Dear Mom,
Things are great in Fairy Tail, as usual. Natsu and Gray have been particularly argumentative of late. I wonder why, but I'm too afraid to ask! Erza went on an S-Rank mission by herself, so she's been gone all week (now that I think about it, maybe that has something to do with Gray and Natsu...). She comes back today, though, and I'm really excited!
No news from Dad, but I hear he's doing fine in Acalypha. I've been nervous about him, because it's that time of year again. Today is July 1st - my birthday. I really hope he doesn't make an appearance. I haven't told anyone in Fairy Tail about today being my birthday; I don't want a big celebration or anything like that. Imagine how over-the-top that would be!
I know that Master Makarov knows what today is, so I won't be going to the guild at all. Just to be on the safe side, you know? My resolve is slowly dissolving though - I'm bored out of my mind! Maybe I'll go take a walk. It's really nice out this morning, but I can already tell it's going to be hot, hot, hot later. After my walk, maybe I should go swimming? That's sounds like fun, don't you think?
With Lots of Love -
Lucy signed her name at the bottom, looking at her loopy writing gloomily. Today she was eighteen years of age, but that fact aroused no excitement in her. If it weren't for the sake of tracking how old she was, Lucy probably wouldn't even bother to remember the date of her birthday. Birthdays didn't hold any pleasant memories, not even the scant few in which her mother was present. All her frugal efforts to celebrate her birthday with her father had been in vain, and eventually she didn't even bother telling him about it anymore. It's not like he cared.
With a sigh, Lucy stood. A walk did sound like a relaxing idea, and it was a good way to relieve her boredom. If she became too idle, then her resolve to stay at home might vanish completely. "Open the Gate of the Canis Minor! Nikora!" she said, holding out Plue's silver key. The small white "dog" popped into sight, staring at Lucy expectantly. "Wanna go for a walk, Plue?" she asked, slipping on her shoe.
Plue nodded vigorously, tapping towards the door. Lucy had to retain a squeal of utter adoration. Plue was so cute! Already, she was feeling better. With the small celestial spirit at her side, Lucy began her leisurely stroll down Strawberry Street.
The morning was magnificently bright and cheerful. The sun was already beating down harshly on the cobblestones, but a gentle breeze picked up cool moisture from waterway off the street. Lucy hopped onto the ledge, waving to the boatmen who usually scolded her for doing something so dangerous. The water cast a distorted reflection of herself and Plue amongst it's rippling tide. She glanced at it curiously, staring into the brown eyes of her reflection. Eighteen years old...she didn't feel any different. She never did.
"Lucy!"
The celestial mage in question nearly tumbled into the water. She actually would have if someone hadn't grabbed her by the waist before she lost her balance. In the same instant, she was swept off the ledge and into someone's arms. Baffled, she squinted away the rays of sunlight that hid her rescuer's face in shadow. It was a familiar one. "Eh?" she exclaimed, exchanging a glance with Plue. "Loke?"
Loke (otherwise known as Leo, the Lion) set her down on the street with a stern expression on his face. Lucy blinked up at him, perplexed. She hadn't summoned Loke; in fact, she was incapable of summoning Loke with Plue already by her side. "Loke?" she repeated. "What are you doing here?"
"What are you doing?" he retorted, gesturing to the ledge.
"I always walk that way. I was just enjoying the morning air," Lucy explained.
"Hmph," Loke tsked, crossing his arms. "You could stand to be a little more careful when 'enjoying the morning air.' "
Lucy wrinkled her nose. "I wouldn't have almost fallen if you hadn't startled me. And you didn't answer my question."
"I forced open my Gate to simply tell you - " Loke paused there, revealing a bouquet of exquisite red roses from behind his back, " - happy eighteenth birthday."
Lucy started, surprised. "Wha - how do you know today's my birthday?"
"All your spirits know," Loke said, tapping the side of his head. "It's programed into our brains."
"You didn't tell anybody from the guild, did you?" Lucy gasped, her eyes widening in terror.
Loke quirked an eyebrow. "No...I figured they already knew."
"They don't, and I'd really appreciate it if you didn't tell them," Lucy pleaded.
"May I ask why?"
