Disclaimer: I do NOT own Fairy Tail or any of its characters

AN- April 27, 2015: Hey guys it's november-drops, formerly known as MsTenshiLady! Happy 20th birthday to my friend Sam or celestial-dragons on Tumblr! I told her that I'd write a one-shot for a pairing and prompt of her choice. I haven't written anything in a while and this is the first Fairy Tail thing that I'm writing. As I've found out while planning for and writing this that I, like her, have a weakness for college coffee shop AUs. Okay here's hoping I didn't screw this up!

Coffee Tales

Natsu leaned against the counter, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. It was nice. He had been on his feet all afternoon and he was just ready to go home and call it a day. But no, he had to stay just in case there were more customers coming in. He groaned a little. Customers had been coming in and out all day and for a while there seemed to be no end to them. Finally he could rest. It was only his first day on the job, but he needed the extra hours. Rent didn't come cheap and it was especially hard on a nearly broke college student like himself.

"Well, I think that's all the customers we'll be having tonight," he heard his boss, Makarov, say. Luckily for him, his boss was a pretty nice guy. Of course he was an old man and the years had probably made him soft but it mattered very little. If it made things easier on him, he'd gladly take it. "If you want to go home, you are free to do so. Good job today!"

Natsu gave his boss a tired grin. "Nah, it's all right. I'll stay until closing. Besides I've been here all afternoon, what's a half an hour?"

Makarov gave the boy a small smile. He was clearly exhausted, but he seemed determined. That's why out of everyone else that had sought the job, he had hired Natsu. He was definitely an odd one, had too much energy and appearance-wise he had pink hair which wasn't deemed very professional. But appearances mattered very little to Makarov.

Suddenly they heard the door of the shop open. Natsu sighed and turned around, getting ready to take the person's order, but the moment he spun around he could've sworn that he'd forgotten how to breathe.

There stood a girl and the most beautiful girl Natsu had probably ever laid eyes on. She had shoulder length, straight blonde hair and wide dark brown eyes. Her collared white shirt was sleeveless but it was very tight fitting. Natsu tried his best to keep his eyes off of her rather large chest but it was hard. So he looked back at her face and she gave them both a small, pleasant smile. But it was definitely the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. He felt his cheeks get really hot.

"Ah Lucy!" he heard the old man say. "I was beginning to wonder if you were going to step in today!"

"You know I'd never miss an opportunity to have some coffee. Especially not from here!"

Oh so she was a regular? Natsu found himself smiling. If he could have a chance to see her every day, the long tiring hours were well worth it. She approached the counter and she gave him the friendliest smile he'd ever seen. He had to remember to breathe correctly.

"Oh, you must be new here!" she said in a rather cheerful voice.

He took a huge breath and looked up at her and grinned, "That's right! I'm Natsu!"

He had to say that he was quite impressed with himself. Normally when it came to talking to pretty girls, he'd stutter and mumble like a moron. But though he was even more nervous around her than he had ever been with anyone else, he was surprisingly able to keep calm.

"Lucy!" she said, extending her hand out. He slowly took it and shook it. Her hands were extremely soft and he found himself burning up once again. She didn't seem to notice at all.

Makarov, however, could see the whole thing clearly. He had to bite his tongue to keep himself from chuckling at the sight. Lucy was a very friendly girl and she'd been coming into the shop ever since she started university. She was his most regular customer so every time he had a new employee, she would go out of her way to introduce herself. This wasn't anything new, but Natsu's reaction to her was. The boy was clearly smitten and he found it cute if anything. And it was also nice that his employee was actually an easygoing, friendly young man for once.

"So what would ya like?" Natsu said, a little to eagerly.

Again Lucy really didn't seem to notice, she just grinned. "A vanilla latte please!"

"Comin' right up!" Natsu announced. Again, Makarov smiled. Natsu was enthusiastic all right, but this was the most enthusiastic he'd been all day. Now he was sure he'd made the right decision in hiring him.

