Lucy

Everybody has issues with their height. If someone is too tall, they'd run into tree branches on a daily basis. If you're too short i.e: Juvia, Erza and I than reaching for things is a pain in the ass.

We all stared at the Hersey's chocolate syrup as if mentally pushing it off the shelf. I was sitting in the shopping cart basket with the rest of our party supplies because we just attempted the grab using the cart as a boost. Well, me making the reach while I entrusted my life to our pretty crazy captain and the new girl who kidnapped me now a good friend of mines.

Wow ~ I was a daredevil.

"Who in their right mind would do this?" Erza growled, arms crossed.

I groaned as well. My life was risked for nothing.

"You need help?" the strange but getting to be familiar voice made our heads turn. There he was, the captain of the football team strolling in as if it's nobody's business. A cute smile on his face.

"Oh Liam," I blinked. "Yeah, that would be nice."

Erza met my eyes, surprised I was talking to Liam in the first place. That or she was just shocked with his sudden appearance out of nowhere. I shrugged it off just as the cute QB walked around the cart towards the endless lines of chocolate syrup that Costco refused to put on a lower level.

He grabbed a pair of the bottles no problem and handed it directly to me, his smile never gone, "Here you go."

"Actually Liam," Titania tapped his shoulder. "We're gonna need about ten more of those."

It was his turn to blink in shock, "Who exactly are you feeding?"

"Natsu, Gray," Erza counted off on her fingers. "The whole Fairy Tail FC including our manager, medic, coach -"

Liam held up a hand, "Understood Captain."

"Thank you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I watched Erza and Juvia walking ahead, heads close together, obviously gossiping about Liam and me. I was still sitting in the cart because the moment we moved, the stacks of hamburger and Vitamin water started toppling a bit. Liam was pushing the cart.

"Hey Liam," I said, my eyes still glued to my girl-friends' backs.

"What's up?"

"You weren't following me, were you?" I looked over my shoulder to watch his reaction.

He shook his head, "My grandparents dragged me out here. They told me to wander around because I get naggy whenever we're at Costco. They take an average of two hours thirty-six minutes and forty-seven seconds. So I just took a walk and maybe I stopped to watch you ladies attempt to get the chocolate syrup."

"What I'm getting is that you didn't spring in to help right away," I narrowed my eyes. "You watched us suffer."

"In my defense," he released the handle of the cart for a second in the surrender gesture, "Watching you reaching for something while dangling out of the cart was both entertaining and attractive."

If he didn't add the attractive part, then Liam would be running home with his grandparents that minute. He was just lucky he did save himself from all of it.

A giant flash of white plates kissed my face square on. My arms wrapped around them as I pulled it off my face. Dammit, where's my nose?

Erza and Juvia were the culprits in the plate fling case. The moment my eyes see them, they were already laughing the rest of the way down the isle.

"You jerks get back here!" I snapped at them, causing them to break out into a run down until they turned a corner. A family of four were just watching our whole show with complete interest at the stupid teenagers (a father, a mother, a son our age and a daughter a year younger who thought her phone was far more interesting until she saw Erza and Juvia sprint pass her.)

Taking off my sunglasses, I turned completely around towards the chuckling cute guy pushing the cart, "You wanna make up for just standing idly by and watching girls struggle?"

"Eh?"

"Then you better push this cart like your life depends on it," I demanded.

He made an almost salute sign, "Roger that, Princess."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The whole Costco store finally found out who we were, thanks to Juvia and Erza. The family that was watching us (turned out to be huge fans of Fairy Tail) were the ones that spread the rumor. Pretty soon, while we were looking at some of the cream puffs, the daughter was snapping photos of us. With a cart filled with party supplies and well, me, Liam told Juvia and Erza to hurry up and meet us up front where the cashiers were. We were out of there, thanks to Liam sweet talking his way through the line checkout line, just as the mob of fans were catching up screaming: 'Isn't that Captain Titania?' 'It's Lucy! The Celestial Striker!' 'Wait why is Juvia Lockser with them?!' 'Who's the cute guy pushing the cart?' 'Did Natsu get plastic surgery?' etc.

Liam helped us load the food into the car before telling us goodbye. Telling me that he'll see me Monday at school. Well, not tell me more of whispered in my ear so I blushed.

Erza's music was starting to grow on me and Juvia as well. We were jamming out the whole way to Jellal's place all the while having no idea what the singers were saying. I think there was like ten different bands that our captain listed. Let's see: 2PM (her all-time favorite), EXO, BTS, miss A, Big Bang, GOT7, Girls' Generation, Infinite, and the rest were a whole bunch of acronyms I can never remember. They're good singers though, despite there being like 10 members in EXO and 7 in a majority of them. I'll get there... someday.

