Disclaimer: Fairy Tail is owned by Hiro Mashima!

Nine Months of Crazy

Chapter 1: The Crazy Wedding

When she received the invitation by mail she'd thought it'd been a mistake, or a very sick joke. There was no way he'd actually invited her. But to her crazy luck, it hadn't been a mistake.

Shoving the invitation in her drawer (away from her father's prying eyes), she decided she wouldn't be attending.

That was until she called her friend Mira, who'd apparently broken up with her temperamental boyfriend for the second time in that month, and refused to go to the wedding alone.

So that's how Lucy found herself at her ex-boyfriend's wedding, wearing a dress too short and a little too inappropriate for the occasion (idea of Mira, of course).

"We'll definitely make every guy in the room want us!" That was what she'd yelled into the phone, sniffing and trying not to break into tears- again. Apparently, that was the only effective way to get over her long time boyfriend-by dressing provocatively and making him jealous as she got the attention of other men (cue the eye roll).

Why she too had to wear a short and very low cut dress was still a mystery to Lucy. Mira's only explanation had been, "You could find the man of your dreams tonight! So dress to impress and drop a few jaws! Oh, this one would be great for you!"

Again, cue the eye roll and a sigh of exasperation.

She almost forgot Mira was Magnolia's infamous matchmaker. The girl used an empty classroom back in high school to give relationship advice during lunch breaks, for God's sake!

Lucy almost groaned as she realized she'd actually been victim to her matchmaker ways back in their high school years as well. It was with the help of Mira that she'd met Gray after all. Gray Fullbuster had been her first boyfriend and now, she was going to his wedding. She actually laughed at the roller coaster ride that was her life.

And Lucy had tried to get out of it, really! But Mira was very persistent. She had literally showed up at her house four hours before the wedding, rushing past the door with ten different bags. And she had not let Lucy give any excuses. They were going and she wouldn't accept another answer from the blonde. So Lucy sighed dramatically and sat herself in a chair so Mira could help with her hair.

Her heart was thumping madly in her chest as Mira drove towards the wedding reception. Peeking out the window, Lucy's brown eyes widened in both shock and amazement.

Gray had really gone out of his way to make his fiancee- and soon to be wife- happy. The large trees outside the reception hall were decorated with lights, shining beautifully in the night evening. There was a huge fountain near the entrance, with a few people standing near it talking and waiting for the ceremony to begin.

Taking a deep breath, Lucy stepped out of the car, shutting the door as she looked around. Familiar faces from high school appeared before her and she quickly looked down. It would be like a high school reunion, one she was really, really dreading. Because everyone knew who she was and who she had been to Gray.

She caught a few pairs of curious eyes on her as she and Mira stepped inside, and she grabbed her friend by the wrist and dragged her to the back row, waiting very impatiently for the ceremony to begin and for all of this to finally end.

Mira furrowed her eyebrows as she watched her blonde friend fidget in her seat, glancing back every two seconds.

"Are you alright, Lucy?" She asked and the blonde finally looked up at her, raising an eyebrow and scuffing as she shook her head.

"Of course not!" She pulled at the ends of her skirt to cover a little more skin before she muttered, "I'm at my ex-boyfriend's wedding and I feel like everyone is staring at me! I knew I shouldn't have come. I don't even understand why he invited me…"

Mira rolled her eyes. "You two broke up years ago!" She shook her head and sighed loudly. "Five years ago to be exact. He's moved on." She peeked at the blonde who was staring intently at her hands. "I thought you had as well…"

Lucy's hands clenched into fists and her nails were digging into the flesh of her palms as she whispered, "I did."

She really had. Gray was someone very special to her. She had known him since they were little, so of course she cared about him and always would. But she didn't love him, never did. Though, she had tried to convince herself that she did back in high school. Their parents were business associates after all and they had decided they'd definitely get married when they were kids. But… her mother had taught her love was something special, something real. And what she had with Gray felt more like an obligation to her father than love.

Gray was her friend and she loved him, but not more than a friend. And he had realized this. That's why he had broken up with her a week after their Senior prom.

Mira was analyzing the crowd and humming, bringing her friend out of her thoughts when she asked, "So what's the problem, then?" When the blonde only shrugged, Mira smiled softly and whispered, "He asked you to come because he considers you a friend, Lucy. He really cares about you, always has."