"I just...don't really celebrate my birthday. It was never a big deal at my house, so it's not a big deal to me," Lucy explained uncomfortably. She gratefully took the beautiful roses from Loke's hands. "Thank you for the flowers though. They're gorgeous."
Loke gave her a debonair smile, plucking a rose from the arrangement and sniffing it tenderly. "A thousand of the most magnificent roses couldn't match your stunning perfection."
Lucy grabbed Loke's key, forcing the closure of his gate. "Bye, Loke."
"Farewell, my lovely Lucy! Until I see you again!" Loke blew her a kiss, and was gone. Lucy shook her head and exchanged another look with Plue. After a moment of consideration, Plue pressed his white paw to his mouth and blew Lucy a tiny kiss. Unable to contain her squeal, Lucy scooped Plue up in her arms and smothered him in a hug. "You're so cute!"
She let him go, watching his eyes spin from lack of oxygen. Shifting the roses in her arms (they were rather bulky and superfluous) she stepped onto the ledge again, resuming her leisurely stroll through Magnolia.
_/T.T\_
"Are you sure we should be bothering her, Natsu?" Happy asked as he and his Dragonslayer casually walked into Lucy's apartment without even knocking. Normally this wouldn't faze Happy in the slightest, but yesterday Lucy specifically requested that they don't come to her house. She'd seemed rather depressed.
"Stop worrying about it, Happy," Natsu said, waving a dismissal hand. "When she said she didn't wanna see anybody, she wasn't talking about us. Besides, don't you wanna make sure she's okay?"
"No, she was talking to us," Happy corrected. "And I do, but - "
"Then stop nagging." Natsu called Lucy's name and cupped a hand around his ear for a response. He pouted and flopped down on the couch, resting his feet on the table. "She's not even here! Why did she tell us not to come if she's not even here?"
"Perhaps that's why she told us not to come," Happy pointed out.
Natsu shook his head. "Sounds suspicious. I'm gonna wait for her here."
"If you're so worried about her, why don't you track her down?" Happy said, tapping his nose to signify that Natsu could make good use of his incredible Dragonslayer sense of smell.
"She'll be back," Natsu said, raiding the refrigerator.
"Yes, you seemed very concerned for Lucy's safety." Happy shook his head and perched on Lucy's desk until she got back. He shuffled through papers of every shape and size, until he found one worth reading. Lucy has such boring mail, he thought, skimming through the handwritten letter. It seemed to be one of Lucy's journal entries to her mother - it was dated for July 1st, as a matter of fact. His eyes widened as he read. "Natsu..."
"Hmm?" the Salamander came to Happy's side, mouth full of sandwich.
"Read this," Happy ordered, shoving the letter in Natsu's face.
Natsu obliged, his vigorous chewing becoming slower and slower as he read what Lucy had written on the paper. His mouth fell open, the contents falling to the floor. "Lucy's birthday is today!"
"She didn't tell us," Happy nodded, betrayed.
"It says here that she doesn't want anybody to know," Natsu pointed out, fingering the line and squinting as he read the loopy print. He frowned, taking the letter from Happy's hands as he continued reading. "I wonder why..."
"She has a bad relationship with her father. Perhaps...?"
"Perhaps," Natsu nodded, there not being any need for Happy to complete his sentence. They were both on the same train of thought: that the problems between Lucy and Mr. Heartfilia had encouraged negative memories in relation to her birthday. It was rather sad, one not being able to enjoy their own birthday. However, there was nothing they could do about it.
Natsu's face split into a grin. Or maybe...
"Natsu!" Happy warned, pricking an ear. "Lucy's coming!"
Natsu quickly arranged the desk as it had been and resumed eating his sandwich. The lock clicked as Lucy walked in, freezing in the doorway when she saw her two unexpected visitors. The shocked expression she wore quickly changed into her customary scowl. "Natsu! Happy! Didn't I speficially tell you not to come bother me today?"
"We were worried about you," Happy objected innocently.
"Yeah, you look a mess," Lucy said sarcastically, readjusting the bundle of roses she held in her arms. Natsu frowned, gesturing to the ordinate (and expensive-looking) bouquet. "What's that?" he asked.
Lucy glanced down at the flowers as if just noticing them. "Oh, um...nothing."
"Where'd you get them?"