Meanwhile Lucy sat down at one of the tables and like usual, look out her laptop. She always came here at the end of the day, drink her coffee while typing furiously at the keyboard. Today was no different.

"Order up!" Natsu announced after a few minutes, a huge grin plastered on his face. Lucy looked up from her computer screen, smiled, and got up to grab her coffee. Natsu watched her as she went back to her seat, her hips swaying. He really tried to look away, but even after she sat down, he just could not take his eyes off of her.

Makarov had had enough. Sure they'd just met, but there was no shame in giving them both just a little bit of a push would it? After all, all friends and lovers started out as strangers. "Natsu, I don't think we'll be having anymore customers tonight. Come on, grab yourself some coffee and go sit down. You've been working hard all afternoon."

"But sir, I have to clean..." Natsu protested a little, but Makarov held out his hand.

"It's all right Natsu, I can take care of the cleaning. But you deserve a break. I'm telling you as your boss," Makarov said, adding in the last part so that Natsu would have no choice but to obey.

Natsu nodded his head and smiled, "Thanks old man!"

Natsu threw off his apron in record time and made himself some coffee. He tried his best not to make an even bigger mess of the place, but he was so excited. He had a chance to talk to Lucy, get to know her a little better. He couldn't remember the last time that a girl had made him feel such butterflies. Maybe his old girlfriend, Lisanna, but that relationship had fizzled out quickly like most high school relationships. But Lucy, he hadn't known the girl more than 10 minutes and she was already able to do that to him. He didn't really mind all that much. He lived for new experiences.

But as he went out, he suddenly got a little more nervous. Would she be okay with him just sitting with her? After all they had just met...

As if she'd read his mind, she looked up and smiled, "It's all right, you can sit here."

His smile only grew as he took the seat across from her. She had resumed typing furiously. Man, she was a fast typer.

He decided to break the ice, "So Lucy, you're a regular here?"

She looked up from the screen, smiled again, and nodded her head. This girl was all smiles and he couldn't get enough of it. She was already beautiful but her smile only brought out even more beauty. There was no way that a face like that should ever have a frown. She should smile and be happy at all times.

"Yes I am! I've been coming here since I started school here. I'm a coffee fiend. I cannot function without it," she let out a laugh and it was almost melodious. God, everything about this girl was just beautiful wasn't it?

"Me too! Probably why I chose to work in one. I love the smell of coffee," he laughed along with her. "So, what year are you?"

"I'm a sophomore! So I've been coming here only a year," she answered, her smile not once wavering.

"Oh, no way? So am I! Only I never had time to stop at a coffee shop, I packed on my schedule last year," he said, adding the last part in, in hopes that she would be curious enough to ask.

And much to his delight, she was, "Oh really? What's your major?"

"Fire science. It's under agriculture and forestry, but I've always loved fire. I'm a pyro," he half joked. Fire had always fascinated him, it was true. But luckily for him and everyone else, he didn't use his interest to burn or harm anyone or anything.

Luckily she laughed with him, "Well that's a first. I didn't know that was actually a thing. No really, that's very interesting!" And even better, she sounded sincere about it. Whenever he'd tell someone about it, they feigned interest. She was definitely something else.

"So, what's your major?" he asked, wanting to hear a little bit more about her.

The smile on her face remained, but her face fell very slightly. The average person probably wouldn't be able to notice it, but Natsu noticed it right away. He almost immediately regretted asking.

"I'm a business administration major," she answered, her voice feigning cheerfulness. He could tell because her voice was slightly more high pitched than it was before. Clearly this wasn't something that she wanted to be doing.

"Oh really? Why'd you pick that?" he asked, trying to word his question carefully. It still didn't come out right.

She took a sip of her coffee before answering, "Well, my father wants me to take over the family business. So right after graduation, I'm going straight for an MBA."

"Family business?" he mused out loud and she smiled.