The blonde bit down on her lip, almost painfully. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Rubbing her shoulder, Mira smiled and answered, "It means that he wanted all those he cares about here with him. You should be happy for him. I mean, he has always been very supportive of your decisions. Even when you chose to date Loke after you two broke up. He bared with it and supported your decision, even if it killed him to see you with him."

"I know." Lucy frowned. She then rolled her eyes, clarifying, "But just to be clear, he was the one who broke up with me, so don't make it sound like he was the victim!"

Lucy crossed her arms over chest and huffed, blowing her bangs out of her eyes as Mira giggled.

"Right, right." She said between giggles. She smiled brightly at her friend then. "He considers you one of his closest friends, Lucy. That's exactly why he decided to break up with you. Because he didn't want to lose you. I mean, he was leaving for college, after all. You both knew a long distance relationship wasn't going to work out."

"Yeah." The blonde smiled, flipping her long hair over her right shoulder. "We were better off as just friends."

Mira nodded, going back to looking around, mumbling that she hadn't seen any cute guys for her or for Lucy yet. The blonde slumped in her seat and sighed. Right, her friend was on a quest to forget all about her tall, exaggerated muscular, and blond ex-boyfriend. And apparently, she too needed a boyfriend. Lucy rolled her eyes. She did not. She was an independent woman who did not need a man!

She sighed again. She really wanted to be home, curled up in bed reading a Nicholas Spark's cheesy novel. Because her romantic life sucked and a stupid love story was just what she needed. Rolling her eyes, she looked down at her phone and bit her lip. Loke had texted her again. He wasn't coming to the wedding. Her fingers tightened around her phone.

She was glad he wasn't. The last thing she needed at this wedding was another ex-boyfriend. It was awkward enough that the groom was one of the two guys she had ever dated, she did not need nor want the other one here as well.

Besides, she was not on the best of terms with Loke. He had cheated on her, after all. She had walked in on him and another girl two weeks ago. And the perfect bubble she'd been living in had just about shattered. Because she realized love sucked and guys were perverted idiots who only thought about sex. She of course knew that not all men were like that idiot womanizer, but still, those who weren't were very rare. Prince charming did not exist, that was for sure.

She frowned down at her phone and shoved it into her purse. Maybe she was smart, and maybe she was beautiful, and maybe she was a pretty good writer with a bright future ahead of her as an author, but she was definitely not Lucky Lucy. She was everything but lucky. And more so when it came to relationships and love.

Smiling as she stared at the room adorned in so many flowers, with people smiling and laughing all around her, she realized she was happy Gray had actually found someone he'd wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Her eyebrows suddenly furrowed in question and she turned to her white haired friend.

"Did Gray meet her in college?" Lucy suddenly asked and Mira raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, he did." She shrugged. "Elfman told me they were in the same class during their second semester. She was infatuated with him from the moment she laid eyes on him. I'm pretty sure I've heard a handful of people mention that she was kind of a stalker. But I don't tend to believe rumors such as those."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Right."

Her friend lived for rumors and gossip. She just tended to deny it. Because, she was, after all, a marriage counselor. And she, nor anyone else, "should spread unnecessary gossip about private matters between a couple." Lucy almost snorted when her friend told her this for the first time. The second time she did and the white haired devil asked "kindly" not to question her nor defy her words. Again, the blonde snorted.

Before either of them could say anything else, whispers and shushes from the people surrounding them made them both turn back to see what was going on.

And that's when Lucy finally saw him. He looked taller, a lot more mature, with his hair a little longer but those blue eyes of his were the same deep color she remembered. Gray was just as handsome as ever, maybe a little more than the last time she'd seen him, and that was almost three years ago.

His mother was walking him down the aisle, tears pooling at her eyes as she tried standing straight beside him, pretending to be fine. But everyone could tell she'd be crying throughout the entire ceremony.

Following them were the groomsmen, arm-in-arm with the bridesmaids. It seemed they had only picked out three couples. The girls were wearing a pretty blue dress, reaching down to the floor, cascading in layers and holding a simple bouquet of white roses. The guys were wearing a simple black suit, with a blue tie and an ivory rose boutonniere.

It was when the best man and the maid of honor made their entrance that Lucy's breath caught. The pink haired best man (really, pink hair? Was it even natural?) was flashing a toothy smile to the crowd of friends and family members that had joined his two friends in their special day. His bright smile was still beaming once he joined Gray's side, whispering something to the groom that made him roll his eyes. Lucy smiled down at her lap. That smile of his was really contagious.

