Here's Chapter Four sorry for the long wait

LUCY HEARTFILIA

I made out with Natsu Dragoneel.

And I liked it.

There has to be something wrong with me! SOMETHING HAS INFECTED MY BRAIN!

I should have known! Ever since Mira popped up, everything's been completely wrong! What's wrong with me?!

I can't believe this. I voluntarily kissed Natsu Dragoneel. And I enjoyed it. A lot.

Don't you DARE tell anyon-

Yes I am threatening you! You have a problem with that punk?!

Not a single soul. Oh fuck especially not -

Hello, darling.

Mira! Hi! How have you been? Life's treating you well? That's good.

So...what's this I'm hearing huh? You just kissed Natsu Dagoneel, did you? And you liked it? Tsk, tsk. I thought you hhhaattteeedd him, I thought you said he wasn't attractive, I thought you said you'd rather eat Elfman's dirty underwear!

Heh. Heh. Well, anything's better than Elfman's dirty underwear, right? Heh.

SO you made out with Natsu Dragoneel and enjoyed it. Ha. I think this is a great time to say... "I TOLD YOU SO!"

You told me so? What did you tell me? I only kissed Natsu Dragoneel because I wanted those tablets. He forced me into it! This is sexual assault! He's a sex offender!

Lucy. Do you even think before you think things? That was the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. If my memory serves right, I distinctly remember him saying 'kiss', not 'make out'. And he gave you a choice. And, might I add, you were the one that instigated the sucking of faces.

Well, your memory serves wrong! You weren't even there!

Yes I was. I am a part of you, Lucy.

Creepy.

SHUT UP! I didn't like it! It was an accident! I got caught up in the moment! I didn't mean to do it!

You keep telling yourself that, sweetie. You keep telling yourself that. But I know the truth.

The truth? What truth?

The truth about this all.

Well, what is it, then? O omniscient one?

Yes, yes. I like that name. Keep calling me that. The truth is...

Yes?

The truth is...

YES?!

The truth is...

FOR FUCK'S SAKE MIRA, JUST FUCKING TELL ME!

Tut, tut, Lucy. Language. The truth is that you LIKE Natsu Dragoneel.

HA! You're funny, Mira. Really.

Denial!

I am NOT in denial, Mira! I don't like him! Yeah, so I may have enjoyed that kiss a little, but that's nothing. I still hate him.

DENIAL! DENIAL, DENIAL, DENIAL!

SHUT UP!

"Um, Lu?

"WHAT?!" I shrieked, jumping up and looking around wildly. "What, what happened? Who's hurt? What's going on?"

"Calm down!" Levy looked thoroughly alarmed. "You just looked a bit constipated, so I was suggesting that you might want to try the restrooms."

"Oh." I gave a high, fake laugh. "It's nothing. I'm fine. Really."

"Okay." Levy gave me another one of those 'I'm seriously starting to doubt your mental capabilities' looks, and left the room rather hastily, as though she feared that insanity was contagious. Well, of course it is, Levster. I spend most of my time with you, don't I? It was bound to rub off sometime.

Sighing, I sat back down at the deck. Levy is almost best friends with Natsu Dragoneel. (they've had this weird bond over being short-stacks since we were like kids) She would be so disappointed if I told her that I kissed him just to mess with him. I can't tell her I did it. I can't.

LUCY! DARLING! YOU ARE THE APPLE OF MY EYE! MY LOVE!"

I winced as I heard the loud dulcet tones of none other than Jason Weekly and quickened my pace.

Maybe if I don't acknowledge his presence, he'll go away.

...and that was possibly the most naïve, stupid thing I've ever thought.

I attract weirdos like honey attracts flies. If not Jason, then some other freak of nature would be after me. It's inevitable. I'm a freak magnet.

"Lucy!" Panting, Jason grabbed my arm and spun me around to face him. His face was glowing and his eyes were sparkling. He looked genuinely happy to see me, which was one sentiment that I could never return.

