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#nalu fic
bumblebeehug · 5 months
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i’m rereading my fic happy endings and i’m SHOCKED at some of the sentences i’m reading!!!! “how could he accept it when it was death that split them, and not life?” DID I WRITE THAT????? WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME I COULD WRITE, WHAT
never mind, i just saw that i spelled nonetheless “non the less”. to be fair though: i’m bad at english and google docs asks the weirdest things (didn’t use word at the time)
anyways if you wish lisanna was treated better by the fandom, but still love nalu more than anything else, read this fic👍🏻
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aitnes · 1 year
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louder than words
He laughs, and the softness of it melts into her bones and cools like lava on her heart. She has come to realise that he never laughs like this around other people—around their friends, their guild. She only hears this laugh when it's the two of them and Happy. 
"What do you have to be embarrassed about, silly?" His mouth quirks into a half grin. There's something about the gentleness in his eyes that makes her feel, despite herself, like this expression is different, somehow. Like it's private. Like it's made for her. "It's just me."
Her heart bursts into bloom. A bouquet of flowers spurts forward in her chest. "Yeah. I know."
Lucy finally gets herself together and attempts to show Natsu how she feels. It's... not all smooth-sailing, to say the least.
read it on ao3!
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fairydares · 1 year
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fuck it, new fic. let's do this.
(there's a 'keep reading' line so don't worry, this isn't too long.)
Title: Chasing Tails (AO3 Link) (Chapter 2) (Chapter 3)
Fandom: Fairy Tail
Rating: E (Explicit) because I'm almost positive there will be eventual smut. I'll be clearer about this as I actually decide what I'm going to write lol. Overarching Warning for Graphic Depictions of Violence.
Categories: 2nd gen fic; adventure, humor, romance, fluff, and angst in approximately that order. i guess.
Pairings: Nalu, Gruvia, Gajevy, Jerza, Miraxus+Fried (don't know what that ship's called sorry), Chendy, Sting/Yukino, Baccana-- next gen has pairings, too, but I don't want to reveal those yet.
Tags/TW's: The first chapter contains UFC/MMA-esque violence as well as some implied street violence. There may be more TW's I need to add later, but I honestly haven't written the whole story or decided everything, so that's all I can give you for now. I'll do my best to tag appropriately as I go.
Summary: It’s been almost 12 years since 17-year-old Layla O'Neil was found living alone on the streets and put in foster care, and she likes to think she’s done a pretty good job of forgetting the past. She doesn’t remember her birth family, the name “Nashi [*1] Dragneel,” or where she heard the absurd stories she told the police who found her. Stories about Wizard Guilds, flying cats, and–most cringey of all–her self-proclaimed status as a “Fire Dragon Slayer.”
But the past becomes pretty impossible to ignore when it confronts her in the form of some middle-aged, pink-haired stalker who won’t stop calling her the ridiculous name she’d nearly forgotten, and trying to convince her to come back to “Fairy Tale.”
Oh, and claiming to be her dad.
Like Layla doesn’t have enough problems! The last thing she needs is some delusional freak following around. Especially one who’s starting to make her want to take his hand…
Yep, this is a Second Gen (and therefore post-canon) fic. The idea took root and just would not let go. I’ll warn you ahead of time that the premise is somewhat dark. That said, I’m the kind of writer who likes (and tries to write) stories with sad beginnings, hopeful middles, and triumphant ends. I don't want to give too much away, but you shouldn't expect major character deaths or anything like that, though their may be some forms of lightly implied abuse.
Feel free to reblog, make your own additions with commentary, whatever. I'm quite lax with stuff like that. Hope this was comprehensive enough, and that you enjoy!
Chapter 1: Dragon-Slaying Aliens
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“That’s correct…a world that exists independently from the one we know. And, unfortunately, a world that’s begun losing its Magic…unlike here, in Edolas, Magic is a finite resource. Without limits on its use, it will one day disappear forever.” -from Episode 78, “Edolas”, (English dub, ~00:09), Carla’s line [*1]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------To say this mission had gone sideways was a big-ass understatement, and even Natsu had to admit it. 
It had started well enough. A relatively small mission. Not even S-Class! Puny wannabe Dark Guilds like the one Shirotsume needed dealt with–what was it called? Bony Jewel or something? Anyways, they were a dime a dozen, these days. Hell, Natsu was pretty sure he and Happy took out, like, a billion of them in the past seven years by pure accident. So how the hell was he supposed to know that this time, he’d get blasted to another world–one even Team Natsu hadn’t wound up in? 
And he was positive they’d never been here. He may have had a bad memory (something he’d begrudgingly been forced to actively acknowledge as he grew into a man) but he was sure he’d have remembered somewhere that made him feel this bad. It wasn’t just that he couldn’t use his Magic. If it had just been that, this might have been fun. Hell, a lot of the worlds Team Natsu had visited–even Edolas–had been fun.
This one sucked. 
If he hadn’t known better, he’d have thought he’d been transported to the future–one where FACE had been activated and all the Magic had been dissipated. Because it had felt, truly, like all the Magic was being sucked out of him. When he’d woken up on the forest floor, he’d felt as if he was dying. His lungs had burned with each breath (and not in the good way). His limbs had felt like lead when he tried to rise. 
He’d quickly realized that couldn’t be the case, though. Even if the Dragons hadn’t destroyed FACE, if all the Magic had been sucked from Earthland he’d have Magical Deficiency Syndrome. He’d either be down or in forced into his END form. 
He’d wandered around the small forest he’d woken up in alone, trying to focus through the stink and noise he was only capable of perceiving through what felt like about a hundred layers of thick blanket, and calling for his best friend as long as he could. It hadn’t been long before he gave up and left; Happy had never shouted back (something he considered fortunate, at this point; hopefully Happy was back in Earthland) his stomach was trying to eat itself, it was dark–and, worst of all–he still couldn’t use his Magic. At all.
Actually, scratch that: the absolute worst part was when a glance at his (as usual) bare shoulder showed him that his guild mark had vanished. It was just gone. So was his scarf, and so was his Mini Communication Lacrima. Obviously, his guild mark and scarf were bigger deals personally, but the Mini Comm was a bigger loss in immediate, practical terms. After That Day, seven years ago, Laxus–now Fairy Tail’s Master–had started putting Navigation Enchantments on everyone’s Comms so that anyone who went missing could be traced. There was a 3D map of Earthland and Edolas visually tracking everyone’s movements in the Master’s Office. It could even find them in Edolas. 
Now, Natsu’s was nowhere to be found. No one would be able to find him, wherever he was, and any hopes of contacting them were obviously dead in the water, too. 
He was gonna have to find his own way back, somehow. He only prayed his scarf was somehow back in Earthland, and that Happy had grabbed it for him. 
As he hobbled down the weird, too-neat walkway he’d found, he had to believe that whatever was preventing him from using his Magic was what kept him from sensing anything beyond the general–the stink, the sound, the pain, the hunger. Normally, with his better-than-normal resilience and enhanced strength, his pain would have mostly taken care of itself by now. Usually, making himself move helped. Now, it seemed to be making things worse. 
After finding the pathway, he’d kept shouting for his little buddy a whole bunch of times, but all he’d gotten were several loud verbal confrontations and one physical one. He’d expected to beat the massive brute towering next to the smaller woman beside him–and he had. But it hadn’t been as easy as he’d expected. His movements had been slower than normal. His limbs had felt like lead. His strength had been lesser. Every time he tried to call up his Magic, a wave of dizziness and lethargy had overcome him. It was like he’d feel the rushing up inside of him only to sputter to coldness at the last second; he hadn’t seen so much as a spark since he’d woken up. 
In the end, it was only experience and determination which had allowed him to level the much larger man, and hard-earned wisdom which had seen him running from the screeching woman and the gun-wielding, uniform-wearing soldiers her screeching had drawn. Yet the punch he’d taken to the nose had made it bleed and the kick to the thigh had made him limp. 
It wasn’t just that his Dragon senses had vanished, making him woozy, making it difficult to stand and excruciating to move. His strength was gone as well. Not even sealstone would have weakened him this much.
He’d wandered, now, for what felt like several hours. The number of Magical Vehicles around were astounding–astounding, and nauseating; just looking at them made Natsu want to vomit. The one good part of having an empty stomach was that he had nothing to give up. He meandered in a stupor, through unbelievably thick crowds, dodging Magic Vehicles and their honking, and glaring down anyone who yelled at him for not understanding something, occasionally barking back to scare them off.
He’d never been so disoriented, and the worst part was that deep down, he knew that there was no one to blame but himself. 
Lucy and Happy had asked him, point-blank, if the Quest he’d chosen had anything to do with his search for their long-lost daughter and kitten. 
It had. Of course it had. 
However, Natsu had denied it. Because if he hadn’t, he and Happy wouldn’t have been able to leave right then. Lucy would have forced him to bring someone else along; she was busy taking care of their son, Luke; the Perve-sicle was already out on his own mission/search for Juvia, and Erza was away, which meant he’d have had to ask someone outside Team Natsu. 
No thanks, he’d decided, covering up the fine print on the mission request with his fingers before holding it up to Lucy’s nose. 
Now, as he snarled at yet another person yelling at him for being in the way, Natsu was starting to consider the possibility that he just maybe should’ve been more upfront, and even that he should–perhaps–have waited for the stripper to get back before taking on Bony Jewel or whatever alone.
But how the hell was he supposed to have known it would end up like this?! It had been going fine–in fact, it had been going great! A couple opponents had offered a real challenge before their Master had shown up. Natsu had been laying down brick in that fight, too. Yet when the guy had been on his last legs, he’d whipped some creepy, sparkly rainbow skull from nowhere (now that he thought about it…that might have been what the Guild was named for!) and shot one last attack. One so big, Natsu had been unable to dodge–though, of course, he’d made to both block and finish the fight with an enormously powerful Fire Dragon Wing Attack. 
Based on his current predicament–he had to assume it hadn’t worked. Even though the skull had shattered in the heat of his flames at the last second, the blast had still hit him. His one consolation was that he was pretty sure his little buddy had heeded his final warning to get back. So he was almost definitely still back in Earthland.  
It had taken Natsu several pathetic attempts to stand. Getting here felt like a blur. Now, he had no idea what he was doing. What he should do. Their money had been in Happy’s knapsack, and without his precious nose, finding food was basically impossible anway. 
