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castle-dominion · 9 months

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castle 6x11 under fire

the firyspo episode liveblog

I knew immediately what episode this was. I was STOKED to watch this with all the gifs i'd seen

k not a fan of the 12 hours earlier thing bc sometimes it's misleading in a good way but this time it's misleading in a way I dislike.

But pretending I haven't seen the ep: She's just lying to jenny & tbh that's a good idea rn. oh no he's dead. or obv not bc there's more of the series after this but then again montgomery died & tory ellis got replaced with vikram. But oh no he's dead.

(yeah I've seen gifs of this ep I was so excited to watch it. I was freaking out b'y)

It's like the time my neighbour across the street was murdered & then there was an arson to cover the murder

WHAT Oh lol she's so adorable with the triple checking & kevjen is just so perfect.

Girl people are late sometimes. Especially because you don't know when the cells attached themselves to the wall.

Oh the first time I watched this I hadn't seen the baby lotto episode yet! But wait y'all decided not to know your baby's sex? RC: May I suggest … Cosmo. KR: No you may not. And rather than pick a name for my kid, you should pick a date for your wedding. RC: Pick a date for my wedding? (he gestures to BECKETT) I was planning on bringing her. XD XD (clipping)

Mark Kimball, buiilding safety. He asked the detectives if they really needed to be in here.

Oh no. Take pics, grab the body, do what you need to, & leave. Don't stay to examine the body, examine it on the slab. KR: Nope. Dude had a wallet, but it was burned to a crisp. Even if he was a dude. It’s hard to tell that. (so ryan was already here? they're always here before caskett. except that one episode in s1 where "he was here before me") RC: I see what you mean. LP: Actually, he is a dude, which is about all I could tell you right now.

KR: This is Lieutenant Delia Burton. She’s the fire investigator with the FDNY. Detective Beckett, Mr. Castle. where's esposito? I like her scarf

RC: So the killer set the fire to cover up the murder? THIS REALLY IS LIKE MY NEIGHBOUR!

"as soo n as I know smth so will you" sounds like SHE'S the killer

There’s a creaking sound and everyone looks at the ceiling. (they are not even wearing hard hats) RC: What was that? DB: The building. You guys should probably go. RC: Sounds good. (he turns and leaves the room quickly) See ya! KR gapes at him. KB: rolls her eye and sighs. KB: I’m … marrying … him. KR: Yeah. KB: Yeah. (could clip)

Art Torino: Maybe the guy was a bum or a squatter or something. Everyone else: AT: But hey, you know, human life, still a tragedy, right? (not clipping) "Who are you again?"

AT: I take offense to that. Just because I’m Italian I’m in the mob? KB: No, I think you are in the mob because you area known member of the Minari crime family and you also have convictions in racketeering, assault, fraud–

What's so special abt that x? Ooh music

Esposito's here!

RC: (sighs) Beats getting roasted alive. LP: I’m right there with you. Me: absolutely. teeth? those things are always good.

Delia Burton is amazing & I love her but oh no her poor partner. I'd watch an entire episode about them.

benzoyl peroxide, isn't that what u put on your mouth to numb it when u have a canker sore?

Serial arsonist? Ooh I like this episode! vacation days to work the case? just like beckett. just called, didn't pick up, just KNEW... Hey in my family watch we have a "the phantom" too!

RC: Sillier than the arsonist, which starts with ‘arse’? At least with The Phantom he’s got some mystique. (not clipping)

MOs about arson. interesting. I am NOT insane but I am a LITTLE bit pyrophillic.

Ferguson, do I know ppl with that name or is that a location in my area or is that smth I'm remembering from this episode?

Oh no place has been trashed rn just remembering the bloopers in the building alone? scary for me bc I know what happens. Ryan is usually written as like... skinny but he has broad shoulders babe! He just looks small compared to brick-shit-house/pos esposito missing car? I have no idea what that means.

He LOOKS like an arsonist. That's what cishet!human!Pyro looks like. But nonbinary!nonhuman!Pyro looks WAY not like that. Ah ha! But he can't be the killer that would be too easy & too soon. Unless he IS the killer & the rest of the episode is about smth else. The thing is, murder mysteries are very formula. You need to have the setup & they need to get close but then it can't be the real killer right away in the episode so obviously it is not them, you need to have a red herring, it really is formula huh. That's one of the reasons I liked the bird watching episode with the light bulb guy & the janitor dad. They got completely sidetracked & didn't have the typical "who was it who was it" thing.

Chat between friends? he put you in prison for five years or smth bro. Or u got out 5 years ago idrk. (weird grammar from castle) "fandom" not "phantom" lol

Fergs: Blake paid me for my time. Plus, uh … (he smiles) .. he let me see some of the photos of the fires. (he laughs) So we both got something out of the deal.

... It's episodes like this that make me concerned for my mental health.

Ferguson: Any idiot can slosh gas around and light a match. But this guy, he knew fire. Knew how it spread. (he leans forward) See, fires are just like people. There’s a weak spot. The soft underbelly. He would find it. Use it. Unleash an inferno with barely any accelerant. That … is an artist. (he's so right. he is genuinely right. I think I was leaning forward on my knees while watching this practically on the edge of my seat bc I loved it sm.) (not clipping tho)

Fergs: An artist like The Phantom? He wants to admire his work. It’s not enough that he sets the fire. He needs to feel the heat, to listen to the music. The roar of the flames, the moans of the buildings as they give in? That’s what he lives for. Which is why, with every fire he sets, he is there watching. (He describes it so... beautifully. Who wrote this episode again?) (still not clipping but UGH I am concerned for me mental health bc this is soooooo sexy)

RC: You know, one thing about his story that does ring true on a character level is about how the arsonist watches his own fires. Castle knows characters.

Was the... wait... the building burned up AFTER he had the files on it... Lol ryan on his phone for his wife I'm love (not clipping but funny)

(no no no no I know what is happening I am Feeling Emotions) Sure they are detectives but HOW do you tell that someone has been inside the building?

JE: Man. Look at this place. Fire would be an improvement. girl... {me: has seen the full ep. JE: is right.}

KR reaches for his phone. JE: Hey! KR: What? JE: Trust me, bro. Your ringer is all the way up. (what if they need to be quiet detectives?) KR: I just want to make sure. Jenny might call me at any minute. JE: Pulling your phone out isn’t going to make it happen any sooner. You just need to chill. KR: And you know this from your vast experience of having zero kids? (Esposito did have tommy & joey) JE: All right, you know what? You’re all emotional right now so I’m going to let that go. (reminds me of "your wife is hormonal bc she's pregnant, what's your excuse?")

If I were them I'd leave someone holding the door open. first names <3 wazoo XD (I whistled at the same tom lol)

Timer & alarm LET the ppl know that there IS a bomb or smth? but um. AAAAAAAAH SCREAMING SCREAMING SCREAMING THIS IS IT THIS IS THE EPISODE I AM DYING RN SDKFAJSLDFJKH (also just yell "run" don't spend the time saying it's not an alarm.) (but also if the explosion blasted stuff out like that I think they'd be dead)

I cannot say anything I am just so klfsdkfjsdlkj

Is castle allowed to use her computer?

How would you press the top of the spray paint if it is on a pole tho?

RC: That must have been the arsonist. Maybe somebody saw them do it. Can we canvass the area? And by ‘we’ I mean obviously somebody else. (unis or ryaposito, which will be how they figure out that they are there)

KB: What are you looking for? And don’t tell me, it’s something completely inappropriate for the workplace. RC: No, not this time. THIS TIME???

Obviously edited smoke lol (it could have been maybe he didn't KNOW what was going on & started filming just in case) How did they know to start filming then? ARSONIST FILMS HIS OWN FIRES Yeah like the metadata & all that stuff. it's like that tumblr post *deletes you* *you still exist as metadata* (but wait how did this vid get bounced around the internet so fast

Transcipt: She brings up a webpage. It’s full of hot girls and fire. Me: Oh yeah Rule 34 bro.

Is tori technically a cop? can she look up ppl & their records?

Got a warrant to enter his house babe? Lol the pyrolicious title on his door if it really is around the globe, I'd kind of expect him to be in like,,, slovenia or smth.

So you don't know who drops off the material but you can TELL it is from the same person? who sends you "choice material"? gosh his phone is starting to bug me. You need a warrant. Of course he has a fire alert lol OH NO *just run away leaving milo confused* AAAAAAAAGGHHGHDKFJSKLDF

ALSO WHEN DID IT BECOME NIGHTTIMMMMMME

becks let the fire ppl do their jobs, they know it better than you (I hate becks sometimes)

maybe the explosion blasted them out from the fire & they are just unconscious across the street from getting thrown against the wall... Becks this aint your fault OH NO. JENNY. (already 12 hours?) see? I just... I didn't like this the first time around but maybe I don't hate it as much now. Lie to her beckett. the woman is pregnant. Lie to her & say her husband got banged in the head or smth & is just walking it off but he'll probably be back tonight.

Look at all my background characters <3 Good on gates shutting off the tv & putting ppl back to work Yay speaking lines

VG, doing the recap for me: We don’t know. What we do know is that Detectives Ryan and Espozito were investigating that building for ties to a serial arsonist. And it’s possible that the explosion in that building was deliberately set by that same arsonist, a man suspected in ten other fires, as well as the murder of a member of the New York Fire Department. And if it is true, then this sick SOB has just added two of our own to his list. (I can't tell the difference between who is saying what)

AAAAAAH IT'S THEM I'M DYING I'M DYING I'M DYING IT WILL TAKE ME TEN BILLION HOURS TO WATCH THIS EPSIODE I'm quoting EVERYTHING.

How long have they been unconscious if the fire spread this much? also if u got knocked out u have a concussion.

EXT – EMPTY WAREHOUSE Fire crews still fight the fire. It’s not any more contained that it was earlier. INT – EMPTY WAREHOUSE (just stuff on ur head. & back. u'r in the debris. u'd be dead) KR and JE are on the ground. They’ve fallen into a lower floor and the fire rages above them. JE moves first, shocked by circumstances, but alive. (I'd describe this as: JE is on the floor with crap on him. there is a boom & he jolts awake, moving sluggishly at first.) also ooh yummy listen to those creaks. JE: Ryan! (love his voice crack) JE: [he scrambles up] (also my man has NO hair on his legs) Ryan! Ryan? KR coughs. JE: Kevin! Kevin, is that you? KR is alive, but he’s pinned under a beam. (he’s going to have broken legs) JE: You all right? [dusting him off] KR: Yeah, yeah. (he struggles) I can’t move. My legs are stuck. JE tries to lift the beam, but it’s too heavy. It doesn’t move. They struggle. JE: It’s too heavy. KR: (sighs) It’s an oven in here. You should get out, man. (yeah go get help) JE: Not without you, partner. (TIL THE WHEELS FALL OFF) KR looks up at the fire above them. KR: Last thing I remember is the floor giving away. How far do you think we fell? JE looks up & gets a pole. JE: At least two floors. (& u have no other broken bones?) KR: (sighs) He must have rigged this place. JE: Probably to destroy any evidence in case he was found. KR: Yeah, including us. (ha…) JE: Not if I can help it. You ready? KR: (coughs) Yeah. JE: All right. Here we go. JE wedges a metal pipe under the beam that is pinning KR down. He tries to leverage it, but it’s still too heavy. (He is putting the pole under the cement beam & levering against the floor but I feel like that would just cause the beam to slide. He is also pulling up with the lever rn I'd like u to note.)

(I totally thought he'd have the ki/chi to fix this)

I don't rly remember my time at the airport fire department but I got to shoot water. I rthink it was stronger than that.) Fire Chief Miller: Move back! Everybody back! KB: *rushes forward* girl?

Babe no wait, they are not giving up, they have plans. Oh no, it's Lanie...

INT – EMPTY WAREHOUSE JE tries to leverage the beam off KR’S leg. It’s still not moving. (the MUSIC, the drums the OH SO GOOD) KR: The ceiling’s going to give away at any minute. You need to get out of here, okay? JE: Shut up. I’m trying to save your life. (cliping) KR laughs, but it’s strained. JE looks for something else to help him. He notices an I-beam lying nearby. (LOVE the music) He struggles to drag it over to use to get the center of gravity of the wedge higher for better leverage. (different types of levers, right?) JE: Here we go. There. Ready? KR: Yeah. JE strains, but manages to get the beam off KR’S leg enough for him to move. THIS IS MY SQUEEZING OUT MOPS FOR WORK. You want to not just use your hands tho, you want to sit your bodyweight on it Sito. JE: Go, go, go, go, go! JE: drops the beam & runs to KR. KR: I’m okay, I’m okay. They take a second (& my man's legs aren't broken? seriously? Ok I need a fanfic where his legs are actually broken or at least a little bit cracked up) JE: Can you walk? KR: Give me a hand. ..I’m kind of okay. (lol kind of ok) JE helps him up and KR grunts/laughs in pain. JE: How’s it feel? KR: Oh, I can stand. (he slaps JE on the shoulder and looks up) Where are we? JE: Looks like some kind of sub-basement. (at least smoke rises...) KR: I don’t see any doors. JE: points to an airshaft. There are flames over the top. JE: Looks like that was our way out. KR: Yeah, I don’t think we wanted to go up, anyway. KR coughs. JE: We’re not going to get out without help. [He pulls out his phone. It’s shattered.] Ugh, my phone’s busted from the fall. (& they don't show him try it.) What about you? KR: digs in his pocket for his phone. It’s not broken, but it has no service. KR: Uh … yeah, I got nothing. (boring background on ryan's phone) JE: All right, well … as big as this thing is, the fire department’s gotta be other there. They’ve gotta be on scene. KR: Yeah. We should let them know that we’re down here. JE cups his hands around his mouth and starts to yell. JE: Yo! [High angle.] KR: Anybody hear us? Down here! JE: (voice breaking) Anybody up there? KR: (loosening his tie) Hey! JE: Down here! KR: Hey! There’s nothing. KR: The fire’s too loud. They can’t hear us. JE: I’ve got an idea. JE grabs the pipe he used to get the beam off KR’S leg and starts beating on a metal exhaust vent. It clanks loudly. (it is not that pipe.) (I thought he was going to try to open that twisty water thing actually & stop the firse down here) JE: Maybe the sound’ll carry up. Let them know we’re down here. (fun fact, low sounds carry farther than high ones) KR: grabs his down piece of debris and starts beating on metal. They’re trying to make as much noise as possible. JE: Hey! KR: Down here! JE: Hey! KR: Hey! Down here! EXT – EMPTY WAREHOUSE The noise KR and JE are making is faint, but the fire covers most of it up. (It is implied that the sound is coming from a pipe/shaft like those telephones in playgrounds.) It’s not really working. INT – EMPTY WAREHOUSE KR: Hey! Down here! JE: Hey! They’re making as much noise as they can. JE: Hey! KR stops. KR: Stop. JE: What? KR: (voice breaking) They can’t hear us. JE: We can’t just quit, man. KR sits & removes his tie. KR: We better save our strength. JE: For what? Nobody knows we’re down here. It’s only a matter of time before the fire sucks all of the oxygen out of the room. (right. I forgot about that.) KR: There’s gotta be some way out of here. Some other way of letting them know that we’re down here. JE: Yeah? Like what? KR: I don’t know. Something. (want to clip but I shouldn't) (helpful.) JE: Yeah? Well, unless you have an oxygen tank, a pair of wings, and a Nomex suit, we’re going to cook. (lol but also. hhhhhh were gonna cook. hatred hatred hatred. & yeah they would totally cook rather than burn.) KR laughs mirthlessly. He glances around the wreckage. It’s a bunch of broken and beaten debris, but something catches his eye. In a pile of old electronics is a corded phone. A landline. KR: Maybe not. Me: he's going to use the cords to climb out

rescue vs recovery hhhhhhsdjkfsd

Lanie is allowed thru the police barricades & also allowed to bring in a plus-one. of COURSE she's having a baby. Idk if I knew that before watching this for the first time or if I just knew it bc obviously it would turn out like this for the drama. (also castle dad moments) Girl there's nothing you can do here. Go have a baby safely. You're just making more stress here. You can lend your spiritual strength to the antifire team from anywhere. (also, your husband is schrodinger's cat rn, your baby is there.)

