You guys have already heard the disclaimer thousands of times. I am too lazy to type it, but it applies to me too XD

Will you be my Valentine?

There was one particular holiday that Lucy had not enjoyed in years: Valentine's Day. Every year she'd stand patiently beside her friends as they received frivolous gifts from their boyfriends. She'd become the packhorse for the friends with an endless list of admirers. But she had never once received a single rose or chocolate addressed simply to her.

"I'm better off alone," she told herself, staring into the mirror. "Boys are stupid. Particularly FTA boys."

She sighed and pulled her bag from the counter. Another day at school. Another day of listening to friends' boyfriend troubles and silly insecurities. Another day of being continuously reminded of her non-existent love life.

Lucy locked the door of her modest apartment behind her and ventured onto the street, novel in hand. Maybe she'd get lucky and escape into the library before any of her friends found her.

Fairy Tail Academy was a short walk from Lucy's apartment. It was one of the most renowned high schools in the district, both for the students' high academic achievements and their violent, destructive tendencies and scuffles with rival schools. But there was one thing in particular that had inspired Lucy to run away from home and apply at this prestigious school: they taught magic.

The government had outlawed magic a few years ago when they uncovered a plot being implemented by a dark guild with the objective of overthrowing them. Most people had grown to fear magic after the government released a series of horrifying propaganda tactics, but not everyone was fooled. A few people, like Lucy, were captivated by its mystery and power and wanted to learn how to control it. Fairy Tail was one of the few schools that continued to teach it, in secret of course.

Lucy smiled and pulled out her keys as she walked through the tall golden gates that marked the entrance of the school. These keys were the, well, keys to her magic. She had inherited them from her mother, who had passed away when Lucy was too young to remember her. Her mother had been a famous celestial spirit wizard. Lucy dreamed of living up to, or maybe even surpassing, Layla Heartfilia's reputation.

She could not wait until the afternoon, when the magic classes began. She loved her spirits. A sour thought crossed her mind as she looked at the keys. That stupid holiday was next week, on the day one of her first magic tournament. Aquarius wouldn't be available. Neither would Scorpio. She wondered how she'd place with two of her strongest spirits missing.

She shoved the keys back into their pouch.

Stupid holiday. Nothing good ever comes from it.

Natsu watched the blonde girl walk through the gates. He didn't know her very well, she had only started at FTA this year, but at that moment he wished he did. He was entranced by the way the her bright blonde hair danced in the slight breeze, how she was moving quickly with a clear purpose he could not discern, how she smiled lovingly at the keys in her hands.

Natsu was still staring at her when the ball knocked him in the head.

"Hey!" he shouted across the lawn at Gray. "Can't you see I'm not paying attention? You should have waited."

"I called your name three times! It's not my fault you're practically deaf." Gray sauntered over and snatched the ball out of Natsu's hand. "Who're you admiring?"

Natsu didn't say anything. He knew Gray would tease him, even if he tried to explain his fascination.

Gray bent slightly to follow Natsu's former line of sight. "Is it that new blonde girl?" he asked. "The one rolling her eyes while Erza's talking to her quite animatedly? Wait, Erza looks angry." Gray turned to Jellal, the third member of their early morning games. "What have you done now?"

"I don't know," Jellal replied with a shrug. "Erza never tells me anything. I swear she expects me to read her mind." He rested his arm on Natsu's shoulder. "That blonde's not a bad choice, Natsu."

"Her name's Lucy," Natsu muttered, his cheeks becoming a shade of pink similar to that of his hair.

Gray smacked Natsu across the head. "We know that, dumbass. We've been in the same classes for a year." He shoved his hands in his pockets and smirked. "Either way, it looks like Lucy Heartfilia has an admirer. Are you going to confess your love? Will there be roses? Chocolates? Valentines? Steamy rooms? Or will you continue to gaze from afar with wistful eyes?"

"Hang on, go back a bit," Natsu said as he shoved Jellal from his shoulder. "Lucy's a Heartfilia?"