Man…Lucy’s gonna kill me, he grumbled internally, grunting at another group who shouted at him for bumping into him. 
Okay, yeah, maybe he should’ve been honest. Maybe he should’ve waited. But how could he do that when the lead was so good? When there was even the smallest chance he might finally find Nashi [*]? 
At the thought, his footsteps halted temporarily. He ducked his head, bangs shadowing his eyes. He balled his fists at his sides. The thought of the missing daughter he’d never stopped searching for never got easier to bear. 
It was the worst thing that could happen to a parent, to lose their child. Something he wouldn’t have wished on Fairy Tail’s most vicious, evil enemy. He and Lucy understood that too intimately. Still, he didn’t let himself get bogged down, not when it might hold him back, not when it might keep him from finding her. Seven years, she’d been gone. Her, Wendy–so many of their nakama and allies. Time had neither hindered nor halted his search for any of his missing comrades, but especially his little girl. She’d be twelve, now. He’d gotten better with birthdays and anniversaries when he married Lucy. He’d woken up and started crying on April 14th this year, the same as his wife. 
Still, even on that day, he’d spoken of her. When he was with Luke, Lucy, and Happy, he talked about it. He talked about how he’d find her and Harley–Happy and Carla’s kitten–how they’d be a family again. He spoke of the future to give it power, just like Igneel had taught him. Just like he’d taught his own kids. Wherever Nashi was, he was sure she must be doing the same; speaking of how she’d find them again, the same as he strove to find her. 
But he couldn’t continue his search (covert or not) until he got home. So getting home was definitely at the top of the to-do list. Right after eating. 
He kept walking.
Wherever he’d wound up was seedy, dark, yet strewn with lights that made paths across his newly-sucky eyes when he looked at them directly. Gross and smelly, too. The people he’d just bumped into started shouting back at him, something about bumping into someone’s girlfriend, and he huffed irritably. Normally, he’d never back down from a challenge like this, but believe it or not, he was too lost, confused, hungry, and tired to deal with another fight–not when the injuries he’d sustained from the previous one were still hurting this much. 
It was humiliating. He’d always been the type of person who refused to back down from a fight, no matter how outmatched he was. These days, a lot of fights were honestly pretty boring for him. Erza would always be scary, and Gray was admittedly pretty strong (if not badass enough to stand up to him, or so he would always insist). He could proudly admit to having achieved (at least) Gildarts-level strength without the clumsiness to make him dangerous. 
Now, he was balking out of fights with people who weren’t even using Magic. 
There was something viscerally terrifying about how much his injuries were troubling him. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t limp without worsening whatever injury that asshole had doled out on his knee. His nose felt bigger than his head. 
He stumbled on, brooding. 
The guy whose girlfriend he’d bumped into got louder, closer. Obviously, the freak wasn’t gonna let it go. Cursing, he started hobbling more quickly, turning the next corner. To his relief and curiosity, bright lights, loud voices, and a huge crowd–littered with food stands he might be able to beg food from–appeared. He made his way into the thick of it, ignoring the shouts behind him, and ducked and wove between people. It took him several seconds to realize he was still trying to find food by his nose, which barely even freaking worked. Frustrated, he turned his attention to the source of the light, which seemed to focus down on whatever sat in the middle of the crowd. 
Curiosity shoving past the numbness and hunger, Natsu pushed his way towards it. 
“Ow!” 
“Hey!” 
“Watch it, freak!” 
“Yeah, yeah,” Natsu grumbled. “Watch your damn selves!”
He still felt like shit, but the crowd was oddly invigorating. As he crashed through the thickest (front) lines of the crowd, more lights came on while the darkness behind him fell deeper. Natsu winced, blinking. It took him a few moments to register what he’d stumbled upon: a roundish sort of stage, elevated a few feet off the ground and bordered by some kind of chain-link cage thing. Two corners were open to be entered, but fended off  by some big dudes in black suits, holding back the crowd. 
“WELCOME, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!” boomed a voice that came from everywhere and nowhere at once, making Natsu flinch again and the crowd start chattering loudly. 
Match? Natsu wondered despite his disorientation and exhaustion, thinking of the Grand Magic Games. He shoved aside every stranger who tried to take his place at the front of the audience, looking around with wide, curious eyes, shoving his gnawing stomach to the backburner.
“FIGHT FANS! ARE YOU REAAAADDDDYYYYY??!!! ” 
Fight? Natsu thought, perking up, conveniently forgetting his injuries in a burst of excitement. Several people started chattering at the crack of the loud voice that was everywhere and nowhere, making Natsu look around even more fervently. 
“BECAUSE THIS LONG-WAITED MATCH-UP IS… ABOUT…TO…BEGINNNN!!!”
The cheering got louder, the shoving got more aggressive, and Natsu got more aggressive right along with it. He’d be damned if he was going to miss a good fight. Besides. He needed to see what the Magic here was like. He was being smart. So ha! How about that, Lucy?!
“INTRODUCING: OUR FIRST FIGHTER!” the voice shouted while Natsu continued to elbow and shove, anticipation rising. Music rang out, a dude’s loud, snarly voice backed up by a bunch of deep bangs and booms which had Natsu trying to decide if what he was listening to was awesome or fucking awful–nope, definitely fucking awful. For the first time, he was glad he couldn’t hear properly since he got here. 
A light flashed at one corner, drawing his eye. “UNLIKE HIS OPPONENT, THIS FIGHTER IS WELL-ESTABLISHED IN THE SEMI-UNDERGROUND OCTAGON! HAD HIS PERFORMANCES BEEN FORMALLY JUDGED WHILE THE UNDERGROUND WAS STILL ACTIVE, HE WOULD LIKELY HAVE LONG-BEEN PERMANENTLY DISQUALIFIED! YET, IN SPITE OF A CONTROVERSIAL CAREER, HE HAS REMAINED A STAPLE OF THE SEMI-OCTAGON FIGHTING WORLD FOR TWO YEARS!”
“Er, feels kinda harsh?” Natsu muttered to himself, sweating slightly. Though he didn’t really get what “controversial career” meant. 
“WHILE THIS IS NOT FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE, DUE TO HIS HISTORY, MANY WILL NO DOUBT VIEW HIM AS REIGNING CHAMP AND DEFENDER! INNNNTTRRROOODUUUCCCINNNG… ‘MAD BULL’ MATTHEW BRON!” 
A door Natsu hadn’t even seen was slammed open as if it had been kicked, and an enormous man–even bigger than the one that had managed to tag Natsu just a little bit ago, a man built like that potato head guy from Lamia Scale, and actually bearing a similar-shaped bald head–appeared, yanking off headphones and chucking them over his massive shoulder one of the lackeys who’d followed him out. The much shorter guy jumped, barely catching them and fumbling a lot once he had. “Mad Cow” or whatever grinned maniacally as he stormed for the ring, dark eyes wild.
The response from the crowd was mixed but mostly positive, Natsu quickly noticed as he glanced around. His eyes skated quickly over the group next to him (which was booing, unlike most of the crowd) then returned his focus to the stage-circle thing. He could see well enough, he was glad to note, even if his vision was nowhere near as sharp as it was back on Earthland. Big Guy took his place at the corner of the ring and immediately started pacing, lifting tree-like arms and roaring as he did so. Meanwhile his lackey scurried for the bit of protected corner behind him, trying to shout for his attention and getting nowhere as he continued to pace. 
Natsu quickly decided he didn’t like the looks of this guy, intro aside. He was the type of asshole Natsu lived to knock down a peg, and despite his injuries and exhaustion, Natsu found himself appraising the big bastard, hands twitching. Sure, he wasn’t in the best shape, but since when had he been one to turn down the chance to kick some ass? It was more a reflex than anything. For about the billionth time since he’d landed here, he tried conjuring up some fire only to curse internally as all he got for his efforts was a wave of dizziness and a wash of helplessness. 
“NOW FOR OUR CONTENDER,” the voice boomed. “SHE’D ONLY BARELY ENTERED THE UNDERGROUND BEFORE IT BECAME THE SEMI-UNDER, BUT WAS ALREADY MAKING WAVES! THIS FIGHTER HAS SPARKED INTENSE DEBATE ABOUT WHETHER WOMEN SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO FIGHT MEN–IN ANY OCTAGON!” More mixed din. Natsu frowned in confusion. Was it for the other fighters’ safety or something? Because someone should ban Erza from contributing to the guild hall violence. Oh, yes. That was a great idea. He’d have to bring the idea up to Gray when he got home. 
“BUT IT’S DIFFICULT TO ARGUE WITH HER HANDY VICTORIES!” the voice boomed. “THANKS TO HER NEARLY-UNBROKEN STREAK OF INSANE WINS, SHE HAS BEEN NICKNAMED THE THE ‘PHOENIX’, ‘UNDERDOG’, ‘TENMEN’...AND HER PREFERRED NICKNAME…” 
A new song started, and this one was undeniably cool, in Natsu’s opinion. Something hard, fast, and catchy, punctuated by an angry-sounding woman singing something about “not giving a damn” about something or other. The door at the opposite end of the ring swung open. A girl came swaggering out, and Natsu froze.
“THE DRAGONESS, LAYLAAAAA O'NEEEILLLLL!!!!”  
It wasn’t his daughter. It couldn’t be. Her name wasn’t Layla. Her name was Nashi. His Nashi would be twelve, and this girl was in her late teens–maybe even her early twenties. The fact that her fighting nickname was “The Dragoness” was a nasty coincidence, but that’s all it was. This couldn’t be Earthland’s Nashi.
But it was this world’s Nashi. Of that, there was no doubt. And Natsu couldn’t make himself take his eyes off her, couldn’t even make himself blink as he stared, ignoring the cheering and booing all around him. 
A couple strands of unruly pink hair at her bangs had broken free of their tight braids, as adorable and predictably unpredictable as his little girl’s. They clung to her forehead, bouncing as she strutted towards the monster still pacing, practically frothing at the mouth, and Natsu vaguely registered the sound of several peoples’ alarmed murmuring. If he hadn’t been so distracted, he’d have understood; she was about half the guy’s size and about -50% as insane-looking.
Not scared, though. 