KB: I can’t believe that this is happening. This is like some kind of a dream. I just keep waiting to wake up but it’s like I can’t do anything. (she breaths out heavily) It’s like there’s nothing we can do. (you're right there IS nothing u can do HERE) RC: All we can do is be here for them. & being there for rysposito isn't even anything rn bc they don't KNOW you're there. unless u meant be there for the fire team. You know, what you SHOULD do is go back to the precinct & arrest your arsonist.

He’s trying to be reassuring, but she’s still terrified. He goes back to looking for answers and her phone rings. She answers without looking.

KB: (on phone) Beckett. There’s static on the other side. KB: Hello? KR tries to make the phone connect. He’s playing with the wires. (INDIVIDUAL TECH FELLOW) KR: Beckett? Beckett, can you hear me? The static starts to clear enough for her to make out words. KR: Beckett? Can you hear me, Beckett? The sound of KR’S voice makes RC look up. KB: Ryan? (she doesn’t quite believe it) Ryan, is that you? KR: Yeah, yeah, yeah! It’s me, Beckett! Listen, that building that we went into, it wasn’t the next arson target. It was his lair. He rigged it to blow. Now we’re trapped inside. The whole place is in flames. (reminds me of The Martian where mark watney didn’t know that nasa was watching him, he didn’t know how much they knew. KB: (her voice breaks) Yes, I know. Ryan, we’re right outside. We’ve got the whole fire department here. We thought – (she can’t) – you guys were dead. A beam breaks away and JE grabs the phone. JE: Well we will be soon if we don’t get some help. KB looks to RC. They need a plan. They need help. (I'd say "I lovr you i'm so glad you're ok." or not ok but not dead yet)

EXT – EMPTY WAREHOUSE fire chief miller: Exactly where in the building are you? JE: Some kind of sub-basement mechanical room. (& the mech room has a phone board?) JE: About 20 feet down from the main floor. There’s no windows, no doors. FCM consults a blueprint of the building. FCM: This doesn’t make any sense. KB: What? FCM: Well, according to these plans, this building has a slab foundation. There is no basement area. JE: Well I don’t know what to tell you, pal. We’re in some sort of basement. There’s something wrong with your fricking plans. Something clicks with RC.

I love how castle is the one to talk with gates I NOTICED that they focused on the airshaft in the first scene in the workshop! You don't need the plans tho, you just need to know where the workshop was & then go straight down. in theory.

My man would totally watch more than his own work. it's like fanfiction. Your fics are the ones perfectly tailored to you, but you can enjoy other fics too.

Firebug447, sexy name. I should make that my username.

Gates my beloved. She is so scary. I love her so much & also the music is great

Milo: No. I’d sometimes ask. He did once say why he did it. He said he couldn’t deal with the suffering. That sometimes sick and dying buildings need to burn to be put out of their misery. that's abt the building not the fire.

EXT – EMPTY WAREHOUSE They’re still battling the fire. KB: And you’re sure you don’t see another way out? KR is struggling. The heat and the carbon monoxide are getting to be too much. Both he and JE are moving slower. KR: If there is it’s covered by debris. Any idea where that way out might be? (lol he said way aight might be) KB: Castle’s on the phone with the building department. He’s trying to get ahold of the original blueprints. JE: We’re assuming there even is a way out. (KR looks at him) We’re giving this guy more credit than he deserves. JE sits heavily. KR: We’re both getting sleepy. (Panting) Carbon monoxide’s building up. KB: Ryan, you listen to me. You need to hang on, okay? They’re coming for you. KR: (tries to laugh) Appreciate the pep talk, but we both know the fire’s too hot and they don’t know where to look. KB: (adamantly) No. Ryan – KR: We’re going to lose the phone soon, (says who???) Beckett, so … there’s something I need you to do.

INT – AMBULANCE KB:looks at her phone. She looks from LP to a laboring JoM. KB: Jenny. LP is supporting JoM through labour. JoM takes in the look on KB’S face. JoM: Oh, what is it. KB holds out her phone. KB: It’s him. JoM: (brightly) It’s Kevin? (she takes the phone) Is it you? It’s really you? KR smiles at hearing his wife. (I'm dying dying dying) KR: Yeah. Yeah, it’s me, beautiful. He laughs in happiness. JoM: Oh thank God. Where are you? The baby’s coming. KR: (regretfully) I’m inside. JoM: Inside -? (she looks around like he means the ambulance) (this part KILLS ME but also is a little funny) LP looks at KB. KB gives her the slightest shake of her head, her expression sober. LP slumps. (lanie's look might have meant "where is javi?" & beckett's shake would have been interpreted as "he didn't make it" or smth. not good.) KR: I’m sorry. (on the verge of tears) I know I promised, but – (he coughs/clears throat) – I’m not going to be there. JoM understands what he’s saying. JoM: Don’t say that. Please don’t say that. RC has to turn away, doesn’t want to intrude. He moves to face KB towards him and they share a look. KR: I’m sorry. JoM gasps as a contraction hits. She breaths deeply. KR: I love you more than anything. Remember that. (he tries not to cry) Always remember that. (they have their own always) JoM: Kevin, please – (she starts to cry) – no, don’t leave me. KR: (laughs) Oh, I don’t want to. JoM gasps again, then finds some resolve somewhere. Some strength. JoM: We need a name. For the baby. We need to do that together. KR: (nods) All right. If it’s a boy: Javier. (I'd say Séamhír actually. Javier is pronounced havyed, but x can also be pronounced with an h sound. xavier is the same name as javier. mh & bh in gaelge is pronounced w or v depending on where u are. x can be pronounced like sh z or ctl too so Séamhír is pronounced shey veer, like ekseyveeur or egzeveeur but without the ek. It's all the same name.) JE: looks up weakly. JoM nods. RC and KB try to not intrude, but can’t imagine having to do something like JoM is doing right now. JoM: And if it’s a girl? KR: Sarah Grace, after your grandma. (JoM: name together. KR: names by himself.) JoM cries. JoM: I love you so much, Kevin. I love you. KR: (jumbled) – love – too. The phone cuts out and JoM is left with static. JoM: Kevin? (She sniffles & it is obvious the crying is causing her nose to get stuffy.) Kevin? Kevin! She can’t stop her tears. She holds the phone out weakly. KB sighs heavily before she takes it back.

INT – EMPTY WAREHOUSE KR hangs up the phone heavily. He tries not to cry at having said his goodbyes. He wipes his nose/mouth which is sweaty from the fire. JE is leaning against a block of cement. JE: (mumbled) Javier? You’re going to name a white Irish kid Javier? (you can name a white spanish kid javier... it is not just a spanish/portugese origin native american name) KR: What? (heavily) You’re going to bust on me now for being sentimental. (he is slurring.) JE: I figure it’s my last chance. KR laughs. They share a look & sit quietly. KR: Nah. Nah nah. We’re going to get out of here. There’s a way out and we’re going to find it. I’m not leaving Jenny. I’m not leaving my baby without a dad, alright? As he talks, JE remains slumped over. He’s passed out. KR turns to him and when he realizes JE is no longer conscious he scrambles over. KR: Hey. Hey! Javi! (he grabs JE and shakes him) No, no. Don’t you dare fall asleep on me. Don’ t you dare, Javi. Javi! (he shakes him once more) Javi! JE doesn’t stir. KR lets his head fall onto JE’S shoulder as he cries. (bc at least when he said goodbye to jenny he could still see a way out for him & javi.)

The music

& Lanie is just going to help deliver a baby? She has neither given birth nor assisted in delivery before as far as I know butok. LP: I know, Baby. Lil bro: You know baby?

DB: So I went back through the files, all of the building inspector reports, and he was right. Each of the target buildings had issues. Structural defects, wiring problems, rot. But that's for the sake of the building, not the fire...

It's going to be fire chief miller! or not they have two things in common. They were SICK & signed by kimball. Ah, makes sense. Or it could be his... idk... assistant ig. nvm. So becks didn't recognize kimball from his name & couldn't put a face to him. they met earlier this ep. I have an hour & a half before I need to RACE to work kill me. but anyway now that becks sees this guy's face on her laptop (which has nypd data on it?) she recognizes him as someone who she's seen around here before. He's here dun dun dun! well... of course he is. he records the fires. but this one was not a fire he planned on recording, this was a booby trap. (it'd be so sus to be recording here like this) his phone? srs? I feel like my man would have... a tripod or smth. but that would be sus. delia also has a gun??

Becks getting mad here babes & I LOVE it.

INT – EMPTY WAREHOUSE JE is slumped against a slab of concrete. Me: ryan isn't there, maybe he is finding a way out while his partner is unconscious! KR: *is passed out on the floor in front of him.* Me: oh Neither moves. The flames burn above them, but there’s hope. Part of the far wall starts to cave in as rescue crews try to bash it in. (practical effects my beloved) It crumbles enough for them to crawl through. They crouch down to assess the conditions of KR and JE. The camera only shows KR. It implies that either JE is dead because he is not being checked or he is physically offscreen & not present meaning he is also not present in life anymore; or it implies that KR is dead because he is the one lying on the ground not moving & it would be more tragic & dramatic to kill him & leave the baby. Why would they need to bash out the wall tho?? I thought there was supposed to be a way out. Maybe the arsonist never caved. Maybe he wasn't done setting up his escape route & there WAS no escape route yet. (the MUSIC)

also building dude changed plans of a building? makes sense

EXT – EMPTY WAREHOUSE FCM: Rescue seven, what’s your status? (they had no cell signal down there babe) There’s no response over the walkie talkie. RC fidgets with suspense. KB tries to stay hopeful. FCM: Rescue seven, do you have them? (nothing. KB keeps close watch on the building) Rescue seven, are they alive? (YEAH LIKE... RESPOND BRO) RC: (points) There. The rescue team leaves the building, emerging from the smoke. When they’re clear, everyone can see that they’ve got KR and JE with them. (WHY ARE THEY AWAKE & WALKING?) They’re banged up, but they’re alive. Everyone rushes forward to meet them. (imo it would have been better to have them over the shoulders of the buff firefighters & they start to cry bc "oh no they're limp over that guy's back, they must be dead" & then have them wave or cough. Or have them over the backs & they rush to see them like "yay!" but when they yell at them like "welcome back I'm glad you're alive" they don't respond & then it drops in your stomach & then you hear ryan say "jenny" or the firefighter says "girl get out the way these boys need the ambulance before they can wake up" or smth like that) KB: Espo! (she pushes through to pull him into a hug) Espo! (first name maybe? or the full espoSITO?) RC: You scared us. (he hugs KR) You scared us. (KR puts his dirty hands on RC's coat.) They switch so KR hugs KB and JE hugs RC. RC: You smell great. (like fire or like sweat bc they were in a fire?) KR pulls back and looks between RC and KB. (HOLD ON I DIDN'T REALIZE-- WHEN DID HE LEARN THAT JENNY WAS HERE? HE ASKED BECKS TO GIVE THE PHONE TO HER BUT WHO TOLD HIM HIS PREGNANT WIFE WAS AT THE FIRE? I mean she was preggy so ofc he'd ask abt her.) KR: Where’s Jenny? (clipping)

EXT – EMPTY WAREHOUSE (yay music) RC helps KR scramble toward the ambulance. (BECAUSE HE REALLY DID POSSIBLY BREAK HIS FRICKING LEGS) JE and KB follow behind them. KR turns to see LP helping JoM cuddle a baby. (lol that was a short af labour) JoM: Kevin! (she cries) You’re alive! KR stares at his wife and new baby for a long moment. LP: Javi! (she jumps down and into his arms) You’re alive! KR scrambles into the ambulance and lunges forward to kiss JoM. JoM: Oh. KB buries her head in RC’S neck as they watch the reunion. She pulls back and they smile. KR: You’re both beautiful. JoM: Kevin, I’d like you to meet … Sarah Grace. KR doesn’t know who he wants to look at. He tears his eyes from JoM to look at his new daughter and he strokes her head gently. LP and JE stand close together and smile, as do RC and KB. They’re family. And everyone is okay. They’re okay and it’s amazing.

ok wow

this ep was amazing. I did a stupid tho, I spent a bit over an hour & a half legit reading the transcript & quoting it the other day & then I spent over an hour & a half today & like... yeah I knew I would spend extra long on this ep but this is a bit too long. I have to go back to school soon & I'd like to finish my solo binge watch before school starts so that I can focus on school with only a little bit of fanfiction that I can read anywhen & anywhere.

& I have work in an hour. (by which I mean 2.5 ofc.) kms /hj.

#the firyspo episode #castle 6x11 #castle 6x11 spoilers #castle 6x11 quote #plot heavy #mostly in that his baby is born it is not one of the actual episodes part of the overarching plot

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tawneybel · 4 years

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My Phone Autocorrects “Padalecki” to “Paddlesack”

Busy getting ready for Thanksgiving. I’ll probably be able to do more requests next week. My friend wants to take me Black Friday shopping. I told her one of us has to wear the gyroscope from Bad Romance so other shoppers don’t come too close.

A few weeks ago I finished the first season of Supernatural. There are fourteen seasons to go, which means assloads of exophilia material. 🧜‍♂️

The problem with monster-of-the-week shows’ fandoms is that the monsters don’t get enough love. SPN actually has a good reason: Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles are bodacious. Their characters in My Bloody Valentine 3D and House of Wax 2005. ❤️ (I think I dozed off watching the Friday the 13th remake.)

Pilot

Years before I got a Tumblr, during Superwholock’s heyday, one of my buddies was a massive SPN fangirl. We both read Anna Dressed in Bl00d and she told me she was pissed because the author ripped off Supernatural’s first episode.

While I can’t remember much about the novel, I know the hitchhiking ghost is a popular urban legend. But I have no idea how many times that’s been adapted to other media.

Wendigo

I’ve seen wendigo utilized in Grimm, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Teen Wolf, Hannibal, and Pet Sematary. Still terrifying.

Dead in the Water

This episode just made me sad.

Phantom Traveler

Male possession yasss.

Bloody Mary

When I was in elementary school, my parents worked a lot so I went to before and after school programs. Rules were lax so we didn’t really worry about getting in trouble for telling spooky stories. When I was seven, a couple of my friends told me about Bloody Mary and I’ve been scared of haunted mirrors ever since. :D

(Mira Mira doesn’t count. Many people want to bang her. It takes away from her scariness.)

Skin

For sexy reasons, this is my favorite episode so far. Shapeshifter? Yes! Even better, a shapeshifter disguised as Dean, mmm.

Hook Man

Why did the killer kill pr0stitutes but not j0hns and/or p!mps? That’s so sexist of him.

Bugs

Normally insects terrify me but this wasn’t too bad.

Home

When the closet door opened, I was hoping for a sexy boogeyman. Well, pyrophiles might get something out of it.

Asylum

I have fond memories of my father reading Angelina Ballerina to me before bed. He interrupted Angelina’s Halloween to inform me that vagrants or gang members could be hanging out in abandoned buildings. So that was my reason for avoiding those places before hauntings. XD

Scarecrow

Much better than the last episode. I like scarecrows the way you guys like clowns.

Faith

Sue Ann would not have liked me because I’m Episcopal. :(

Route 666

Dean got some action. Nice.

Nightmare

Sad.

The Benders

Not actually supernatural. Man, the little daughter is going to have to be seriously rehabilitated.

Shadow

WHUMP. Are Sam and Dean just going to be tied up a lot? Is that what’s going to happen at least once per season?

Hell House

Gosh, I was waiting for those two investigator dumbasses to get theirs.

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Shtriga… Strega… Strega Nona would never do such a thing. Shame on Hydeker.

Also, that was a Petrine cross! Come on Winchesters, you should know better.

Provenance

I am also a WASP (mostly) but the W just redundantly stands for “white” and not “wealthy.”

Dead Man’s Bl00d

It’s just so hard to get tired of modernized vampires when you have menophilia. :D

When John called Kate “sweetheart,” it made me wonder why don’t male characters get called that more often. If I was traveling with Sam and Dean or even John, I would use “sweetheart” liberally. :(

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coleymari-blog · 7 years

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Cyber Space is Always Sweeter : Chapter 15

SUMMARY: LUCY IS A DOWN TO EARTH, STUDIOUS, RESPONSIBLE RUNAWAY ATTENDING MAGNOLIA COLLEGE. NATSU IS A RAMBUNCTIOUS, INTELLIGENT, PYROPHILIC FRATERNITY BOY GOING TO THE SAME SCHOOL.

