breath of relief blew past my lips I didn’t notice I had been holding. “I meant,” Natsu paused, “You know,” he continued.

“Know what?” At this point I was just confused. ‘Spit it out already!’

“You looked like you were having fun eating the fruit and helping Mira clear the counter. If I had just been there by myself or with Happy, I wouldn’t have been able to see that. I had fun watching you enjoy yourself and what you were doing, that’s all.” The last part was mumbled in an undertone, but it dazed me nonetheless. I wasn’t expecting such honesty for a response, let alone most of what he just said. I figured he was going to tease me or something.

‘Well, that’s definitely not what he did.’ I shook my head a couple of times and I could tell that Natsu was watching me from the corner of his eye. I didn’t know what to say. I opened and closed my mouth trying to formulate something, anything, but I was speechless. Soon enough, though, I could see my apartment ahead and a wave of relief, like I had been saved from some unspoken awkward situation, washed over me.

“My apartment!” I said slightly louder than was necessary. Natsu’s eyes slowly turned from me to look to the front and he grunted realizing we had reached our destination. I let go of his hand and reached for the key in my pocket, instantly missing the warm sensation it gave me. It didn’t take long before I had produced the metal object and unlocked the apartment door. I opened it and began ascending the staircase but I didn’t sense that Natsu had followed.

I turned on the steps to look down at the entryway where he still stood, lost in thought and eyes gazing at the floor.

“Natsu?” I called out. “Natsu, is something wrong?” I must have jostled him from his thoughts because he shook his head and glanced up at me like a child taken from a daydream.

“Huh? Oh, uh, sorry. No. Nothing’s wrong. Let’s get that bathing suit.” He showed a small smile, but it seemed as if somewhat forced. Not wanting to make anything out of what might be nothing I accepted it and smiled back, continuing up the stairs with Natsu trailing right behind. But when I walked into my room, I gasped at the war zone I had forgotten I had created throughout the week. Piles of clothes were strewn everywhere, on my bed, under my bed, all over the floor, stuffed in my overflowing closet, trailing to the bathroom – everywhere!

‘Crap! When I get back later, it’s laundry day.’ I grimaced as I looked around. ‘Now, where could that bathing suit be…?’ Pushing some of the wreckage aside, we began to search. We walked about the room, lifting what seemed like article of clothing after article of clothing, but we couldn’t find it anywhere.

“Natsu, I’m really sorry about this. Why don’t you just go to the pool with Happy and I’ll go with you guys on another day?” Again, I tried persuading him to leave me behind, but like before, his stubbornness would let him.

“No way. We’ll find this dumb bathing suit and still have plenty of time at the pool.” Natsu kept searching with a determination in his onyx eyes. I sighed feeling crummy that I was taking up his RnR time because my apartment was a mess. “Hey, Lu. Is this it? It seems a little frilly and not that great for water resistance if it is.” I turned around only to have my entire face flare up in utter embarrassment. In that moment, I could have sworn that my very soul floated right out of my body.

“AH!!” I screamed yanking the clothing out of his hands. He had been holding them out in front of him and had been studying them for all that they were worth, which if I was being honest was a pretty penny.

“W-What?! What?!” He said, confused by my over-the-top reaction. What he had been holding was not my bathing suit.

“Nothing! N-Nothing at all!” I replied, quickly stuffing the baby pink, lace bra and panty set back into my closet.

“Geez, Lucy, you’re gonna give me a heart attack freaking out like that.” Natsu rubbed the back of his neck and tilted his head to the side, sighing. “You act like I just found your lingerie, or… somethin’…” His voice grew quiet and I couldn’t bring myself to look at him so I busied myself with trying to find that stupid bathing suit. After a minute or so I dared a quick glance at him and was mortified to find his face as red as an apple and heat rippling out from his body.

‘Oh my God!’ In my mind, I was crying rivers from my humiliation. I hastened the search while Natsu was out of commission, and finally, I was able to find what we had come for. “I found it!” I yelled, happy that I wasn’t utterly chagrinned for nothing. “Um,” I mumbled, noticing Natsu coming back from his absence. He was currently looking anywhere but at me with is arms crossed tight against his semi-exposed chest. “I’m just going to go put this on really quickly so we can go meet up with Happy, okay?” I waited for his response which came back as a simple and somewhat high pitched hum of recognition. Curling my lips inward I nodded slowly and walked to the bathroom to change.