And…she looked like Lucy. She looked so much like Lucy that it hurt. He could still remember times when he’d call his little girl’s name, she’d turn around, and he’d gasp–because it really was like an adorable, wild little pink-haired Lucy turning to look up at him, her whole face lighting up like he was the greatest thing in Earthland. The memory choked him up, a feeling he’d gotten used to over the past seven years. He swallowed hard.
But that wasn’t Lucy’s smile. Natsu felt like he had seen that smile somewhere but he wasn’t particularly interested in thinking about it all that deeply, because what mattered was that it was her smile, his little girl’s, big and toothy and unmistakable–a little lopsided, the corners of her lips characteristically curling. 
It hit his chest like a shot from Zeref, making him briefly clutch at his waistcoat’s dirtied fabric. 
Natsu knew, firsthand, just how similar other worlds’ versions of his loved ones could be to his. Hell, Edolas Lucy had chopped off her hair to make it a little easier to distinguish herself from Earthland Lucy. 
That didn’t make it hurt any less to suddenly see another world’s Nashi– Layla, this one was called. That was Nashi’s middle name. It made sense, when you thought about it. Names were one thing that seemed to sometimes differ slightly between worlds, as he’d learned on the 100-Year-Quest [*3]. Her canines were sorta sharp, maybe, but they weren’t Dragon Slayer sharp, like his and daughter’s. Besides. Edo Nashi and Fireball’s canines were a tiny bit sharper than normal, too. 
It couldn’t be her. It couldn’t be. Looking at her still felt like being punched in the chest by Erza. Yet he couldn’t stop watching as the music, cheers, and boos faded, she stripped off her sweats (to much catcalling and whistling) to reveal a black sports bra/shorts getup sort of like “Mad Bull’s” shorts, revealing a body packed with much more muscle than any of Fairy Tail’s women would’ve allowed themselves to accumulate. She looked pretty badass, he decided. 
The voice that was everywhere and nowhere boomed on:
“NOT ONLY A CHANCE AT THE UPCOMING TITLE ON THE LINE, BUT–POTENTIALLY–THE FUTURE OF MIXED SEMI-UNDERS. TWO CHALLENGERS, SQUARING OFF FOR A CHANCE AT THE SEMI-FINALS. THIS IS A GIGANTIC CULTURAL MOMENT IN THE HISTORY OF THIS SPORT… ‘MAD BULL’ MATTHEW BRON VS. THE ‘DRAGONESS’ LAYLA O'NEIL!” 
“‘Dragoness’ is fucking right!” Mad Cow or whatever roared while he hugged one arm across his chest, grinning ferally at his much smaller opponent. “Here hoping some man will look at you, fugly?!” 
Several people in the audience laughed. Even the announcer chuckled. Meanwhile, Natsu’s blood boiled. On some level, he knew he needed to separate himself from this. From this fight, from this “Nashi.” Especially when he was this powerless to do anything about any of it. But it was impossible to listen to someone say that to another version of his daughter and not have every protective instinct in his body flare, especially when the spectators apparently thought it was fucking hilarious.
However, her grin didn’t even flicker. “Like you’re one to talk!” she cackled. “You look like Popeye fucked Bigfoot!”
Natsu didn’t flinch at the language like many people in the audience seemed to. In fact, he found the disapproving murmurs confusing. The other guy hadn’t exactly been polite, but he hadn’t gotten the same reaction. Still, a solid number of people were laughing their asses off, including the group next to him which had booed Mad Cow. 
He also had no clue what the hell she’d just said even meant, but the way Mad Cow’s smile dropped off his face, a handful of people started howling with laughter, and the commentator’s chuckles cut off abruptly was enough to make Natsu grin. 
Some random guy in some sort of black, collared uniform entered the arena, signaling to the loud, annoying commentator. Unlike her opponent, no one had followed This Nashi into the arena; she was all alone. So she ran back to her own bit of protected yet empty corner and threw her clothes and a water bottle over the chainlink fence, then ran back towards the middle of the arena. There, she  hopped up and down, shaking out her arms. Stretched them above her head. 
“OUCH!” The commentator finally seemed to recover, though he sounded somewhat vexed. “WELL, ONE THING’S FOR SURE, THE CHALLENGER CAN TALK GAME…WHETHER SHE CAN LIVE UP TO IT IS ANOTHER QUESTION.” 
“God, I fucking hate when Hansis commentates,” the guy next to Natsu muttered, his friends snorting in agreement. Then he glanced at Natsu–only to double take. “Oi, are you related to the Dragoness or something?!” he asked, eyes on his hair. 
“Uhhh…” Natsu chuckled nervously, feeling himself start to sweat. He may have been what Erza would (and frequently did ) call an “impulsive idiot”, but he had no clue how to explain that he was the father of her other self. “Something like that.”
“Whoa, seriously?!” The guy’s friend leaned around him to look at Natsu with wide, shining eyes, then continued, “I won’t ask anymore, ‘cause obviously you’re trying to protect your identities or something, but that’s so cool! We’re huge fans!” 
“Hmm…” Natsu said, scanning their apparel–t-shirts and hats emblazoned with her face and silhouette–and what looked like homemade signs of her name, written in fiery letters. “I can see that…what is this, exactly?” He asked this while looking around at the lights, spectators, an unfamiliar kind of money being exchanged and counted between several people.
Natsu tilted his head, blinking. “No?” he said. 
“The semi-underground tournament?” the only girl in the group said, eyes almost as wide as her friend’s. When Natsu only continued to look confused, she said, “What, do you live under a rock?! You’ve at least heard of MMA, right? Mixed Martial Arts?” 
He perked up at this. “Like a fight?! Hell, yeah! How do I get in on this?!” He grinned, cracking his knuckles, his earlier scuffles and empty stomach completely forgotten. 
“YOU DON’T!” the entire group shouted, eyes bugging. 
The dude who’d first started talking to him huffed, sweating slightly. “The ‘semi-underground’ octagon used to just be called ‘the underground fights,’” he explained loudly, Natsu still having to lean in to catch what he said with his new, bad ears over the increasingly excited din. “It was illegal, but, like, illegal in the ‘everyone knows but won’t squeal’ way, you know?” 
Natsu nodded, fully getting this. After all, how many times had soldiers arrested him only for Queen Hisui to let him off with a finger-wag. Of course, his luck on that front had run out seven years ago…
“The feds finally cracked down on it,” the guy continued, “but didn’t prosecute any of the fighters. Now, it’s called the ‘Semi-Underground’...it’s got no weight-classes (which is why the Dragoness can fight big dudes like Mad Bull). All genders are free to compete and fight each other. It’s a bit more for entertainment than pure fighting prowess– that was different, before,” the guy added with a wistful tone. “But still! You can’t just go waltzing into the octagon, you know? Back in the basement where this used to happen, you could’ve gotten away with that, but now you’ve gotta work for it, you know? Seriously, do you live under a rock or something?” 
Irritated, Natsu opened his mouth, but his response was cut off when a loud voice–not as loud as the announcer, but still–redrew all their attention to the ring. “Alright, fighters,” the black-collar guy said into a microphone which was smaller and not as loud as the commentator’s, quieting the audience. “We’ve been over the rules. Protect yourself at all times. Follow my instructions. We’re going to have a clean fight, you hear me?” He glared at Mad Bull, but This Nashi was the only one who dipped her chin in recognition. Natsu’s eyes narrowed along with hers when her opponent refused to acknowledge the guy’s words. “Now, touch gloves at this time, and come out ready to do this!” 
Both fighters instantly danced away from each other. Black collar guy scowled. Both the commentator and the audience made sounds like “ OOOOOOOH!” 
“NO TOUCH!” came the commentator’s gleeful voice, “I REPEAT, NEITHER FIGHTER TOUCHED GLOVES, AND SO FAR, NEITHER ARE REALLY MOVING FOR EACH OTHER–” 
“SAY YOU’RE PRAYERS, BITCH!” Mad Cow roared. “YOU’RE DEAD MEAT!” 
“BRING IT!” This Nashi roared back, and Mad Cow lunged, swinging in immediately with a big, dramatic overhand hook that would have knocked her out immediately if she hadn’t skated out of its way. It took about three similar exchanges for Natsu to sag in disappointment. 
“Oi!” he shouted, utterly let down, “Where the hell’s the magic?!” 
“Geez!” the guy next to him laughed. “The fight’s only just started: give them a minute to warm up! Then we’ll get to see the cool stuff.”
“What, they’re not allowed to use it at first or something?” Natsu asked, still staring as This Nashi fended off huge, devastating blows raining down from above and leapt back from the powerful kicks, eyes narrowed and expression tight. 
“...Er, what?” the guy asked. 
“Magic–duh!” Natsu huffed, flickering wide eyes between the guy and This Nashi, who was now darting backwards around the round-ish ring, still fending Mad Cow off, weaving and ducking with a speed few could hope to match. “You know?! Fire, Ice, Celestial Magic…?
The guy stared at him for a second along with his companions, all of whom were also sweating. It was then that Natsu knew: 
Something more was going on here. Something he didn’t understand. This place…wherever he was, it was like Edolas. Not now, but back when he, Lucy, and the others had gone there. Magic didn’t just not exist, here; was some kind of… taboo on it.
“Oh, sorry,” he chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. Trying to keep his voice as quiet as he could over the crowd, he continued, “I didn’t mean to say something that would get you in trouble...” 
The group’s only response was to sidle away from him surreptitiously, glancing at him and sharing looks with wide eyes. Natsu was thrown for a loop once more. Ooo- kay, talk about overly-suspicious. Were there guards listening in on their conversation or something? As discreetly as possible, with his hand still at the back of his head, he looked around, eyes narrowed. 
Yet…he saw nothing to warrant their suspicion. An unruly crowd…and an astonishing lack of guards. At the Grand Magic Games, there’d always been a ton of guards. Way more than he wanted to be there, honestly. Did this have something to do with the whole “underground” thing? 
He looked at the group again, then realized something important: it was him they were looking at nervously. Nervously, and like…he was crazy or something. 
It had taken time, but the years had made Natsu wiser–cooler–about situations like this. Even as his stomach sank with the realization that getting home was going to be a much harder task than he’d initially realized, he acknowledged that he’d need to be careful about mentioning Magic here. Dropping his hand, he forced a small smile at them then turned his attention back to the arena, where Mad Cow continued to chase This Nashi around the edge of the arena. Meanwhile, his mind continued to reel, loud to himself and no one else. 