THEY DON’T EXACTLY RUN IN THE SAME CIRCLES AND THEY HAVE ONE HELL OF A HISTORY. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE NAMES AND FACADES DISAPPEAR AND ALL THAT’S LEFT ARE WORDS BLINKING ON A SCREEN? MODERN DAY, COLLEGE/PEN PALS AU. I’M SORRY I SUCK AT INTROS. RATED M FOR LANGUAGE, ADULT SITUATIONS, AND FUTURE SEXUAL SITUATIONS. CHAPTERS 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14

Did Precht Hall have to be so busy?

Lucy’s eyes were fixed on her watch as she waited for the elevator. Due to her multiple outfit changes, she was running late for her tutoring session with Natsu and the other students and it seemed like everyone was stuck in first gear. The backdrop around her moved at the speed of molasses with teachers coming but never going, students dawdling in hallways as they waited for classes to begin or let out, even the University’s maintenance crews were clogging the walkways.

Why was she so frantic? It was just Natsu, her TA, the guy who didn’t know she existed. To him, she was just some girl. Hell, when she’d met him for the first time she’d been wrapped in nothing but lace and he barely gave her the time of day. What difference would her favorite skirt make? The elevator chiming dragged her from her thoughts and she packed herself in with the rest of the waiting passengers, settling in a spot in the front corner. The students beside her were obviously a couple, hands in each other’s back pockets, leaning into each other closely as they giggled to themselves oblivious to the world. The sight made her both happy and sad at the same time, only serving as a painful reminder.

When the cart arrived at her floor, Lucy made a break for it and quickly exited, auto-piloting herself to the study room. By the time she arrived at the door, her heart was racing. She calmed herself by running her clammy hands over her skirt and reminding herself that it was a group session. The freshman also knew that Natsu would be too focused on the group as a whole to pay her much singular attention, even though she secretly hoped for otherwise. Taking a deep breath, she twisted the doorknob and walked into the room, shocked by what she found.

Natsu was alone at the table. The only other bag in the room was his and no other chairs had been pulled out. Lucy blushed at the intense stare she received upon entry, her skin burning as his eyes traced over her curves. She had never felt more vulnerable or exposed but surprisingly, it didn’t bother her the way it normally did when guys checked her out. The way he looked at her reminded the co-ed of a child seeing shooting stars for the first time and it only made her flush further.

Dropping her gaze, Lucy walked over to the table and sat in the chair on the other side of the corner from Natsu. Normally she sat across from him but that was because by the time she usually got there, the only seats left were further away. Not to mention she wasn’t nearly brave enough to sit right next to him. At least there was one upside to being the only student who bothered to show up.

“And here I was thinking I’d been completely stood up,” Natsu said playfully, leaning on the back two legs of his chair. Lucy allowed herself to drink in the sight of his outstretched body, soft ridges of defined muscle pressing against his taut red t-shirt, and quickly forced herself back to Earthland before she began drooling.

“Hard to forget when it’s a weekly thing,” Lucy teased, leaning to the side to place her bookbag on the floor. Before she could reach back to grab it, she could feel her tank top riding up her hip, and in turn, Natsu’s eyes on her again. Maybe there was more going on in that salmon-haired head of his than she thought. “Guess everyone is too busy partying before the game tomorrow.” The following day was the school’s Homecoming game, a huge event on campus. Levy was going to be spending the day tailgating with Gajeel and the rest of Fairy Tail, but she had no idea what she was going to do or if she was even going.

Natsu frowned, tugging at Lucy’s heartstrings. “With everything going on, the game completely skipped my mind,” he murmured. She found his reaction slightly concerning. When he went back to his laptop to start their session, the blonde took a mental inventory of her tutor. He did look a little tired, small dark circles forming beneath his dark green eyes. She was in no position to lecture anyone on their sleeping habits. It’s not like he was the one sitting up in bed talking to someone he’d never met until the wee hours of the morning. Chalking it up to the intensity of his graduate studies, she refocused on his velvet voice and lost herself in the lesson.

An hour had passed, Lucy started to feel much more confident in her knowledge of the material. The worksheet Natsu had sent her really helped! After all their hard work, she felt as if they deserved a reward and excused herself from the room. Snaking down a couple hallways, she found herself at the vending machines. Using the touchless payment option from her phone, she purchased a bottle of her favorite soda and turned to head back. That’s when the idea stuck her. Natsu had been more than kind to her in the past few weeks given their history, the least she could do was bring him something as well.

Looking over the options, Lucy attempted to figure out which drink to chose for Natsu. He didn’t seem like a sweet tea sort of guy, or someone that enjoyed those new age ‘health’ drinks. A familiar can stood out to her in the top right corner of the machine, the red flames unmistakable. Every time a break came during Chemistry, he’d excused himself and always come back with that same energy drink, making her choice clear. The freshman punched a couple of numbers into the keypad and the can was soon traveling down the chute, falling into a slot near her feet.

It surprised Lucy that she knew those quirky things about Natsu but not about her cyber-friend. She and DragonSlayer had practically discussed everything there was to talk about but she still didn’t know the tiniest things that only physical space can teach. What mannerisms did he have when he was frustrated? Did he pull at his hair and lean his head in his hands like Natsu? Did the corners of his lips practically reach his ears whenever he smiled? Would his gaze have the same effect on her that Natsu’s did? Shaking the confusion loose from her head, Lucy sighed and headed back to the study room.

When she entered the room a second time, Natsu seemed entranced with something on his computer screen. He practically jumped when Lucy set his can down in front of him. “Got you your favorite energy drink,” she said kindly, taking her seat again. He snapped out of his zombie-like state and thanked her before taking a sip. The silence led her to pay attention to her work, wondering if she had crossed some imaginary line by trying to do something nice.

They worked for a few minutes individually before Natsu’s shifting in his seat caught Lucy’s attention. She glanced at him discretely by peeking up through her eyelashes, but unfortunately he was still staring dead-on at his computer screen. She knew it was stupid to wish for stolen glances but she couldn’t help it. Ever since the fire escape, she’d done nothing but dreams about those emerald eyes…

The pinket’s question brought her back to the moment at hand. “Levy and her boyfriend are going tailgating with Fairy Tail,” she replied casually, never looking up from her worksheet. The further she got, the more complex the questions became and it was becoming increasingly difficult to focus. “Figured I would just sit in the Student Section and watch.” Not like she was a football junkie or anything.

Natsu looked at Lucy as if she had personally insulted him. “Your first college Homecoming and you’re not gonna tailgate?” Was it really that big a deal? Being homeschooled for a majority of her life, she hadn’t exactly been exposed to those kinds of societal norms. If it weren't for popular movies and stories she read, the blonde wasn't sure she'd even know what Homecoming was. There were no homecomings to go to when your parents were your Principals. “Why don’t you come too? Fairy Tail always has plenty of booze to share and more than enough tent space.”

Was he really inviting her to spend the day with him? Well, not just Natsu but his entire fraternity, not to mention any guests the other brothers were bringing. The idea definitely seemed more appealing than sitting around her dorm while everyone else was enjoying themselves. Plus, it gave her an excuse to see Natsu outside of class. His impatience quickly helped her snap back to reality. “That sounds fun,” she answered, her cheeks flushing uncontrollably. “Thank you for inviting me.”

The rest of the session went as expected, Lucy struggling and Natsu trying to find a million ways to explain the same thing. Her brain was trying to wrap itself around a particular chemical equation when something subtly brushed against her knee, making her cheeks glow crimson. Did he do that purposefully? Looking at him from the corner of her eye, she could tell that he was still working on his laptop, appearing completely unphased.

An opportunity had presented itself. Lucy could either pretend like she hadn’t felt anything or she could make a move of her own. But the consequences could come back to bite her. What if he hadn’t been trying to touch her? Would she make him uncomfortable? The night the met started replaying in her head before she finally made a decision to shut herself up. Coughing softly, Lucy brought her leg over and crossed them at the knees, grazing Natsu’s thigh on her way down.

Leaving her knee gently resting against his, Lucy decided to change the course in order to feel out the situation. Swallowing the rising bile in her throat, she remained focused on her work as she spoke. “So how’s that Lisanna girl?” Her heart raced as she angrily scratched out a wrong answer, taking out her stress on the worksheet.

“Wouldn’t really know, she’s with one of my brothers now.” That was good, right? Even after everything that had happened that night at the party, he still hadn’t gotten back with his ex. Clicking away, he continued. “Don’t hang out much with Lily Heart girls anyway.” What a coincidence, her either.

Giggling to herself, Lucy confessed to Natsu her apprehension about the upcoming week. “I hope I don’t run into them much during Rush next week.” She couldn’t lie, the thought of being in the same room as those girls made her sick, but the reminder that she wouldn’t have to spend any time with them consoled her slightly. That and Natsu’s rather confident response to her issue.

“Well, if they give you any trouble, you come to me and I’ll handle it. Sound good?” Just the fact that he was willing to help her meant the world to the doe-eyed freshman. She didn’t get to stare at her Knight in Shining Armor long before he realized the time and ended their session, efficiently dragging her from her reverie. Lucy didn’t even get the chance to really thank him before he was gathering his things and rushing for the door.

“I’ll meet you in the lobby of your dorm tomorrow at Noon,” the Grad Student said briskly as he left her alone at the table. While part of her wondered if she had done something wrong, the majority of her was excitedly flailing in her seat. What kind of outfit did one wear tailgating…?

#nalu fanfic #nalu fic #cyber space is always sweeter #nalu fanfiction #fairy tail fanfiction #;here comes the queue #;csias

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coleymari-blog · 7 years

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Cyber Space is Always Sweeter : Chapter 14

SUMMARY: LUCY IS A DOWN TO EARTH, STUDIOUS, RESPONSIBLE RUNAWAY ATTENDING MAGNOLIA COLLEGE. NATSU IS A RAMBUNCTIOUS, INTELLIGENT, PYROPHILIC FRATERNITY BOY GOING TO THE SAME SCHOOL.

The second Lucy walked in, Natsu knew he was in trouble.

The second the door shut behind her, it was like the grad student became physically unable to focus on anything but her. His mind eviscerated any useful thoughts on covalent bonding and instead replaced them with her. A short, pink ruffled skirt hung midway down her thighs and a plain white tank top clung to her curves deliciously. She’d left her golden locks down, allowing them to hang loosely across her pale shoulders. Her makeup was casual, accenting her chocolate brown eyes just enough to make Natsu feel like she was staring right through him.

With slightly flushed cheeks, Lucy made her way to the seat around the corner of the table from Natsu. Honestly, he was surprised by her choice, expecting her to sit across from him like she tended to do the past few weeks. Being alone and in such close proximity to the girl that had been on his mind for weeks didn’t seem like the best of ideas but what was he supposed to do? Move to another seat and make it painfully awkward? Cancel the session entirely under the guise of ‘too little attendance’? Shaking his head briefly, the TA came to his senses. It was like going into a fight, he couldn’t let his opponent catch onto his weaknesses or hear his racing heart.

“And here I was thinking I’d been completely stood up,” Natsu teased cooly with a chuckle, leaning back in his chair in an attempt at appearing casual and unbothered. Any more ‘casual’ and he probably would have fallen over like a complete dumbass. Real smooth, Dragneel.

Lucy’s cheeks blushed even harder (if that were even possible), tinging her face, neck, and shoulders in a color rivaling her wardrobe. He honestly thought it was one of the most intriguing things about her. Even when she’d stood up to him at the Greek Row party at the beginning of the semester, she had this subtle flush to her cheeks, like they were desperately trying to give away some major secret that the blonde freshman was too stubborn to share. The more basic side of him, however, simply wanted to believe that his presence was what had that sort of effect on her.

“Hard to forget when it’s a weekly thing,” Lucy replied, a playful undertone hiding in her voice. She bent down to her right in order to place her bag on the floor underneath the table, causing Natsu to hold back a feral growl when her top rode up her waist, exposing her hip and lower back. Her voice was what brought him back from the edge of depravity. “Guess everyone is too busy partying before the game tomorrow.”

The Frat boy wanted to slap himself. How could he have forgotten?! The following day was the college’s Homecoming, the Football team’s first home game of the season. No wonder the session was dead, the other students were probably too busy getting drunk and making complete fools of themselves. Granted, the year prior, he and Gray had almost gotten ‘detained’ by Campus Police for streaking across the college grounds with nothing but the school flag after the team had won, but it looked like this year was going to be incident (and fun) free. “With everything going on, the game completely skipped my mind,” Natsu explained, frowning slightly. At least he still had the next day to drink to his heart’s content.

Bringing them back to reality, the Teacher’s Assistant quickly logged into his laptop and began the tutoring session. Once they were on the subject of Chemistry, and Natsu was able to think with the correct head, the two of them worked in perfect sync. He was so proud of Lucy when she solved problems that he knew had been more difficult for her in the past and the small celebrations she made when she was right made all their combined effort worthwhile. That worksheet he had “found” and emailed her? Yeah, he spent four hours making the damn thing for her but it seemed to do the trick. That bright smile and victorious giggle were the best rewards he could have ever hoped for.

After about an hour, Lucy excused herself to get a drink from the vending machine, leaving Natsu alone to figure out how to survive the remaining hour. Being so close to her spiked his adrenaline like being on the edge of a cliff. Part of him wanted to make a move, to dive right off head first into the unknown waters below. The other part of him desperately wanted to respect her and her boundaries. She was technically his student for Gods’ sake. If Makarov knew about his “special showers”, the professor would have his head.

Then he thought about Starfire. Natsu’s stomach fell when he thought about the faceless girl somewhere out in Earthland. Why couldn’t she have been a student at M.C.? Why couldn’t he have met her through a Frat party or inter-college mixer? At least then she would be real. Lucy was right in front of him, regardless of how she felt about him. It was normal for him to think/dream/fantasize about someone he actually knew right? Before he could figure out an answer, Lucy was back and setting a can down on the table in front of him.

“Got you your favorite energy drink,” Lucy said calmly with a sweet smile, smoothing down her skirt before regaining her seat. He couldn’t even remember telling her which brand he preferred. In that moment, something snapped inside of Natsu and suddenly making a decision was so much easier. Diving off the cliff was the only suitable option.

“Thanks, Lucy,” he replied, cracking it open and taking a sip in order to buy him some time while he plotted his next move. Reading women was like reading an enemy on the mat, one needed to be quiet and observant in order to truly anticipate the other’s actions. He watched as she brushed strands of her golden hair behind her ear before getting back to work on Natsu’s worksheet. She was breezing through it much to his chagrin, meaning at that rate, she’d finish before the last hour was up. He knew it was greedy, but he wanted to keep her there with him as long as possible.

Shifting his upper body, Natsu leaned his arm on the tabletop as he continued to watch Lucy work, closing the gap between them slightly. While talking to women wasn’t exactly his best skill, he normally wasn’t that nervous. He was afraid that if he so much as said the wrong thing, she’d run like some kind of frightened woodland creature. “So…” he muttered, looking down at his laptop in order to give some semblance of control. “Are you going to the game tomorrow with your friends?” Regardless of how many clicks he made on the keyboard, he stayed on the same web page, focusing on her and her response.

“Levy and her boyfriend are going tailgating with Fairy Tail,” Lucy explained, jotting down her scratch work for one of the formulas. Her teeth trapped her bottom lip as she figured it out, causing that carnal side of Natsu to want to do the same. “Figured I would just sit in the student section and watch.”

“Your first college Homecoming and you’re not gonna tailgate?” Natsu replied, unable to hide the shock in his voice. He couldn’t imagine going to the football games without spending the day partying and hanging out with his brothers and friends. It made the experience all that much better. No way could Lucy miss out on such a rite of passage. “Why don’t you come too? Fairy Tail always has plenty of booze to share and more than enough tent space.” They always sent the pledges to the Student Lot super early to settle the best spot possible. He grinned brightly at the young freshman. “What do you say?”