Lucy glared. "None of your business. Now, get out of my house!"
"Lucy's got a boyfriend! Lucy's got a boyfriend!" Happy chanted, gliding over her head to search for a card. When he saw it, he plucked it from the plastic holder inside the confines of the bouquet and read it despite Lucy's protests. "Hey! It's from Loke!"
"Loke?" Natsu repeated.
"Yeah!" Happy turned to Lucy. "I always said you guys were a perfect match. How long've you been goin' out? Wait, is it even legal for celestial spirits and their masters to date?"
Lucy snatched the card from the blue Exceed, boiling with rage. "Yes, it is legal! But Loke and I aren't dating!"
"Then what are the flowers for?" Natsu asked.
"None of your business!" Lucy roared, at her limit. Her face turned a dangerous shade of scarlet as she screamed. "It's none of your business who from or why I get flowers! Get the hell out of my house right now! Don't make me say it again!"
Natsu and Happy were silent, watching the blonde celestial mage tremble where she stood. Outbursts like this from Lucy weren't common, and it shocked them both that they'd done something to anger her so. Natsu frowned. He seemed to be frowning a lot that day. "Lucy..."
"Get out!" she shrieked, pointing at the open door and glowering at the floor. Natsu grimaced and stood, gesturing for an awkward Happy to follow him. The Salamander gritted his teeth as he passed her, resisting the urge to snap at her. He didn't like her speaking to him that way. It made him sad and angry at the same time. And what was with the Loke thing? He was allowed to get her expensive presents for her birthday, but Natsu wasn't even allowed to know when it was? Natsu scowled as he stormed down the hallway, twitching when the door to Lucy's apartment slammed shut.
"Natsu, she just..." Happy began, but he couldn't find the words to finish the sentence. They walked down the hallway in silence, the only noise occurring when Natsu punched the button for the elevator. Happy winced, watching the button as it considered whether it wanted to continue working after that harsh blow. It decided that it did, and the elevator doors dinged open.
A distracted man stood at the doors, holding what seemed to be a large bouquet of daisies. He saw Natsu and, not noticing the coils of rage that circled him, inquired hopefully while glancing at his clipboard, "Do you know a...Ms. Lucy Heartfilia?"
"Are those flowers for her birthday?" Natsu asked.
"Why, yes, they are! You must know her then. Can you tell me her apartment number?" the man continued, maintaining his look of hope.
Natsu took the flowers and threw them to the ground, stomping on them repeatedly and ending with a final hop. The delivery man gaped at the mush of ruined petals and stems. "Dude! What the hell?"
Natsu pushed the man out of the way and stomped onto the elevator, once again punching the button. "She wouldn't have wanted them anyway," he growled as the elevator doors closed.
The poor delivery man stared at the broken arrangement and sighed. "Mr. Heartfilia's gonna be pissed..."
_/T.T\_
"Natsu, I really think you should calm down before you do anything rash," Happy cautioned, having to fly in order to keep up with Natsu's outragous pace. He was enraged, and heading right for Fairy Tail.
"Calm down? Hell no!"
Happy sighed as they entered the gates of the guild. "Can you at least tell me what you're planning?"
"Lucy is gonna enjoy her eighteenth birthday, whether she wants to or not!" Natsu declared, bursting into the dining hall where most of the Fairy Tail gang were cheering and drinking. He stopped in the doorway and surveyed the area, hands on his hips. Finally, he took a deep breath and yelled at the top of his lungs, "HEY EVERYBODY! TODAY IS LUCY'S BIRTHDAY!"
All conversation in the guild stopped.
"What?" Levy cried suddenly, her hands flying to her face in horror. "Today's Lu-chan's birthday?"
"Impossible," Erza dismissed, shaking her head. "She would certianly have told us."
Natsu pointed a finger across the room at Master Makarov. "Just ask him! He knows!"
"Shit..." Makarov said under his breath.
"Is it true? Is today Lucy's birthday?" Mirajane asked.
"Yeah, it's true," Master Makarov said gruffly.
"Why didn't she tell us?" Gray shouted.
"Obviously because she knew you'd all blow it out of proportion," Gajeel muttered, crossing his arms defiantly.