“–IT’S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SHE’S CAUGHT IN A CLINCH, HERE, AND THEN OUR NIGHT WILL BE OVER!” the commentator was blaring. It was sort of surprising, how easily he’d been able to tune out when Natsu’s ears were registering so little. “I HATE TO SAY IT–” (Based on the glee in his tone, Natsu doubted that.) “–BUT HOWEVER MUCH OF AN EXTRAORDINARY FIGHTER SHE IS, SHE’S STILL A FEMALE FIGHTER. HER OPPONENT HAS WELL OVER A HUNDRED POUNDS ON HER [*4]. AND, AGAIN, I HATE TO SAY THIS–BUT THERE ARE JUST PHYSICAL BARRIERS NO CHICK FIGHTER WILL EVER BE ABLE TO OVERCOME! RIGHT NOW, THIS IS A DOG FIGHT, AND NOT ONE SHE CAN KEEP SCRAPPING IN! SHE’S NOT GOING TO COME OUT AS THE ‘UNDERDOG,’ THIS TIME–”
“Man, she’s getting her ass beat!” someone from the group broke the awkward silence as This Nashi was swept aside by a blow that caught the guard at her ear. 
“Maybe she’ll make a comeback!” another guy said, tremulous but hopeful, as a log-like shin crashed into her stomach. 
“She definitely will!” the guy who’d first spoken to Natsu said, though there was a distant note of doubt in his voice as she barely reeled from an arrow-fast straight right. 
Despite the awkwardness of their last interaction, Natsu couldn’t help appreciating these people, who were so devoted to this world’s Nashi. He decided to end their night more positively. “Is that what you think?” he asked in a somewhat bored tone, eyes on the girl still gliding backwards, dancing away from the hits and kicks or else blocking them. He felt, rather than saw, the group’s eyes jumping to him, some of them quickly leaping away only to dart back. 
“What do you mean?” the first guy ventured when he said nothing else, edging a little closer once more.
Natsu crossed his arms over his broad chest, eyes thinning as Big Boy brought down a hailstorm of fists on This Nashi’s head. His eyes tracked the way a particularly big hit caught her forearm–but only barely, seeing as she’d slid out of the enormous range even as she blocked. Just like he’d thought…
His stomach churned uncomfortably. It was eerie and cruel, how much her movements and the memories aligned–
“OUCH! That hurt, Daddy!” After the exclamation, Nashi began grumbling, vigorously rubbing her forearm where his fist had just him. 
“Woops!” Natsu chuckled sheepishly, “My bad!” 
Despite the fact that she was still rubbing the arm he’d tapped with a light hit, the little girl who barely came up above his knees scowled. 
It was midday, now. In their front lawn; his and Happy’s house, now much larger with the rooms he’d added for Lucy and their kids. 
“But–” He grew serious. “–you think your enemies will take it easy on you, Nashi? You think they’ll give you a break because you say ‘ouch’?” 
She dropped her arms to her sides and scowled–pouted, really. She was so cute, he couldn’t have kept his lips from quirking into a grin if he tried. Strutting forward, he planted a hand on top of her head, rubbing the unruly locks. He only grinned wider when she turned her scowl/pout up to him. “Sorry, kiddo, but they won’t!” 
Lucy would have lost her mind, if she saw the interaction. Natsu could just hear her now: “NATSU, WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU?! SHE’S FIVE! BE CAREFUL, WOULD YOU? BLAH BLAH BLURGH BLAH– !” 
He never really got Lucy, when she acted like that. Nashi was a Dragon Slayer, like him. She could take much more than a normal human, but would never learn that she could if he didn’t show her! Not to mention that Igneel had been way tougher on him, when he was five. Besides, he didn’t want his kid to be some weakling! What father did want that? 
Not any good ones, that was for sure. Especially not when their kids had Nashi’s determination and drive. 
“I’m sorry I hurt you,” he apologized again, still rubbing her head affectionately. “But you’ve got to understand…if I hurt you, it’s because I know your enemies will hurt you the same way…I don’t want it to surprise you. I want you to be able to fight back, still. You do still want to be a big-time Dragon Slayer, don’t you?” 
She stared up at him dubiously, but the smile caught on quick. She’d never been able to resist smiling back at him. 
“...Yeah,” she admitted finally, feigning reluctance. 
He lifted his hand off her head, cupping it around his ear and leaning down towards her. “What was that?!” he shouted. “I couldn’t hear you…what was it you want?!” 
“I–pfft–I WANT–” Her small smile turned to a grin–the big, corner-curled grin only his daughter ever could or would achieve. The one that always melted his heart. 
“I WANNA BE A DRAGON SLAYER!” she managed to roar through her grin. “NO–I MEAN, I WANNA BE THE STRONGEST DRAGON SLAYER EVER!” 
“HELL YEAH, YOU DO!” he roared back, the pride managing to make his chest burst even as he squared up again, preparing for more training. An adrenaline only teaching one’s prodigy could spark electrocuted his system. “IF THAT’S REALLY TRUE, THEN COME ON, NASHI! YOU’VE GOT MORE IN YOU! I KNOW YOU DO!” 
“OH YEAH? WELL I DO! I GOT WAY MORE IN ME!” She dropped into the stance he’d taught her, grinning for everything she was worth. The sun illuminated her smile. 
He somehow managed to grin even more widely. “Right, then listen up!” he commanded. “When Dragon Slayers fight, they got one big advantage: they can take a whole bunch of hits–then still get up. So that’s exactly what you’re gonna do.” 
“...Huh?!” The little girl’s eyes bulged out of her head. “You’re sayin’ I’m gonna let myself get hit?!” 
“Well, not too hard,” he elaborated. “And not too much…you’re just gonna play defense for a while, see?” He moved for her, throwing a fist much more slowly than he normally would have. Automatically, she wove away, eyes wide on his face. His right fist was followed by his left, then a kick–all too sluggish to be real. She easily moved around and blocked all of them. “This way,” he continued, throwing another kick. “You can learn the guy you’re fighting, how step, how they breathe…” 
“How they step…how they breathe…” she repeated to herself in a murmur, eyes flickering all over his body as he continued to pantomime a real fight. Natsu couldn’t help but grin. Nashi was a distractible kid, but when it came to fighting, she was always on the ball.
Natsu didn’t mind one bit when Lucy blamed him for that. 
“...how they fight,” he finished. 
“...how they fight!” she whispered. 
He started speeding up his movements. Let her orient before he lit up his fists. She mirrored him, flames igniting her much smaller fists. Their dance became even faster “That’s it, Nashi!” he praised as she leapt back from a kick, only letting it clip her shoulder. “Get into the flow of it! Read my movements! Remember, breathe, and–” 
“She’s reading him,” he murmured, voice softer than he’d meant it to be. “Fending him off and waiting for the right moment; his hits are only clipping her.” His hunger was catching up with him again, as was his pain. He ached. He wanted to sleep. And…
…It hurt. It hurt too much. Knowing it wasn’t his Nashi…that just made it hurt more. Each hit, each block, each flash of those brown eyes…they felt like shards of glass piercing his heart.
I can’t stay here, he realized. 
“What was that?” the girl in the group asked, venturing closer to him. 
His heart was heavy, sinking as he watched the girl. Embarrassment washed over him as he realized that had been a stupid thing to say in the first place. This wasn’t his Nashi. She wasn’t using what he’d taught her because he hadn’t been the one to train her. Hell, she probably wasn’t even gauging her opponents’ movements; she was probably fighting for her life, here. 
She would lose. 
“Nothin’,” he replied thickly, dropping his arms even as he watched the girl roll away from a rather impressive and extremely long-ranged crescent kick, not even the man’s big toe catching her at all. “I was wrong…enjoy the rest of the fight, guys.” He used the ensuing beat of silence to stare–for just one more second–at the girl. This world’s version of his girl. 
Without thinking, he went to heft up his backpack, only to sigh in quiet defeat–the exhale almost visible even in the warm air–as he remembered it wasn’t there; he was just a weakling in this world. That’s why his back (and whole body) felt so heavy. 
“Oh, you’re leaving?” the first guy who’d spoken to him said as he turned away, pushing back through the crowd. His tone was an odd mixture of relieved and disappointed. Natsu said nothing, merely waving. 
Overhead, the booming voice–which he’d tuned out during the competition–continued to sound off. “–AN ADMITTEDLY UNBELIEVABLE DODGE, BY ,” it said, clearly shocked, as Natsu pushed past a woman who was obviously excited to be moving closer to the arena. “BUT THE NEXT FLURRY OF BLOWS LANDS, ALTHOUGH IT APPEARS SHE’S BLOCKED MOST OF THEM–” 
“YOU’RE DONE, BITCH!” roared Mad Cow, so loud that he managed to drown out the commentator–who went silent, anyway. This made Natsu pause, his brows knitting with fury. 
It doesn’t matter, he reminded himself. She’s not your daughter. He refused to look back, forced himself to take another step, then another. She’s just some fighter from another world who’s, apparently, out of her league. She’s not–
A loud slam, like a body falling on a mat. “SHE’S DOWN! I REPEAT, ’S DOWN!” 
Natsu smirked. “See, dumbass?” he murmured to himself. 
“IT’S ALL OVER, FOLKS! SHE’S–” 
All of a sudden, a fleshy CRACK rang through the air, followed by an enormous chorus of gasps and cries of surprise from the crowd. A deafening silence ensued. 
“... HOLY– UNBELIEVABLE!” the commentator managed. “A KICK FROM THE GROUND–AND O’NEIL'S BACK ON HER FEET! THEY’VE GAINED GROUND FROM EACH OTHER, AND MAD BULL–MAD BULL IS NOW TRYING TO RECOVER!”  
Despite himself, Natsu slowed even as he urged himself to keep walking. Even as he continued to force himself not to turn back. Looking back is only a distraction. It’s not Nashi. That is not Nashi. It’s not–
“Man, I really hate guys like you, you know that?” 
The seething voice was what made him stop, closing his eyes. There was just…something about it. A growl. A fire. Something that punched right back into his memories:
“Remember, breathe, and keep your eyes on my chest! That way, you can see my whole body at the corners of your eyes!” A combo, one which he pumped more speed and power to than before–throwing her off on purpose. 
