yo i forgot to upload this, like what it's so fucking cute

Natsu groaned as he fell off the steps of the train and onto the cobblestone platform of the station. He crawled onto his elbows and inched his way through the crowd, grateful to those who saw him and immediately veered out of the way to avoid the sick looking man. He found a free bench to heave himself onto, subsequently passing out as he waited for the world to stop spinning.

"I swear…if I have to take another train, I'm not gonna make it…" The dragon slayer frowned as he wearily opened his eyes to stare at the red string tied around his pinkie that led deeper into the town he'd gone to. "Happy's gonna have my ass if I'm not back soon…"

He took another few moments to rest, satisfied as the churning in his stomach calmed, and his journey called for completion.

His red string of fate became visible to him after a scheme between Mirajane and Juvia went awry and cast not on their intended target, but him instead.

"Eh?! Where's the food Juvia made?!" She gasped as the plate of meat suddenly had vanished from its place on the bar counter. "Did Mira-san already take it to Gray-sama?"

"Didn't you?" The white-haired shapeshifter darted her eyes for the ice mage who was drinking a pint along with Max and Vijiteer as they talked about random things, oblivious to the two girls behind the counter.

"If Gray doesn't have it, then where…?" Their attention was stolen by a loud burp that received applause from the guild, Natsu grinning as he pat his stomach.

"Thanks for the food, Mira! It tasted a bit different today, not as spicy as usual." He critiqued as he pushed back his plate, turning a confused brow at the two pale girls. "What's going on?"

"Do you…feel alright, Natsu?" Mira asked in a controlled whisper, gulping as Erza approached the bar to inspect the slayer as his hue turned positively pink.

"What did you two do now?!" The redhead scolded the lovesick girls as they sweat under the pressure of her gaze, Natsu limp to the floor.

"I-It was just a love spell! He should wake up soon…" Mira sighed as Juvia felt tears well in her eyes, sadly staring at the boy who stole her potion.

"A love spell? We're not going to have that problem in our guild again, are we?" Erza frowned and crossed her arms, referring to the time when many of the members ran rampant and declared others their rival.

"Juvia was told it would reveal your true love," The water mage sighed as she avoided the gaze of the ice wizard approaching.

"Did flame brain have one too many drinks? Or rather, why the hell does he look like a strawberry marshmallow?" Gray kicked the slayer lightly with his toe to try and beget a response, only to receive Erza's answer instead.

"You could say that. Help me get this idiot into the infirmary."

Natsu helped as he suddenly flew forward, extremely confused as he found himself in one of the guild's hospital beds.

"…What happened?! Was the guild attacked?!" He shouted at the master who walked in as he checked himself for bandages.

"No, you idiot. Juvia put a spell on you by accident, it was meant for Gray. Do you feel any different?" Makarov asked, glad to see that Natsu wasn't pink anymore.

"Should I feel different?" He quirked his brow and got out of bed, stretching his arms and legs, the fire in the pit of his stomach still burning hot. "I'm alright as fa––wait!"

Natsu narrowed his eyes at the thin string strangely tied around his pinkie and lifted to inspect it. "Where'd this string come from?"

And upon further inspection and research, the string revealed to be connected to Natsu's fated partner, whom he felt he needed to meet as soon as possible.

"They're my family, I can't sit still knowin' that I know where they are now. And I'll bring 'em back to the guild!"

"But why can't I come with you? I want to meet them too," Happy teared up as he clung to his partner's arm, Natsu's hand coming up to scratch his ear softly.

"I don't know how long it's gonna take to bring 'em back, little buddy. And I'll need you here to make sure the guild's all nice and ready for them!"

"I doubt someone is just going to up and abandon their life to come here with you out of nowhere. You need to think about what they'll want too." Gray scoffed as he offered his advice before shoving Natsu onto the train as the whistle blew for its departure.

The dragon slayer groaned as he steadied himself on his feet again and sighed at the sun setting in the nearby distance. Having taken too long waiting for his stomach to calm, the day went half wasted. He sighed and rolled his shoulders as he continued through the town of Acalypha, ignoring the strong grumble in his stomach as he kept his eyes on the red string.

It led him through the town and into its more rural area, stretching far towards nature and away from the broader population. He entered what looked to be a smaller and separate town, confused by the sudden change in architecture and groomed landscape.

"…Is that a castle?!" Natsu blanched as he came upon the massive building centered at the plethora of hedges and distant buildings. He zipped his lips and zoomed behind a bush, wrapping his scarf around his head as voices rounded the corner and approached his location.

"Your father will return tomorrow, Lucy-sama. I don't know that we'll be able to continue training as rigorously as we have these last couple of weeks." Bero sighed as he walked alongside the girl dressed in loose stable clothes, her blonde hair furled and dirt on her cheeks.

"I'm only just getting the hang of sparring with Capricorn," Lucy sighed as she rolled her shoulders, walking through the large double doors of her mansion before they closed loudly behind the two.

Natsu, not really listening to the conversation as much as he figured he would, focused on the movement of his red string as it glided through the air along with the steps the girl took into her home. His heart kept a bit in his throat at the realization he finally found his fated partner, resolve burning in his chest to bring her home with him.

The moon rose higher in the sky as the night ticked on, the witching hour striking as the string finally stopped moving through the house. It aimed towards a high window on one of the top floors, a smile spreading on his lips as he hopped up the architecture.

He was grateful that there weren't any guards wandering the ground to spot him, although a little disappointed that he couldn't show off any of his expert ninja skills.

Natsu peered into the open window the string led him to, looking around to make sure whoever the girl was, wouldn't be too surprised by his sudden appearance in her room.

He slowly climbed over the window seat and landed lightly onto the floor, seeing his fated partner asleep at her desk. The wind blew in a sharp chill, her shoulders shivering as her thin nightgown did nothing to repel the cold.

His body moved quickly without much thought, wanting to provide his heat to warm her up. He carefully lifted her out of the desk chair, his eyes nervous as they rested on her soft expression.

The dragon slayer felt a bit weird as he felt her in his arms, his fingers pressing into her plump thighs and fluffy skin. Compared to the other girls in his guild who grew up with fighting as their second nature, their more toned bodies felt stiffer than hers. Not that that was a bad thing, Natsu never knew a girl could be so soft or look so peaceful as she slept, or smelled so sweet. He kind of never wanted to let her go.

She was already so different from the women he grew up with. Granted, he didn't know her personality yet, but she seemed like such a…girl? He never thought of a girl as a girl until he decided to follow his red string. Or thought to think of a girl as a girl until he was provided the information that she was his destined partner. The subject made his head hurt, but she was his family, like Igneel and Happy. She was his new life, and hopefully, he was hers.

"What a weirdo," He grinned as he laid her under her blankets, the blonde cozying up to the hand on her cheek as he let some of his heat seep against her skin.

Closing her window and drawing her curtains together, he laid comfortable on the plush window seat and couldn't help but smile as he watched her.