As Erza pulled up in Jellal's driveway butt first (easier to carry in groceries), the garage was open. Inside, Gray was busy setting up the ten or so party tables with table cloths when he saw us come in. I was getting out when I heard him calling for Jellal who appeared seconds later from the kitchen.

"Alright," the officer clapped his hands. "Got everything?"

Erza closed the door, "Every single little thing."

"Gray-sama~" Juvia suddenly sang. I watched her bounce into the garage towards the winger who looked at her in surprise.

"Juvia!" He exclaimed. "You were with them?"

She clung onto his arm, "Of course! Did you miss me?"

"Uh well," Gray tried prying her fingers off his arm.

But that only caused our new friend to cling to him tighter, "Of course you missed me, silly. We're practically one!"

"No we're not!" he exclaimed again.

So why was she worried about me liking Gray when she's already made all the necessary moves to try to get into his heart, anyway? I don't understand this girl one bit.

Gray figured it was useless trying to free himself of his admirer. He sighed and started walking/half dragging Juvia with him into the door leading to the kitchen. On the way, Juvia flashed me the 'I win' look with a satisfied smirk.

He is all yours, girlie.

It's been all too quiet, really. Something's missing... something important? Yeah, very important because it's too quiet to be real. Ah!

I snapped my fingers a little too loudly that both Erza and Jellal stopped their conversation to look at me for continue with my epiphany.

Where is my dragon?

"Where's Natsu?" I asked Jellal.

"Oh," Jellal sighed. "He got sick while going up a ladder so he's just napping it off in the living room."

I nodded my thanks before heading through the door, pass the annoyed Gray and the lovey-dovey Juvia, into the familiar living room. Natsu was sleeping soundlessly in the coach he was on the last time we were here. I watched him for a bit then sat at the edge of the coach where his legs were located. As my butt touched the cushion, he made a soft noise but didn't wake.

Wow he's a heavy sleeper.

"Luce, is that you?" I lied, he's a light sleeper.

I looked at his face. One of his dragon eyes were opened, watching me carefully.

"Who else would it be?" I slapped his knee. "Come on, I heard you were slacking off so get your ass up and out of this coach."

"Ow! Lucy! That hurt!" He grabbed his knee in mock pain. "Why would you hit me? Why are you always so mean?"

I laughed mockingly, "Yeah like that hurt."

I hit him again this time in his hard... hard stomach. He took a few seconds before he grabbed his stomach in the same mock pain, "Ow! Lucy!"

I continuously hit him everywhere with loud giggles. Natsu was just pretending he didn't know where I was going to hit him next and made weird duck sounds every time my palm collided with his chest, arms or legs.

"Get up, get up, get up," I slapped him three more times.

Natsu finally sighed, "Oh you wouldn't want me to do that."

I blinked, "Uh yeah I do. You're being a lazy butthole while all of us are trying to get ready for a party."

"Are you sure?" Natsu raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," I nodded.

"100% positive?" He asked once more.

"Yes, Natsu," I rolled my eyes. "Just get up already."

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

And I wish I did listen to that warning. You see... the whole time Natsu was checking if I was alright with him getting up, I just thought that hey; he's just being his usual annoying self and killing time. He's not a lazy person but he can be one when he wants to be. For example, just hanging out in my room early in the morn and watching TV as he asks me what's for breakfast then telling me to go make a bigger portion so he could eat some, too.

I misinterpreted this warning, though. My fault and my mistake.

Why, you must be wondering, that Natsu simply sitting up and his warnings are such a huge issue?

Well, I'll tell y'all why.

Because Natsu's perfect face was... about a centimeter away from mines, his eyes boring into my very soul and, yes please notice the emphasis on the word 'and', his eyes darting to my lips which was this close from mines. Let's just say that if I were to say his name, our lips would blush.

Oh I didn't know that...

So yes, I did say his name. It actually went a little like this:

"N-Nat-" I shuttered but the moment I felt his lips touch mines briefly, I stopped completely.

"I warned you," those dragon eyes darted towards mines again. "Didn't I, Luce?"

Natsu was slowly getting closer, his eyes slowly closing. My own was already half way there... my heart pounding so loudly that I'm for sure with his dragon-like hearing, Natsu is listening it die.

I could feel my mind screaming: he did warn you, Lucy but did you listen? No of course not! But on the bright side Natsu's gonna kiss ya, now! So kiss him back, now. Make it your sappy first kiss thingy where all the sparks fly everywhere.

Too late.

"The gong hell is going on here?!"