It was then, just seconds after the best man and maid of honor had taken their positions, that the bride was walking down the aisle. She was being escorted by a tall man with dark blue hair, which Lucy guessed was her father.

The blue haired girl, that Lucy had seen from the invitation that her name was Juvia, looked beautiful. But then again, what bride didn't (at least Lucy hadn't known of any that did not look beautiful on their very special day). Her white dress was very elegant. It had long lace sleeves, with the long folds of her dress sparkling with every step she took, her dark blue eyes never leaving Gray's. Lucy smiled at the scene. She really was happy for him.

The ceremony began well. Everything was going great. Until, "Gray Fullbuster do you take Juvia Lockser to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

Gray stared at Juvia for a few seconds, his eyes wide as they stared into Juvia's confused ones. "I…" He started saying. Glancing towards the crowd of confused guests, Gray scanned it for something- for someone. Lucy's eyes widened with fright and she quickly looked down, her bangs covering her eyes. "I…" Lucy heard Gray repeat, hesitating before he finally whispered, "I do."

Lucy let out a breath she had been apparently holding, relief flooding over her.

"I now pronounce you as husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

The crowd broke into cheers of joy when Gray leaned down and kissed the blushing bride, who just about fainted from excitement and happiness.

Lucy soon found herself in the reception hall. Mira had dragged her towards their assigned table, swooning about the wedding ceremony and how beautiful Juvia looked.

Before they got to their table, however, they were stopped when someone called to them, "Hey you two! Where you at the ceremony? I couldn't find you!"

Yukino Aguria was smiling brightly at her two long time friends, Sting Eucliffe- her boyfriend- was standing beside her, waving at the two girls as his girlfriend continued, "I can't believe Gray's a married man! The first from our high school generation to tie the knot! We're getting old." She frowned, her hands coming up to cover her non-existent wrinkles.

Lucy rolled her eyes and Mira giggled. "Oh, we're not old at all!" She smiled brightly. "Twenty- three is very young." She then winked at one of the groomsmen and Lucy sighed loudly.

Really, her friend wasn't usually like this. She only acted out when Laxus decided to be an idiot and break up with her. She was definitely going to kick his ass this time. Because she was dragged to this wedding because of him!

Yukino giggled and shrugged. "We'll definitely be old in a few years, though. Once we turn thirty I mean."

A dark aura suddenly appeared around Mira and both Lucy and Sting sweat dropped. "Oh no, that's still a long time from happening! Let's enjoy our youth while it lasts."

They all sat down at their table, introducing themselves to a couple that had already been sitting down. Lucy raised an eyebrow when the petite girl introduced herself as a close friend of Gray's from college and her boyfriend- which Lucy decided the two made quite a peculiar pair- groaned out his name. Levy- the petite blue haired girl- apologized for her scary looking boyfriend, telling them that he's friends with Juvia. They'd all gone to college together.

Before Lucy even realized it, the reception hall was filled with people she knew and didn't know. A new pair had joined their table, they'd introduced themselves as Erza Scarlet and Jellal Fernandes- also friends of Gray and Juvia from college. Mira had actually known the scarlet haired girl- the two had been friends (or rivals, whatever fits best) when they were in their elementary years.

"Gray told us so much about you, Lucy." Erza was telling her, a polite smile taking form on her lips as she continued, "He always gushed to us about his perfect best friend and how smart and beautiful she was. It's a pleasure to finally get to know the famous Lucy Heartfilia."

Gajeel- the long haired, face full of piercings guy- snorted and mumbled, "Yeah, more like he was obsessed with her. I mean, I get that he was kind of in love with her after dating her for two years, but really, it was annoying. No big surprise why he ended up marrying Juvi- Hey! What the hell woman?!"

He hissed when Levy rammed her elbow into his ribs, telling him that he was running his mouth and being innapropriate without a word, her eyes slanting as they stared into his.

Gajeel grumbled a few more incoherent words and crossed his arms, leaning back in his chair as Levy gave Lucy an apologetic smile.

Lucy frowned as she thought over Gajeel's words. Gray was in love with her? Her heart dropped.