It's not like Jason wasn't attractive. He totally was. Girls loved him, especially because he was the editor for the school paper, though after they found out about his more-than-creepy and extremely unhealthy obsession with me, they sort of stayed back a bit. To be honest, I had, on more than one occasion, really sat down and wondered if there was something wrong with him. Maybe his mother - no offense to your parenting capabilities, Mrs. Weekly - dropped him on his head one too many times as a child or something.

There had to be something.

"Hullo, Jason." I said dully.

"Lucy! I haven't seen you in..." He checked his watch. "Three three point oh five minutes! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?"

"Um." I started.

"Also." He got out a little blue notebook and started flipping through it. "Where were you at 3:55, 5:47, and 8:23 yesterday? It's written here that you were nowhere to be found."

My eyes grew and I took an involuntary step back. "You've been recording the times you didn't see me?" I asked in a voice that was an octave higher than usual.

THAT IS THE CREEPIEST THING I HAVE EVER HEARD.

I'm afraid for my life right now.

No, really.

"Yes! If we're going to date, Lu-chan, I must know where you are!" He cried.

I looked at him for a full three minutes, just waiting for him to spontaneously combust, or at the very least yell out 'gotcha!' He didn't.

"Jason." I said slowly. "We are not dating. I said no. Many times, as I recall. I also hate the name Lu-chan. Do not ever call me that."

"Of course we're dating!" Jason said, like us not dating was the most ludicrous thing he had ever heard. "I've already picked out your wedding ring, and named our children. Charle and Lily."

I stared some more.

He has got to be kidding.

"You're kidding, right?" I asked, still in that blank, confused way of mine. "Jason, I'm not dating you! I'm not getting married to you! And I am most certainly not having children with you and naming them Charle and Lily."

"But we're meant to be!" He cried, advancing towards me with an earnest expression as I backed away slowly.

"No, we're not!" I squeaked. "Stay away from me! Stop stalking me! RETURN THE RING! GET AWAY FROM ME!"

"But Lucy, I love you!" He grabbed my hand and kneeled down on the floor. I glanced around wildly for someone - anyone - that could save me, but the throng of thoroughly entertained people surrounding us did not include any of my friends.

Damn it.

"Jason, let go of me." I said in a calm voice.

"No, Lucy, I love you! You have to marry me! MARRY ME!" He pulled out the largest and ugliest rock I had ever seen and held it up to me. My eyes grew even more.

This has to be some sort of frightening nightmare. Or at least a sick joke.

"N -" I started to protest, but he had already slid the rock onto my finger, stood up, and slammed his mouth onto mine.

SOMEONE, SAVE ME!

Suddenly, Jason was yanked off of me and on the ground. I staggered back a couple of steps, panting from the severe lack of air I had been receiving, and struggled to pull the ring off of my finger. I was dimly aware of a small whimpering sound that seemed to be coming from me.

"Shh," Soft, gentle arms were hugging me, and I let myself get comforted by the protective hug that Levy enfolded me in. "Lucy, it's okay. I got him off of you."

"Ring." I got out, still panting, still struggling to pull it off. Levy gently took my hand and worked the ring off my finger. I grabbed it and chucked it at Jason, watching as it bounced off of him and landed on the ground with a clattering sound. He was currently unable to move as Gajeel stood in front of him, LITERALLY GROWLING with his arms crossed to hide Levy from Jason's line of view. Fuck, only if looks could kill.

"Did he hurt you?" Levy asked, and I could see a fierce kind of light flash in her dark brown eyes. Her blue hair- that matched the sky perfectly I might add- glowed like a halo around her head and whipped as she spun around, making her look beautiful and frightening at the same time.

It was pretty cool.

"No." I got out, chuckling weakly. "Just another one of his attempts. I just wasn't prepared for this one. I should have run away when I had the chance."

"We have to do something." Levy said seriously, looking down at Jason with a distasteful expression on her face. "This guy is bad news. He'll hurt you, Lu."

"No." I shook my head, defending him for some odd reason. "He's just really, totally obsessed. It clouds his judgment, Levy. He doesn't know that what he's doing scares me."