"You didn't know?" Jellal asked, shocked. "Don't you pay any attention at all?"

Natsu shook his head. Jellal and Gray shared a look.

"Poor girl," Gray said as the bell rang. He turned and walked toward the main building, loosening his tie. "She's got a flame-brained idiot drooling after her."

Lucy sat at the end of the table, claiming the seat closest to the wall, and pulled out her novel. The day was only half over, but she'd already dealt with so many ridiculous problems.

As soon as she'd arrived Erza had come running. She was angry that Jellal had said he was already busy on Valentine's when Erza asked him what he was doing. It had taken a long time to plant the seed in Erza's mind that Jellal may actually be planning something for her already (which Lucy knew for a fact because Jellal had asked her for advice). Erza had then run off to interrogate her mysterious boyfriend. Lucy used the opportunity to escape into the library, but had barely gotten to read a paragraph before the bell rang. Then in homeroom Levy had leapt on her, practically in tears.

"What am I going to do, Lucy?" Levy gasped, gripping Lucy's hands so tightly she was worried about her circulation. "I don't know what to get Gajeel! I don't even know if he wants to spend the day with me! I mean, what if he's only going out with me to be nice?"

Lucy gripped her friend's shoulders. "Levy, calm down. Gajeel doesn't strike me as the type of person to hang around someone he doesn't like. And how many times has he told you he loves you since you started going out?"

"One hundred and fifty five."

Lucy was speechless. "You actually counted?"

Levy blushed. "Umm…"

"That's beside the point," Lucy pushed on. "What matters is that you know he loves you, so why are you worrying? Everything will be fine, Levy." She pushed her friend in the direction of Gajeel, who was leaning against the window on the other side of the room, watching them intently. "Now go and talk to your boyfriend, he looks worried."

The questions hadn't stopped when classes began. For some reason people thought that she knew where all the good restaurants were and that she could get them discounts, simply because of her last name. They wanted advice on every single little aspect and she felt bad letting people down when she couldn't deliver.

She hoped that the sight of the open novel would deter people this break. Her friends had learnt very quickly not to disturb her when she was reading.

The cafeteria was louder than usual. The heavy rain pounded the windows and blocked the view. The sounds of people talking over each other filled the room, but Lucy blocked it out. She was lost in a wonderful imaginary world constructed by lyrical words. She barely looked up when someone slammed down a tray and sat next to her. Normally that seat was vacant. All the other seats around the table must have been taken.

Lucy was vaguely aware of the murmurs around her as her companions had a conversation.

"Luce. Lucy. Lucy!"

Someone tapped Lucy on the shoulder.

"What?" She looked around the table with a frown. She was at the climax of the story. Surely whatever was so important to interrupt her could wait.

"I don't think you've met Natsu and Gray properly yet," Erza told her. "I thought it was time you were introduced properly."

Lucy looked at the two boys sitting next to her. "Oh, yeah. I know you. You're in the magic class. I would learn your names but I couldn't give a crap at the moment." She leant forward to see past them. "Oh my gosh, Levy, you have to read this book. It's fantastic."

"Lend it to me when you finish it, then," Levy said, her words falling on deaf ears as Lucy turned back to her book.

"Is she always that rude?" Gray asked, crossing his arms.

"Only when she's reading or writing," Levy said, resting her head against Gajeel's arm. "But she is genuinely a nice. When you can get her away from her books. Which is rarely."

"Just like you," Gajeel muttered.

"What do you mean?" Levy asked, outraged.

"You've always got your nose in a book. It's impossible to tear you away from them."

Gray turned to Natsu and smirked, ignoring the couple's light hearted bickering. "It looks like you've got your work cut for you, hot head."

"Do you think I should get her a big fish? Or something else?"

Natsu smiled at his companion. He found Happy's determination to get Charle the perfect gift amusing.

"Does she even like fish?"