"Have you heard of The Heartfilia Corporation?" she asked. Natsu very nearly fell out of his chair at the mention of that name. Had he? It was only one of the biggest businesses in the country.

"Wait, so you're Lucy Heartfilia? Jude Heartfilia's daughter?" Natsu asked. Lucy was a common name, so the likelihood of her being that Lucy was a long-shot. But here she was.

She nodded her head, "Mhm! I'm his only child so when he retires, I take over."

There was a hint of annoyance in her voice as she said it. It wasn't directed at him, but at the thought of running a business. Natsu didn't get it. He'd been raised to follow whatever path or dreams he chose. He couldn't understand why anyone wouldn't do otherwise.

"But...it's not what you want to do, is it?" Natsu said, without thinking. The second the words left his mouth, he regretted it. The look of surprise replaced her smile and Natsu wanted to punch himself. Great, he'd already blown it.

"I'm sorry? What makes you say that?" she asked politely, though he could hear the defensiveness and annoyance in her voice.

"It's just, I don't know, the way you worded it," he made up a lie quickly. It wasn't a very good one, but it worked for the time being.

And much to his surprise, she smiled, "Yeah, you'd be right! I tried to get into it, I really did, but I just couldn't. Honestly it's not for me. But my father worked so hard to get to where he is, I just would hate to let it all go to waste. He'd be so disappointed if I told him that I didn't want to take over the company."

Ah, so she was that kind of girl. Putting the wants and desires of others before herself. She really wasn't the stereotypical rich girl. He'd already known that, but still. She wasn't spoiled, but maybe she was a little bit too unselfish.

Natsu gave her a gentle smile and leaned back, "Maybe it's none of my business, but I was always taught that you thrive when you do the thing that you love the most. Business is what Jude wants. But what does Lucy want?"

Lucy stared at him speechless, her already wide brown eyes widening even more. No one had ever bothered to ask her that question. Actually, no one had ever bothered to ask her what she wanted. Everyone just assumed that she'd take over the family business, no questions. She felt her cheeks burn a little bit. Since her mother's death, no one really bothered to care about her. But this boy right in front of her, she hadn't known him even a half an hour, but he seemed to care a lot more than even her own father.

"O-Oh, well I've always had a thing for reading and writing. I run my own blog and write short stories anonymously. No one knows it's me, so it feels nice. I've always wanted to major in English Literature and become a writer, but my father wouldn't hear a word of it so..." she rambled on.

Natsu by now had finished his coffee and sighed, "You know Lucy. Your father may have built the business from the ground up, but you know why? Because that's what he wanted to do, that's what made him happy. That's why he's so successful. But your life is your own. If you want to become a writer, then I say you do it. To me, a successful person is a happy person. You do what makes you happy. You don't have to take my advice, I'm just the coffee shop barista that you've known less than a half an hour. But think about it..."

There was a long pause. Lucy just stared at him. Her eyes as wide as she could make them. Her heart was beating rapidly and she couldn't figure out why. She knew that he was absolutely right. She probably always did, but she'd never had the courage. It was bizarre. He seemed to care more about her happiness than anyone. She felt her cheeks flush once again.

"Well," he smiled, "I'm going to go see if the old man needs help closing up the shop. Hope you come by again, yeah?"

She couldn't find her voice but she just stared at him as he walked away. For the first time in her life, Lucy Heartfilia was truly stumped and at a loss for words...

Natsu didn't see Lucy again that week. The days rolled by but Lucy didn't come by even once after their talk. He bit his lip every night at closing. He truly hoped he hadn't overstepped his boundaries and kept her from wanting to go to the coffee shop again. The old man didn't seem to notice, thinking that maybe she was busy. But Natsu certainly did. He cursed himself mentally. Why did he have to talk so much? The first time he was interested in a girl since his junior year of high school, and he'd blown it because he couldn't keep his nose out of her business.

It was Friday and the shop was closed on the weekends, so a break was nice. He could get work done for all of his classes and relax. But he probably wouldn't be able to. Lucy was literally all that was on his mind.