"So," Jella began, clearing his throat as he tried to break the awkward silence that had settled in their table, "I hear you published your first novel just a few months ago, Lucy. The books are flying off the shelves! I should get a copy of my own before they sell out." Lucy smiled at him, appreciating his kind words and his attempt to get her mind off of Gajeel's words.

"Yes, I'm very happy with its success." Her cheeks dusted pink as she whispered, "It's better than I could have ever imagined."

The table soon broke out into different conversations, Jellal telling Lucy about his job- he was an FBI special agent. He knew Erza since childhood but they had separated and hadn't reconnected until college and they'd been dating ever since.

Erza was also an FBI agent, and she boasted about her job for a good half hour, taking exaggerated pride in her skills to frighten even the most wanted criminals. Lucy exchanged a look with Mira, sweat dropping when her friend giggled and shrugged.

"She isn't known as the Titania for her pretty face." She whispered and Lucy noted to never get on Erza's bad side.

"How are you and Laxus doing?" Erza was asking Mira, and Lucy broke away from her conversation with Yukino and Sting to turn to see her white haired friend shrug casually.

"We broke up." She twirled a strand of her hair, acting as indifferent as she could. Lucy rolled her eyes.

Erza furrowed her eyebrows, her gaze turning deadly as she uttered, "Again?"

Mira shrugged again. "It's not like I really care. I'm better off without him." Lucy snorted, which got Erza's attention- she was raising a eyebrow in question- but Mira completely ignored her. "Tonight, I'm just going to have fun. Maybe I'll find someone way better than Laxus."

She winked at the long, green haired guy that was sitting beside her and continued by saying, "It's a very well known fact that high school sweethearts don't last forever. We -unfortunately- had the odds stacked against us." She waved her hand dramatically towards Lucy. "That's why Lucy and I came together. It's our girl's night out as single and very attractive women, going out to catch one of the many fish in the sea." She winked again at the green haired guy- whose eyebrows were furrowed in both confusion and shock at Mira's apparent fondness of him- and Lucy just wanted to slam her head on the table. She internally groaned.

Chuckling lowly, the green haired guy took a small sip from his drink, politely smiling at Mira when he realized she was still staring at him.

She grinned brightly at him and his eyebrows furrowed when she asked, "Are you single?" He had arrived alone- he later told them his friend had gone off to meet with some other friends- but he had said it was a "he" so Mira took that as a sign that he came alone, like she had.

Mira was now twirling a strand of her silver hair in a flirtatious way, awaiting the long haired guy's response, who she kind of remembered saying his name was Freed, but she rather not risk it.

Lucy actually groaned then. The entire table was staring at Mira, waiting to see where this went. Mira really didn't know how to be subtle.

Sighing, Freed- or whatever his name was- answered, "I'm gay."

Everyone's eyes widened, but not Mira's. She was still smiling at him, her finger only stalling on it's twirling on her hair before she said, "Very straightforward, aren't you?" He shrugged and her smile widened- and Lucy for a moment debated whether or not she had finally lost her- a flirtatious glint in her eyes confirmed Lucy that she had. "That's just how I like my man."

Rubbing the back of his neck, the long haired guy let out a soft sigh before he told her, "I'm serious."

Mira stared at him for a few more seconds, her eyes losing the glint from before and her lips falling into a frown as she muttered, "Well, that's a real shame. Here I thought I'd finally found the man of my dreams."

And Lucy finally slammed her face on the table, the poor guy excusing himself a few minutes after, saying he'd go for a drink and be back- but he never did and Lucy didn't judge him.

Sighing, Lucy stood up, deciding that she too needed a drink. There was no way she was getting through this wedding without at least one- or maybe even more than one drink.

And just to her luck, as she was walking back to her table with her drink in hand, she crossed paths with Gray and his now wife- Juvia.

"Hey!" Gray greeted, a huge grin taking form on his lips as he slipped his hand away from his wife's and walked up to the blonde, bringing her into a tight and warm hug.

Lucy blinked a few times, smiling softly as she returned the hug. "Hi," she whispered back and his arms tightened a little bit more around her, crushing her to his chest.

"I really wanted to see you. It's been a while." He whispered into her hair and she shivered at his words. It had been a very long time.