Lucy pondered the idea for a moment before answering, her smile saying everything Natsu needed to hear. “That sounds fun!” she answered excitedly, causing the pinket’s grin to grow. A day spent drinking, playing games, and spending time with Lucy sounded more than perfect to him. She blushed softly once more before turning her attention to solely focus on Natsu. “Thank you for inviting me.”

The tutoring session continued in the normal fashion, Lucy asking questions with Natsu explaining them a million different way so she would fully understand. She was working on a particular problem while he was scouring his student email for something about Rush Week before he decided to take another chance. Slowly and gently, Natsu brushed his knee against Lucy’s, never taking his gaze away from his screen but watching her from his peripheral vision. The blushing returned with fervor but what happened next was completely unexpected. Coughing, Lucy shifted and crossed her legs, running her shin against his thigh.

Did she think she was smooth?

Surprisingly, Lucy left her leg right where it landed, her knee resting against his. Even though it was through his jeans, Natsu felt like he’d been struck by lightning and he was suddenly more aware of her presence. The smell of vanilla and jasmine overtook him, the sound of her tapping her pencil against the desktop, everything made Natsu feel like he was on fire. Her next question shattered him into a million pieces.

“So how’s that Lisanna girl?” Natsu noted a hint of something like jealousy in her voice but it still pained him.

“Wouldn’t really know, she’s with one of my brothers now,” he replied, making sure to sound as apathetic as possible. If he was being honest, Natsu had barely even thought about her since meeting Lucy, except when it was something negative. “Don’t hang out much with Lily Heart girls anyway.” For multiple reasons.

Lucy giggled at his response. The sound was almost angelic. “I hope I don’t run into them much during Rush next week,” she said softly. Natsu was confused almost immediately. Was she going through Rush again? That took bravery, something that the grad student admired immensely.

Natsu grinned, puffing out his chest playfully. “Well, if they give you any trouble, you come to me and I’ll handle it. Sound good?” The look in her eyes said it all, gratitude, respect, appreciation, and just a flicker of romantic intent (okay, maybe he was dreaming up that last one). But there was one thing he knew, he’d defend her from the world if it meant her looking at him like that...

#nalu fanfic #nalu fic #cyber space is always sweeter #nalu fanfiction #fairy tail fanfiction #;csias #;here comes the queue

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coleymari-blog · 7 years

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Cyber Space is Always Sweeter : Chapter 13

SUMMARY: LUCY IS A DOWN TO EARTH, STUDIOUS, RESPONSIBLE RUNAWAY ATTENDING MAGNOLIA COLLEGE. NATSU IS A RAMBUNCTIOUS, INTELLIGENT, PYROPHILIC FRATERNITY BOY GOING TO THE SAME SCHOOL.

Friday had arrived and Lucy was nowhere near prepared for it.

Sure, she'd studied the hell out of her materials, including the study guide Natsu had sent her, but that didn't make her feel any more ready for her tutoring session. The freshman had been worried about it all week, especially after her late night walk with her TA after getting locked inside the library. After a few painfully quiet minutes, she’d been surprised at how easily they’d slipped into a comfortable conversation about her classes, and about the other class he co-teaches with Professor Makarov. Lucy hadn’t expected the boy-like charm he possessed and it only added to the soft spot she already had for the older student.

Natsu had walked her all the way up to the door of her dorm, regardless of the fact that it was five flights up. He had insisted so fervently that her Resident Advisor, Juvia, had threatened to throw him out of the lobby. She hardly minded when Natsu asked to use the stairs, taking it as an excuse to spend more time with him. When they arrived at her door, a moment of silence passed between them before she thanked him for making sure she got home safely and made her way inside. The blonde stood by her front door briefly while she reminded herself how to breathe. Honestly, she hadn’t even missed Dragon’s company all that much while out on her adventure with Natsu, which surprised her immensely given their history.

Tuesday was strange. Natsu wasn’t in Lab and was replaced by a guy named Gray. Instead of working on their “unconventional s’more” project, they were dipping things in liquid nitrogen and learning about the molecular changes in the different items when exposed. She could have sworn that the replacement stole a couple of glances at her but she chalked it up to the fact that she was looking particularly cute that morning for an event at the Library. Or so she claimed when she’d spent two hours before lab trying on various outfits. She’d spent the day in class, at the Library, and in her dorm, all while chatting with Dragon. The only time they’d been out of communication was while he was teaching and when they'd both fallen asleep with phones in hand.

Wednesday came and went mostly due to the fact that Professor Makarov had canceled class for an unknown reason. So the two girls settled themselves in one of their hidden study-nooks in the Library until it was time for Lucy’s shift to start. Natsu had bumped into her, literally, on his way to Gods knew where but had rushed off without much of an explanation. She figured it was probably Greek related and paid it no mind while she went about her night. Homework consumed what little energy she had left before knocking out. Thursday flew past between classes and finishing off the extra work she had for tutoring. She'd even stopped by the Cait Shelter house and hung out with Levy and some of her sisters. Wendy, Lucy’s roommate, had gone too and was determined on becoming a member.

When Friday afternoon came, Lucy was practically a nervous wreck. Again, no outfit looked good enough. She'd done her make up at least four times. She wasn’t stupid, she knew it was because of a certain salmon-haired TA (he’d been quick to correct her Monday night), however, she still couldn’t stop herself. Even her phone chirping away wasn’t enough to break her concentration. She did pause in order to check and was glad she did. Maybe Dragon would be able to distract her.

Dragon: Hey Weirdo, got plans tonight? Or is it you, me, and random kitten videos again?

Biting on her bottom lip slightly, Lucy pondered her reply. The more they spoke, the more intrigued she became. However, with as much time as Natsu spent on her mind, the young freshman was growing more confused by the day. While she wanted to believe there could be something with Natsu, she couldn’t shake their first real encounter. The way he’d looked through her like she was transparent, had broken her heart. Minerva had played them both, but it wasn’t Natsu who chose to leave it all behind. Lucy had.

Grabbing her phone, she quickly replied to her cyber-friend before logging into her computer to check an email Levy had sent her. Seeing as how he was a college professor, Lucy kept the whole tutoring thing to herself. She already felt intellectually inferior as it was, no need to add in more ammunition.

Starfire: Unless you’d rather watch explosion videos again? I bet you can’t find another ‘Mentos and Diet Coke’ video we have yet to see.

Reading over the email, she sighed when she realized it was about Fall Rush that started the following week. While she wanted to run away again with everything she had, she had decided to give it another shot with the sole intent of joining Cait Shelter. If for some reason they didn’t take her, she’d drop out and never look back again.

Noticing the time, Lucy grabbed her backpack and quickly made her way to Precht Hall.

Friday couldn’t have come soon enough.

Ever since he walked Lucy to her dorm that night, Natsu couldn’t get her off his mind. Every time he tried, he thought back to how amazing it had felt to have her body so close to his. The smell of her hair had flooded back to him from that night of the Greek Row party when he was carrying her outside. This time she had been conscious, her breath short and ragged in the cramped quarters they had found themselves in. His blood had been boiling underneath his skin until he left her at the door.

The first thing he'd done upon arriving at the frat house was challenge his pledge brother to a round in the backyard and they'd gone until one in the morning. Even fighting with Gray hadn’t worked! After such strenuous activity, the exhausted Grad Student allowed himself to indulge in another one of his “fun” showers. And again he guiltily blew his load to the image of a certain doe-eyed, golden-haired freshman before passing the hell out. He had officially tried everything imaginable in hopes of taking his mind off of the feeling of having her trapped in his arms.

If he was being completely honest, the only reason Natsu offered to go to a philanthropic event at a local homeless shelter Tuesday morning was so that he could skip out of lab. He needed space to clear his head and Makarov understood that it was for a “good reason”, pardoning him in order to pass the buck to Gray. In between setting up new beds, moving furniture between the main floors and the basement, and countless other physical tasks, he tried to distract himself by texting Starfire. While he absolutely loved talking to her, he was starting to feel bad every time her name popped up onto his screen. He knew he was using her as a distraction, a nameless, faceless being who made him feel cared for. He wondered if he would have been jacking off to thoughts of her instead if he'd actually known what she looked like. That night he'd gotten so deep into their conversation that he'd passed out before bothering to put his phone up.

Natsu took advantage of his day off on Wednesday and spent the better part of the daylight hours at his parents’ home about thirty miles outside the city limits. With his older brother off no one knew where exactly, it was up to him to make sure their aging parents were properly cared for. He did some minor house chores while talking to his mom and dad getting grilled in the typical fashion when he'd made the mistake of mentioning Lucy. After enduring what seemed like hours of torture he left (with a bag full of leftovers) with just enough time to make it back to campus for the Rush Event. It was the first one and Natsu couldn't miss it. He was hoping to find a guy he could nominate so that he could continue his ‘Family Tree’ but he'd have to wait until all the events had passed. Running to the house, he'd bumped into Lucy, literally, almost knocking the poor girl over. He didn’t really have the time to explain anything to her, so he helped her with her things and took off again, promising himself that he’d talk to her after the tutoring session or something.

Thursday contained nothing but school and texting Starfire. It had been a completely normal day by Natsu’s standards. He’d watched Gray’s blue-haired mystery woman sneak out for what seemed like the millionth time, reminding himself to ask his best friend about his new friend. Every time he thought about Lucy, he texted Starfire instead in an attempt to trick himself. What did the head docs call it? Transference? It only made him feel worse. By the time he’d made it to his bed, the pinket thought he’d finally rest. He thought wrong.

Shit, he’d jumped the ball again. Granted, he was pissed as hell that Lisanna had been spending all that time texting and chatting with other guys, but they were happy right? They went to Greek parties, football games, they’d even served on the Greek Council together. The two of them had been the ideal couple, until they were behind closed doors. Sure, they had their “fun” but it had quickly lost its spark, leading to many Netflix binges and early nights. They hardly even cuddled. But they enjoyed their time together mostly, and it worked for them.

Until he knew it didn’t. Natsu blew up and kicked her out of his room in the frat house, telling her they were over. A couple days later he’d wanted to cave, he wanted to call her and beg her to take him back. Just so he didn’t have to be alone anymore. Eventually he had tried to call her, but she never answered. His texts went ignored as well. The only thing he could think of was so childish it was either bound to work, or he was going to fail terribly.

Minerva was sitting on one of the benches outside Lily Heart’s house when Natsu walked up, just as she said she’d be. Lisanna had left campus for the night, so they were free to speak privately. There was something about the atmosphere around them that made the Grad Student feel like he was about to sell his soul to the Devil incarnate.

“How can I help you tonight, Handsome?” Minerva oozed, her blood-red clawed hand patting the empty space on the bench beside her. Natsu gulped as he sat down, making sure to maintain as much space as humanly possible, even if it was only a couple inches.

“Can you help me talk to Lisanna?” he rushed, never stopping to take a breath. He feared that if he didn’t get it out immediately he never would.

Minerva pretended to think it over, eyes raking over him seductively as she did so. It made Natsu shudder and not in a pleasurable way.

Ultimately she spoke with a salacious grin. “Fine, I’ll arrange for you to have some time with Lis. She’s been dying to talk to you anyway. Are you familiar with the Formal we have at the end of Rush Week? The one back at the house where we--” she paused to lick her lips, “show off the new girls?”

Friday morning, Natsu had woke up feeling like his stomach was in his throat. The memory of what had been done to Lucy, using him as a tool, absolutely broke him. Not to mention he’d been pissed when he found out that Lisanna had no idea he’d even wanted to meet her. The entire time Minerva had used him as a way to break down Lucy, but in the end, it was the blonde freshman that had been the stronger one. After she ran out of the house in her lingerie, the lingerie, Natsu had even tried to find her but unfortunately he’d lost track of her. He’d completely pushed the thought of those tear-filled brown eyes from mind until a few weeks later when she popped up in his class.

After a pretty intense workout/shower combo, and an afternoon of catching up with his Thesis, Natsu made his way to Precht Hall to set up his study room. It was a small side classroom with two whiteboards on perpendicular cream-colored walls. There was a small, worn, Cherry wood table surrounded by eight chairs, two on either side. He set out his materials and took his seat, waiting for his usual crowd of students to show up. Taking out his phone, he texted Starfire for a bit before noticing the time. Most of the group was usually present by then. Hearing the doorknob rattle, and the solid oak door scratch open, Natsu looked up and immediately blanched.

Looked like he’d be tutoring Ms. Lucy Heartfilia one-on-one, and damn, did she look distracting.

#nalu fanfic #nalu fic #cyber space is always sweeter #fairy tail fanfiction #nalu fanfiction #;csias #;here comes the queue

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coleymari-blog · 7 years

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Cyber Space is Always Sweeter : Chapter 12

Summary: Lucy is a down to Earth, studious, responsible runaway attending Magnolia College. Natsu is a rambunctious, intelligent, pyrophilic fraternity boy going to the same school.

They don’t exactly run in the same circles and they have one hell of a history. What happens when the names and facades disappear and all that’s left are words blinking on a screen? Modern day, College/Pen Pals AU. I’m sorry I suck at intros. Rated M for Language, Adult Situations, and future sexual situations. Chapters 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11

The look in her eyes was absolutely priceless.

“Why exactly are we going to the roof?” Lucy interrogated, arms crossed over her chest while Natsu leaned casually against the padded elevator wall. He knew she’d be surprised, he just hoped that she didn’t kill him before they reached their destination. If she did, he only hoped she took him out before the ‘soothing’ music drove him absolutely insane.

“There’s a landing for the fire escape up there,” the TA explained, shifting the two bags higher onto his shoulder. Hers was surprisingly heavy and the straps from both bags were digging into his Trapezius. His statement was immediately met by resistance.

“You’ve got to be joking,” the blonde hissed. The elevator crawled to a stop and opened up to a small concrete antechamber with a steel door leading out to the roof. The surface was covered in rocks and bits of asphalt. It was vast and mostly empty, housing only a few industrial air conditioning units toward the back, Northeast ledge. There were a couple of floodlights positioned in opposing corners of the space providing just enough light to see. The fire escape was about ten yards from the elevator on the West side of the building between the Library and the academic building next door, though the former was a good five stories higher than the latter.

Natsu was the first one to exit into the gravelly exterior, the heavy door screeching in refusal, but was followed dutifully by Lucy though her body language read ‘furious’. Could he really blame her? He’d lied to her and was probably forcing her out of her comfort zone. Didn’t that make him no better than the Queen Bitch herself? Part of him began to resent his decision but that changed when he watched her face light up underneath the stars glowing overhead.

It was almost as if he was staring at a completely different Lucy.

The freshman’s shoulders dropped as she raised her chocolate eyes to the sky above them. He looked closer and realized her lips were moving silently. What was she muttering to herself? Gods she was a weirdo but it surprisingly suited her. Natsu allowed himself to watch her for just a few moments longer before breaking the mounting tension.

“Something you want to share with the class?” he teased, dropping their bags beside the fire escape platform. He didn’t close the space between them, wanting to respect her space. Plus, if she really was crazy and actually talking to herself, he’d rather maintain some distance.

Lucy’s eyes snapped over to him as if she’d forgotten he was even there. “O-oh, sorry,” she sputtered. Even in the dim lighting Natsu could see the blushing of her cheeks and neck. “I just haven’t been able to see stars like this since I left home.” She dropped her gaze to the ground, almost like she was embarrassed. “I was just naming the different stars and constellations I can see.”

The grad student couldn’t help but grin. “No need to be sorry,” he replied genuinely, jumping up onto the ledge and sitting down with his legs dangling over the side. That earned him the cutest gasp from Lucy. Her mood changed swiftly into that of a Mama Bear, chastising him for being so reckless. Natsu couldn’t lie, he kind of relished in the fact that he cared about whether he fell of the side of a building or not. He ignored the fact that she might just be a decent human being. “Any good ones?”

Walking slowly, gaze still locked on the heavens, Lucy made her way to the same wall and leaned against it, her arms draped across the concrete. He could sense she was nervous so he stayed quiet until she gathered the courage to speak again. “That’s Eridanus,” came a soft but knowing voice. “The Heavenly River.” Shifting over a few feet to the right, she named another constellation. “That one is Horologium.”