"That would explain why she didn't come to the guild today," Cana said, resting her chin on her hand drowsily. "I was kinda wondering about that, since she's here practically every day."
"I don't think you have any room to talk," Macao remarked, peering into her (empty) barrel of alcohol.
"We should do something for Lu-chan," Levy suggested, clapping her hands together.
"Juvia agrees!" Juvia chirped.
"We could throw her a surprise party right here in the guild!" Lisanna offered, grinning.
"Yeah! Surprise parties are manly!" Elfman consented.
Makarov shrugged. "Fine by me."
Mirajane smiled. "Great! Natsu, you go convince her to come back here and we'll get everthing ready."
"Don't you think she'll be somewhat suspicious? I mean, we just came back from her house," Happy said.
Levy's hand shot up in the air. "Gajeel and I can go - "
"No, no, no, Happy and I will go," Natsu interrupted, grabbing Happy by the tail and dragging him from the guild. Levy shrugged and sat back down, listening to what Mirajane had planned for the hasty preparations. "Don't be afraid to take your time, Natsu!" the barmaid called after him, giving the plans (which she'd already managed to write down) an exasperated look.
"Will do!" Natsu called back, bursting from the dining hall just as exuberantly as he'd arrived. Happy frowned, snatching his captive tail from the Salamander's hand. They walked in the general direction of Strawberry Street for a while, then Natsu suddenly changed his coarse.
"What're you doing?" Happy asked.
"Killin' time," Natsu answered, heading in the direction of Magnolia's bazaar. He looked back, grinning at Happy. "Besides, we gotta get Lucy a birthday present, don't we?"
_/T.T\_
Lucy sighed after she slammed the door, rubbing her temples. Now that Natsu and Happy were gone, she felt remorse weigh her stomach down. No matter how grouchy she was, she really didn't have any right to scream at them like that. I'll apologize tomorrow, she decided as she plopped down on the couch. She looked at the drooping bundle of roses in her hand and laid them on the table. She'd find a nice vase for them later...if she could find one big enough. Loke had really gone above and beyond with her gift.
It's nice that he got me something... she thought as her eyes drifted shut. It really has been a long morning...maybe what I really need is a nap...
The next thing she knew, the blinding afternoon sun was shining in her face through the slits in the blinds. She sat up on her elbows, squinting away the remnants of the light from the back of her eyelids. How long had she been asleep?
A rapid knock interrupted her thoughts and caused her to jump. She slowly rolled off the couch and crawled towards the door. Who was visiting her now?
When her hand was inches away from the knob, the door erupted open and slapped her right in the face. Yeah, now I have a pretty good idea who it is, she thought as her entire skull throbbed.
"LUUUUCY!" Natsu called.
"I'm down here," she muttered, pushing the door out of the way. Natsu and Happy simultaneously cocked their heads, staring at her inquisitively. "Lucy, why are you on the floor?" Happy asked.
"Because I am," Lucy replied, holding out her hands. "Now, help me up."
Natsu grabbed her wrist and flung her over his shoulder, walking straight out of the apartment soon thereafter. Lucy gaped at the open door of her receding house (which Happy so thoughtfully closed) for a moment, then began with her string of objections. "Natsu! What are you doing?"
"You'll see," he said.
"That's not a good answer! Where are you taking me?"
"You. Will. See."
"Happy!" Lucy cried desperately, searching the Exceed's face for any sign of mercy.
The cat in question shrugged. "You'll see."
"Arrgh!" Lucy exclaimed in exasperation, quite reluctantly letting the Salamander carry her down the flights of stairs. She glared at the back of his spikey pink head all the while, ignoring the strange looks they were receiving from the rest of the town. Only when she looked about did she realize where they were going. "Natsu! Natsu, I don't wanna go to the guild!"
"Too bad!" Natsu said, readjusting her on his shoulder. "You need to be cheered up."
"You're taking me to Fairy Tail to cheer me up?" Lucy asked, surprised and touched.
"Well, duh. You yelled at me," Natsu retorted with a snort.
"Sorry," Lucy mumbled.
"S'okay."
"I'm pretty sure this falls into the category of kidnapping, though," Lucy pointed out. Natsu thought about this, then shrugged as best he could with Lucy thrown over his shoulder. "I've destroyed whole entire cities. If I haven't been arrested yet, I don't think I've got much to worry about."
