This may or may not be the longest story I've ever written O.O So! It's my friend Kari's birthday! (Follow her on tumblr, her url is karifrompr) She is also one of my mothers and an absolutely wonderful person and I love her very much. I think it's fitting that I write this for her, not because of my writing (which has yet to improve), but because she is kinda my own perfect harmony.

Title: Perfect Harmony
Words: 2,126
Summary: Singing is what makes Lucy's heart soar, and she likes to practice when she can. Ever since she heard him sing a while ago, she tries to run to hear him whenever she can, listening to him outside the practice room. But who is he?

I do not own Fairy Tail or the Nickelodeon movie Rags. Hope you like!

Lip trills were her least favorite exercise in the entire world. She despised them. They were awful and she did not appreciate doing them.

But she knew the importance of the exercise. The necessity of doing them drove her to continue, to just keep trilling.

She rubbed her mouth, irritated by the residual itchiness of the trills. Okay, next exercise.

Her warm ups never lasted too long, she wanted to practice the actual music. She understood how important the exercises were, trills included, but it wasn't the same as the the songs she could sing with her heart.

She can barely hit those high notes at the top of her range, but she just makes it. Taking a breath, she grabs her water bottle and internally cheers at being done with warm-ups. Her fingers slid over the keys of the new school piano, marveling in the feeling of music just in front of her.

The chords came so naturally. Gentle, filling the practice room with softness.

And when she began to sing, time seemed to stop entirely.

The chilling melody brought the sadness of loss and the nostalgia of emptiness. When she sang, her heart was devoted to the music. Nothing else mattered and her whole world was in each note.

She just wanted to sing and never stop.

The sharp bell rang outside the practice room, cutting her off from singing through her song for the seventh time. Lucy pursed her lips as she packed up her things and turned to the window. She saw the bush under the window ruffle violently, then freeze. She tilted her head in confusion before shrugging and leaving the classroom.

She internally groaned on her way to the gym. If there was any class she hated, it was gym.

Going to the locker room, she put her stuff down and deeply hoped gym would finish early.

Sometimes, wishes do come true.

She dashed with her backpack to the window outside the practice room. Every Tuesday sixth period, she would run to hear him sing.

She was too shy to look and see who he was, but ever since she heard his voice, she went every Tuesday, running from gym at full speed, to hear him sing for ten minutes.

He was in the middle of the song, and when Lucy leaned in to listen, she gasped.

He sang the harmony to the song she was currently practicing.

It was not that common of a song, how exactly did he know it? And why was he singing the harmony?

She chose to focus on his voice, allowing all of her thoughts to fade away. His voice was smooth and even-toned. She wished she could sing like him. Subconsciously, she began humming the melody along with his harmony. The sweet sound rang in her ears and muffled any stress she felt.

The shrill bell rang, startling Lucy. She let out an involuntary yelp, then quickly covered her mouth. She ran away from the window. "What if he heard?" she gasped. Her face reddened considerably. She rushed to chemistry in some hope to forget what happened, not to mention she would probably get an earful if she were late two days in a row.

She slowed down and walked briskly as she entered, luckily not late. Only a few others were there, so she went and sat in her assigned seat.

They had started already when someone else entered. "Late again, Dragneel?" Lucy didn't look up. Natsu Dragneel tended to be late every day, it wasn't an eventful occasion. The rant from her teacher was not eventful either.

"Sorry," Natsu shrugged off, sitting in his seat. His uncaring response caused the teacher to splutter and turn red. Lucy sighed.

After chemistry was over, Lucy had another free. Technically she could go home, but she chose to see if the practice room was open. She rushed there at top speed so it wouldn't be taken from her.

She reached the doorway and grabbed the side, just as another hand grabbed the other side.

"I was here first." they declared simultaneously. They glanced at each other.

"Natsu Dragneel?" Lucy questioned.

"Ah, you're that girl in my chem class. Luigi?" he responded.

Lucy recoiled, slightly irritated. "No, it's Lucy. Luigi isn't even a girl's name."

He grinned. "Whatever you say. Anyway, I was here first."

"No way! I was totally here first. Wait, do you even play an instrument?"

He scowled. "Just 'cause I like to brawl doesn't mean I can't play an instrument."

"I never said that, you just never seemed that into the arts."

He raised an eyebrow. "Neither do you. I figured you were just a school nerd."

Lucy glared. "You're a jerk." she stated. He feigned hurt, giving her the chance to dash inside. His eyes widened.

"Hey!" he shouted.

Lucy smirked victoriously. "You snooze, you lose! You can wait outside until I'm done." She attempted to close the door, but he put his hand inside. She glowered at him.

"I'll wait until you're done, but I'll still wait inside." he conceded. "I want to hear you do your stuff."

Lucy shook her head, blushing. "No way! I don't like singing in front of people."

Natsu shrugged. "Either this or you have to go."

Lucy growled. She set her stuff next to the piano while Natsu say against the wall, basking in his own victory. She wasn't planning to give him the pleasure of hearing her embarrassing warm-ups, so she immediately began to play the chords. She kept her gaze on the keys so she wouldn't pay attention to him.

"It's hard enough to find the time to sleep

It's easier to find the time to dream

Another night spent too far from the stars

Things aren't always what they seem."