"I don't know," Happy groaned, turning in midair to face Natsu. "But how am I supposed to bring that up in casual conversation!"

"Maybe you could bring in a big fish tomorrow and offer her and Pantherlily some."

"Yeah… That's a great idea, Natsu!"

Natsu smiled as the cat flew off around the corner. His excitement was contagious. Happy had only just arrived at the academy. The flying Exceeds weren't allowed on the grounds during school hours because the normal human students might see them and talk. The government might overhear something send people to investigate. If they found even one piece of incriminating evidence the entire school would be locked down, all students, staff and anyone connected to them would be interrogated, and anyone suspected of practicing magic would be publicly executed as soon as it could be arranged. There had been thousands of deaths recorded in the past three years because of executions.

Natsu rounded the corner and saw Lucy standing in front of the door, franticly searching through her bag.

"Damn it," he heard her grumble. "The one day I don't pack it, it rains."

"What did you forget," Natsu asked as he approached her. She looked up at him with suspicious eyes. It didn't surprise him that she had forgotten their lunchtime meeting already.

"My umbrella," she said eventually.

"Are you on your way to the magic classes?" he asked. Lucy nodded. Natsu grinned. "Then you can share ours."

Happy chose that moment to fly from his hiding spot, making Lucy jump. He laughed and settled on Natsu's shoulder, opening the umbrella as they pushed through the door.

Today was one of the rare days Lucy dreaded making her way to the magic classes. They were held in a secret room, the entrance of which was in the gym building, a fair walk away from the main building. And the path wasn't covered.

Lucy hurried after the boy and blue cat with the umbrella. She didn't really have a choice if she wanted to stay dry. She'd have to share an umbrella with a stranger.

In order to stand under the umbrella, she had to press close to the pink haired boy. The rain had turned the air frigid and she could feel the heat radiating from his skin. As she breathed she caught a scent that reminded her of cold nights and winter fires at her old manor house. The memory wasn't as unpleasant as she'd thought it would be. Those nights had been filled with companionship. All the children in the house would sit before the fire, playing board games and listening to stories told by Granny, the elderly housekeeper/nanny. She realised it was one of the few things she missed about her old life.

They walked along in silence, listening to the rain drumming on the plastic above them. Lucy kept gazing at the mysterious boy as they walked. She knew she had seen him somewhere recently. His gaze flicked toward her. She looked away quickly and blushed.

"Did you finish you book?" he asked. So she knew she was reading a book, not that that was a big secret or anything, but it was a clue to his identity. Though it was a rather bad one.

Lucy considered his statement. If he was asking if she finished it, he must have seen her with it when she was nearing the end. She'd been reading her current novel, a large historical fantasy tome by her favourite author, for the past three days. He had to be referring to that. Almost finished would generally be thought of as the last third or so of the book. She had only reached that point last night, so she had to seen him today. But she hadn't met anyone new today…

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "You're the reason Erza interrupted me today when I was in the really suspenseful part of my book! Which I did finish just before."

The boy smiled and offered his hand. "Natsu Dragneel. It's nice to meet you while you're not reading."

"Lucy Heartfilia. It's a pleasure to meet you, too."

They continued walking. Natsu's sneakers were already soaked; he could feel his feet squelching in his shoes. He was glad he didn't have to wear them tomorrow; they'd take a long time to dry out.

"So, was the book good?" Natsu asked hesitantly. He wanted to ask different questions, ones that would allow him to get to know her better, but didn't want to seem probing. He thought she'd consider that annoying seeing as they only just met.

"It was fantastic, just what I expected from Zekua Melon. It is a shame that it was his last piece of work, though."

"Oh. That must be a shame. Did he retire?"

Lucy shook her head and smiled sadly. "He died. Dear Kaby was the last thing he ever wrote and the best thing I've ever read. I'm surprised the government even let his son publish it, seeing it was all about his adventures in a magic guild when he was younger."