“Oof!” she grunted as she landed on her butt. 
“There, when you fall– that’s when you make your comeback! Now that you’ve watched your opponent, and tricked him into thinking you’re down– now is when you get back up and blow them away! That’s how a Dragon Slayer fights! That’s how a Fairy Tail Wizard fights!” She stared up at him with huge eyes, shining with admiration, and flushed cheeks. 
He grinned. 
“So?! Get up! Always get back up, Nashi! I’m not asking the impossible of you–you can do this! I know you can!” 
“I–I will!” she scrambled to her feet, fists blazing with gold heat as she lunged for him. “I’ll always get back up! No matter what, I’ll–” 
His chest seized. He clenched his jaw, knowing he needed to make himself keep walking, but unable to do it. Even as people churned around him, trying to push past him, he found himself shoving them off, refusing to move from exactly where he was. One foot planted in front of the other. Half-hovering. Eyes still closed. 
Whatever just happened had quieted the crowd, an anticipatory sort of silence that made him clench his fists, eyes still closed. 
And then, Natsu’s world flipped upside down: 
“You didn’t even bother to study my previous fights, did you?” Her growl carried across the hushed crowd. “Tch, typical…if you had, you’d know: You’d know I always get back up!” 
His eyes flew open. 
He whirled back around and watched, wide-eyed and world rocking, as the pink haired girl rose. Rolled her shoulders against her ears, one at a time. The grin was gone, a heavy, intimidating scowl having taken its place as she recovered, getting her feet back underneath herself, her stance back in place. Her nose was wrinkled in fury. Her eyes burned. 
Natsu’s lips parted on a gasp as he stared. 
Mad Cow scoffed, hunched and rubbing his chin with a hand like a mitt. Natsu guessed that This Nashi must’ve caught him there–probably with a kick, given the size difference. That must have been what made the crowd react with shock. They were recovering now, though, getting louder.
“And why the fuck would I bother to do that?!” Mad Cow shouted, dropping his hand. “I don’t need to! Every guy you’ve faced could’ve beaten you easily if they’d quit acting like even more of a little bitch than you! You shouldn’t fucking be here anyway…fucking birds, knowing dudes will take it easy on you so you can take advantage of it and collect the reward…well I’M NOT ONE OF THEM!” He roared the last part. The bitter fury in his voice was a kind Natsu was familiar with. 
“Studying what you can find of your opponent’s fighting style–that’s basic! And you wanna sit here and bitch about how I don’t deserve to be here, you lumpy-headed fuck?! ” 
“The FUCK you just call me?!” McCow snarled back. 
“YOU HEARD ME, SHITWIT!” 
“THAT’S IT!” the man shouted. “I’ve had it! I was gonna take it easy on you, but–” 
“THAT’S MY LINE!” 
It seemed that was both their limit. 
They flew at each other. But now, everything was different, and Natsu doubted that anyone without a trained eye and fighting experience like him could recognize it. 
Apparently, the commentator was one such person: “THIS IS–THIS IS INCREDIBLE!” the voice boomed, full of disbelief, as the girl caught the fist rocketing towards her face with a hard elbow, making Mad Cow let out a roar of pain. She kicked away an arm flying towards her head, and launched a sidekick at his now-uncovered stomach–one that landed hard. She built on the damage, bearing down on him as he stumbled backwards, tripping over his own heels. A right roundhouse followed by a left to his head. Despite the fact he was obviously disorientated, he caught the first one– blocked it and tried, unsuccessfully to catch her foot–but not the second, which cracked into his ear and made him stagger, her chasing him and hammering him with surprisingly powerful blows. Each one of her hits accumulated speed and strength.
The commentator picked up again, saying something or other about “striking machines”, but Natsu didn’t hear. His eyes were wide, now, and glued to the girl cracking her shin into her opponent’s nose, teeth bared. The expression on her face…the fire in her eyes…the speed of her hits…her fighting style…it was like he’d begun watching the fight currently happening through one eye and a stream of memories through the other, his breath going still in his lungs–
“–No matter what, I’ll always get back up!” screamed the little girl, running forward and hammering him with fiery strikes, kicks, and even elbows. They’d only just started elbow work. Natsu staggered back with each good combo she landed. He put in the effort to make it look convincing, pride swelling within his chest. 
“That’s it! Build on it! Faster…harder! C’mon!”  
This Nashi slipped underneath and into one of Mad Cow’s big overhand hooks, the corrected trajectory of his fist barely skidding over her shoulder as her right fist tore up, slamming into his chin. Even as his eyes rolled and he staggered backwards, her expression was so mutinous it was almost funny. 
But as good as the uppercut was, it turned out to be a set-up: 
“LOOK AT THIS COMBO…CROSS, HOOK–WHOA! AN ABSOLUTELY DEVASTATING LEG KICK! CLASSIC MUAY THAI-INSPIRED COMBO FROM TURNING–” 
“FUCKING BITCH–!” Mad Cow roared, but his opponent cut him off with a voice like thunder. 
“I’M THE BADDEST BITCH YOU’VE EVER MET!” 
“I’LL ALWAYS GET BACK UP! I WILL! I’M GONNA BE A GREAT DRAGON SLAYER, JUST LIKE YOU! NO–I’LL EVEN BEAT YOU, ONE DAY!” Nashi took a deep breath, and Natsu grinned, allowing the pause in the fight, because he knew what was coming. The catchphrase both like his and not. Inspired by him, but all her own. 
Her fists blazed brighter than ever. The sun illuminated her grin.“JUST WATCH ME, DADDY! DON’T EVEN BLINK! BECAUSE I’VE–” 
“–GOT A FIRE IN ME THAT YOU’LL NEVER PUT OUT!”
Mad Cow’s eyes were wild with fear as he desperately swung for another, big lead cross–one which spelled his downfall. The Dragoness leapt off her left leg–her back leg. Her right shin cracked into his already dipping head. 
He fell forward and bounced off the mat, limp as a ragdoll, while the audience screamed all around him. 
Even as the giant fell still, she made for his prone form, fist raised, but didn’t fight at all when the black-collared man appeared seemingly from nowhere, grabbed her around the waist, and practically threw her away. Instead, This Nashi– The Nashi skipped backwards, smirking, and raised a wrapped fist. 
And that was the realization which thundered through Natsu, now gaping up at the victorious, pink-haired fighter stalking towards the edge of the cage: not This Nashi. The Nashi. 
After seven, grief-filled years, Natsu Dragneel was absolutely sure he had just found his daughter.
*1. Yes, there will be quotes from the original series (the anime dub, sub, or the manga depending on whichever version I like best) at the beginning of each chapter. HOWEVER. The quotes are not spoilers and are often only tangentially related to my plotline. The one for this chapter, for instance, is specifically about Edolas, but is not actually true of the world where Natsu has landed.
*2. Yes, I know the canon Edolas Nalu child is “Nasha.” I decided on “Nashi”, instead, for reasons which will be explained later.
*3. Sorry in advance, but I pretty much kept what little I remembered/liked from 100YQ and ditched everything I didn’t. Same with the original story, but way more with 100YQ. Idk what it is but even though I’ve read the whole thing, 100YQ has this unique quality where a lot of what happens slips straight out of my mind as soon as I’ve read it. In one eye, out the other. So you’ll just have to roll with me, sorry.
*4. Real-life inspiration for Layla (/Nashi) comes mostly from Ronda Rousey, whose biography I read and happen to have on hand, along with Kaoklai Kaennorsing (especially his fighting style). Those are the two main ones. If you’ve read My Fight, Your Fight, you’ll understand how Layla (/Nashi’s) personality is inspired by her–especially as you go on. I highly recommend looking up the Thai kickboxer/Muay Thai fighter Kaoklai Kaennorsing. He has been called the Giant-Slayer because he did, in fact, defeat opponents who had over 100 pounds on him. Watching his fights is just an incredible experience. Other inspirations include Rose Namajunas, Connor McGregor, and some others. There are also several fictional inspirations including and outside Fairy Tail which I won’t bore you with (some of them I’m sure fellow anime fans will be able to guess lol).
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petri808 · 8 months
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7/29/23 Fears prompt @allaboutnalu for Nalu Week 2023
Levy gently places her hand over her best friends, coaxing her to relax. “Try not to worry and have a little fun tonight Lucy, we’re celebrating your freedom.” The two women are at their favorite bar to drown their stress in alcohol, music, and maybe some eye-candy but who’s gonna snitch? It is a comfortable place that they’ve been coming to since their college years, and since they know some of the employees, they even get drinks for free sometimes.
“I can’t help it,” Lucy sighs. “Everything’s still so fresh,” she absentmindedly reaches up and touches her left cheek below her eye where it was punched a week ago. Thankfully, the bruising has gone down and it’s just tender still. This is the first time in probably a year that she’s been to this bar or really spent the night out just with her girlfriends because of her ex’s controlling behaviors. “Dan just won’t leave me alone. I’ve even seen him driving past my job or home like he’s keeping tabs.”
Lucy Heartfilia has just gotten out of an abusive relationship with her ex-boyfriend Dan. It started out like so many domestic abuse situations where they are perfect gentlemen, sweet talking, and romantic, but slowly and surely the psychological manipulation began. Guilt-tripping her when she wanted to hang out with her friends or visit her own family. Making excuses for why he wanted to drive her to and from work. Throwing tantrums when he didn’t get his way, verbally berating, or making rude comments about her appearance only to switch gears and be extremely apologetic. Dan would tell her he’d commit suicide if she left him, and so the guilt also kept her from leaving for fear that he might actually go through with it. Of course, it’s all a trap, to lure her back in emotionally and make her feel like things will get better.
It was always that hope of change that she hung onto as the cycle repeated itself again and again. Abuse and repentance. But there’s only so much someone can take, and thankfully for Lucy she has the support of a best friend that will not let her fall. Yeah, it’s great to be free, but there is always the sense of fear and dread when she must walk outside alone, like when she’s leaving her apartment building or office, or even shopping at the store. What if Dan makes good on his threats? She’s never been such a nervous person before that it’s sad how one bad relationship can leave a person tainted for the rest of their lives.
“Did you go to the court house to apply for the restraining order?” Levy queries.
“I did.” Lucy responds. “The process server is supposed to serve him tomorrow.”
