I blame college applications, animation work, and scholarships 😭 Up top is a song that reminded me of this chapter, and if you slide right, you'll see the outfit that Levy made Luce for her birthday 💜 Enjoy Chapter 2...
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"You know, I really hate being celebrated." I complained to Natsu, who was seated in the driver's seat of my Beetle—Levy and Jellal had taken his Camaro.

Natsu sighed humorously at my immense reluctance towards Levy's party later that night, "There are worser tragedies, baby."

At that moment, we were on our way to the movies since Jenny refused to allow my birthday to pass without celebrating in some way. She settled on taking me to see the new Romeo and Juliet movie—even though I'd made a point about adaptations not being my thing—and everyone decided to join in. So she, Ren, Bacchus, Cana, Jet, and Natsu's blue-haired siblings were tailing us.

"The last birthday any of us had was Laxus's." Natsu said, trying to alleviate my discomfort by enlightening me with why the party was so needed, "We're all so old at this point, our birthdays feel more routine than special."

"Well, the feeling isn't too different on my side." I argued, and he rolled his eyes.

"They're all very excited about this." He continued, ignoring me, "It's just something fun... different."

I sighed, not at all assured of the situation, but a little more understanding of where they were coming from.

He parked my car in one of the open spaces of the movie theatre lot, and our friends followed suit and parked in the spaces closest to us.

"Not to mention, you'll get to see Happy." Natsu said, his signature grin etched across his face. I couldn't help but smile as well.

His flying blue tomcat was definitely an irresistible character. He was overly childish, yes, but without a doubt an adorably noble companion.

"Oh now you've got my attention." I giggled, and Natsu eagerly grasped my hand in his blazing one.

Jenny hopped out of Ren's car and trotted over to me. Levy came out of the passenger seat of Natsu's car and did the same, linking arms with me while everyone else followed behind. Jenny immediately bought our tickets at the ticket window, refusing to allow me to try and talk her out of it.

Everyone else bought their tickets, and we huddled into the movie theatre. After practically raiding the concessions, we all made it to our designated screen room and took our seats.

The previews began, and Natsu slid over in his recliner before motioning me over to him. I grinned before moving over the arm-rest that separated us, cuddling next to him. Minutes later, the movie started, and the iconic introductory monologue commenced.

"You said there are worser tragedies than a party..." I whispered to Natsu, and I looked up to him to see his eyes already on me, "Care to elaborate?"

The corner of his lips pulled upwards softly, "Well..." He trailed off.

His eyes suddenly grew dark, like he was remembering something grave. He blinked, vanishing whatever thought crossed his mind before turning to the screen.

"Just look at Romeo." He said, nodding to the male protagonist, who had finally appeared on screen much to Jenny's bubbly excitement, "He killed his true love out of straight... stupidity." Natsu whispered, looking back down at my questioning expression, "Had he held off on the dramatics... Waited a second longer... He would've seen her eyes open, and they would've lived together."

I hesitantly scoffed, "You can't be so insensitive." I joked, and he smirked, "He didn't know. How could he have?" I was subtly hinting towards Natsu to be quite honest.

Whatever may have happened to me would never be his fault. I knew what he had been thinking about in that small, thoughtful moment from before.

Me... laying battered and mangled at the hand of Gray Fullbuster three months ago. For him, that was a worser tragedy.

Natsu shrugged, overlooking my words, "Well, I do envy him on one thing." He said, jokingly and enviously.

I sighed, automatically noting the beauty of Juliet on the projector, "Yeah..." I nodded, my tongue coated in bitterness, "Juliet is... pretty... If you like that obviously beautiful sort of thing..."

Natsu wrinkled his nose before his grip around my waist tightened. I heard a soft chuckle leave his lips, "Not the girl, nightlight." He retorted, grinning into my hair, "The suicide."

I rose an eyebrow before I sat up slightly to look at him, and though he didn't see it with his hard gaze on the screen, he could sense my confusion.

"With humans... all it takes is a little poison... Suffocation... Dagger to the heart..." He sighed in longing, and I blinked at him in ridicule, "You all have so many different options..."

It took a moment for him to meet my eyes, and when that moment passed, he looked at me with no emotion towards the intensity of his words.

"Why would you say that?" I whispered in deep disgust, and he shrugged while shaking his head.

"I just had to consider it once." He whispered back, the same grave look from before sweeping over his face, "I didn't know..." He swallowed hard, "I didn't know if I would... get to you... in time."

My eyes were wide as saucers as I started putting the pieces together.