Natsu was looking up at the night sky, entranced by the knowledge Lucy possessed. It reminded him of how he was in Chemistry. “Are you an Astronomy major or something?” he asked, genuinely curious as he kicked his feet haphazardly.

Her sights fell again to the concrete barrier preventing them from taking a header off the roof. She sighed softly before answering, her tone slightly more melancholic than it was previously. “Nope, Teaching actually. While it’d be nice to stare at the stars all day, I’m afraid the Math portion of the job would interfere too much. My mom used to teach me different star patterns and charts as a kid.” Natsu couldn’t argue with her, she did struggle a bit when it came to the more difficult Mathematical practices. He had always been lucky that numbers came so easily to him, but unfortunately that wasn’t the case with everyone. Allowing himself one last glance at her, he couldn’t help but hurt slightly at the wonder in her eyes as she stared toward the heavens. Maybe after tutoring her, she’d be good enough in Math to where she could change her major. It was a long shot, but something inside him wanted to at least try. For her.

Shaking his head abruptly, Natsu brought his legs up onto the ledge and stood on top of it, looking down at Lucy with a boyish grin. He jumped down and brushed off his jeans, her yelling breaking through the silence instantaneously, before making his way to the fire escape. Stepping up into the rusted, metal cage, the grad student grabbed the bags, threw them over the railing, extended his calloused hand to his student and motioned toward the steps in front of him. “Ready to go?”

Natsu had to be certifiably insane.

There was no other option. A fire escape? On the roof?! The guy had to be crazy. The entire ride on the elevator Lucy had been expecting some sort of explanation, a plan, anything really. All she knew was that some older man she barely knew was abducting her and running off to the only place she couldn’t escape him. Master Scorpio and Capricorn had always warned her of such ‘advances’ but the little siren in her head was going off...yet.

However, once they stepped off onto the rock-ribbed surface, Lucy couldn’t help but be amazed. Over head there were hundreds of stars, all of differing brightness and size. It was the first time she’d been able to see so many since leaving her family estate. The light pollution from the city usually prevented her from seeing them from her tiny dormitory window. She immediately started naming them, just as her mother had taught her so many years ago. It was almost like she’d been thrust back to a time where she still had her best friend and protector by her side. It was Layla that had imparted so much knowledge about the celestial sciences, and it made Lucy feel like her mother were above her, watching down from the heavens.

Natsu’s voice, once again, abruptly dragged her from her dreamland. “Something you want to share with the class?” he questioned, his voice light and playful. Sighing, she dropper her gaze. Shit. How could she have forgotten he was there? He probably thought she was bonkers, staring up at stars like an idiot. Lucy could feel the flushing of her skin rise as she spoke.

“O-oh, Sorry,” she murmured. “I just haven’t been able to see stars like this since I left home.” She could feel his sights on her and she quickly looked toward the floor. “I was naming the stars and constellations I can see.”

What further surprised the freshman was the fact that Natsu didn’t mock her. He simply asked her for more information about something she was obviously passionate about. Sure he’d almost KILLED himself in the process, causing her to freak out on him just a bit, but at least he’d stayed on the ledge. Joining him (still on the ‘ground’ mind you), she ultimately decided to acquiesce to his request and pointed out a couple of her personal favorites. “That’s Eridanus, the Heavenly River,” she explained, her eyes immediately trying to find one she knew was close by. When she found it, she pulled his attention over a few feet. “That one is Horologium.”

Glancing over, Lucy let herself take in the sight of Natsu in that moment. His head tilted up toward the night sky, his eyes tracing over the grouping of constellations she’d revealed. For the first time in years, it was as if someone was actually interested in what she had to say and it made her feel... special. She watched somewhat longingly as his jaw tensed, his rose-tinted hair ruffling in the light breeze. His question, though asked with no hint of malintent still made her somewhat sad.

Of course she wanted to major in Astronomy. However, as they were both coming to find, she wasn’t exactly gifted with numbers. Plotting trajectories, calculating gravitational pulls, all of that required advanced mathematics, something Lucy knew in her heart of hearts that she could never accomplish. “Nope, Teaching actually,” she answered, her voice tinged with a woeful tone. “While it’d be nice to stare at the stars all day, I’m afraid the Math portion of the job would interfere too much. My mom used to teach me different star patterns and charts as a kid.”

Unfortunately, Lucy didn’t get a chance dawdle on her wistfulness much longer. Before she knew it, Natsu was jumping down from the ledge and making his way over to the fire escape. She followed him begrudgingly. What else was she supposed to do? Stay in the library overnight? If the rickety fire escape was the only way out, even with Natsu’s help, she’d have to go for it. Looking over the apparatus didn’t make the situation any better. Clearly it had been installed with the original building because it was incredibly narrow and rusted over in various spots.

Lucy shrieked when she grabbed onto Natsu hand. He immediately pulled her up and over the ledge onto the metal caging, using his own body to support her. Her right hand was still in his but her left gripped onto the railing for dear life, the left side of her body pressing against his chest. “It’s okay,” he cooed, his voice low and cautious, “I’ve got you. Don’t worry.” Without a shred of space between them, the freshman girl’s temperature skyrocketed, because of both her incessant blushing and the waves of heat that rolled off of the man beside her. Luckily for her, it was Natsu who broke the silence.

“Hold on tight okay?” The teacher’s assistant instructed, his voice now similar to when he was actually teaching. “I’m going to go first, that way if you fall or something, I can catch you. Okay?”

Lucy nodded and slowly followed Natsu down the zigzagging metal staircases, both of them making quick work of the fire escape. Upon reaching the final platform, he asked her to stop and bent down to release the ladder that separated them from their freedom. Unfortunately, without the proper maintenance, it got stuck, leaving a few feet of clearance between the final rung and the alley.

Judging the gap, Natsu grinned wildly. “I can totally make that,” he boasted playfully, looking her over. “What do you think, Loony?”

Lucy huffed and assessed the situation for herself. It was a bigger drop for her than it was for Natsu, but the pinket spoke up again as if he’d read her mind.

“What about I go first, and then I can grab you and help you down?” he offered. While part of the runaway heiress absolutely hated the idea, part of her was excited at the opportunity for Natsu to be close to her again. She found herself nodding in agreement without thinking about it.

The blonde watched at he descended the ladder, reaching the end in no time flat. She stared in awe (and other more primitive emotions) as he let his body free hang on the last two rungs, holding himself up only by his incredibly defined arms. He only had about a foot to clear before his instructor’s voice was dragging her from her lustful daydreaming and beckoning to her to start her own descent. While she wasn’t nearly as fast as Natsu, Lucy was surprised at how easy it was for her to make her way down the rusted-over ladder. The worst part was how painful it was when the rust bit into her palms.

Arriving at the last rung, Natsu shouted up to her. “Go ahead and drop! I’ll catch you!” Without thinking twice, Lucy closed her eyes and released the ladder, free falling for only a second before she felt those same muscular arms wrap around her, slowly lowering her feet to the ground. Firmly planted, she looked up and found emerald orbs looking back at her. Her heart soon felt like it was going to escape her chest, racing wildly as she pulled away.

“T-thank you for helping me. I can take it from here,” she stammered, reaching out to take back her bag. “My dorm isn’t that far.” Unsurprisingly she was met with a grin and resistance.

“What kind of gentleman would I be if I just let you wander around campus alone at night?” he asked with a chuckle, shifting the bags again so they sat higher on his shoulder. Grinning wickedly he gestured back toward the residence halls. “Lead the way, Loony.”

#nalu fanfic #nalu fic #cyber space is always sweeter #fairy tail fanfiction #;csias #trying to catch up on here so you'll be seeing these more this week

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coleymari-blog · 7 years

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Cyber Space is Always Sweeter : Chapter 11

Summary: Lucy is a down to Earth, studious, responsible runaway attending Magnolia College. Natsu is a rambunctious, intelligent, pyrophilic fraternity boy going to the same school.

Sleep now seemed like a foreign concept.

It had been about three weeks since she'd begun chatting with Dragon and Lucy's nights appeared to be growing shorter as time went on. At first, it had caused her issues, making her sluggish in the morning, losing focus in classes (especially Chemistry but that was for its own reasons), and all sorts of repercussions. Even Levy was beginning to notice the bags under the blonde's beautiful deep brown eyes. No amount of make-up was correcting that.

Being a Monday night, Lucy was camped out at the library's help desk as usual, laptop opened to her latest Chemistry assignment. Luckily she'd actually found enough intestinal fortitude to attend Natsu's group tutoring sessions for the past two weeks and was finally starting to understand the material. She'd missed the first one due to not being able to stomach her pride but after failing the first pop quiz, she'd quickly decided to sing another tune. Normally there were three or four students at each session so at least she hadn't been left alone with him. If she had, she definitely wouldn't have been able to focus. Just the thought of the two of them locked in an isolated study room was enough to fluster the poor freshman in more ways than one.

If she was being honest, Lucy hated the fact that she still found Natsu so alluring. She was a College woman now, weren't elementary school crushes a thing of the past? Granted they now came accompanied by racier, more enjoyable thoughts but that didn't change the fact that every time she saw him, she wanted to shove her head in the sand. His kindness and eagerness to help her didn't make matters any better. If anything she felt worse holding onto the wisps of a conflict when he'd clearly been adult enough to let it go.

As if by magic, Lucy's phone chimed alerting her to a new message in 'ChatApp' and sufficiently distracted her from her fantasies. She'd downloaded the online texting application at Dragon's suggestion so they could chat throughout the day without having to use the computer. They had agreed that swapping numbers would have been a bit too personal, so the app helped them stay in more constant contact.

DragonSlayer: Hey Starfire. Got a late class tonight so I probably won't be able to get online. Leave you something nice to wake up to?

Lucy couldn't help but blush wildly. She had to admit that she enjoyed his "slightly more than friendly" attention (as Levy had grown to call it). Not only did it provide her with a much-needed distraction from daydreaming about a certain pink-haired grad student, but it also made her feel wanted. Dragon had yet to really judge her on anything during the few weeks they'd known each other, he was a great listener, and obviously, he didn't want her for what she could do for him. Levy had warned her about the dangers of talking to strangers online, citing that in reality, he could be trying to hack into her computer or something. Given her father's status, anything was possible, but Lucy highly doubted that her cyber acquaintance was just using her as part of a bigger plot. Not like she had much to do with her father lately anyway.

Deciding to attempt to finish her Chemistry homework, Lucy logged into her student portal and was immediately greeted by an e-mail from just the person she was so conflicted about.

From: NDragneel To: LHeartfilia Subj: Extra help?

Had this worksheet laying around and figured it might help you with your formulas. Print it out and bring it this Friday!

Hope you had a good day after class!

-Natsu

Lucy smiled warmly. There was still a part of her that was utterly entranced by the older fraternity star. Regardless of how much of her wanted to run just at the mere sight of him, the blonde still allowed herself indulgences from time to time. The other day, as part of her morning workout, she'd run past Fairy Tail and watched the glistening Adonises play soccer for a split second. Of course, her gaze had immediately found pink-hair and chiseled abs, his V-cut slipping into the athletic shorts that hung dangerously low on his hips. She'd heard a couple of whistles, calls, etc. as she ran past and she'd secretly hoped that one of them was her TA.

Someone clearing their throat dragged her out of her musings but luckily they were nothing more than a lost freshman looking for a specific study room. Looking down at her screen, Lucy sighed when she realized that the library would be closing soon and she didn't get nearly as much done as she had intended. After packing up her things, she figured she had enough time to use the restroom before everything was locked up for the night so she ran around the corner, leaving her backpack beside the door, and tried to finish as quickly as she could.

Unfortunately, she wasn't fast enough. Upon leaving the restroom and arriving at the front door to the hall, Lucy groaned loudly when she realized the heavy oak door was already locked from the outside. How was she supposed to get out? No way was she staying in the library overnight. Figuring she could call campus security, the freshman pulled out her phone to find she had no reception inside the library's foyer.

"You know they lock up at 9pm, right," came a familiar voice from the empty hall. No way was he there. She couldn't possibly be that unlucky.

"You'd think they'd check the bathrooms before closing," Lucy snapped, shifting her heavy backpack from one shoulder to the other. The only good part about Natsu being there? He must know a way out. "I'm assuming you know where an exit is?"

Natsu brought his thumb and forefinger to his face in a pensive manner, stroking his jaw rhythmically as he 'thought' over her request. His eyes glittered in the random overhead lights that remained on overnight before locking his sights on her. "I may…" he drawled, a grin creeping to his lips. "...if you're feeling adventurous."

"Natsu...seriously? Wake up…"

Erza's strong, yet hushed, voice and a few strong jostles were what woke Natsu from his nap. When had he fallen asleep? One minute he'd been studying in the library with Gray, Erza, Gajeel, and a few others and the next he was being assaulted by the red-headed devil-woman herself. Feeling the remnants of dried drool in the corner of his lips was all the proof he needed.

For the past couple of weeks, the grad student's sleep schedule had taken a very hard dive. Between school, teaching, tutoring, fraternity life, and talking to Starfire, he found that he didn't have time for much else. Luckily he hadn't gotten asked to work for a catering event. He couldn't imagine having to work that into his schedule too. He knew he needed to sleep more but there just weren't enough hours in the day. Unfortunately, he couldn't bring himself to sleep if it meant he couldn't talk to his new cyber-friend. Making a very hard decision quickly before he changed his mind, he shot her a message to let her know he wouldn't be able to chat that night, giving her some excuse he knew would work. He hated lying but what was he supposed to say to her? 'Hey, I love talking to you so much I've stopped sleeping right. I need a night to fix my system.' Shaking his head slightly and rubbing his lips, Natsu grinned. "Thanks for the wake-up call," he teased, yawning while stretching in his seat. The glare she gave him was the only answer he needed.

The rest of the gang was already packing up their bags when the TA noticed that it was ten minutes until nine. He still had to stop by his student office to pick-up a textbook he'd accidentally left behind before going back to the house. Luckily for him, his tiny closet was located there in Precht Hall on the bottom floor. Grabbing his own things, he broke away from his friends to hopefully make it out before the guards locked the doors. Obviously, he knew the ways out but still. No one enjoyed being trapped in a borderline ancient, musty, campus library.

Running down the four flights of stairs, Natsu sprinted across the dark tiled halls until he reached his office door. He found his book on the corner of his desk, right where his sleep-deprived ass had left it, and decided to walk casually toward one of the emergency exits near the front door seeing as how it was 9:02pm. Passing by the restrooms, he recognized a certain backpack out of the corner of his eye, sitting on the floor outside the women's room. The dark blue fabric covered in silver stars meant one person, Lucy.

Natsu forced himself to keep walking toward his destination. If he stopped, she'd find him there and Gods only knew what she'd think of him then. First, he broke her heart (accidentally), then he became her TA, and then what? The creepy guy in the dark, desolate library after close? Lucy was smart, she'd find the emergency exit too. He began to doubt himself when he heard her yanking on the wooden door and whining.

"You know they lock up at 9pm, right?" the grad student asked, walking up the hall to meet her in the expansive foyer. Lucy appeared a bit frustrated, but her tone said it all.

"You'd think they'd check the bathrooms before closing," she snapped at him. He noticed her face tense a little when she moved her backpack and switched shoulders. Her body screamed 'exhausted' in its slow, lethargic movements. If he was being honest, without his constant workouts with Gray, he'd probably be a lot worse for wear too. "I'm assuming you know where an exit is?"

Should he take her to the normal exit? He couldn't describe it, but a little voice somewhere in the back of his mind told him 'Hell No'.

Playfully, Natsu brought his fingers to his chin and stroked it as he pondered his options. Couldn't take her out the front door. The emergency exit in the back of the library was equally as boring. That's when the idea struck. "I may…if you're feeling adventurous," he teased. Before she could swat his hand away, the older man had reached over and grabbed her backpack, throwing it over his shoulder with his own bag. He could tell she wasn't happy about it, but she'd be a whole lot unhappier when she figured out what they were about to do.

Leading them both toward the elevator, Lucy looked at him with confusion in her big gorgeous brown eyes. "Is there a basement or something?" she asked, her voice soft but still strong.