Natsu was about to respond, happy that this conversation was flowing and had yet to hit a dead end, when he was enveloped in cold rain. He stopped and held his hands out in front of him. They quickly filled with water. He looked now the path and saw Happy flying away, a livid Lucy running after him.

"Come back here, cat!" she growled, shaking her fist in Happy's direction. "I want that umbrella!"

Happy just cackled and flew back toward her. He circled above Lucy's head, just out of her reach, before taking off toward the building again. Natsu smiled at their antics and tightened his scarf, the one he never removed. He continued walking slowly. He was already soaked; more water wasn't going to make a difference. He just hoped Gray wouldn't use the opportunity to turn him into a human popsicle. Not that he needed water to do that, but the water would remind him of his magic and get his mind flowing.

Lucy stood in the doorway of the underground classroom panting heavily. She knew her wet clothes were stuck to her body. She could feel the small clumps of hair stuck to her face and neck. Her classmates were framed by water droplets as she stared at them and they stared at her.

"Lucy, what happened?" Erza asked.

She took a deep breath and force word out between gasps. "That stupid… cat… ran away… with the… umbrella… so I… ran after it… but it's disappeared."

Natsu arrived then. He pushed his way past Lucy with a polite, "excuse me," and headed toward his seat at the back of the room. She watched his back as he walked between the endless rows of desks. The transparent wet shirt was plastered to his back, sending her mind into all kind of heated fancies that were rather inappropriate for school.

Natsu paused in front of the desk and grabbed the neck of his shirt. Almost all the females in the room held their breath as he began drawing the shirt over his head. Lucy gaze followed the hem of the shirt as it slowly peeled away from his tanned skin. A perfect set of clearly defined washboard abs was exposed first. That alone was enough to quicken Lucy's heart. As the shirt slowly cleared his beautifully sculpted chest and shoulders she thought she was at high risk of a heart attack. And then the shirt was over his head and his wonderful arms were exposed to the world. His damp skin was glistening in the light, highlighting his extremely fit body. She watched, entranced, as droplets of water ran down the grooves between his delectable muscles. The only thing obstructing the view was the white scarf he always wore. Natsu removed it from his neck, but instead of hanging it over the back of his chair like he had done with the shirt, he twisted it around his head, the ends dangled down over his shoulders. The effect it had was not one Lucy would have expected and it only drove her already crazy hormones wilder.

Lucy cheeks were heating as she stared, trying to stop the appreciative smile that was teasing the corner of her lips. She found herself wishing that she could stand a circle made from those arms. She wanted to run her hands over that chest and those shoulders, to learn the definition that of body by heart, to be able to recognise it with her eyes closed.

She was amazed. Lucy understood what the feelings were, they had been explained in numerous books, but she couldn't believe she was feeling them when thinking about a real life boy that she had only known for a matter of minutes.

"Come on, Lucy," someone said as they grabbed her hand, tugging her back into the tunnel. Lucy removed her gaze from the wonderful specimen of the male species and looked at the red head of her kidnapper. "You should get into some dry clothes before you catch a cold."

"But I don't have any dry clothes," Lucy protested as Erza dragged her into the changing room. Levy trailed after them, eager to gossip about the emotions she had just seen pass over Lucy's face.

"You can wear my uniform. I'll requip my spare." Erza pushed Lucy into one of the shower stalls, knowing her friend was feeling slightly self-conscious, and passed her a towel. "Now undress and dry yourself."

Lucy did as she was told. As she was drying herself Levy took up a relaxed position outside the stall.

"So, Lucy," she said, a teasing quality to her voice. "Were you liking the view before?"

"I don't know what you mean."

Levy scoffed. "Of course you do. You were staring at him for a long time."

"So were a lot of other girls," Lucy said adamantly.

"But your gaze was different to theirs," Erza added as she hung a piece of clothing over the door. Lucy took it and started redressing. "Any person could see that."

"So I guess we finally found a potential boyfriend for Lucy," Levy declared. "I think Natsu will suite Lucy nicely… If he can ever get her away from her books."