I changed in a relatively short time. The bathing suit I had found was a two-piece bikini made of red and yellow fabric, like the flames of a fire, that glittered in the light from the myriads of tiny silver flecks that dotted the cloth like stars in the sky. The bottom half tied together of the hips in little bows while the upper half was a halter top that looped around my neck and covered my chest. Before stepping out of the bathroom to meet Natsu in the living room, I grabbed a towel so I could wrap it around myself while I found something to wear over it. I had already died once of embarrassment, I was not planning on doing it again, if I could help it.

Natsu had his elbow on the arm of the couch with the side of his head resting on his fist when I walked back into the room. He glanced up but had a perplexed look on his face.

“Did you change?” He asked with his eyebrows knitted together.

‘Does the towel around my body not give you a hint?’ I thought to myself. Sometimes his density really confounded me. “Um, yeah, I just don’t want to walk around in just a bikini while you’re around.” I casually muttered looking around for a nice pair of shorts and a tee-shirt.

“I’m gonna see you in it anyways once we get to the pool, so what does it matter?” He heaved a sigh and stood up while lazily running his fingers through his messy pink hair. It looked so soft to the touch. I couldn’t help but wonder how it would feel to run my fingers through it. I looked away to hide my flushing cheeks and found something cute to wear over my bikini. A pair of light blue, high waisted, button-up shorts and a pastel yellow V-neck that I tied in a knot at the front.

Once I was ready to go with my hair pulled up into a loose pony tail, we made our way to the street and started walking along the river bank towards the pool, where Happy was no doubt unhappily waiting for us. As we strolled along, I decided to pretend that I was on a balance beam, walking on the edge of the sidewalk and the river, like I usually did. But this time, my thoughts were wandering somewhere other than a fantasized Olympic arena. Instead I found myself circling back to when Natsu ran his fingers through his hair, and I wondered: ‘What would it feel like if I did that? Would his hair be as soft as it seems? Would he rest his head on my lap? Would his eyes gently close? Would he unconsciously smile?’

“-ey… Earth to… -cy. Hello?”

“Hm?! What?” I blinked my eyes to focus back on reality and found Natsu’s face inches away from mine. “Ack!” I yelped as I lost my balance, tripping over my feet and falling into the river. I heard another startled holler followed by a loud splash before my head was engulfed by water. When I surfaced, I coughed a few times to clear my waterlogged lungs and rubbed at my eyes. Natsu was in the river with me doing the same. He looked as shocked as I was, if not more so.

“Are you okay, Luce?! You didn’t hit your head or scrape anything, did you?” You asked in an anxious tone as he swam over to me. I was too flabbergasted to make any type of coherent response. So, with my mouth agape and eyes wide, I simply shook my head ‘no’ and tried to wrap my mind around what had just happened in mere seconds. Natsu’s hands came up to touch my face to assess for any possible injuries. Of course, he found none, but feeling his warmth and knowing how concerned he was about my wellbeing, I couldn’t help the burning in my chest. I kept my eyes on him all the while. Even soaking wet with his hair plastered to his forehead, he was handsome. There was no denying it. We treaded the water briefly after he was sure I was okay. I could tell that his eyes were still searching for anything that he might have overlooked. Just as I opened my mouth to say something, a nearby fisherman standing in his small boat, who had seen the whole instance transpire, yelled at us from across the river.

“You kids’ alright over there?” The old man shouted.

Natsu hesitated before looking away from me, probably apprehensive that if his eyes strayed from my face that he would turn back to see a bunch of cuts and bruises with blood flowing everywhere. After a short pause, he willed himself to turn his head to look at the old man and called back to him. “No, we’re alright, old man. Thanks.” I closed my mouth, seeing as the moment had passed to say anything. ‘Oh well,’ I supposed.

“Good.” The fisherman replied with a throaty humph. “You get out of the river, now. Ya got it? Ain’t no place for swimmin’ or philanderin’.” The words the old man spoke brought me out of my daze and I hurriedly tried to make him understand the situation.