"Fine." She said. "But I'm leaving him there."

"Good." I said. "Mavis, that was the creepiest thing ever."

"Agreed." She nodded fervently, leading me outside to the quad. "Lucy, we've got to do something. I'm scared for you."

I laughed. "It's just Jason. He just surprised me this time, Levy, it's nothing."

"No. Still." She insisted, eyes wide and persuasive. "I can't have this happening to you all the time! It's scary! It's -"

She yelped and jumped three feet in the air as huge arms wrapped around her waist from behind.

And without another word, she spun around and launched herself at Gajeel, who staggered back a couple of steps but still managed to catch her.

I chuckled as I watched her kiss him enthusiastically, then winced and looked away when he responded.

Lesson: Never watch best friend make out with her boyfriend. It is repulsive.

Natsu jogged up along side us "Hey, I heard what happened."

My face immediately morphed into a scowl as his smooth, velvety voice uttered those words.

"Who didn't?" I asked grouchily, not looking at Dragoneel.

There was a moment of silence that was only broken by the faint sound of Levy and Gajeel kissing/whispering to each other. Which, you know, is never awkward. Surprised at his silence, I turned to look at him, and saw that his eyes were dark and angry, his posture stiff and controlled. He seemed to be fighting some sort of raging internal battle, because he looked a bit constipated.

"Did he hurt you?" He finally managed to ask in a tight voice, teeth gritted. The sentence still came out as a low snarl.

"No." I was surprised into answering. Why does Dragoneel look so...so...protective? Right now, if I didn't know any better, I would have assumed that Dragoneel was angry about Jason's little...drama. I would have assumed that Dragoneel wanted to rip the kid from limb to limb.

But of course he doesn't. Dragoneel hates me. He enjoys anything that gives me even the slightest discomfort.

Right?

"Good." He looked a deep breath and closed his eyes, and took a long breath.

"Are you okay?" I asked timidly, looking in alarm at his clearly angry posture.

"No. I want to kill Jason Weekly, actually." He said in that same low, harsh voice.

What?

"Why?" I asked, confused about his sudden, strong homicidal urge.

"Heartfilia, I grew up with you. If you think that doesn't make me even a little overprotective, you're very wrong." He opened his eyes, and I was startled by the stormy, angry grey/green color they had turned to.

"A little?" I let out an incredulous laugh. "Dragoneel, you went and rethought your moral opposition to murder because of one measly little forced kiss."

He snarled like an angry dragon and forced himself to take a couple more deep breaths. "I'm going to destroy him." He growled, still breathing shallowly.

My eyes were as wide as saucers. Is it just me, or does anyone else think Dragoneel's getting a tad dramatic? It's not that big of a deal! He's overreacting.

"Natsu," I said, looking at him, still alarmed. "Take deep breaths. In. Out. Deep. Breaths. Let's find your inner zen, okay? Yoga. Peace. Deep breaths."

I peered at his face, still a little wary, and watched as the crease between his eyebrows slowly smoothed out.

"Are you okay now?" I asked nervously, and he nodded, though the motion was still jerky.

"Mavis, Dragoneel -" I started, shaking my head.

"Natsu." He cut across.

"What?"

"Natsu. My name is Natsu."

I looked at him. "Yes. I am aware of that. Thanks for re-enlightening me."

"You called me Natsu before. Keep doing that."

"Uhm, okay....that was weird. Anyway, as I was saying; Mavis, Dragoneel! You're overreacting; that wasn't even a big deal! So, he proposed to me, and then put the ring on before I said yes, and then kissed me...all forcibly...wait, does this mean I'm engaged to Jason Weekly?" I asked in a horrified voice.

"No." Dragoneel snarled, still looking quite deranged.

"Natsu." I said in a soothing voice, stepping in front of him and forcing him to look into my eyes. I recoiled a bit when I saw the look of cold fury on his face. "Natsu, calm. Calm down."

He tried to look away, knowing he was scaring me, but I caught his face between my hands and forced him to stare right at me. "Calm down, Natsu." I soothed.