Lucy was pulling on the final article of clothing when she heard Levy begin to sing.

"Lucy and Natsu kissing in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love then comes—"

Lucy yanked open the door of the stall, causing Levy to lose her balance. Whatever she had been about to sing, it wasn't 'marriage'. And who knew how much of her innocent mine had been sullied by Gajeel.

Erza laughed and helped the blue haired girl to her feet. "Calm down, Lucy. We're just having a little fun. It's makes us happy that you've finally developed a crush on someone that's not fictional."

"Plus," Levy said as she looped her free arm through Lucy's and made her way back into the hallway. "We want to know if you plan on experiencing your first ever pleasant Valentine's Day with this hunk you fancy."

"How can you be so sure it will be pleasant?" Lucy asked.

"Because I'm psychic!"

Erza smiled. "And we talked to Cana before."

Natsu watched the three girls stumble back into the room. They were hunched over, laughing at something. Lucy looked up, smiling brightly, and caught his eye. He felt his lips lifting automatically as his day brightened. He forgot all about the dreary weather and the other girls whose eyes were crawling all over him. The only thing that existed in that moment was her and he desperately wished he could keep it that way for longer. But the moment was soon over. Levy leant forward and whispered something in Lucy's ear. Lucy's cheeks reddened and she tore her gaze away, slamming a hand over her friend's mouth.

"Well that was intense," Gray muttered crossing his arms over his suddenly bare chest. "You two just shared one of those 'we-only-have-each-other' gazes, didn't you? You better ask her out soon, man, before Loke does. He's been talking about her a lot lately, and he's one of her spirits."

Natsu ignored him. He didn't think he'd known her long enough to bring up dating. "Where'd your shirt go?"

"Hey, don't look at me like that. Clothing is stifling. Just be happy I kept it on this long and I'm still wearing pants."

"No you're not."

"What?"

Natsu rolled his eyes as Gray pulled his discarded clothing back on. His friend's stripping habit was ridiculous and always seemed to reappear at the most inappropriate times, like in the middle of a fight. But Gray had stripped so many times that it barely inhibited his ability to fight.

Lucy was settling in her seat in the front row, sandwiched between Erza and Levy. Natsu stared at the back of her head, wondering what he could do to spend more time with her. Gray was right, if he didn't do something soon Loke would make some sort of move and he would regret his idleness.

"What should I do?" he murmured to himself.

"I don't know," Gray said, feeling the need to deliver what he thought was useful advice. "Maybe you could do what they do in all those movies and books. That seems to work."

"What do they do in the movies?"

"Ravish the girls or something? I don't know. I don't watch romance movies. Ask one of the girls."

"That's the worst advice I've ever received."

"What do you mean? It's fantastic advice."

"Yeah, right. Because the movies reflect real life so well. You have such a thick head."

"Says the guy who didn't know his classmate's last name."

"Yeah, well I bet I still know more than you, stripper."

"Keep talking, hot head. We'll see how much you know."

Natsu leapt from his chair then, his fist flying toward Gray's face. This scenario was nothing new. In fact it was almost a daily occurrence.

As they were throwing fists and lame insults at each other Elfman leapt up and delivered his, "those are cowardly insults. Fight like men!" line, and was promptly knocked out as Natsu and Gray coordinated their strikes toward him. Elfman collided with someone as he flew backward. This caused offense and the scale of the fight escalated. By the time Makarov, the headmaster of FTA and master of the underground Fairy Tail guild, tapped his staff on the front the room looked like it had been the target of Etherion.

"Stop fighting and sit down," Makarov told them sternly. "I have some horrible news to deliver. Mira and Charle are forcing me to make you write a report. Apparently written work is part of learning, and if I don't give you this task they will hurt me."

There was a collective groan was released as the brawling students righted their desks and took a seat. Natsu and Gray shared one final glare before following suit.