"Destroying cities...not exactly something to brag about..."
When Natsu finally burst through the gates of Fairy Tail, he set Lucy down. He dragged her to the dining hall and stood back as she opened the door.
"SURPRISE!"
Lucy froze in the doorway, absorbing the celebratory decorations in the dining hall. There were banners and streamers of every color and size on the wall, confetti littered the floor, balloons drifted along the ceiling and were weighted to tables. There was a particularly large banner draped over the stage that read: Happy 18th Birthday, Lucy.
"Y-you guys...did all this...for me?" she sniffed, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Of course," Erza said, rolling her eyes.
"We would've done a better job, but we didn't find out 'til a couple hours ago..." Gray added, giving Lucy a pointed look.
"Did you tell them?" Lucy accused Master Makarov.
"Nope." Makarov pointed to Natsu. "He spilled the beans."
"What? How did you find out?" Lucy exclaimed, wheeling around.
"Uh...well, we got kinda bored while we were waiting for you at your house...so Happy read your mail..." Natsu said, rubbing the back of his neck. Happy looked down with shame, adding an "Aye" to the Salamander's honest accusation. Before Lucy could scold them, however, Mirajane came to the rescue.
"But it was Natsu's idea to have a surprise party," she said. "So I think that's pretty redeeming."
Gajeel glanced at Levy. "But weren't you the one who - "
Levy elbowed him in the stomach, signifying that he should just shut up and leave it alone.
"Thank you," Lucy said to Natsu, looking at the floor. "And you did all this even after I yelled at you..."
"We also got you a gift," Happy interjected, nodding at Natsu. The Fire Dragonslayer grinned and dug around in his pocket until he found what he was looking for. He revealed a jewelry box and handed it to Lucy.
Inside was a silver charm bracelet with three charms. The first one was the Fairy Tail insignia; the second was a bejeweled blue fish; and the third was a heart. Natsu wrinkled his nose at it. "I woulda made more charms, but I didn't have time and that was all they had at the shop."
Lucy grinned. "I love it! Here, help me put it on."
Natsu did so. Lucy observed and, much to her surprise, she was blushing. The brush of his warm fingers on her wrist seemed somehow more intimate than usual, though she couldn't explain why. It was strange, but not at all unpleasant.
The moment was over much too soon, and before long Erza was demanding that Lucy come blow out the candles on her cake so that everyone might have a piece. The cake was a towering, misshapen thing, tier after tier whimsically stacked on top of each other until it looked as if it might collapse. Due to it's enormous height, Lucy had to stand on a chair to blow out her candle. Mirajane lit the candles as everyone sang "Happy Birthday" along with the chords of Gajeel's guitar. Lucy inhaled, thought of what she wanted to wish for, then blew out her candles in an exuberant gush of breath. Everyone clapped and Erza practically pounced on the cake.
"What did you wish for?" Gray asked as soon as Lucy stepped down.
"Can't say," she replied, receiving her giant slice of cake from Lisanna.
"C'mon, I won't tell anybody," Gray whined.
"If I tell you, then it won't come true."
"Does it have anything to do with me?"
Lucy quirked an eyebrow. "Why would it have anything to do with you?"
"What about...Erza?"
"Nope."
"Levy?"
"Nuh-uh."
"Let's see...Natsu?" Gray inquired. He noted how Lucy stayed silent and was suddenly very interested in her cake. "Ah-ha! So it does have something to do with Natsu! I knew it!"
"Yes, I wished that he would stop barging into my house," Lucy retorted sarcastically.
"No, if that were the case then Erza and I would also be included," Gray pointed out, impervious to her pricking sarcasm. He was silent and thoughtful for a moment. "I'm burning with curiosity now. Tell me!"
Juvia, who had just happened to pass by, boiled with rage. Much to Lucy's relief, she swooped down and grabbed Gray's arm, dragging him away from her oblivious blonde rival. Lucy let out a sigh. Gray already knew too much about her wish for comfort, and she wanted to it come true, so she couldn't deny it if he guessed right. She picked at her cake, a slow blush rising to her cheeks. It really was a stupid thing to wish for.