Her voice wavered. She glanced at Natsu, whose eyes were widened in delight. He stood up, walked over and sat next to her on the piano bench. She froze.

What is he doing? she thought frantically. Oh my Mavis, what is he doing?

To her astonishment, he played the chords of the song. Gently, the room was once again filled with music. She stared at him.

"You sing the verses." he told her. "I'll come in on the choruses and the bridge. Okay?"

Lucy nodded, curious about singing with someone else. "From the beginning?" she asked. He nodded. He started playing the chords from the beginning.

"It's hard enough to find the time to sleep

It's easier to find the time to dream

Another night spent too far from the stars

Things aren't always what they seem.

It's hard enough to find my place at home

It's easier out here on my own

A father's love is no such thing I know

Things aren't always what they seem."

Natsu harmonized on the last note, and Lucy's eyes widened in wonder.

It was him.

He was the one she rushed to hear. Whenever she coulf, she always tried to get the chance to hear him sing. Never knowing who he was, just wanting to hear his voice, and finally she knows who he is.

And now, they're singing together.

"Oh things aren't always what they seem

Things aren't always what they seem to be

And I just hope your memory's proud of me

I might cry myself to sleep

And imagine that you're here with me."

Lucy closed her eyes and felt the harmonies vibrate in her ears. It was such a beautiful song, and his voice made her feel safe singing with him.

She sang the next verse confidently.

"It's hard enough to find someone to trust

It's easier to live life scared to love

A mother's touch is going way too soon

Things aren't always what they seem."

Natsu joined her for the chorus.

"Oh things aren't always what they seem

Things aren't always what they seem to be

And I just hope your memory's proud of me

I might cry myself to sleep

And imagine that you're here with me."

For the bridge, Lucy took the first line. "You're not really that much different from me!" she sang.

"Oh I've got everything it seems but what I need." he responded, matching her tones perfectly.

"Oh won't you tell me what you see when you look at me." she added, glancing at him.

"When you look at me, oh!" they harmonized once again. And they finished with a strong chorus.

"No, things aren't always what they seem

Things aren't always what they seem to be

And I just hope your memory's proud of me

I might cry myself to sleep

And imagine that you're here with me."

Natsu held the chord for a few beats, while Lucy turned to face him. He lifted his fingers and looked back at her.

"It's you." he said.

"Huh?"

"It's you. I listen to you sing all the time from outside, but I didn't know who you were." Natsu explained. Lucy vaguely recalled hearing the bushes ruffle from outside, surprised.

"Well I always listened to you singing from outside!" Lucy exclaimed. "I always sat outside the window, whenever I could, so I could hear you."

"Were you the one that yelped when the bell rang?"

Lucy flushed. "Er, maybe..."

"Well I'm surprised anyone else has seen Rags. It's a weird movie. I listened to the music from my sister's soundtrack and loved this song, I was super amazed you were playing it."

Lucy gave him a look. "It's a great movie. I loved it and the music."

Natsu smirked. "Well of course a weirdo would like weird movies."

Lucy stuck her tongue out then retorted, "Says the pink-haired guy who listens to soundtracks that his sister likes."

"My hair's salmon, not pink."

"Whatever, pinkie."

Natsu gave her a look in response. "Hey you know that other song from the movie? It's pretty good too with the actual harmonies."

Lucy smiled. "I love that song. Here." She began to play it, and she began to sing.

"When I first saw you didn't know what to think

But something about you is so interesting

I could see me and you being best friends

The kind of friends that finish each other's sentences." Singing on stage came naturally to Lucy these days, especially with him

Natsu joined her in the chorus.

"When I can't think of the right words to say

I just sing oh, oh

Come on and harmonize with my melody

And we'll sing oh, oh

Ain't it a perfect harmony." They grinned at each other, and Natsu sang the next verse.

"I would have never thought I'd be here with you

To start a friendship that is so brand new

It's so amazing I have to say

Never met someone that had so much in common with me."

"Now I can look into your eyes all day," he sang.

"And just say oh, oh

I wanna harmonize with your melody

And we'll sing oh, oh,"

"Ain't it a perfect harmony." they sang together.

"Sometimes in your lifetime you

Look and you search for someone just to care

Look around and it was there

And we didn't need to go nowhere." They matched each other. Their voices fit together like puzzle pieces.

"When I can't think of the right words to say

I just sing oh, oh

Come on and harmonize with my melody

And we'll sing oh, oh

Ain't it a perfect harmony." They sang in a literal perfect harmony.

"You got me," Lucy sang.

"I got you," Natsu responded.

"I got you," Lucy added.

"You got me," Natsu nodded towards her as he sang.

"Yeah you got me," Lucy sang gently.

"I got you." Natsu repeated, just as gently.

"A perfect harmony." they finished together. Lucy held down the chord, and glanced at Natsu when the notes faded into the air.

The crowd of students cheered. Lucy smiled brightly at the audience.

A few months ago, she couldn't sing in front of one person without freaking out. A few months ago, she had never spoken with Natsu Dragneel before. A few months ago, she spent her Tuesdays running just to hear a mystery guy sing.

Being with Natsu had changed her, for sure.

Every day was a beautiful melody, and he was her perfect harmony.

Okay! I really, really hope you enjoyed. And happy birthday Mama Kari! 3

~Phantom-chan