I'm only calling him Natsu because he wants me to. And that's going to calm him down. It's the only reason I'm doing this, okay?

Just thought I should make myself clear.

The look of rage started to leave; that's when I realized that I hadn't taken a breath this whole time. I did now, sighing in relief.

"Thank you." His whisper was husky. He closed his eyes, and I froze as he leaned his forehead against mine, my hands still clutching his face tightly between them.

"What are you doing?" I asked in a strangled squeak/whisper.

"Relaxing. You should do it too, you're all tense." This time it was his voice that was smooth and velvety as it washed over my face, leaving a sweet smell lingering behind.

"Against my forehead?!" I asked.

"Sure. It's convenient."

"Dragoneel, it looks like we're -"

"Why are you two kissing?"

I rolled my eyes at the suspicious tone Levy's voice had taken.

"Calm down, Lev. We're not kissing; we're relaxing." Nat- Dragoneel said without lifting his head from mine.

Gajeel snorted in disbelief. "Yes; because people always 'relax' against each other's foreheads. That's perfectly normal."

"If it helps." I piped up, my forehead still glued to Dragoneel's. "I had nothing to do with this. Dragoneel just freaked out, then I got him to calm down, and now he won't get off my forehead."

"You know," Levy began in an amused voice. "If I didn't know any better -"

"You don't." I muttered.

Levy's glare burned a hole in the side of my face. "As I was saying, if I didn't know any better, I would have thought that - hold on, why was Natsu freaking out?"

Don't you just love Levy's train of thought?

"He wanted to kill Jason Weekly for that little stunt he pulled." I said, trying to lean back, but failing miserably. Dragoneel wouldn't let me move. "Overprotective idiot." I added in an undertone.

"Really?" Gajeel's voice held bemusement, and I could practically hear the smirk in his tone. "The hothead's overprotective now, is he?"

"Finally!" I exclaimed loudly as Dragoneel pulled his forehead off of mine and whipped around to glare at Gajeel.

"Why is dear Natsu so overprotective? I wonder." Gajeel went on musingly, his tone slightly mocking.

"She's nearly family." Natsu snapped, "Her father asked me to. That's the only reason."

"Sure it is." Gajeel smirked Levy smiled. Natsu glared.

I feel like I'm missing something here.

Suddenly, Levy's smile was replaced by That Face. You know, THAT FACE. That 'I've just had a brilliant idea that Lucy will hate, but I love because it was mine and brilliant' Face.

I hate that face.

It usually ends in disaster. First it's the Face, then the Idea, then the Puppy-dog face, then the 'Lucy relenting' phase, then we carry it out, it doesn't work, Levy fails to get discouraged, and disaster ensues.

"I just got a brilliant id -"

"NO IDEAS!" I shrieked. "No ideas, Levy! NO MORE IDEAS!"

"Aw, come on, Lu, you'll like this -"

"NO." I said firmly. "Remember your last 'brilliant idea', Levy?"

Her expression turned sheepish.

"Why, what happened?" Gajeel asked, looking back and forth between my wary/pissed expression, Dragoneel's amused expression, and Levy's abashed expression.

"You don't want to know." I said darkly, and Gajeel's eyebrows went up.

"She blew up Library." Natsu explained, his mouth stretched into a wide grin.

"What?" Gajeel looked amazed.

"I did not!" Levy said, affronted. "It was only part of it, and we fixed it right away! No one knew! It wasn't even my fault!"

"Okay." I said. "What about the Noodle Incident?"

Natsu winced.

"That was not my fault!" Levy yelled.

"What's the Noodle Incident?" Gajeel asked, looking slightly afraid.

"You really don't want to know, man." Natsu patted him on the back. "Trust me."

"And what about the Peacock Episode of X784?" I continued, and Levy's eyes widened.

"Peacocks." She whispered menacingly. "Stupid goddamned birds from hell."

"You're just afraid." I smirked.

"Levy's afraid of peacocks?" Gajeel asked in disbelief. "Levy? Afraid? Of PEACOCKS?!"

"Shut up!" Levy defended. "They're freaky, okay?"