Her question made him grin more brightly. She was in for a rough awakening. "Not quite," he replied, leading them into the cramped, brass elevator. Looking her in the eyes, the grad student pressed the button on the top of the row, marked "Roof Access".

#nalu fic #nalu fanfic #ftfanfics #cyber space is always sweeter #;csias

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coleymari-blog · 7 years

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Cyber Space is Always Sweeter : Chapter 10

Summary: Lucy is a down to Earth, studious, responsible runaway attending Magnolia College. Natsu is a rambunctious, intelligent, pyrophilic fraternity boy going to the same school.

"Can you at least try to hit me, Ice Queen?!"

After the day Natsu had, the only thing that made him feel better was sparring for a couple rounds with Gray. It had been that way since they were children, since right after Natsu had been adopted. They'd originally met in grade school but couldn't stand the sight of one another. Igneel enrolled Natsu in Tae Kwon Do after getting into too many fights at school (most of them with the raven-haired tyke) but as luck would have it, Gray happened to be in the same class. They used each other as fuel to progress ever since. In their later years, their sparring was usually reserved for days like Natsu's, where it felt like nothing had gone right and they needed to feel in control of something.

Gray's fist made contact with Natsu's chest causing the pinket to grunt loudly. "You mean something like that?" he teased, a cocky grin making its way to his lips. He knew Natsu had to be really wound up because usually his best friend didn't just leave himself open to attack like that. They'd already been going at it for a couple hours, drawing in crowds of brothers randomly and even welcoming bets, but Gray had no idea how much longer he could keep up with Natsu's fury. "Why can't you just talk about it like normal people, Fire Freak? It's like every time you get a boo-boo, I have to walk around with bruised ribs for weeks."

It wasn't long after that top of Natsu's foot slammed into that same area, making Gray wheeze as he tried to breathe in deeply. Natsu's breathing was also labored, his chest heaving from the physical exhaustion that was slowly taking over his body. The audience had faded, leaving the two of them, and they both dropped to the ground in a draw.

"Shut it, stripper," Natsu barked, dropping his forehead down to his raised knees. The day had started off so nicely, waking up from an all-nighter with Starfire. Flirting with her had made him feel amazing, not to mention she was starting to really open up to him. Then he'd gotten to workout before class in the house gym (a room on the second floor set up with random borderline dilapidated equipment). TA'ing Makarov's Chem class had proven to be the start of his downfall.

Why'd Lucy have to sit so damn close to the front? He'd barely been able to focus on the actual lesson, mostly keeping his steely gaze locked on her golden hair. For a moment she'd stared right back at him and he couldn't lie about loving the embarrassed flush of her cheeks.

But if anything was cuter it had to be the look she got on her face when she was confused. Throughout the entire class period, Natsu had to hold back laughter at Lucy's panicked looks between her friend's notebook and her own. As Makarov was running through a formula on the board, he watched as the blonde gnawed on the corner of her lips and it sparked an idea. He tutored every semester, right? What if he had a group session like the other TA's instead of just individual sessions? He could post about it and let her come on her own for help.

After class he'd gone to his seminars, as usual, avoiding the Queen Bitch as he normally did. While Sting still bothered him from time to time, the pinket still felt like the blond Sabertooth brother could do with a way better social circle. His classes had dragged on forever with him checking his laptop every two minutes for a message from Starfire. He'd already e-mailed her asking about her day but hadn't heard back yet. Natsu found himself yearning to talk to her for a majority of the day. Could you really miss someone you had yet to meet or even see?

Before making his way back to Fairy Tail, Natsu ran into the worst possible problem. Lisanna. Luckily for him, she'd been without her Bickslow puppy. She'd stopped him in the middle of the sidewalk outside Dreyar Hall and threw her arms around him like nothing had ever changed between them. Her fingers stroked his forearms gently as they spoke, her insisting on interrogating him for the sake of "catching up". They fell into a familiar rhythm and it was almost like she had never driven him to the point of ending their relationship. It was like he could forget reading those texts on her phone…

Luckily Natsu had been able to escape her clutches rather quickly after mental pictures of a certain blonde helped break the trance over him. His pain and confusion led him to march straight into Gray's room back at the house and challenge him to a sparring match just like custom called for. His best friend didn't even have to ask, able to read Natsu's eyes in order to find his answer. After a few hours, they were both sitting on the grass outside the frat house and Natsu felt like he could take on anything or anyone. A shared fist bump was the sign of silent thanks before they both went back inside to shower off.

As the water ran down his toned frame, Natsu's mind wandered. Probably what he missed most about having a girlfriend was the company. He missed the feeling of fingers carding through his salmon hair, nails raking down his back in ecstasy (or at least he hoped so). Gods how he longed to kiss a girl stupid again. There had been women that couldn't even speak right after a proper make-out session with "The Salamander". He loved turning girls to putty in his calloused hands. His thoughts were interrupted by Gray's departure from the shower room and the fraternity star found himself incredibly conflicted. Ultimately he surrendered to his more basic needs and took himself in hand, stroking softly at first. He mentally replayed his previous conquests as he worked himself up, using each one to push him further and further over the edge. After going without for a few weeks it didn't take him long to find himself on the brink of release but was surprised by what finally did it. After remembering what it was like to fuck Cana in the downstairs closet at a Grab-a-Date party during his undergrad years, Natsu's mind gravitated toward the image of a blonde bombshell wrapped up in black and red lace lingerie, warm brown eyes staring down his soul. What he wouldn't have given to know what she felt, smelt, tasted like, in that moment. It didn't take him long to finish, cleaning up shamefully before returning to his room.

Laying on his twin XL bed, towel still wrapped around his hips, Natsu mentally chastised himself for what he'd done. He had no right to think about Lucy that way. For the life of him, he couldn't even understand why he cared. In all honesty, he barely knew the girl. Every time he saw her, his mind flashed back to the night he met her for the first time. She'd walked into the room with the brightest brown eyes full of adoration, vulnerable as all Hell, and he'd completely torn her down. It wasn't entirely his fault. After his conversations with Minerva, Lucy was the last girl he was expecting to meet in Lisanna's room that night. Granted he probably could have handled the situation a bit better but after the alcohol and confusion, the grad student had been worse for wear.

And yet after all that, he still had the nerve to jack off to the mere thought of her? Natsu's stomach twisted harshly with guilt. He shook his head, as if trying to dislodge the current thoughts, and quickly shifted gears when he heard his phone alert him to a new e-mail waiting for him. Reaching over to his bedside table, he grinned when he saw that it was from his new favorite online encounter.

To: DragonSlayer666 From: CelestialBeauty42 Subj: LONG ass day

Today has seemed never ending. Tell me it's ending soon?

-Starfire

Natsu smiled at the words on his screen. Something inside him warmed at the thought that she'd rather talk to him at the end of a rough day. It became his personal mission to make her smile too.

To: CelestialBeauty42 From: DragonSlayer666 Subj: RE: LONG ass day...almost over!

^^^ As you can see, it is indeed almost over. Got any plans to make the night better? I can come up with a few if you'd like ;)

-Dragon

Pride swelled in Natsu's chest at his bold reply. While everyone thought that he had so much game, and he had been able to hook up with a few notable chicks in his tenure at Magnolia College, he still felt like he was bound to strike out at any minute. Starfire's reply helped make him feel slightly better.

To: DragonSlayer666 From: CelestialBeauty42 Subj: RE: LONG ass day...THANKFULLY almost over!

Thank you. :) And no actually. Unless 'planning to talk to you' counts?

-Starfire xx

Throwing his fists in the air triumphantly, Natsu grinned wildly. He won! At least it felt like it. Little did he know that winning would lead to yet another sleepless night spent chatting with his cyber dream girl.

So this chapter was a bit shorter but it REALLY picks up after this chapter. I’m thinking about posting the rest of the chapters all in one go. What do y’all think?

#ftfanfics #nalu fanfic #nalu fic #cyber space is always sweeter #;csias

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coleymari-blog · 7 years

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Cyber Space is Always Sweeter : Chapter 9

Summary: Lucy is a down to Earth, studious, responsible runaway attending Magnolia College. Natsu is a rambunctious, intelligent, pyrophilic fraternity boy going to the same school.

WARNING: Depictions of hazing ahead.

“A-are you sure about this, Milady?”

Minerva sneered at Lucy’s hesitation. The blonde bimbo was really starting to get on her nerves, regardless of whether Lucy was a Generational or not. The agitation in the black-haired woman’s voice rang clear in the bedroom of the sorority house while she fixed the freshman’s makeup.

“Absolutely positive,” Milady replied coldly, finishing the last swipe of crimson lipstick. At least Lucy looked cheap. The elder woman stood back to “admire her work” and grinned devilishly. “Remember, Dragneel said he thought you were super hot. Gotta accentuate your natural gifts.”

Lucy turned red under such scrutiny. When she'd gone to Minerva and she had agreed to help the young girl, she'd imagined it going differently. The doe-eyed freshman had seen Natsu Dragneel at a party during her Rush week and ever since, he was all she could think about. His handsome emerald eyes, his attention-grabbing head of salmon hair. She'd gone to Milady after prodding from Levy, saying that the one sister a Pledge could trust was her Pledge Coach. Gods how wrong her best friend had been.

Minerva excused herself to peek into the room next door to Minerva’s, the door marked “Lisanna”. Lucy could hear her sickeningly sweet voice placating Natsu, saying that she was almost ready. The blonde couldn't help but smile when she heard how restless he was while waiting for her. She was finally going to get to meet the guy she'd been practically drooling over for weeks, and he was just as impatient to see her. The butterflies in her stomach could barely be contained.

Milady came back into sight and motioned for Lucy to stand. She tenderly tucked a strand of golden hair behind the freshman’s ear before speaking again. “Ready to meet Prince Charming, LuLu?” she teased, squeezing Lucy’s shoulders. Without further warning, the older woman dragged the younger suddenly to the other room, pushed her inside, and slammed the door shut.

“H-hi there,” she stammered awkwardly, her gaze shifting about the room as she desperately tried to cover up the places on her body that were exposed by the lingerie she was wearing. “It's so great to finally meet you, Natsu.” She watched as his eyes took in the sight of her, hoping to see some sort of excitement bubbling in them but was only met by confusion.

“I'm sorry, but who are you?”

Lucy shook herself awake, realizing the laptop was still in her bed only mere seconds before it was destined to hit the ground. It seemed to have died overnight so she plugged it into the cord snaked across her desk while rolling herself out of bed. She had stayed awake for hours talking to Dragon, going as far as to tell him (vaguely) about her past. It felt nice to talk to someone about it that wasn’t Levy, as much as she loved her bookish friend.

Not to mention, flirting with her cyber acquaintance was fun in its own right. It had felt so different from the normal attention she got from the opposite sex. She chalked it up to the fact that Dragon had absolutely no idea what she looked like. He couldn’t drool over her curves, couldn’t stare at her like she was a piece of meat up for auction. She took solace in the fact that every compliment he gave was based on her personality and not just her looks. Her mind soon began to wander as she thought about her cyber-friend. What did he look like? Were his eyes kind or piercing? Was he a blond like her or maybe brunet? She pictured a chiseled frame standing before her, muscles defined and cut in all the right places. The freshman shook her head as if trying to shake the image loose, immediately attempting to rein herself in.

Looking at the clock, Lucy realized she had a couple hours before her Chemistry lecture. She sighed but quickly realized that after class, she’d be done with Chemistry for the week. That also meant that she wouldn’t have to see Natsu again until Monday, which was somewhat of a relief. Part of her still felt something and that complicated things heavily. How was she supposed to focus in a difficult class if she had to worry about running into him three days a week? She had thought originally that she could handle it, but maybe she was in over her head a bit. If their little moment in the lab meant anything, it certainly meant that. The freshman groaned aloud as her frustration grew.

Lucy decided that in order to eat up her time she’d throw on her black striped yoga pants with a bright blue sports bra and run to the gym to use the studio. She laced up her sneakers, set her iPod to her favorite blood-pumping playlist, and quickly made off for the university gymnasium on the other side of campus. Cutting through the ancient brick and ivy buildings, feeling her heart race in her chest, the freshman let the worries of the past two days melt away along with the anxiety of the semester to come. It didn’t take her long to make it to the gym, showing her ID to the red-headed attendant at the front desk.

“Is anyone is the kickboxing studio?” Lucy chirped, tightening her ponytail. Her chest was still heaving slightly from the run.

The attendant, wearing a tag with the name “Loke” etched into it, grinned lazily at the beautiful woman across the counter. “Not yet, gorgeous,” he oozed, causing Lucy to roll her eyes. “There’s a class in an hour though.” Even though his eyes were shielded by sunglasses she could still make out his gaze making its way across her form. “I can arrange for someone to take my place if you need someone to hold the bags for you.”

Lucy cringed. Did he really think that was going to work? “No thank you, but thanks for the info,” she replied as respectfully as she could. She was still a lady after all.

Making her way up the stairs, the blonde bombshell entered the kickboxing studio and breathed in heavily. She quickly found the tape and bound her hands in record time. As she started her combos into the hanging bag, she was reminded of her time back at the manor. Capricorn, her father’s Head of Security, had stressed the importance of self-defense and discipline, insisting she take up a form of martial arts at a young age. She’d tried a majority of them and eventually settled for kickboxing, feeling that it suited Capricorn’s desire for protection and strength training. The young woman’s heart ached as she thought of the people she’d left behind, the people who had helped raise her mother and then her after her mother’s passing. People like Capricorn were the only thing she missed about home.

Lucy continued on for the full hour until the next class started arriving. Making quick work cleaning up after herself, she ran back to her dorm, showered, and dressed for class. She felt better after her morning workout, promising herself to do it more often, and lecture with Natsu didn’t seem half bad. Walking down to the sidewalk before her building, Lucy smiled when she found Levy waiting for her, coffee cups and all.

The freshman recounted the events of her night to her best friend, making sure to tell the bluenette about her conversation with Dragon. She was immediately greeted by a bombardment of questions about him, if they’d shared any more personal information like names, etc. Lucy had to giggle at the fact that she barely got a word in edgewise by the time they’d reached the door to the lecture hall. Students had already begun filing in and Levy noticed that the same seats the two had occupied during the last session were still open, so they made their way to what was now ‘their’ seats.

Lucy looked up and immediately noticed a certain graduate student’s sights on her from the desk at the front corner of the hall. His gaze was warm yet guarded but locked on her, making the blonde blush profusely. A couple months prior and she would have given practically anything for Natsu to look at her like that. It made her stomach flutter. She didn’t break their staring match until she heard the professor start and allowed herself to be absorbed by the class material.

Unfortunately, her focused concentration wasn’t enough. Lucy could barely understand the material presented. Glancing over at Levy’s notebook it seemed like the freshman was alone in her inability to comprehend the lesson. She’d lost all track of time and before long, the lecture was over, the students once again filing out to get on with their days. Levy abruptly rose from the table and excused herself, citing an impending “appointment” with Gajeel and left Lucy standing alone in the lecture hall. Looking over the whiteboard made her shudder. There in bright red ink read the following:

Need help? Tutoring Sessions with the TA! Fridays @ 5pm, Precht Library 620

BYOB(ook)

Maybe four days a week wouldn’t be so bad…?

#nalu fanfic #ftfanfics #fairy tail fanfiction #nalu fic #cyber space is always sweeter #;csias

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coleymari-blog · 7 years

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Cyber Space is Always Sweeter : Chapter 7

Summary: Lucy is a down to Earth, studious, responsible runaway attending Magnolia College. Natsu is a rambunctious, intelligent, pyrophilic fraternity boy going to the same school.

Nothing better than an empty Science Lab.

At least that's how Natsu felt. When he was alone in the lab, he felt relaxed, calm, in his element so to speak. Being a Teacher's Assistant and a Grad Student with a thesis awarded a few perks that he thoroughly enjoyed. Two of which were the unobstructed time in the lab and use of the materials (as long as he didn't cause any major explosions). Sometimes Makarov found him in there tinkering and would join him in a 'purely Mentor/Mentee' fashion. Honestly, the pinket believed it was because the old man secretly loved setting things on fire as much as he did.