“Oh, no, no, sir. You see, we’re not – I mean, he and I aren’t – Ah, we just fell in on accident, there’s nothing betwee-”

“Sorry, sorry. I guess I got a little carried away,” Natsu laughed rubbing the back of his head, like a boy trying to smooth talk his way out of trouble after stealing a kiss from a girl and getting caught by her father.

The fisherman didn’t look necessarily pleased, but the tiniest of smirks was playing at the corners of his tight lips. He raised his eyebrow in question and proceeded to chide Natsu for ‘rushing a delicate flower to bloom,’ whatever he meant by that. Natsu just kept chuckling and chatting with him in between pleasantries as he helped me out of the river. I had never seen him act like such a gentleman before. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised by this side of him. When I stepped out of the water and onto the sidewalk, Natsu took my towel out of my bag and wrapped it delicately around my body. I grabbed the edges and held them together at my chest. I was a little embarrassed by how kind he was being to me.

“Thank you.” I studied his face, noticing every scar, every worry line, every drop of water that ran down from his dripping hair. His hands rubbed up and down the towel over my shoulders and arms in a comforting fashion. He was still talking and laughing with the fisherman.

“Thanks again, old man. Wish I could stay and talk but we were actually headed to the public pool, though I guess there’s no need for that anymore,” he chuckled and the fisherman joined in as he sat down in his boat.

“You kids be careful and have fun.” The man waved a goodbye and Natsu tossed his hand up to signal his own. His hands were still holding my shoulders and I was still memorizing his profile.

“You were right, Luce,” he chuckled, his eyes still on the old man who had cast a new line into the river. “But I guess we got kicked out of a river instead of a pool.” He turned to face me and our eyes met. We were much closer than I had thought we were. Natsu must have noticed this because his cheeks were dusted a dull pink, and I wouldn’t have been shocked if mine were as well. A moment passed, neither of us saying or doing anything; neither one of us moving to break from our staring contest. A gentle, boyish smile rose on his lips, and his hands fell down my arms but stopped short from letting me go.

“What?” Natsu breathed. His voice was soft and tender, but there was something underlying that seemed hesitant and anxious, reserved. The corners of his lips twitched every so often, and his eyebrows furrowed, knitting themselves together, creating a crease in the skin between them. I watched every minute expression he made in the silence that followed his question, taking in every detail, everything about him I had never noticed before.

“What is it?” He asked again, only this time he seemed more insecure and concerned. “Lucy?”

Gathering my thoughts and filing away all the new information I had retained, I shook my head and smiled happily, content just to be there with him, in that moment.

“Nothing. I’m just staring,” my voice coming out just above a whisper.

For a moment Natsu didn’t seem to know what to make of my words, squinting his eyes and looking puzzled. But he soon smiled back with that goofy grin of his and chuckled softly. “Weirdo.”

______________________________________________________________

Thanks for your patience and for requesting such an awesome drabble request @star-dragonslayer !! It was totally fun to write, as you can see from me getting a bit carried away with the length of it, haha. But, I hope everyone loves it and feel free to request a drabble anytime! Happy reading! <3 :)

#nalu #Making Waves #Drabble Request #nalu-love-4-life #natsu and lucy #fairy tail #getting kicked out of the pool #getting kicked out of the river #weirdos in love #<3

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seraphladyvenom · 6 years

Text

We Are Family. [A Fairy Tail FanFic]

Ch.3: My Idol. [PT.1]

You had spent a couple of hours in the Fairy Tail guild and already you were feeling like a part of it. Even the master of the guild Makarov came down and introduced himself and joined in on the fun. This tiny man was sitting crossed legged and armed in front of you with a mug of beer next to him as he listened and talked with the rest of them.

Lira was on your lap with a glass of juice and you had your mug of beer in your hand as you laughed at the stories and tales they fed you. It was comforting to know that your favorite guild really was just as friendly and welcoming as you had hoped. "Another round Mira! For our guests!" The master raised his mug in the air, a pink stain on his cheeks as he clearly had one too many in just the short amount of time that passed.

Mira chuckled. "Coming right up Master!" She was adorable. "Oh no, I really shouldn't, you've given me so much already!" You pleaded but you knew it would be a hopeless battle as this old man has already proven himself to be quite stubborn. "Nonsense! It's no trouble at all my child. We here at Fairy Tail are always open to meeting new wizards and making new friends!"