“Good,” Levy responds with an approving nod. “Then if that bastard comes near you, the cops can throw him in jail!” She looks around to see if the server’s nearby before standing up. “I’m gonna run to the restroom, if the server comes by can you order me another drink?”
“Yeah, sure,” Lucy smiles. “I’ll make sure to.”
With the music an even tempo of soft alternative and pop, nothing to dance or too lively, it lulls the listeners into a pleasant mood. Lucy really misses coming to this ambient atmosphere after a hard week of pursuing and writing articles instead of going home to an unhappy relationship. If only… Her eyes narrow in towards the front entrance, widening in a flash as she sees Dan step through the threshold.
“Shit!” She grits her teeth and scoots down in the booth. “I knew it!” Lucy just knew he’d likely come looking for her since he knew this is a favorite hang out spot.
Lucy scans the room, eyes flitting around for a way to avoid being caught by him. She can’t get to the front door because it’ll take stepping into the open for him to grab her, and she rather not get trapped in the restrooms... Maybe, she keys onto the bar counter… maybe if she can get to the bartender she’ll at least have an ally to help her. Using the columns and darker areas along the walls, Lucy weaves through other patrons towards the bar counter.
“Lucy!”
Her body stiffens at the familiar angry voice and cringes when she sees Dan yelling and waving frantically while he picks up his pace. No, no, no! As he pushes through the crowd, Lucy sprints the final few feet and grabs onto the first guy sitting alone at the counter. Pink-hair, taller and fit wearing a nice buttons down business shirt and slacks like he just got here from an office. Under other circumstance she’d be ogling the guy not crashing his evening. “Hey babe!” She weaves her arm around his solid bicep. “Sorry I’m late!” Lucy leans close and whispers through a gritted smile, her eyes desperately focused and appealing. “Please play along!”
Just as Dan reaches them, the male who’s eyes at first startles from the intrusion, quickly catches the hint and pulls Lucy in, planting a kiss on her cheek, and all the while side-eyeing the other male. “It’s fine baby, I just got here too.”
“What the fuck!” Dan forcefully grabs the strangers shoulder and pushes while reaching for Lucy’s arm, but the stranger sweeps Lucy aside out of Dan’s way, further enraging him.
Placing Lucy behind him, the stranger stands up from the bar stool and holds his hand up to Dan’s chest without actually touching him. “What the fuck is right!” The pink-haired male menacingly narrows his gaze. “I suggest you back off buddy, I don’t give a damn who you are, but the lady clearly doesn’t want anything to do with you!”
“This ain’t your problem, asshole, she’s my girlfriend!” Dan spits back.
“No, I’m not!” Lucy screams as tears trickle down her cheeks. “You abusive bastard, I’ve got a restraining order on you so leave me alone! We’re done!”
Dan ignores both their statements and makes another lunge to reach for Lucy, but the stranger open palm pushes at Dan’s chest, forcing him to stagger back a foot or two. “Leave!” The stranger snaps, growling his words. “She’s my girl now, and if you keep harassing her I’ll make you sorry!”
At the strangers confirmatory words, Dan roars and lunges at the man who sidesteps and retaliates with an uppercut to his stomach, knocking the wind out of Dan who crumples to the floor coughing. Just as Dan tries to get to his knees, the bouncers are now there and grab him by his shoulders, one on each side they start pulling him away as he continues to shout profanities.
It’s over.
Lucy slumps against the bar top, leaning on it to stop from falling as the adrenaline rushing through her body begins to wane. “Thank you,” the words trickle out in a soft tone laced with held back tears. “Thank you sir, thank you so much,” Lucy repeats over and over.
“Lu!” Levy also finally manages to break through the gathered crowd and rushes to her friends side, pulling the blonde into a tight hug. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here!”
“It’s over, Levy,” Lucy gently sobs a mixture of elated relief. “Thanks to this nice man here.” Now that she can breathe easier, she realizes this stranger is even cuter than she originally noticed. He has gorgeous green eyes that sparkle in the disco-type lights panning the room. The man’s smile also conveys a happy lightness that pulls you in deeper and wanting for more. She feels a bit of warmth brewing over her cheeks, but could anyone blame her after such a harrowing save by this hero?
Levy turns to the stranger while still holding her friend. “I’m Levy, and this is my bestie Lucy.” Her head tips to the side and eyes flit to the front door to accentuate the who. “That guy’s been stalking my friend, so thank you so much for helping her! He might’ve kidnapped her if he got to her.”
The stranger smiles. “It’s nice to meet you both, and don’t worry, I’m happy to help out a pretty lady in need. I’ve dealt with a lot of dumbasses over the years, so I’m used to it.”
“I bet,” Levy chuckles. “It’s a nice reminder that good guys still exist.”
Here they are chatting like old friends yet they don’t even know his name. Lucy pulls away from Levy to finish wiping away the remaining tears and clean herself up. “So, what’s you name sir?” She finally smiles genuinely. “Is there anything I can do for you, perhaps buy you a drink to thank you?”
The man pulls out a card holder and hands Lucy a business card. “Detective Natsu Dragneel at your service,” he smiles and winks. “A drink is fine, but what I’d really like is your number and to take you out to dinner if you’re up for it.”
A surprised gasp lets out as Levy looks to see Lucy’s face turning cherry red. Having known each other for years, she knew exactly what her best friend is thinking. “Yes!” Levy squeals while pushing Lucy closer to the man. “She’d love to!”
“Levy!”
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melognut · 1 year
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Hellooo
Wound anyone have some NaLu fic recommandation in the canon universe ? I miss those two and there is so many great fics out there that I just didn't found :(
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fantastiqueparfait · 1 year
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Six-Sentence Sunday
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“What do you mean, ‘what do you mean’?”
“Didn’t Happy tell you?”
“Natsu, what was Happy supposed to tell me?”
“Yeah Natsu, what was I supposed to tell her?” Happy asked as he landed on Natsu’s shoulder.
“Hey buddy!” Natsu reached up to give Happy a scratch on the head. “Sorry I’m late!”
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thewritingstar · 2 years
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Everything Changes
Super excited to post another fic for the Fairy Tail Reverse Bang 2022 for @ftguildevents 
Please go check out the super cool art that @wolfcry77 made. Im in awe at the absolute talent that went into the piece and I hope that I did the artwork justice.
Artwork Here  Go check it out :) 
Anyways, I hope you all enjoy some Nalu :) 
Pairing: Nalu 
TW: Mentions of blood, fighting, losing an arm 
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The mission was going horribly wrong.
It had been a grueling ten days of non stop searching and putting together clues as if they were some type of murder mystery.
“Come on Natsu, pay attention.” Lucy scolded him for the tenth time today.
He was beyond exhausted and he could tell from the amount of yawns she was trying to hide, she was getting there too.
“Luce. We have been at this for hours, can’t we just take a break or have one of your spirits solve it?” Natus complained…again.
The blonde rolled her eyes and shut her book. “I can’t just make my spirits do our dirty work.”
“They battle for you.” He smirked and dodged a book being tossed towards him.
“That's different! This-” She gestured to the books and maps. “This is what we are being paid to do. If we find out where their base is then we can find them. Simple.”
“It’s not simple, we haven't figured it out yet.”
“No, I haven't figured it out yet. You’ve been drooling on a cookbook for almost an hour.”
“See! Even the books say we should eat.” He tried.
Lucy exhaled and shifted through some more papers. “Why don’t you go grab lunch and then bring some back for me. I’m not really hungry right now and I feel like a breakthrough is going to happen.”
Natsu stood and shrugged. “Fine but if you don’t find anything in an hour, you are taking a break.”
“Whatever.” She replied and continued to read.
He found his way out of the library and towards a row of shops they haven't gotten a chance to explore yet. Not only was this mission boring and taking too long, something else had started to irritate him.
He was told that this would be the time that symptoms of his problem would surface. As long as he stayed calm and collected, he would have no trouble keeping whatever was lurking in his body at bay. That would have been easier for someone who could stay calm but his eagerness and tendencies to jump the gun on things wasn’t helping him much.
What also wasn’t helping was going on a solo mission with Lucy. Happy was called to help Carla and PantherLily on another mission and while he had no doubt that Lucy could hold her own, having a flying cat with them was always reassuring.
Natsu chose a random deli from the shops and grabbed whatever was the most appetizing while getting Lucy something of her own. He picked up a few dessert items knowing that she had a bit of a sweet tooth and since she had been working non-stop reading and searching for answers, he was sure a brownie or cupcake would put her in a better mood.
The sun was high in the sky and beating down on him by the time he reached the library again. A strange twinge in his hand caused him to look down and he almost panicked when he saw that his nails looked much longer and much sharper to his dismay.
“Shit.” He said to himself and dropped the bag of food next to Lucy before shoving his hands in his pockets.
“Natsu you’re never going to believe this! I found their base! Or well, clues to it. I am assuming that this location is where they are hiding and if we leave now, we can make it there by sundown for a surprise ambush.” She pointed to one of the maps that had a dense forest area and certain rocky formations.
“These mages focus their magic on nature and their ability to change the layout of the areas around them. They have been known for smuggling expensive cargo and stealing from wandering guilds. They can get away with this because they can alter the pathways of the trees and cause it to become like a maze.” Lucy continued.
“Great so now we get to go get lost in a bunch of trees.” Natsu jokes.
Lucy patted him on the back. “Well if worse comes to worse you can start a forest fire.”
“Fine by me.” He shrugged.
“That was a joke, please don't burn down any trees. I don’t think our planet can handle it.”
“I am making no promises babe.” He winked, causing her to smile.
By the time they reach the edge of their location, the sun has started to set. A mix of oranges and reds fill the sky and he knew that if they weren't here for business, Lucy would beg him to take him to the tallest hill so they could watch it together.
Natsu follows Lucy as they try to memorize their surroundings. He was starting to get antsy and his head washed over with the same twinge as before.
“You okay?” Lucy called from behind as she heard him grunt.
Natsu squeezed his eyes shut trying to ignore the way his stomach curled as if he were on a train.
“Do not think of trains right now.” He scolded himself.
Slowly he raised his hand to the top of his head and pulled back quickly. “Uh Luce you go on ahead, I’m going to, uh, the bathroom?”
“Alright but don’t take too long.” She said not bothering to turn around as she was busy drawing her own map.