Glancing back at Juvia, Lucy shivered from the dark aura that was emanating off of her. She was glaring daggers at her and Lucy pushed back, breaking her embrace from Gray. Of course she knew who she was, and Lucy could understand the bride's actions. Gray furrowed his eyebrows at Lucy and then glanced towards Juvia and sighed. He mouthed a 'sorry' but she shook her head and waved a hand in dismissal. She understood that it was just as awkward for Juvia as it was for her. Probably a whole lot more for Juvia.

"Congratulations." She told Gray, smiling brightly up at him. He had really gotten taller. She was wearing heels and yet he was still a head taller than her.

Turning to the bride, Lucy said, "It's really nice to meet you, Juvia." She smiled, her eyes going to Gray's for a second before they returned to Juvia. "Please take care of him."

Juvia stepped up to Gray, holding his hand tightly, acting very territorial when she stated firmly, "Juvia will definitely take great care of Gray." Gray cleared his throat and Juvia smiled politely as she continued saying, "Juvia thanks Love Rival for accompanying us today."

Lucy blinked her eyes at Juvia, making sure that she had actually heard her correctly, "Love rival?" She questioned and Gray rolled his eyes when Juvia nodded.

"Yes. Lucy was Gray-sama's first girlfriend, so Lucy is Juvia's Love Rival." She eyed Lucy up and down before she stated, "And Juvia hopes Love Rival will not try to steal Gray-sama from Juvia."

"Juvia…" Gray sighed. "Please, Lucy is just a friend. A very special friend to me. She's not your love rival."

Juvia raised an eyebrow, not seeming very convinced by her husband's words, and then glanced in Lucy's direction, the blonde smiling awkwardly at her.

"Uh… I'll just let you two be..." She watched Gray frown and Juvia grin, wrapping her arm possessively around Gray's. Lucy sweat dropped. "I- I… Mira's waiting for me. I really hope the best to the both of you." She caught Gray's deep blue eyes and he smiled at her, making her insides melt. She cared so much about him and it killed her that she hadn't been able to make him happy. But he now had Juvia, and she was happy, really happy for them. "Congratulations again. Please cherish what you have with Juvia."

Gray smiled down at Juvia and she smiled back when he wrapped an arm around her and answered, "I will."

Nodding and smiling, Lucy turned around and walked off towards her table, her head spinning and she sighed with relief to finally be out of that awkward situation. But her relief didn't last long, no, it all washed away in an instant and her face paled when she heard someone speak into the microphone, "And now, for a few words from the Groom!" And then, Lucy's heart thumped madly in her chest when Juvia yelled- right into the microphone- "Gray-sama! Don't stare at Love Rival's bottom! Stare at Juvia's instead!"

Lucy's eyes widened in both embarrassment and indignation, her cheeks turning a dark red color when she turned around to see Gray stuttering his refusal of having stared at the blonde's ass.

She could hear Gajeel's loud laughs from the other side of the venue, Erza yelling at him to shut up or she'll give him a beating that was going to make him regret ever going against her demands again.

And Gajeel did stop laughing, but didn't stop himself from saying, "Oh come on, Titania! It's hilarious! This wedding is finally getting good!"

And Lucy wanted to crawl under the nearest table. Why her? Why the hell had she come?! She knew this was a bad idea. She didn't hate getting attention- like who was she kidding, she loved the attention. That's why she owned clothes more revealing than most girls did- but right at that moment, the attention had been suffocating her. It just felt like she'd committed one of the worst sins by the stares she was getting, and yet, she had literally done nothing! He was the damn pervert, not her!

"I was not staring at her ass, I swear!" Gray was yelling, still very near the microphone and echoing throughout the entire venue. Lucy groaned. Where was Harry Potter's damn invisible cloak when a girl really needed it?! "I love you Juvia! God damn it, I was not checking her out, Ultear! You do not need to beat me up, alright?!"

Lucy walked as casually as she could towards the bar counter, ignoring the stares and glares she was getting from Juvia's friends and family members. "I'm going to need two more of these." Lucy told the guy behind the counter, motioning to her almost empty glass of vodka.

The guy chuckled and nodded, going off to make her the two- very much needed- drinks.

"Well, you must have quite the ass if Gray was checking you out in front of his wife." A guy suddenly appeared beside her, and Lucy's eyes widened when she looked up and realized it was Gray's pink haired best man. He was flashing her a toothy grin, trying to sneak a peek at her ass and she glared at him.