"Oh, yes. Their beautiful feathers..." I mock shuddered. "Terrifying."

"No, they're evil! Really! Pure evil! They're demonic birds! Straight from Satan!"

"That's just because - mmphh!"

"Don't you dare say a word." Levy hissed, her hand clamped firmly over my mouth. I glared at her.

"Lumph guh uph meh grungh nuh." I demanded.

"She got chased around a zoo by the whole gaggle. And then one managed to bite her on the ass while she was still trying to get away from them. And it kept biting her, and she would shriek and run faster, and well, she made, like, four rounds around the zoo before the guy took pity on her and locked the peacocks up again. I recall that, after the incident, Levy was found curled up in a ball under a park bench, whimpering." Natsu said, smirking when Levy turned around and shot him the finger.

Gajeel laughed, and Levy's expression turned livid. "Shut up!" She cried. "It was a traumatizing experience, okay? I've been scarred for life! I'm really scared of them! STOP LAUGHING!"

We all stopped.

"Sorry, Lev." I said. "We shouldn't make fun."

"No. You shouldn't." Levy said, still looking upset.

"If it helps," Gajeel began. "I'm scared of Erza."

"I'm scared of Dragoneel's cat." I added.

"I'm scared of...you know." Dragoneel said, scratching the back of his head. Levy looked at him understandingly. Gajeel snorted.

I, however, had no clue what he was talking about.

"What are you scared of?" I asked him, cocking my head. "I don't know."

"Don't worry about it."

"But I want to know. Gajeel and Levy seem to know about it."

"That's because they're my friends." His tone was scathing, and I glared at him.

"Can I tell you my idea now?" Levy cut in, obviously afraid of another fight.

"No." I snapped at her, and immediately regretted it as she recoiled from my sharp tone, looking hurt. I took a deep breath and controlled myself.

"Sure." I said, smiling at her.

"I -" She bit her lip. "Actually, I have to clear some things up, first. But you agree, right?" She looked hopefully at me.

"Levy, I don't even know -"

"You agree, right?"

"I don't even know what the plan is!"

"Still. Tell me you'll do it."

"How am I supposed to agree to something that I don't even know about?"

"But I have to know you'll carry it out before I start planning everything."

"At least tell me your idea first."

"I have to clear some things up, Lu! But I have to know you'll do it!"

I sighed deeply. "Levy," I began patiently. "Once I know what the plan is, I'll agree to it. Just tell me what it is."

She bit her lip. "Will you say yes if Natsu tells you what he's afraid of?"

Natsu looked at her in outrage, hands outstretched as if to say: 'what the hell?!'

"Is that relevant to the plan?" I asked her.

"Kind of."

Natsu's eyes widened. "Levy?" He asked.

"I'll make it happen, Natsu." She turned to him, eyes bright. "I know it will happen. I'll make it work."

"But, Levy -"

"You don't have to be afraid anymore." She whispered. My brow furrowed as I looked back and forth between them. Levy chooses now to be all elusive and mysterious? WHY NOW?!

"Levy I don't understand -" Natsu began, looking confused.

"Just tell her. And she'll agree. Right, Lu?"

"Sure...?" I said, wanting to know something.

Dragoneel turned to me, still looking confused and a bit shocked. "I'm scared of everything staying the way it is." He said, gazing at me like he could see inside me.

"Heh?" I asked oh-so-intelligently. "Why would you be afraid of that? Your life is perfect!"

"No, it's not."

"That doesn't make any -"

"Later, girls." Gajeel cut across, taking Natsu's shoulder and steering him back into the school. He stole a kiss from Levy along the way, and with nod at me, disappeared into the doors, Dragoneel in tow.

"Levy, what's going on?" I demanded, turning back to her. She was biting her lip, calculating.

"You'll agree to it, right Lucy? You'll do the plan, no matter what it is?" She asked me solemnly.

"I said yes, but Levy -"

"You know I wouldn't do anything to hurt you, right Lu?" She cut across, eyes clear and truthful.

"I'll do it."