Quickly he ran behind a tree and put his hand up to the top of his head. Two small bumps were emerging from his scalp.
“Horns?” He whispered with concern. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
He didn’t feel as if they were that big yet so he fluffed up his hair and hoped that his height advantage over the blonde would be able to conceal them. Quickly he caught up to Lucy as they found a clearing in the middle.
“I don’t remember this on the map?” Lucy said.
“Maybe we missed it.” He suggested.
“Or maybe, they know we are here.”
The forest floor rumbled and all of a sudden they heard a group of voices.
Five men approached them, each staring the pair down with an evil hunger in their eyes.
“Looks like we have some fresh meat here.” One says.
The feeling of a good fight didn’t sink in with Natsu as it usually does. He needs to stay in control and not let his new powers take over. They are clearly outmatched by numbers but they don’t seem that big of a threat. It wasn’t long until they began, all clearly on the same page that one team will win while the other will lose.
The battle starts the way it always had. A small stand off. Natsu and Lucy on one-side, determination coursing through their veins while the ones they were trying to defeat looked down on them like they were some kind of bugs. Usually it was Natsu who ran head first into battle. He could claim the first strike and set the tone for the entire team, but not today.
He was silent and still. His fists that were usually up and ready to blast an inferno of flames, were at his side waiting. Just waiting. Lucy's side glance made him shiver but he couldn’t meet her eyes. No not now.
Lucy turned to ask him something but he refuses to even let her get closer than she already is. His feet take off and now he’s letting a ring of fire do the talking.
He can hear her voice call out to her gates. Feel the way she commands power and respect with every attack. And he can smell her intoxicating scent more than he used to.
“Ignore it.” He whispers to himself.
“Let me play.” Something inside of him stirs and he chokes down a cough.
It can’t happen again. Not now. Not ever.
But it's been harder and harder to keep whatever hellscape inside him at bay.
His thoughts disappeared as he looked at the scene. Out of the five dark mages, four had been taken down and Lucy was up against the last on her own. He should help her. He should keep his distance though.
“She's strong, she can do it.” He says to himself as he takes a step back. Maybe he can get a grip and control the beast before it gets any worse.
“Open Gate of the-”
Natsu froze in his tracks as a scream rips through the forest. The sound turned his blood into a boil.
He turns to face the dark mage, to see Lucy kicking his ass, but the scream came from her. His eyes shoot wide open as he stares at the scene before him.
Lucy’s face twisted in pain and a hand around her neck stopping the scream. Lying on the ground with blood dripping is her left arm. That man just ripped Lucy’s arm right off.
And suddenly he can’t breathe.
He watches as Lucy's body hits the ground. Her scream belts from her lips and something within him snaps.
No amount of breathing or trying to relax could help the beast take over. He feels the small horns spike up and his skull rings with a thunderous pain. His nails turn to full claws and he knows that his normal pointed smile has sharpened tremendously.
It’s as if the world had faded to black and all he can see is red. There's no time for thinking as he lets out a roar of his own and an inferno of flames surrounds him.
“I’m going to kill him.” Natsu yells, his voice significantly deeper. And all control he thought he had is now lost.
Dead. Dead. Dead.
That's all he can hear as he grabs Lucy in his arms and places her safely down.
“Natsu-” She calls but he doesn’t have time to listen.
Instead he charges towards the man. He wants him dead with his blood on his hands. He grabs the man by the shirt and throws him into the air with his new found strength. Using his flames, he blasts into the air to meet him and then throws the man down towards the earth.
“FIRE DRAGON ROAR!” He screams with everything in his lungs. The flames are a mix of bright reds and yellows as they cover the man and some of the trees.
He grabs the man who is slightly burnt and punches him with everything he has. The man cries and pleads but he wouldn’t hear it.
“Can you fix her arm?” Natsu questions the man as he holds him up towards the sky by his neck.
The man chokes out a response that doesn’t satisfy him.
“So you rip off her arm and expect mercy from me? Is that what I’m getting at?” Natsu tightens his grip. “I don’t even think hell is enough for you.” He spats and drops him, not giving the body a second glance.
He walks over to Lucy staring at her shaking figure and lost arm. Natsu lowers himself to her and wraps her shoulder with his scarf.
“Natsu, the blood. It will ruin-”
“Don’t.” He pleads and tries not to have tears form in his eyes. “That doesn’t matter right now. We need to get you to a hospital.”
“I-okay.” She doesn’t try to fight him.
Instead he picks her up and begins to walk to the city. Her head rests against his shoulder and she's trying to stay awake.
“Stay with me Luce.” He whispers and he can feel his horns and claws shrink back down.
“Natsu.” She hums.
“Yeah?”
“Are we going to talk about what just happened?” She asks.
“I think we just need to focus on getting you the care you need.”
“That's not what I asked.” Her voice slurs.
Natsu sighs. “I know. Maybe later though.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
It had been three days since Lucy was admitted into the hospital. There was no sign that magic could replace or fix her arm and he had left it in the woods anyways.
The entire time she was in the hospital, Natsu was outside waiting for her. His leg would bounce with anxiety and he could feel his horns pop out slightly before retreating back in. everything he could say to her about what happened was playing in his mind. He wasn;t sure what to say or how to go about it.
What girl wants to know that her boyfriend could turn into a psych demon thing at any given moment? The last thing she needed was to worry about the freakshow he was becoming. He just hoped that the transformation wasn’t permanent.
It was night time now and he found a bench in front of the lake behind the hospital. He wasn’t sure what to do when she got out and he knew that she would be let out soon but he couldn’t face her just yet.
He needed to clear his head. The water felt cold against his skin as he made his way into it, ditching his pants and shirt at the shore. It was a small city and he was sure no one was around and he couldn’t care either.
Even in the moonlight, he could see his reflection. It was his normal self. Wild pink hair with fairly sharp teeth but normal enough that it didn’t worry him. His guild mark was the only marking on his body and a sigh of relief left him as he stared at the water.
He closed his eyes for a moment and felt a pulsing feeling run through him. When he opened his eyes again, the reflection was the same. Normal Natsu. However, his nails had sharpened and he felt the horns appear again, this time the pain wasn’t as bad.
He didn’t know what to do.
He wanted to go back to the guild. He wanted a signal or a sign that he was alright. He just wanted peace and most importantly he wanted Lucy to be okay.
“Natsu?” He heard her voice behind him.
Quickly he turned to see Lucy standing there. She was out of the hospital gown and in her normal clothes. She waved at him with a smile.
But he couldn’t smile back. Anxiety rose up inside of him as he realized that he was still in his demon form.
“Natsu.” Lucy called him. She had a relaxed expression on her face. “Don’t make me come in there.”
He felt like a dog that had just gotten scolded as he walked out of the water and to her. He felt her eyes travel around his body and he didn’t want to hear what she had to say. He didn’t think he could take it.
“Relax.” She tells him. “It’s only me.”
He meets her eyes and realizes that what she said is true. Lucy was one of the few people he trusted his life with. A person whose entire heart, soul and being he wanted to share with her.
“I can’t explain why it happens, it just does.” He says.
“Could be because you were raised by a dragon.” She points out.
“I haven’t gotten a chance to ask but maybe.”
Lucy stared at his horns. “Do they hurt?”
“At first but I think the more they appear, the less they hurt.” He then looks towards her side where her arm is missing. Guilt flooded his body and he could feel tears rising.
She follows his eyes to her side and bites her lip. “I’m trying not to dwell on it right now. I could have died.” She says as tears form in her eyes.
In a second, his arms are around her pulling her to his chest. “I’m sorry Lucy. I should have protected you, I should have-”
“I don’t blame you Natsu. Never have, never will. You didn’t do this to me and it's not the end of the world. After all, I’ve always been an adaptable person.” She smiles into his chest. Lucy pulls away to look up at him. “Your horns are gone.”
He notices her fingers are back to normal too. “I think you just calm me.”
Lucy places her palm against his cheek. “You could never scare me, Natsu. No matter what this new look part of you is, I love it just the same as before. Nothing could change that. I won’t look at you differently.”
Her confession made his heart warm and he felt more relaxed than he had in days. “I don’t deserve you. How did I get so lucky?”
She kisses his cheek. “I think you have good taste is all. Now I don’t know about you, but I am craving anything but that hospital food.”
“Then we better get you something good.” He says and holds out his hand.
They intertwine their fingers hoping to find a restaurant still open during the night. As a child the thought of this moment terrified him. A new form of power that he couldn't automatically control was not something he desired. However, he felt like the luckiest guy in the world to have Lucy by his side to not only be there for him, but to love him all the same.
Perhaps a missing arm and some horns was all it took to make them realize that the most important thing to each of them is each other. No matter the battles they faced, everything would be worth it as long as they were together through it all.
--
I hope you enjoyed :) 
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Fairy Tail-Specific Post (Looking for a Fic/author)
Can't remember their name or story names and can't find them in favorites etc. Don't know if ff took them down or what, this is driving me crazy. In the one I'm thinking about natsu and Lucy go on this mission to retrieve this ancient vase but it turns out it has a fertility charm on it & she gets pregnant, but the pregnancy is really dangerous. The author is hilarious.
They also had a story where natsu and Lucy went to high school together--very common obviously but in this one her and her dad actually had a good relationship, natsu was like her neighbor I think and the spirits were servants.
If anyone could help me out would appreciate this. Thought of this story randomly the other day
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phoneboxfairy · 2 years
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Angst-fluff fic snippet
I feel like this story is really close to being done. But here. A snippet from the middle of it.
“You’re kinda dense, you know?”
“What?!” Lucy’s emotions were already swirling around and her heart was racing feeling her hand in his. Now confusion and a bit of rage were added to the mix. She wanted to scream at him...but knew that wouldn’t solve anything. “What do you mean?” “You’re so smart, but you don’t see somethin’ that’s right in front of you.”
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kaicean · 1 year
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taking the hint (insp by @tokkias)
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yvlin-art · 6 months
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"Stay in my arms while I stare at the stars in your eyes"
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bumblebeehug · 8 months
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Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Fairy Tail Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Natsu Dragneel/Lucy Heartfilia Characters: Natsu Dragneel, Lucy Heartfilia, Happy (Fairy Tail) Additional Tags: Fluff, Nalu Week, Nalu Week 2023, naluweek2023, Shenanigans, Why beta when you can barely manage the deadline instead, silly natsu dragneel, and silly happy Series: Part 4 of nalu week 2023 Summary:
When Natsu starts behaving differently, Happy takes Lucy along to investigate.