"Hey! Stop trying to check me out!" She yelled, crossing her arms over her chest in a irritated way.

He let out a bark of laughter, shaking his head as he turned back towards the bar and ordered a drink for himself. Glancing back down at her, he asked, "With a dress like that you still don't want guys checking you out?" He then shrugged. "I mean, I get why Gray stared. It's a pretty nice ass." She rammed her elbow into his ribcage making him yell out, "Hey! What are you getting mad? I'm not lying. You should take it as a compliment!" He was laughing at her and she glared at him.

"You're an idiot." She muttered and his grin widened.

"And you're pretty weird." He shot back.

"What?!" She yelled in indignation. "I am not weird!"

He shrugged. "I think you are. Who wears a dress like that to a wedding?"

Lucy felt a vein pop on her forehead, her hands curling up into fists as she exclaimed, "'Lots of girls do!"

The pink haired guy nodded, "Yeah, weird ones like you."

Just then- before the blonde could give the idiot an earful- the guy behind the counter said, "Here you go, miss."

They both turned towards the guy and Lucy huffed and took her drinks, sticking her tongue out at the idiot as she walked passed him and towards her table. Yeah, she was acting very childish, she knew. But that guy was ticking her off. And this day had been bad enough already, she did not need him making it worse.

"My name's Natsu by the way!" He yelled, his grin widening when she turned around and glared at him saying, "I like Idiot better."

He chuckled. "What's your name?" He asked and Lucy debated whether or not to tell him. She decided she wouldn't but then he continued, "Or should I just continue calling you weirdo?"

"Oh hell no!" She yelled, her face heating up in annoyance. Yeah, she wasn't good at containing her emotions. "It's Lucy. Lu-cy. Memorize that, you idiot! And do not call me weirdo again!"

Smiling widely at her, he nodded. "Alright, Lucy."

And with that she stomped over to her table, not even giving him a second glance.

Lucy sat down next to Mira, ignoring the stares she was getting from the others at their table. She chugged down her drinks just seconds after she had sat down, and stole Mira's- who was smiling tentatively at her, apparently she was speechless, that was a first.

Stealing another drink from Gajeel ("Hey! That's my drink, bunny girl!") the blonde turned to the now smirking Mirajane Strauss.

"Told you the dress would drop a few jaws!" She exclaimed in excitement, clapping her hands and jumping in her seat as if she had just been awarded a fucking grammy. Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, well, when aren't you wrong?" She muttered, her words laced with sarcasm.

Mira giggled, ignoring her words as she continued, "But getting the groom to stare at you wasn't the point. How 'bout one of the groomsmen, or one of the waiters, there's this really cute one that-"

And Lucy cut her out. She really didn't want to think about anything, and less about guys- more precisely, guys that just got married and were checking her out in front of their wives.

"Oh! I got it! I think you and Natsu should date!" Mira was saying and Lucy's eyes widened.

"What?! No way!" She shook her head violently, raising her arms up over her head to form an 'X.'

"But you would make such a cute couple!" Mira continued on, gushing about the pink haired boy and how she knew him since they were kids. Apparently, his last name was Dragneel and he had just moved back to Magnolia after having left over ten years ago. She didn't specify why he had left. But she had told her that he met up with Gray again in college, and now, he was back in Magnolia, he had barely moved back a week ago.

Lucy looked around the room, trying to block out Mira's voice. Her gaze then fell on the bar counter by the back of the venue, and she saw the familiar- and very unique- pink hair that belonged to Natsu. He was drinking a beer, watching Gray and Juvia dance for the first time as husband and wife. Lucy followed his gaze, staring at Gray as he smiled down at his wife, whispering something in her ear that made her cheeks flush a dark red.

She sighed, glad that they seemed to have worked out whatever had happened between them- and her- before.

Looking back at Natsu, Lucy realized that he was pretty handsome, she really couldn't deny that part. Or maybe she was just thinking that because she was kind of drunk. Yeah, it was probably that.

She found herself staring at him for the next ten minutes, chugging down the next round of drinks she had ordered. From what Mira had told her, he was their age. He was a firefighter and he had never had a long term relationship. Mira had frowned at this, but she didn't give Lucy much details as to why that was.

In her drunken haze, he was extraordinary attractive with his gentle face and big, dark green eyes, and prominent muscle under his suit and his pink hair- surprisingly- suited him very well.