"I had to come up with some sort of... plan in the event that I didn't... When I was running to you... I thought over my options... I decided the Spriggan Twelve was my best bet." He explained, and my heart dropped.

The Spriggan 12... The "Wizard Police"... The cult of Natsu's biological brother... Zeref.

My mind rang with the different titles for the group that made my skin crawl. Though I'd never come across them, and probably never would, the weight they seemed to hold over the mighty Dreyer family had never gone unnoticed. They were dangerous.

And Natsu... Natsu would have gone to them to meet his end... if I hadn't lived through that night.

I swallowed the large lump that built in my throat, my heart clenching tightly at the thought of Natsu in that kind of danger... Mindlessly... Carelessly going to Alvarez to meet such a fate.

I laid back down to him, clutching on to his sweatshirt while he laid stiffly in reaction to my sudden clinginess.

"You can never do that to me." I said through my teeth, "You can and will never let yourself get hurt or worse... Not over me."

His arm tightened around me, "Would you not do the same? If the situation was in reverse?"

"That's different."

He chuckled, not agreeing with me.

"What if something did happen to you, Natsu? Would you want me to follow?" I hissed quietly, and he winced.

"Okay," He said softly, "I guess I see your point... sorta." I rolled my eyes, "But what would I do? After you're gone, hypothetically, what would I do without you?"

Now I chuckled, "You would continue on with whatever you were doing before I came and complicated your life."

He sighed, quietly but irritatedly, "That's not fair... Nor is it easy."

I nuzzled into his chest, welcoming his crazy heat and amazing smell, "Neither is life." I replied as we watched Romeo and Juliet lay eyes on one another for the first time.

——

After the movie, he drove me home so I could change into the outfit Levy made me: a sleeveless black polo dress with a mocha-colored collar, caramel-colored accents, separate black sleeves, a brown waist belt, a caramel underskirt, and black knee-high boots. She was right, I loved it.

She left Natsu the Camaro before she and Jellal ran back to their place to finish preparations.

Natsu dressed in an outfit that matched the color scheme of mine (how he found the time to change into it was beyond me.) We dropped my Beetle off at my house, and left after bidding Jude farewell... And after he insisted I take plenty of photos for the occasion on my new camera. Natsu agreed.

"I should probably warn you." Natsu said, opening the passenger door of his Camaro for me to step out of.

"Warn me about what?" I asked warily, stepping out of his car and on to the driveway of his house.

He hesitated, "When I said they were all excited... I meant all of them."

I froze, taking his flaming hand, "Everyone?" I breathed, my heart beginning to race, "I thought Gajeel and Erza were in Stella?" All of Magnolia knew the two oldest siblings of the Dreyer kids were in college... in Stella, Ishgar.

Natsu rose an eyebrow at my naivety, "You really thought Gajeel or Jellal would be able to be as far from Levy or Erza as that? And vice versa?" He chuckled in disbelief, "Not to mention, Gajeel really wanted to be here."

"But... Erza..." I trailed off, my voice getting stuck in my throat. He smiled tightly.

"I know, Luce." He said sympathetically, "She'll be on her best behavior. Don't worry about it." I didn't respond.

He made it sound easy to be so at ease. Jellal will need to help calm the nerves unwinding in me. To Erza, I was still an unwelcome intruder in her family's secret life. I didn't miss seeing her very much.

On the bright side, Gajeel would be there, and him, I missed very much. He—and Jellal—was like a big brother I never knew I wanted... Regardless of how terrifying he was. The black-haired giant was nearly as dangerous to me as Natsu was, being the newest to the animal-soul-energy diet the Dreyers took to.

"I meant to ask," Natsu started, the both of us nearing the front door of his family's modern cabin, "How come Loke Lion gets to give you a gift and I don't?"

I wasn't oblivious to the underlying tone of jealousy in his voice, and I chuckled nervously, "'Cuz... I have nothing to give back to you."

Natsu stopped, turning to look at me in disbelief, "Lucy, you give me everything just by breathing." He said, rolling his eyes before pulling me into his house with my cheeks aflame.

I sighed, "Well... There is one thing I would like from you..." I mumbled, and he rose an eyebrow before thinking over what that one thing could be. When he figured it out, his eyes darkened and his hand got hotter.

"Not tonight, Lucy." He said through his teeth. I sighed.

"What the hell is so special about my birthday that we can't talk about it—"

"Everything." Natsu said, turning to face me completely, allowing me to see his green eyes bright and penetrating, "This will not be your last birthday, Lucy."