"Thank you," Makarov said once everyone was settled. "Now, because I didn't really listen when they were explaining this whole thing to me, Mira can explain the assignment to you."

The white haired teaching assistant rolled her eyes and stepped forward.

"You'll be working in pairs that will be drawn from a hat," she began, and to be honest that's all Natsu heard. As soon as he heard 'pairs' his mind jumped to the possibility of being paired with Lucy and what it could lead to.

Gray stared at his friend and shook his head. Natsu was long gone. And now he had no one to talk to. Jellal and Gajeel were at the other end of the room with their girlfriends. Maybe he should find one of them soon…

Nah. He didn't need one. From what he'd seen they were too much of a hassle.

Lucy gripped the edge of her desk tightly as Mira continued to pull names out of the striped hat. Erza and Levy's names had already been called. They only had the weekend to complete the report and she was beginning to worry that she'd be paired with someone who wouldn't pull their weight. That would be troublesome. It would also be a pain if they didn't get along. They were going to spend a lot of time with each other over the next to days, getting to know the other's magic.

She did not dare turn around as more and more people were called. She did not want to see who was left. She would accept whoever her partner turned out to be and write a brilliant report on their magic. It was simple, really. Why was she so worried?

"Lucy Heartfilia."

She stood up, hands clasped before her, waiting for the next name.

"Your partner will be…" Mira put her hand back in the hats and swirled the names around. It felt like eons had passed before she pulled it back out, another slip of paper in her hand.

"Natsu Dragneel."

Lucy's heart soared. Someone she knew! And someone she wouldn't mind getting to know better.

She turned and smiled at him to find he was already grinning at her. Lucy felt her heart beat strongly in her chest. She wanted to see that smile more often.

"You two can leave and start gathering information on each others magic." Mira said. Lucy noticed that she was smiling strangely and couldn't help but feel she was up to something. Erza had spoken to her before the names were drawn.

Lucy led the way into the hallway. "Where do you want to go?"

"I don't really care," Natsu said from behind her. "But, uh, could you tell me what this report is on?"

Lucy sighed and began explaining, her hopes slightly dashed as she realised might not be one to pull his weight.

But she was still glad he was her partner.

The weekend passed quickly for Lucy. She had agreed to meet Natsu and Happy at their house to begin work on the report, but they hadn't stayed there. They traveled all over Magnolia; Natsu's impulsive nature wouldn't let them stay in one place for more than a few hours.

The few times they did settle down, whether it was to rest, or eat, or breathe, they discussed their magic.

"You were taught magic by a dragon?" Lucy exclaimed. She slapped her hand over her mouth, afraid she'd said it too loudly.

The dragonslayer nodded and went on to explain his life with Igneel. His life fascinated Lucy; it was so much more exciting than hers. Her childhood had been spent in a stuffy old manor and she had learnt magic by reading the old leather books her mother's friend had given her. She loved those books now, but her ten-year-old self thought they were the most boring things on the planet.

She was lying in bed on the Sunday night, laughing at their antics from that afternoon. Natsu and Happy had led her into the depths of the forest outside Magnolia so they could demonstrate their magic. Natsu had almost started a forest fire and Lucy had summoned Aquarius to put it out. They were both swept away by her tidal wave and slammed against a tree. Lucy was going to have bruises for a long time. The experience had been worth it though. Natsu's magic was insanely powerful. She had never seen anything like it. She couldn't wait to write about it…

She sat up suddenly. The report! She hadn't written anything yet and it was due tomorrow. She frantically searched for her laptop and cringed at the time when she opened it. She was not going to be a very sociable person in the morning.

"Have you found anything yet? We've been wandering around for almost three hours, surely it can't take that much longer."

"Lucy, shut up and read," Levy told her. "Or look for a gift for Natsu."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because you liiiike him," she said with a laugh. Levy was enjoying her friend's discomfort.