Unfortunately, his late night encounter got him off to a late start, so that meant pretty much no downtime. Looking up at the standard issue schoolhouse clock on the wall, Natsu realized he only had about fifteen minutes to set up the lab. He hurriedly set his bag down on top of his desk at the front of the room and rushed to the cabinets in order to pull out all the safety gear. Luckily the first lab was always about Lab Safety, which meant very little setup. He'd done that lab a million times, hell, he could probably set everything up with his eyes shut. He ran through the motions smoothly, the sounds of the ticking clock and his humming keeping him company.

Once the stations were set, Natsu surveyed the room once more to double check his work as always. Seeing no notable mistakes, he excused himself from the room to walk down the hall to the vending machine. He usually had to talk a lot in Lab and his throat got scratchy if he didn't bring water. Sliding his card in, he peeked out of the corner of his eye, spotting Lisanna sitting on a wooden bench with that witch, Minerva. It tore him apart that someone so wonderful could choose to affiliate themselves with someone like her. Lying to poor Lucy like that? Playing her for some fool? Granted, he'd, unfortunately, played a part in that too albeit unwillingly. All he'd wanted was to get back with Lisanna after he realized his mistake. It was only after everything that happened that he figured out the biggest mistake of all was trusting Minerva in the first place.

The sound of the water bottle falling into the catch shook Natsu from his memories, and seeing Lisanna look up and dead at him forced him back into his comfort zone, the lab. A few students had trickled in already, most of them taking seats at the stations near the back of the room. He understood them, he was them a few years back. The others had mostly settled somewhere near the middle with one firmly planted up front, notebook open and at the ready with a little more than five minutes to spare. Then she walked in.

Lucy opened the door to the lab and casually made her way to one of the last empty stations in the middle. Her deep brown eyes locked on Natsu's emerald ones before she quickly looked away, her cheeks blushing almost immediately. He couldn't help but think about how cute she looked when she was embarrassed. What piqued his curiosity was the fact that she suddenly pulled out her phone and furiously typed a few messages into it before shoving it back into her bag. Natsu sighed as he forced himself to walk past her, promising himself to make this semester as easy and comfortable for the freshman girl as he possibly could. As he walked by her, he couldn't help but breathe in the air around her. The warming scent of vanilla and something else (lavender maybe?) slowly enveloped him as he made his way to his desk.

Shaking his head, he pulled out his laptop and opened up the school's online portal. Natsu logged in and clicked on his Roll Sheet, prompting the computer to display the list of his students. Before starting the lab, he read it over silently, his eyes settling over one name; Lucy Heartfilia. It was like bells going off in his head. She was in his lecture too! Maybe he could use this semester as his way to pay her back for what had happened. She'd never even know that he was helping. All he'd have to do was pay attention, which shouldn't be too hard. Looking back at Lucy, he caught her staring at him, causing her to break their gaze again. She looked angry, but not.

Since he obviously couldn't take the time to figure out why Natsu decided to start the lab and read off the first name. "CANA ALBERONA?!"

Talk about turning heads.

After about thirty minutes of primping, Lucy finally felt ready to tackle the day. It had only taken trying on about four different outfits before she finally settled on a classic look of hers that never failed her. The white sleeveless top with cerulean trim always made her feel confident, and paired with the matching blue skirt and her brown leather boots? The freshman felt unstoppable as she strolled into the science building. She couldn't help but feel empowered when she noticed all the guys turning to watch her as she walked past them. It was as if she could almost hear the snapping of various necks as she rounded the corner. Looking at her phone, she saw she only had five minutes until lab began. "Better get this over with…" she murmured quietly to herself under her breath.

Lucy watched yet again as a pink blur rushed by a few feet in front of her, coming from the adjoining hallway and beating her to the lab door. Her stomach churned but she marched on, determined as ever to overcome the building anxiety. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, the freshman walked into the lab and immediately picked the last empty station. With such a small amount of time left before the beginning of the period, the odds of more people joining her were slim to none. The blonde felt eyes on her and followed the stare back to Natsu, causing her to blush profusely.

Something about his glances made Lucy feel warm and exposed which made her feel panicked. Her first reaction was to text Levy, hoping her best friend could calm her down.

Txt [Lev]: OMG. I need out of here. ASAP. Natsu won't stop staring at me. Txt [Lu]: Girl, get a hold of yourself. It's probably because you look beyond gorgeous, as always! Txt [Lev]: He's probably remembering what an idiot I am. Txt [Lu]: You were lied to. Everyone knows it. He probably feels bad if anything. Txt [Lu]: Sorry Lu, class is starting. Good luck!

Lucy chucked her phone in her bag and huffed to herself. Leave it to Levy to actually make some semblance of sense. She was losing herself in her cloudy mind when he walked by her, drawing her out of her self-induced haze. The blonde was greeted by the smell of what reminded her of a campfire smoldering. It was warm and inviting, and Lucy could feel the blush crawling up her shoulders and neck to cover her face.

What was she doing? Hadn't she been down this road before? Ever since she laid eyes on him at the beginning of Summer Rush, Lucy had been attracted to him. She'd been stupid enough to believe Minerva and where had that gotten her? All she could do was feel angry with herself for being so naive.

Natsu's booming voice calling Roll was enough to bring her back to Earth. She recognized the first name as being one of Levy's sisters from Cait Shelter. That put Lucy a little more at ease, her racing heart slowing microscopically as she tried to regain composure. The rose-haired TA made his way through the list quickly and moved onto the actual lesson quite smoothly, like a practiced professional. Lucy couldn't help but watch as he made his way to each station, checking to make sure each group was following his instructions to the T. He wandered from group to group, eventually finding himself at Lucy's table and inviting himself to sit beside her on the other stool.

"Everything going alright over here?" Natsu asked, his voice soft and warm. It reminded Lucy of the tone of voice one would use to talk to a scared animal or child.

Looking up to meet his emerald gaze, Lucy cleared her throat politely. "Mhm, everything's great," the freshman replied quickly, setting down the Chemical Burn Info card that was in her hands. "Can't get much wrong the first day right?"

She was surprised when Natsu laughed in response. "You'd be surprised," he chided playfully, standing up to leave again. Before he did, the TA reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out his worn leather wallet and grabbed a business card from its billfold. "Listen, if you ever need help, don't hesitate to ask. I do tutoring too and I don't mind helping you out, okay?" He grinned widely before taking off to the front of the room again, moving on with the lesson at hand.

Looking down at the card, Lucy read it over, noting the professionalism of it all. On a plain ivory cardstock with a red stripe down the left side, it listed his name, school-issued e-mail address, and his student office number. Thinking it over, she'd never really been good at Math or Science. Maybe the extra help wouldn't be so bad…

It wasn't much longer until the lab session was over, the room clearing out faster than she imagined it would. Lucy realized she was the only one left in the room apart from the TA who was grumpily cleaning up after the students who had left it all behind, muttering to himself about how he didn't get paid enough to babysit freshman. It almost made Lucy feel bad, and she double checked her own space to make sure everything was where it was supposed to be. She gathered her things and slung her bag over her shoulder, making her way to the door when something told her to look back.

As she crossed the threshold into the university's hallway, she locked eyes with Natsu once more from across the lab. The air felt like it was electrified and it made Lucy blush once more before turning her attention back to the walkway in front of her and taking off for her next class.

#nalu fanfic #nalu fic #ftfanfics #faiy tail fanfiction #cyber space is always sweeter #;csias

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coleymari-blog · 7 years

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Cyber Space is Always Sweeter : Chapter 8

Summary: Lucy is a down to Earth, studious, responsible runaway attending Magnolia College. Natsu is a rambunctious, intelligent, pyrophilic fraternity boy going to the same school.

"Oh, Lu, you are in so much trouble…"

Levy and Lucy were sitting on the blonde's star-streaked bedspread, watching some stupid crime drama in the background, while they talked about their day. After their text message exchange during lab, the older girl had insisted on the two of them going back to Lucy's dorm after their classes let out for some much-needed girl time. Of course, that had consisted of copious amounts of ice cream and gossip.

"Shut up, Lev," the younger girl barked, swallowing a spoonful of Cookie Dough and vanilla. She could feel the blush creeping up on her again and she quickly dropped her gaze. "Every time he looks at me, he sees some poor pathetic freshman. You can see it in his eyes." The blonde purposefully left out the parts about Natsu's gentle tone of voice and the staring matches, fearing more teasing from her best friend. They'd been analyzing her interaction with the grad student for the past hour, practically since Levy arrived. The bluenette shook her head and chuckled softly, placing her carton and spoon on the wire shelf above Lucy's bed.

"Trust me, girl, there's no way he saw you in that outfit and thought you were anything but hot," Levy teased, earning her a small moon-shaped pillow to the head. Without hesitation, she picked it up and chucked it right back at its sender. "Ah. Proof that you know it's true." Lucy stuck her tongue out childishly before diving back into her ice cream. She felt the blush creeping up her neck and slowly cover her jaw and cheeks as her friend grinned in response.

The freshman sat back against the wall and sighed, leading Levy to believe a change of subject was in order. "Soooo, Lu, have you given any thought about going through Fall Rush?"

Lucy's expression soured slightly and she rolled her eyes. Why would she put herself through that bullshit again? Just so she could be ridiculed and mocked? Told that she wasn't good enough? Put on display for the world to see? "I don't think that's such a good idea…" she replied cooly, shaking her head. "Plus, no one would want me after what happened with those snobs."

"So not true! You could totally join Cait Shelter!" Levy replied excitedly. She looked out through the open door to Lucy's dorm room to see if her roommates were in the shared space before speaking again more quietly. "Millianna and Wendy are both coming to Rush and I know that they have an interest in my Sorority. We both know that you would fit right in with us, Lu."

The younger woman stared back at her friend as if trying to read her. She knew that Levy meant well and that she had a point. Because of Levy she already knew most of the girls in Cait Shelter. She also liked the fact that Levy's sisters stressed the importance of intelligence, strength, and camaraderie. The only downside was the fact that they were very close to the Fairy Tail boys, many of them cycling through each other on a whim. Maybe going through Rush again wouldn't be so bad if it meant being sisters with women like that.

"I don't know Lev, we'll see okay?" Lucy compromised, receiving a beaming smile and a nod from her best friend. At least that meant the end of that conversation for the time being.

Getting up to throw away her empty carton, Levy brushed off her sweater and grabbed her bag from Lucy's desk. "Thank you for acquiescing," the bluenette chirped with a wink. "You know you love me, regardless of how much I harass you. Plus, who are we to say 'No' to Erza?" They both shuddered at the mere thought. With a hug goodbye, Levy took off and left Lucy alone in her dorm.

The blonde sat down at her computer and set to do a bit of writing for her novel. Her mind kept coming back to a certain TA, staring her down from the back of the lab. Her body writhed as she recalled the heat that Natsu's gaze had burned into the back of her neck. Before she could lose herself in her thoughts, the alarm on her e-mail application alerted her to a new message. She couldn't help but smile when she read excitedly.

To: CelestialBeauty42 From: DragonSlayer666 Subj: Bored Bored Bored

Hey Starfire! You there? I'm so bored, will you help entertain me?

-DragonSlayer

"Wait? The same chick that Minerva threw at you?"

Natsu's fist landed a solid hit on Gray's torso, causing the raven-haired man to grunt. They had been going at it in the backyard of the frat house for about forty-five minutes after they'd finished with their lectures for the day and they were both exhausted.

"Aye," the pinket growled, his leg trying to sweep Gray's from under him, only to be blocked and knocked flat onto his back. He picked himself up, his chest heaving, only to have the bout called by his opponent.

Swiping at the sweat that had accumulated all over his naked upper body with a towel from the rack, Gray laughed. "What are you going to do? Avoid her?"

Natsu wiped himself down as well, throwing his towel immediately into the basket by the back door. Honestly, avoiding Lucy had never come to mind. The second he saw her in his lab, all he wanted to do was help her. It was probably due to the fact that he still felt so badly about what had happened over the summer, but it had never occurred to him that he could have made her feel even more uncomfortable.

"Nah, I gave her my card in case she needed help in Chem," Natsu replied, slinging his t-shirt over his chiseled shoulder, the Fairy Tail symbol emblazoned in a fiery red peeking from underneath the black fabric. Gray seemed surprised by Natsu's 'generosity'.

"And she didn't turn you down?" he questioned, opening the door to the house for both of them. They were immediately assaulted by the smell of something delicious and were pleased to find Freed cooking dinner for the brothers. The two of them headed upstairs to get showered and changed so they couldn't possibly be near the back of the line for food.

"Surprisingly, no," Natsu retorted, a sense of pride in his voice. "She took it and smiled. Didn't get to stick around long, I was teaching after all, Ice Princess."

Gray shook his head as they entered their respective rooms to grab their clothes and shower kits, joining his buddy back in the hallway as they made their way to the showers. "Whatever, Lava Breath," he snapped. "Just don't screw it up. You're her TA, man. No need to pull a Laxus, alright?" The grandson of Professor Makarov had almost been expelled from Fairy Tail for sleeping with a student while he was a Teacher's Assistant but luckily the girl, Mirajane, had come to his defense. They were still together if Natsu remembered correctly, not that it mattered to him.

They both entered the shower stalls at the same time but Natsu took a bit longer on purpose. While he was standing in the stream of water, his mind kept drifting to the moment between himself and Lucy at the doorway after class. The way she'd looked at him had sent chills down his spine (in a good way). She wouldn't have looked at him like that if she hated him or something, right? She'd definitely been able to burn through him with her stare before but in that moment? She just looked so...

When he got out of the shower, Natsu made his way to his computer to check his school e-mail. He already had a couple messages from the more over-zealous students looking for advancement opportunities. Nothing that couldn't wait until the next day. Switching over to his personal account, he immediately went to write a new message to his new online friend, Starfire. If he couldn't talk to Lucy, at least he could talk to her.

He received a reply almost immediately, making him smile.

To: DragonSlayer666 From: CelestialBeauty42 Subj: RE: Bored Bored Bored

Might be a bit easier with chat. Add me?

-Starfire

Natsu grinned and jumped at the chance to chat with his mystery online acquaintance, agreeing that it was much easier than email. He clicked onto his messenger list and added the screen name, seeing that she was already online.

DragonSlayer666: Miss me that much, huh? CelestialBeauty42: So much for trying to make it easier.

He laughed when he could practically see her rolling her eyes, whatever they happened to look like. Great, now he was fantasizing about a girl he knew nothing about.

DragonSlayer666: Fine, I'm sorry. Let's talk about something else. How was your day? Did you survive your second day? CelestialBeauty42: Barely. But now I'm home for the night, and I have ice cream. Life could be worse.

Before long, they were at it again, getting lost in conversation with each other. They talked for a couple hours before their chat took a more serious turn.

DragonSlayer666: Are you serious? You told me you were a runaway but you never mentioned any of that. CelestialBeauty42: I lived in an estate up North. It was just me and my dad and he was barely home to begin with. One day during one of his business trips, a few of the household staff helped me gather up some things and a little bit of money in order for me to leave. It's only been a few months, but I love the freedom. I wouldn't give this up for the world. DragonSlayer666: And your dad never noticed? CelestialBeauty42: Haven't heard anything yet, so I'm guessing not.

Just the thought alone broke Natsu's heart a bit. No one deserved to be forgotten by their own father, even a random girl on the internet. His parents had left him but not by choice, getting killed in a car accident when he was just a baby. Luckily he'd been given to Igneel and Grandeena Dragneel to raise and they had done a spectacular job. He'd never felt unloved, not cared for, or forgotten. Poor Starfire...

DragonSlayer666: Well, if it's any consolation, I'll never forget you Starfire. You're way too special. CelestialBeauty42: No one has said something that nice to me in a long time. Thank you, DragonSlayer. DragonSlayer666: Just call me Dragon. I love fire enough to be one anyway. CelestialBeauty42: Haha. Dragon it is. Do you collect treasure and steal young women too? )

Natsu could feel a small blush coming to his cheeks. Was she flirting with him? He was never good at understanding the meaning behind text messages, especially when it came to girls. That was one of the biggest issues Lisanna had with him. But did that mean he should flirt back? How could he even purposefully flirt with her over online chat?

DragonSlayer666: Only when they're reeeeeeally valuable, like something made of starlight. That stuff is hard to come by, you know. CelestialBeauty42: Is that so? Well, in that case, I certainly hope you don't live in some sort of dungeon.