He walked out of the shop, shouted a 'see ya' to the old man and was about to walk to his car, when he heard...

"HEY NATSU!"

His eyes widened as he recognized the voice and immediately spun around. Lucy was running towards him and was huffing. Obviously she had tried her best to make it there before he left.

"Oh, hey Lucy!" he smiled, his long week looking slightly better. Good, he hadn't chased her off. He felt himself relax a bit.

She didn't say anything for a minute, trying to catch her breath. But finally she did and she looked right into his eyes as she spoke, "Natsu, I've thought a lot about what you've said..."

Natsu was confused at first but his eyes widened slightly as he realized what she was talking about, but he said nothing, so she went on.

"No one's really cared about what I wanted until I met you. It was really weird. I didn't even know you a day, and you seemed to actually care enough if I was happy doing what I did. That really got to me. That's why I didn't come by the shop all week. I just needed to think. Think about what you'd said to me. And I knew that I needed to decide now or never."

Natsu could see just how close they were now, her body was almost pressed up against his; he wasn't sure how that had happened but he was sure that his heart was beating loud enough for Lucy to head so he once again smiled, "So? What have you decided?"

"I'm changing my major. I'm going to do what makes me happy and take the reins. I probably should have a long time ago and I knew I should've but you gave me the little push that I needed. Tomorrow I'm going home and telling my father my decision. No matter what, I'm not changing my decision," she smiled. Her smile was brighter than any smile he had seen on her. He was wrong before. This was the most beautiful smile he had seen on her. The smile of genuine happiness and contentment.

He reached a hand out and cupped her face. She was still looking up at him and their faces moved closer and closer until their lips were gently brushing against each other. Natsu wasn't sure if this was a good idea, kissing a girl that he barely knew but when they both pulled away from each other, she was still smiling. His heart started to inflate. He had to admit, even if it wasn't that long of one, it was still the best kissed he'd ever had.

"I'm glad," he whispered. "I'm glad that you're doing what makes you happy. I don't know, you're the kind of girl who should always be happy."

"I am happy! Happier than I've been in a long time and it's all thanks to you!" she said cheerfully. Internally she wished she could've rephrased that. She'd only met this guy a few days ago and already she'd kissed him and told him that he had made her happy. Was this too fast?

But he only grinned, "You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear that!"

She gave him a small smile and decided to show him what she'd been working on the last few days. She reached into her bag and pulled out a small stack of papers and held it up for him to read.

He froze at the title Coffee Tales & Other Fateful Encounters and it had her name written under it.

"I've decided to stop writing anonymously. I want to put myself out there," she explained, wondering what he was thinking. She felt herself relax as he grinned once again.

"You think our meeting was a fateful encounter, huh?" he laughed, partially amused but mostly happy. She was happy that he'd figured it out without her having to awkwardly explain it. She looked away shyly and her cheeks flushed as she nodded.

But that was all Natsu needed, "So, why don't we go from there? Wanna go grab some dinner Lucy?"

Lucy's eyes lit up at the question and almost immediately she said, "Of course!"

"Great! It's a date then!" he said excitedly. He pulled her in again and pressed his lips against hers again. She immediately responded, moving against his. They stayed like that for twenty more seconds before finally pulling apart.

She smiled brightly at him, "It's a date..."

-wipes sweat from forehead- Finally finished! Okay Sam, I really really hope you liked this girl! I know how NaLu is your OTP of all OTPs. Sorry if it was somewhat rushed. I tried!

As for anyone else reading this, I hope you guys liked it! It's the first thing I've written for Fairy Tail and also it's the first thing I've written in a while too. So I apologize if it's not that good! Okay a few things: Yes, fire science is an actual major. It's not available everywhere but it's under Forestry at the universities that do offer it.

Again sorry if it was really fast paced! Hehe! ^^' Anyway thanks for reading this little coffee shop AU!

—november-drops