I could tell he was struggling to hold his temper. I didn't understand what was so horrible about the topic.

Before I could reply, he pulled me upstairs towards Laxus's office. I looked at him in confusion.

He noted my expression, "Levy needs a few more minutes." He smirked, and I groaned before he opened the door to the study.

He knew how much I loved being in his father's office. The tapestries, artifacts, and portraits lining rooms were breathtaking and incredibly interesting. I practically interrogated Laxus about each of them after my first visit, and I still only knew a few by heart.

I had wandered into the side room where bookcases and paintings were showcased. While gazing thoughtfully at the oil painting of the city of Stella, I turned to see Natsu doing the same... But to the Spriggan 12 portrait. I sighed, walking over to him and sliding my fingers through his.

"You gotta stop thinking about that." I said suddenly, and Natsu turned to me in question, "I may not have your powers, but I have pretty good intuition, Natsu." I lectured, and he sighed, "I don't want to think of someone hurting you. And you shouldn't consider it. Ever."

He turned to me completely, and a soft smile formed on his lips in reaction to my seriousness, "Lucy," He started, "The only thing that can hurt me is you."

I looked off to the bright portrait.

"Other than that... I have nothing to be afraid of."

I blinked, the events that occurred three months ago playing in my head.

Gray... playing in my head.

I was happy Natsu couldn't hear my thoughts. I remembered the look on his face when he finally got to me. The anger. The guilt. The relief. And above all, the fear.

We had gotten past Gray much easier than I anticipated... But there was always something else. Something lurking in the air around us after that night. Something dangerous.

Someone dangerous.

"You're wrong." I told him. He blinked and tilted his head, "There's still things to be afraid of."

Natsu sighed, not needing to raid my mind to know of the person whom I'd been thinking of for weeks now. The one piece of the incident that we didn't fix. The one problem we failed to solve.

"Juvia is gone, Lucy." Natsu assured, caressing my cheek softly with the back of his hand.

I moved slightly away from his touch in disagreement, "For now." I replied, biting my lip at the sudden feeling of anxiety.

"Lucy." Natsu called, his hands grabbing my arms gently but firmly. I shook my head, sighing before laying my head on his chest, "Look at me." He said into my hair.

I closed my eyes before pulling away from him and locking eyes with him.

"You always forget how big our advantages are." Natsu said, his hands trailing down my arms and sending shivers up my spine, "We have Levy." He whispered, "She'll read whatever that witch decides and we will be ready. But Juvia is alone now. She can't be stupid enough to come after us."

"You always forget what Bickslow said." I said, pursing my lips, "'Don't underestimate either of them.' We don't know what she can do—"

"We know she can't do what we can." He interrupted me, his voice full of certainty. I sighed, "I just don't understand why you're worried about her, you're a part of this family now."

I blushed, looking up at him in gratitude.

"You're protected... More than protected, you're loved. Why worry?" He exclaimed.

I hesitated. There was only one cause for my worry... It was because it was possible for me to not have to worry... To not have to be protected... To truly be a part of this family.

"Because... I could protect myself... I could protect you." I hinted. Natsu's hands froze at my sides, his eyes beginning to glow as he looked down at me.

He took a moment to collect himself and I allowed him, holding eye contact while he gathered his rebuttal.

"Lucy." He whispered. His hand came back up to cup my face carefully, his thumb caressing my cheekbone. He stepped up to me, now directly in front of me, and brought his lips to my forehead. I blinked, not expecting this as a reply. When he pulled away, his arms wrapped around my waist completely and the tip of his nose grazed my hairline.

"You already do protect me." He said softly as my fingers ran along his collar, "You're my only reason for staying... alive... If that's what you call this." He whispered into my ear, and I was pulled into another trance by him, "It may sound silly to you... But truly, I feel the safest when I have you with me." He pulled away from me to lock eyes with one another, "But it's my job to protect you."

I sighed, looking down from his eyes as my fingers continued to fiddle with his collar. His nose nuzzled my forehead for a moment before he stiffened.

When I felt a smirk form on his lips, I pulled back a bit to look at him, "From everyone..." Natsu continued, "Except my sister." He said, stepping a pace back from me as the sound of hurried footsteps came up the stairs.

Levy bounced into Laxus's office in excitement, "It's time! It's time, it's time, it's time." She chanted.

She seized my forearms and began to drag me out of the study. I sighed, looking back at Natsu's grinning face while he calmly followed after us.