She was flirting with him! Natsu's cheeks glowed bright red as a wide smile came over his face. She hadn't even met him and she was flirting with him. It made him feel good, surprisingly. Granted, Natsu wasn't a stranger to female attention. He wouldn't deny that he was a good looking guy. A lot of the time, it just felt like girls hit on him because he was older, or because he was a TA for their class and they thought he could get them an A. The last girl to be genuinely interested in him as a person was Lisanna.

It wasn't another three hours before they finally signed off and Natsu fell asleep with the same dopey grin on his face that he'd had plastered on all night.

#nalu fanfic #nalu fic #nalu #ft fanfiction #ftfanfics #cyber space is always sweeter #;csias

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coleymari-blog · 7 years

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Cyber Space is Always Sweeter : Chapter 1

Summary: Lucy is a down to Earth, studious, responsible runaway attending Magnolia College. Natsu is a rambunctious, intelligent, pyrophilic fraternity boy going to the same school. They don’t exactly run in the same circles and they have one hell of a history. What happens when the names and facades disappear and all that’s left are words blinking on a screen? Modern day, College/Pen Pals AU. I’m sorry I suck at intros. Rated M for Language, Adult Situations, and future sexual situations.

Why exactly had he let Gray talk him into going out last night?

Waking up with a throbbing in his head like no other, Natsu Dragneel silently cursed his best friend as he shifted around in his sheets. Granted, it had been the first night back in the fraternity house for the new year but did that mean they had to get THAT annihilated? He could still taste the alcohol on his lips as his stomach churned at the mere thought of how much he’d actually remembered consuming the night before.

Finally able to lug himself out of bed, Natsu reached for his phone to check the time only to find it dead. He plugged it in and resolved to take a shower in hopes of washing off what was left of last night’s debauchery. He was supposed to TA a chemistry class at 10 and figured the professor would also appreciate it if he didn’t smell like a brewery. The grad student threw his mildly offensive smelling shirt into his nearly overflowing hamper before grabbing his shower kit and heading out into the fraternity house hallway in hopes of finding one of the shower rooms open.

As he showered, Natsu thought back on the previous night and tried to piece it all together to the best of his abilities. Gray had finished moving his things into the room next door to Natsu’s and said that they deserved drinks for a day’s hard work of moving and setting the house up for the new year. Plenty of the other Fairy Tail brothers had agreed with him and they all had ended up at a bar a couple blocks from Magnolia College’s main campus. He vaguely remembered sidling up to the bar at the fraternity’s favorite off-campus hang out spot “Mystogan’s”. It was owned by one of the alumni and that made it easy to get top service on a whim. A few rounds of shots with the boys led to buying a couple more shots for some girls from one of the other sororities. Not really looking for the kind of company they were, he excused himself to keep drinking by himself at the bar until the fraternity DD announced it was time to go. They went for a few more rounds back at the house and honestly, Natsu couldn’t remember when he’d finally called it quits and hauled his ass to bed.

He remembered seeing Lisanna and Bickslow on his way out of the bar and being eternally grateful that he was not going to have to endure something like that. It was bad enough that his own fraternity brother had decided to date his ex-girlfriend, what made it worse was that she seemed to be EVERYWHERE. After Natsu had broken up with her, he’d expected her to stay clear of anything related to Fairy Tail. The last thing he’d saw coming was her almost immediately shacking up with one of his brothers.

Shaking his head, he turned the water off and wrapped the towel around his waist before stepping out into the general washroom area. It reminded him of a high school locker room but much more adequately equipped and much cleaner (surprisingly). Grabbing his things, Natsu let himself back out into the hall and managed to get back to his room and dressed before finally getting to his phone. He grabbed a black and red button down and dark blue jeans, making sure they were all clean before actually putting them on. Once he turned it on, the grad student immediately began to panic. Not only did he have multiple missed text messages from various people (including his supervisory professor), but he realized it was 10:10. He was already late and it was just Day One! If he ran, he could make it to the science building in about ten minutes, which would have to do.

Natsu grabbed his bag, his scarf, pet his adorable blue cat, Happy, and ran out the door, hoping he’d have just enough fortitude to make it given his incredibly hungover state. After running like his life depended on it, the Teacher’s Assistant burst through the double doors of the lecture hall, earning him stares from the entire room as he took his place at the tiny desk in the back of the room. A large grin and a wave to the professor seemed to dissuade the anger of the older man for the moment, or at least until the classroom was empty.

Why did she decide to take Chemistry at 10am?

Lucy Heartfilia was sincerely regretting her decision to take one of the hardest classes of her first semester in college first thing in the morning. Waking up in her small dorm room to the soft harp music playing from her cell phone, she stretched and thrust her feet into her fuzzy slippers before grabbing her shower kit and heading down the hall. She was still getting used to not having her own bathroom, but a short walk and a significantly smaller bedroom were the slight prices to pay for the most freedom she’d ever had.

The last couple days had been long. After leaving home, luckily Lucy didn’t have a lot of heavy physical items. She’s been allowed to fill a trunk from her closet (Thank Gods for Virgo, Aries, and their picking abilities), and whatever else she could fit into her tiny VW Beetle. It didn’t equate to much. But that was okay with the runaway heiress. She didn’t need her father’s money or his lifestyle. She’d gotten into Magnolia College on her own merits and that’s where she’d decided to attend. It was by the grace of all that was holy that she’d obtained a full scholarship and that her friend Levy had been able to find her a job on campus in the library. Between the two, her classes, books, and board were paid for and it even left her with a little bit of spending money left over. Definitely not enough to move into an apartment of her own or anything where she could have a decent shower again.

Once she was finished, Lucy got dressed in the stall and walked out into the communal washroom fully clothed. Being naked in front of random women just didn’t seem appealing in the least. She’d selected a modest outfit, light jeans with a curve hugging blouse that surprisingly didn’t show off TOO much. Making her way past the morning rush of girls in her dorm trying to make their way to the floor showers, she reached her single room (that she’d been lucky enough to obtain) and gathered her belongings for the day. After class she’d have to go work her shift in the library so she made sure to bring her more comfortable shoes in her bag.

Lucy made sure to leave with enough time to stop and meet up with Levy, a life-long friend and partner-in-crime, before class. Even though Levy was a year older, they grew up practically like sisters, the older girl being Lucy’s main reason to apply to Magnolia College in the first place. While walking up to the sorority house, she noticed her cerulean-haired friend waiting on the steps for her.

“Good morning, Lu!” Levy greeted, a steaming mug of what smelled like coffee in each of her tiny hands. Her messenger bag hung across her shoulders exposing her lettered sweater. Lucy still couldn’t understand why her beyond intelligent friend felt the need to pay for friends, but as long as Levy was happy and safe the young blonde would let it slide.

“Morning, Lev!” Lucy cheered back, happily accepting one of the mugs and graciously tilting it toward its gifter before allowing herself to drink the beautiful nectar that is caffeine. It was their morning ritual, each of them taking turns with supplying their habit. “Still on for our movie night tonight?” They’d agreed that the night after Lucy’s first day of classes that they’d veg out like they used to in Lucy’s dorm to help her feel more at home.

The blunette frowned. “I’m sorry Lu, but there’s a ceremony tonight to start the year,” she groaned. Honestly she would have rathered the night in with her best friend but unfortunately, this was something she wasn’t permitted to miss. She thought of the impending party afterward engaging all of Greek Row and had a brilliant idea.

Levy excitedly flailed her hands at Lucy before grabbing the blonde’s shoulders and looking her square in the eyes. “I know!” She squealed, Lucy grimacing already. Levy had already tried to get her to Rush over the Summer but after a couple… incidents, she’d decided it wasn’t for her. Her focus quickly returned to her gushing friend. “Tonight there’s going to be a huuuuuge party down Greek Row. Plenty of hot guys and twice the alcohol…” she singsonged, hoping to allure Lucy to join in.

Luckily the two had arrived at their chemistry lecture before Lucy had to submit and answer. She hated Greek events but maybe a giant party wouldn’t hurt. After all, it was only the first day of classes, it wasn’t like she had to lot to do already. She’d have to see how she was feeling after work.

The professor, a rather small man with a bald head and mustache soon started the standard introductions, passing out the syllabi grumpily after realizing that his assistant had failed to show up. The class fell into a quiet rhythm before it was thrown off course by a man who had just erupted into the hall, a man who Levy and Lucy, unfortunately, knew quite well.

In burst Fairy Tail’s own Natsu Dragneel, panting as if he’d just ran a marathon in order to get to class. He took his seat at his small desk, and nodded and waved at the professor who appeared as if to want to kill the TA. Lucy sighed to herself, remembering back to the summer semester, and dropped her head against the cool grain of the wooden bench style desk.

It was going to be a long semester.

#ft fanfiction #nalu #natsu x lucy #(cross posted on ao3 and ff)#nalu fanfic #;csias

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coleymari-blog · 7 years

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Cyber Space is Always Sweeter : Chapter 6

Summary: Lucy is a down to Earth, studious, responsible runaway attending Magnolia College.

Natsu is a rambunctious, intelligent, pyrophilic fraternity boy going to the same school. They don’t exactly run in the same circles and they have one hell of a history. What happens when the names and facades disappear and all that’s left are words blinking on a screen? Modern day, College/Pen Pals AU. I’m sorry I suck at intros. Rated M for Language, Adult Situations, and future sexual situations. Chapters 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

5:30am.

That’s when Lucy finally went to sleep. She was astonished by how long she’d managed to stay up chatting with DragonSlayer. After giving him a chance, they both found that their conversation flowed freely, organically, like she’d known him all her life. They spoke about everything from their favorite colors to the fact that she was a runaway (the reasons why still too personal to share). He’d told her about being adopted, that he was obsessed with Chemistry, and that he’d slept with a few girls (hence why she knew his gender). The young woman had been conflicted about replying with her own sexual status, virginity never really opening up that many doors to great conversations.

Her favorite part? About two hours into the conversation, he had insisted she change her username. That’s when he’d taken to calling her “Starfire”. Apparently, she was so ‘fiery’ that he felt as if the new name fit her better. She never did change it, but he called her by that moniker for the rest of their chat session. Every time she read it, her stomach would flutter. Honestly, she attributed it to the alcohol that had to be flowing through her veins still. Opening up her e-mail application, she typed the newly acquired address into the message.

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Subj: Good Night/Morning

Thanks for a great night, and for swapping e-mails with me. For once, I'm kinda appreciative for a stupid ad on FaceSpace.

Talk to you soon?

-Starfire

When she'd finally crawled into her twin XL bed, Lucy set the alarm for her lab and immediately grimaced. She'd have to see Natsu in the morning and after their little run-in at the Sabertooth house, that was one of the last people she felt like seeing. And as it turned out, Levy had a different lab, so she'd be alone. Maybe she'd get lucky and someone she knew from over the summer would be there, and hopefully, that didn't include any of them. It wasn't long before the blonde was drifting to sleep, memories plaguing her as she shifted around below the covers.

“Look at all of you. So pitiful,” Milady spat, thick, black perma-marker twirling between her fingers. The sisters of Lily Heart stood behind their self-imposed queen staring blankly at the mostly naked pledges. They all wore beautiful dresses, sparkling jewelry, and skyline heels while their wannabe sisters stood in a line, stripped down to nothing but their underwear.

Some of them were crying, the tears causing the marker to smear black stains across their skin. A few were trying to cover themselves up with their extremities as much as possible. Most just stood there in utter silence, unable to put words to what had just happened to them. Not Lucy. Oh no. She stood there staring Minerva down like the insulting bitch she was.

She didn't have to look down to see what had been done to her, she'd felt every single swipe of the marker against the most hated parts of her. Every roll, every wrinkle, every blemish was now circled in black ink for the world to see. All Lucy could see was red.

“Have something to share, fatass?” Milady oozed, closing the gap between them as if daring Lucy to talk back to her. Before Lucy could reply, she felt the gentle brushing of fingertips against the back of her balled up fist and she knew it was Yukino trying to calm her down.

Shaking her head, she sighed. “No, Ma’am. Please continue."

Lucy woke up in a terrible mood. She lifted her blanket and subconsciously checked for black circles and allowed herself to breathe when she found none. Eventually, she’d forget what happened but it was all still so fresh in her mind despite the mask she wore. It killed her that she’d allowed that to happen to her, all for the sake of “making friends”. In the end, it didn’t matter if her mother had been a member of the same organization, the doe-eyed freshman had walked out when enough was enough and never looked back.

Shaking her head slightly, as if trying to shake the thoughts loose from her head, Lucy rose from the bed and shut off the alarm. She grabbed the phone from her bedside table and scrolled through the notifications, noting a couple messages from Levy asking how she was feeling and an e-mail back from DragonSlayer. Excitedly, she sat back down on her bed cross-legged and got to reading it.

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Subj: RE: Good MORNING

Morning Starfire!

Glad you ended up giving into your new name. And I wouldn’t have given you my e-mail if I didn’t want you to have it, Weirdo.

Hope you have a good second day of classes. E-mail me later?

-DragonSlayer

Lucy caught the corners of her lips curling at his reply. She wasn’t even upset about the ‘Weirdo’ thing, surprisingly. Glancing down at the clock on her startup menu and seeing she had more than enough time, she jotted down a quick response.

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Subj: RE: Good MORNING

Well it was kinda hard not to when you kept insisting.

Here’s hoping. It’s going to have a bit of a rough start, but nothing I can’t handle. Hope yours goes well. I mean, I hope your students aren’t too terrible.

-Starfire

Shutting down the laptop and shoving it in her bag, Lucy got up from the bed and started getting dressed. She only had about 45mins until lab started and she wanted to make sure she looked exactly how she felt, fantastic.

5:30am. Gods be damned.

How they had managed to stay awake that long was beyond Natsu. After she’d logged off, he’d still stayed online, reading through practically their entire conversation. The last time he had stayed up all night talking to a girl it had been with Lisanna before they got together. He’d forgotten how nice it felt to lose oneself in conversation, not that he’d ever admit it. He'd also made sure to send her one last message before finally drifting off to sleep, dreaming of some faceless girl.

The only thing Natsu regretted was the lying. Instead of telling her he was a grad student, he had told her he was an adjunct professor at the local college. After he'd found out she was a college aged co-ed, he'd wanted to seem more impressive, so he'd lied. In the long run, it wouldn't really matter anyway right? She was a random girl he met in a random online chat room. The chances that they were even in the same country were astronomical. So what if he fibbed a bit? Makarov was already working on getting him an adjunct position when he graduated at the end of the year. He just sped up the timetable a bit...

Grabbing his beeping phone, he shot up in bed when he saw he had a message from Starfire. The name really did feel like it fit her better than something cute like “celestialbeauty”. Throughout their conversation, the one thing Natsu liked most was how passionate she seemed. It reminded him of the fire in his own belly. At least she liked it, supposedly.

It didn't take him long to respond so he haphazardly threw his phone on his bed and began getting dressed and gathering his things for the day. Unfortunately, showering would have to wait, seeing as how it was later and the showers were bound to have lines by that time of morning. At least he had a break after the lab he had to lead, he'd used that for a midday shower while no one was home. Little snapshots of memories played rapidly in his head of what he used to do with Lisanna while no one was home but he quickly got over it while shrugging on his scarf. It was then that he realized Starfire had contacted him again.

Natsu’s stomach flipped when he read her name on the screen, and when he read her acceptance of his lie. In his defense, he was a TA, he did have to teach, that wasn't bullshit. She didn't have to know that it was basically just so he could graduate.

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Subj: RE: Good MORNING

Thanks for the vote of confidence. It's the first session, so let's hope I get to be the “cool” professor instead of the asshole this semester

Have a great day, Starfire.

-DragonSlayer

Shoving his phone in his pocket, Natsu ran his fingers through his salmon hair. He could hear Gray and his “mystery woman” next door as they woke up and started the awkward ’Post One Night Stand Morning’ procedures. He shook his head as he grinned wickedly, leaving his room to bang wildly on Grey’s door before taking off in a mad dash for the science building.

#nalu fic #nalu fanfic #ftfanfics #ft fanfiction #cyber space is always sweeter #;csias

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