Lucy ignored her and turned to stare into another shop window. Levy had dragged Lucy on this last minute shopping to help search for gift for Gajeel after she discovered he already owned what she had gotten him. Though Lucy thought there was another hidden purpose, one that involved teasing her about her feelings and trying to con her into buying something to give to a certain someone on that ridiculous holiday.

"I'm just pointing out my observations," Levy continued. "Which are honestly quite obvious to everyone. You two have certainly been spending a lot of time together lately. You both end up blushing awkwardly a lot, too. It really is the beginnings of romance. You should just ask him out already." Levy leant in close to whisper in Lucy's ear, "You know you want to."

Lucy pushed Levy away and hurried into the nearest store. It didn't appear to be anything special on the outside, but inside was a treasure trove.

"Levy," she said as her friend walked through the door. "I think we'll find something here."

The walls were lined with fake magic relics and lots of other strange objects. But the overwhelming theme was dragons. Lucy wondered how the owner had managed to keep the business running. Hundreds of stores had been closed down simply because they had a good luck charm above their door.

Lucy browsed as Levy dug through piles of stuff, exclaiming whenever she found something suitable. She found a small chest full of silver celestial spirit keys. She considered buying one, Plue could use another companion. But that thought was forgotten when she glanced up and met the eyes of a dragon.

Levy ambled over as Lucy placed the statue on the counter and handed over the appropriate amount of jewels.

"I knew you'd get something for him," she said.

"Shut up." Lucy picked up the red dragon. She had known as soon as she'd seen it that she had to give it to Natsu. It reminded her of his tales of Igneel. She hoped he would like it. She wondered if could gather the courage to give it to him.

Lucy tugged the strap of her heavy bag back onto her shoulder. She was on her way to the tournament. She wasn't entirely looking forward to it. She had a feeling there was going to be a mass of lovesick couples in there. But she really did want to watch the fights and see everyone's magic.

The bag thumped against her leg again, reminding her of its contents and who she'd be seeing at the tournament. Lucy cursed herself as she felt the butterflies stir in her stomach. Why was she so nervous? It was just a gift. Friends could give each other presents on Valentine's Day without it meaning anything, right? But what if she did want it to mean something?

Lucy shook her head. Feelings were stupid. She secretly found herself wishing that she wouldn't see him today. Then she wouldn't have to face the fact that she actually wanted it to mean something and there was a chance he'd turn her down.

"Lucy!"

She stopped and turned. Natsu was running toward her, his large grin lighting up the entire area. She swallowed hard.

"N-Natsu," she stumbles, reaching into her bag. "I have something for you."

"What could you possibly—"

"Here," she shoved it into his arms and looked away quickly. She didn't want to watch him open it.

"Thanks," he said, placing it carefully on the ground. "I want to ask you something."

Lucy didn't hear that last part. She was staring at the present, the one she'd spent many painful hours wrapping perfectly, which was sitting on the ground.

"You aren't going to open it?"

"Not right now," he said, not looking at her. He was rummaging through his bag. "I have something really important to ask you."

"I just gave you a present, and you're not going to open it?"

"Not right now, no."

"But it took so long to wrap…"

"Oh, Lucy," he groaned before taking her head in his hands and pulling her towards him. Their lips met only briefly, but it was enough to take her breath away. "Does it really matter?" he asked.

"Uh, well, not really." Her mind was still reeling, incapable of producing a coherent string of thought. "What was it you wanted to ask me?"

He removed his hands and reached into his bag, pulling out a pile of books with a bright red rose resting on top.

"Will you be my valentine?"

The End

…Or is it?

And there we have it, folks. My second ever one shot. Except this one is a one shot that has a chance of turning into an ongoing story. We'll see if the plot bunnies come to visit in the middle of the night again. It'll be interesting if they do, I'll be writing two completely different ongoing Fairy Tail fics at the same time...

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it XD Please don't hesitate to tell me what you think.

~Beczy

*** Guys, the plot bunny came big time. There will be more. I'm writing the next chapter as we speak XD