"Well in that case, another round please Mirajane?" You giggled and raised your mug. "That's the spirit!" Cana patted you on the back rather roughly but you knew it was all love there.

"So what do you think of the Fairy Tail guild, Seradith?" Levi asked with a cute smile on her face. She had been sitting to the left of you with Jet and Droy lingering behind her as always.

"Well...its not boring, I can tell you that!" Everyone laughed.

"Honestly, it's everything we had imagined and more. The atmosphere in here is just so different from the many places we've been to before. So care free, fun..." She ducked just in time as a mug zoomed past above her head. "Rambunctious, but over all an awesome guild to be in." you concluded as you took a sip.

"Well I'm glad you're enjoying yourself." Erza smiled.

"Oi! We really are, it's fun in here, plus the food is really yummy." Lira added as she took a bite of her dish. Mira giggled and thanked her for the compliment.

"Well it seems you've met just about everyone from the guild already minus the few who are off doing jobs at the moment." Wakaba replied as he took a puff of his pipe. "Yes, but..." You stopped mid sentence. "But what Seradith?" Wendy asked.

"It's just that we have yet to meet our idols, I guess they are out doing jobs right now. What a bummer." Lira replied as she looked down pretty bummed.

"Hey it's alright Lira, don't be down, it just wasn't meant to be today." You patted her shoulder in reassurance. "Yes don't fret Lira dear, you may not have been able to meet who you wanted to meet today but you can always come back another day and try again." Erza smiled and Lira looked up at her with gleaming, hopeful eyes. "Really?"

Erza almost couldn't control herself but managed to hold back her anxiety of wanting to cuddle her to death and took a sip of her drink. "Of course, you are always welcome here in Fairy Tail." "See Lira, don't lose hope, there's always a way!" You smiled down at her and she inhaled excitedly and looked up at you smiling. "Mhm!" She nodded.

"So Syrup-Teeth, what is it that you do really?" Natsu asked bluntly.

"IT'S SERADITH!" Lucy smacked him in the back of the head but it didn't phase him.

You chuckled at that and thought for a moment. "Well, nothing special really, I'm just a traveler honestly." "A traveler, really?" Erza asked intrigued. You nodded. "Yes, we normally just go from town to town, across country just visiting places and exploring new things. Nothing too fancy."

"Wow that's so exciting, I bet you've seen some really amazing places, haven't you?" The gleam in Lucy's eyes was almost brighter than the golden keys that hung on her hip. "Oh Yes! We've been to a lot of cool places, also really pretty ones. Like recently we visited an old castle that was built over 400 hundred years ago!" Lira said through her glass. "Really?! How was it?!" Erza asked excitedly.

"Yeah, we're there any creepy ghosts or freaky monsters in there?!" Natsu asked with the most creepy face and voice you could imagine. Gray smacks him across the head. "Knock it off Natsu, quit being a pest." "What so you wanna fight you pervert?!" "Who are you calling a pervert, fire breath?!" He shoved his face into his. "You you filthy streaker! Put on some clothes!" It was then you realized Gray had stripped down to his underwear and you looked away. "You're the pervert, why are you looking at me anyway you disgusting freak!" "WHAT YOU SAY?!" Natsu combusted into flames and Grey retaliated with starting up his ice magic. "You heard me!" "Silence you two! Can't you see that Seradith is in the middle of telling her story?!" Erza glared. "Aye sir!" They replied.

You cleared your throat. "No, none of that, the castle was really well preserved and almost looked like it was stuck in time, that's how amazing it looked." "So you saw nothing weird then?" Natsu asked rather disappointed. "No, sorry...but then there was this creepy old maid keeper lady who had really huge front teeth and looked at you like she was going to eat your soul or something, if that counts." You and Lira both shudder at the sudden flash memory of that keeper.

"How boring." he was blunt yet again.

"Don't be so rude Natsu!" Lucy scolded. "Yeah yeah." He frowned unimpressed. "Honestly you need to learn some manners Natsu, geez." "Whatever." He leaned back against the chair and Lucy just continued to berate him. You couldn't help but giggle at it all. It was really like a big ol' family here. It was nice.

You looked down into your mug as your eyes lowered a bit, a small hint of sadness flickered in them as you recalled how you never really had such a luxury. It was always just you, that is until Lira came into your life and then it was just you and her against the world.