She could have stared at him all night, nearly drooling as she did, if Mira hadn't tapped her arm- rather impatiently- and leaned over to whisper- well more like sort- of- not- yell- on her ear- "He's staring at you!"

Lucy raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Rolling her eyes, Mira clarified, "Natsu's staring at you!"

The blonde had to fight down a blush as she looked back towards Natsu, his gaze falling on her, and she felt like her cheeks would burn off as she quickly turned away so that her back was facing him. She glared at Mira. "He is not." But he was and he had caught her staring as well.

"He is!" She stated, overly confident of herself and her matchmaking ways. Oh God, she was falling victim to the crazy She-Devil once again!

"Oh my God!" Mira suddenly exclaimed. Her eyes were literally shining and she looked like Christmas had come early as she jumped in her seat and said, "He's walking over here! I knew it!"

Walking over here? Her drunk brain took a few seconds to comprehend what she'd just said and by the time it did, it had been too late. Lucy felt a tap on her shoulder, and she turned around to find Natsu standing there, smiling widely down at her. Damn it, had that goofy smile of his always been so sexy? God, she was drunk. Really drunk.

"Hey Lucy," he said, and she was surprised that his voice didn't sound as confident as it had before. Was he also drunk? Oh God, this was already smelling like trouble. Literally.

"Let's go get a drink. You don't look hammered enough!" He smirked down at her and she rolled her eyes and shook her head. No, she was not getting up. If she did, she'd probably fall and make yet again, another scene at this wedding.

"I'm good. If I want another one, I'l just ask the waiter to bring it to m-"

She was interrupted when Mira yelled, "She would love to, Natsu!"

Lucy turned around to give her a glare, but she wasn't even looking at her. She was smiling brightly at Natsu before she practically pushed Lucy off her chair until she was standing up.

Grumbling some incoherent curse words at Mira, Lucy walked passed Natsu feeling like a pro as she walked confidently- and without tripping herself- towards the bar counter. Maybe he was right. She wasn't hammered enough. She could definitely go a few more rounds. Yep, she was an idiot.

And so, they went a few more rounds, Lucy challenging Natsu every once in awhile. And then the competition got bigger when a brown haired girl- which Lucy later found out her name was Cana- joined in.

When women began to gather at the middle of the dance floor awaiting for Juvia to throw her bouquet, Natsu had helped Lucy there. She rolled her eyes, saying she was probably not going to get it. But then, when Juvia threw it, the blonde was screaming and jumping to try and catch it. And when she actually did, her eyes widened, turning around in a heartbeat to find Natsu, smiling brightly at her.

"I got it!" She yelled, very proud of herself as she continued to boast about it to everyone that walked passed her. Natsu lifted her in the air as she giggled hysterically, his embrace being the warmest she had ever felt.

It was way after Gray and Juvia had left the venue- like an hour later- that people were dancing and laughing and still having fun, that Lucy grabbed tightly onto Natsu's hand, preventing herself from falling on her face. Yeah, now she was really drunk.

"Hey," she said, talking louder now, so Natsu could hear her over the music. "Do you want to make out?"

Yep, she was definitely drunk.

Natsu looked at her like a deer caught in the headlights. He furrowed his eyebrows, probably debating whether or not he had heard her wrong and the blonde giggled, and she repeated, "Do you want to make out, Natsu?"

He still didn't reply, he instead continued to look at her, that surprised expression still on his face. Damn, he was really attractive, no matter what facial expression he made.

So instead of waiting for him to answer or make a move on her, Lucy stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his.

She could practically hear Mira and Cana's jaws drop in disbelief. Bet Mira didn't expect safe and predictable Lucy Heartfilia would actually do something like this, huh. Well, Lucy hadn't expected it either and if she hadn't been as drunk as she was, she probably wouldn't have.

Normal Lucy would have been wondering if it was actually a good idea to kiss a guy she had just met and that was actually pretty close to her ex-boyfriend, but drunk Lucy ignored those thoughts.

Lucy frowned into the kiss after a few seconds. Natsu wasn't responding and a reasonable voice in the back of her mind yelled that it was because he was surprised at how forward she was.

Just when she was starting to feel stupid and embarrassed for kissing him, she felt herself lose her balance a little bit. Dammit, why was the damn room moving in circles?!