"LUUUCY!" Natsu flopped beside her, hiding something behind his back. He thrust in her face a bunch of white daisies, looking as if they had just been savagely plucked from a field. Lucy took them, blinking in confusion. "These aren't from me," Natsu assured. "See, I kind of ruined the bouquet of daises your dad sent to you so...these are from him, technically."
"Um...thanks?" Lucy said, looking at the smashed flowers in her hand. She tried to arrange them in a way that was more attractive, but only to discover a spider crawling amidst their stems. With a scream, she threw them on the floor and attempted to shake the spider off of her. Natsu spotted the small black dot drifting across the floor as she did so.
"I GOT IT!" he roared, leaping from his seat and stomping on the spider and, therefore, the daisies. He even went as far as to scorch the floor, but Juvia quickly put out the fire before it grew too large. Natsu beamed at the spot. "See, I got it."
"You demolished it," Lucy corrected, shaking her head with a nervous laugh. Natsu plopped down beside her again, too close for her to be comfortable. She shrank, turning away to hide her faint flush.
Natsu, being his oblivious self, did not notice Lucy's rigid posture; the ever-vigilant Mirajane did, however. She smiled wickedly, quickly forming a plan inside that pretty scheming head of hers, and grabbed Levy's attention. The blue-haired bookworm paused in the task of convincing Gajeel to wear a party hat and listened to the barmaid's plot, smiling brilliantly when she was done.
"So what did you wish for?" Natsu asked as the lights dimmed in preparation for one of Mirajane's famous songs.
"Oh...you know..." Lucy said, waving a dismissal hand as Mirajane walked onstage. She cleared her throat in the microphone and said, "Everyone, this is a song dedicated to Lucy! Happy birthday, Lucy!"
The celestial mage blushed as everyone clapped for her.
"In respect for Lucy, I want everyone to stand up," Mirajane suggested, beginning her song. The guild members shared confused glances, wondering how on earth standing up was showing respect to Lucy, but decided not to question Mira's logic. Lucy stood too, feeling awkward being the only one seated.
Mirajane strummed a song, a humorous limerick in which Lucy was the target. There was nothing offensive, of course, and Lucy laughed along with the others. She saw that some of the drunker members were even starting to dance.
It all happened too fast for Lucy to process. All she saw was Levy accidentally bump into her, and she saw Gajeel recklessly shove Natsu out of the way. Lucy collided with Natsu and realized, too late, what was going to happen. Lucy lost her balance and Natsu reflexively caught her around the waist, as Loke had done earlier that morning. To keep herself from falling, Lucy had instinctively wrapped her arms around Natsu's neck and pulled herself up. But the sudden shift of weight had brought Natsu's head forward.
Their lips didn't touch, but their faces were less than an inch apart and they were both too baffled to immediately retreat like they might have normally done. Before Natsu could let go of her, Lucy remembered her wish. She decided that this was just too coincidental not to be fate. This was destiny telling her to fulfill her wish on her own.
Lucy used her arms around Natsu's neck to pull herself up, and she kissed him. She could feel Natsu's shock at such an action, but he didn't pull her way. It was a huge relief, rejection being the thing Lucy was most worried about, and she let herself fall deeper into the kiss. She felt Natu's arms tighten around her waist as a response. Distantly she heard someone whistle, but she really didn't care. Her wish was coming true at this very moment, and she wanted to relish it for all that it was. Whatever it was.
Someone ran into Natsu, breaking it all apart. The couple blinked at each other, both very surprised at what they had found during that infinite amount of time, and they grinned.
"Ha!" Cana shouted, sticking out her hand. "Everyone in the 'Natsu and Lucy' poll owes me a hundred jewels!"
Most everyone groaned, digging around for their purses. Natsu boomed with laughter, helping a crimson Lucy stand up. Mirajane giggled with pleasure at the thought of her devious plan succeeding. "Happy Birthday, Lucy!" she said again over the microphone, beginning the tune for the birthday song. Everyone joined in at various pitches and volumes, Natsu perhaps singing the loudest and most off-key. He kept one swaying arm around Lucy's shoulders the entire time, forcing her to cover her ears at his horrendous singing. But she still laughed.
It was the best birthday she'd ever had.
Lucy and Natsu - End
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