"What's wrong child?" Makarov's voice broke you concentration. You flustered a bit at being caught and tried to brush it off. "Oh nothing sir." You stuttered, beads of nervous sweat forming on the back of your head. He looked at you through one open eye as he sat in the same position he was in before closing it again. "Very well then." You took a breath of relief.

It was just then when you heard the creaking of the guild doors opening that turned everyone's attention towards the front. As the doors opened to a halt 4 wizards walked in, all in a group. It was then you realized who they were. The blonde spiked hair, the short, barely dressed, specks woman, those rather alarming long green locks, and a questioning looking helmet that covered half of his face. Your heart nearly flat lined right there.

"Ah Laxus my boy, welcome back." Makarov spoke. You and Lira stared wide eyes at the group that just walked in. It was almost godlike as they kind of sparkled in your eyes for some reason. The short brunette lady on the right with the flashy dress, glasses and a smug attitude to go with it was Evergreen, a vivacious wizard with a bod to back it up. The tall gentleman on the left with the weird long moss green hair was Freed Justine. Keen with his scripture magic, quite brilliant. The tall man in the back of him was Bixlow. He had that weird helmet that made you feel somewhat uneasy even through magazine pictures.

And then there was him. The tall, blonde, muscular man, with what seemed like a permanent scowl printed on his face was Laxus, the leader. All together they were the Thunder Tribe, solely named mainly because of Laxus lightening. He was a lightening dragon slayer after all.

"Welcome back guys, how did the job go?" Mira asked in her usual cheerful tone. "It went well actually, we finished it in record time if I do say so myself." Freed replied with a slight bit of cockiness in his tone. Mira just chuckled. As for Lira and you, well y'all couldn't take your eyes off them. It was like the air around you became so thick that you could barely breath.

"Alright Laxus! You're back!" Natsu grinned mischevously. "So how about we have a fight?!" He was so enthuastic as he ran up towards Laxus. "Not today Natsu, I'm not in the mood." He spoke uninterestedly. "Oh come on Laxus! That's not fair! You always pass me up!"

"I don't think it's a good idea to try anything today Natsu." Ever replied a bit worried. "Yeah, Laxus didn't have a very good time on our way back here, so he's not in a very good mood." Bixlow added. "Why, what happened?" Gray asked. "Just some punk thug wannabe thieves tried to challenge us. As you can see..." her eyes glanced down at the bottom of Laxus overcoat which had been shredded with many holes. "Let's just say it didn't end well for those punks." Freed sweatdropped.

"Really?! You let some low life punks get the the better of you Laxus?!" Natsu taunted. His face turned dark. "I thought you were the strongest one in the guild." Laxus face darkened and the others looked at him with shock. "What do you have a death wish or something Natsu?!" Bixlow asked bewildered. "I guess it wouldn't be much of a fight if we fought now huh?" Laxus was pissed. You can see it clearly in his face.

"Come on Laxus! Prove me wrong!" He attacked. And with a swish of his wrist, Natsu was face down imbedded deep in the floor of the guild. Laxus retracted his arm and grunted. He didn't even bother to look his way. Everyone sweatdropped. "That didn't even last 2 seconds." Droy stated. Romeo sighed deeply and shook his head. "Oh Natsu."

"Anyways, Laxus, Evergreen, Freed, Bixlow. I want to intoduce you to someone." "Huh? Introduce us?" Ever questioned curiously. "Yes, this is Seradith and Lira, they are travelers who happen to be quite the fans of our guild, and came all this way to meet us all." "Yeah, they've been everywhere in Fiore and seen a lot of cool places, they were just talking about them actually." Levi smiled.

"They came here to meet all of us, including a few who are their idol's, though we still have no clue who they are." Lucy giggled. Evergreen gave a smug grin. "I see, well as you can see I am Evergreen, the most beautiful woman in ALL of Fairy Tail and part of one of the strongest teams here." She winked. "No pictures please." She spoke as she strutted a pose. "And I am Freed. I too am part of the strongest team in Fairy Tail." He bowed slightly. "Yowza! Hey there cutie, the names Bixlow and these are my babies. And we're here to rock your world, baby!" He threw a rock symbol at you as he stuck his fairy tail marked tongue out through his creepy grin. "Rock your world, baby!" The tiki drums repeated in unison.

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