She put her hand on Natsu's arm for support and felt his strong arm move. Swiftly, deftly, he slipped his arm around her waist and leaned in to respond to the kiss, making Lucy's heart speed up at an abnormal beat. He could definitely hear and feel it, she was almost sure of that.

His mouth parted just ever so slightly and she felt his lips catch her bottom lip. His tongue darted out to trace her lower lip and Lucy gasped in surprise, opening her mouth just a bit more for him to kiss her even deeper.

Natsu pressed his palm against the small of her back to draw her in closer until she was flush against his chest. Lucy sighed into him, clutching the front of his button up with one hand as the other tangled in his pink hair. His smiled slanted across hers when he hummed happily, pulling away to whisper breathlessly in her ear, "Do you wanna get out of here?"

Lucy's chocolate brown eyes caught his, and she did the craziest thing she had ever done, she said yes.

And that's how they ended up at his apartment, with Lucy pressed against his front door as they made out. She moaned at the cold wood against her exposed shoulders before focusing on the kiss Natsu was prolonging.

His hands slowly drew her dress up and she felt it bunch just under her breasts. Lucy sighed against his mouth when he stroked her stomach. She pulled away and planted soft kisses on his neck, making him groan when she sucked a bit of skin.

The rational part of her brain was telling her to stop but she was too drunk and Natsu was a very good kisser- so good that he made her forget all reason with each hot kiss.

Lucy ignored the voice of reason until it fell silent. She gave herself up to the sensations that Natsu was feeding her. She whimpered when his hand sneaked underneath her bra and cupped her right breast. Pulling away, she gulped in a lungful of air.

They were lying on his bed now with him on top of her. Everything was going so fast. Too fast.

"This is a bad idea," Natsu murmured. "We're both drunk. I can't take advantage of you, Lucy."

Lucy felt a thrill run through her at the sound of her name on his lips. She locked her eyes with his, both of them breathing heavily as they just stared at each other for a few seconds.

She shrugged. "Yeah, maybe it is a very bad idea." She whispered against his lips and arched her hips into his. She felt Natsu's sharp intake of breath. His head dropped to let his tongue draw irregular patterns on her neck. Lucy closed her eyes so hard, she thought she was seeing stars.

"Do you want to stop?" Natsu whispered in her ear. He bit it gently, making it harder to tell him no. Because she really wanted him.

"No, please don't stop." She turned to kiss him but he pulled away.

"Are you sure? Because there's no turning back."

Lucy stared into his deep green eyes, her heart skipping a beat as she realized that she wanted him more than she had just a few seconds ago. The fact that he gave her a chance to back out made her smile up at him.

"I'm not going to change my mind in the middle of it Natsu, so don't worry."

He chuckled and pulled her back to him. His kisses became more urgent and Lucy was lost in pleasure.

Lucy woke up with a terrible hangover.

She got up slowly, her head spinning as she tried to remember where she was and what had happened last night.

Feeling groggy and disoriented, she looked down at herself and wondered why she was naked underneath the sheets. Her eyes widened. Her head spinned as she looked around the room, realizing she wasn't in her bedroom. No, she was in Natsu's. Last night, they… Oh God.

She groaned as she remembered making love to him all night- four times to be exact. Damn it! Why did she remember everything! Wasn't she supposed to wake up, not remembering what had happened, and just ignore it ever did?! But she couldn't, she just couldn't.

Staring at their clothes scattered on the floor, Lucy groaned again and covered her face with a pillow.

Her life- unfortunately- had officially turned into a cheap romance novel.

She glanced at the sleeping boy beside her and sighed, deciding it was best that she left before she woke him up. She really did not want to be there when he did. It was too embarrassing.

As she gathered the blankets around her and sat up in bed, she also decide it'd be best if she just pretend it never happened. She barely knew the guy after all. It had been a one time thing- she cringed as reality hit her then. Yeah, last night, she had casual sex. With no strings attached.

So she picked up her clothes, got dressed, and left the apartment thinking she would never see Natsu again.

Yeah, well, she didn't know the roller coaster ride her life was about to become.

Author's Note:

Okay, so I came up with this story two days ago and couldn't stop myself from writing the first chapter. I have to say, I really like where it's going. And I hope you all do as well!

I'm not sure if or when I'll continue this story, so it would be of big help if you left a review to let me know if I should and if you liked this first chapter, of course ;)

Thanks for reading!

~ Blue ~