I made it! 30 minutes before midnight, I deserve an award
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xanvasofxords · 1 month
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“If anything, you’re the biggest pervert here!”
“Me?!” Natsu snaps, smashing his forehead against Gray’s. “How am I a pervert when you’re the one getting naked all the damn time?!” The ice mage tackles him backwards with double force. The temperature around them simultaneously rising and falling because of the polar opposite magics clashing together.
Lucy assumes it’ll take her thousand years more to get used to them. Just when she thinks ignoring them is the ultimate solution, not even a feet away, a chair crashes into the floor so loudly that she drops her book with a yelp. A vein pops on her head.
“Cut it you two!”
The blonde complains, picking the book up and closing it to glare at them. There’s absolutely no way she can finish the novel like this. She hasn’t had the chance to read it in peace at home- thanks to Natsu and Happy messing around with her all morning. And now the two of them are trying to kill her!
Unfortunately, the boys don’t even spare a look at her as they continue with their fight.
“Oh yeah? Better than looking up a girl’s skirt,” Gray shouts while giving sideways glance to Lucy. “Or shoving a hand down her cleavage!” Both Natsu and Lucy turn their heads at the remark and for the first time in his life, the pinkette doesn’t seem to have any proper response to the raven haired mage’s insult.
Gray takes it as a sign of his victory and takes off his underwear with a shrug, standing completely naked. But nobody complains because the other two people are too embarassed to speak. There’s a long pause before Lucy clears her throat. Gray smirks at the pair.
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fairydares · 1 year
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I have finished the rough draft of Chapter 2 of "Chasing Tails"! I didn't like how Chapter 1 turned out all that much, so I'm trying to write the rough draft out by hand then type it up just to see if I like it any better. So I have to type it up (which I might do tonight, because I am insane and impatient) but it might be up as soon as tomorrow or the next day. Don't quote me on that. But I swear I have been working on it! Also Ch 1 is up on FFnet under the author name "Claradare" for anyone who still somehow prefers that site.
Edit: I have also edited chapter 1 a bit from the original drafy. The only reason I mention this is that if ch 2 seems off in its details or tonally dissonant, that's probably why. You don't have to worry about it tho, just roll w/ it ☺️
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tokkias · 7 months
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what it feels like to fall in love ship: natsu dragneel x lucy heartfilia "Natsu?" "Yeah?" There’s a brief pause between when he responds and when she manages to articulate a reply. She looks almost contemplative, as though she hasn’t thought her question through or perhaps, that she doesn’t know if she even wants to ask at all. "Do you think you’ve ever been in love?" ao3
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It’s quiet between them when she asks for the first time.
Rarely does the quiet exist between them, but when it does, it’s never uncomfortable. They’ve learned to coexist in a space together; Lucy engrossed in her novel while Natsu busies his hands with a lighter he found in her kitchen.
They sit on either side of the couch, legs sprawled out where they meet in the middle in a pile of tangled limbs. Though it took a few moments of adjustments and kicks to the abdomen, the position they find themselves in is comfortable enough that they’ve laid together in silence for what feels like hours.
Lucy’s reading some romance novel that Levy had recommended to her. She’d talked Natsu’s ear off about it on the way home, but even after all that, he couldn’t quite understand the appeal.
He doesn’t get it, but she seems to like it, so for now, he makes no comment.
She’s been so completely engrossed in the story since she flicked open the front page that she doesn’t even notice when he fumbles the lighter, nearly dropping it to the floor and scorching the carpet.
That’s why it catches him off guard when she speaks up for his attention.
"Natsu?"
His eyes flick up to meet hers, and he finds her book placed on her stomach to mark her spot, but her gaze is entirely on him.
"Yeah?"
There’s a brief pause between when he responds and when she manages to articulate a reply. She looks almost contemplative, as though she hasn’t thought her question through or perhaps, that she doesn’t know if she even wants to ask at all.
That apprehension disappears as quick as it comes, however, and she doesn’t give him much time to dwell on it before she speaks up again.
"Do you think you’ve ever been in love?"
It catches him slightly off guard.
He’s not sure what he was expecting her to say, but it probably wasn’t that.
Once the brief surprise passes him by, he gives himself a moment to consider what she’s asking of him.
Love? Sure, he’s felt love before. He’s not sure why she’s asking because he’s certain she already knows. He loves his friends, loves his family—his guild. It’s not something he keeps close to his chest, so he doesn’t quite understand why she’s asking.
"Yeah, ‘course," he shrugs. "I love you, don’t I?"
No, I mean— she pauses again in an attempt to articulate her thoughts. "It’s different," is what she settles on. "Loving someone and being in love with someone… they’re different."
Wordlessly, he tilts his head to the side in a silent plea for her elaboration.
"Romantic love," she says. "It’s like normal love, but…"
She pauses again, her gaze veering down in thought.
"I’m sorry, I don’t know if I could describe it," she murmurs. "It’s just something you know, that you feel in your heart."
Natsu furrows his brows as he contemplates for a moment.
A love that’s different. A love that’s romantic.
Sure, he feels a lot of love for a lot of different people, but romantic love? He’s never really thought about it.
He loves Erza, and he loves Wendy, and he (begrudgingly) loves Gray, but that’s the type of love one feels for a brother or sister, and he’s certain that it’s not what Lucy means. There are so many people he loves and has loved like that, that he’s not sure he can give her a real answer.
He mentally runs through a list of everyone he feels strongly towards, but few stick out as something different from the rest.
He loves Lisanna, but not like that, he doesn’t think. He’s not foolish enough to overlook the implications of how they played as children. It’s the closest he thinks he’s gotten so far, but he’s not sure he can regard it as such. Though she was a dear and close friend, nothing about playing house with her had ever gone beyond friendship in his eyes.
Before he can get too lost in his own thoughts, however, Lucy speaks up again, seemingly having dwelled on her definition enough that she feels confident enough to speak up on it again.
"It’s like… when you’re with that person, your heart starts to race, and your face gets hot, and you just want to be with them all the time," she begins to explain. "And sometimes when you’re not with them, it feels like your whole world is going to come crumbling down around you."
The last part she adds with such conviction and a hint of what he wonders might be sorrow, and it makes him think that she’s speaking right from her heart.
"When you’re in love with someone, you just want them to be safe and happy all the time, and it doesn’t matter why or how, but you want to be the one to make them smile."
The words romantic love hadn’t quite struck a chord in him, but as he listened to Lucy talk, something in her words began to resonate with him. He could recall the feeling of his chest tightening and his heart thumping as he was washed over with an emotion he couldn’t even begin to describe. It was pleasant, like he wanted to feel it forever, but also agonising, like something was stuck in his heart, clawing at his ribs to escape its wretched prison. He’d never been able to put a word to it, but was that love?
Lucy’s soft gaze graces him as he contemplates it, and suddenly, he’s hit with the feeling all over again, and things all start to fall into place.
He does want to be with her all the time.
It doesn’t matter when, or why, or how, but having Lucy by his side is almost as integral to his survival as breathing. He’s known what it’s like to be without her, and it’s not a feeling he wants to experience again. The thought of losing her, of living a Lucy-less life is enough to have the bile rising in his stomach. It makes him feel ill, makes his heart hurt so bad that he wants to banish the idea from his mind entirely.
He’s never given that feeling much thought before because it just seemed so natural to never want to lose her. He doesn’t want to lose any of his friends, but with Lucy, it’s just… different.
He doesn’t know if he could go on without her in his life. What would be the point of waking up in the morning if not to see her brilliant smile and her sunshine voice and to be blessed with the presence of someone who loves so deep and strong that it makes him question the definition of love that he’s held his whole life.
She’s kind, and she’s strong, and she’s funny, pretty, empathetic. She loves with her whole heart and then some.
Lucy is everything that is good in the world—you would be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t love her.
Is that what romantic love is?
Does that explain why he needs to be with her, why he always wants to be close to her, why he’s so at peace when she’s around?
Things sort of make sense when he looks at it that way.
He’s always known he loved Lucy, from a time very early on in their friendship. Over time, he had grown to know that his love for Lucy was different—his love for her was more, but it had just felt so right that he had never questioned it.
Loving Lucy came easy to him. It felt like the most natural thing in the world.
After catching himself lost in thought, he glances up at Lucy and finds her looking expectantly at him, waiting for an answer.
Maybe she didn’t realise the weight of her question. Maybe she hadn’t intended for her question to come with a realisation that maybe should have hit him long before now.
Has he ever been in love?
"Yeah," he breathes. "I think I have."
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Just curious, how do you think Natsu would react to seeing the END markings on Lucy?
Oooh, I love a good angst prompt
Outwardly, Natsu doesn't say anything. He plays up the oblivious, idiot role so he doesn't have to confront the guilt he feels about it
The marks never went away. They faded pretty light but you can still seem them when the sun hits them. Lucy uses makeup to cover them as well
But Natsu has better eye sight than most. So he always sees them and it kills him. He never looks down when talking to her
Somehow he feels like if he looks at them or acknowledges them in anyway, he will explode with guilt
He accidentally grabbed that arm and flinched like he had been burned. Lucy got really insecure when he pulled away and got quiet
Actually, Lucy gets really insecure about Natsu's behavior in general. He won't even look at her half the time and she worries that he thinks she's disgusting with her scars
Every time Natsu thinks about the marks, he remembers that he wasn't strong enough to protect her or himself. And that she had to go through all of that pain to save him
He's eternally grateful that she saved his life, but he can't help but hurt when he sees the consequences of that
Lucy does eventually confront him about it. Natsu denies everything and tries to pretend he never noticed the marks. Lucy calls bullshit, but he's acting so weird that she drops it
It takes a long time for Natsu to talk to her about it. And when he does, he fully breaks down and dumps all the guilt and trauma he's been suppressing for years
He ends up crying in her arms and apologizing for not being enough
Lucy, of course, disagrees with that and tells him that he's saved her life tons of times and that she'd do anything for him
Natsu finally allows himself to look at the marks after that
He even picks up a habit of tracing them with his fingers on bad days
It reminds him that he doesn't have to be strong all the time, that Lucy can protect him and herself, and of the history they share
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